Abstract:
A frame arrangement for the inverted support of a tablet to enable a supine individual to read and operate the tablet. The frame arrangement comprises an arrangement of tablet-supporting side members for peripherally surrounding and supporting a tablet, and a plurality of length adjustable leg members attached to an underside portion of the tablet-supporting side members. The leg members have a tightenable universal swivel joint thereat, to permit the leg members to be positionally and lengthwise adjusted adjacent a supine user of the frame arrangement.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to framed support devices and more particularly to a portable frame support for maintaining any of a variety of different sized tablet devices in an inverted orientation above an individual, for his/her use thereby, and is based upon Provisional Patent Application No. 61/848,146 filed 21 Dec. 2012, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     2. Discussion of the Prior Art 
     Tablets are now the rage. It seems that every household has at least one. They come in various sizes and likely in various shapes. Users of these devices will have to hold them in front of them or possibly on a pillow in their lap. There are however, supports which extend from a wall or a table to hold the tablet in front of the user. There are even supports for holding a tablet in front of someone sitting up in bed. 
     Children have tablet supports for viewing a tablet inverted while the child is in his/her crib. Such arrangements for young children are of course designed for immovability and non adjustability by the user child. 
     However, it may be often desirable for older folks/adults to be lying down in bed or other horizontal surface, and to utilize the tablet either by reading or playing a game therewith, from a supine and/or directly under the tablet orientation so as to look upwardly to view the screen of the tablet, while permitting certain freedom of movement, such as twisting or lying slightly on one&#39;s side and still be looking upwardly. 
     The prior art has failed to show such a portable device which permits the acceptance and gentle support of any of different sized and shaped tablet devices to be held and utilized in a comfortable, accessible, inverted orientation. 
     It is us an object of the present invention, to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a tablet support arrangement which safely and articulably engages and controls the position of a tablet while an individual is supine, under that tablet looking up at it and using or playing with same. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a tablet support arrangement which may be very portable, and constructed and utilized as in the form of a kit, which minimizes the size of such support arrangement, while maximizing its carryablity. 
     It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an adjustable or fixed-frame peripheral frame arrangement, which may be dis-assembled and carryable as a kit, while being utilizable for an infinite number of sizes of tablets. 
     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an easy gripping arrangement for biasing a tablet within a peripheral frame while allowing maximum viewing of the monitor portion of that tablet. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention comprises an articulable support arrangement for an inverted tablet. In a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, the support arrangement comprises a rectilinear array of side frame members fixedly attached at four corners thereof, each with an adjustable, twistable or fixed length/fixed orientation leg thereat. Each side frame member in this embodiment may comprise a pair of slidably engaged or fixed length extrusion members of generally “C” shape in cross-section. The array of frame the members have their open side of the “C” shape facing towards the center of the support arrangement. Each adjustable or fixed length leg at each corner of the rectilinear support arrangement has a proximal or uppermost end may be in one embodiment, connected to an adjustably tightenable swivel connector attached to the corner of the frame members. Each adjustable leg member may also be individually telescopingly adjustable or distortably twistable to facilitate change in length or non-linear orientation or configuration, as necessary. Each swivel connector in one aspect of the present invention, may be arranged at each corner of the frame assembly to permit each leg to be pivoted so as to be arranged in a tight, stored configuration parallel with its adjacent frame member. 
     The frame members on each side of the rectilinear array of the support arrangement is preferably of generally “C” shape, as aforementioned, and are preferably formed of a somewhat biased material so as to pinchedly close the gap somewhat, within that tubular member. In a further embodiment of the frame members, the elongated edge of each frame member adjacent its gap, has a soft elastomeric material co-extruded therewith so as to provide a snug supportive engagement with a tablet inserted therewithin. 
     In another dual frame aspect of the present invention, a peripheral frame may support a tablet-holding inner peripheral frame which inner peripheral fame is borne by a pair of opposed swivel joints on two opposite sides of the outer peripheral frame. The inner peripheral frame, of rectilinear configuration, has side members which are preferably of “L” shape in cross-section. Those side members may have a rubberized tablet engaging surface so as to fully support the periphery of a tablet supported therewithin. 
     A further aspect of the articulable support arrangement for an inverted tablet, is a tablet support kit comprised of a plurality of individual, tablet-corner-engaging housings of generally triangular shape (in plan view). Each individual, corner-engaging-housing is formed preferably of an injection molded, plastic or rubberized material having a rectilinearly shaped tablet-receiving-opening on its wide end. The tablet receiving opening has a pair of sidewalls arranged at 90° with respect to one another, meeting at an internal apex or corner. The tablet receiving opening has an upper or first roof side and a lower or bottom second floor side arranged parallel to one another, which, with the side walls, defines the biasable elastomeric opening of the housing. The first and second sides in one embodiment thereof, preferably have inwardly bowed or directed gripping members of convex shape, to facilitate the engagement with the corner portions of a tablet inserted therewithin. The apex of each corner-engaging-housing preferably may have a socket or universal swivel joint attached to the outer side of the lower floor thereof. A fixed or twistably adjustable and/or telescopingly adjustable leg has an upper or proximal end thereof which is engageable with an opening of the universal swivel joint or socket on the corner engaging housing. The fixed or twistably adjustable or telescopingly adjustable leg preferably may have a distalmost end with a rubberized footpad thereattached. A corner-engaging-housing is to be fitted onto each corner of a (an inverted) tablet, to permit a person to view that inverted tablet while lying down, directly underneath the tablet, looking upwardly at the screen thereof, as may be done with all of the embodiments of the present invention. The universal joint between the tablet corner-engaging-housing and the respective fixed/adjustable/telescopic legs, may be of a ball and socket arrangement or a pair of swivelable hinges, or the like. 
     In a further aspect of the tablet corner-engagable-housing, the leg may be received in a molded leg-receiving-opening at the lowermost side of the apex, for simple assembly by the user. Such corner-engageable-housing components enables the “kit” aspects and portability of the present invention. In a further aspect of the tablet corner-engagable-housing, a peripheral frame member may be arranged between adjacent corner-engagable-housing members to provide increased stability therebetween. 
     A further aspect of the present invention comprises a curvilinear peripheral frame for articulately supporting an inverted tablet therewithin. Such a peripheral frame may be comprised of a plurality of curvilinear “C” shaped sections, size-wise adjustably intermating, as identified in an earlier embodiment recited herein above. Each intermeeting section would be comprised of an outer “C” shaped member and a slidably received inner “C” shaped member. Each outer “C” shaped member would preferably have a universal joint centrally attached on a lower edge thereof. Each universal joint would be arranged to receive the upper end of a longitudinally adjustable leg therewithin. Such a curvilinearly shaped frame would be circumferentially adjustable about its curved outer periphery, so as to supportively hold any shape tablet therewithin. A rectilinear tablet would engage and be supported by the curvilinear frame at four spaced-apart locations around its periphery. 
     The invention thus comprises a frame arrangement for the inverted support of an inverted tablet to enable a supine individual to read and operate the tablet, the frame arrangement comprising: an arrangement of fixed length or length adjustable, tablet-supporting side members for peripherally surrounding and supporting a tablet; and a plurality of fixed length or fixed length adjustable leg members attached to an underside portion of the tablet-supporting side members, wherein the leg members may have a tightenable receiving socket or a universal swivel joint thereat, to permit the leg members to be positionally and lengthwise fixed or adjusted adjacent a supine user of the frame arrangement. The side members are preferably of “C” shape in cross-section. Each side member may be comprised of a pair of telescopingly adjustable portions intermating with one another. Each side member preferably has a longitudinal gap therealong, for pinching biased receipt of an edge of a tablet therein. The gap in each adjustable portion may have a soft, co-extruded lip thereon to facilitate a grip on a tablet therewith. The tablet supporting side members may comprise a rectilinear inner peripheral tablet supporting frame. The inner tablet supporting frame may be movably supported on an outer peripheral frame assembly. The inner supporting frame is preferably supported by a pair of swivel joints arranged on the outer peripheral frame. The tablet supporting side members may be of curvilinear configuration. The curvilinear configured tablet supporting side members may be of “C” shape in cross section. 
     The invention also comprises a kit assembly for the inverted support of an inverted tablet to enable a supine individual to read and operate the tablet, the frame arrangement comprising: a plurality of fixed or length/shape adjustable, tablet-supporting tablet corner-engaging-housing members for receiving corners of a tablet for support thereof; and a length adjustable leg members attached to an underside portion of the tablet corner-engaging-housing members, wherein the leg members may have a tightenable universal swivel joint thereat, to permit the leg members to be positionally and lengthwise adjusted adjacent a supine user of the frame arrangement. The tablet corner-engaging-housing member preferably has a molded triangular shaped opening for receipt of a tablet corner therein. The shaped opening has a biased inwardly lower floor and a biased inwardly upper side. The housing member preferably has the universal joint on a lower apex portion thereof. The leg member is preferably telescopingly adjustable. 
     The invention also comprises a method of supporting an inverted tablet to enable a supine user of an inverted tablet to secure and utilize that inverted tablet comfortably, comprising: arranging a frame assembly comprising a peripheral, tablet-engaging side member support so as to supportively engage a tablet by a perimeter thereof; and attaching a plurality of articulable, fixed or length-adjustable legs on an underside of the frame assembly so as to permit the frame assembly to straddle a supine user of that frame assembly. The frame members may have a bluetooth speaker system arranged thereon for enhancement of a tablet sound to a user observing supinely beneath a bluetooth enabled tablet. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent, when viewed in conjunction with the following drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a rectilinear articulable support arrangement for peripherally supporting an inverted tablet; 
         FIG. 1A  is in a large perspective view of a pair of side members of the support arrangement shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 1B  is a view taken along the lines B-B. of  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a further embodiment of a rectilinear articulable support arrangement showing an inner peripheral frame utilized therewith; 
         FIG. 2A  is an enlarged sectional view taken along the lines  2 A- 2 A of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a side elevation of view of a tablet corner engaging housing of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a view taken along the lines  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a side elevation of view of the tablet corner of engaging housing shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a further embodiment of a tablet corner engaging housing; 
         FIG. 6A  is a perspective vies of the corner engaging housing shown in  FIG. 6 , with peripheral socket-attachable side members for added tablet support; and 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a circular or curvilinearly shaped tablet-engaging frame. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the drawings in detail, and particularly to  FIG. 1 , there is shown the present invention which comprises an articulable support arrangement  10  for an inverted tablet “T”. In a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, the support arrangement  10  comprises a rectilinear array of side frame members  12  fixedly attached at four corners thereof, each with an adjustable (or fixed size/shape) leg  14  thereat. Each side frame member  12  in this embodiment comprises a pair of slidably engaged extrusion members  16  and  18  of generally “C” shape in cross-section, as may be seen in  FIGS. 1 ,  1 A and  1 B. The array of frame members  12  have their open side of the “C” shape facing towards the center of the support arrangement  10 , as represented in  FIG. 1 . Each adjustable leg  14  at each corner of the rectilinear support arrangement  10  has a proximal or uppermost end  20  which is connected to an adjustably tightenable swivel connector  22  attached to the corner of the adjacent, connected frame members  12 . Each leg member  14  in this embodiment, is also individually telescopingly adjustable to facilitate change in length as necessary. Each swivel connector  22  at each corner of the frame assembly  10  permits each leg  14  to be pivoted so as to be arranged in a tight, stored configuration close to and parallel with its adjacent frame member  12 , as represented by leg  14 A in phantom and arrow  24 , shown in  FIG. 1 . A tablet user “P” is represented looking upwardly, with his head shown directly underneath the support arrangement  10  in  FIG. 1 , with a set of its legs  14 , which would preferably be abutting the shoulders (not shown for clarity of the drawings) of that user “P”. 
     The frame members  12  on each side of the rectilinear array of the support arrangement  10  is of generally “C” shape, as aforementioned, and are preferably formed of a somewhat biased material so as to pinch somewhat closed the gap “G” within that tubular member  12 , as represented in  FIG. 1A . 
     In a further embodiment of the frame members, the elongated edge of each frame member adjacent its gap “G”, has an elongated, tapered strip of soft elastomeric material  26 , co-extruded therewith so as to provide a snug, supportive, biased engagement with a tablet “T”, inserted therewithin, as represented in  FIG. 1B . 
     In another aspect of the present invention, an outer peripheral frame  30  may support a tablet-holding inner peripheral frame  32  which inner peripheral fame  32 , shown in phantom, is borne by a pair of opposed swivel joints  34  on two opposite sides  36  and  38  of the outer peripheral frame  30 , as represented in  FIG. 2 . The inner peripheral frame  32 , of rectilinear configuration, has side members  40  which are preferably of “L” shape in cross-section, as shown in  FIG. 2A . Those side members  40  may have a rubberized tablet engaging surface  42  so as to fully support the periphery of a tablet “T” supported therewithin, as represented in  FIG. 2A . A blue-tooth speaker system  31  may be attached on a side frame member  36  to facilitate sound reception to a supine tablet user beneath the support arrangement  10 , the speaker system  31  shown represented in  FIG. 2 . 
     A further aspect of the articulable support arrangement for an inverted tablet, is a tablet support kit  50  comprised of a plurality of tablet corner-engaging housings  52  of generally triangular shape (in plan view), as represented in  FIG. 4 , and as shown in a side elevational view in  FIG. 3 . Each corner-engaging-housing  52  is formed preferably of an injection molded, plastic or rubberized material having a rectilinearly shaped tablet-receiving-opening  54  on its wide end, as represented in  FIG. 3 . The tablet receiving opening  54  has a pair of sidewalls  56  arranged at 90° with respect to one another, meeting at an internal apex or corner  58 , as represented in  FIG. 4 . The tablet receiving opening  54  has an upper or first roof side  60  and a lower or bottom second floor side  62  arranged parallel to one another, which, with the side walls  56 , defines the triangularly shaped tablet-receiving opening of the housing  52 , as represented in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . The first and second sides  60  and  62  in one embodiment thereof, preferably have inwardly bowed or directed gripping members  66  of inwardly bowed convex shape as shown in  FIG. 3 , to facilitate the engagement with the corner portions of a tablet “T” inserted therewithin, as represented in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . The apex  58  of each corner-engaging-housing  52  preferably has a universal swivel joint  68  attached to the outer side of the lower floor  62  thereof, as represented in  FIG. 5 . A telescopingly adjustable leg  70  has an upper or proximal end  72  thereof which is engageable with an opening  74  of the universal swivel joint  68  on the corner  58  of the tablet corner-engaging-housing  52 . The telescopingly adjustable leg  70  preferably has a distalmost end  76  with a rubberized footpad  78  thereattached. 
     A corner-engaging-housing  52  as part of a kit “K”, represented partially in  FIG. 5 , is to be fitted onto each corner of a (an inverted) tablet “T”, to permit a person to easily view that tablet “T” from directly underneath the tablet “T” without distortion and stress, while lying down and looking upwardly at the screen thereof, as may be done with all of the embodiments of the present invention. The universal joint  68  between the tablet corner-engaging-housing  52  and the respective telescopic legs  70 , may be of a ball and socket arrangement or a pair of swivelable hinges, or the like. Such kit “K” would be comprised of corner members, legs and any connecting side members of the several embodiments described within this presentation. 
     In a further aspect of a tablet corner-engagable-housing  80 , a leg may  82  be received in a molded leg-receiving-opening  84  at the lowermost side of the apex  86 , for simple assembly by the user, as represented in  FIG. 6 . 
       FIG. 6A  represents a further aspect of the individual tablet-corner squeezing corner support members wherein a side member receiving socket  88  enables secure receipt of a peripheral side member  89 , a plurality of such side members  89  being utilized in this aspect between contiguous corners to further peripherally stabilize an inverted tablet “T” around a supine tablet user “P”. Such corner-engageable-housing components  52  and  80 , further enables the “kit” aspects and portability of the present invention comprised of corners  52  and legs  70 . 
     A further aspect of the present invention comprises a curvilinear peripheral frame  90  for articulately supporting an inverted tablet therewithin. Such a curved peripheral frame  90 , represented in  FIG. 7 , may be comprised of a plurality of curvilinear “C” shaped sections  92 , size-wise adjustably intermating, as identified in an earlier embodiment recited herein above, for example in  FIG. 1A . Each intermating section  92  would be comprised of an outer “C” shaped member  94  and a slidably received inner “C” shaped member  96 . Each outer “C” shaped member would preferably have a universal joint  98  centrally attached on a lower edge  100  thereof, as represented in  FIG. 7 . Each universal joint  98  would be arranged to receive the upper end  102  of a longitudinally adjustable leg  104  therewithin. Such a curvilinearly shaped peripheral frame  90  would be circumferentially adjustable about its curved outer periphery, so as to supportively hold any shape tablet “T” therewithin.