U.S. patent application number 16/040490 was filed with the patent office on 2019-01-24 for reading stand.
The applicant listed for this patent is Luis E. Hernandez. Invention is credited to Luis E. Hernandez.
Application Number | 20190021488 16/040490 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 65014200 |
Filed Date | 2019-01-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20190021488 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hernandez; Luis E. |
January 24, 2019 |
Reading Stand
Abstract
The present invention is a novel support mechanism to support
reading materials and electronic media in an elevated position,
oriented towards the viewer or reader of such materials. The
invention is comprised of a base board that provides the bottom
support for the entire invention and serves as a base level support
of a book or electronic pad. The base board contains an upper
surface and a bottom surface and is further comprised of two
sections, the rear section and the forward section. The rear
section provides support for the hold board. The forward section
provides support for the hinge board, when the hinge board is fully
folded. The upper surface of the forward section contains spaced
grooves which accept the bottom edge of the object being supported
on the hinge board and keep it from sliding toward the forward edge
of the base board.
Inventors: |
Hernandez; Luis E.; (North
Bergen, NJ) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Hernandez; Luis E. |
North Bergen |
NJ |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
65014200 |
Appl. No.: |
16/040490 |
Filed: |
July 19, 2018 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62534215 |
Jul 19, 2017 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B 23/043 20130101;
A47B 23/044 20130101; A47B 2220/0077 20130101; A47B 2220/0016
20130101 |
International
Class: |
A47B 23/04 20060101
A47B023/04 |
Claims
1. A book support apparatus comprising; a base board having an
upper surface and a lower surface, said upper surface having
surface elements to retain a bottom edge of an object being
supported on said base board; a hold board, said hold board
disposed on to of a rear portion of said base board; a hinge board
said hinge board having a top surface and a bottom surface, both
said stop surface and said bottom surface of said hinge board
capable of supporting an object being read; the hinge board having
a central protrusion area, with a rod running through the bottom of
said central protrusion area terminating on either side of said
central protrusion area within extension sections of said hold
board; and wherein said hinge board is capable of pivoting around
said rod.
2. The book support apparatus of claim 1, wherein an edge of said
hinge board and an edge of said base board are flush when said
hinge board is laid flat on top of said base board.
3. The book support apparatus of claim 1, wherein said surface
elements are a plurality of grooves.
4. The book support apparatus of claim 3, wherein said plurality of
grooves run along a width of said top surface of said base board
and wherein said grooves are of various sizes.
5. The book support apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plurality of
surface elements are protrusions or grooves.
6. The book support apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a
cavity within said rear portion of said base board, wherein said
cavity utilized to store items within said base board.
7. The book support apparatus of claim 6, wherein said cavity
concealed beneath a removable cover.
8. The book support apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a rod
channel in communication with said cavity.
9. The book support apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a base
cover board, said base cover board disposed beneath said base
board.
10. The book support apparatus of claim 9, wherein said base cover
board functioning as a writing surface.
11. The book support apparatus of claim 1, wherein an angle of the
hinge board with respect to said base board is variable.
12. The book support apparatus of claim 1, wherein said surface
elements capable of retaining in an upright orientation items
comprised of books, electronic tablets, magazines or pamphlets.
Description
CLAIM OF PRIORITY
[0001] This application claims priority to the U.S. Provisional
Patent Application No. 62/534,215 filed on Jul. 19, 2017, the
contents of which are fully incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to desk accessories, namely a
prop-up stand for reading books or viewing tablet screens while
sitting at a desk or a table that is supporting such books or
electronic tablets. The present invention is intended to prop-up
the reading material thereby reducing eye stress and increasing the
overall enjoyment of the reading experience.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Desks are created with flat surfaces. The purpose of this is
to provide a secure and spill free support surface for objects
placed on a desk. For example, liquids require perfectly level
support surface to avoid spillage. Stacks of papers and other
objects would topple, creating a bedlam on the floor and on seating
areas. However, for reading or reviewing a printed or electronic
matter, it is advantageous to have the materials oriented
substantially towards the user to improve focus and reduce glare
from overhead lighting. Another advantage of a reading stand is the
ability to keep reading material at an optimal angle toward the
reader without the reader having to use his or her hands to
maintain such angle.
[0004] Pulpits that are placed on desks to serve as supports for
reading materials have long been known in the art. Such pulpits
feature a flat surface that is tilted in the direction of the user,
the bottom edge of which is terminated by a flange to prevent
whatever material being supported on said pulpit from sliding off
of the flat surface. Usually a pair of sidewalls or a proprietary
stand supports such flat surface.
[0005] One common problem with pulpits or lecterns known in the art
is that the tilted surface is usually bulky and not easily stowed
while not in use. It is also of very little utility outside of its
intended use.
[0006] Another disadvantage of prior art pulpits is that the tilt
is often non-adjustable and the flange that stops the reading
material from sliding off the top surface also obstructs the bottom
edge of the object being supported, thereby preventing an
unobstructed and convenient turning of pages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention is a novel support mechanism to
support reading materials and electronic media in an elevated
position, oriented towards the viewer or reader of such materials.
The invention is comprised of a base board that provides the bottom
support for the entire invention and serves as a base level support
of a book or electronic pad.
[0008] The base board contains an upper surface and a bottom
surface and is further comprised of two sections, the rear section
and the forward section. The rear section provides support for the
hold board. The forward section provides support for the hinge
board, when the hinge board is fully folded. The upper surface of
the forward section contains spaced grooves which accept the bottom
edge of the object being supported on the hinge board and keep it
from sliding toward the forward edge of the base board.
[0009] The bottom surface of the base board may contain an
additional cover board, or the cover board may be integrated with a
cover board surface. The cover board would either provide an
additional frictional coefficient to reinforce the static nature of
the base board on top of a supporting surface, such as a tabletop,
or may contain soft, felt like surface, to prevent scratches on the
table top used to support the present invention. The cover board
may also be used as a writing surface or as a surface to support
objects, such as a phone a coffee mug or reading glasses. There may
also be a combination of frictional and scratch proof surfaces
along the bottom face of the base cover board.
[0010] The top section of the present invention is comprised of the
hinge board and the hold board. The hold board is mounted on the
rear section of the base board contains a pivot rod that anchors
the hinge board and enables the hinge board to be elevated up or
folded down. The hold board may contain utility compartments, such
as a niche for a writing utensil, a stylus or a compartment for
reading glasses.
[0011] The hinge board's angle of rotation is terminated by the
hold board after approximately 115.degree. degrees of rotation.
When folded down, the hinge board covers all of the exposed top
surface of the forward section of the base board. There is a hinge
channel along the rear edge of the hinge board which is used as a
sleeve around the rod. The top surface of the hinge board may also
be used as a writing surface or as a surface to support objects,
such as a phone a coffee mug or reading glasses.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C are perspective top view of the present
invention with a deployed hinge board.
[0013] FIG. 2 is an exploded diagram of the preferred embodiment of
the present invention.
[0014] FIG. 3A is a view of the front edge of the completely folded
preferred embodiment.
[0015] FIGS. 3B and 3C are side-view figures of the invention
depicted in FIG. 3A, demonstrating hinge board in a closed and open
position.
[0016] FIGS. 4A and 4B demonstrate a base cover board.
[0017] FIG. 5 is a top view of the upper section of the present
invention.
[0018] FIG. 6A is a diagram of the top surface of the base
board.
[0019] FIGS. 6B and 6C are side-view diagrams of the base board of
the present invention.
[0020] FIGS. 7A and 7B demonstrate the various components of the
holding board.
[0021] FIGS. 8A, 8B and 8C are detailed view of the hinge
board.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0022] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now
be described with reference to the drawings. Identical elements in
the various figures are identified with the same reference
numerals.
[0023] Reference will now be made in detail to embodiment of the
present invention. Such embodiments are provided by way of
explanation of the present invention, which is not intended to be
limited thereto. In fact, those of ordinary skill in the art may
appreciate upon reading the present specification and viewing the
present drawings that various modifications and variations can be
made thereto.
[0024] Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar
reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several
views, the figures illustrate a support device 1 comprising a base
board 2, a hold board 4 and a hinge board 6. The base board 2
consists of two sections a forward section 21 and a back section
23. The back section 23 supports the hold board 4 along with the
pivot mechanism (items 28 and 30 FIG. 2) of the hinge board 6. The
forward section 21 contains an upper surface 22. The upper surface
22 supports books and flat screen tablets that are facing or
oriented toward a user of the support device 1. The grooves 20 are
intended to capture the bottom edge of the object being supported.
In this way only, the immediate bottom edge is retained, with pages
being exposed for unobstructed perusal by a user. The groove 18 is
a wider groove appearing nearly at the base 10 of the hinge board
6. While the wider groove 18 may be used to support a book or a
flat screen device, it may also function to conceal a writing
utensil, a stylus, reading glasses or head phones. An even wider or
especially sculpted groove may be integrated with groove 18 to
store a magnifying class or a place marker. Narrower groves 50 are
preferably shallower than the grove 20 and are used for supporting
thin pamphlets and magazines, which are not well suited for deeper
grooves 20, which are made predominantly for retaining a brim of a
hard-covered book, or an edge of a tablet screen.
[0025] The grooves 18, 20 and 50 run across the upper surface 22 of
the forward section 21 and are positioned at least one-inch
intervals from each other. However, other intervals are possible.
In an alternative embodiment, protrusions instead of grooves may be
employed, or a combination of grooves and protrusions may be
utilized. The layout of the groves may be different, for example,
groove 18 may be towards the front and one or several shallower
grooves 50 may be closer to the hinge board 6.
[0026] The hinge board 6 contains the top surface 9 and a bottom
surface 8. The bottom surface 8 is used to provide a backrest for
books, reading matter or electronic flat screen panels, while the
hinge board 6 is in the unfolded position, as shown in FIGS. 1A and
1B. The bottom surface 8 may contain rubber or silicone elements to
minimize slippage or sliding while a book is being supported
thereon. It may also contain lacquer, decals or backlighting
elements. Similarly, the base board 2, may contain lighting
elements along the forward edge 14 that would be directed at the
bottom surface 8 when the hinge board 6 is fully unfolded.
[0027] The top surface 9 may similarly contain frictional elements,
such as rubberized caps, to support items while the hinge board 6
is in a closed position. There may additionally be a latch along
the front edge 12 of the hinge board 6 that would clip into, or
lock into a loop or clasp along the front edge 14 of the base board
2.
[0028] The back section 23 preferably contains a recess cavity
stylus holder 53 comprising a cavity 58. A flap 55 covers the
cavity 58, for admitting a pen or stylus. A flap 55 is secured
within the recess 53 with a hook and loop fastener 59. The fastener
59 may also be a snap fastener a keyhole with pin, or a resealable
adhesive. It should be noted that the cavity 58 preferably contains
an alcove 57a to accommodate a pin that is present with many pens
and styluses. While the cavity 58 accommodates a pen or stylus, one
skilled in the art may appreciate that the cavity 58 may be made
sufficiently large to admit reading glasses or tissues.
[0029] FIG. 2 is an exploded diagram of the preferred embodiment of
the present invention. Shown is the hinge board 6, having a center
protrusion area 5, which fits between the dual extensions 13 of the
hold board 4. A rod 28 traversing the center protrusion 5 via a
channel along the bottom edge 10, terminates within the dual
extensions 13, thereby functioning as a rod or a pivot about which
the hinge board 6 is rotated. The rod holder 30 attaches along the
bottom edge 10 to form a sleeve or channel for the rod 28, which is
then used to rotate the hinge board 6 about the rod 28.
Alternatively, a channel may be bored along the edge 10 to fulfil
the structural purpose of a sleeve on a hinge. A recess 16 made
through the surface of the base board 2 admits the edge 10 while
edge 10 makes an arch during opening or closing. Consequently, the
recess 16 corresponds to the length of the edge 10 and is
sufficiently wide to accommodate the arch of the edge 10.
Alternatively, the edge 10 may be sufficiently short to obviate the
need for a recess 16.
[0030] Still referring to FIG. 2, shown is the recess 58 for
admitting pens or styluses. The recess 58 is in direct
communication with a rod channel 63, which is used to extract pens
or styluses that have been wedged in or which are too thick to fit
within the recess 58. The rod channel 63 allows a small rod to be
inserted to push out and expel objects suck with the recess 58.
Also shown is the base board 2 that is mounted onto a base cover
board 32 via an adhesive surface 35. The base board 2 may function
as a cushion for the base board 2 or as a way to provide addition
frictional elements to immobilize the base board 2 on top of a
support surface. The perimeter 34 of the base cover board 32 is
preferably flush with the edge 14.
[0031] FIGS. 3A-3C demonstrate the preferred side dimensions of the
present invention.
[0032] FIG. 3A is a front view showing the forward edge 14 of the
base board 2 and a forward edge 12 of the hinge board 12. The
preferable combined thickness 43 of the base board 2 and the hinge
board 6 is one and 5/16.sup.th of an inch, which is distributed
between the thickness 40 of the hinge board 6 at 1/2 inch and the
thickness 42 of the base board 2 at 3/4 of an inch. The tapered
perimeter 19 of the forward section 21 provides for a finger hold
to lift the hinge board 6 into an open position.
[0033] FIG. 3B is a side view of the present invention with the
hinge board 6 in an unfolded position. When unfolded, the hinge
board forms an obtuse angle 44 of approximately 115.degree. with
respect to the plane of the base board 2. The angle 44 may be
varied, for example with retention washers being placed around the
rod 28, which would suspend the hinge board 6 at a desired angle
44. In FIG. 3 the hinge board 6 is fully folded. The combined
lengths of the hold board 4 and the hinge board 6 is equal the
length of the base board 2. The section of the base board 2 covered
by the hold board 4 is the rear section 23, while the forward
section 21 of the base board 2 is covered by the hinge board 6.
[0034] The preferred width 46 of the present invention is
approximately 11.5 inches as illustrated in FIG. 7A. of the width
46, the width 47 of the extensions 13 on either side of the hold
board 4 take about 2.5 inches each, with the rest taken by the gap
3 that is used to accommodate the protrusion area 5 of the hinge
board 6. The dimensions of the gap 3 are preferably 6.5 inches in
width and 11/4 of an inch in length 49. The groove 26 is a utility
compartment for storing objects, such as writing utensils,
magnifying lens, reading glasses, headphones or a stylus. Also
shown is the terminus cavity 7 within each extension section 13 to
house the rod 28. The terminus cavities 7 anchor the pivot hinge of
the hinge board 6. FIG. 7B shows a front view of the hold board 4,
showing the cavities 7, the edge 17 and the cavity 3.
[0035] The overall length of the base board 2 other components of
the present invention is preferably up to 9 inches shown in item 52
(FIG. 4A) which is also the length of the base cover board 32. FIG.
4B shows the thickness 54 of the base cover board 32 being equal to
1/18 of an inch. The base cover board 32 may be made of plastic,
steel, fabric, paper or leather. The base cover board 32 may be an
integrated layer into the base board 2.
[0036] FIG. 5 is a top view of the present invention. Showing the
hinge board 6, the top surface 9, the hold board 4, the extensions
13 and the groove 26. The grove 26 is preferably used to store
writing utensils. The hold board 4 may contain a light with
batteries or a corded light (not shown). The present invention may
be manufactured out of wood, pressed wood chips (particle board),
metal, metallic alloy, stone, polymeric or resinous materials, or a
combination of such materials.
[0037] The top view of the base board 2 shown in FIG. 6A shows the
top surface 22 having evenly spaced grooves 20, which are paced
approximately 1 1/16.sup.th from each other. Each groove 20
functions as a point of retention of an edge of a book or a flat an
electronic pad. The narrow width of the grooves 20, just 5/16 of an
inch, coupled with the angle which a book would rest against said
grooves 20, ensures that only the binding or the very bottom edge
is snagged inside a groove 20, with the rest of the book exposed to
unobstructed turning of pages.
[0038] Groove 18 is disposed close to a base of an opened hinge
board 6 and may also be used for the same purpose as grooves 20 or
may be used to store items. The recess 16 is a wider channel or
groove intended to provide clearance for the pivoting bottom edge
10 of the hinge board 6. For this reason, the recess 16 is slightly
longer at 7.5 inches then the width of the protrusion 5 of the
hinge board 6. FIG. 6C demonstrates the lengthwise edge of the base
board 2 having the edge 14 the tapered edge 19 and the rod channel
63.
[0039] FIGS. 8A and 8B demonstrate the dimensions of the hinge
board 6. With the length of it preferably at 73/8.sup.th of an
inch. The edge 10 contains a protrusion 5 that is formed due to
sculpting a gap having dimensions of 2 17/32'' in width 60 and 1
13/22 in length 62 of the corners areas of the hinge board 6 along
the bottom edge 10. FIG. 8C shows a small flange 61 along the
bottom edge 10 is present to ensure that the pivoting hinge board 6
has sufficient clearance to fold and unfold.
[0040] Although dimensions above have been stated using the
imperial system, it is assumed that dimensions will be
substantially the same when using equivalent dimensions under the
metric system. All dimensions may be changed as per preference or
requirement, with other dimensions changed proportionally as
necessary.
[0041] Although this invention has been described with a certain
degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present
disclosure has been made only by way of illustration and that
numerous changes in the details of construction and arrangement of
parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the
scope of the invention.
* * * * *