Patent ID: 7374144

Claim:
An easel assembly reversibly transformable between an upright deployed position suitable for supporting at least one planar item thereon and a collapsed position suitable for transport and storage, said easel assembly comprising: a pair of support members, each having an upper portion and a lower portion, each support member pivotally interconnected at said upper portion for selective movement between a folded position where said support members are generally parallel and a deployed position where said support members divaricate a distance effective to provide stability to the assembly, said lower portion of each of said support members being integrally connected to a base member; each said base member having a first end and a second end, each said first end of said base member being integrally connected to said lower portion of each said support member, said lower portion of each said support member and each said base member being integrally connected together to form an acute angle therebetween, each said second end of said base member being pivotally interconnected to each said other second end of said base member, said connected base members being positioned on a planar surface when said easel is in said upright deployed position, thereby distributing any downward load of said easel assembly along said planar surface to resist tipping and maintain stability of said deployed easel; and said upper portion and said lower portion of each said support member being interconnected in a manner effective to permit said easel to attain a collapsed state suitable for transport and storage.