Patent Publication Number: US-2016223126-A1

Title: Document and Electronic Device Holder

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/110,713 filed on Feb. 2, 2015. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to media holding devices. More specifically, the present invention provides a document and electronic device holder having a sliding stand and an extendable rear support for accommodating various sized media. 
     Many people struggle with neck, back, and shoulder pain because they are constantly hunched over their desks or straining their necks while reading documents, tablets, or other such media while using their computer. While the individual is reading the documents, tablets, and other media, it is typically resting on a flat surface or poorly propped at an angle. A common cause of these types of pain is forward head posture, which is due to looking downward for prolonged periods of time, instead of straight ahead. This can lead to a number of ailments, including headaches, vertebral degradation, and postural imbalance. Therefore, there is a need in the prior art for a device that allows documents, tablets, and other such media that a user is reading from directly at the eye level of the user, obviating the need for the user to look downward to read from the article. 
     Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to document holders. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications. These devices generally relate to stands having one or more slots or ledges on which to support a document, such as U.S. Published Patent Application Publication Number 2007/0045145, U.S. Pat. No. 6,435,466, U.S. Pat. No. 1,247,033, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,642,190. 
     These prior art devices have several known drawbacks. The prior art device fail to provide a device having an adjustable support and an extendable panel to allow a user to read documents and mobile electronic devices directly at the eye level of the user. The prior art devices provide a stand having a movable ledge on a front side thereof. However, these prior art devices fail to provide a media holding device having an extendable panel to allow for various sized media and a rear stand for storing additional media thereon. 
     In light of the devices disclosed in the prior art, it is submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the prior art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing document and electronic device holders. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of document and electronic device holders now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new document and electronic device holder wherein the same can be utilized for providing convenience for the user when viewing documents and electronic devices hands-free at the desired height. 
     The document and electronic device holder comprises a stand having a front side and a rear side, wherein each side includes a lower end and an upper end. A pair of supports extend outwards from the lower end of each side of the stand so as to support the stand in an upright configuration. A third, adjustable support is secured to the front side of the stand and can be raised and lowered on a track so as to allow a device to be disposed at the proper height for a user. The holder further includes a panel pivotally secure to the upper end of the front side of the stand and movable between a stored configuration and an extended configuration for supporting a document or device having various sizes. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout. 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of the front side of the document and electronic device holder. 
         FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of the rear side of the document and electronic device holder. 
         FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of the panel of the document and electronic device holder disposed in an extended configuration. 
         FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of the sliding mechanism of the document and electronic device holder. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the document and electronic device holder. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for viewing documents and electronic devices hands-free at the desired height. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , there are shown perspective views of the front and rear side of the document and electronic device holder. The document and electronic device holder  11  includes a stand  12  having a front side  13  and a rear side  14 , wherein each side includes a lower end  25  and an upper end  26 . In the illustrated embodiment, the stand  12  comprises a V-shape and the sides  13 ,  14  are rectangular in shape, wherein the upper end  26  of the first side  13  is connected to the upper end  26  of the rear side  14  and the lower ends  25  are separated. The distance between the front side  13  and the rear side  14  increases towards the lower ends  25  thereof. Preferably, each side  13 ,  14  of the stand  12  is planar and disposed at an angle relative to a horizontal plane so as to allow the rear side of a document or electronic device rest flush thereagainst. In some embodiments, the upper ends  26  of the sides  13 ,  14  are pivotally secured to one another so as to allow a user to adjust the angle thereof. 
     The document and electronic device holder  11  further comprises a first support  15  and a second support  17  each extending outwards from the lower end  25  of the front and rear side  13 ,  14  of the stand  12  so as to support the stand  12  in an upright configuration. The second support  17  is further adapted to support the base of a document or electronic device in an upright configuration so as to allow it to rest against the rear side  14  of the stand  12 . In the illustrated embodiment, the first and second supports  15 ,  17  comprise a hook shape. However, in alternate embodiments, the first and second support  15 ,  17  can comprise any suitable shape so as to support the stand  12  in an upright configuration. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , there is shown a perspective view of the panel of the document and electronic device holder disposed in an extended configuration. The document and electronic device  11  holder further comprises a panel  27  pivotally secured to the upper end  26  of the front side  13  of the stand  12 . The panel  27  is movable between a stored configuration and an extended configuration, wherein in the extended configuration the panel  27  is adapted to support a document or electronic device extending above the upper end of the stand  12 . In the extended configuration, the panel  27  is disposed above the upper end of the front side  13  of the stand  12 , such that it is coplanar with the front side  13  of the stand  12  so as to provide a support for a rear side of a document or electronic device. The panel  27  is pivotally secured to the stand  12  via any suitable fastener that prevents the panel  27  from further rotating towards the rear side  14  once it is coplanar with the front side  13  of the stand  12 . In the illustrated embodiment, the panel  27  comprises a rectangular shape, however, in alternate embodiments, the panel  27  comprises any suitable shape that provides additional vertical length to the stand  12 , beyond the upper end thereof. 
     In the stored configuration, the lower surface  29  of the panel  27  rests flush against the front side  13  of the stand  12 . In the illustrated embodiment, the front side  13  of the stand  12  comprises a recessed area  28  configured to receive the panel  27  in the stored configuration. Preferably, the recessed area  28  comprises a shape corresponding to the shape of the panel  27 . In this way, the upper surface of the panel  27  aligns flush with the surface of the front side  13  of the stand  12 . 
     A third support  16  is adjustably secured to the stand  12 , preferably on the front side  13  thereof. The third support  16  is adapted to be raised and lowered between the upper and lower ends of the stand  12  and can be secured in a specific position thereon via a fastener. In the illustrated embodiment, the third support  16  comprises a hook shape so as to support the base of a document or electronic device. The third support  16  is further configured to rest within the first support  15  when lowered to the lower end of the stand  12 . The adjustability of the third support  16  allows a user to place a document or electronic device thereon at a desirable viewing a height so as to avoid straining his or her neck, back, eyes, or the like. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , there is shown a perspective view of the sliding mechanism of the document and electronic device holder. Preferably, the third support  16  is adjustably secured to the front side  13  of the stand  12  via a sliding mechanism, wherein the sliding mechanism comprises a track  21  and a fastener  20  adjustably securing the third support  16  to the track. In the illustrated embodiment, the track  21  comprises a pair of channels wherein each channel is disposed on a lateral edge of the front side  13  of the stand  12 . The track  21  further comprises a plurality of slots  22  disposed along the base  30  of each channel and configured to receive the fastener  20  therein. As the third support  16  is raised or lowered, the fastener  20  can be placed within the slot  21 , locking the third support  16  therein. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the fastener  20  comprises a pin having a first side and a second side  24 , wherein the first side is configured to be pulled by the user and the second side  24  is configured to engage with a slot  22 . As the user pulls the first end, the second end  24  is removed from the slot  22  so as to allow the pin to be moved up and down along the channel until the desired slot  22  is located. A spring  23  is secured to the pin, within the channel, so as to allow the pin to be moved laterally while also preventing the second end  24  of the pin from becoming removed from the track  21 . When the user releases the first end of the pin, the pin can still be moved up and down until it automatically extends into a slot in which it becomes aligned with. 
     The third support  16  is movable along with the fastener  20  disposed on each lateral edge of the stand  12 . Having the sliding mechanism disposed on the lateral edges of the stand  12  allow for multiple document and electronic device holder to be stacked on top of one another. In the illustrated embodiment, the third support  16  further comprises a pair of arms  31  extending perpendicularly from the lateral edge thereof, wherein a space is formed between the pair of arms  31 . A portion of the fastener  20  is disposed within the space, between the arms  31 , such that as the fastener  20  moves up and down along the track  21  the third support  16  is carried therewith. In other embodiments, the third support  16  can move along with the fastener via any suitable connection, such as a magnetic connection or the fastener  20  being integral to the third support  16 . 
     It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.