GB2150018A

GB2150018A - Book rests

Info

Publication number: GB2150018A
Application number: GB08330963A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Julia Vardi
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-11-19
Filing date: 1983-11-19
Publication date: 1985-06-26
Also published as: GB8330963D0

Abstract

The invention provides a rest, holder or like support device 10 for a book 12, document or the like to be read or otherwise viewed, comprising a member 16 to support or hold the book etc. and transparent at least over a substantial area to enable the book etc. to be viewed through the member 16 from below and support means 18 for spatially locating said member 16 to enable the book etc. to be so viewed. The height of member 16, its support angle and/or the effective width of support means 18 may be adjustable. Device 10 may be of bridge form, as in Fig. 1, of pendant form, as in Fig. 7, with the support means (50) being of hooked form and adapted for member 16 to rest thereon or be adjustably attached thereto, or of cantilevered form, as in Fig. 11. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Book rests and the like This invention relates to rests, holders or like support devices for a book, document or like item to be read or otherwise viewed.

The inventor has appreciated that ordinary book rests and the like are not suitable for people who are lying on their backs, whether in bed at home, in hospital, on a sun-bed or otherwise, who find it very tiring or impossible to hold a book in a convenient position for them to read it.

The invention consists in a rest, holder or like support device as claimed in claim 1. The advantage is that the viewer can view the book etc. from a supine position, with their head facing upwards and not to the side, without having to hold the book etc. above them.

The device can be made simple and cheap if said member comprises a sheet of plastics material. It is particularly convenient if the device is constructed so that it can be collapsed or readily dismantled. A single said device can have wide application if it is so constructed that it can be adjusted as to the height of said member, the support angle of said member and/or the effective width of said support beams.

A particularly convenient form of the device for outdoor use or use when there is no bed headboard available is obtained if the device is made of bridge form. In this case, said support means may for convenience and ease of manufacture, together with cheapness, comprise two opposite side supports for said member which are substantially of sheet form.

If one or both of said side supports comprise a substantial transparent area, this will allow viewing there-through of the viewer's surroundings, which may have psychological and other advantages, and will facilitate illumination there-through of the book etc. Particular advantages of cheapness, rigidity and versatility can be obtained if the device comprises peg and hole means to help attach said member and said support means together.

If there is a vertical surface behind the supine viewer's head, it is convenient to make the device of pendant form. For example, if there is a headboard or suitable framework, the support means can conveniently be of hooked form. Again, a particularly cheap and convenient said device can be obtained if the support means comprise two opposite side Supports for said member. In a simple embodiment, the support means are shaped for said member simply to rest thereon.

With a hospital or other bed having space beneath it, the device may conveniently be made of cantilevered form, i.e. with its support wholly from one side of the viewer.

For certain purposes, e.g. if the device need not be adjustable, it may be adequate and cheaper to manufacture the device if said member and said support means are together substantially a single monolithic piece.

Reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a bridge form of device embodying the invention; Figure 2 is a side elevation of a side support means of the Fig. 1 embodiment; Figure 3 is a plan view of a support member of the Fig. 1 embodiment, showing also some variations; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a peg of the Fig. 1 embodiment; Figure 5 is a schematic cross-section of an optional attachment for the support means of the Fig. 1 embodiment; Figure 6 is a schematic side elevation showing variations of the support means of the Fig.

1 embodiment; Figure 7 is a schematic perspective view of a pendant form of device embodying the invention, also showing variations; Figure 8 is a schematic plan view of an alternative form of the support member of the embodiments of Figs. 1 and 7; Figures 9 and 10 are monolithic variations of the embodiments of Figs. 1 and 7 respectively; and Figure 11 is a schematic perspective view of a cantilevered form of device embodying the invention.

Referring to the drawings, a rest, holder or like support device 10 for a book 12, document or the like to be read or otherwise viewed by a viewer 1 4 lying supine comprises a member 1 6 to support or hold the book etc 1 2 and transparent at least over a substantial area to enable the book etc. to be viewed through the member 1 6 from below and support means 1 8 for spatially locating said member 1 6 to enable the book etc. to be so viewed. The member 1 6 comprises a sheet of plastics material, e.g. acrylic sheet of 5 mm.

thickness, so that it is substantially rigid and self-supporting as well as able to support a reasonably heavy book 1 2. The device 10 can be collapsed by folding it at hinge means 20 or, in a preferred embodiment, can be readily dismantled by removing pegs 22 and withdrawing the two support means 1 8 from member 1 6. The member 1 6 can be adjusted as to height by making use of alternative slots 24 and as to support angle by making use of alternative slots such as 26. In the preferred embodiment, shoulders 28, and possibly a stop 30, abut support means 18, which is held tightly to member 1 6 by means of wedge-shaped pegs 22 inserted in slots 32.

In an alternative embodiment, device 10 is adjustable as to effective width of said support means 1 8 by omitting shoulders 28 so that member 1 6 can slide to any extent through a slot 24 in a support means 1 8 and providing pairs 34 of slots with double the number of pegs 22 to locate each support means 1 8 positively at an adjustable position along member 16, depending upon which pair 34 of slots is utilised.

The embodiment of Fig. 1 is of bridge form.

The support means 1 8 comprise two opposite side supports 1 8 for said member 1 2 which are substantially of sheet form. One or both of said side supports comprise a substantial transparent area for the reasons given above.

Preferably, each side support 1 8 is wholly of transparent material, e.g. the same acrylic sheet as member 16, as may also be pegs 22. Pegs 22 and slots 32 constitute peg and hole means to help attach said member 1 6 and support means 18 together. In hospital, it may be appropriate to use clips 36 screwfastened to the respective side rails 38 of a bed to support support means 1 8 so that device 10 can simply be lifted off the clips when not needed. In an alternative embodiment, the side supports 1 8 shown in Fig. 1 can be replaced by legs, as shown in Fig. 6.

At each side, one or both legs 40 may be telescopic and/or one or both legs may be in the form of a rod 42 which can slide lengthwise of itself through a joint 44 which allows swivelling in the plane of the drawing and can be fixed as to the lengthwise position and angle of rod 42 by tightening of a single screw 46.

A pendant form of the device is shown at 48 in Fig. 7. The support means 50 are of hooked form and comprise two opposite side supports 52, 54 for said member 1 6. In one embodiment, both side supports are shaped as support 52 for said member 1 6 to rest thereon. In an alternative embodiment, both side supports are shaped as support 54 and have a series of holes 56 to co-operate with studs 58 of strips 60 fixed to member 16, whereby member 1 6 can be adjusted as to height by utilising different holes 56. The hooked parts of side supports 52, 54 hook over e.g. a headboard 62.

Member 1 6 may be replaced by a member 64 consisting of a reduced size sheet of transparent plastics material 66 and two sideways extending strips 68 of clip-form plastics material as used for binding loose sheets into a pseudo-book which may be made more rigid by the insertion therein of a lengthwise strip of metal. Member 64 will be much lighter than member 1 6.

Figs. 9 and 10 show monolithic variations of the embodiments of Figs. 1 and 7, respectively, made out of a single sheet of plastics material appropriately folded and/or bent.

This may comprise a clip-form edging 70 for protection and/or to improve rigidity.

Fig. 11 shows a cantilevered form of the device 72 comprising a member 16, which may be made more rigid by edge strips 74. It is attached by any suitable means 76 to support means 78 which stand on the floor, as with one known type of bedside table. The member 1 6 may be replaced by a normal bedside table top with a window in it to permit viewing therethrough of a book. The upright part of support means 78 should be extensible sufficiently high for the required viewing.

The said window in the cantilever embodiment may be in a position such as shown in dashed lines in Fig. 11.

The Fig. 10 embodiment may have a cutout 80 to reduce weight.

Alternatively to the pairs 34 of slots, a single slot 82, Fig. 2, may be provided as an extension of each slot 24 and accommodate a peg 22 as a wedge to retain member 1 6 in any position to which it has been adjusted in slot 24.

In one example according to Fig. 1, member 1 6 is 23cm. from back to front and 58cm. from side to side with a 4cm. overhang beyond means 18 which are 64cm.

high and 33cm. wide and 5mm. thick.

Claims

1. A rest, holder or like support device for a book, document or the like to be read or otherwise viewed, comprising a member to support or hold the book etc. and transparent at least over a substantial area to enable the book etc. to be viewed through the member from below and support means for spatially locating said member to enable the book etc.

to be so viewed.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which said member comprises a sheet of plastics material.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, which can be collapsed or readily dismantled.

4. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, which can be adjusted as to height of said member, support angle of said member and/or effective width of said support means.

5. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, which is of bridge form.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the support means comprise two opposite side supports for said member which are substantially of sheet form.

7. A device as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein one or both of said side supports comprise a substantial transparent area.

8. A device as claimed in claim 5, 6 or 7, comprising peg and hole means to help attach said member and support means together.

9. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, which is of pendant form.

10. A device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the support means are of hooked form.

1 1. A device as claimed in claim 9 or 10, wherein the support means comprise two op posite side supports for said member.

12. A device as claimed in claim 9, 10 or 11 in which said support means are shaped for said member to rest thereon.

1 3. A device as claimed in any one -of claims 1 to 4, which is of cantilevered form.

14. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, other than claim 3 or any other claim when appendant thereto, wherein said member and support means are together substantially a single monolithic piece.

1 5. A rest, holder or like support device substantially according to any embodiment hereinbefore described and as claimed in claim 1.

16. A rest, holder or like support device substantially according to any embodiment hereinbefore described with reference to and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.