Abstract:
An organizer that attaches to a computer monitor or other display monitor and has a transparent dust, glare, and/or UV radiation shield and at least one lateral storage panel with pockets that hold various documents and materials and maintain them in a convenient location for easy access or viewing while working on the computer.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/728,435, filed Oct. 19, 2005. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates generally to accessories for computer monitors, and more particularly to an organizer that attaches to a computer monitor or other display monitor and which has a transparent dust, glare, and/or UV radiation shield and at least one storage panel with pockets that hold various documents and materials and maintain them in a convenient location for easy access or viewing while working on the computer. 
     2. Brief Description of the Prior Art 
     There is a continuing need for an efficient means to securely hold documents such as loose papers, compact disks (CDs), diskettes, business cards, to-do lists, notes, messages, templates, calendars, photographs, and the like in easily removable arrangement at a convenient position for viewing while working at a computer monitor. To that end, various devices have been produced which function to hold such documents, however most are not easily adjustable to the convenience of the user and there appears to be a lack of devices which have further functions including securing documents adjacent to the monitor and providing a transparent dust, glare, and/or UV radiation shield. 
     Charapich, U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,145 discloses a mounting board for a video display screen housing comprising a planar sheet having an opening for viewing the video display screen in one portion and other portions adjacent the opening for receiving mounts which can retain objects adjacent the planar sheet. An erasable layer can be laminated on the planar sheet to receive markings. The mounting board is attached to the video display screen housing by stabilizers that can be positioned to accommodate for variations in video display screen housings. 
     Hinson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,905 discloses a die-cut display board for a computerized display screen supported in a housing comprising a thin die-cuttable sheet with a front display face, a back face, a periphery and a central region. Top and side housing tabs are die-cut and scored in the central region of the sheet to permit the tabs to be folded inwardly toward the back side as to lie upon the top and the sides of the housing thereby forming a front opening. The sheet is positioned so that the front opening is substantially in flush alignment with the display screen. 
     Armbruster, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,267 discloses a frame assembly for use on a computer monitor which includes a stiff frame having generally planar front and rear surfaces and elongate border portions having inner edge surfaces that define an opening through the frame corresponding in shape to the front viewed surface of the monitor. The rear surface of the frame can be attached along the front surface of the housing with the opening in the frame aligned with the front viewed surface, and a layer of repositionable pressure sensitive adhesive adhered to the frame is accessible along the front surface of the frame so that sheets of paper and other objects can be releasably adhered thereto. 
     Olivo, U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,582 discloses a device for organizing office paraphernalia which uses a PC monitor as a mounting surface. The device is comprised of a shroud mountable to a PC monitor groove located behind the faceplate of the monitor. The shroud is comprised of two adjustable shroud members coupled together by a spring tensioner. The shroud members have an inner edge, an outer edge, and a front face disposed between the inner and outer edges, and a plurality of projections disposed upon the inner edge of the shroud that engage within the monitor groove. A plurality of accessories may be mounted on the outer edges of the shroud members for holding office paraphernalia such as documents, business cards, pens, mirrors, and diskettes. Additionally, the front face serves as a surface for placing “post-it” notes, or other stick-on paraphernalia. 
     Coons, U.S. Pat. No. 6,188,450 discloses a cover for a computer monitor which permits storage of office materials in side flaps attached to the cover and which provides a support platform for holding documents being examined by the user. The invention also provides a shield piece that can quickly be placed over the monitor screen to block viewing of the matter being displayed on the monitor. 
     Wollam, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,412,744 discloses an adjustable display board for attachment to a monitor housing so that items such as notes, calendars, nameplates, pads, mirrors, writing implements, and keys can be mounted adjacent to a monitor screen. The display board includes a left side frame, a right side frame and a top holder panel that interconnects upper horizontal legs of the left and right side frames and slides along the upper horizontal legs of both the left and right side frames. The top holder panel has retaining edges molded for the purpose of holding various objects such as photographs, messages and other indicia on both of its sides. The left and right side panels provide a surface that functions as a decorative message board and provides a means to attach various other objects temporarily or permanently to it. Additionally, the board surface can be written on and erased similar to a blackboard. 
     Flemming, U.S. Pat. No. 6,478,282 discloses a device for holding photographs against the front outer surface of a video monitor which includes a substantially transparent plate having a generally planer front side and back side, an elongated portion having a pair of ends, and a pair of legs is coupled to one of the ends of the elongated portion and each extends away in a parallel direction. 
     The present invention is distinguished over the prior art in general by an organizer that attaches to a computer monitor or other display monitor and which has a transparent dust, glare, and/or UV radiation shield and at least one storage panel with pockets that hold various documents and materials and maintain them in a convenient location for easy access or viewing while working on the computer. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an organizer that attaches to a computer monitor or other display monitor and which has at least one storage panel with a plurality of pockets that hold various documents and materials and maintain them in a convenient location for easy access or viewing while working on the computer. 
     It is another object of this invention to provide an organizer that attaches to a computer monitor or other display monitor and which has a transparent dust, glare, and/or UV radiation shield which dissipates damaging static electricity and reduce dust build-up, reduces glare to relieve eye strain and fatigue, and/or protect the user from harmful UV rays, which also includes a plurality of pockets that hold various documents and materials. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide an organizer that attaches to a computer monitor or other display monitor and has at least one storage panel with a plurality of pockets that hold various loose documents and materials which will reduce desktop clutter and allow items to be organized and maintained at convenient location for easy access or viewing. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide an organizer that attaches to a computer monitor or other display monitor and which has a transparent dust, glare, and/or UV radiation shield and at least one storage panel on a lateral side thereof that can be pivoted relative thereto and maintained at various angles along side of the monitor housing. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide an organizer that can be easily and quickly attached to and removed from a computer monitor or other display monitor and which has a transparent dust, glare, and/or UV radiation shield and at least one storage panel with a plurality of pockets that hold various documents and materials and maintain them in a convenient location for easy access or viewing while working on the computer. 
     A further object of this invention is to provide an organizer that attaches to a computer monitor or other display monitor that allows the placement of a picture and/or logo onto the device for advertising and/or high visibility. 
     A still further object of this invention is to provide an organizer that attaches to a computer monitor or other display monitor that is attractive in appearance and inexpensive to manufacture. 
     Other objects of the invention will become apparent from time to time throughout the specification and claims as hereinafter related. 
     The above noted objects and other objects of the invention are accomplished by an organizer that attaches to a computer monitor or other display monitor and which has a transparent dust, glare, and/or UV radiation shield and at least one storage panel with pockets that hold various documents and materials and maintain them in a convenient location for easy access or viewing while working on the computer. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front elevation view of the organizer for computer monitors, in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the organizer for computer monitors. 
         FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view of the organizer taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a side elevation view of a latching device for latching the storage panel of the organizer at selected angles relative to the shield panel. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawings by numerals of reference, there is shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a preferred embodiment of an organizer  10  for a computer monitor or other display monitor. A typical computer monitor has a display screen such as a cathode ray tube (CRT) or a liquid crystal display (LCD) with a rectangular front or “viewed” surface to be viewed by a user of the computer, which is generally planar and of a predetermined width and height, and is surrounded by the monitor housing having a front surface around and generally parallel with the viewed surface of the display tube. 
     The organizer  10  is formed of thin, transparent material having a large generally rectangular transparent shield panel  11  of a width and height generally corresponding to, or slightly greater than, the width and height of the front viewed surface of the display tube or screen in the computer monitor. The shield panel  11  has a rectangular central portion  12  surrounded on four sides by a series of generally rectangular pockets  13  extending along the top, bottom, and lateral sides of the outer surface thereof. 
     A transparent storage flap or lateral side panel  14  is hingedly adjoined to the shield panel  11  and adapted to pivot relative thereto and to a side of the computer monitor, as shown in dashed line in  FIG. 2 . The lateral side panel  14  has a rectangular central portion  15  surrounded on three sides by narrow strips of material on the outer surface thereof having an open top end and open sides facing the central portion in a generally U-shaped configuration to define a relatively large pocket  16  for holding larger flat items, such as papers, a photo, a planner, or calendar, etc. A series of adjacent small pockets  17  extend along the bottom of the outer surface of the side panel  14  beneath the larger pocket  16 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , the organizer  10  is formed of two plies of thin, transparent flexible plastic material  10 A and  10 B. The shield panel  11  portion is formed by enclosing between the plies  10 A and  10 B, a thin rectangular filter sheet  18  made of any one of the conventional monitor filter materials, which can include one or more of materials for restricting glare, for improving contrast, for reducing static electricity, and/or for blocking certain types of radiation along the viewed surface of the display tube or screen. Preferably, the thin plies  10 A and  10 B are sealed together around the outer periphery of the filter sheet  18  by conventional sealing methods well known in the art. Optionally, the plies  10 A and  10 B may be left unsealed at the top end such that the filter sheet  18  may be removably installed between the plies. 
     Similarly, the storage flap or lateral side panel portion  14  is formed by enclosing a thin rectangular stiffener sheet of relatively stiff transparent material between the thin plastic plies  10 A and  10 B, and sealing them together around the stiffener sheet. The adjacent vertical sides of the stiffener sheet and the filter sheet are spaced a short distance apart whereby the space between them that is occupied by the sealed plies forms a hinged connection  19  between them ( FIG. 1 ). 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , mounting means, such as suction cups  20  are secured to the outer ply  10 B on the back side of the shield panel  11 , closely adjacent to its four corners for adhering the organizer  10  to either the display tube or screen or to the monitor housing surrounding the display tube or screen. Alternatively, other fastener means such as hook and loop fasteners (Velcro) may be used to releasably secure the shield panel  11  to the monitor housing. 
     The pockets  13  and  17  secured on the outer ply  10 A of the shield panel  11  and the lateral side panel  14  are of various shapes and sizes to hold different articles and objects so they are immediately available and/or viewable during the course of operating the computer. The pockets are preferably transparent, but may be opaque or a combination thereof. The pockets are sized and shaped to hold articles and objects, such as compact disks (CD&#39;s), diskettes, business cards, to-do lists, notes, messages, templates, calendars, photographs, etc. 
     As described above, and shown in  FIG. 2 , the storage flap or lateral side panel  14  is hingedly adjoined to the shield panel  11  and adapted to pivot relative thereto and to a side of the computer monitor. As shown in  FIG. 1 , in a preferred embodiment, an upper pair and a lower pair of generally rectangular apertures  21  and  22  are punched through the shield panel  11  and the lateral side panel  14  in laterally spaced relation near their upper and lower ends. 
     A pair of angular adjustment members  23 , one of which is shown in  FIG. 4 , may be provided to releasably maintaining the lateral side panel  14  at selected angles relative to the shield panel  11 . Each angular adjustment member  23  is a thin stiff rectangular member having at least one generally V-shaped notch  24  at one end and a series of adjacent generally V-shaped notches  25  at its opposed end. To install the adjustment members  23 , the lateral side panel  14  is held at a preferred angle relative to the shield panel  11  and each adjustment member is sequentially installed through the upper and lower pairs of apertures  21  and  22 , respectively, and is rotated about its longitudinal axis to engage the notches  24  and  25  in the apertures and thereby latch or maintain the lateral side panel at the desired angle relative to the shield panel. Alternatively, hook and loop fasteners (Velcro) may be used to releasably maintain the lateral side panel  14  at selected angles relative to the shield panel  11 . 
     Alternatively, the organizer  10  may be provided without the filter sheet  18 , wherein the shield panel  11  has a rectangular central opening  12  surrounded on four sides by the series of generally rectangular pockets  13  extending along the outer top, bottom, and lateral sides thereof. In this modification, the shield panel  11  portion is formed by enclosing between the plies  10 A and  10 B, a thin rectangular stiffener sheet having a central rectangular opening approximately the same size as the viewed surface of the display tube and sealing the plies together around the outer periphery and inner periphery of the stiffener sheet. 
     While this invention has been described fully and completely with special emphasis upon preferred embodiments, it should be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.