Patent Publication Number: US-4925143-A

Title: Multiple clip holding assembly

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a multiple clip holding assembly of simple yet highly effective construction which has numerous advantages including easy portability, stability and compactness. More particularly, it is concerned with an assembly having a plurality of releasable clip compartments for holding cards at transverse orientations for ease of viewing and manipulation by the user. 
     2. 2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Many people who play bingo use multiple cards during one session for enhanced enjoyment and increasing the odds of winning. The problem with such multiple use is that it is difficult to physically organize all of the cards so as to enable the ready visual inspection and manipulation thereof. If all the cards are oriented in coplanar fashion such as by laying them all on a table or the like, the player ends up having to use a great deal of surface area, thereby decreasing the pleasure and efficiency of play. 
     What is needed is a device for more efficiently organizing bingo cards so that a user has better access to each card played. In particular, what is needed is a device which enables a player to orient the cards transversely to one another, that is to say three dimensionally. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The problems outlined above are in large measure solved by the multiple clip holding assembly in accordance with the present invention. That is say, the holding assembly hereof is compact, stable and conveniently orients up to four bingo cards in a limited amount of space. 
     The holding assembly in accordance with the present invention broadly includes a forward segment, a rearward segment and a wall. The forward segment includes two inverted L-shaped units, each having an upright member and a cantilevered member. The rearward segment is operably coupled with the forward segment by the noted wall and includes an inverted, U-shaped support member The support member and the first and second units are configured to create compartments for releasably, frictionally engaging and supporting portions of the inserted bingo cards in such a manner that two of the bingo cards are oriented transversely to the other two bingo cards. 
     In preferred forms, the endmost portions of the cantilevered member of the second unit and the lowest portions of upright member of the first unit are flexible and biased so that the act of inserting the bingo cards tilts the flexible portions outwardly to a holding orientation. In particularly preferred forms, the holding assembly includes a separate top clip which utilizes two facially opposed clip members to clip the top portions of two upstanding bingo cards together so as to add further stability thereto. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the preferred multiple clip holding assembly in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a top clip used in an alternative embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the alternative embodiment, along with four bingo cards, shown in phantom; and 
     FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 with two bingo cards inserted therein. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawing in general, and FIG. 1 in particular, a multiple clip holding assembly 10 in accordance with the invention broadly includes a body 11 having forward segment 12, rearward segment 14 and wall structure 16. The holding assembly 10 is configured to hold up to four bingo cards in a convenient, accessible fashion. 
     In more detail, forward segment 12 includes first and second, mated, spaced apart units 18, 20 of inverted, L-shaped configuration. The units 18, 20 can be constructed of any durable, adequately rigid material but with flexibility in selected portions as will be discussed below. Either metal or a synthetic resin would be suitable. 
     First unit 18 has an upright member 22 and a cantilevered member 24 as shown. Upright member 22 has lowermost portions 26 which are somewhat flexible. Lowermost portions 26 define a substantially upright plane which tilts with the flexing of portions 26. Portions 26 are biased in a first orientation as shown (for the second or distended orientation see FIG. 4). 
     Second unit 20 includes an upright member 28 having a support surface-engaging end 30 and a cantilevered member 32. Cantilevered member 32 has flexible, endmost portions 34 which are distal from upright member 28 and define a plane slightly inclined from horizontal in a first orientation as shown (for the second, substantially horizontal orientation see FIG. 4). 
     Rearward segment 14 includes a support member 36 having a bight 38, a first leg 40 and a second leg 42. 
     Referring to FIG. 3, wall structure 16 serves to equally divide first unit 18, second unit 20 and support member 36 along the respective lengths thereof at about the respective midway points. Thus, four holding compartments 44-50 are formed (only the first and second holding compartments 44, 46 are visible in FIG. 1). Holding compartments 44-50 are said to be divided into a first pair and a second pair. The first pair of holding compartments 44, 48 is defined by respective portions of first leg 40, first upright member 22 and wall structure 16. The second pair of holding compartments 46, 50 is defined by respective portions of second cantilevered member 32, first cantilevered member 24 and wall structure 16. 
     Still referring to FIG. 3, a support surface 52 is indicated by line 54 and may be a table or desk top or the like, as long as it is sufficiently stable and flat for the purpose of playing bingo. Corresponding with the holding compartments 44-50 are four bingo cards 56-62 suitable for insertion therein. It will be noted that the first pair of cards 56, 60 are substantially transverse to support surface 52 while second and fourth cards 58, 62 are slightly inclined from being parallel with support surface 52. First and third cards 56, 60 are essentially coplanar as are second and fourth cards 58, 62. 
     FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment, in that holding assembly 10a includes body 11 and top clip 64. Top clip 64 is of a generally U-shaped inverted configuration so as to present two facially opposed clip members 66, 68 connected at one end. As can best be seen in FIG. 2, each of the clip members includes inwardly sloped, inwardly biased portions 70, 72. 
     Holding assembly 10 of the preferred embodiment is illustrated in use at FIG. 4. It will readily be seen that as first bingo card 56 is inserted into first holding compartment 44 the lowermost portions 26 of first upright member 22 are shifted to the second orientation. Likewise, end-most portions 34 of second cantilevered member 32 are shifted downwardly to the second orientation as second bingo card 58 is inserted into second holding compartment 46. Thus, each bingo card inserted into a respective holding compartment is frictionally, releasably held by the holding assembly 10 in a postion suitable for visual inspection and manipulation by the user. Each card is then easily read and accessible for optimum bingo play. It will be readily appreciated that many styles of bingo cards such as those with windows in the squares and the like, can be used in the substantially upright position, such as card 56 in FIG. 4. Each card is simply removed by manually pulling it out of the respective holding compartment. 
     In the alternative embodiment depicted in FIG. 3, the cards are inserted into the respective holding compartments and then top clip 64 is selectively, downwardly positioned on the topmost portions of the first bingo card 56 and third bingo card 60 so that top clip 64 adds further stability to holding assembly 10a and the cards 56-62. The sloping and biasing of portions 70, 72 insure that top clip 64 will firmly hold the cards as desired. Of course, if the top clip 64 is not desirable in a given use, the top clip 64 may simply be put aside and the body 11 is used exactly as depicted in FIG. 4. It will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that the dimensions of the holding compartments, as well as those of the top clip, will be designed with the thickness of standard bingo cards in mind.