Patent Publication Number: US-5527568-A

Title: Combination bulletin an dry-erase message board

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to the field of message boards and, more particularly, relates to a new and improved form of a message board utilizing a dry-erase board in combination with a cork bulletin board to facilitate communication. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Various forms of message boards are known in the art. The conventional bulletin board, which is generally made from a cork or other tack penetrable material, has been used to pin or tack notes or other things to it. Other message boards include dry-erase boards which are essentially smaller versions of the big dry-erase boards used like blackboards (or more accurately &#34;white&#34; boards) in offices and elsewhere. 
     The dry-erase boards comprise a relatively smooth laminate coating, such as porcelain, on a backing which may be heavy cardboard or other suitable backing material, such as masonite or metal. A typical board is approximately the size of a standard piece of paper with the smooth laminate normally covering the entire surface. Messages, or other information, are written on these boards with conventional dry-erase pens. The ink from these pens can easily be wiped off with an individual&#39;s fingers, a tissue, cloth, or the like. 
     In addition to the foregoing, variations of these boards exist wherein the bulletin board, having an all cork facing or other penetrable material, includes a pocket with a pad of paper having the backing on the pad of paper glued into the pocket. Also, an elongated slot may be provided to hold a writing instrument. 
     Another variation of these boards includes a board comprising both dry-erase laminate and cork board covering the respective halves of the surface of the board. Both the laminate and the cork board are disposed on a heavy cardboard or other backing or substrate. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is accordingly a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved message board which utilizes a bulletin board in combination with a dry-erase board and is also convenient to use. 
     According to an exemplary embodiment of the concepts of the present invention, a message board comprises cork board or other tack penetrable material fixedly mounted on a backing of heavy cardboard, or other substrate, and dry-erase laminate fixedly mounted onto the cork board. The laminate generally occupies the central portion of the board and is surrounded by the cork board. In addition, edging or framing is fixedly secured to the edges of the cork board and backing. 
     Alternatively, the message board also includes a paper pocket retained in a cavity cutout of the cork board and backing. The paper pocket releasably retains a pad of paper, enabling the pad to be easily replaced or the paper pocket to be easily refilled. 
     In use, notes can be written on the dry-erase laminate and easily erased, while notes can also be pinned to the cork board surrounding the laminate. The configuration of the laminate relative to the cork board allows for convenient interaction between notes written on the laminate and notes pinned to the cork board. 
     Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a from view of a combination bulletin board and dry-erase message board according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along a line 2--2 in FIG. 1. 
     FIGS. 3A and 3B are front views of alternate embodiments of a combination bulletin board and dry-erase message board according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a detail of the paper pocket in FIGS. 3A and 3B. 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line 5--5 in FIG. 4. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Turning now to the drawings and principally first to FIG. 1, a combination bulletin and dry-erase message board according to the present invention comprises a dry-erase surface or laminate 10 occupying the central portion of the board. The laminate 10 preferably comprises porcelain coated paper, masonite or metal. The laminate 10 is fully and evenly surrounded by a cork board 11, or some other tack penetrable material used in bulletin boards, such as synthetic cork, tile board, or fiber board, all of which may be covered by a coarse fabric if desired. The laminate 10 can be used for writing notes and messages, just like a conventional dry-erase board, whereas the cork board 11 can have notes or other things pinned to it. This configuration, in which all areas of the laminate 10 remain in relatively close proximity to the cork board 11, increases the functionality of the message board. It enables the convenient use of both mediums of communication and allows interaction between notes written on the laminate 10 and those pinned or tacked to the cork board 11, thus serving to facilitate communication and organization in the use of the message board. 
     Referring to FIG. 2, the above embodiment is preferably constructed by fixedly mounting the cork board 11 onto a heavy cardboard backing 12, or some other substrate or backing material. The laminate 10 is, in turn, fixedly mounted onto the cork board 11. Edging or framing 13 is then fixedly secured about the edges of the backing 12 and the cork board 11. The edging or frame 13 preferably comprises a vinyl wrap, but may also be constructed out of wood, injection molded plastic, or extruded aluminum. 
     An alternate embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, similarly comprises a laminate 10 surrounded by a cork board 11. However, the lower portion of the message board, which is predominately cork board 11, further includes a pocket 20 for holding a standard pad of paper 21 or a pad of Post It™ Notes 22. This configuration further serves to facilitate communication and organization enabling there to be a convenient medium on which to record a removable note. The note, thus, can either be pinned to the cork board 11 or carried away by the note taker. 
     As shown in FIG. 2 in the previous embodiment, the laminate 10 of FIG. 3 also is fixedly mounted to the cork board 11, which is fixedly mounted to a backing material 12 (not shown in FIGS. 3A and B). Edging 13 is also fixedly secured about the edges of the cork board 11 and backing 12. Preferably, the paper pocket 20 substantially forms an open plastic &#34;box&#34; as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The &#34;box&#34; includes a pair of side walls, 30a and 30b, and a pair of end walls, 31a and 31b, integrally formed along their end edges and extending into the cork 11 from the surface of the cork 11. A bottom wall 37 forms the bottom or base of the &#34;box&#34; and is integrally formed around its edges to the bottom edges, the edges that extend into the cork, of the side walls 30a-b and end walls 31a-b. A flange 32 extends outwardly from the top edge of the side walls 30a-b and end walls 31a-b a short distance over the surface of the cork 11 and has tabs 36 similarly extending into the cork 11 as the side walls 30a-b and end walls 31a-b. Preferably, the side walls 30a-b, end walls 31a-b, bottom wall 37, and flange 32 with tabs 36 are of one-piece molded construction. The pocket 20 fits within a cavity (not shown) cut into the cork board 11 and backing 12 with tabs 36 assisting in anchoring the pocket 20 in place. 
     Importantly, cavities 33 are cored into the side walls 30a-b and flange 32 of the pocket 20 to form substantially resilient sections or fingers 34a and 34b in the side walls 30a-b and flange 32. The fingers 34a-b releasably hold the pad 21 or 22 frictionally in place. Additionally, an arcuate cutout 35 is preferably formed in the lower end wall 30b and flange 32 to enable individual sheets of paper from the pad 21 or the Post It™ Notes 22, or the pad of paper 21 or Post It™ Notes 22 itself, to be pulled out by inserting a finger in the cutout 35. Thus, this arrangement does not require that the pad 21 or 22 be glued into a hole or cavity as in the prior art, and serves to enable the pad 21 or 22 to be replaceable or refillable. 
     In a further embodiment (not shown), the pocket 20 of the embodiments shown and described in FIGS. 3a, 3b, 4, and 5 could easily be added to the embodiment shown and described in FIG. 1, wherein the pocket 20 would fit into a cavity (not shown) cut into the laminate 10 and the cork 11. 
     Thus, the combination bulletin and dry-erase message board of the present invention provides benefits over the prior art. While the above description contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather as an exemplification of the preferred embodiments thereof. Other variations are possible. 
     Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should be determined not by the embodiments illustrated above, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.