Abstract:
A collapsible support allowing tilting or elevating an object and embedded into the object surface thus becoming an integral and complementary part of it. The support which is characterized by its thinness makes it appropriate for integration into small portable objects such as calculators and personal digital assistant and to objects having a rigid articulated cover such as a ring binder, a diary or a mobile work station, without affecting significantly the physical properties of the objects such as its shape and its robustness nor its simplicity or manufacturing cost. It can also be integrated into the jacket of one of these objects or constitute an independent tilting structure being used to support a distinct object. It is made up of a rigid mobile part, that alternatively combines the roles of support and that of peripheral structure.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
         [0001]    Not Applicable.  
         STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
         [0002]    Not Applicable  
         REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISK APPENDIX  
         [0003]    Not Applicable  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0005]    The object of this invention is to provide a collapsible support that can be embedded into the surface of an object in order to raise it, to tilt it or to hold it distant or at an angle with another surface.  
           [0006]    The collapsible support is preferably integrated into small flat portable objects such as a clipboard, a calculator, a personal digital assistant, a personal digital assistant, a test equipment or an audio device, or into objects having an external rigid cover that may include articulations such as a ring binder, a book, an album, a diary or a mobile work station case, and for which it is desirable to dissimulate a support that is deployed occasionally or folds up during the transportation, and for which it is needed to integrate such a support without affecting significantly the physical characteristics of the object such its shape or its robustness nor its simplicity or its manufacturing cost.  
           [0007]    2. Description of Related Art  
           [0008]    The first objects group preferentially aimed by the invention corresponds to portable objects such as calculator, personal digital assistant, personal digital assistant, portable audio devices or other similar objects.  
           [0009]    These portable objects are designed to be compact and easily transportable and for these reasons they are often designed flat. Unfortunately these objects, particularly those that have a liquid crystal display, become difficult to read and use because of the vision angle caused by their flat shape when they are posed on a working surface.  
           [0010]    Some are conceived to improve the lack of readability by offering the possibility to tilt the display, as for the American U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,160. However, in addition to requiring a certain assembly complexity, this approach is not always appropriate. In certain cases for example, the display occupies almost complete surface and cannot be folded.  
           [0011]    Various approaches were proposed to tilt the device itself and thus to solve the problem.  
           [0012]    The use of a distinct rigid support on which one deposits the device is an effective solution allowing improving the vision angle but which does not allow a great portability. The American U.S. Pat. No. 4,073,460 is an example of such a support.  
           [0013]    The approach consisting in making such a support foldable allows to decrease the size for transport or when tilting is not necessary. Even when folded these supports occupy a relatively small volume, but they still occupy a significant additional volume compared to the size of the device alone. That approach requires in addition to transport two objects, which is another disadvantage. The American U.S. Pat. No. 4,044,980 is an example of a distinct folding support.  
           [0014]    Folding supports made up of a rigid mobile planar section permanently attached under the device were proposed. The American U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,113,212 and 4,940,204 are two examples. In these approaches, the locking of the rigid mobile support in the open position is done at or near the hinge. It thus requires strong material to counter the lever effect, which tends to fold up or to open wider the support when pressure is applied. The necessary stability is obtained by increasing the robustness of the hinge to the detriment of overall dimension of the device. This is not satisfying when a very small device is required.  
           [0015]    Another approach consists in combining the function of support with that of a protective case. This approach is used for the American U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,259,568 and 4,989,926. It is applicable when the case surrounds completely the device, and thus when a significant quantity of materials is used. Such overall protection is not always necessary. For several type of device such as calculator or personal digital assistant, it is possible to decrease the quantity of materials and nevertheless to offer a good protection by adding a protective lid only to the top of the computer, thus protecting the keyboard and the display. Such protective lids are described in the American U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,530,234, 5,682,182 and 6,178,085.  
           [0016]    A bump integrated into the lid of the first of these three patents (U.S. Pat. No. 5,530,234) is used as a tilting support when the lid is put under the computer by making it slip along groove up to the back of the device. However this bump is permanent and does not offer a sufficient tilting.  
           [0017]    For the second patent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,682,182), one uses the lid on the top which when folded back constitutes one of the two parts forming a support. The second part being embedded with the back of the device. The lid, the embedded part and the device itself form a rigid triangle that constitutes the support. This approach is advantageous in that it does not increase the overall size of the device. On the other hand it requires some assembly: one has to insert one of the two mobile parts in the other. Moreover, this approach is only applicable that for the objects which have a lid.  
           [0018]    In the third patent (U.S. Pat. No. 6,178,085), a mobile lid protecting the liquid crystal display on the front swivels to the back to serve as a rigid support. Yet simple to use, this approach however requires the assembly of many parts at manufacturing. Moreover, the part constituting the swivel mechanism occupies a considerable volume.  
           [0019]    All these approaches generate either an increase in volume, a substantial material addition, an increased assembly or usage complexity, or a combination these elements. In addition, these approaches generally impose significant constraints on the device appearance.  
           [0020]    A second objects group preferentially aimed by the invention corresponds to objects made up of an articulated rigid cover such as a ring binder or a book.  
           [0021]    Various devices allowing tilting such objects so to facilitate usage were proposed.  
           [0022]    For examples, the American U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,451,694, 2,778,153, 3,135,532, 3,224,792 and 4,576,497 propose the tilting of binders by using a device that is attached to the area of the cover where the binder assembly is located, thus leaving the front and back covers free. The device is a narrow rigid structure that serves as a back strut when the binder is put on a flat working surface and tilted to the back. The bottom of the binder assembly and the bottom of the front and rear covers, which remain open by gravity, provide another support, rectilinear, in the front.  
           [0023]    Because the back strut is relatively narrow and because the front rectilinear support is constitute by the cover which is free to fold up, this approach does not allow a great stability when all the content is located on the same side or if pressure is applied on one side as for writing for example. The American U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,177 uses a similar approach in which a great stability is obtained, but it is only applicable for very broad, multiple documents binders.  
           [0024]    The American U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,883,209, 4,015,863, and 4,552,479 present another approach. It consists in using the higher part of the cover, that is to say approximately the upper half, which when folded up towards back becomes a strut. The narrow binder assembly, which contains the rings, remains straight and become the only upper support for the contents. The triangle formed by the higher and lower parts of the cover is maintained to an acute angle with a device attached to the binder assembly and is used as stop in contact to the center of the higher part of the cover, preventing it to unfold. This approach has the drawback of not offering a back support to the contents in the upper corners areas. The paper sheet contents can then bend if a light pressure is applied, unless some additional stiff material sheets are added. Moreover, because the angle between the upper and lower part of the folder cover are maintain folded by a single centralized stop, the triangle tends to open in its extremities if pressure is applied on the sides of the contents.  
           [0025]    The American U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,334,920, 4,355,821, 4,609,206 and 5,709,549 present a similar approach in which the lower part of the cover is folded up towards the back to constitute the support, whereas the lower binder assembly remains straight and becomes the front support.  
           [0026]    Still here, the cover does not support a large area of the contents when used as part of the support.  
           [0027]    The American U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,533 presents an interesting and aesthetic approach, but which does not allow a complete opening of the cover when the support is used.  
           [0028]    The American U.S. Pat. No. 6,499,767 shows a design for which a flat member serving as a support is hinged on top of the cover and maintained at a limited angle with flexible bands attached to the bottom edge of the cover to form a triangular stand. Because that member is folded flatly on top of the object cover, a displacement due to material thickness occurs during cover folding. That displacement requires a special rivet type hinge that has an aesthetic impact, and causes the flexible band to torsion and to not fold perfectly flat. In addition, this conception requires additional material and makes the external member cumbersome.  
           [0029]    The collapsible support described in the Canadian patent number 2,385,223 allows tilting objects corresponding to the first group but also object having of an articulated cover object such as ring binders or books corresponding to the second group without requiring substantial material addition while offering a great stability as well as an adequate contents support. In addition, it allows a neat visual appearance, whether collapsed or not, similar to that of the original objects.  
           [0030]    The invention that is described consists of a collapsible support made up of a generally rectangular rigid part that serves as support, and of a flexible band. These two parts are connected between them and to the peripheral structure of an object (its case, its protective lid or its cover for example), by three parallels articulations. Deployed, the set forms a stable triangular support. Folded up, the rigid part hides the flexible band and becomes a complementary section of the object peripheral structure for which it fills the same function, of protection for example.  
           [0031]    The support can also be integrated to objects that have a rigid or semi-rigid articulated cover such as a ring binder.  
           [0032]    In addition of being embedded into the object surface and becoming as such an integral part of it, in shape and in usage, the collapsible support made up of a rigid mobile part, a flexible band and the object external structure, may be formed as an integral one-piece, one shot, injection molding of a plastics material such as polypropylene or a copolymer of butadene and styrene.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0033]    The present invention makes the addition of new characteristics and innovating functionalities related to the collapsible support describes in the patent Canadian number 2,385,223 and introduced three alternatives.  
           [0034]    The three introduced alternatives are concerned with the means used to ensure the limitation of the deployment of the support. In the first alternative, a loop fixed at the surface of the object surrounds the mobile part of the support and can be used as handle of transport of the object. In the second alternative, the constraint inherent in the opening of the articulation linking the mobile part of the support to the surface of the object is used to limit the deployment of the support. In the third alternative, convex areas located on the mobile part of the support, the surface of the object or these two areas at the same time limit the deployment of the support by physical contact.  
           [0035]    A first innovation of the invention concerns the integration of the collapsible support or any of its alternatives on the internal surface of the articulated cover of an object which one wants to be able to incline. The support becomes thus completely unapparent when the cover is closed, but can be exploited by folding back the cover towards the back of the object, which represents an innovating use of the collapsible support. A paper clip integrated into the mobile part of the support adds the functionality of maintaining towards the back the sheets that are contained in the object and folded up over the top and to the back.  
           [0036]    Another improvement consists of a using a semi-rigid mobile part having a curved shape toward its external corners, so that a tighter fold is obtained even under conditions causing deformation of the cover.  
           [0037]    In addition, various ways of varying the position of fastener and the length of the flexible band of the collapsible support making it possible to adjust the angle of inclination are indicated.  
           [0038]    The integration of a framework into which one inserts an image, or a small pocket for compact disks to the collapsible support or its alternatives are also proposed for objects such as a ring binder photo album. The addition of a flap to the bottom of the mobile part of a support integrated into an articulated cover allowing the handling the object is indicated.  
           [0039]    A variety of new characteristics of the support integrated to a ring binder diary are shown. For example: techniques for closing the cover and the support using fasteners or an elastic band; the addition of compartments on the external surface of the support and the cover; the integration of a wallet; the addition of an automatic deployment device that also maintains to its open state the support as well as handles for transportation. A mobile work station integrating various electronic and non-electronic accessories is also presented. In particular the mobile work station is presented including a keyboard, a display and a digitizing tablet.  
           [0040]    Finally, an independent collapsible support allowing to tilt objects and the integration of the support to a jacket of book, a ring binder or a similar object are described.  
           [0041]    Although only some exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in detail, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications and combinations are possible without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the following claims.  
           [0042]    Having thereby described the subject matter of the present invention, it should be apparent that many substitutions, modifications, and variations of the invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that the invention as taught and described herein is only to be limited to the extent of the breadth and scope of the appended claims. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0043]    In the drawings which illustrate the invention,  
         [0044]    FIGS.  1  to  11  are prior art and correspond to the collapsible support of the Canadian patent number 2,385,223;  
         [0045]    FIGS.  1  to  3  show the integration of the collapsible support to the case of a personal digital assistant from various points of view, whereas the support is deployed. FIG. 1 is a perspective front view, FIG. 2 is a is a perspective back view and FIG. 3 shows a side view of the personal digital assistant standing on a working surface;  
         [0046]    [0046]FIGS. 4 and 5 present from a perspective view this same personal digital assistant whereas the support is collapsing in the first figure and completely folded up in the second;  
         [0047]    FIGS.  6  to  9  show from various cross-sectional views details of the support of the personal digital assistant. FIG. 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the deployed support whereas FIG. 7 presents the same cross-section for the folded up support. FIG. 8 presents the support folded up from a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the two preceding ones and which corresponds to the top of the support, whereas FIG. 9 corresponds to bottom;  
         [0048]    [0048]FIGS. 10 and 11 are respectively cross-sectional and inside views of the same support presented in an arrangement allowing an integral one-piece, one shot, injection molding;  
         [0049]    FIGS.  12  to  14  present the integration of the collapsible support inside the articulated cover of clipboard. FIG. 12 shows the clipboard having its cover close. Figure the  13  shows the clipboard whereas its upper cover is in way to be folded to the back and whereas the support is in its way to be deployed. FIG. 14 presents the s the clipboard on a work surface, its cover folded up to the back and its support deployed;  
         [0050]    FIGS.  15  to  18  show from various points of view a ring binder equipped with a loop collapsible support. FIG. 15 shows this object whereas its support is folded up, that its cover is closed, and that the loop may be used as a handle. FIG. 16 is a back view of the ring binder whereas the cover is opened and the support is folded up, but the loop forming the handle is folded up under the support. FIG. 17 shows the object from a side view and on a surface a work surface, whereas its cover is opened and its support is deployed. FIG. 18 shows the binder in a bottom perspective view whereas its cover is opened and its support is deployed;  
         [0051]    [0051]FIG. 19 corresponds at a back perspective view of a ring binder integrating with a collapsible support into which a small compact disk pocket and small paper sheets pockets are integrated.  
         [0052]    [0052]FIG. 20 presents a photo album that integrates a picture framework in the central part of the collapsible support;  
         [0053]    [0053]FIG. 21 presents a ring binder having an integrated flap used to pull it from a shelf or to deploy the support;  
         [0054]    [0054]FIGS. 22 and 23 illustrate a ring binder having a contact area collapsible support that includes an automatic support deployment device;  
         [0055]    FIGS.  24  to  28  show a ring binder diary having a contact area collapsible support. FIG. 24 shows from a perspective view the diary having its support folded up and its cover closed. FIG. 25 shows the same but with the cover open. FIGS. 26 and 27 show detail of the cover construction allowing its opening and closing without obstruction from of its interior membrane. On FIG. 26 the cover is open whereas it is closed on figure;  
         [0056]    [0056]FIG. 28 shows the construction of the internal structure of the diary and shows in particular that an end of the flexible bands is attached to the cover whereas the other is attached to the mobile part of the support;  
         [0057]    [0057]FIGS. 29 and 30 show two alternatives of this last construction. On FIG. 29 the two ends of the flexible bands are attached to the front and back covers before, whereas on FIG. 30 they are attached to the side cover;  
         [0058]    FIGS.  31  to  36  present from perspective view diaries having a collapsible support and offering additional characteristics. In these figures, the support is folded up and the cover is closed;  
         [0059]    [0059]FIG. 31 shows a diary equipped with a transportation belt attached to the collapsible support;  
         [0060]    [0060]FIG. 32 shows a diary having an extension of the lower edge of the mobile part of its collapsible support attached to the cover with a press button;  
         [0061]    [0061]FIG. 33 shows a diary having an extension of the side edge of the mobile part of its collapsible support attached to the cover with a zipper;  
         [0062]    [0062]FIG. 34 shows a diary having extensions on its front and back covers that surround the collapsible support and are attached together with a press button;  
         [0063]    [0063]FIG. 35 shows a diary having extensions on its front and back covers that surround the collapsible support and meet together to form a transportation handle;  
         [0064]    [0064]FIG. 36 shows a diary for which a wallet have been integrated to its support and to its front cover;  
         [0065]    [0065]FIGS. 37 and 38 present a mobile work station cases equipped with electronic accessories including: a foldable keyboard showed laying on the work surface for usage. For the case of FIG. 37, the keyboard is placed in a small pocket whereas on FIG. 38 it is attached inside the case cover;  
         [0066]    [0066]FIG. 39 illustrates an independent tilting support integrating a collapsible support. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0067]    In contexts requiring tilting or elevating an object from another surface or maintaining a spacing or an angle between two surfaces, it can be desirable for various reasons to use a support that is collapsible, simple, compact and robust without having to significantly modify the design of the object nor to require a substantial material addition.  
         [0068]    The Canadian patent number 2,385,223 described a collapsible support that satisfies these requirements.  
         [0069]    The approach used for this collapsible support consists of combining to a generally flat, rectangular and rigid member both the function of support and that of external structure of an object, that is to say its case, its protective lid or its cover. These two functions being ensured in alternation by the mobility of the rigid member that is attached to the remainder of the object by an articulation.  
         [0070]    FIGS.  1  to  11  illustrate certain aspects of this former invention in order to allow a better understanding of the modifications and additions suggested in the present one.  
         [0071]    FIGS.  1  to  3  show from various points of view such a support integrated into the case of an object, which is here a personal digital assistant incorporating a liquid crystal display  2  and buttons  3 . On these figures the support is shown deployed. FIGS. 1 and 2 are respectively front and rear perspective views of the personal digital assistant and its support. FIG. 3 is a side view of the object posed on a working surface  16  represented in a cross-sectional view.  
         [0072]    The support is made up of a mobile rigid part  4  attached to the bottom of the case surface  8  with an articulation  5 . This articulation  5  is located between a linear section of contour of the mobile part  4  and the corresponding linear section internal to the framework  17  formed by the area where the mobile part is embedded. The liberty of rotation of this mobile part  4  around the articulation axe  5  is limited by a flexible band  6  which is attached on one end near the other side of the mobile part  4  with an articulation  7  and on the other end to the surface of case  8  along another linear section of contour internal to the framework  17  on the bottom of the object by another articulation  9 .  
         [0073]    The axes of the three articulations  5 ,  7  and  9  are parallel between them and form a triangle in the plan that is perpendicular to them. The shape of this triangle is clearly visible in FIG. 3.  
         [0074]    The shape of this triangle and consequently the stability of the inclination of the personal digital assistant laying on a working surface  16  are ensured by: the rigidity of the mobile part  4 , the rigidity of the bottom surface of the case  8 , the resistance to elongation of the flexible band  6 , the gravitational force of the personal digital assistant which causes the opening of the mobile part  4  which is in contact with the working surface  16  and which also cause to tighten the flexible band  6 .  
         [0075]    The distribution of the multiple forces over the width of each component of the support provides a great robustness even when very thin and easily dissimulated components are used. This is a significant aspect of the invention.  
         [0076]    The flexible band  6  consists of two sections  11  and  12  linked together by another articulation  10  parallel to the others three.  
         [0077]    All these articulations are in this case create by a thinning along their axis of the plastic of which the support is made up. A protective internal sheet  13  prevents external objects to come in contact with the electronic components located inside the personal digital assistant.  
         [0078]    The strip  14  and the notch  15  into which it fits are provided to grab and deploy the mobile section. This functionality is more explicit from the figures that follow.  
         [0079]    [0079]FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate how the support is folded up and embedded into the case surface  8 .  
         [0080]    [0080]FIG. 4 shows the support in its way to be collapsed. Thus, the mobile part  4  started a rotation around the articulation  5  connecting it to the lower surface of case  8 . The flexible band  6  started to fold along the articulation  10  connecting the two parts  11  and  12 . One can initiate the folding of the support by pressing the central area of the flexible band  6  in direction of the articulation  5 , and completing it by pressing directly on the mobile part  4  toward the personal digital assistant.  
         [0081]    The rigidity of parts  11  and  12  is sufficient for them to dissimulate flatly between the mobile part  4  and the protective internal sheet  13 . These two parts  11  and  12  are preferably as thin as resistance and rigidity allows it while allowing a flat fold. In another preferential embodiment, one could combine a rigid part with a flexible part, the first tightening the second when folding up, or to combine two semi-rigid parts. In still another preferential design, the flexible band  6  could be made up of flexible material such as fabrics whose one end would be stuck to the mobile part  4  and whose other end would be stuck to the surface of case  8 .  
         [0082]    [0082]FIG. 5 shows the support completely folded up and dissimulated within framework  17  of case surface  8  to become part of it. The strip  14  fits into notch  15  practiced in the case surface  8 .  
         [0083]    FIGS.  6  to  9  show the construction detail of the support.  
         [0084]    [0084]FIG. 6 shows from a cross-sectional view of the deployed support the components mentioned previously and a notch  50  included into the internal face of the mobile part  4 . This notch sized to fit parts  11  and  12  of the flexible band when the support is folded.  
         [0085]    [0085]FIGS. 7, 8 and  9  correspond to the folded support. FIGS. 7 and 9 show how parts  11  and  12  of the flexible band are placed one face against the other inside notch  50 .  
         [0086]    [0086]FIGS. 8 and 9 are respectively cross-sectional views perpendicular to those of FIG. 7 along the dotted lines A and B. FIG. 9 shows the bevel edges  53  of the mobile part  4  and of border  54  of the case surface  8 . The extremity edge  51  of the mobile part  4  and the corresponding edge  52  of the case surface  8  are also in bevel. These edges in bevel  53 ,  54 ,  51  and  52  constitute a physical constraint on which the mobile part come up against, thus limiting the rotation of the mobile part  4  around the articulation axe  5  to an orientation making this mobile part coplanar to surface  8 . One could prefer to use a different design for which the physical constraint would come from edges which would be integrated into the inside of the surface of case  8 . In another design, various internal parts to object could limit the penetration of the mobile part of the support into the surface.  
         [0087]    [0087]FIG. 10 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken in the center of the support and showing a particular arrangement of the articulations allowing an integral one-piece, one shot, injection molding of a plastics material such as polypropylene or a copolymer of butadene and styrene. FIG. 11 is a view from the inside of the support for this same arrangement.  
         [0088]    [0088]FIGS. 12, 13 and  14  present a different way to exploit the support that those proposed in the former patent.  
         [0089]    The object that is presented on these figures is an articulated cover clipboard  120  having a paper clip  121 , and into which a collapsible support was integrated inside the front cover part  108 .  
         [0090]    This design of the support inside the cover offers the advantage of making the support completely unapparent when the cover is closed as illustrated on FIG. 12. FIG. 13 shows the front cover folding towards the back and the collapsible support in the way to be deployed. On the figure the  14  the support is deployed and the object is deposited on a work surface  116 . This arrangement allows an easy reading of notes and transfer to a computer for example. The hand taking of notes is done as usual, by carrying the clipboard on one arm, the cover folded back and the support preferably collapsed for example.  
         [0091]    As for the personal digital assistant describes previously, the collapsible support is made up: a mobile part  104 , a flexible band  106  which is constitute of two parts  111  and  112  linked together by an articulation  110 , and articulations  105 ,  107  and  109 . Articulations  105  and  109  respectively bind the mobile part  104  and the flexible band  106  to a rigid planar section  108  into which it fits in when the support is folded. It also includes a strip  114  and a notch  115 .  
         [0092]    A slit  190  made into the mobile part  104  makes it possible there to insert and maintain towards the back the paper sheets  191  contained in the paper clip  121 , as illustrated on the FIG. 14. This functionality could also be obtained by attaching to this place a paper clip or any other type of low thickness paper fastener. This way of maintaining the sheets of paper to the back is interesting for any other object containing of the paper sheets such as a clip board without articulated cover, and for which the sheets can be folded up to the back.  
         [0093]    Here the external sheating 113  of the front cover constitutes a membrane against which the support folds up. The mobile part  104  completes the internal surface of the front cover  108 .  
         [0094]    This integration inside the internal surface of an articulated rigid cover constitutes a significant aspect of this patent. This design dissimulates the support completely and ensures its folding when the cover is closed.  
         [0095]    In a general, any type of binder or rigid or semi-rigid cover having two or three articulated sections of which one has an internal face being able to fold back to the back can integrate the support this way. In particular, a portfolio, a booklet type case containing a calculator, a personal digital assistant, a digitizer tablet, a tool case or pencil case, or any similar object is appropriate to integrate the collapsible support inside its cover.  
         [0096]    FIGS.  15  to  18  show under various points of view and for various configurations a ring binder  501  integrating a variation of the collapsible support having one of its component capable of been used as a transportation handle. This variation is referred to as a loop collapsible support.  
         [0097]    This type of cover generally consists of paperboard covered with a vinyl material or is entirely made up of a plastic sheet material. Here, the figures illustrate a ring binder made of semi-rigid plastic sheet material. The binder ring assembly having a series of rings is of standard metallic construction. Other rigid or semi-rigid materials and other types of cover binders including books, clip binders, slipping or spiral bindings are appropriate for the support described in the following.  
         [0098]    On the FIG. 15 the cover is folded whereas for the three following ones it is open. On FIGS. 17 and 18 the support is deployed.  
         [0099]    [0099]FIG. 16 shows the cover made of three sections which are: a front cover  508 A and a rear cover  508 C which are respectively connected to a side cover  508 B by two vertically aligned articulations pairs  526 A and  526 A′, and  526 B and  526 B′. The central area of this cover forms a rectangular framework  517  which is occupied by a mobile part made up of three rigid sections  504 A,  504 B and  504 C connected between them by the vertical articulations  527 A and  527 B which are the continuation of the vertical articulations of the cover. The three sections  504 A,  504 B and  504 C of this central part are respectively connected to the sections  508 A,  508 B and  508 C by a single horizontal articulation  505 .  
         [0100]    This central part constitutes the mobile part of the collapsible support. Its vertical articulations are thus integrating the continuation of the cover articulations to allow folding, as illustrated on FIG. 15. When this central part and the remainder of the cover are flatly open, the support can be deployed by rotation around articulation  505  until full extension of band  506 , as illustrated on FIG. 17. In this figure, which is a side view of the ring binder having its cover open, its support deployed and resting on a working surface  516  that is shown in cross-section, it is possible to see the binder ring assembly made of rings  522 , rings opening levers  521 A and  521 B and spine bar  523 . This ring binder assembly is fastened near its ends to the side cover by rivets  520 A and  520 B, which are apparent on FIGS. 15, 16 and  18 .  
         [0101]    [0101]FIG. 18 shows that surfaces of the sections  504 A and  504 C have a slightly curved shape towards the corners  550 A and  550 B distant from the articulation binding the mobile part to the surface of the object. That allows a light pressure onto contour  517  of the cover when the support collapsed. This design ensures a firmer pressure between the central and the framework of the cover and allows a better adjustment of these two areas when the cover undergoes an external pressure that cause deformation of its front and back covers. The flexibility of the sections  504 A and  504 C however enables them to embrace a practically flat shape when the support is deployed and put on a work surface as illustrated on FIG. 17 or when it is folded up and that the cover undergone not deformation as illustrated on FIGS. 15 and 16.  
         [0102]    The curvature of the free corners of the semi-rigid mobile part towards the interior is an important aspect of this invention.  
         [0103]    In addition to limit the deployment of the central part, the loop  506  is also used as a transportation handle when the support is folded up and that the binder is closed. This configuration is illustrated on FIG. 15. On FIG. 16 a part of the loop  506  is seen tended flatly on the central part section  504 B. The other part is then folded under it. Thus the collapsible support including the loop formed handle  506  is not cumbersome. A temporary fastener attached between the section  504 B and the corresponding area of the flexible band could be used to more firmly maintain the flexible band against that surface. The fastener could be Velcro (trade mark), a press button or any other type of thin fasteners. In another preferred embodiment, the handle could be made of another shape and covered with a comfortable material.  
         [0104]    [0104]FIG. 18 is perspective view from the lower part for the object. It shows that the loop  506  is attached to the binder using the same rivets that are attaching the metal part of the binder to the cover. An end of loop  506  is inserted between the metal part  523  and the lower section of the cover  508 B and is transpierced by the rivet  520 B. The loop circumvents the mobile section  504 B by outside and returns to fit between the metal part  523  and the higher section of the cover  508 B while passing by a slit located along articulation  505 . This end of the loop is transpierced by the rivet  520 A.  
         [0105]    Another interesting design would consist in fixing the lower end of the loop to the lower edge or to the lower part of the section  508 B of the cover using adhesive, thermal fusion or another means. In the same way, the upper end of the loop could be attached to the upper part of the section  508 B or to its articulation  505 .  
         [0106]    In applications where a handle is not wished, this end of the loop could also be fixed at the section  504 B.  
         [0107]    The positions of fasteners of one or the other of these two ends could also be variable in order to make it possible to adjust the limit of deployment of the mobile part of the loop collapsible support and consequently the angle of inclination of the object to which the support is attached. The use of a Velcro band along the internal surfaces of the upper and lower sections  508 B or on the external surface of the section  504 B, if a handle is not be wished, and at the ends of the loop would be suitable if there is no binding mechanism attached to this place. In the same way, a multitude of press button laid out along these surfaces would allow to vary the angle of inclination.  
         [0108]    The adjustment of the angle of inclination of the object provided with a collapsible support could also be made by the length adjustment of loop  506 . The adjustment of this length could be done on the part of the loop surrounding the mobile part of the support or on its section located between the mobile part of the support and the cover by means of Velcro, of rigid loops, press buttons, a clip or by other usual means of belt length adjustments.  
         [0109]    The adjustment of the angle of inclination of the loop collapsible support either by the length variation of its loop or by the positioning of the fastener at one of its ends is another significant aspect of this invention. In a similar way, one can adjust the angle of inclination of the collapsible support of the former patent either by the varying the length of its flexible band, or by varying the positioning of the fastener of one of its ends.  
         [0110]    [0110]FIG. 19 present a perspective view from the back a binder similar to that for the preceding figures but which has here a collapsible support and not a loop collapsible support. The collapsible support, which is presented there, has a small transparent pocket  542  attached to the section  504 A and a small pocket  541  attached to the section  504 B in which a paper sheet can be to insert. The section  504 C has a small CD or DVD pocket  540 .  
         [0111]    [0111]FIG. 20 presents from the same perspective view a similar object. Here it is a photo album. It is equipped with a collapsible support into which a picture framework  550  is integrated into a hole practiced in the center region of  504 B. The framework includes a transparent glass or plastic window behind which a picture may be inserted from the inside of the deployed support. This framework could also have been integrated into the mobile section  504 A or  504 C of the support.  
         [0112]    [0112]FIG. 21 presents a ring binder having a flap  514  attached to the section  504 B of the mobile part of its collapsible support. This flap is sufficiently robust to pull the binder from a shelf. It thus makes it possible to stack vertically series of these binders without required an upper space. This functionality of the flap combines to the previous one described in the former patent and consisting of deploying the support.  
         [0113]    In a different design, the same functionality could be made possible by a hole bored in the mobile part of the support and in which one inserts a finger.  
         [0114]    [0114]FIGS. 22 and 23 illustrate a design of a ring binder for which the side cover occupies a volume extending beyond its articulations connecting it with the front and back covers. A new type of collapsible support is integrated on it. This one is called the contact area collapsible support. It is here about a contact area collapsible support. FIG. 22 is perspective view of the binder for which the support is folded up and the cover is closed. FIG. 23 shows a side view of the open ring binder having its support deployed on a work surface  616 .  
         [0115]    The binding device made up of rings  622 , the rings opening levers  621 A and  621 B, and the metallic rigid structure  623  of the binder are visible on these figures.  
         [0116]    It is apparent on FIG. 22 that the articulations  626 A,  627  and  626 A′ connecting the front cover to the cover on side does not constitute an external corner of the cover when it is closed: the side cover is made of the two convex sections  608 B and the center section  604 B, which is also convex. In a way similar to the binder illustrated on FIGS.  15  to  18 , the mobile part of the contact area collapsible support is here again made of up of three articulated sections coming from the central areas of the front covers, the back cover and the side cover. The section  604 A constitutes part of the front cover  608 A and is connected to the side cover  604 B by a vertical articulation  627  and which is connected to the remainder of the front cover  608 A by the horizontal articulation  605 . In this particular plastic construction the front cover is made of a rigid “U” shaped monolithic part  608 A, on which sections  608 D and  608 E are superimposed and attached. The front sections  608 D,  604 A, their counterparts of the back side (not visible on the figures), the upper section  608 B and the section  604 B are formed as an integral one-piece, one shot, injection molding of a plastics material. In the same way, the sections  608 E, the lower part of the section  608 B and the section  608 E′ are also formed as an integral one-piece.  
         [0117]    The section  604 A constituting at the same time part of the front cover and part of the mobile part of the support has thinning  691  in its periphery which extend slightly beyond the perimeter  617  of the opening at the center of the front cover  608 A. These thinning  691  limit the penetration of the mobile part of the support into the surface, which it completes.  
         [0118]    The lower end of the upper section  608 B as well as the higher end of the section  604 B are ended with an angle that free an opening  680  which allows the deployment of the support as illustrated on the FIG. 23. The deployment of the support by rotation around the articulation  605  is thus limited by the meeting of the convex areas of the mobile part of the support and the surface of the object, which in this case is the cover of the ring binder. These convex areas in this case are located on side surfaces of the mobile part of the support and of the cover, but could have been located on any of the areas of the mobile part of the support or the part of the cover located above the articulation connecting the mobile part of the support to the cover.  
         [0119]    A third alternative of the collapsible support consists to benefit from the inherent maximum opening of the piano type articulation to limit the deployment of the support. However, the meeting of areas from the upper and lower parts of the articulation is causing that limitation of the opening. Since these areas are in fact parts of the mobile part and of the cover, this third alternative is equivalent to the contact area collapsible support.  
         [0120]    The absence of a flexible band attached to the mobile part of the support can be more appropriate in circumstances where the use of a more robust and bulky materials is not a major disadvantage. The contact area collapsible support can in this case offer an advantage with regard to the manufacturing complexity.  
         [0121]    A stretched elastic member  670  attached by one of his ends to the interior surface of the upper convex section  608 B of the cover and by the other end to the inside of the central convex section  604 B of the mobile part has been added. The tension force generated by this elastic member along an axis that do not cross the rotation axis of the mobile part has for effect to contribute to the rotation of the mobile part and thus the deployment of the support at the opening of the cover. Such an elastic member could also be attached to the external surfaces of the cover and of the mobile part of a collapsible support, a loop collapsible support or a contact area collapsible support and to support the deployment of the support as well.  
         [0122]    In a different preferred embodiment, the automatic deployment of the support could be generated by torsion force of a spiral laid out in the articulation axis  605  of the mobile part. One end of the spring would be attached to the upper section  608 B and the other end to the center section  604 B, thus forcing the deployment of the support. The spring could be integrated directly into a piano type articulation in the usual way for example.  
         [0123]    An automatic opening support device can also be integrated into the other alternatives of the collapsible support.  
         [0124]    FIGS.  24  to  28  show the construction of a rigid cover ring binder diary provided with a collapsible support and introduce some additional features.  
         [0125]    The illustrated diary is covered with sewed leather, but could also be covered with another appropriate flexible and thin material that could be sewed, stuck or attached to the object and its support in any another way.  
         [0126]    The FIG. 24 shows a diary  401  having its support collapsed and its cover closed. Its contents  490  and its rings opening lever  421  are visible. It is also apparent that the center section of the cover, which corresponds to the localization of the support, is covered with a leather piece  481  from which an extension  482 A extends beyond the support and superimposes on the covering section  480 B of the front cover. The covering of the cover is completed by the leather pieces  480 A and  480 C which are extended towards the back cover which is not visible on the figure, but is similar: the leather piece  481  covering the back part of the support also has an extension  482 B covering part of the back cover. The extension  482 B extends up to the front, surrounding the opening of the cover and is superimposed on the side extension before  482 A to be attached to it using a press button  482 C. The extensions  482 A and  482 B caused the cover to stay in its closed configuration and the support to stay firmly collapsed  
         [0127]    In a different preferred embodiment, an elastic band permanently attached at the two ends of the extensions  482 A and  482 B or directly to the fronts, backs or side parts of the mobile part of the support can be used instead of the fastener. The tension of the elastic band contributing to maintain the cover closed. For this design, the cover can be open by stretching and bringing the elastic band back on the other side.  
         [0128]    [0128]FIG. 25 presents the opened object, without its contents. The central metallic structure  423  and the rings opening lever  421  are shown. The structure  423  is attached to the cover using the rivets  420 A and  420 B. Two plastic membranes are attached inside the cover and dissimulate the collapsible support. The first membrane is constituted of the sections  413 A and  413 A′ which are connected together by the articulation  414 A. The section  413 A is attached to the back cover whereas the section  413 A′ is located between the side cover o and the metallic structure  423 . The second membrane is constituted of the sections  413 B and  413 B′ which are connected together by the articulation  414 B. The section  413 B is attached to the back cover whereas the section  413 B′ is located between the side cover and the section  413 A′.  
         [0129]    The sections  413 A′ and  413 B′ overlap partly and are not attached to the cover. They can thus move one against the other between the metal structure and the side covers during the opening and the closing of the cover such as detailed on FIGS. 26 and 27. This way of attaching a semi-rigid membrane inside an articulated cover has the advantage of not offering any resistance to the opening and closing movements.  
         [0130]    [0130]FIGS. 26 and 27 show the details from a horizontal split view taken in the center of the lower rivet  420 B. FIG. 26 presents part of the opened cover, whereas it is presented closed at FIG. 27. The metal structure  423  is attached to the cover on side  408 B′ by the rivet  420 B and maintained distant to the cover by the cylindrical part  424 . The sections  413 A′ and  413 B′ are perforated and transpierced by this cylindrical part  424 . The size of the holes is sufficient to allow the free sideways displacement of these sections during cover opening and closing by folding along the articulations  426 A′ and  426 B′. This displacement is caused by the bringing together of internal surfaces of the front and back covers  408 A and back  408 C at the articulations  414 A and  414 B.  
         [0131]    [0131]FIG. 28 shows the internal cover as well as the components of the collapsible support, which are normally hidden under the coating and behind the interior membranes.  
         [0132]    The internal cover is made of three sections which are: a front cover  408 A and a rear cover  408 C which are respectively connected to a side cover  408 B by two vertically aligned articulations pairs  526 A and  426 A′, and  426 B and  426 B′. The central area of this cover forms a rectangular framework  417  which is occupied by a mobile part made up of three rigid sections  404 A,  404 B and  404 C connected between them by the vertical articulations  427 A and  427 B which are the continuation of the vertical articulations of the cover. The three sections  404 A,  404 B and  404 C of this central part are respectively connected to the sections  408 A,  408 B and  408 C by a single horizontal articulation  405 .  
         [0133]    This central part constitutes the mobile part of the collapsible support. Its vertical articulations are thus integrating the continuation of the cover articulations to allow folding. When this central part and the remainder of the cover are flatly open, the support can be deployed by rotation around articulation  405  until full extension of the flexible bands  406 A and  406 B. The holes  420 A′ and  420 B′ are used to attach the metal structure of the ring binder  423 .  
         [0134]    The flexible bands  406 A and  406 B are attached at their ends inside the cover using the rivets  486 A′ and  486 B′ and outside the mobile part of the support using the rivets  486 A′ and  486 B′ respectively. The bands  406 A and  406 B pass outside the mobile part by the slits  476 A and  476 B. This design ensures a distribution of stresses over the width of the flexible bands along the slits and framework  417  when the support is of use thus allowing a great robustness.  
         [0135]    [0135]FIG. 29 presents a slightly different design. In this one the bands  406 A and  406 B are extended on the external surface of the mobile part of the support and return on the inside surface of the cover  408 A and  408 C while passing by the slits  477 A and  477 B respectively. These ends of the flexible bands are riveted inside the upper part of the cover by the rivets  486 A and  486 B.  
         [0136]    [0136]FIG. 30 presents another alternative of construction. In this last alternative, the upper and lower ends of the flexible bands are curved and are extended up to the holes  420 A′ and  420 B′ where they overlap to be attached to the cover with the same rivets being used to attach the metallic structure of the ring binder.  
         [0137]    These various attaching techniques and localization of both the lower or upper ends can be combined differently. They can be also associated with designs for which the band or part of it would constitute a construction of an integral part with the mobile part or the remainder of the cover. Other type of fastener could also be used. For example: an adhesive, thermal fusion or sewing could be preferred depending of the to material used.  
         [0138]    FIGS.  31  to  36  show similar diaries offering different features. These diaries also differ from the precedent by their zipper  499 , which is used to maintain the cover closed.  
         [0139]    The diary of FIG. 31 has a handle  414  made of a loop attached to the lower area of the mobile part of the support. The handle makes it possible to use it in order to transport the diary and to deploy the support when the cover is open.  
         [0140]    In a different design, the loose end of this handle and a cover part positioned upper to the mobile part could comprise a temporary fastener that would make it possible to join these two components and thus to block the support in its deployed configuration.  
         [0141]    The diary of FIG. 32 has an extension  483 A on the lower part of the mobile part of its collapsible support that overlaps an area of the lower part of the cover, and is attached to it by a press button. This extension contributes to ensure the maintenance of the mobile part in its collapsed configuration when the cover is opened. The fastener is located in the side area the cover on side, but could be located on the lower front or back lower areas too. A multitude of fasteners could also be used.  
         [0142]    On FIG. 33 a zipper  484 C is used to fulfill the same purpose. This time, an extension  484 A of the side of the mobile part of the support and is sewed to the zipper. In a different design the zipper could have been sewed directly to the mobile part of the support without using an extension. The other side of the zipper  484 C is sewed to the surface of the front cover. The back cover of the diary is identical. The deployment of the support is done after having opened the two zippers. In a similar design the zippers could also give access to small pockets located under the external coating of the cover. Zippers could also be extended along the lower edge of the mobile part of the support. A single zipper is sewed along all the edge of the mobile part of the support could also be appropriate.  
         [0143]    On FIG. 34 the collapsible support is maintained its collapsed configuration by the extension  485 A of front the cover and the extension  485 B of the back cover. The two extensions overlap together and also overlap the mobile part of the support. They are attached together by a press button  485 C. In a different design they could also not be overlap and be fastened directly to the mobile part of the support.  
         [0144]    [0144]FIG. 35 presents a similar design but for which the extensions  486 A and  486 B of the front and back cover meet face to face above the center section of the support to form a handle. Press buttons, Velcro other fasteners could be used to attaché the two extensions together.  
         [0145]    A similar handle could also be integrated at the ends of the extensions  482 A and  482 B of the diary of FIG. 24 in replacement or in addition to the press button fastener.  
         [0146]    More generally, any extension of the mobile part of the collapsible support or one of its alternatives, attached to the cover using a fastener coming from a temporary fasteners group comprising: Velcro, a press button, a zipper, magnets can be used. Conversely, any extension of the cover attached to the mobile part of the collapsible support or its alternatives can be done using any of these fasteners.  
         [0147]    In the same way, it is possible to use any pair of extensions from the mobile part of the collapsible support or of its alternatives which would surround part of the cover to meet together and be permanently attached with an elastic band, be temporary attached using one or a of a multitude of temporary fasteners, or to form handle to transport the object or to deployed the support. Conversely, it is also possible to use any pair of extension of the cover to surround completely or partially the mobile part of the collapsible support or any of its alternatives, which would meet and would be attached together permanently by an elastic band, in a temporary way using one or a multitude of temporary fasteners and to form a transportation handle.  
         [0148]    These ways of using extensions are applicable to collapsible supports and its alternatives that integrate the articulations of an articulated cover (similar to the object of FIG. 21) or that do not integrate any (as for the object of FIG. 1).  
         [0149]    Another technique making it possible to firmly maintain the support in its collapsed configuration is to fold the flexible band externally to it the cover surface instead of under the mobile part. Once the mobile part is collapsed in such a manner, the two fold flexible band is folded back on top of the cover, towards its bottom. A fastener may also be used to lock it down. Again, the fasteners used could be in the same type as far attaching the extensions.  
         [0150]    The functionality consisting in maintaining the support in its deployed configuration by way of a tended member between the mobile part of the support and an upper area on the cover may be obtained by other means. It can be obtained by way of a tended member dedicated to this purpose or by using another components such as an extension of the support or such as an elongated flap. A member attached to the mobile part and to the cover could be also served as a bookmark that is folded back inside the diary. These approaches also apply to the alternatives of the collapsible support.  
         [0151]    [0151]FIG. 36 shows a diary for which a wallet  487 A is integrated into the mobile part surface of the support. This wallet constitutes an extension to the support and is attached to the front surface of the cover using a press button made up of the parts  487 C and  487 C′. The wallet illustrated in this figure can accommodate credit cards  487 A or other similar objects and contains a small pocket  487 D. In another preferred embodiment it could also been fastened to the mobile part of the support, or at the same time to the cover and the mobile part of the support.  
         [0152]    Objects having articulate covers such as diaries but also objects without articulated covers that normally for lay flatly on a work surface cannot generally benefit from addition of accessories such as a wallet or small pockets on the their external surface. However if these objects have a support that could tilt them, having external accessories become possible since they no more require a flat base. It is therefore possible to add to the external surface of the mobile part or to the external surface of the cover items such as a pocket for money, keys, cell phones, pencils etc.  
         [0153]    [0153]FIGS. 37 and 38 present mobile work cases. These cases consist of an articulated cover similar to those of the diaries or the ring binders discussed previously, to which a collapsible supports has been integrated. The alternatives collapsible supports could also be used instead of the collapsible support. On these figures the covers are presented open and tilted by their support, which is not visible here.  
         [0154]    The mobile work cases of FIGS. 37 and 38 includes a variety of objects such as pencil or touch screen pointer holder  884 , personal digital assistant or a portable computer with its touch screen  881 , a digitizing tablet  885  linked to the electronic device as a data input system, a general purpose pocket  883  as well as a keyboard  880 .  
         [0155]    The keyboard  880  of FIG. 37 is foldable and is placed in small pocket  888  when it is not used. It is connected to the electronic device  881  by a cable  882 . That of FIG. 38 is also a foldable keyboard but is attached to the cover by an articulation  887  which dissimulates a flat cable connecting it to the electronic device  881 . This keyboard is stored in the case with the fastener  886 .  
         [0156]    [0156]FIG. 39 illustrates an independent tilting support  901  integrating a collapsible support. This support can be used to incline books, bindings with rings or other types of binders  
         [0157]    It consists of a plate  908  having an opening in which the mobile part  904  of the collapsible support is embedded and which is attached to this plate by a horizontal articulation  905  and one flexible band  906 . This flexible band  906  is illustrated folded. Plate  908  has two flaps  990 A and  990 B, which is attached to him by its lower edge along the lines  992 A and  992 B respectively. The front and back covers of the binder that is to be tilted are inserted between these flat and plate  908 . Three holes  980  are practiced on the edge of plate  908  and make it possible to place the support inside a ring binder when the independent support of slope is not used.  
         [0158]    The various functionalities and features that were presented in the description of the preferred embodiments were on an illustrative basis. In the spirit and scope of this invention other combinations of the features and functionalities are possible.  
         [0159]    In addition, the low thickness characterizing the collapsible support and its alternatives allows their integration not only the objects presented or similar objects, but also jackets in which these objects would be inserted.