Holder For Open Books

Abstract

A holder for an open book of the paperback type has a pair of spaced leaf edge contact components that are interconnected by an expandable connecting component adapted for insertion between pages of the held book. The leaf edge contact components feature bendable portions that are equipped with a detent that overlies portions of one of the open pages and one of the contact components has a tab that overlies a portion of the other open page. Page guiding edges are provided on the detents and provisions are made for preventing withdrawal of the interconnecting component during use of the device.

Description

This invention relates to a book holder and more particularly to a holder that is designed to retain the book in an open condition.

So-called pocket-size or paperback books have a cover leaf which in most instances is glued to the bound leaves along the binding edge of the book. This inexpensive arrangement for attaching the cover leaf to the bound leaves provides a stiffening structure along the binding edge which constantly resists retention of the book in an open condition. Those familiar with pocket-size editions are well aware that it is next to impossible to retain the book in an open position at a selected page on a flat surface, such as a table, without some type of mechanical aid. They are also well aware of the extreme difficulty encountered in hand holding such books at selected pages and the problem encountered is especially aggravating to people afflicted with arthritis or some other condition that leaves the hands in a weakened condition.

Many different types of devices have been advocated as a solution to the problem and among those which have been advocated are the so-called "clip" type devices which must be removed from the book as each page is turned and thereafter relocated to properly hold the book in its open condition at the new page selection. This, of course, is time consuming to the reader and to those with weakened hand conditions, it means that there is a need for exerting considerable effort each time a page is turned during the reading of the book. Prior art attempts have also been made to provide book holders which avoid the need for removing or adjusting components as each page is turned. These prior art attempts however, have been less than satisfactory because the structures involved are so complicated in most instances as to render their manufacture economically impractical for the consuming public. In many instances, the holding devices can be used with conventionally bound books but fail to carry out their intended function when applied to paperback editions. This is frequently attributed to the fact that such devices are only equipped with components that engage the open pages at one end of the binding edge. This type of arrangement has been found unsatisfactory with paperback editions of such books because the lack of support at the other end of the binding edge permits the pages to curl under the influence of the type binding arrangement employed in the manufacture of such editions.

A general object of the invention is to provide an improved holder for open books. Another object of the invention is to provide an improved open book holder which permits the reader to turn the pages without the need for major adjustments in the location of the components of the holder. Another object of the invention is to provide an open book holder which is inexpensive to manufacture and which will serve its intended purpose when used with so-called paperback book editions. Another object is to provide a simple, inexpensive book holder which can be conveniently used and manipulated by people suffering from the lack of adequate strength in their fingers to hold paperback book editions in an open condition for prolonged periods of time. Still another object of the invention is to provide a book holder for paperback editions and which is capable of use with books that vary from one to the next in their dimension along the binding edge.

In accord with the invention, the book holder is equipped with a pair of leaf edge contact components which are interconnected by a component which is insertable between the pages of the open book. The leaf edge contact components are arranged in the holder to bear against the bound leaf edges at the opposite ends of the binding edge of the open book and each leaf edge contact component has a resiliently deformable portion that is provided with a detent that normally overlies and contacts a marginal portion of one of the open pages of the open book. Provisions are also made in the structure of the holder for one of the leaf edge contact components to have a tab which overlies and contacts a marginal portion of the other of the open pages and the detents and tab are all arranged to overlie marginal portions that are laterally offset from the binding edge of the book. The holder is also equipped with elements or means that engage the book along its binding edge when the book is held in its open condition and these elements or means prevent withdrawal of the interconnecting component from between the pages underlying the open pages and hence, serve to retain the holder in a proper position. One aspect of the invention deals with the provision of an interconnecting component which is extendible to permit a greater space relation to be realized between the leaf edge contact components. This arrangement permits the holder to be employed with different books that have different dimensions along the binding edge and in a preferred arrangement the interconnecting component includes cross ribs of resiliently deformable material that permits the desired relative movement of the contact component to accommodate use of the holder with books of various dimensions. Yet another aspect of the invention has to do with the provision of certain wedge shape members in the structure of the interconnecting component and which serve to prevent dislodgment of the elements that engage the binding edge and prevent withdrawal of the interconnecting components from between the pages. Yet another aspect of the invention has to do with the structure of the detent and which, in effect, provides an inclined edge that aids the reader in guiding the pages to a position underlying the detents as the pages are turned during the reading process.

The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention, itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention as seen when attached to an open book, the figure also depicting in broken lines the position of the page at the left hand side of the binding edge of the book at an interval during the process of being turned by the reader;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged section along the lines 2--2 of FIG. 1, with parts broken away;

FIG. 3 is a section in elevation along the lines 3--3 of FIG. 2, with parts broken away;

FIG. 4 is a section in elevation along the lines 4--4 of FIG. 2, with parts broken away;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged section along the lines 5--5 of FIG. 1, with parts broken away;

FIG. 6 is a plan view taken along the lines 6--6 of FIG. 5, with parts broken away; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the holder as seen when detached from the book, certain additional positions for certain parts of the holder being shown in broken lines.

Reference is now made to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 7 and wherein the book holder is generally designated at 10. It includes a pair of leaf edge contact components that are respectively designated at 11 and 12 and an interconnecting component that is designated at 13. Components 11 and 12 are held in spaced relation by the connecting component 13 and are designed to engage and bear against the upper and lower leaf edges 14 and 15 at the opposite ends 16 and 17 of the binding edge 18 of the book 19, shown in FIG. 1 in its open position. The contact components 11 and 12 are generally elongated structural members which are arranged transversely of the binding edge 18 when the holder is carrying out its intended function and the connector or connecting component 13 under such circumstances, has an inserted position between pages such as 20 and 21 that underlie the open page, such as 22, at one side of the binding edge 18.

The upper leaf edge contact component 11 in the embodiment illustrated has a rigid portion 23 which is arranged to engage and contact portions of the upper leaf edges 14 that are at the right side of the binding edge 18, as the book is seen in FIG. 1. The lower leaf edge contact component also has a rigid portion 24. This portion is similarly arranged so that it contacts and engages portions of the lower leaf edges 15 at the right side of the binding edge.

The connecting component 13 is a generally elongated structure which is generally flat so as to accommodate its insertion between pages that underlie the open page 22 at the right side of the open book and in the embodiment illustrated, has a cross ribbed section 25 and flat plate-like sections 26 and 27 that are integrally joined to the rigid portions 23 and 24 of components 11 and 12 at the opposite ends 28 and 29 of the connecting component 13. The holder is preferably molded in one piece from suitable resiliently deformable plastic material and portions 23 and 24 are more or less rigid and resist bending because of the integral connection with the end sections 26 and 27 of component 13.

The ribs 30, on the other hand, are so joined at their opposite ends and intermediate such ends as to be capable of slight bending when forces are exerted on the components 11 and 12 to increase the space therebetween. The rib section 25 accordingly permits the elongated connecting component 13 to be extended so as to permit expansion of the space between the contact components 11 and 12 and when this happens they undergo slight deformation, as seen by the broken line position for the deformed ribs designated at 31 in FIG. 7, when the spacing between components 11 and 12 is increased to that illustrated by reference to the broken line position 32 for component 11.

To prevent the connecting component 13 from being withdrawn from between the pages 20 and 21 when the holder is in use, each of the leaf edge contact components is provided with an inwardly directed protuberance-type element that is arranged to engage the open book along its binding edge when the holder is in place. These elements, designated at 33 and 34, engage the book at the opposite ends 16 and 17 of the binding edge 18 and cooperate to limit movement of the holder as in the direction of arrow 35 and which would otherwise cause withdrawal of component 13 from between the pages 20 and 21. To maintain the elements 33 and 34 in engagement with the book along the binding edge when the holder is in position, the opposite end sections 26 and 27 of the connecting component 13 are equipped with wedge shape members, designated at 36 and 37. Members 36 and 37 bear against the inside of the binding between pages 20 and 21 when the holder is in place and are generally located in their lower plane than that of the elements 33 and 34 so that the elements are retained in the arched area defined by the glued portion 38 of the cover leaf 39 of the book when the latter is in the open condition shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The lower leaf edge contact component 12 has a tab which is integrally joined to the rigid portion 24 thereof and tab 40 is so located in the holder arrangement as to overlie and contact a marginal portion 41 of the open page 22 which is laterally offset from the binding edge of the book. The tab is so arranged as to avoid obscuring any of the printed matter on the open page 22 and is sufficiently offset from the binding edge to exert a leverage action countering that which tends to close the book.

It will be noted that the upper leaf edge component 11 lacks a tab comparable to that provided in the structure of the lower leaf edge component. This arrangement enables the reader, when turning pages, to simply manipulate the page 22 from the upper right hand corner of the open book as seen in FIG. 1 and to withdraw the page from and under tab 40 and thus turn the page in the normal manner.

To exert a leverage action on the left side of the binding edge, each of the leaf edge contact components 11 and 12 is provided with a resiliently deformable portion that is equipped with a detent that overlies and contacts the other open page 42 at the left side of the binding edge. The resiliently deformable portion of contact component 11 is designated at 43 whereas the comparable structure for the lower leaf edge contact component 12 is designated at 44. Portions 43 and 44 are bendable in the general plane of the open book, as illustrated by reference to portion 43 of contact component 11, and each is equipped with a bent end extremity that provides a detent that is normally arranged to overlie and contact a marginal portion of the open page 42. These detents are designated at 45 and 46 respectively and they normally overlie marginal portions 47 and 48 of the open page 42 and which are also laterally offset from the binding edge 18 of book 19. The fact that portions 43 and 44 are bendable aids the reader in positioning the holder on the open book and permits deflection of the detent in the general plane of the open book from its normal position, such as that indicated at 49 for detent 45, to another position designated at 50 in FIG. 6 and at which the detent 45 is offset from the edge 51 of page 42.

The deformable portions 43 and 44 may be bent in a manner indicated in FIG. 6 when the holder is initially placed in the book to carry out its intended function and may also be bent to accommodate reception of a turned page beneath the detents 45 and 46. In the normal course of events however, the bending of the portions 43 and 44 is unnecessary for each detent is equipped with an edge that inclines upwardly and outwardly from the page. These edges are designated at 52 and 53 respectively and as the page is turned, the edges 52 and 53 serve to guide the upper and lower edges of the page, as illustrated by the broken line position for page 42 in FIG. 1, to a position at which by simple finger manipulation of the page, it can be inserted to a position underlying the respective detents 45 and 46 without the need for bending the deformable portions 43 and 44. Thus, as illustrated by the broken line position for page 42 as it was being turned by the reader, the upper edge 51 rides down the guide edge 53 of detent 45 while the lower edge 54 rides down the guiding edge 53 of detent 46. This causes the page to curl, as illustrated in FIG. 1, and thereafter the user can by simply exerting a little thumb pressure on the page in front of the detent can slide the edge under the respective detents so that the page assumes that position on the left hand side of the binding edge seen in FIG. 1.

From the foregoing it is evident that the book holder described herein can be used by people who lack strength in their fingers and hands to hold paperback volumes and that the need for manipulating components of the holder can be avoided as the pages are turned by the user. The holder is also such as to be easily manufactured by conventional molding procedures that provide a one piece structure in which the various components are integrally joined without the need for excessive labor for assembly purposes.

While only a certain preferred embodiment of this invention has been shown and described by way of illustration, many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art and it is, therefore, desired that it be understood that it is intended herein to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

Claims

What is claimed as new and what it is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A holder for an open book comprising a pair of leaf edge contact components which are spaced apart and arranged to extend transversely of and at the respective opposite ends of the binding edge of the open book, and a connecting component which extends between and interconnects said contact components; each of said leaf edge contact components including a resiliently deformable portion which has a detent that is arranged to normally overlie and contact a marginal portion of one of the open pages of the open book and which is bendable to permit deflection of the detent in the general plane of the open book from its normal position to another position that is offset from the edge of a page contacted at its normal position, the marginal portion being laterally offset from the binding edge of the open book; one of said leaf edge contact components having a tab that is arranged to overlie and contact a marginal portion of the other of the open pages and which is laterally offset from the binding edge of the open book; said connecting component being arranged for insertion between pages underlying the other of the open pages of the open book, and each of said edge contact components having means arranged to engage the open book along its binding edge and to cooperate with the means of the other of said contact components in limiting withdrawal movement of said connecting component from between the pages underlying the other of the open pages of an open book held by the holder.

2. A holder for an open book in accord with claim 1 where said component is extendible to permit expansion of the space between said contact components.

3. A holder for an open book in accord with claim 1 where said connecting component maintains said contact components in spaced relation and includes cross ribs that are integrally joined and resiliently deformable to permit extension of the component and relative movement of the contact components interconnected thereby.

4. A holder for an open book in accord with claim 1 where said connecting component has opposite ends and includes a pair of wedge members which are located at the respective opposite ends of said connecting component for maintaining the cooperating means in engagement with and along the binding edge of an open book held by the holder.

5. A holder for an open book in accord with claim 1 where each of said contact components has a rigid portion, where said connecting component has opposite ends which are integrally joined to the respective rigid portions of said contact components, and where said tab is integrally joined to the rigid portion of said one of said components.

6. A holder for an open book in accord with claim 5 where said connecting component maintains said contact components in spaced relation and includes cross ribs that are integrally joined and resiliently deformable to permit extension of the connecting component and relative movement of the contact components interconnected thereby, and where said connecting component further includes a pair of wedge members which are located at the respective opposite ends of said connecting component for maintaining the cooperating means in engagement with and along the binding edge of an open book held by the holder.

7. A holder for an open book in accord with claim 1 where said detent has a page guiding edge arranged to incline upwardly and outwardly from an underlying open page contacted thereby.