Abstract:
A system of various messaging, personal convenience, and organizational products, each taking the form of a component or module, and all of which are securable to one another in such a manner that a user is provided with a wide array of possible customizable configuration options. The components are interconnected by fasteners, such as clips, secured to adjacent walls that project rearwardly from a front surface of each of the components.

Description:
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE  
       [0001]     This disclosure relates generally to messaging boards, organizational products, and personal convenience items and, more specifically, to a modular system for combining, in a customized manner, various messaging accessories such as note pads, dry-erase boards, corkboards, and chalkboards, as well as other personal convenience products and organizational products, such as a clock, a picture holder, a mirror, and a writing utensil receptacle.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     Individual tastes, habits, and preferences vary widely with regard to messaging, planning, organization, and other routine activities typically conducted in or near a kitchen, home office, dorm room, school locker, or work cubicle environment. Space in such areas for the provision of messaging products, personal convenience products, and organizational products are usually limited. Given these factors, it would be desirable if individuals could optimize the limited space by displaying, in a readily accessible location, a modular, customizable, multi-task system including only those messaging, personal convenience, and organizational products that suit their particular needs and style.  
         [0003]     It would further be desirable if such a system were adapted to allow individuals to easily add on more messaging, personal convenience, and/or organizational products, or replace such products within their customized system as their personal needs, tastes, or desires change, or as products require. For instance, certain product components within an individual&#39;s system of messaging, personal convenience, and organizational products may require refills, which might most easily be accomplished by replacement of those particular components of the individual&#39;s system. It would further be desirable if all the product components available for individuals to select and combine for their customized system could be aesthetically and structurally compatible.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0004]     A system of various messaging, personal convenience, and organizational products, each taking the form of a component or module, and all of which are securable to one another in such a manner that a user is provided with a wide array of possible customizable configuration options, is disclosed. The components or modules, however many, are combined and secured together by the user in any desired arrangement, and may be mounted to a wall or other vertical surface, such as the rear panel of a locker door. The messaging, personal convenience, and organizational products, each of which defines an optional component for use in the system of this disclosure, may include (but are not limited to) a dry-erase board, a wet-erase board, a pin-board (such as corkboard, a fabric, or fabric-covered foam), a chalkboard, a mirror, a clock (either analog or digital), a holder for a supply of gently adhesively interconnected notes, a holder for a cellular telephone, a hook area for keys, a voice message recorder, a writing utensil receptacle or holder, and a picture display panel. The picture display panel may be one in which a picture or other document may be inserted behind a transparent protective wall, or alternately, the picture or other document may be secured to the display panel by pockets disposed at the corners of the display panel, with each such pocket adapted to receive a corresponding corner of the picture or other document to be secured thereto.  
         [0005]     Each component is provided with a front surface and one or more rearwardly-projecting walls of similar depth. The rearwardly-projecting walls of adjacent components are connected to one another. In an exemplary embodiment, the rearwardly-projecting walls of adjacent components are connected via clips each having first and second legs. At least one of the first and second legs of each of the clips is biased toward the other of the first and second legs. Each rearwardly-projecting wall may have a reduced wall thickness over a clip-receiving span thereof. This reduced wall thickness facilitates placement of one of the clips along the clip-receiving span of the rearwardly-projecting walls of two components so as to secure the two components to one another.  
         [0006]     In a similar fashion, a rearwardly-projecting wall of a third component may be brought into register with any of the unoccupied rearwardly-projecting walls of the first two components. A second clip may then be applied to the clip-receiving spans of the rearwardly-projecting wall of the third component and of the previously unoccupied rearwardly-projecting wall, thereby interconnecting three components. Each of the three interconnected components is preferably a different messaging, personal convenience, or organizational product. This process may be continued until all desired components are interconnected, in desired relative locations.  
         [0007]     At least some of the clips used to connect adjacent messaging, personal convenience, and organizational product components may be adapted to receive at least one retention bracket or hook to facilitate mounting one of the components or a plurality of interconnected components to a wall or other vertical surface. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING  
       [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a system of interconnected messaging, personal convenience, and organizational product components of the present disclosure;  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view of the system of interconnected messaging, personal convenience, and organizational product components of the present disclosure;  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is a rear perspective view, partially broken away, of two adjacent messaging, personal convenience, or organizational product components interconnected by a first shown), and a picture display panel  22 . A writing utensil receptacle or holder  24  may be provided as an integral part of one of the other components, such as the dry-erase board  10 , or alternately, may be provided as another independent connectable component.  
         [0011]     As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , each of the components  10 - 22  is provided with a plurality of rearwardly-projecting walls  26 ,  28 ,  30 ,  32 . Each rearwardly-projecting wall  26 - 32  may have a reduced wall thickness over a clip-receiving span  34  thereof to facilitate installation of a clip  36  to interconnect adjacent components  10 - 22 . The clip  36  is provided with a first leg  38  and a second leg  40 , as shown in  FIGS. 4, 5 . The first leg  38  has a convex profile from a direction of the second leg  40 , and the second leg  40  is generally flat. The clip  36  has a resiliency such that when the first leg  38  and second leg  40  are forced away from one another, at least an apex  42  of the first leg  38  is biased back toward the second leg  40 .  
         [0012]     The clip-receiving span  34  may also be tapered on at least an inside surface  43  thereof, such that the thickness of the rearwardly-projecting wall  26 - 32  becomes progressively thinner toward a rear edge  44  of the rearwardly-projecting wall  26 - 32 . An outside surface  45  of the clip-receiving span  34  is preferably flat and perpendicular to a front-facing display surface of the component  10 - 22 , so that when the rearwardly-projecting walls  26 - 32  of two components  10 - 22  are aligned adjacent one another, the outside surfaces of the clip-receiving spans  34  of both rearwardly projecting walls  26 - 32  are touching, or at least are in very close proximity to one another.  
         [0013]     The tapered profile of the rearwardly-projecting wall  26 - 32  in the clip-receiving span  34  facilitates installation of a clip  36  on a pair of rearwardly-projecting walls  26 - 32  of adjacent components  10 - 22  by providing ramps along which one or both of the first and second legs  38 ,  40  of the clip  36  ride. The relative locations of the first and second legs  38 ,  40  of the clip, and showing one of the components provided with a second clip having a retention bracket to facilitate mounting the components to a vertical surface;  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a clip used to connect adjacent messaging, personal convenience, and organizational product components of the present disclosure;  
         [0015]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the clip shown in  FIG. 4 ;  
         [0016]      FIG. 6  is a rear perspective view of a clip having a retention bracket to facilitate mounting components to a vertical surface;  
         [0017]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of two adjacent components, broken away, immediately prior to insertion of a clip over a rearwardly-projecting sidewall of each of the adjacent components; and  
         [0018]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of two adjacent components, broken away, after insertion of a clip over a rearwardly-projecting sidewall of each of the adjacent components. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0019]     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , a system of interconnected messaging, personal convenience, and organizational product components is provided. The system is modular and customizable, with all of the plurality of optional messaging, personal convenience, and organizational product components having compatible aesthetic and structural characteristics. The messaging, personal convenience, and organizational product components may include, by way of example, a dry-erase board  10 , a wet-erase board (not shown), a pin-board  12  (such as corkboard, a fabric, or fabric-covered foam), a chalkboard (not shown), a mirror  14 , a clock  16  (which may be digital, as illustrated, or analog), a support  18  for a pad of notepaper  20 , a holder for a supply of gently adhesively interconnected self-sticking notes (not shown), a holder for a cellular telephone (not shown), a hook area for keys (not shown), a voice message recorder (not clip  36  are preferably such that the clip  36  may also be secured to a single rearwardly projecting wall  26 - 32 , which is desirable for installing clips  36  to be used for hanging a single component  10 - 22 , or an interconnected group of components  10 - 22 , to a vertical surface. As pressure is applied to the clip  36  in a direction toward the front of a single component  10 - 22  (when the clip  36  is to be applied to a single rearwardly-projecting wall  26 - 32 ), or toward the front of adjacent components  10 - 22  (when the clip  36  is installed to secure the two adjacent components  10 - 22  to one another), for instance by a user pressing a thumb or forefinger on an intermediate portion  46  of the clip  36 , the first and second legs  38 ,  40  are gradually urged apart from one another. As a result, at least the apex  42  of the first leg  38  is biased toward the second leg  40 . Thus, when installed on a pair of rearwardly-projecting walls  26 - 32  of adjacent components  10 - 22 , the resiliency of the clip  36  imparts a restoring force that presses the rearwardly-projecting walls  26 - 32  of the adjacent components  10 - 22  toward one another.  
         [0020]     Other means of interconnecting adjacent components  10 - 22  are within the scope of the present disclosure. For instance, alternate fasteners may be used to interconnect the components, such as nuts and bolts, adhesive, or hook-and-loop fasteners.  
         [0021]     The inside surface  43  of each rearwardly-projecting wall  26 - 32  is also preferably provided with an inwardly-directed ridge  50  in each clip-receiving span  34 , spaced a distance d 1  from the rear edge  44  of the rearwardly-projecting wall  26 - 32  that is no more than a distance d 2  between the apex  42  and intermediate portion  46  of the clip  36 . The inwardly-directed ridge  50  assists in securing the clip  36  to the rearwardly-projecting walls  26 - 32  of the adjacent components  10 - 22 , and prevents inadvertent removal or twisting of the clip  36 . Once the narrowest portion between the first leg  38  and second leg  40  of the clip  36  passes over the inwardly-directed ridges  50  of two adjacent rearwardly-projecting walls  26 - 32 , the user may feel a tactile sensation, and/or hear an audible “snap”, as an indication that the clip  36  has been securely and correctly installed in order to verify the integrity of the connection between two adjacent components  10 - 22 .  
         [0022]     In a similar fashion, a rearwardly-projecting wall  26 - 32  of a third component  10 - 22  may be aligned adjacent any of the unoccupied rearwardly-projecting walls  26 - 32  of the first two components  10 - 22 . A second clip  36  may then be applied to the clip-receiving spans  34  of the rearwardly-projecting wall  26 - 32  of the third component  10 - 22  and of the previously unoccupied rearwardly-projecting wall  26 - 32 , thereby interconnecting three components  10 - 22 . This process can be repeated until all desired components  10 - 22  are interconnected, with each component  10 - 22  arranged at a desired location. While each of the interconnected components  10 - 22  would typically be a different messaging, personal convenience, or organizational product than all of the other interconnected components  10 - 22 , it is recognized that an individual may use more than one of the same messaging, personal convenience, or organizational product component  10 - 22 . For instance, two or more clocks  16  may be provided in a single set of interconnected components  10 - 22 , so that the individual could keep track of time in multiple time zones.  
         [0023]     The clips  36  may be provided with an aperture  52 , such as in one of the first and second legs  38 ,  40 , to receive a retention bracket  54 , including at least one fastener-receiving hole  56  through which a nail, tack, screw, or similar fastener, or a hook, may pass, to facilitate mounting one or more interconnected components  10 - 22  to a vertical surface, such as a wall.  
         [0024]     While certain embodiments have been disclosed herein, this disclosure is not intended to be limited thereto. It is recognized that variations may be made to the disclosed embodiments that are still within the scope of the appended claims.