Abstract:
An erasable board cover system is provided to enable the selective covering and concealment of the writing surface of the erasable board. The cover system can include a retractable cover that is adapted to slidably cover the erasable board using edge mounted tracks and reels and cords. In other embodiments the cover is a retrofit item that can be disposed over a erasable board in a stationary, static manner, or can be retractably mounted over the erasable board. A manual knob or an electric motor can control the deployment and/or retraction of the erasable board cover in the retractable embodiment. A locking mechanism is provided and configured to secure and prevent movement of, or the removal of, the cover when in a locked position.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Field of Technology 
         [0002]    The present invention generally relates to erasable boards, and more particularly, to a system and method for covering the exposed writing surface of an erasable board to prevent unauthorized viewing/access to the written subject matter the expose writing surface. 
         [0003]    2. Discussion of Related Art 
         [0004]    Most erasable black boards have been replaced in homes, offices and schools with so-called ‘white boards’ or erasable boards which typically have a bright white, writable surface comprised of a polyester film. Erasable markers and the like are typically used for writing on white boards. 
         [0005]    It is often desirable to leave written material on a white board for a period of time. That is, it is often not feasible to immediately erase all written material after each use, for purposes of presentation to other parties, etc. However, a white board may contain written material which is confidential or other sensitive information which is not desired to be disclosed to unauthorized viewers. Existing means for concealing the contents of a white board may include, e.g., a pull-down screen, but such means are easily tampered with and/or removed, thus freely revealing any confidential written contents of the underlying white board. 
         [0006]    Thus, it would be desirable to provide a secure erasable board covering system which is efficient, tamper-proof, practical and adaptive to different white board units. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    It is therefore an aspect of the present principles to provide an improved erasable board covering system which securely conceals a white board and is resistant to tampering by unauthorized users in an efficient, practical manner. Advantageously, the present principles eliminates the need to erase or remove erasable boards containing sensitive subject material written thereon when visitors or employees are present who might pose a security risk. An erasable board cover according to the present principles is attachable, rollable or otherwise positionable over a white board to securely conceal the front writable surface of the erasable board from view. In a preferred embodiment, a rollable (‘slidable’) cover is provided, which is described below with reference to  FIGS. 1-5 . 
         [0008]    According to a first aspect, an erasable board cover system is provided having An erasable board having a front writable surface including a left and a right edge and a cover configured to be extendable and retractable over substantially the entire erasable board writable surface via a reel system. The cover includes a top edge and at least two vertical edges substantially parallel to said left and right edges of the erasable board surface. At least two side panels are provided, each panel being affixed to one of said left and right edge of the erasable board and each panel being configured to overlap each of said two vertical edges. A locking mechanism is provided configured to secure and prevent movement of the cover when in a locked position. 
         [0009]    According to another aspect, a method of covering an erasable board is provided having the steps of providing an erasable board having a front surface including a left and a right edge, providing a cover configured to be extendable and retractable over substantially the entire erasable board surface via a reel system, the cover including a top edge and at least two vertical edges substantially parallel to said left and right edges of the erasable board surface, providing at least two side panels, each panel being affixed to one of said left and right edge of the erasable board, the panels being configured to overlap each of said two vertical edges, and providing a locking mechanism configured to secure and prevent movement of the cover when in a locked position. 
         [0010]    According to yet another aspect of the present principles, an erasable board cover is provided having a cover configured to be extendable and retractable via a reel system, the cover including a top edge and at least two vertical edges, and at least two side panels, the panels being configured to overlap each of said two vertical edges. A locking mechanism is provided configured to secure and prevent movement of the cover when in a locked position. 
         [0011]    These and other aspects and features of the present principles will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the present principles, for which reference should be made to the appended claims. It should be further understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and that, unless otherwise indicated, they are merely intended to conceptually illustrate the structures and procedures described herein. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote similar components throughout the views: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is a front view of an exemplary white board cover system according to an aspect of the present principles; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of an exemplary white board cover system in a fully closed position according to an aspect of the present principles; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3   a  is a top perspective interior view of the right-side rotating mechanism of the white board cover system according to one aspect of the present principles; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3   b  is a top perspective interior view of the right-side rotating mechanism of the white board cover system according to another aspect of the present principles; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a top perspective interior view of a left-side reel apparatus according to an aspect of the present principles; and 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  depicts a partial top view of a left side edge of a white board cover system according to an aspect of the present principles. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0019]      FIG. 1  depicts a front view of an exemplary erasable board cover system according to an one aspect of the present principles. A erasable board cover system  100  includes a retractable erasable board cover  102  configured to be rollable over a erasable board  101  via a reel system (shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 ). The cover system  100  may be integrated into the manufacture of the erasable board, or alternatively, the cover system may be provided and configured as an retrofit add-on to existing erasable boards. The cover system  100  includes at least two side panels  103  which are configured to overlap the left and right vertical edges of the erasable board cover  102 . The two vertical edges (e.g.,  505  in  FIG. 5 ) of the cover  102  run substantially parallel to left and right edges (e.g.,  503 ) of the erasable board surface. 
         [0020]    The side panels  103  are preferably comprised of a rigid material and are configured to prevent the vertical edges of the cover  102  from being pulled back, thus preventing unauthorized viewing of the underlying erasable board.  FIG. 5  depicts an exemplary top view of a left side of a erasable board cover system according to an aspect of the present invention, showing a left edge  503  of the erasable board  101 . According to an exemplary embodiment, each side panel  103  may comprise an L-shaped configuration having a first portion  507  affixed to the erasable board  101  and a second portion  509  extending over a vertical edge  505  of the cover  102 . A width  500  of each side panel preferably is at least about 0.5 inch, with preferably at least a minimum of about 0.4 inches of overlap  501  over each vertical edge  505  of the erasable board cover  101 . Those of skill in the art will recognize that these dimensions may vary greatly without departing from the spirit of the present principles and that these values are provided as and exemplary implementation. 
         [0021]      FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of an exemplary erasable board cover system in a fully closed or secured position according to an aspect of the present invention. The cover  102  may be provided in various widths  200  according to the dimensions of the erasable board to be covered and is vertically extendable along the entire height  201  of the erasable board  100  so as to fully cover the entire surface of the erasable board when in a closed position. Preferably, the cover  102  may be extended across the erasable board from a bottom to top direction and is enabled to be extendable/retractable via a reel system, as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . Those of skill in the art will recognize that the orientation of the erasable board cover system  100  may be changed without departing from the spirit of the present principles. For example, the orientation may be from left-to-right, from right-to-left. 
         [0022]    The reel system may include a set of left and right side reels  305 ,  401 , respectively, each having a retractable cord  303 ,  403  wound thereon. Preferably, one end of each cord  303 ,  403  is attached to the reel while a second end is affixed to a top edge  105  of the cover  102 , thus preventing slack from being developed in the cover  102  by the push-pull cord system. For example, in a retracted position, the cover  102  is caused to be wrapped around a center reel  309  so as to allow the erasable board  101  to be viewed. As the center reel  309  is turned, either by knob  301  or a motor (not shown), the cords  303 ,  403  and corresponding reel mechanisms, enable the raising and lowering of the terminated end or top edge  105  of the cover  102  without bunching or stretching. The slack or tension is predetermined and preset at the manufacturing stage of the system, and may be controlled by a spring or other known means to maintain a predetermined tension. During use, each reel and cord assembly is covered (as shown, e.g., in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) to prevent tampering. Those of skill in the art will recognize that the sliding capability of the cover  102  can be performed in various other ways, without departing from the spirit of the present principles. For example cords  303 ,  403  could be replaced by linear bearings extending the entire length of the side panels, with the underside of the cover having an appropriate complimentary linear bearing track, etc. 
         [0023]    It is to be contemplated that a stop mechanism (not shown) may also be provided to prevent the leading edge  105  of the cover  102  from being drawn into the real housing. 
         [0024]    The reel system may include a knob  301  functionally connected to the reel  305  or  401  for enabling rotation of the reels and thereby provide, manual extension/retraction of the cover  102  at various increments of extension. In an alternate embodiment, a motor  320  or other automated means can be provided in addition to or in lieu of the manual knob  301 . As shown in  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b , a clutch with a torque limiter  314  is incorporated into the cover system. The type of clutch could be referred to as slip clutch or any other known device for limiting applied torque. In the present implementation, the torque setting for the clutch  314  would be just under the force to failure point of the cover system mechanism, including the reels, the cords, the screen, the frame, etc.). Those of skill in the art will recognize that various factors are involved in such torque limitation, such as, for example, the strength of the cords and the screen, and possibly the size of the reels, etc. 
         [0025]    In use, when the surface of a erasable board  101  is desired to be entirely concealed, the cover  102  is caused to be extended to the fully closed position as shown e.g., in  FIG. 2 . This position may be locked into place via locking mechanism  307  to prevent unauthorized retraction of the cover  102 . The locking mechanism  307  includes a locking pawl  310  which selectively engages one or more protrusions  314  on reel  305  and thereby prevents rotation of the same. The lock  307  may be provided at either or both reel device(s)  305 ,  401  to secure the reel in various positions. The cover  102  may be raised and lowered in vertical increments to cover or expose any amount of the erasable board  101  as desired. For example,  FIG. 1  shows the cover  102  at an approximately halfway position. Upon reaching the desired position, the cover  102  may be locked into place via lock  307  to prevent unauthorized movement of the cover  102 . 
         [0026]      FIG. 3   b  shows another embodiment where a motor  320  replaces the manual rotating knob  301 . The motor  320  can be any suitable type of motor, and can include a remote receiver  322  for receiving wireless commands from a remote control device  324 . 
         [0027]    Preferably, the cover  102  is comprised of a durable, tear-resistant, highly abrasion resistant and/or ballistic material which has a high tear strength and is designed to be particularly resistant to cutting, for providing further security against tampering and unauthorized viewing of the erasable board surface  101 . Such materials may comprise, e.g., nylon Cordura®, nylon composites with or without coatings, materials made out of synthetic fiber comprising poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide which is constructed of para-aramid fibers (e.g., Kevlar®), etc. The top edge  105  of the cover  102  is preferably positioned as close as possible to the surface of the erasable board  101  during all cover positions (e.g., from fully open to fully closed and all positions in between) without obstructing the movement of the cover  102  across the top of erasable board  101 . The leading edge  105  may include a reinforcing element comprising e.g., a rigid structure (e.g., a metal or plastic bar) affixed along its horizontal length to prevent unauthorized viewing of the erasable board surface from the top. This reinforcing element can also function as the stop mechanism discussed above. 
         [0028]    The side board panels  103  are comprised of a rigid, shatterproof, impact resistant and/or ballistic material to similarly afford protection against tampering, breakage and cutting. Such materials may comprise, e.g., ballistic plastics, metals, nylon composites, etc. 
         [0029]      FIG. 6  shows another embodiment of the erasable board cover system  600  according to the present principles. The erasable board  602  is covered by a single cover  604  that is adapted to fit over the erasable board and be secured thereto. The cover  604  can have a frame  606  or other suitable perimeter for aesthetic purposes. The frame or outer periphery preferably includes a lock access  608  which can be positioned anywhere on the frame  606  as shown. The type of locking mechanism employed by the frame to attach the same to the erasable board, will determine whether one or more locks  608  are required. For example, a friction type lock  612  can be integrated into the frame  606  such that only one lock  608  is required. However, it is also contemplated that the mechanism required for single actuation of a lock that is activated around the perimeter of the cover  604  could be complex and reduce the potential for commercialization of the product. As such, more than one lock  608  can be provided e.g., on opposing sides of cover  604 , such that the friction locking mechanism or other locking mechanism can be integrated more cost effectively during manufacturing, without degrading or otherwise compromising the integrity of the locking system. 
         [0030]      FIG. 7  shows a cross section of the cover  604  as positioned over the erasable board  602 . As shown, the frame  606  includes a rearward extending portion that is adapted to engage the edges  610  of the erasable board  602 . Although a friction lock  612  is shown with corresponding locks  608 , it is also contemplated that frame  606  be designed of such a material so as to provide a secure friction fit against the edges  610  without requiring any additional locking mechanism in the frame  606 . In this embodiment, the frame would have some resilience that would allow the snug friction fit between the frame  606  and the edges  610  of the cover  602 . Those of skill in the art will recognize that other mechanisms for securing the cover  604  over the erasable board  602  may be employed without departing from the spirit of the present principles. For example, frame  606  may include brackets  614  that extend therefrom and allow the cover  604  to be adhered to the wall or other structure on which the erasable board  602  is mounted. A locking hasp or other selectively lockable bracket could be used as bracket  614  in this implementation in order to provide securing covering of the erasable board, as required. 
         [0031]    In other embodiments, the cover  604  can include a light  620  for illuminating the front surface thereof. In this instance, cover  604  can be used to either display some art work, or may even be manufactured to include a preferred design, corporate logo, art, or any other desired images. 
         [0032]    While there have been shown, described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form and details of the methods described and devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements and/or method steps which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention. Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements and/or method steps shown and/or described in connection with any disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be incorporated in any other disclosed, described or suggested form or embodiment as a general matter of design choice. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.