AU2009100000A4

AU2009100000A4 - Portable easel

Info

Publication number: AU2009100000A4
Application number: AU2009100000A
Authority: AU
Inventors: James Short
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-01-02
Filing date: 2009-01-02
Publication date: 2009-02-05
Anticipated expiration: 2017-01-02

Description

P/00/012 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT Invention Title: "PORTABLE EASEL" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:

TITLE

PORTABLE EASEL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to portable easels and more particularly to devices for supporting and storing art media. In particular, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to a portable easel for supporting paper, canvas and other similar art media for an artist. The portable easel has particular utility where there is limited space and can be supported on the artist's lap. However, it will be appreciated that the present invention has broader application and is not limited to that particular use.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Traditionally, drawing and sketching has been performed using sketch books for their portability and convenience for sketching on field trips and at times of convenience where space may be limited. However, the sketch book alone can often be awkward to handle to obtain the right angles. In addition, canvas and other similar materials which have become popular art media require a support such as an easel, which can be quite cumbersome to use and transport.

Various attempts have been made to alleviate these problems by providing portable easels for supporting art media. For example, United States Patent No. 4,318,471 discloses a lap supported easel comprising a number of waterproof panels, including a base panel, an easel panel and supporting panels, which are designed to be folded on top of each other when in a closed position for carrying. The sheets are hingedly connected together and fold out to form a tilted easel surface which can be supported on a lap. The easel comprises an adjoining pallet panel containing art media for painting or sketching. A portion of the supporting panels can be tilted upwardly and fastened to the underside of the easel panel to support it at an angle relative to the base.

United States Patent No. 5,163,547 discloses a portable easel suitcase comprising a casing which includes a guide slot along the sides for receiving a removable lid. The lid doubles as a painting board by being supported at an inclined angle in supporting slots provided on the top edge of the casing to provide a drawing surface with a landscape or a portrait orientation. The height of the side walls of the casing is sufficient to provide a storage space for art media to be stored therein.

The disadvantage with the prior art is that the construction and supporting mechanisms for the easel are complex and therefore, expensive to manufacture. The materials used to make the current portable easels are also heavy, making the easels cumbersome to transport and use.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is a preferred object of the invention to provide a portable easel that addresses or ameliorates one or more of the aforementioned problems or provides a commercial alternative.

It is a further preferred object of the invention to provide a portable easel having a support surface where the angle of the support surface is able to be varied.

It is another preferred object of the invention to provide a portable easel which is convertible from a drawing board to an easel and can be supported on an artist's lap.

It is a further preferred object of the invention to provide a portable easel which can also store the art tools and media required by the artist.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect, the present invention resides in a portable easel comprising: a base; a lid pivotally connected to the base for supporting an art medium; and a support pivotally connected to the lid and contactable with the base to support the lid at an angle relative to the base, the support having a variable length to alter the angle.

Preferably, the support comprises at least one secondary support removably attachable to the support to support the lid at a different angle relative to the base.

Preferably, the base comprises at least one slot for supporting the support at an angle relative to the base.

Alternatively, the support is telescopic for varying the length of the support.

Suitably, the support is held against the underside of the lid and a storage space is provided between the base and the lid when in a closed position.

Preferably, a fastening mechanism is used to hold the support in place, optionally in the form of a ball catch mechanism.

Suitably, a ledge is provided on an outer support surface of the lid for receiving and supporting paper, canvas or other art media thereon.

Preferably, a handle is attached to a front side of the base to assist in carrying the easel when it is in a closed position.

Further aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS By way of example only, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the rear of a portable easel shown positioned ready for sketching or painting; Figure 2 is a plan view of the underside of a lid of the easel in Figure 1 showing a support being held in place by a double ball catch; Figure 3 is a front perspective view of the easel in Figure 1 showing the support positioned to support the lid at an angle relative to a base; Figure 4 is a front perspective view of the easel in Figure 1 showing a connection for attaching a secondary support to the support; and Figure 5 is a front perspective view of the easel in Figure 1 showing the secondary support attached to the support to increase the length of the support and the angle at which the lid is supported relative to the base.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the portable easel of the present invention are shown in the Figures and generally designated by the reference numeral 10. In Figure 1, a portable easel 10 of the present invention for supporting an art medium is illustrated which comprises a support 30 having a variable length for altering an angle at which a lid 20 is supported relative to a base 11. As shown, the easel 10 is pivotally connected to the rear of the base 11 to achieve a support surface 21 having a landscape orientation. It will be understood that the relative position of the pivotal connection could be reversed or altered. For example, the pivotal connection could be positioned on a side of the base 11 to achieve a support surface 21 having a portrait orientation, without altering the components of the portable easel The portable easel 10 has the base 11 and the lid 20 pivotally connected to the base for supporting an art medium. The term 'art medium' is to be understood throughout the specification as referring to any suitable material an artist may use to create their artwork on and can include, but not be limited to, paper, canvas, acrylic material or the like. Each of the components of the easel can be fabricated from a wood or other suitable lightweight material and held together using suitable screws or similar fasteners and nails for reinforcement. The dimensions of the easel are sufficient for supporting A4 size sheets, which are commonly used or a small canvas, but should not be overly large to make the construction of the easel 10 unstable and lose its effectiveness for use in confined spaces.

With reference to Figure 1, the lid 20 is pivotally connected to the base The pivotal connection is provided on a rear edge of the lid 20 and the base 11 so that a front side of the lid 20 and the base 11 will remain separable for moving the lid 20 and base 11 apart to form an opening for the easel 10. The pivotal connection between the lid 20 and the base 11 is by way of at least one hinge assembly 22. In this embodiment, there are three spaced apart hinge assemblies 22 internally affixed respectively to the rear edges of the base 11 and the lid 20 to allow the lid to pivot with respect to the base and move through 1800, from a closed position to a fully opened position. Alternatively, one, two or more than three hinge assemblies 22 could be used. It is to be appreciated that the pivotal connection of the lid 20 to the base 11 could adopt a configuration(s) different to that specifically described above. The pivotal connection could instead, for example, include an integral aperture on the base 11 for receiving a rod connected to the edge of the lid 20, or other pivotal or rotatable linkage arrangement.

The lid 20 has a support surface 21 for receiving and supporting an art medium. The support surface 21 is illustrated as being a flat, solid surface for suitable use with paper or other thin media as well as thicker media like canvas.

Alternative embodiments for more sturdy art media, such as canvas, may not require the surface 21 to be solid which could instead, for example, be a frame with supporting beams.

Preferably, the lid 20 has a ledge 23 for supporting the art medium when the lid 20 is positioned at an angle relative to the base 11. The ledge 23 extends out from a rear edge of the lid 20 to provide a resting surface for the bottom edge of the art medium. The width of the ledge 23 is sufficient for holding a canvas which has a greater depth than standard paper. Preferably, the underside of the ledge 23 has at least one support foot 25. Preferably, a support foot 25 is provided at either side of the ledge 23 to provide clearance for the 0 hinges 22 when the easel 10 is kept upright in a closed position.

f Reference is now made to Figures 2 and 3, which illustrate a support N 30 of the portable easel 10. The portable easel 10 comprises a support which is connected to the lid 20 and contactable with the base 11 to support 0 10 the lid 20 at an angle relative to the base 11. The support 30 is pivotally 0connected to an underside of the lid 20 by way of at least one hinge 34. The hinge 34 is connected to the support 30 and to the lid 20 to allow the support to pivot relative to the lid 20 such that it can move from a folded position lying against the underside of the lid 20 to an open position extending out from the lid 20 to be brought in contact with the base 11. Preferably, the support 30 is connected to the underside of the lid 20 and can be held against the underside of the lid 20 when not in use, as illustrated in Figure 2.

Alternatively, any other suitable pivotal connection may be used to connect the support 30 to the underside of the lid The support 30 is held in place by way of a double ball catch 35. The double ball catch 35 includes an arm which extends out to contact and hold the support 30 in place. In alternate embodiments, it is acknowledged that any other suitable fastening mechanism for releasably holding the support 30 in a folded position until required for use may also be used.

The support 30, best illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, comprises at least one arm 31 for pivotal connection to the lid 20 and a cross-member 32 contactable with the base 11 when the easel 10 is in an open configuration.

The cross-member 32 is substantially flat to provide a solid connection point for a secondary support 40 to be attached thereto.

L The support 30 has a variable length to alter the angle at which the lid is supported relative to the base 11. In a first aspect, as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, variation of the length of the support is achieved by way of at least one secondary support 40 attachable to the support 30 so that the secondary support 40 will be contactable with the base 11. The support has at least one dowel 33, or other suitable connection, for enabling connection of a secondary support 40 to the support The secondary support 40 comprises at least one arm 41 and a crossmember 42. It should be appreciated that the secondary support 40 may be provided in any other suitable form. Preferably, the cross-member 42 has at least one aperture 43 on its outer edge, positioned in line with a corresponding dowel 33 on the cross-member 32 of the support 30 so that, the dowel 33 can be aligned and received within the aperture 43 pushing the secondary support 40 against the support 30 to connect the two components together. Once the secondary support 40 is connected to the support 30, the arm(s) 41 will extend out to contact the base 11. Preferably, a middle arm is received within a slot 17 provided on the base 11 to support the lid 20 at an angle relative to the base 11.

Alternatively, the configuration may be reversed such that, the arms 41 are attached to the cross-member 32 of the support 30 and the cross-member 42 may contact the base 11. The cross-members 32, 42 may have a flange (not illustrated) extending from one side of the outer edge of the crossmembers 32, 42 to further support and provide a rigid connection between the two support beams 32, 42.

Where multiple secondary supports are provided, the secondary supports 40 can have varying lengths and be interchangeable so that a secondary support 40 with the appropriate length can be chosen to achieve the correct angle for supporting the art medium, as required by the artist. One or more secondary supports 40 can be attached to the support 30 using a similar manner to that which has been described in the preceding paragraphs.

Alternatively, multiple secondary supports 40 can be used simultaneously.

The base 11, as shown in Figure 3, is constructed such that it can also be supported on an artist's lap to be suitable for use as a lap top easel.

According to some embodiments, the base 11 is in the form of a box providing a storage space which can store a support 30 for the easel 10 and a plurality of art tools commonly required for completing a piece of artwork such as paint brushes, pens, pencils, paint or the like. The base 11, as shown, has a solid bottom panel 13 and outer frame 14. It should be appreciated that in other embodiments the base 11 can, for example, be constructed from a non-solid material such as mesh, or have an alternative arrangement constructed as a frame with supporting members to provide a sturdy base.

Provided on an underside of the base 11 is at least one support foot (not illustrated) for providing stability for the base 11 when placed on a substantially flat surface. Preferably, a support foot is provided at each corner on the underside of the base 11. In an alternative embodiment, any other suitable means for stabilising the base 11 on an artist's lap or support surface may be used. For example, suction caps could be affixed to the underside of the base 11 to secure the easel 10 to a suitable surface.

The base 11 has a handle 15 attached to a front of the base 11 which extends out therefrom for carrying the portable easel 10 when it is in a closed position. The handle 15 is positioned substantially centrally on the front of the base 11 to ensure the weight of the easel 10 is balanced while being transported. It should be appreciated that the handle 15 is to assist in the portability of the easel 10 and can be altered in its positioning or be in another suitable form, such as a shoulder strap, or may be excluded entirely for carrying the easel. For example, the easel 10 can be conveniently carried under one's arm.

Referring to Figure 2, the lid 20 can be secured in a closed position when not in use, or during transit, via a lock 16 comprising a latch and locking slot arrangement or other suitable means. The lid 20, as best illustrated in Figure 3, has an opening tape 24, which must remain fully exposed in order for the lid to close properly and be re-opened. The base 11 may be provided with a corresponding slot for the opening tape to be positioned within to achieve a flush seal between the lid 20 and the base 11.

In a second aspect, not illustrated herein, the variation in length of the support can be, for example, by way of the support 30 being telescopic.

Preferably, the support 30 will have telescopic arms which can be increased or decreased in length to obtain the desired angle for the easel 10. In this embodiment, the telescopic arms will have apertures for receiving a pin, or other suitable locking means, for locking the arms at a desired position.

Alternatively, any other suitable means of extension integrated with the support may also be used for extending the length of the support As illustrated in Figure 5, the base 11 has at least one slot 17 for receiving a middle arm 45 of a secondary support to support the lid 20 at an angle relative to the base 11. According to some embodiments, the base 11 comprises a plurality of slots positioned in a row substantially centrally on the base 11. As illustrated in Figure 5, the slots are integrally formed with an inner surface of the base 11 extending partially along the width of the base 11, from the front of the base 11 toward the rear of the base 11. Preferably, the slots 17 are complimentary in shape to a bottom end of the middle secondary support arm 45 to enable the support arm 45 to be received within the slot 17. In an alternative embodiment, the number of slots 17 provided and the positioning of the slots 17 may be varied as desired. It is envisaged that the slots 17 may also be provided in any other suitable form. For example, there may be two rows of slots 17 provided on the inner surface of the base 11 along either side of the base 11 for receiving the end of the middle secondary support arm 45. The positioning of the slots 17 is such that various options will be provided for the user to alter the angle at which the lid 20 is supported relative to the base 11, which will in turn alter the angle of the support surface 21 of the lid In use, the portable easel 10 can remain in a closed position for carrying the easel. Where the base 11 is in a box configuration, the art media and tools can be stored inside when the easel 10 is in a closed position. Once the lid 20 is opened and the support 30 is gently pulled toward the artist to release an arm of the double ball catch 34, which is holds the support against the underside of the lid 20. The support can then be moved into an extended position such that the dowels 33 on the cross-member 32 will contact the base 11, being placed against the bottom edge of the box and aligning the middle secondary support arm 45 into one of the slots 17 provided on the base 11, to support the lid 20 at an angle relative to the base 11. This sets the easel at an ideal working angle of 200 for use as a drawing board. The easel 10 can then be turned around, so that the rear edges of the lid 20 and base 11 are facing the artist, and the art medium placed on the support surface 21 ready for the artist.

To change the working angle for the easel 10, to better suit the art medium being used or the situation, such as being used as a lap top easel, the length of the support 30 can be varied to alter the angle at which the lid is supported relative to the base 11. Figure 5 illustrates the working angle for the easel 10 being adjusted to 500 by addition of a secondary support 40 to extend the length of the support 30. The secondary support 40 increases the length of the support 30 which, when placed in contact with the base 11 increases the distance and angle between the lid 20 and the base 11. A range of angles can be achieved according to the number of supports used or the degrees of extension where a telescopic support is used.

Hence, the present invention provides a solution for alleviating the problems of the prior art by providing a portable easel 10 having a support surface 21 where the angle of the support surface 21 is able to be varied. The present invention provides a portable easel 10 which is lightweight. According to some embodiments the portable easel 10 can weigh approximately one kilo, making the easel 10 lightweight and easy to transport. The nails used to fasten the adjoining components of the easel 10 together provide strength for the portable easel so that it can be stably supported on an artist's lap.

Throughout the specification the aim has been to describe the preferred embodiments of the invention without limiting the invention to any one embodiment or specific collection of features. It is to be appreciated by those of skill in the art that, various modifications and changes can be made in the particular embodiments exemplified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A portable easel comprising: N a base; a lid pivotally connected to the base for supporting an art medium; and a support pivotally connected to the lid and contactable with the base to 0 support the lid at an angle relative to the base, the support having a variable length to alter the angle.

2. The portable easel of claim 1, wherein the support comprises at least one secondary support removably attachable to the support.

3. The portable easel of claim 1, wherein the base comprises at least one slot for supporting the support at an angle relative to the base.

4. The portable easel of claim 1, wherein the support is telescopic for varying the length of the support. The portable easel of claim 1, wherein the support is connected to the underside of the lid and folded into a storage space formed between the lid and the base in a closed position.