Patent Publication Number: US-2004041067-A1

Title: Reading stand with attached magnifying glass

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] 1. Field of the Invention  
       [0002] The present invention relates to a reading stand with attached magnifying glass, in which the magnifying glass is of a size substantially identical to a copy holder of the reading stand and is mounted at a parallel position spaced apart from the copy holder of the reading stand at a certain distance so as to allow the position relative to the copy holder to be adjusted.  
       [0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art  
       [0004] Such a reading stand with attached magnifying glass has been disclosed in the Korean Utility Model No. 0284788 (titled READING STAND HAVING MAGNIFYING GLASS AND LIGHTING FUNCTION, issued to Chul-Woo PARK), in which, as shown in FIG. 1, the reading stand comprises a base plate  1 , a copy holder  2  and a support plate  4 . The copy holder  2  is attached with a magnifying glass  7  and a lamp unit  8  using a flexible member  9 , where the magnifying glass is smaller than the lamp unit.  
       [0005] This reading stand with attached magnifying glass is used to perceive small-scaled letters or pictures with a minimal eyestrain during reading, and functions to enable the aged, who have difficulty in reading due to presbyopia, to read books at ease.  
       [0006] However, there is a problem generated in that a user has to frequently manipulate the magnifying glass due to its improper focus on a document or book on the copy holder of the reading stand while reading the document or book using the magnifying glass  7 . Further, this is accompanied by inconvenience in that the lamp unit adjacent to the magnifying glass has to be used with frequent changes of its position. For this reason, there is a necessity for a reading stand designed in a manner that the problem on displacement of the magnifying glass and the lamp unit can be solved, and that the focus of the magnifying glass can be maintained with accuracy.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007] Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a reading stand with attached magnifying glass, allowing for reading without frequent positioning of the magnifying glass, said magnifying glass having a size substantially identical to the copy holder of the reading stand.  
       [0008] It is another object of the present invention to provide a reading stand with attached magnifying glass, allowing for reading without frequent positioning of a lamp unit, said lamp unit being mounted on at least one edge of a rear surface of the magnifying glass in order to endow a function of lighting a readable object.  
       [0009] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a reading stand with attached magnifying glass, capable of more precisely positioning the magnifying glass relative to a readable object on the copy holder of the reading stand.  
       [0010] In order to accomplish these objects, there is provided a reading stand, comprising: a base plate; a copy holder; a slant adjusting girder which is capable of adjusting the copy holder to have a preset slant angle relative to the base plate; a magnifying glass spaced apart from the copy holder and having a size substantially identical to that of the copy holder; and a positioning means, coupled to an upper portion of the magnifying glass and to an upper portion of the copy holder, for allowing shifting of the magnifying glass in at least one of y- and z-axial directions, so that the magnifying glass is positioned on a plane parallel to the copy holder. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0011] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
     [0012]FIG. 1 shows a conventional reading stand with attached magnifying glass;  
     [0013]FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a reading stand with attached magnifying glass according to a first embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0014]FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the reading stand of FIG. 2;  
     [0015]FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a reading stand with attached magnifying glass according to a second embodiment of the present invention; and  
     [0016]FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the reading stand of FIG. 4. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
     [0017] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description and drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar components, and so repetition of the description on the same or similar components will be omitted.  
     [0018]FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a reading stand with attached magnifying glass according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the reading stand of FIG. 2.  
     [0019] The reading stand generally comprises a copy holder  200  for supporting books, a slant adjusting girder  210  hinged downward to a rear surface of the copy holder, a base plate  280  supporting the copy holder and the slant adjusting girder on its own upper portion. The copy holder  200  is also hinged to the base plate  280 , so that the copy holder is pivotable about the base plate. A slant angle of the copy holder is changed depending on at which position of the base plate  280  the slant adjusting girder  210  rests.  
     [0020] The reading stand is mounted with a pressing unit  250  for pressing and fixing a set of pages of the book at a lower middle portion of the copy holder  200 . The pressing unit provides elastic pressing force to prevent the pages from being inadvertently turned over, and is constructed to be mounted to the typical reading stand.  
     [0021] The present invention is for mounting a magnifying glass  220  to such a reading stand. Herein, said magnifying glass  220  is formed in a size similar to that of the copy holder  200  of the reading stand. This magnifying glass  220  is directed toward overcoming a problem wherein a user has to frequently manipulate the magnifying glass while reading a book or a document. Therefore, the magnifying glass of the present invention makes it possible for any user to read a book by aid of the magnifying glass at an initially set position, without frequent repositioning the book or the magnifying glass.  
     [0022] The magnifying glass  220  functions as a convex lens, but is a flattened convex lens in which the bellied portion of the common convex lens is removed. In the present embodiment, the magnifying glass is used as a lens in a planar annual ring profile and made of an acryl material.  
     [0023] This magnifying glass is positioned by a height adjusting means. The height adjusting means includes a first guide plate  270  attached adjacently to a rear upper portion of the copy holder  200 . The first guide plate  270  is inserted into a first fixture  260  so that the first fixture  260  is capable of shifting along the first guide plate  270  in a z-axial direction of FIG. 3. The first fixture  260  has a structure in which a space inserted by the guide plate  270  is formed in a hexahedral block, and includes a first fastening means  265  formed as a screw on a lower portion of the first fixture. Therefore, the first fixture  260  can be fixedly positioned through the first fastening means  265 .  
     [0024] The first fixture  260  is integrally formed with a second guide plate  230 , which extends in a y-axial direction of FIG. 3. The second guide plate  230  is formed with a slide slot  235 . The slide slot  235  is elongated in the y-axial direction and functions to enable the magnifying glass to move along the slide slot. The second guide plate  230  is inserted into a second fixture  240 , which is formed in a hexahedral box shape. Further, the second fixture  240  is attached to the magnifying glass  220  on one side, and is coupled with a second fastening means  245  on the other side. The second fastening means  245  is formed into a screw and a knob and inserted through the second fixture  240  and the slide slot  235 . As the second fastening means  245  is tightened, both opposite sides of the second fixture  240  are approaching toward each other to be fixed to the second guide plate  230 .  
     [0025] In the present invention, the magnifying glass can be positioned in the y- and/or z-axial directions by the foregoing positioning means.  
     [0026] In addition, the present embodiment is adapted to perform a function as a lamp unit by attaching a lighting means to a lower surface of the magnifying glass. To be more specific, at least one edge of the lower surface of the magnifying glass  220  is provided with a slimline fluorescent lamp  290 . Preferably, the fluorescent lamp  290  is attached on both opposite edges of the lower surface of the magnifying glass  220 . The fluorescent lamp  290  is electrically connected with a power supplying means (not shown), which is installed to the reading stand, by means of the positioning means. Attachment of the fluorescent lamp  290  to the magnifying glass  220  is carried out either by bonding as a typical attaching method or by attaching using another bonding means.  
     [0027]FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a reading stand with attached magnifying glass according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the reading stand of FIG. 4. Some components constituting the reading stand of the second embodiment, in particular, a copy holder  400 , a slant adjusting girder  410 , a base plate  480  and a pressing unit  450  are identical to those of the first embodiment. Further, a first guide plate  470 , a first fixture  460 , a second guide plate  430  and a second fixture  440 , all of which constitute a positioning means, are also identical to those of the first embodiment.  
     [0028] In the second embodiment, a magnifying glass  420  is surrounded by a frame  500 . The frame may be selectively made of a certain material, and preferably of a polymeric material having a light weight and a high strength, such as a plastic. The frame  500  is attached to one side of the second fixture  440  and may be shifted through the second fixture  440 . Further, a lighting means is attached to a rear surface of the frame  500 . To be specific, a slimline fluorescent lamp is attached on one edge or both opposite edges of the rear surface of the frame  500 . Due to this construction, the second embodiment can obtain effects wherein it is possible not only to facilitate bonding of the fluorescent lamp but also to prevent the magnifying glass from being damaged, as compared with the first embodiment.  
     [0029] An operation of the foregoing reading stand with attached magnifying glass according to the present invention will be described based on the first embodiment as in FIGS. 2 and 3.  
     [0030] First, a slant of the copy holder  200  of the reading stand is adjusted using the slant adjusting girder  210 . Then, a book or document is placed on the copy holder  200  and is fixed using the pressing unit  250 . Subsequently, the magnifying glass  220  is shifted in at least one direction of the y- and/or z-axial directions by means of the positioning means, so that it is in focus for the eyes of a user. If necessary, the fluorescent lamp functioning as the lighting means may be used.  
     [0031] As mentioned above, according to the present invention, the magnifying glass is of a size similar to the copy holder of the reading stand, so that it is possible to read books without a frequent displacement caused by a size of the magnifying glass.  
     [0032] Further, the lighting means is attached to the magnifying glass of the reading stand, so that it is possible to make use of the lighting means when nocturnal reading and intensive reading are needed.  
     [0033] Moreover, the magnifying glass can be freely positioned, so that a user can read a book without a sharp change in focus by fixing the magnifying glass in place, thus reducing eyestrain during reading.  
     [0034] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.