Patent Publication Number: US-6981682-B2

Title: Support device for displaying individual books or similar items

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application relates to U.S. application Ser. No. 60/374,616 filed Apr. 23, 2002. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention relates to support devices for displaying objects, more particularly for supporting books or other reading materials in a readable position while leaving the hands of the reader free for other tasks. 
   2. Background of the Invention 
   Various devices are known for supporting individual books, magazines, papers and the like in a readable display position while leaving the hands of the reader free. Such existing devices include various backrest surfaces for supporting the back of the book or other material, such backrest surfaces being held in a generally rearwardly inclined position by a prop or similar rigid rear support, requiring the use of hinges or other fastening means to attach the prop to the backrest. Such devices generally include clamps, springs or similar movable parts to retain the pages of the book or other material in position on the backrest. These devices often are in the general configuration of a small version of a traditional artist&#39;s easel. Although such devices have been constructed in such manner as to be collapsible for storage, they remain cumbersome. 
   To retain a book or other material in place, prior art devices generally have a flat support at the lower front of the device, on which the lower portion of the book can rest, and retaining means as noted above. However, such structures suffer from the disadvantage of being suitable only for a small range of book depths, in that if the flat support on which the book rests is sufficiently deep for thicker books, thinner books cannot be securely retained. This problem can be addressed in part by the use of more sophisticated retaining means, such as spring loaded clamps, but these are generally complex and unwieldy. Further, although such prior art retaining means can achieve an increased effectiveness in securing the book or other material in a stable position, the increased size of the clamps or levers generally leads to the corresponding disadvantage of encroaching on, and thus obscuring part of, the printed area of the page being displayed. 
   An alternative construction is also known in which the book or other material is retained by fixed tabs at the front edge of the lower support area, where the backrest, lower support and tabs together form a narrow “U” configuration. However, although this construction results in a simpler form of retaining means, it nevertheless suffers from the disadvantage noted above of being suitable for only a small range of book thicknesses. Although a thicker book can be placed on the device with only the covers being secured behind the tabs, there is a disadvantage in that the pages of such a book would not be retained by the tabs and would require supplementary retaining means. 
   Other disadvantages of the prior art devices include the complexity of construction from numerous separate elements, including moving parts, and the resultant economic disadvantage. 
   It has been found that the above and other disadvantages of the prior art can be substantially overcome if the lower support for the base of the book or other material is made in the form of a cradle, having a generally broadly curved configuration at its lowest point, but extending forwards into a substantially flatter portion, to the front free edge of which retainer tabs are affixed substantially perpendicularly, thus providing a book support which is suitable for a significantly greater range of book thicknesses than has hitherto been feasible. By the use of this simple construction, retainer tabs can be provided to retain the displayed pages securely in the desired position, without obscuring the text. Various configurations can be used for the back support, or prop, for the backrest, but it has been found that the use of a broad fiat prop integrally constructed with the backrest and angled therewith to form an inverted “V” is particularly effective to provide stability, and to urge the lower end of the book being supported into an optimal position in relation to the lower support and the tabs. Preferably, the lowest portion of the cradle substantially comprises an arc, the radius of which, when measured from the lowest point of the arc which rests on the table or other support surface, is at least equal to the vertical height of the front free edge of the cradle. 
   Thus the invention seeks to provide an improved display and support device for a book or other materials, suitable for a wide range of book heights, widths and depths, of a simple construction, with simple and effective retaining means to secure the pages of an opened book in a readable position while leaving the hands of the reader free for other tasks. The device of the invention can be constructed with a low profile, which results in it being compact, stable, readily transportable and convenient, while also being visually attractive. Further, the simplicity of construction results in economic advantages. 
   The invention further seeks to provide an improved display and support device for a book or other materials, wherein the entire device can be of unitary construction. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention seeks to provide an improved support device for displaying objects such as books or other reading materials in a readable position while leaving the hands of the reader free for other tasks. The device can also be used for displaying other objects, such as decorative items, within the same general size range as books. 
   In a first broad embodiment, the invention thus seeks to provide a support device for displaying objects, comprising a backrest having a substantially planar upper portion having an upper edge and a substantially curved lower portion comprising a cradle having a free edge; wherein the cradle comprises an arc having a radius at least equal to a vertical distance from a lowest point of the arc to the free edge of the cradle measured in an operating position of the support device; a support means adapted to support the upper portion whereby in operation the upper portion of the backrest is rearwardly inclined from the cradle; and object restraining means affixed substantially perpendicularly to the free edge of the cradle. 
   In a second broad embodiment, the support means is substantially planar and has an upper edge affixed to and substantially coterminous with the upper edge of the upper portion of the backrest. The support means and the backrest can be of an integral construction, and the lower edge of the support means can be provided with a planar strip adapted to contact and be supported by a horizontal surface on which the device might conveniently be placed. 
   In a third broad embodiment, the device is of a unitary construction, for example being constructed from suitably folding a predetermined and precut metal or plastic shape into the desired configuration. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings in which: 
       FIG. 1  is an isometric view of an embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a side view of an embodiment of the invention; and 
       FIG. 3  is a side view of the device of  FIG. 1  in use. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a support device  1  comprises a backrest  2 , having a substantially flat upper portion  16 , and a lower portion comprising a cradle  4 . The cradle  4  is substantially concavely curved on each side of its lowest point  6 , which is adapted to rest on a support surface such as a table (not shown). As can be seen most clearly from  FIG. 2 , the concave curve of the cradle  4  substantially comprises an arc. Further, it can be seen that when the device  1  is placed in a normal operating position so that the lowest point  6  rests on a support surface (not shown), the radius of the arc is at least equal to the vertical height of the free front edge  10  ( FIG. 1 ) from the support surface. 
   In a forward direction from the lowest point  6 , the radius of curvature of the cradle increases through a substantially flat portion  8  towards a front edge  10 . The backrest  2  is inclined rearwardly from the cradle  4 , at an angle which is preselected so that the book or other item being supported will be at an appropriate angle for the comfort and convenience of the user. 
   Affixed at predetermined locations to the front edge  10  are tabs  12 , the inside surfaces  14  of which form an angle α of approximately 90 degrees with the flat portion  8  of the cradle  4 . 
   At the upper edge  18  of the upper portion  16  of the backrest  2 , a suitable prop means  20  can be affixed, to form an internal angle β with the backrest  2 . Such prop means is preferably a substantially flat back support  26 , having attached at its lower edge  22  a flat strip  24 , for contacting a support surface such as a table (not shown). The angle β is preferably within the general range of approximately 60 to 80 degrees. 
   Referring to  FIG. 3 , a book  30  is held by the device  1  in an open, readable position. The back covers  32  of the book  30  rest on the backrest  2 . As the book  30  is placed into the device  1 , the book  30  rotates with gravity in the general direction shown by arrow A, and the back covers  32  slide downwards along the backrest  2 , and the lower portion  36  of the book  30  moves towards a resting position within the cradle  4 . As the lowest part of the back covers  32  slides towards or even beyond the lowest point  6  in the cradle  4 , the distance between the point at which the lower part  38  of the exposed pages is in contact with the inside surfaces  14  of the tabs  12  and the point at which the lowest part of the back covers  32  contacts the cradle  4  steadily decreases, while the lower part  38  of the exposed pages at the front of the book  30  moves along the flat front portion  8  of the cradle  4 , at least partly into the angle a, to be retained securely by the inside surfaces  14  of the tabs  12 , so that the lower part  38  of the pages is thus gently restrained and the book  30  is held gently but securely in the stable position shown in  FIG. 3 . 
   It can readily be seen that the extent to which the lower part of the book  30  contacts the inside surfaces  14  of the tabs  12  will depend on the depth, or thickness, of the book  30  from the front  34  to the back  32 . The book  30  shown in  FIG. 3  is sufficiently thick to reach a stable position before the lowest part  38  of the front pages reaches the angle α. However, for a thinner book  40 , shown in part by ghost lines in  FIG. 3 , the back covers  42  will contact the upper edge  18  of the backrest  2  at a greater angle, the lower portion  48  of the exposed front pages  44  will be in contact with the tabs  12  along substantially the entire inner surface  14 , and at least part of the lower portion  46  of the book  40  will be in contact with the flat front portion  8  of the cradle  4 . 
   The device  1  can be constructed from various materials, including metals, plastics, preferably any which are readily suitable for folding and finishing by known methods to facilitate unitary construction of the device. Alternatively, decorative woods can be used for a desired visual effect. 
   Preferably all the edges of the device  1  are finished by one or more of sanding, grinding or milling, and optionally by the application of a protective coating to result in a smooth, preferably rounded surface, to prevent injury to the user or damage to the item being supported or to any horizontal support surface on which the device is placed, such as a table (not shown).