Patent ID: 7287647

Claim:
An apparatus for transporting a player's bingo paraphernalia and for providing a barrier such that the player's paraphernalia become hidden from adjacently positioned players during game play, said apparatus comprising: a carrying case including pivotally connected first and second members selectively movable between open and closed positions, said first and second members further including a plurality of bottom surfaces and a plurality of outer walls extending away from said bottom surfaces respectively, said outer walls for blocking a line of sight traveling along a periphery of said first and second members and for defining a private play area situated between said first and second members; a hinge member operably connected to a selected portion of said outer walls such that said hinge member terminates above a support surface on which said carrying case is positioned; means for maintaining said carrying case at a substantially vertical position when said first and second members are adapted to the open position; and means for storing the paraphernalia at elevated positions such that the paraphernalia can be selectively moved between operating and non-operating positions without passing beyond the privacy area; wherein said maintaining means comprises a plurality of fold-out stands pivotally connected to said first and second members such that said fold-out stands can be respectively swiveled along selected arcuate paths between operating and non-operating positions, said fold-out stands including first and second members extending substantially orthogonal to each other respectively wherein said second members are positionable outwardly and away from said bottom surfaces for preventing said carrying case from moving beyond equilibrium.