Abstract:
An apparatus comprises a planar member comprising a top side, a bottom side comprising a flat surface and at least one aperture comprising a defined shape. At least one alignment tab comprises a top portion, a middle portion and a bottom portion. The middle portion comprises the defined shape and is configured to move vertically within the aperture. The top portion comprises a hook structure being configured to engage the top side to limit a downward movement of the alignment tab. The bottom portion comprises a vertical facing side being configured to engage an edge of a flat material. The apparatus is operable to align the flat material relative to the planar member by engaging the edge of the flat material with the vertical facing side and a vertical movement of the alignment tab enables the planar member to rest flat on the first flat material.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present Utility patent application claims priority benefit of the [U.S. provisional application for patent Ser. No. 61/401,794, titled “Device with Movable Alignment Tab for Planer Surfaces”, filed on Aug. 20, 2010 under 35 U.S.C. 119(e). The contents of this related provisional application are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes to the extent that such subject matter is not inconsistent herewith or limiting hereof. 
    
    
     FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER LISTING APPENDIX 
     Not applicable. 
     COPYRIGHT NOTICE 
     A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office, patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     One or more embodiments of the invention generally relate to mechanical connection devices. More particularly, the invention relates to movable alignment tabs for planar surfaces. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The following background information may present examples of specific aspects of the prior art (e.g., without limitation, approaches, facts, or common wisdom) that, while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as to additional aspects of the prior art, is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon. 
     The manufacture of products often requires cutting material with many different shapes and sizes. Some manufacturers of rulers/templates show users how to tape their rulers/templates together to cut or mark larger continuous shapes that are combinations of their smaller rulers/templates. Those skilled in the art of crafts such as quilting and/or scrapbooking use many tools that include planer surfaces such as various rulers or templates to accurately mark or cut material. A user may slide the lower surface of a ruler or template that incorporated the alignment mechanism over the material. A user may initiate with the alignment mechanism separated from the material and move it towards a selected edge of the material until the perpendicular portion of the alignment mechanism caught the edge of the material. Once in the selected orientation the user may press down on the ruler or template and the alignment mechanism may be pressed up into the cavity or hole. This maintains the planer surface in even contact with the surface of the material and the user may then mark or cut along the edge(s) of the ruler or template without shifting the material. 
     In view of the foregoing, it is clear that these traditional techniques are not perfect and leave room for more optimal approaches. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an example device comprising a planer structure and movable alignment tab, in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates an example cross section of the planer structure through a hole with a movable alignment tab inserted, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a movable alignment tab at its maximal position, in accordance with an aspect of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 4-6  illustrate a side view of a device for aligning a material with the lower portion of a movable alignment tab, in accordance with an aspect of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  illustrates an example of a device with a planer structure and a movable alignment tab, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  illustrates movable alignment tab, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  illustrates a cross section of a hole associated with a planer structure; 
         FIG. 10  illustrates a cross section of a planer structure with a movable alignment tab inserted into holes and located at its minimal position, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 11  illustrates a cross section of a planer structure with movable alignment tab positioned into elongated indentation, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 12  illustrates a top view of a material aligned against movable alignment tabs located under the lower surface of a planer structure, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 13  illustrates a device used to align two planer structures, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 14  illustrates a side view of the device described with reference to  FIG. 13 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 15  illustrates a movable alignment tab, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 16-20  illustrate a staggered cross section of a planer structure described with reference to  FIG. 13  with movable alignment tabs, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 21  illustrates a top view of a device for aligning two planer structures with one edge of a first planer structure aligned against the lower portion of two of the movable alignment tabs, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 22  illustrates a top view with the edges of a first planer structure and a second planer structure contacting with one another, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
     
    
    
     Unless otherwise indicated illustrations in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention is best understood by reference to the detailed figures and description set forth herein. 
     Embodiments of the invention are discussed below with reference to the Figures. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed description given herein with respect to these figures is for explanatory purposes as the invention extends beyond these limited embodiments. For example, it should be appreciated that those skilled in the art will, in light of the teachings of the present invention, recognize a multiplicity of alternate and suitable approaches, depending upon the needs of the particular application, to implement the functionality of any given detail described herein, beyond the particular implementation choices in the following embodiments described and shown. That is, there are numerous modifications and variations of the invention that are too numerous to be listed but that all fit within the scope of the invention. Also, singular words should be read as plural and vice versa and masculine as feminine and vice versa, where appropriate, and alternative embodiments do not necessarily imply that the two are mutually exclusive. 
     It is to be further understood that the present invention is not limited to the particular methodology, compounds, materials, manufacturing techniques, uses, and applications, described herein, as these may vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is used for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. It must be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include the plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, a reference to “an element” is a reference to one or more elements and includes equivalents thereof known to those skilled in the art. Similarly, for another example, a reference to “a step” or “a means” is a reference to one or more steps or means and may include sub-steps and subservient means. All conjunctions used are to be understood in the most inclusive sense possible. Thus, the word “or” should be understood as having the definition of a logical “or” rather than that of a logical “exclusive or” unless the context clearly necessitates otherwise. Structures described herein are to be understood also to refer to functional equivalents of such structures. Language that may be construed to express approximation should be so understood unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. 
     Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Preferred methods, techniques, devices, and materials are described, although any methods, techniques, devices, or materials similar or equivalent to those described herein may be used in the practice or testing of the present invention. Structures described herein are to be understood also to refer to functional equivalents of such structures. The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
     From reading the present disclosure, other variations and modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the art. Such variations and modifications may involve equivalent and other features which are already known in the art, and which may be used instead of or in addition to features already described herein. 
     Although Claims have been formulated in this Application to particular combinations of features, it should be understood that the scope of the disclosure of the present invention also includes any novel feature or any novel combination of features disclosed herein either explicitly or implicitly or any generalization thereof, whether or not it relates to the same invention as presently claimed in any Claim and whether or not it mitigates any or all of the same technical problems as does the present invention. 
     Features which are described in the context of separate embodiments may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable subcombination. The Applicants hereby give notice that new Claims may be formulated to such features and/or combinations of such features during the prosecution of the present Application or of any further Application derived therefrom. 
     References to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “example embodiment,” “various embodiments,” etc., may indicate that the embodiment(s) of the invention so described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Further, repeated use of the phrase “in one embodiment,” or “in an exemplary embodiment,” do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although they may. 
     As is well known to those skilled in the art many careful considerations and compromises typically must be made when designing for the optimal manufacture of a commercial implementation of any system, and in particular, the embodiments of the present invention. A commercial implementation in accordance with the spirit and teachings of the present invention may be configured according to the needs of the particular application, whereby any aspect(s), feature(s), function(s), result(s), component(s), approach(es), or step(s) of the teachings related to any described embodiment of the present invention may be suitably omitted, included, adapted, mixed and matched, or improved and/or optimized by those skilled in the art, using their average skills and known techniques, to achieve the desired implementation that addresses the needs of the particular application. 
     It is to be understood that any exact measurements/dimensions or particular construction materials indicated herein are solely provided as examples of suitable configurations and are not intended to be limiting in any way. Depending on the needs of the particular application, those skilled in the art will readily recognize, in light of the following teachings, a multiplicity of suitable alternative implementation details. 
     Embodiments of the present invention will be described providing a way to easily align a planer surface of an object in an orientation with another object without leaving anything to obstruct the planer surface after alignment. Examples of where this may be beneficial include, but are not limited to, aligning a planer surface to a material such as paper or fabric wherein the planer surface may lie flat on the material thereby holding it firmly in place after alignment. The present invention may also be beneficial for aligning and connecting two planer surfaces to form one larger, continuous flat unobstructed planer surface. 
     A movable alignment tab will be described that can be movably attached to the planer surface of an object and a cavity or hole formed in the planer surface such that the alignment tab moves between positions where it extends below the planer surface or moves up into the cavity. The alignment mechanism may be formed such that when the movable alignment tab is in the down/extended position, below the planer surface, one portion is perpendicular to the planer surface. When used to align a material, such as, but not limited to, paper or fabric which can vary in thickness, the movable alignment tab would adjust to the thickness of the material when it comes into contact with a flat work surface the material is placed on. The perpendicular portion will extend just enough to catch and align the materials edge and the planer surface of the object would be in full contact with the material. When used in a device to connect two planer surfaces the movable alignment tab would be moved fully into the cavity or hole by contact with the two planer surfaces, thereby leaving the connected planer surfaces unobstructed 
     There are many uses anticipated for embodiments of the present invention including, but not limited to aligning a planer surface in a suitable orientation with material such as paper or fabric. 
     Another exemplary use for embodiments of the present invention is for aligning and connecting a multiplicity of planer surfaces to form a larger, unobstructed planer surface. A non-limiting example for implementation is aligning and connecting one-eighth inch thick transparent plastic rulers and/or templates commonly used in crafts such as quilting. It is to be appreciated that one may also align and connect thicker or thinner objects such as mirrors that include a flat planer surface. It is common for quilters to need different sizes and shapes of rulers during different stages of the quilt making process. As more and more pieces are sewn together and as the quilt grows larger it becomes more useful to have longer or wider rulers but it is impractical to carry or store such large rulers. Quilters often find it difficult to transport the needed shapes and sizes of rulers when taking classes or attending quilt retreats. 
     It is therefore convenient to be able to align and connect a multiplicity of smaller rulers and/or templates together when extra length or width is needed but to be able to take them apart for easy transportation and/or storage. For this purpose embodiments of the present invention may be incorporated into a connection device that includes a planer surface. The planer surface includes a movable alignment tab formed in accordance with the present invention. The movable alignment tab may include an angled portion opposite the perpendicular portion. The connection device may also include a minimum of two suction cups wherein a minimum of one suction cup may be adhered to the upper surface of the associated ruler or rulers. The user then slides the planer surface of the connection device along the upper surface of a first ruler so that the perpendicular portion of the alignment mechanism contacts a selected edge of the first ruler. The connection device can also be formed to include a lip extending below the planer surface of the connection device by up to the same amount as the thickness of the ruler, typically one-eighth of an inch. The lip may also be used to align the connection device to an adjacent edge of the ruler thereby aligning the connection device in a suitable orientation with the first ruler. The user may then press one or more suction cups down onto the upper surface of the first ruler which presses a portion of the planer surface of the connection device down against the upper surface of the ruler and adheres the connection device to it in a suitable orientation. 
     The user may then slide a selected edge of a second ruler against the edge of the first ruler which the connection device is aligned. The selected edge of the second ruler may come into contact with the angled portion of the alignment mechanism thereby forcing the alignment mechanism up into the cavity or hole thereby moving it out of the way such that the edges of the two rulers can freely contact one another. The user may also align an adjacent edge of the second ruler with the lip edge of the connection device thereby aligning the rulers laterally and horizontally. The user may then press down on the one or more remaining suctions cups, which press a portion of the planer surface of the connection device down against the upper surface of the second ruler. The upper and lower surfaces of the two rulers may then be connected and the lower surfaces may form a continuous and unobstructed planer surface representing the sum of their individual surfaces. 
     Manufacturers of rulers and templates used in the quilting and crafts industries commonly use acrylic sheets that they laser cut into a suitable shape. This also makes it easy to cut indentations or holes during this process. An embodiment of the present invention includes a minimum of one planer surface that includes extensions acting as guide pins which extend below the planer surface and that fit into the indentations or holes formed in the rulers/templates. The indentations/holes can be of any shape such as, but not limited to, round, square, triangle or rectangle. The guide pins can be formed to fit into the indentations/holes such that the embodiment of the present invention may be aligned at a suitable orientation with respect to the ruler/template. 
     An embodiment of present invention also includes a minimum of two suction cups that a user can adhere to the upper surface of the associated rulers/templates when connected. There may be a minimum of one indention or hole formed in the associated ruler(s)/template(s) but the embodiment may have a minimum of two indentations and/or holes in the associated ruler(s)/template(s). Inserting the correct extensions/guide pins of the present invention into the indentations/holes formed in the first ruler/template aligns it at a suitable orientation which allows insertion of the other extensions/guide pins into the indentations/holes formed in the second ruler/template when it is aligned at a suitable orientation with the first ruler/template. Typically suitable orientation occurs when the edges of the first ruler/template are aligned with the edges of the second ruler/template thereby forming a larger ruler/template while leaving the edges unobstructed. 
     Embodiments of present invention may also be formed for accommodating rulers/templates not having holes or indentations. The device may include a movable insert wherein the extensions/guide pins can be moved from a position wherein they extend below the lower planer surface of the connecting device or may be moved upward to a position where they no longer extend below the lower planer surface of the connecting device. Furthermore, this configuration enables connection of two rulers/templates not configured with holes or indentations. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an example device comprising a planer structure and movable alignment tab, in accordance with the present invention. 
     A device  10  can be formed of material such as plastic, metal or wood and may be transparent or opaque. The device  10  includes a planer structure  11 . The planer structure  11  has an upper surface and a lower surface. The lower surface of the planer structure  11  may be configured as flat. In embodiments such as the one shown in  FIG. 1 , the planer structure  11  is generally rectangular in shape. The corners of the planer structure  11  may be substantially sharp as shown in  FIG. 1 , or they may be substantially rounded. It will be appreciated that the planer structure  11  of the device  10  may be a shape other than rectangular, e.g., square or triangular. The planer structure  11  includes a minimum of one hole noted as a hole  12  into which a minimum of one movable alignment tab noted as a movable alignment tab  20  can be inserted. The hole  12  can be any known shape, e.g., round, square, triangular or rectangular as shown in  FIG. 1 . The movable alignment tab  20  can be any shape that is complimentary to the hole and allowing the movable alignment tab  20  to move freely in the vertical direction within the hole  12 , but not move freely in the horizontal direction. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates an example cross section of the planer structure  11  through one of the holes  12  with movable alignment tab  20  inserted, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     The movable alignment tab  20  includes a lower portion  21  that a material or object may be aligned against when using the device  10 . The movable alignment tab  20  further comprises a minimum of one extension noted as a horizontal extension  22  that extends horizontally from a minimum of one side of the lower portion  21 . The movable alignment tab  20  also includes a minimum of one portion noted as an extension portion  23  that extends vertically from the lower portion  21  with a minimum of one hook noted as a hook  24  formed at the top of the extension portion  23 . In an embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , the movable alignment tab  20  includes lower portion  21 , two horizontal extensions  22 , two vertical extension portions  23  with two hooks  24  formed at their tops. The embodiment also includes a gap  25  in between the two vertical extension portions  23 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , the gap  25  enables the vertical extension portions  23  to squeeze together when the movable alignment tab  20  is inserted into the hole  12  from the bottom of the planer structure  11 . Once the hooks  24  pass the top of the planer structure  11  they spread apart thereby keeping the movable alignment tab  20  from exiting out the bottom of the planer structure  11 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the hole  12  in the planer structure may be formed with a minimum of one partial indentation noted as a partial indentation  26 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates the movable alignment tab  20  of the device  10  in its lower configuration within the planer structure  11 . 
       FIG. 3  illustrates movable alignment tab  20  at its maximal position, in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. 
     At its maximal position, the horizontal extensions  22  move into the partial indentations  26  formed in the lower surface of the planer structure  11  as shown in  FIG. 2 , thereby leaving the lower surface of the planer structure  11  flat and unobstructed. Also the upper surface of the horizontal extension  22  contacts the lower surface of the partial indentation  26  thereby limiting the upward movement of the movable alignment tab  20  and therefore preventing it from moving out of the top of the hole  12 . In the embodiment show in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the movable alignment tab  20  can move to a lower position shown in  FIG. 2 , by the force of gravity when the device  10  is held upright, not in contact with any other surface, and configured for its&#39; maximal position shown in  FIG. 3 . When the device  10  is placed upright on a flat surface, the alignment tab  20  will be moved up by contact with the flat surface. It is to be appreciated that the movable alignment tab  20  may also be held in a minimal position by the inclusion of a spring mechanism allowing the movable alignment tab  20  to be transitioned up into its&#39; maximal position when the device  10  is pressed down on a surface. 
       FIGS. 4-6  illustrate a side view of device  10  for aligning a material  31  with the lower portion  21  of the movable alignment tab  20 , in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. 
     The movable alignment tab  20  may be configured at a distance from a minimum of one edge noted as an edge  34  of the planer structure  11 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the material  31  may be placed on a flat surface  32  preferably covered with a cut resistant material such as those known commonly in the quilting and craft industries as a cutting mat. The movable alignment tab  20  of the device  10  is at its minimal position when the device  10  is placed above the flat surface  32 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the movable alignment tab  20  may initiate movement up into the hole  12  in the planer structure  11  when the device  10  is lowered onto the flat surface  32 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , the device  10  can be lowered completely down towards the flat surface  32  such that the lower surface of the planer structure  11  contacts the upper surface of the material  31 . The user can then slide the device  10  in a direction such that one edge of the lower portion  21  of the movable alignment tab  20  comes into contact with an edge  33  of the material  31 . This results in a suitable width of the material  31  to be held firmly under the lower surface of the planer structure  11 . Furthermore, this enables a user to cut or mark along the edge  34  of the planer structure  11  with an art knife, rotary cutter or marking device without the fabric shifting as would be the case if the material  31  were not being held firmly by the lower surface of the planer structure  11 . It is to be appreciated that the edge  33  may be formed to create decorative edges such as waves or scallops rather than the straight edge shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 7  illustrates an example of a device  40  with a planer structure  41  and a movable alignment tab  50 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     The device  40  includes planer structure  41 . The planer structure  41  has an upper surface and a lower surface. The lower surface of the planer structure  41  may be configured as flat. The planer structure  41  includes a minimum of two holes, noted as a holes  42  into which a minimum of one movable alignment tab noted as a movable alignment tab  50  can be inserted. The holes  42  can be any shape, e.g., round, square, triangular or rectangular as shown in  FIG. 7 . The movable alignment tab  50  can be any shape that is complimentary to the hole and allowing the movable alignment tab  50  to move freely vertically within the hole  42 , but not horizontally. 
       FIG. 8  illustrates movable alignment tab  50 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     The movable alignment tab  50  includes an elongated lower portion  51  that a material or object may be aligned against when using the device  40  ( FIG. 7 ). The movable alignment tab  50  includes a minimum of two portions noted as a portion  52  that extends vertically from the elongated lower portion  51  with a minimum of one hook noted as a hook  53  formed at the top of the vertical extensions  52 . 
       FIG. 9  illustrates a cross section of hole  42  ( FIG. 7 ) associated with the planer structure  41 . 
     This view shows that the planer structure  41  includes an elongated indentation  43  located between the holes  42 . 
       FIG. 10  illustrates a cross section of the planer structure  41  with movable alignment tab  50  inserted into holes  42  and located at its minimal position, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     At its minimal position the elongated lower portion  51  of the movable alignment tab  50  extends below the lower surface of the planer structure  41 . 
       FIG. 11  illustrates a cross section of planer structure  41  with movable alignment tab  50  positioned into elongated indentation  43 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     At its highest position, as shown in  FIG. 11 , the elongated lower portion  51  moves up into elongated indentation  43  thereby leaving the lower surface of the planer structure  41  flat and unobstructed. 
       FIG. 12  illustrates a top view of a material  61  aligned against the movable alignment tabs  50  located under the lower surface of the planer structure  41 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     Non-limiting examples for material  61  include fabric and paper. The movable alignment tabs  50  may be located at a selected distance from a minimum of two adjacent edges noted as an adjacent edge  54  and as an adjacent edge  55  of the planer structure  41 . A user may cut or mark along adjacent edges  54 ,  55  of the planer structure  41  with an art knife, rotary cutter or marking device thereby cutting or marking a shape with suitable dimensions. The result of this process as shown in  FIG. 12 , results in the material being of a square shape. It is to be appreciated that the shape can also be rectangular if the movable alignment tabs are at different distances from their opposite edges. A user may also cut shapes of a suitable dimension such as a triangle by forming the planer structure as a triangle or any other suitable shape. The adjacent edges  54 ,  55  may also be formed to create decorative edges such as, but not limited to, waves or scallops. 
       FIG. 13  illustrates a device  70  used to align two planer structures, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     The device  70  includes a planer structure  71 . The planer structure  71  includes an upper surface and a lower surface. The lower surface may be configured as flat but can be formed to also include an extension that creates a lip edge  73  that extends downward from the flat lower surface on a minimum of one end of the planer structure  71 . The planer structure  71  may be configured with a minimum of one hole, noted as a hole  72 . The planer structure  71  also includes a minimum of two suction cups noted as a suction cup  74 . 
       FIG. 14  illustrates a side view of the device described with reference to  FIG. 13 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     This view shows the lip edge  73  that can be formed as part of, or attached to, the planer structure  71 .  FIG. 14  also shows a multiplicity of covers noted as a hole cover  75  over the holes  72  that can be formed as part of, or attached to planer structure  71 . 
       FIG. 15  illustrates a movable alignment tab  80 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     This embodiment of movable alignment tab  80  is similar to those previously described but also includes an angled lower portion  81  formed to extend horizontally from the opposite lower edge of the movable alignment tab  80  adjacent to the alignment of material. 
       FIGS. 16-20  illustrate a staggered cross section of the planer structure  71  described with reference to  FIG. 13  with a movable alignment tab  80   a  and a movable alignment tab  80   b , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     The movable alignment tabs  80   a ,  80   b  can be aligned in the planer structure  71  as shown such that a first planer structure  83  ( FIGS. 17-19 ) may be aligned starting from either direction. It will be appreciated that a user may use a single movable alignment tab  80  and may line up the first planer structure  83  ( FIGS. 17-19 ) from a single direction. As shown in  FIGS. 16-20 , the movable alignment tabs  80   a ,  80   b  are aligned such that their lower portions as noted by lower portions  82   a ,  82   b , used to align material, are parallel to one another and their lower angled portions  81   a ,  81   b  extend in opposite directions.  FIG. 16  shows the movable alignment tabs in their minimal positions.  FIG. 17  shows how a user may slide an edge  85  of first planer structure  83  such as, but not limited to a ruler used in the art of quilting and/or paper crafting, towards the movable alignment tabs  80   a ,  80   b . The edge  85  of the first planer structure  83  first contacts the angled lower portion  81   a  of one of the movable alignment tabs  80   a  thereby moving the movable alignment tab  80   a  upward. As shown in  FIG. 18 , first planer structure  83  may move towards the movable alignment tabs  80   a  and  80   b  until its edge  85  contacts with the lower portion  82   b  of the second movable alignment tab  80   b  and the first movable tab  80   a  moves up into the hole  72  in the planer structure  71  of the device  70 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 18 , the upper surface of the lower angled portion  81   a  contacts with the lower surface of the hole cover  75  thereby limiting the upper movement of the movable alignment tab  80   a.    
     As shown in  FIG. 19 , a user may then slide an edge  86  of a second planer structure  84  towards the movable alignment tabs  80   a ,  80   b , and the edge  85  of the first planer structure  83 . The edge  86  first contacts the angled lower portion  81   b  of the second movable alignment tab  80   b  thereby starting to move it up into one hole  72  in the planer structure  71 . As shown in  FIG. 20 , a user may continue moving the second planer structure  84  towards the first planer structure  83  until their edges  85 ,  86  are in contact. 
       FIG. 21  illustrates a top view of a device for aligning two planer structures with one edge  85  of the first planer structure  83  aligned against the lower portion  82   a  of two of the movable alignment tabs  80   a , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     An adjacent edge  87  may be configured for alignment against the lip edge  73  of the planer structure  71 . The second planer structure  84  is shown with its edge  86  not contacting with the edge  85  of the first planer structure  83  but its adjacent edge noted as an adjacent edge  88  may be configured for contact with the lip edge  73 . 
       FIG. 22  illustrates a top view with the edges  85 ,  86  of first planer structure  83  and second planer structure  84  contacting with one another, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     The examples shown in  FIGS. 21 ,  22  present device  70  wherein first planer structure  83  and second planer structure  84  of the same width can be aligned and connected such that an edge  90  and an edge  91  form a straight, unobstructed edge. The device includes four movable alignment tabs  80   a ,  80   b  grouped in pairs of two. The pairs are aligned such that their angled lower portions  81   a ,  81   b  are pointing in opposite directions and the front edges of their lower portions  82   a ,  82   b  used for alignment are parallel to one another. The second pair may be aligned in a similar fashion, The two pairs of movable alignment tabs  80   a ,  80   b  may also be configured for alignment such that when a straight edge  85  is aligned to them, straight edge  85  is perpendicular to the lip edge  73  of the planer structure  71 . Once the first planer structure  83  is aligned as shown in  FIG. 21 , the user can press down on the suction cups  74   a  thereby holding the first planer structure  83  in alignment. When the edge  86  of the second planer structure  84  is aligned against the edge  85  of the first planer structure  83  the user can press down on the other suction cups  74   b  thereby holding the second planer structure  84  in alignment. The two pairs of movable alignment tabs  80  press up into the holes  72  formed in the planer structure  71  of the device  70  thereby allowing the lower surfaces of first planer structure  83  and second planer structure  84  to form one continuous and unobstructed flat planer surface as shown in  FIG. 20 . 
     All the features disclosed in this specification, including any accompanying abstract and drawings, may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features. 
     Having fully described at least one embodiment of the present invention, other equivalent or alternative methods of movable alignment tabs according to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The invention has been described above by way of illustration, and the specific embodiments disclosed are not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed. For example, the particular implementation of the suction cups may vary depending upon the particular type of planar material the suction cups are attached to. The suction cups described in the foregoing were directed to plastic implementations; however, similar techniques applied for other materials (e.g. aluminum, etc.) of the present invention are contemplated as within the scope of the present invention. The invention is thus to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the following claims. 
     Claim elements and steps herein may have been numbered and/or lettered solely as an aid in readability and understanding. Any such numbering and lettering in itself is not intended to and should not be taken to indicate the ordering of elements and/or steps in the claims.