GB2102873A

GB2102873A - A holder for flat or sheet form articles

Info

Publication number: GB2102873A
Application number: GB08214061A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Eric Knox
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1981-05-16
Filing date: 1982-05-14
Publication date: 1983-02-09
Also published as: FR2505738A1; FR2505738B3; GB2102873B; DE8114579U1

Abstract

A holder for flat or sheet form articles comprises an element (1) with a curved surface (2) against which the article is to be pressed by a narrow flexible spring strip (6) movable between a first position in which it presses against the curved surface (2) and a second position (6') in which it is withdrawn from the curved surface (2) for insertion of an article between the flexible strip (6) and the curved surface (2), a handle member (9) being provided on at least one end of the flexible strip (2) which exercises a lever action on the strip (6) and projects laterally beyond the curved surface (2). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A holder for flat or sheet form articles The invention is based on a holder for flat or sheet form articles or objects such as is described in German Patent Specification 2433 528, in which the sheet or flat object is pressed in some cases against a curved surface by spring pressure in a position suitable for reading, the said curve running horizontally along a perpendicular axis and a spring formed as a narrow flexible strip running along the entire side length of the sheet, said strip pressing against the curve when in its operating position and capable of being withdrawn, for introduction of the information carrier, by means of a handle provided for this purpose.

The invention seeks to provide a holder which can be manipulated much more easily for withdrawing the flexible strip or bringing the flexible strip into its operating position, in order to introduce and remove the information carrier, while maintaining the simplified manufacture of the holder.

According to the invention, there is provided a holder for flat or sheet form articles comprising an element with a curved surface against which the article is to be pressed by a narrow flexible spring strip movable between a first position in which it presses against the curved surface and a second position in which it is withdrawn from the curved surface for insertion of an article between the flexible strip and the curved surface wherein a handle member is provided on at least one end of the flexible strip which exercises a lever action on the strip and projects laterally beyond the curved surface.

The handle member may be pushed onto the flexible strip, may be connected integrally with the strip or may be formed in one piece with the strip.

The essential advantage of the holder in accordance with the invention is that the flexible strip is moved back and brought into operation very easily by pushing or pulling the handle member which projects laterally beyond the curved surface or the element. Since the flexible strip is "tilted" in its mountings by the spring action of the strip, the handle member only has to be touched with one's finger, in order to bring the strip into its two possible positions.

The invention will now be described in greater detail by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of one form of the holder according to the invention; Fig. 2 shows an outer end of the flexible strip in side view (and on an enlarged scale) with the handle member attached; Fig. 3 shows a further embodiment of the holder in accordance with the invention in perspective view; Fig. 4 shows a flexible strip for the holder in accordance with Fig. 3 in side view, and Fig. 5 shows a still further embodiment of the holder according to the invention in perspective view.

As can be seen from Figs. 1 and 2 an embodiment of the holder for flat or sheet form objects in accordance with the invention comprises an element 1 comprising plastics or synthetic glass. The element 1 has a concave curve 2 on one side and may be fixed to a table, a desk, a typewriter, or a data processing machine etc., by means of any desired type of fixing, shown as a ball joint 3 by way of example.

The element 1 has angular recesses 4, 5 at both ends these being directed inwardly to the curve 2 and a flexible strip 6 comprising a transparent material and projecting beyond the thickness of the element 1 on both sides. The strip has a recess 7 at one end for this purpose and a recess 8 in the region of the other end, their inner edges resting in the angular recesses 4, 5.

A handle member 9 is placed onto one end of the flexible strip 6 and has a U-shaped recess on one side for this purpose and has grooves 10, 11 in the two limbs of the U-shape, said limbs engaging over the projecting edges of the strip 6 in the region of the outer end.

By simply pressing or touching the handle member 9, the resilient strip 6 snaps out of its operating position shown by the solid lines into the open position 6' shown by broken lines, the handle member being located in the position shown by broken lines at 9' after movement with the double arrow 12.

In this position, a sheet or flat object may be inserted between the curve 2 and the oppositely curved flexible strip 6', and the flexible strip is then forced back into the curve 2 in the opposite direction of the double arrow 1 2 simply by touching the handle member 9'.

In Fig. 3 another possibility is shown for mounting the flexible strip on the element 1 with the curve 2. The element 1 has two projecting attachments 13, 14 at both ends, inward recesses 15, 1 6 being provided therein.

As is apparent from Fig. 4 the flexible strip 6 has a projecting tongue 1 7 at one end for this purpose and a recess 1 8 in the region of the other end, a tongue 1 9 springing thereinto. In this case the handle member 20 is connected to the flexible strip and as shown in chain lines a further handle member 20' may be provided at the other end as a mirror image of the first handle member 20.

The two tongues 17, 1 9 are inserted into the two recesses 15, 16 in the attachment 13, 14 and the strip may take up the same positions as in Fig. 1.

A further possible embodiment of the holder in accordance with the invention is shown in Fig. 5.

In this embodiment a small attachment 21 is provided only at one end of the element 1 having the curve 2, said attachment 21 having a recess 22. At the other end the flexible strip 22 is connected via a film hinge 24 to the element 1 and the handle member 25 is connected integrally to the flexible strip 23. The flexible strip 23 has a tongue 26 at its other outer end, said tongue 26 being inserted into the recess 22 in the attachment 21. In this case the flexible strip 23 may take up exactly the same positions as in Figs.

1 and 3 and the embodiment shown in broken lines is identified as 23'.

The strip 23 may have another recess 27 which serves as a viewing slot and extends over the majority of its length, and as a result the sheet or information carrier underneath this can be read easily without glare.

The flexible strip could also be connected to the element 1 by a second film hinge instead of the tongue at the outer end.

Claims

1. A holder for flat or sheet form articles comprising an element with a curved surface against which the article is to be pressed by a narrow flexible spring strip movable between a first position in which it presses against the curved surface and a second position in which it is withdrawn from the curved surface for insertion of an article between the flexible strip and the curved surface wherein a handle member is provided on at least one end of the flexible strip which exercises a lever action on the strip and projects laterally beyond the curved surface.

2. A holder according to claim 1, wherein the handle member projects laterally beyond the element having the curved surface.

3. A holder according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the flexible strip is arranged to have an over centre action providing a stable state of the strip in its first and second positions.

4. A holder according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the handle member can be attached in the area around one or both ends of the flexible strip, the handle member has a U-shaped recess and grooves are provided in the limbs left by the recess of the handle member to receive the side edges of the flexible strip.

5. A holder according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the handle member is connected integrally to the flexible strip.

6. A holder according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the flexible strip is mounted in angular recesses in the element having the curved surface, the strip having a first recess at one end and a second recess in the region of the other end, the inner edges of the recesses in the strip engaging in the angular recesses in the element.

7. A holder according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the flexible strip is provided in the region of one end with a recess with a tongue projecting thereinto and at the other end with a projecting tongue, the projecting tongues engaging into corresponding recesses in projecting members of the ends of the element having the curved surface.

8. A holder according to claim 7, wherein the two ends of the flexible strip are provided with integrally connected handle members.

9. A holder according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a projecting tongue is provided at one end of the flexible strip, this tongue engaging in a recess in an attachment of the element having the curved surface while, in the region of the other end, the flexible strip is connected to the element via a film hinge and has a handle member connected integrally to the strip.

10. A holder according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the strip has an elongate recess extending over the greater part of its length, said recess forming a viewing slot.

11. A holder for sheet form articles substantially as described herein with reference to any of the figures of the drawings.