Patent Publication Number: US-6905104-B1

Title: Patient or visitor sign-in device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   Not applicable 
   STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
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   INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC 
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   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention relates generally to paper clipboard structures and more particularly to a sign-in sheet and support clipboard therefor which is privacy-compliant with the Health Information Patient Privacy Act (HIPPA). 
   2. Description of Related Art 
   The use of clipboards which have a generally flat writing surface for supporting a separate sheet of writing material which is clamped in place by a clamp attached at one end of the clipboard are well known. In addition, a number of prior art patented devices are known to applicant which disclose unique clipboard structure for various purposes. 
   For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,730, Shulyak discloses a clipboard having thumb holes oriented along one side margin adapted for better holding of the clipboard during use. 
   A courier clipboard was invented by Mexicotte and disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,610,324 which includes a scale within a hollow box, the cover acting as a clipboard when in a closed position. 
   Several clipboard design patents are also disclosed in prior art. One such design by Longhurst teaches an automobile desk with privacy screen in U.S. Des. 353,275, while, in U.S. Des. 324,399, a combined clipboard and stationery supply case invented by Murphy is there disclosed. 
   One of the co-inventors of the present case, K. Offenhauer, teaches a clipboard having a writing paper dispenser associated with the paper clip providing a high degree of convenience associated with such clipboard devices in U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,012. 
   In U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,141, Hunter teaches a clipboard adapted for multi-function use having a closely spaced pair of panel-like members for receiving printed information therebetween while also providing a writing surface in a conventional clipboard fashion. 
   Another unique clipboard adapted for multi-function use was invented by Hunter in U.S. Pat. No. 5,308,034. The clip portion of a clipboard configured as a housing with a lid is taught by Cornell in U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,382. In this device, the lid for the housing is selectively moveable to control access into the housing. Additional members are provided for removable attachment of a writing implement to the board itself. 
   An illuminated clipboard with a moveable writing surface is disclosed by Brotz in U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,223 which may be attached to the upper thigh of a user such as someone piloting a plane or driving an automobile. 
   In U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,589, Yuh teaches a clipboard having a clip mechanism including two spaced protuberances, a flexible plate and two U-shaped fastening members for fastening the body and the plate together for holding papers. A retractable hanging device and a board mechanism having four bottom channels for securing the clip mechanism to the board is also shown. 
   None of the above known prior art clipboard devices, however, appear to offer any degree of privacy with respect to previously recorded names and signatures, which privacy is required under HIPPA to be maintained as confidential information. This structure and functional feature of the present invention is clearly directed to that end and provides for the complete privacy associated with each patient or visitor sign-in on a multiple signature sign-in sheet attached to the clipboard itself. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention is directed to a patient or visitor sign-in device having a privacy screen compliant with HIPPA privacy regulations. A generally rectangular clipboard supports a sign-in sheet for patent or visitor sign-in purposes and being held in place by a paper damp is pivotally connected at one end of said board. An elongated spool of substantially opaque flexible sheet material is held within a housing or support of the paper clamp, the spool extending transversely across the clipboard. Selective withdrawal of a portion of the opaque material from said spool to cover a portion of the sign-in sheet defines a privacy screen. An elongated header bar spaced parallel from the housing and extending transversely across is movably attached to a side margin of the board. The header bar is spaced sufficiently above the writing surface to allow the sign-in sheet to be slid therebetween. An exposed end margin of said opaque material is attached to the header bar whereby movement of said header bar along the length of said board causes the opaque material to be withdrawn from the spool forming the privacy screen which covers and conceals a selected portion of the sign-in sheet which includes the names and/or signatures of previously signed-in patients or visitors. 
   It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a clipboard with a sign-in sheet which is maintained in covered and concealed fashion so as to protect the privacy or identity of each previously signed-in patient or visitor. 
   Still another object of this invention is to provide a sign-in sheet clipboard which is HIPPA-compliant. 
   Yet another object of this invention is to provide a clipboard with a selectively covered sign-in sheet so that an attendant may easily insure that each new visitor or patient does not have visual access to patients or visitors who have previously signed in on the same sign-in sheet. 
   In accordance with these and other objects which will become apparent hereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the invention showing the installation of a new sign-in sheet. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the invention showing the movement of a header bar and privacy sheet being moved to conceal and maintain the privacy of previously signed in visitors or patents. 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the invention showing the retraction of the privacy screen and header bar in preparation for sign-in sheet removal and replacement. 
       FIG. 4  is a top plan view of the invention. 
       FIG. 5  is a bottom plan view of the invention. 
       FIG. 6  is a top plan schematic view of the combination paper clamp and scroll housing of the invention. 
       FIG. 7  is an end elevation view of FIG.  6 . 
       FIG. 8  is a bottom plan view of one end of the lower header bar of the invention. 
       FIG. 9  is a side elevation view of the upper portion of the header bar of the invention. 
       FIG. 10  is a side elevation view of FIG.  8 . 
       FIG. 11  is a side elevation view similar to  FIG. 9  in the unlocked position. 
       FIG. 12  is an enlarged simplified perspective view of one end of the header bar in the locked position. 
       FIG. 13  is a simplified view similar to  FIG. 12  in the unlocked position. 
       FIG. 14  is a perspective exploded, broken view of the invention showing details of the housing assembly and header bar. 
       FIG. 15  is an enlarged partial side elevation section view of a portion of the clipboard and housing attached to the clipboard and showing the resilient clamping action of the paper clamp. 
       FIGS. 16 and 17  are perspective views of one end of the lower header bar as seen in  FIGS. 8  to  11 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring now to the drawings and firstly to  FIGS. 1  to  3 , the invention is there shown generally at numeral  10  and includes a combination paper clamp and housing assembly  12  and clipboard  14 . The combination paper clamp and housing assembly  12  is formed of molded plastic material and is elastically biased to retain a sign-in sheet  42  at the upper end thereof. By movement of the paper clamp housing  16  in the direction of arrow A by manual pressure there applied, the sign-in sheet  42 , after being slid beneath a header bar  22  and attached privacy screen  26 , is clampingly held for use as will be described in greater detail herebelow. The single use sign-in sheet  42  includes a plurality of rows and columns of line indicia printed thereon providing each patient or visitor signing in with space provided to enter a signature, printed name and other requested information. 
   An elongated header bar  22 , described more fully herebelow, is slidably attached to the side margins of a rectangular board  44 . As seen in  FIG. 3 , the locking member  24  is moved to the unlocked position whereupon the header bar  22  may be slidably moved in either direction of arrow C by an attendant while providing sufficient concealment of the locking members  24  so as to be unobviously releasable by a visitor or patient. When properly positioned along the length of the sign-in sheet  42 , all previously signed in visitor signatures are covered and concealed, in part, by the header bar  22  itself and in larger part by a privacy screen  26  formed of flexible opaque material and described more fully herebelow. 
   The header bar  22  is spaced sufficiently from the writing surface of the rectangular board  44  by a gap  60  such that the sign-in sheet  42  is slidable in the direction of arrow B in  FIG. 1  beneath the header bar  22  toward the paper clamp  16  for clamping engagement therebeneath. 
   As also seen in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the housing  16  includes a plurality of spaced elongated cavities  30 ,  32  and  34 . Cavity  34  is provided to storingly receive a writing instrument  18 , while cavity  32  is provided to storingly receive a coiled retaining member attached to the non-writing end of the writing instrument  18  at  38  and is extendable as seen in  FIGS. 2 and 3  for patient or visitor sign-in and then is retracted back into cavity  32  automatically by resiliency after which the writing instrument  18  may be placed back into its storage cavity  34 . 
   The privacy screen  26  is provided in the form of a scroll  28  housed within cavity  30  for rotating movement only with the exposed end portion of the privacy screen  26  being attached to the header bar  22  as seen in FIG.  14 . Thus, by moving the header bar  22  in the direction of arrow C shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the privacy screen  26 , formed of flexible opaque material such as paper or thin plastic-like material, is selectively extended from the scroll  28  so as to cover all previous signatures and patient or visitor information which has previously been recorded onto the sign-in sheet  42  in each successive descending horizontal space provided on the printed sign-in sheet  42 . 
   The paper clamp assembly  12  is attached to tabs  46  which are formed by cutting through the clipboard itself in an elongated U-shaped fashion as shown in  FIGS. 5 ,  14  and  15 . Each of these tabs  46  is thus made resilient when mechanically attached by threaded fasteners into the bottom of the housing  16 . Note that both the sign-in sheet  42 , as well as the privacy screen  26 , receive clamping retaining pressure exerted by the resiliency of tabs  46  urging the housing  16  and the locking bead  50  thereagainst. 
   As seen in  FIGS. 5 and 8  to  13 , the header bar  22  is formed of an upper header bar portion  22   a  and a lower header bar portion  22   b  which are interconnected together as by appropriate plastic adhesive at the mating ends thereof. The upper header bar portion  22   a  includes the sign-in sheet gap  60  as previously described for clearance and easy replacement of each sign-in sheet  42  after being filled with signatures. 
   The lower header bar portion  22   b  includes the locking member  24  at each end thereof which is pivotally held about a transverse axis for movement in the direction of the arrow shown in  FIGS. 11 and 13 . Also upwardly disposed adjacent each end of the lower header bar portion  22   b  is a locking lug  52  which is sized for locking engagement into one of a pair of similarly sized locking apertures  48  which extend along and adjacent to each side margin of the board  44  as seen in FIG.  5 . The locking lug  52  is formed onto a resilient elongated tab  40  such that, when the locking member  24  is rotated into the position shown in  11  and  13 , tab  40  is resiliently downwardly flexed to effect disengagement of each lug  52  from the corresponding locking apertures  48 , whereupon the header bar  22  may be slidably moved in the direction of arrow C so as to cause the privacy screen  26  to appropriately cover previous signatures and names having been entered onto the sign-in sheet  42  in descending order as above described. 
   Moving the locking member  24  back into the locked position shown in  FIGS. 10 ,  11  and  12 , combined with slight movement of the header bar  22  in the direction of arrow C for adjustment, causes each locking lug  52  to biasingly engage into an aligned locking aperture  48 . 
   Note in  FIGS. 16 and 17  that, when the locking member  24  is pivoted from the locked position shown in  FIG. 16  to the unlocked position shown in  FIG. 17 , the locking lug  52  is fully disengaged from the corresponding locking aperture  48  as previously described. This pivotal action is facilitated by support provided by the mounting shafts  25  integrally molded with the locking member  24 . 
   In the locked position of  FIG. 16 , the flat  25   a  is aligned against the distal end of tab  40  which allows the locking lug  52  to be engaged into the corresponding locking aperture  48 . When the header bar  22  is in the locked position, the wedge shape of each of the locking lugs  52  allows the header bar  22  to advance only downwardly to cover the next successive signature without releasing the locking member  24 . However, to return the header bar  22  upwardly toward the housing  16 , the locking member  24  must be pivoted to the unlocked position as previously described. 
   Referring particularly to  FIG. 14 , the header bar  22  is provided with an adhesive area  62  which is applied to the upper surface of the upper header bar portion  22   a . The exposed end portion  26   a  of the privacy screen  26  is attached atop the adhesive strip  62  in the direction of the arrows. Thereafter, a crystal cap  64  is provided which is also adhesively attached atop the upper header bar portion  22   a  and sandwiching the end portion  26   a  of the privacy screen  26  therebetween. The crystal cap  64  may include artwork and/or sign-in information and/or other suitable indicia as desired. 
   While the instant invention has been shown and described herein in what are conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is therefore not to be limited to the details disclosed herein, but is to be afforded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent apparatus and articles.