EP0191206A1

EP0191206A1 - Collapsible stand for books and the like

Info

Publication number: EP0191206A1
Application number: EP85300830A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ronald Francis Gaudet
Original assignee: FUTURE APPARATUS CORP
Current assignee: FUTURE APPARATUS CORP
Priority date: 1985-02-08
Filing date: 1985-02-08
Publication date: 1986-08-20

Abstract

A one-piece collapsible stand, especially for a book, made of suitable material, like corrugated cardboard or polypropylene, by stamping or molding. In its collapsed configuration, all components of the stand are co-planar. The stand comprises a frame-like bottom plate (2), to which a center leg (7) and two side legs (11, 13) are connected by Integral hinges (9,15,17). Complementary latch notches (19, 21; 23, 25) in the sides of engaging legs adjacent their free ends interlock to fix the structure in its erected, operative configuration. Cover tabs (28, 30) restrain covers of the book to prevent it from sliding off the stand and page tabs (37, 39) restrain the pages of the book.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a collapsible stand, especially for books or other material, which are to be held in a convenient position for reading. Although below, the device according to the invention is referred to as a book stand, it should be clearly understood that the stand can also be used for other purposes, e.g., for the storage or display of record albums or other substantially flat articles.

Prior Art

United States Patent # 3,460,795 to Dahlin discloses a book holder comprising a frame-like bottom plate. A divided support plate is rotatably connected to one side of the bottom plate, and a brace is rotatably connected to its opposite side. The upper end of the support plate is furnished with two cavities into which two pegs on the brace can be fitted to keep the support plate in its upright position for supporting a book. In the folded down position of the book holder, the support plate and the brace are co-planar with the bottom plate. The support plate and the brace are connected to the bottom plate by hinge pins. This holder must be made of fairly solid material to withstand the stresses to repeated use with the weight of heavy books tending to bend the outer sections of the arms of the support plate backwards.
United States Patent # 3,937,435 to Roberts relates to a collapsible book support having tabs pivotally connected to the base. These tabs are holding the pages of a book on the book support in place when pivoted upwards. When the tabs are pivoted downwards into their respective cavities, they are co-planar with the base.
From United States Patent # 3,411,741 to Nadler it is known to form a book rest in one piece in its flat configuration of a suitable plastic material, like polypropylene, utilizing a stamping or molding operation. The well known physical characteristics of polypropylene is used for forming integral hinges along lines of reduced thickness, which can be bent many times without fatigue failure. In its erected operative configuration various structural members are engaged by interlocking latch notches.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide a one-piece collapsible book stand made of lightweight material by stamping or molding and to arrange the structural members in such a way that also heavy books can be safely supported by a simple structure, that is easy and inexpensive to manufacture.
The invention relates to a one-piece collapsible stand, for supporting an article such as a book. The stand is foldable between an erected, operative configuration and a collapsed, inoperative configuration wherein all of its components are co-planar. The stand comprises a frame-like bottom plate having a front edge portion and a rear edge portion. The stand includes a center leg having two sides and a free end, the leg being connected to the front edge portion by an integral hinge. The stand also includes one side leg on each side of the center leg, each side leg having an inner side, an outer side, and a free end, and being connected to the rear edge portion by an integral hinge. Latch notches are provided on each side of the center leg adjacent the free end and on the inner side adjacent the free end of each side leg. Tab means prevent the article to be supported from sliding off the stand, the tab means being connected to the front edge portion by an integral hinge.
The legs and latch notches are formed such that adjacent pairs of latch notches are complementary and interlock for fixing the legs in the erected, operative configuration.
The invention can be formed from an essentially flat sheet by either stamping the legs and tab means from the sheet, which produces very little waste of material. Alternatively, the device can be molded from a cavity die of relatively low cost.
A detailed disclosure following, related to drawings, describes a preferred embodiment of the invention, which is capable of expression in structure other than that described and illustrated.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure I is a top plan view of the book stand according to the invention, the stand being shown in its collapsed, inoperative configuration,
Figure 2 is a perspective of the bookstand of Figure I shown in its erected, operative configuration,
Figure 3 is a fragmented section on line 3-3 of Figure I showing an integral hinge.

DETAILED DISCLOSURE

A stand I, according to the invention, is made of a material that can be stamped or molded, and that has the property of being bendable for a considerable number of times without failure along lines of reduced thickness which serve as integral hinges. Corrugated cardboard, suitably reinforced, or polypropylene, are examples of such materials that lend themselves to forming these integral hinges, as well as being capable of withstanding weight of books and the like.
In its collapsed configuration, the stand resembles a flat sheet of material with cut lines as shown, all lines being symmetrical and postioned closely to each other to simplify manufacturing and to reduce waste.
The stand I includes a bottom plate 2 having a front edge portion 4 and a rear edge portion 5. A center leg 7 has two sides 6 and 8 and a free end 3, and can be folded upwardly about an integral hinge 9 adjacent the front edge portion 4. The hinge has an area of reduced thickness obtained by grooving or molding the material on both sides as shown in cross-section in Figure 3, and in broken lines in Figure 1. The stand has two side legs I and 13 which are similarly connected to the bottom plate adjacent the rear edge portion 5 by integral hinges 15 and 17 respectively. The hinges 15 and 17 are aligned with each other and are generally parallel to the hinge 9. The legs 1 and 13 have respective inner sides 10 and 12, outer sides 14 and 16, and free ends 18 and 20. The sides 6 and 10 are parallel and closely adjacent to each other when the stand is in the collapsed configuration, as are the sides 8 and 12.
As seen in Figure 2, in the erected, operative configuration the legs can be interlocked by latch notches 19, 21 and 23, 25 respectively. The closed ends of engaging latch notches are positioned on a common line 27, which is essentially at right angles to pivotal axes of corresponding hinges. This is shown in Figure I, where 23 and 25 are the engaging latch notches in the edges 8 and 12 of the center leg 7 and the side leg 13 respectively. Similarly, 19 and 21 are the notches in the edges 6 and 10 of the legs 7 and I 1 respectively. In the collapsed configuration, the notches 23 and 19 are mutually aligned, as are the notches 21 and 25. The common line 27 is at right angles to the pivotal axis of the hinge 17. As shown in Figure 2, when the notches 23 and 25 are mutually engaged, and the notches 19 and 21 are mutually engaged a stable, easel-like support is created. A pair of cover tabs 28 and 30 are provided on the front edge portion 4 and adjacent side edge portions of the plate, the tabs being spaced equally on either side of the leg 7. The tabs 28 and 30 can be bent upwardly about respective integral hinges 31 and 32, which are disposed generally parallel to and forwardly of the hinge 9.
Page tabs 37 and 39 are also provided on the front edge portion 4, and are spaced equally on either side of the center leg 7. The tabs 37 and 39 can be bent upwardly about integral hinges 4 and 43 respectively, which are inclined at equal angles 45, about 70 degrees, to the common line 27. It can be seen that the outer ends of the page tabs are inclined inwardly towards the center leg 7 to accommodate curvature of book pages. The hinges 31 and 32 of the cover tabs are disposed between the hinge 9 of the center leg and the hinges 41 and 43 of the page tabs, so that inner portions of the page tabs are positioned forwardly of inner portions of the cover tabs to accommodate thickness of the book etc.

OPERATION

The stand is opened from the collapsed configuration of Figure I, to the erected, operative configuration of Figure 2 by bending the legs upwardly about their respective hinges so that the latch notches 19 and 21, and 23 and 25 become mutually engaged. The cover and page tabs are raised as shown in Figure 2 and the book is positioned with its spine leaning against the center leg 7. Upper portions of the book covers rest against the free ends 18 and 20 of the side legs, and lower portions of the covers are engaged by the cover tabs 28 and 30. When the book is opened at a particular page, the page tabs 37 and 39 are positioned to engage the two open pages of the book to prevent the pages from inadvertently moving, thus permitting the reader to read the book without holding the pages down. The cover tabs 28 and 30 restrict the book against sliding downwardly and forwardly off the center leg 7, and the page tabs 37 and 39 can also assist in this function. The weight of a heavy book acts on the free ends 18 and 20 of the side legs in the direction of the longitudinal axis of each side leg. This is the direction of the greatest strength of the legs, and thus heavy loads can be supported on a relatively light and inexpensive structure. This constrasts with some stands of the prior art. Also, there is relatively little stress on the latch notches of the stand when it is erected and supporting a heavy book, and engagement and disengagement of the latch notches produces little or no wear or stress on the stand, thus increasing its useful life.

Claims

I. A one-piece collapsible stand (I) especially for a book, the stand being foldable between an erected, operative configuration and a relatively flat, collapsed inoperative configuration, the stand including:
(a) a frame-like bottom plate (2) having a front edge portion (4) and a rear edge portion (5),

(b) a center leg (7) having two sides (6,8) and a free end (3) and being connected to the front edge portion (4) by an integral hinge (9),

(c) one side leg (11,13) being positioned on each side (6,8) of the center leg (7), each side leg having an inner side (10,12), an outer side (14,16), and a free end (18,20), each side leg also being connected to the rear edge portion (5) by a respective integral hinge (15,17),

(d) latch notches (19,23) in each side (6,8) of the center leg adjacent the free end (3),

(e) latch notches (21,25) in the inner side (10,12) of each side leg adjacent the free end ( 18,20) of each side leg, the legs and latch notches being formed such that adjacent pairs of latch notches are complementary and interlock for fixing the legs in the erected, operative configuration,

(f) tab means (28,30) provided on the front edge portion (4) for preventing the article to be supported from sliding off the stand, the tab means being connected to the front edge portion by integral hinge means (31,32).
2. A stand as claimed in Claim I further characterized by:
(a) the integral hinges having pivotal axes formed by a line of reduced thickness of material.
3. A stand as claimed in Claim I further characterized by:
(a) the complementary latch notches ( 19,23;21,25) of the center leg (7) and the side legs (11,13) respectively having respective closed ends positioned on a common line (27) which line is essentially at right angles to the pivotal axes of the hinges of the legs.
4. A stand as claimed in Claim I further characterized in that:
(a) the tab means include cover tabs (28,30) provided on either side of the center leg (7).
5. A stand as claimed in Claim 4 further characterized in that:
(a) the hinges (31,32) of the cover tabs (28,30) are disposed parallel to and forwardly of the hinge (9) of the center leg (7).
6. A stand as claimed in Claim l further characterized in that:
(a) the tabs means include page tabs (37,39) provided on the front edge portion (4) and positioned on either side of the center leg (7), the page tabs being connected to the front edge portion by integral hinge means (41,43).
7. A stand as claimed in Claim 6 further characterized in that:
(a) the hinge means (41,43) of the page tabs (37,39) are inclined so that outer ends of the page tabs are inclined inwardly towards the center leg (7).
8. A stand as claimed in Claim 4 further characterized in that:
(a) the tab means include page tabs (37,39) provided on the front edge portion (4) and positioned on either side of the center leg (7), the page tabs being connected to the front edge portion by integral hinge means (41,43),

(b) the hinge means (31,32) of the cover tabs (28,30) are disposed between the hinge (9) of the center leg (7) and the hinges (41,43) of the page tabs (37,39) so that the page tabs are positioned forwardly of the cover tabs.
9. A stand as claimed in Claim 8 further characterized in that:
(a) the hinge means (41,43) of the page tabs (37,39) are inclined so that outer ends of the page tabs are inclined inwardly towards the centre leg (7).