초록 ▼

An ergonomic serving tray with a unique design, which allows the user to lift, carry, and set down said ergonomic serving tray with a single hand, without tilting the ergonomic serving tray, comprising an ergonomic serving tray 100 equipped with at least one leg 106 that elevates the tray, allowing

An ergonomic serving tray with a unique design, which allows the user to lift, carry, and set down said ergonomic serving tray with a single hand, without tilting the ergonomic serving tray, comprising an ergonomic serving tray 100 equipped with at least one leg 106 that elevates the tray, allowing the user to easily insert a single hand under the ergonomic serving tray and lift it, and which is further equipped with a unique grip 108 that is ergonomically shaped to comfortably increase both the user's lifting capacity and the user's control over the ergonomic serving tray, said grip being located substantially adjacent to the center of gravity, to facilitate lifting, balancing, and carrying of the ergonomic serving tray.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An ergonomic serving tray that allows a user to grasp comfortably and naturally said serving tray, said tray comprising: a load carrying surface; a first gripping surface that includes a thumb-supporting depression partially bounded by two raised sidewalls, the depression comprising a curved chan

1. An ergonomic serving tray that allows a user to grasp comfortably and naturally said serving tray, said tray comprising: a load carrying surface; a first gripping surface that includes a thumb-supporting depression partially bounded by two raised sidewalls, the depression comprising a curved channel that is configured to accept an unbent thumb, has a curved, substantially semi-circular cross-section, and has an open end at the perimeter of the traythe sidewalls being parallel to each other along a portion of their respective lengths and having outer surfaces that taper away from the thumb-supporting depression and toward a second gripping surface, the outer surfaces being curved at a degree that is substantially identical to a degree of the curve of the channelthe second gripping surface that is raised and angled relative to the load carrying surface, is disposed under the first gripping surface, widens in a direction away from the perimeter of the tray, and defines a gripping area that is dimensioned and configured to permit a user to ergonomically place and spread the user's fingers in gripping area when the user's thumb is either accommodated in the thumb-supporting depression or adjacent to the thumb-supporting depression and against a tapered sidewall,wherein said first gripping surface is raised relative to, and located above, the second gripping surface in a terraced manner. 2. The ergonomic serving tray of claim 1 wherein said tray is in the shape of an ellipse. 3. The ergonomic serving tray of claim 1 wherein said tray is in the shape of a circle. 4. The ergonomic serving tray of claim 1 wherein said tray is in the shape of a rectangle. 5. The ergonomic serving tray of claim 1 wherein said tray is in the shape of a trapezoid. 6. The ergonomic serving tray of claim 1 wherein said tray is in the shape of a six-sided polygon. 7. The ergonomic serving tray of claim 1, further comprising ribs across the bottom of the tray, wherein the rib construction increases the rigidity and strength of the tray. 8. An ergonomic serving tray that allows a user to grasp comfortably and naturally said serving tray, said tray comprising: a load carrying surface; a first gripping surface that includes a thumb-supporting depression partially bounded by two raised sidewalls, the depression comprising a curved channel that is configured to accept an unbent thumb, has a curved, substantially semi-circular cross-section, and has an open end at the perimeter of the traythe sidewalls being parallel to each other along a portion of their respective lengths and having outer surfaces that taper away from the thumb-supporting depression and toward a second gripping surface, the outer surfaces being curved at a degree that is substantially identical to a degree of the curve of the channelthe second gripping surface that is raised and angled relative to the load carrying surface, and is disposed under the first gripping surface. 9. The ergonomic serving tray of claim 1, wherein said tray further comprises at least two legs attached to a lower side of said second gripping surface. 10. The ergonomic serving tray of claim 8, wherein said tray further comprises at least two legs attached to a lower side of said tray. 11. An ergonomic serving tray that allows a user to grasp comfortably and naturally said serving tray, said tray comprising: a first gripping surface; anda second gripping surface,wherein said first gripping surface is located above the second gripping surface at a predefined distance in a terraced manner, wherein said first gripping surface comprises a thumb-supporting depression for enabling a user to place his thumb in said thumb-supporting depression, said thumb supporting depression includes an elongated channel shaped portion having one open portion at the circumference of the tray and another elongated open portion for receiving a thumb of a user, said channel shaped portion is formed by two side walls each said side wall protrudes from said first gripping surface in a manner which allows supporting the thumb at each side of each said side wall, thereby allowing the user to select one of multiple holding positions of the thumb, wherein said protruding side walls allow balancing said tray weight when the tray is carried in each of said multiple holding positions of the thumb,wherein said second gripping surface, located below said first gripping surface enables the user to place and spread his other fingers there beneath to hold said tray ergonomically wherein the thumb is located above the other gripping fingers of the user's same hand at a distance defined by the distance between the surfaces to allow ergonomically holding and balancing of the ergonomic serving tray, and for further allowing the user to use a single hand for lifting carrying and balancing said ergonomic tray,wherein said second gripping surface includes a designated gripping area allowing other fingers of the user's holding hand other than the thumb to grip therein, wherein the design of said designated gripping area widens from the circumference of the tray towards the center of gravity of the tray, thereby allowing the user to ergonomically place and spread his fingers in said designated gripping area under the thumb a holding configuration in which the thumb is located between and above two edge fingers of the holding hand, andwherein the first gripping surface comprising a plurality of thumb supporting depressions, each said thumb supporting depression is positioned at a different direction.