Tableware-Securing High Chair Tray Device

The present application claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/636,139, which was filed on Apr. 19, 2024, and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The present invention relates generally to the field of highchairs. More specifically, the present invention relates to a tableware-securing highchair tray device. The device is comprised of a body resembling a highchair with a tray from which an insert may be inserted and secured to an opening. A tableware may further be secured to the insert, allowing the tableware to be secured to the body of the device and preventing a child from eating from the device to remove or knock over any tableware and spilling contents. Accordingly, the present disclosure makes specific reference thereto. Nonetheless, it is to be appreciated that aspects of the present invention are also equally applicable to other like applications, devices, and methods of manufacture.

Small children, especially infants and toddlers, are known to be notoriously messy eaters. As they are still developing fine motor skills, it is common for bowls and cups filled with food and/or drink to frequently tip over or spill. This often results in food and beverages landing not only on the highchair tray or table but also on the child's clothing, the chair itself, and the surrounding area, including the floor. Such spills can create substantial messes that are both time-consuming and frustrating to clean. Parents and caregivers are frequently faced with the challenge of containing these spills while also encouraging the child's independence in eating. Moreover, young children often have difficulty keeping bowls, plates, and cups securely on the tray of a highchair or table, as they may unintentionally knock them over with their hands, arms, or even by kicking. This difficulty adds to the frustration of meal times, as the frequent spills and overturned dishes disrupt the eating process, making it harder to teach children to eat properly and maintain some level of cleanliness. Consequently, there is a significant need for solutions that can minimize the occurrence of such spills while also promoting better eating habits and fostering the child's ability to eat independently.

Therefore, there exists a long-felt need in the art for a device that secures bowls or plates to the tray of a highchair. More specifically, there exists a long-felt need in the art for a tableware-securing highchair tray device that prevents children eating in a highchair from removing tableware from the tray of the highchair and thus spilling the contents of the tableware. Furthermore, there exists a long-felt need in the art for a tableware-securing highchair tray device that can easily attach any commonly used tableware to assist children how to properly eat from tableware without spilling or knocking over the items.

The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises a tableware-securing high chair tray device. The device is designed to prevent children from spilling or knocking over tableware during meals. The device comprises a body with a top surface and an insert that can be secured via reciprocating fasteners, allowing the tableware to attach securely to the tray. The body may feature recessed areas to contain spills. The insert can either be detachable or fixedly attached to the top surface, and the fasteners can include common mechanisms such as male-and-female or tongue-and-groove.

In this manner, the tableware-securing high chair tray device of the present invention accomplishes all the forgoing objectives and provides a device that secures bowls or plates to the tray of a highchair. More specifically, the tableware-securing highchair tray device prevents children who are eating in a highchair from removing tableware from the tray of the highchair, thus preventing the child from spilling food or drink. Furthermore, the tableware-securing highchair tray device can easily attach to any commonly used tableware such as bowls, plates, and dishes to assist children in learning how to properly eat from tableware without spilling food or drink.

The following presents a simplified summary to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed innovation. This summary is not an extensive overview, and it is not intended to identify key/critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its sole purpose is to present some general concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises a tableware-securing high chair tray device primarily comprised of a body, a top surface, and an insert. The device is designed to allow any tableware to be secured to the device preventing any child that is eating from the device from spilling or knocking over the items on the device.

The device is comprised of a body that could be any existing configuration of a highchair tray that may be known in the art in addition to the other features that may be fully described below. The body is further comprised of a top surface which may be comprised of at least one opening. The opening may be further comprised of at least one fastener that may receive a fastener of an insert that allows the insert to be secured to the body.

The insert may be further comprised of a top surface that is further comprised of at least one fastener that may receive a fastener of a tableware, allowing the tableware to be secured to the insert. By securing the tableware to the insert and the insert to the body, the tableware may be easily secured to the device. In one potential embodiment, the insert may be fixedly attached to the body of the device such that only the tableware needs to be attached to the insert to fully secure the tableware to the device.

The present invention is also comprised of a method of using the device. First, a device is provided primarily comprised of a body, a top surface, and an insert. Then, the insert may be secured to the opening of the body via the reciprocating fasteners. Then, the tableware may be secured to the top surface of the insert via the reciprocating fasteners. Next, a child may eat from the device and the secured tableware without knocking over or spilling from the tableware.

The present invention is also comprised of a second method of using the device. First, a device is provided primarily comprised of a body, a top surface, and an insert. Then, the tableware may be secured to the top surface of the insert, which is fixedly attached to the top surface of the body, via the reciprocating fasteners. Next, a child may eat from the device and the secured tableware without knocking over or spilling from the tableware.

Accordingly, the tableware-securing high chair tray device of the present invention is particularly advantageous as it provides a device that secures bowls or plates to the tray of a highchair. More specifically, the tableware-securing highchair tray device can easily attach to any commonly used tableware such as bowls, plates, dishes, cups, and mugs to assist children in learning how to eat from tableware without spilling or knocking tableware over. Furthermore, the tableware-securing highchair tray device prevents children who are eating in a highchair from removing tableware from the tray of the highchair, thus preventing the child from spilling food or drink. In this manner, the tableware-securing highchair tray device overcomes the limitations of existing highchairs known in the art.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, certain illustrative aspects of the disclosed innovation are described herein in connection with the following description and the annexed drawings. These aspects are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles disclosed herein can be employed and are intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. Other advantages and novel features will become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the drawings.

The innovation is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding thereof. It may be evident, however, that the innovation can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form to facilitate a description thereof. Various embodiments are discussed hereinafter. It should be noted that the figures are described only to facilitate the description of the embodiments. They are not intended as an exhaustive description of the invention and do not limit the scope of the invention. Additionally, an illustrated embodiment need not have all the aspects or advantages shown. Thus, in other embodiments, any of the features described herein from different embodiments may be combined.

As noted above, there is a long-felt need in the art for a device that secures bowls or plates to the tray of a highchair. More specifically, there exists a long-felt need in the art for a tableware-securing highchair tray device that prevents children eating in a highchair from removing tableware from the tray of the highchair and thus spilling the contents of the tableware. Furthermore, there exists a long-felt need in the art for a tableware-securing highchair tray device that can easily attach any commonly used tableware to assist children how to properly eat from tableware without spilling or knocking over the items.

The present invention, in one exemplary embodiment, is comprised of a tableware-securing high chair tray device. The device is primarily comprised of a body, a top surface, and an insert. The device is designed to allow any tableware to be secured to the device preventing any child that is eating from the device from spilling or knocking over the items on the device.

More specifically, the device is comprised of a body that is preferably made from a plastic or wood material. The body could be any existing configuration of a highchair tray that may be known in the art in addition to the other features that may be fully described below. The body may be further comprised of at least one recessed area such that food or drink may not spill over the edge of the device if spilled onto a top surface of the body.

The body is also be comprised of a top surface. The top surface of the body may be further comprised of at least one opening. The opening of the top surface of the body may be further comprised of at least one fastener that may receive a fastener of an insert, allowing the insert to be secured to the opening of the top surface of the body. The fasteners connecting the opening of the top surface of the body and the insert may be any reciprocating fasteners known in the art, such as male-and-female, tongue-and-groove, etc.

The insert may further be comprised of a top surface that is further comprised of at least one fastener. The fastener of the top surface of the insert may receive a fastener of a tableware, allowing the tableware to be secured to the insert. The fasteners connecting the tableware and the top surface of the insert may be any reciprocating fasteners known in the art, such as male-and-female, tongue-and-groove, etc. By securing the tableware to the insert and the insert to the opening of the body, the tableware may be secured to the device. In one potential embodiment, the insert may be fixedly attached to the top surface of the body of the device. In this embodiment, the tableware may only need to be attached to the insert to be fully secured to the body of the device.

The present invention is also comprised of a method of using the device. First, a device is provided primarily comprised of a body, a top surface, and an insert. Then, the insert may be secured to the opening of the body via the reciprocating fasteners. Then, the tableware may be secured to the top surface of the insert via the reciprocating fasteners. Next, a child may eat from the device and the secured tableware without knocking over or spilling from the tableware.

The present invention is also comprised of a second method of using the device. First, a device is provided primarily comprised of a body, a top surface, and an insert. Then, the tableware may be secured to the top surface of the insert, which is fixedly attached to the top surface of the body, via the reciprocating fasteners. Next, a child may eat from the device and the secured tableware without knocking over or spilling from the tableware.

Accordingly, the tableware-securing high chair tray device of the present invention is particularly advantageous as it provides a device that secures bowls or plates to the tray of a highchair. More specifically, the tableware-securing highchair tray device may prevent children who are eating in a highchair from removing tableware from the tray of the highchair, thus preventing the child from spilling food or drink by knocking over any cups, plates, or bowls. Furthermore, the tableware-securing highchair tray device allows any tableware, such as plates, bowls, or cups to be easily secured to a highchair tray, assisting in the teaching of dinner etiquette to children. In this manner, the tableware-securing highchair tray device overcomes the limitations of existing highchairs known in the art.

Referring initially to the drawings,illustrates an exploded perspective view of a bodyand an insertof one potential embodiment of a tableware-securing high chair tray deviceof the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture. The deviceis primarily comprised of a body, a top surface, and an insert. The deviceis designed to allow any tablewareto be secured to the top surface, preventing any child that is eating from the tablewarefrom spilling or knocking over the tablewareon the device.

The deviceis comprised of a bodythat may be made from any material commonly used to make high chairs and/or eating surfaces but is preferably made from a wood or plastic material. In one embodiment, the plastic is comprised of an anti-microbial plastic. The bodymay further resemble any configuration of a highchair tray that may be known in the art in addition to the other features that may be fully described below. The bodymay also be comprised of at least one recessed areasuch that any food or drink spilled on a top surfaceof the bodymay not spill over the edge of the bodyand onto the floor or other surface or nearby person.

The bodyis also comprised of a top surface. The top surfaceof the bodymay be further comprised of at least one openingand/or a recessed area. The openingof the top surfaceof the bodymay be further comprised of a fastener. The fastenerof the openingmay be a reciprocating fastener with at least one fastenerof an insert. This allows the insertto be secured to the bodyof the device. The fastenerof the openingof the top surfaceof the bodyand the fastenerof the insertmay be any reciprocating fasteners known in the art such as but not limited to: male-and-female, tongue-and-groove, magnets, etc.

illustrates an exploded perspective view of a bodyand an insertattached to a piece of tablewareof one potential embodiment of a tableware-securing high chair tray deviceof the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture. The insertmay be made from any material but is preferably made from the same material as the bodyof the device. The insertmay further be comprised of a top surfacethat is further comprised of at least one fastener. The fastenerof the top surfaceof the insertmay be a reciprocating fastener such that the fastenermay receive a fastenerof a piece of tableware, as best seen in, allowing the tablewareto be secured to the insert. The fastenerof the top surfaceof the insertand the fastenerof the tablewaremay be any reciprocating fasteners known in the art such as but not limited to male-and-female, tongue-and-groove, magnet, etc. The tablewaremay be any tableware commonly used to eat or drink from, such as a plate, a dish, a bowl, a cup, a mug, etc.

In one potential embodiment of the device, the insertmay be fixedly attached to the top surfaceof the bodyof the device. In this embodiment, the fastenerof the tablewareand the fastenerof the top surfaceof the insertmay be the only reciprocating fasteners that need to be connected when setting the deviceup for use, as the insertis already fixedly attached to the bodyof the device.

The present invention is also comprised of a methodof using the device, as seen in. First, a deviceis provided primarily comprised of a body, a top surface, an insert, and a piece of tableware[Step]. Then, the insertmay be secured to the openingof the bodyvia a pair of reciprocating fasteners,located within the openingand on the insert[Step]. Then, a tablewaremay be secured to a top surfaceof the insertvia the reciprocating fasteners,located on the tablewareand the insert[Step]. Next, a child may eat from the tablewareas the tablewareis secured without the possibility of being knocked over or spilled [Step].

The present invention is also comprised of a second methodof using the device, as seen in. First, a deviceis provided primarily comprised of a body, a top surface, and an insert[Step]. Then, the tablewaremay be secured to the top surfaceof the insert, wherein the insertis fixedly attached to the top surfaceof the body, via the reciprocating fasteners,located on the insertand the tableware[Step]. Next, a child may eat from the tablewareas it is secured to the top surfacewithout knocking over or spilling from the tableware[Step].

Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular features or components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature or component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components or features that differ in name but not structure or function. As used herein “tableware-securing high chair tray device” and “device” are interchangeable and refer to the tableware-securing high chair tray deviceof the present invention.

Notwithstanding the forgoing, the tableware-securing high chair tray deviceof the present invention and its various components can be of any suitable size and configuration as is known in the art without affecting the overall concept of the invention, provided that they accomplish the above-stated objectives. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the size, configuration, and material of the tableware-securing high chair tray deviceas shown in the FIGS. are for illustrative purposes only, and that many other sizes and shapes of the tableware-securing high chair tray deviceare well within the scope of the present disclosure. Although the dimensions of the tableware-securing high chair tray deviceare important design parameters for user convenience, the tableware-securing high chair tray devicemay be of any size, shape, and/or configuration that ensures optimal performance during use and/or that suits the user's needs and/or preferences.

Various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplary embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the present invention. While the embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scope of this invention also includes embodiments having different combinations of features and embodiments that do not include all the described features. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the scope of the claims, together with all equivalents thereof.

What has been described above includes examples of the claimed subject matter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimed subject matter are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications, and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.