Patent Publication Number: US-9409435-B2

Title: Writing boards

Description:
The present invention relates to writing boards. 
     The term “writing board(s)” is used in the present specification to refer to articles, generally in the form of a board or folder, on or in which writing or written materials such as paper, card, plastics or other functionally equivalent materials can be securely retained, whether to be written on when retained or otherwise. 
     Writing boards have many uses, and for certain such uses the ability for a board to be able to securely retain a plurality of sheets or plies of material in fixed relative position is important. 
     One such use is as a visitor management system, often used by businesses and other establishments to register and monitor the arrival and subsequent departure of personnel, visitors and the like. 
     For these sorts of registers, it is often necessary to retain a series of sheets of material, usually paper, card and the like, on which registration entries can be made (often by hand). Such sheets of material, often paper or thin card, are selectively torn out for use after the requisite entries have been made on them, as or as part of a badge or similar such identifier to be worn by the visitor, etc. 
     Maintaining such series of pieces of material in correct alignment is often necessary, particularly where the data written thereon is replicated through copying means, such as carbon paper, carbonless paper and the like, appropriately located relative to the material. The board typically provides a surface against which those materials can be held whilst the written information is entered. 
     According to aspects of the present invention there is provided a writing board for retaining material for writing on, the writing board comprising a main board defining a surface and a material retaining arrangement configured to retain material on the surface, the retaining arrangement comprising a retaining portion moveable between a first retaining position at which material can be retained thereby on the writing board and a second position that allows material to be removed from the board, the retaining portion bearing a first part of a two part snap fastener which first part is releasably engagable with a second part of the snap fastener located on the board, one of the first and second parts having a projection that locates in a re-entrant portion in the other of the first and second parts to extend through a hole in material being retained thereby when the retaining portion is in the first retaining position. 
     The retaining portion may be attached to extend from the main board and may be movable through a hinged or other rotational movement between the said first and second positions. 
     The retaining portion may be moveable about one or more resilient hinge portions preferably located between the retaining portion and the main board and that enable(s) a pivotal movement of the retaining portion on the board. 
     The retaining portion may extend along an edge of the main board. Alternatively, a plurality or series of retaining portions may extend along one or more edges of the main board. 
     A series of snap fasteners may be provided along and maybe along the length of the retaining portion and/or the series of retaining portions and one or more an edges of the board. 
     Clamping material may be provided to locate between the main board and a retaining portion when in the first retaining position. The clamping material may be compressible and preferably resiliently compressible. The clamping material may comprise a foamed, rubberised or other elastomeric material and may be attached to one or more of the retaining portion(s) and/or the main board. 
     The snap fastener projection may have a recess formed partway along its length in which releasably engages a resiliently biased locator mounted in a re-entrant portion when the projection is located therein. 
     The recess may extend around the projection to define a groove. 
     The locator may comprise a sprung member which extends across the re-entrant portion maybe at or near one side of the re-entrant portion to snap into the recess to engage the first and second parts. 
     The projection may locate in the re-entrant portion by a snap fit action and may similarly dislocate by a reverse snap fit action. 
     According to further aspects of the present invention there is provided writing apparatus comprising a writing board as defined in any of the preceding ten paragraphs and material for location on the board. 
    
    
     
       Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a writing board according to the present invention in an open condition; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of one part of a snap fastener; 
         FIG. 3  is a plan view of a second part of a snap fastener; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the second part of the snap fastener of  FIG. 3  along the line IV to IV; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the writing board of  FIG. 1 , retaining material thereon and in a closed condition; and 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a writing board according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     With reference to the drawings, there is provided a writing board  10  for retaining material  12  for writing, the writing board  10  comprising a main board  14  defining a surface  16  and a material retaining arrangement  18  configured to retain material  12  on the surface  16 , the retaining arrangement comprising a retaining portion  20  moveable between a first retaining position at which material  12  can be retained thereby on the board  10  and a second position that allows material  12  to be removed from the board  10 , the retaining portion  20  bearing a first part  22  of a snap fastener, which first part  22  is releasably engagable with a second part  24  of the snap fastener located on the board, one of the first and second parts  22 ,  24  having a projection  26  that locates into a re-entrant portion  28  in the other of the first and second parts  22 ,  24  to extend through a hole  30  in material  12  being retained thereby when the retaining portion  20  is in the first retaining position. 
     In more detail, the writing boards  10  of the present invention have many uses, being able to securely yet releasably retain multiple plies of material for writing on, such as paper and the like, in relative fixed position. One particular application is as a registration management system, particularly a visitor management system as discussed above. Such systems typically not only enable recordal of the registration of the presence and departure of a visitor, such as to particular premises, but enable generation of a badge or similar such identifier typically by removal of a part of the material retained thereon from the writing board to be worn by the visitor. 
     The registering and monitoring of visitors often helps compliance with prevailing legislation and regulations, as well as enabling the general monitoring of the presence and movement of visitors, personnel, etc. 
     It is often important that a series of sheets of paper or similar such material can be retained in the correct position relative to each other and often relative to copying or replicating material such as carbonless paper, carbon paper or similar so as to allow each entry to be replicated on a central docket or register. This has typically resulted in elaborate and relatively expensive retention mechanisms being developed to retain the materials in this way. 
     The writing board of the present invention presents a novel writing board that finds particular application in relation to visitor management systems, as well as application as a writing board generally. 
     With particular reference to  FIG. 1 , a writing board  10  of the present invention is shown in an open condition and comprises a main board  14  which is of generally planar, rectangular configuration and sized to provide a useful surface  16  against which materials such as paper, card, cardboard, plastics or other suitable, generally paper-like materials can be held and which provides a support or surface for these materials to facilitate a person writing or otherwise making inscriptions. 
     The main board  14  comprises a board or panel of any suitable, preferably rigid or semi-rigid material such as plastics, cardboard or similarly functionally equivalent material which in turn may be covered by a suitable covering such as plastic, leather, leatherette coating or the like. 
     The retaining portion  20  extends along one edge  32  of the main board  14  about a resilient hinge portion  34  that in use provides for a hinged movement of the retaining portion  20  about the edge  32  of the main board  14 . 
     The resilient portion  34  may conveniently be made of a resilient material, and may be comprised of the covering used to cover both the main board  14  and the retaining portion  20 . 
     The retaining portion  20  comprises a strip or panel of a rigid or semi-rigid material, which may be the same as that of the board or panel of the main board  14 . 
     The strip/panel of the retaining portion  20  and the board/panel of the main board  14  may be held in spaced alignment by the covering which extends over them both, the covering providing the resilient portion where it extends over the space therebetween. 
     A series of snap fasteners is provided generally along the edge  32 .  FIG. 1  illustrates a series of four snap fasteners. As illustrated, the series of first parts  22  extends along the length of the retaining portion  20  in generally equispaced arrangement. The corresponding second parts  24  are secured to the main board  14  in similar arrangement to be alignable with the respective first parts  22  in use. 
     Suitable snap fasteners include press studs, snaps and poppers. 
     The second parts  24  are secured to the main board by conventional means. This may be by way of mechanical fastening, adhesive or the like. 
     Similarly, the first parts  22  are likewise secured to the retaining portion  20  by conventional means. 
       FIG. 2  is an enlarged diagrammatic illustration of a second part  24  of a snap fastener. The second part  24  comprises a generally circular, planar base  36  from which the said projection  26  extends. The projection  26  is illustrated as being generally cylindrical in shape, having a recess  38  formed around its circumference partway along its length, to produce an annular groove. 
       FIGS. 3 and 4  are enlarged illustrations of a first part  22  of a snap fastener. The first part  22  comprises a generally cylindrically shaped body  40  which defines the re-entrant portion  28 . An annular lip  42  extends around the opening of the re-entrant portion  28  and an enlarged head portion  44  closes off the re-entrant portion  28  at the opposite end of the part  22 . A resiliently biased locator  46  in the form of two sprung members extends across the re-entrant opening  28  in generally parallel configuration to be locatable in use in a groove  38 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 1 , clamping material  48  in the form of a strip of a resilient foamed material  48  is provided along the retaining portion  20  on a surface  50  of the retaining portion that in use faces the main board  14 . In the strip of material  48  illustrated, appropriately sized holes are provided to expose the re-entrant formation  28  of each first part  22  and through which the second parts  26  of the snap fasteners can extend to engage with the respective first parts  22 . 
     The clamping material  48  may be retained on the first portion by any suitable means, but typically adhesive would be used. The clamping material may be of any suitable preferably resiliently compressible material, such as foamed, rubberised or other elastomeric material. 
     The writing board  10  is used to retain writing material, such as paper, and is particularly useful for retaining a plurality of sheets thereof in a secure yet releasable manner that retains the various sheets in relative position and alignment. 
     One such use is as a writing board for a visitor register or management system, which is diagrammatically illustrated in  FIG. 5 . 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a writing board  10  in closed condition retaining multiple sheets of paper, A to I, in partial overlapping relation, in a manner that enables them to be sequentially and selectively removed from the board  10 . Typically, behind such series of sheets is held a replicating medium, such as carbonless or carbon paper, which copies data written onto each of the sheets A to I onto a record sheet  51  that sits on the board  10 , behind the series of sheets A to I. 
     Typically, when a visitor arrives to be registered the next available sheet in a series (Pass No 002 as illustrated) is completed by the visitor or an attendant writing the requisite data onto the sheet A. In so doing, that data is copied by the copying medium onto a central record. The sheet A is then detached, typically by tearing it, usually across a weakened or perforated line or region J which runs just alongside the outer edge  49  of the retaining portion  20 , which sheet is then used (typically worn) by the visitor as a means of identification. 
     To prepare the board  10  for use, the writing materials, such as the series of paper sheets illustrated in  FIG. 5 , are located over the upstanding projections  26  so that the materials lie over the surface  16  of the board  14  (as can be seen in  FIG. 6 ). The retaining portion  20  is then moved through a generally pivotal motion about the resilient portion  32  to align the projections  26  with the re-entrant portions  28  and the respective first parts  22 . 
     Pressure is then applied to urge the projections  26  into the respective re-entrant portions  28 , against the resilience of the locators  46 , such that the projections  26  urge the locators  46  apart to allow the projections  26  into the re-entrant portion until the locators  46  locate into the groove  38  on each projection to secure the first part  22  to the second part  24  by way of a snap fit, thereby securing the retaining portion  24  in position over the edge region of the main board  14  and clamp the writing materials therebetween, as can be seen in  FIG. 5 . 
     It has been found that providing the resilient strip of clamping material  48  between the retaining portion  20  and the main board  14  helps to securely clamp and retain papers between the retaining portion  20  and the main board  14 . The resilience, compressibility and dimensions of the material  48  can be chosen to provide the required degree of retentive force in conjunction with the snap fasteners to provide the required degree of clamping. The provision of the clamping material  48  facilitates the selective detachment of sheets A to I by providing the appropriate degree of clamping or retention pressure on the sheets, generally along a line of detachment. By holding the sheets securely and closely along the line J, the arrangement  18  has been found to enable relatively easy removal of one or more sheets, without damage to those or the remaining sheets or other parts of the material. Providing clamping material according to aspects of the present invention enables a relatively small number of snap fasteners to be used, thus simplifying and thus reducing the cost of production. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a writing board  110  according to a further embodiment of the present invention. The board  110  is generally similar to the board  10 , and corresponding features are referenced with corresponding reference numerals, prefaced with “1”. The writing board  110  however also comprises an overlay panel  52  as shown, which when the writing board  110  is not in use, can be folded over the main board  14  about a fold line  54  such as to protect the materials held by the board  110  when the board  110  is not in use. 
     Various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
     The number and arrangement of the snap fasteners can be selected according to the desired utility of the writing board. More or less than the four illustrated can be provided as an aligned series, or indeed more than one series could be used. 
     The retaining portion may extend along the top and/or bottom edge rather than or as well as along a side edge as illustrated. 
     It will be appreciated that clamping material may be located on the main board  14 , such as in the form of a strip similar to that illustrated. It will be further appreciated that clamping material can be provided on both the retaining portion  20  and the main board if desired. The clamping material may be formed of a number of discrete sections or pieces that for example would be located between the first and/or second parts of the snap fasteners, rather than having holes formed in the material as illustrated. 
     Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.