Patent ID: 8376307

Claim:
A foldable stand for supporting an object having a generally planar footprint in contact therewith, said stand being capable of being folded between an unfolded object supporting position and a thin flat folded position, comprising: a top frame having a generally rectangular planar configuration with front and rear support members interconnected with left and right spaced apart side support members, each of said side support members having a hinge generally midway along the length thereof, permitting said top frame to be folded so that said front and rear support members are in near contact relation when said stand is in said folded position; a pair of foldable leg structures, one of which is attached to side of said top frame for supporting said top frame and the object at an elevation above a ground surface; a retaining structure attached to one of said front and rear support members for engaging a portion of the object adjacent the footprint in contact with the stand; and a locking mechanism attached to the other of said front and rear support members for engaging another portion of the object adjacent the footprint in contact with the stand; wherein said retaining structure is configured to be provided above a top plane defined by a top portion of said front and rear support members when said stand is in said unfolded position and rotated into a stored position where said retaining structure is positioned below said top plane before said stand is placed in said folded position.