Abstract:
A mantel and pedestal that can be folded for storage and transportation and assembled for temporary display by the user and suitable for meditative and devotional purposes.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of Use  
         [0002]     The invention pertains to a devotional or meditative centerpiece that can be used in a fixed location or be transportable or collapsible for storage when not in use. The invention may provide a personal devotional or meditative centerpiece that can be used when traveling.  
         [0003]     2. Prior Art  
         [0004]     Religious or meditative fixtures have long been known and used by all spiritual and religious groups. Typically, these fixtures have been alters, icons, statutes and the like. The fixtures are often decorated with symbols having meaning and significance to the user or groups, such symbols varying with the beliefs, traditions or tastes of the individual or group. Few of these objects or devices, which have demonstrated long standing utility for focusing the devotional activities of the individual user, have been suitable for transport or storage.  
         [0005]     With the continuing, if not increasing, spirituality of individuals, combined with the ever increasing mobility of the individuals in their occupations or lives, there accordingly is a need for a transportable, collapsible, storable and rapidly deployable device suitable to focus the individual&#39;s spiritual and meditative activities.  
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
       [0006]     The invention pertains to a method and apparatus for erecting or removeably installing a meditation or devotional object that can contain or hold items having religious or spiritual significance for individuals. The invention also pertains to a portable object that can be made of various materials such as wood, resinous plastic, paper (such as card board or paper board) etc., having sufficient mechanical strength to be used in conjunction with tension, suction or other type of mechanically removable attachment mechanisms minimizing deactivation of the protective system by power failure or sabotage.  
         [0007]     It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an easily assembled and transportable structure that can be used to place religious or spiritual objects.  
         [0008]     It is a further object of the invention to provide a structure that can be used by travelers in small temporary lodging places such as hotel rooms, etc.  
         [0009]     It is another object of the invention to provide a object that can contain personally significant religious or spiritual symbols or markings.  
         [0010]     Other benefits of the invention will also become apparent to those skilled in the art and such advantages and benefits are included within the scope of this invention. 
     
    
     SUMMARY OF DRAWINGS  
       [0011]     The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention. These drawings, together with the general description of the invention given above and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.  
         [0012]      FIG. 1  illustrates a portable and temporary meditation mantel utilized as one embodiment of the invention.  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is a top perspective view of the meditation mantel.  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is a front perspective view of the meditation mantel.  
         [0015]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the underside of the meditation mantel and illustrating the recessed surface and side/front support frame.  
         [0016]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the back of the meditation mantel of the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 4 .  
         [0017]      FIG. 6  is a bottom perspective view of the meditation mantel illustrating an embodiment wherein the mantel can be folded for more compact storage and transport.  
         [0018]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the back of the meditation mantel of the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 6 .  
         [0019]      FIGS. 8, 9  and  10  illustrate the folding of the meditation mantel.  
         [0020]      FIG. 11  illustrates another embodiment of the meditation mantel wherein the folded mantel forms a storage compartment.  
         [0021]      FIG. 1   2 A is a schematic view of the mantel illustrating one embodiment of a tension spring mechanism used to attach the mantel to a corner wall surface.  
         [0022]      FIG. 13A  is a bottom perspective illustrating a tension spring support component.  
         [0023]      FIG. 14A  is a side perspective illustration of the operation of the spring component in supporting the mantel in a wall corner.  
         [0024]      FIG. 15  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention.  
         [0025]      FIG. 16  is a schematic illustration of the collapsing form of the prayer pedestal embodiment.  
         [0026]      FIGS. 17A through 17D  illustrate the contraction and folding of the top and bottom components of the prayer pedestal.  
         [0027]      FIG. 18  illustrates the relationship of the top or bottom components to the collapsible pedestal component.  
         [0028]      FIG. 19  illustrates an internal compartment that can be contained within the collapsible pedestal component.  
         [0029]      FIGS. 20A, 20B  and  20 C illustrate some of the alternative shapes of the pedestal component of the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION  
       [0030]     The above general description and the following detailed description are merely illustrative of the subject invention and additional modes, advantages and particulars of this invention will be readily suggested to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.  
         [0031]     The invention comprises two components which may be used alone or in conjunction. The first component is termed a meditation mantel or “mantel”. It is intended to provide a surface for placing various objects selected by the user. It is designed to be easily and quickly installed without marring a supporting wall surface. It is specifically intended to be suitable for installation in any corner wall area that forms a substantially 90° interior angle, e.g., a room wall corner. Accordingly, the surface of the mantel may be a triangular surface area.  
         [0032]      FIG. 1  illustrates the mantel  100  installed in a wall corner  200  formed of two walls  211   212 . The mantel has a top surface  120  formed of two sides  131   132  each having a length L 1  L 2  and a front side  133 . The length of the two sides  131   132  adjacent to the wall surfaces  211   212  may be approximately equal and the angle formed at the juncture may be 90° thereby forming a right triangle. The mantel  100  is installed on the wall without intrusion into the wall  214 .  FIG. 2  illustrates a top view of the mantel  100  showing the shape of the top surface formed by the three sides  131   132   133 .  FIG. 3  is an illustration of the front  133  and the relationship of the top  120  and bottom  141 . The end  145  of the front  133  is at the juncture of the mantel side adjacent to the wall (not shown).  
         [0033]      FIG. 4  illustrates the bottom surface  141  of the mantel  100  and the supporting form of the three sides  131   132   133  each having a thickness. (Reference is made to the thickness  145  of the sides show in the prospective view of the mantel in  FIG. 1 .) The structure of the sides with the recessed bottom surface of the mantel forms interior sides  143   146   147  that can be used for attachment of the mantel to the wall surface (not show). The depth or thickness of the sides  137   138  is also illustrated.  
         [0034]      FIG. 5  illustrates the reverse perspective of the mantel  100  illustrated in  FIG. 3 . The support sides  131   132  of the mantel are show. The sides intersect at a point  144  that will be adjacent to and conform with the interior corner of the wall (not shown). The end  145  of the support side is at the intersection of the mantel front side not sown. The relationship of the mantel top surface  120  and bottom  141  is also shown.  
         [0035]      FIG. 6  illustrates a view of the mantel that can be folded along an axis  701  utilizing a hingeable component  144 . The remaining components of the invention are as previously identified and discussed.  
         [0036]      FIG. 8  illustrates the operation of the hinge component  157  of the mantel  100  in relation to the sides  133   134  adjacent to the wall (not shown). The continuation of the hinged movement of the invention  100 , vector arrow  757  is illustrated in  FIG. 9 , including the recessed areas  141 A  141 B formed within the bottom surface and sides of the mantel.  
         [0037]      FIG. 10  illustrates the mantel  100  with the components in a folded position comprising the sides surfaces  133   134  and the recessed areas  141 A  141 B. The hinged component  157  is shown in relation to the respective corners  148   149  formed with the front component of the mantel (not shown). It will be appreciated that the pivoting hinge can be placed such that the bottom surface folds together, with the bottom recesses  141 A  141 B creating an internal storage cavity.  
         [0038]     This alternate arrangement is illustrated in  FIG. 11 .  FIG. 11  is a perspective of the mantel  100  viewed from the bottom. The hinge  157  is proximate to the bottom surface extending from the corner  141  formed at the juncture of the two sides  131   132  to the front side  134 . The bottom recesses  141 A  141 B will close upon each other when the two bottom halves are folded together.  FIG. 11  also illustrates two possible attachment mechanisms  622   624 . Two other attachment components are also illustrated  623 . One attachment mechanism  622  utilizes a suction cup type devise to provide adhesion to the wall surface. The other relies upon spring tension to hold the mounting mechanism firmly against the wall surface. The mounting mechanism may utilize a variety of know means, including but not limited to adhesives, surfaces having high friction coefficients, or mechanically protrude into the wall surface in response to mantel moving downward by gravity or other force.  
         [0039]      FIG. 12A  illustrates a mantel  100  embodiment in which a spring clip component  628  in combination with attachment components  620   624  are used to create a substantially opposing pressure on each wall surface  211   212 . The attachment components  620  are oriented such that the pressure, shown by vector arrows  718  and  719 , have components orthogonal to each wall surface and opposing the corner  215 . The attachment components, attached to the tension clip component that may be mounted under the mantel surface  120 , can protrude through the mantel sides  131   132  adjacent to the walls. Also illustrated is the means for folding the mantel  100  along the axis  701  utilizing the hinge  157 . Each portion of the mantel, joined by the hinge, is foldable in the direction shown by vector arrows  701   702 . Also illustrated are optional and foldable components  181   182  attached to the mantel surface  120  that, in combination with the attachment components  620   624  facilitate holding the mantel in the desired position in the wall corner. As the components are foldable, they can be fixed in orientation  185  with each other and the mantel surface by use of a snap or hook/eye type attachment  187 .  
         [0040]      FIG. 13A  is a top view of the mantel embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 12A . The tension clip component  628  and attachment components  620   622  are show relative to the triangular shaped mantel surface  120 . The mantel may be installed in the wall corner  215  by pushing the mantel in the direction illustrated by vector arrow  722 . The tension or pressure is created by the expansive force illustrated by vector arrow  721 .  
         [0041]      FIG. 14A  is a side view of the mantel embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 12A . Note that only one attachment component is illustrated on the side. The attachment component will hold the mantel at this position, but gravity force, shown by vector arrow  726 , may cause the end of the mantel proximate to the corner wall surface  215  to rotate at the axis of the attachment mechanism along a circumference  728  having the radius R to R 1  as shown by vector arrow  727 . This movement  729  will be prevented by the extended surface edge  185  formed by the junction of the foldable component  181  meeting the wall corner  215 . Also illustrated is the attachment mechanism  187  for holding the foldable component  181  to a counter-part (not shown). (Reference is made to the two foldable components  181   182  illustrated in  FIG. 12A .) Another component of the invention that can be used in combination with the mantel is a pedestal (“prayer pedestal” or “pedestal”). This component can be collapsible for storage and transportation. It consists of a base component, a top component and a pedestal attachably connected or fitted to the base and top components. The pedestal component may also contain an opening or container for placement of objects selected by the user. The opening may be covered by a door or similar sub-component. Additional items, e.g., a candle, may be placed on the top component.  
         [0042]      FIG. 15  illustrates an embodiment of the pedestal component  800  comprising of a base  810 , pedestal  820  and top  840 . Also illustrated is an optional container component  830  having a door  833  with a handle  831  connected to the pedestal by hinges  832 .  FIG. 15  also illustrates a top component  840  containing a candleholder  843 .  
         [0043]     The pedestal  820  illustrated in  FIG. 15  is comprised of four sides pivotablely connected at each corner  821 , thereby allowing the structure to be collapsed into a flat shape. This folding movement is illustrated in  FIG. 16  wherein the four sides A B C D of the pedestal  820  is collapsed by rotation of the four pivotable junctions  82 A  82 B  82 C  82 D and movement in the direction of vector arrow  746 .  
         [0044]      FIGS. 15, 17A ,  17 B,  17 C,  17 D illustrate the top component, which can be functionally equivalent to the base, having an optional folding sub-component  841  that can be illustrated  842  with symbols or designs selected by the user. Designs or symbols can also be placed on the sides of the pedestal and the sides of the base and top. Alternatively, the sub-component  842  can be made of a flexible fabric or similar material to hang down from the top. Although a triangular shape is illustrated, the invention is not limited to that shape or form.  
         [0045]      FIG. 18  illustrates the fitting relationship of the top and bottom to the form of the structure. The top and bottom can contain a support shape dimensionally compatible with the outer or inner diameter or shape of the pedestal when in a deployed shape (in contrast to a collapsed shape). It will be appreciated that various forms may be utilized, including but not limited to grooves or notches with the base or top in which the pedestal may fit.  
         [0046]      FIG. 19  illustrates a detail of the optional interior compartment within the pedestal.  
         [0047]      FIG. 20  illustrates some of the alternative pedestal shapes that can be utilized, although not all shapes can be further broken down into a flat-collapsed shape.  
         [0048]     This specification is to be construed as illustrative only and is for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the manner of carrying out the invention. It is to be understood that the forms of the invention herein shown and describe are to be taken as the presently preferred embodiments. As already stated, various changes may be made in the shape, size and arrangement of components or adjustments made in the steps of the method without departing from the scope of this invention. For example, equivalent elements may be substituted for those illustrated and described herein and certain features of the invention may be utilized independently of the use of other features, all as would be apparent to one skilled in the art after having the benefit of this description of the invention.  
         [0049]     Further modifications and alternative embodiments of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of this specification.