GB2193087A

GB2193087A - A portable, collapsible, support assembly for reading or writing matter

Info

Publication number: GB2193087A
Application number: GB08611184A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Sian Caroline Scott Lewis; Ian Rippington
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-05-08
Filing date: 1986-05-08
Publication date: 1988-02-03
Also published as: GB8611184D0

Abstract

A portable, collapsible, support assembly is provided for reading or writing matter such as a book, magazine or letter (2), including a support surface (3) on which an article (2) to be read or written on can be placed, elongated arm means (4,5) to one end of which the support surface (3) is releasably attachable, and a base (11) to which the other end of the arm means (4,5) can be releasably secured, said base (11) being in the form of a portable container into which liquid or particulate material such as water, earth, sand or the like can removably be placed to provide a counter weight for the extended arm means (4,5) and assembled support surface (3), and into which, when the counter weight material has been removed, the collapsed arm means (4,5) and disassembled support surface (3) can removably be placed for carrying purposes. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A portable, collapsible, support assembly for reading or writing matter This invention relates to a portable, collapsible, support assembly for reading or writing matter such as a book, magazine or letter and is particularly, hut not exclusively, concerned with such an assembly suitable for holiday use.

When sun bathing on holiday, for example on a beach beside the sea or along side a swimming pool, it is often desirable to read or write to help pass the time. Holding or supporting a book or writing pad manually whilst sitting up or lying on ones back can be difficult on a beach or along side a swimming pool particularly from the point of view of glare from the sun reflecting from the pages of the book or writing pad or whilst exposed to a wind which tends to turn over the pages of the book or writing pad or blow the book or pad from- ones grasp.

There is thus a need for a support assembly for a book or writing pad, which assembly can readily be carried to and from a beach, easily assembled and readily collapsed after use for carrying away from the beach once more.

According to the present- invention there is provided-a portable, collapsible, support assembiy for reading or writing matter such as a book, magazine or letter, including a support surface on which an article to be read or written on can be placed, elongated arm means to one end of which the support surface is releasably attachable, and a base to which the other end of the arm means can be releasably secured, said base being in the form of a portable container into which liquid or particulate material such as water, earth, sand or the like can removably be placed to provide a counter weight for the extended arm means and assembled support surface, and into which, when the counter weight material has been removed, the collapsed arm and disassembled support surface can removably be placed for carrying purposes.

Preferably the support surface is a board releasably attachable to said one end of the arm means, which board carries a releasable clip and/or resilient'loop means operable releasibly to secure the article to the board in a manner such as to permit a page to be secured, released, turned over and resecured to the board.

Advantageously the support surface is releasably attachable to said one end of the arm means by slotting at one edge into a channellike clip secured to said one end of the arm means.

Conveniently the channel-like clip is attached to the arm means end via a pivot or joint operable to permit the clip and hence the support surface when attached thereto, to be pivoted about the longitudinal axis of the arm means portions adjoining the pivot or joint and releasably held at different angular positions relative to said longitudinal axis and to a user of the assembly.

Preferably the arm means is in the form of at least two elongated, substantially rigid, arm members, made for example of metal and/or plastics material, connected in end-to-end relationship by a lockable, releasable, joint to enable the two arm members to be releasably adjusted to any desired angular relationship relative to one another.

Alternatively the arm means is a single elongated flexible arm member which can be bent at any point along its length out of a straight line to cause the two ends of the arm means to take up any desired angular relationship relative to one another.

Conveniently the base is in the form of an attache case or the like which has substantially rigid walls, a carrying handle and a substantially rigid openable and closeable lid.

Preferably the other end of the arm means is releasably secured to the case by removable insertion through a hole in the closed lid into a socket attached to or forming part of the interior surface of the case wall opposite to the lid.

Conveniently the assembly includes one or more flexible containers, conveniently made of plastics, such as a plastics bag or bags into which the counter weight material may removably be filled, and the bag or bags placed in the case, said bag or bags reducing damage to the case interior by the counter weight material.

For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a general perspective view of a portable, collapsible, support assembly according to one embodiment of the invention shown in an assembled state, and Figure 2 is a general perspective view of a part of the assembly of Figure 1 shown in a disassembled collapsed state, A portable collapsible support assembly 1 of the invention shown in an assembled state in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is intended for supporting reading or writing matter such as a book 2, a magazine or a letter.The assembly 1 includes a support surface in the form of a board 3 made of any suitable rigid or semi rigid material such as cardboard, wood or plastics with or without a plastics or other waterproof coating, on which the article to be read or written on, such as the book 2, can be placed as shown in Figure 1. The assembly also includes elongated arm means conveniently in the form, as illustrated, of at least two elongated substantially rigid arm members 4 made for example of metal and/or plastics material. The arm members 4 are connected in end-to-end relationship by at least one lockable, releasable, joint 5 to enable the two or more arm members 4 to be releasably adjusted to any desired angular relationship relative to one another as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.The support surface board 3 is releasably attachable to one end of the arm means arm members 4 in any convenient manner such as by slotting at one edge into a channel-like clip 6 secured to the end of the arm means arm 4 as illustrated in Figure 1.

Conveniently as illustrated in Figure 1 the channel-like clip 6 is attached to the arm means member end via a pivot or joint 7 operable to permit the clip 6 and hence the support surface board 3 when attached thereto to be pivoted about the longitudinal axis of the arm means portion or member adjoining the pivot or joint 7 and releasably held at different angular positions relative to said longitudinal axis and to a user of the assembly. In other words in the example of Figure 1 the board 3 can be pivoted about the longitudinal axis of the arm- member 4 providing the end to which the joint or pivot 7 is connected.

Although the arm means has been shown in the illustrated example as a series of arm members 4 connected in end-to-end relationship via joints 5 the arm means could be provided by a single elongated flexible arm member (not illustrated) which can be bent at any point along its length out of a straight line to cause the two ends of the arm means to take up any desired angular relationship relative to one another. For example the arm means could be in the form of an elongated flexible easily deformable member which can readily be bent into- and out of any desired shape.

As illustrated in Figure 1 the support surface board 3 carries a releasable clip 8 and/or resilient loop means 9 operable releasably to secure the book 2 to the board 3 in a manner such as to permit a- page to be secured, released, turned over and resecured to the board. Conveniently the clip 3 is in the form of a substantially U-shaped clip arm hingedly connected at 9 to the board 3 so as to be resiliently biased towards the closed position in which it contacts and clips a book to the board 3. As illustrated the clip 8 is attached to the bottom of the board 3 but it may alter natively be attached to any other side of the board 3 and indeed there may be more than one such- clip 8 provided.The resilient loop means 9 preferably is a length of elastic material which is looped over the board 3 from top to bottom so as to fit over a book 2 along the join between two adjacent pages as illustrated. More than one such loop means 9 may be provided if desired, for example running from top to bottom of the board 3 at laterally spaced locations so that one such loop may hold one page of the book 2 to the board 3 and another such loop may hold the opposite page of the book 2 to the board 3.

The assembly of the invention also includes a base generally indicated at 11 to which the other end of the arm means can be releasably secured. This base 11 is in the form of a portable container into which liquid or particulate material such as water, earth, sand or the like can removably be placed to provide a counter weight for the extended arm means and assembled support surface as shown in Figure 1, and into which, when the counter weight material has been removed, the collapsed arm means and disassembled support surface can removably be placed for carrying purposes as shown in Figure 2. Conveniently as illustrated the base 11 is in the form of an attache case or the like which has substantially rigid walls, a carrying handle 12 and a substantially rigid openable and closeable lid 13.The other end of the arm means is releasably secured to the case forming the base 11 by removable insertion through a hole 14 in the closed lid 13 (as shown in Figure 1) into a socket 15 (shown in Figure 2) attached to or forming part of the interior surface of the case wall 16 opposite to the lid 13. As illustrated the socket 15 is a spigot like tubular member secured at one end to a base plate 17 which is removably securable to the case wall 16 by two apertures 18 in the base plate 17 engaging over to projections 19 upstanding from the case walls 16 inside the case forming the base 11. Conveniently the projections 19 and apertures-18 engage with a releasable clipped engagement so that the socket 15 and base plate 1 7 may be removed from the case wall 16 in the disassembled position and left loose inside the case forming the base 11.Alternatively the socket 15 can be fixedly attached in any convenient manner to upstand from the case wall 16 inside the case forming the base 11 into registry with the hole 14 in the lid 13 when the latter is shut.

In the extended assembled position of the assembly as shown in Figure 1 the opened arm means carrying the clip board 3 at one end is mounted at its other end in the socket 15 through the hole 14 in the closed lid 13.

To enable the base 11 in the form of an attache case to support the weight of the extended arm means and support surface board 3 it is filled in any convenient manner with liquid or particulate material such as water, earth or sand. Sand or earth may be filled directly into the attache case forming the base 11 but as this can dirty the interior thereof an alternative is to use one or more flexible containers (not illustrated) conveniently made of plastics such as a plastics bag or bags into which the counter weight material may removably be filled and the bag or bags placed in the case.The use of such bag or bags is particularly useful when the counter weight material to be used is water as the bag or bags can then be made such as to hold the water in a sealed non leaking fashion whilst in use but allow the water to be drained out of the bags via a removable plug so that the bag or bags can be collapsed flat once again for storage in the case in the disassembled collapsed state of the assembly. The case forming the base 11 is made from any convenient material such as wood, metal and/or plastics material.

The assembly of the invention in the ex 4 tended assembled state as shown in Figure 1 can readily be place in a secure manner on sand or stone or any other surface desired along side the user and the board 3 be brought into any convenient position for the user by pivoting at least the lower most arm member 4 about the longitudinal axis through the socket 15 and by pivoting the other arm members 4 about their respective joints 5 to bring the support surface board 3 into the desired position for use. Of course the board 3 can be pivotly tilted relative to the outermost arm member 4 by means of the pivot 7.

To collapse the assembly it is merely necessary for the board 3 to be removed from the clip 6, for the arm means to be lifted out of the socket 15 and for the liquid or particulate material forming the counter weight to be removed from the case forming the base 11.

The arm means can then be collapsed on itself by means of its joints 5 and placed in the empty case as illustrated in Figure 2. The board 3 can likewise be placed in the empty case together with the bag or bags and the socket 15 which may or may not be removed from its attachment to the case wall 16. Depending upon the size of the case forming the base 11 it is also possible-that further room remains within the case sufficient to accommodate a book or books and any other items such as sun glasses, sun oil and the like which may be required on a beach. In the closed disassembled position of the assembly the hole 14can be plugged by means of a removable plug (not shown). If required the assembly of the invention can be used wherever required such as in a bedroom by a bed or in a living room by a chair or sofa. This conaiderably extends the usefulness of the assembly which is thus suitable for use both outdoors and indoors where required.

Claims

1. A portable, collapsible, support assembly for reading or writing matter such as a book, magazine or letter, including a support surface on which an article to be read or written on can be placed, elongated arm means to one end of which the support surface is releasably attachable, and a base to which the other end of the arm means can be releasably secured, said base being in the form of a portable container into which liquid or particulate material such as water, earth, sand or the like can removably be placed to provide a counter weight for the extended arm means and assembled support surface, and into which, when the counter weight material has been removed, the collapsed arm means and disassembled support surface can removably be placed for carrying purposes.

2. A support assembly according to claim 1, wherein the support surface is a board releasably attachable to said one end of the arm means, which board carries a releasable clip and/or resilient loop means operable releasibly to secure the article to the board in a manner such as to permit a page to be secured, released, turned over and resecured to the board.

3. A support assembly according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the support surface is releasably attachable to said one end of the arm means by slotting at one edge into a channellike clip secured to said one end of the arm means.

4. A support assembly according to claim 3, wherein the channel-like clip is attached to the arm means end via a pivot or joint operable to permit the clip and hence the support surface when attached thereto, to be pivoted about the longitudinal axis of the arm means portions adjoining the pivot or joint and releasably held at different angular positions relative to said longitudinal axis and to a user of the assembly.

5. A support assernbly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the arm means is in the form of at least two elongated, substantially rigid, arm members, made for example of metal and/or plastics material, connected in end-to-end relationship by a lockable, releasable, joint to enable the two arm members to be releasably adjusted to any desired angular relationship relative to one another.

6. A support assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the arm means is a single elongated flexible arm member which can be bent at any point along its length out of a straight line to cause the two ends of the arm means to take up any desired angular relationship relative to one another.

7. A support assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the base is in the form of an attache case or the like which has substantially rigid walls, a carrying handle and a substantially rigid openable and closeable lid.

8. A support assembly according to claim 7, wherein the other end of the arm means is releasably secured to the case by removable insertion through a hole in the closed lid into a socket attached to or forming part of the interior surface of the case wail opposite to the lid.

9. A support assembly according to claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the assembly includes one or more flexible containers, conveniently made of plastics, such as a plastics bag or bags into which the counter weight material may removably be filled, and the bag or bags placed in the case, said bag or bags reducing damage to the case interior by the counter weight material.

10. A portable, collapsible, support assembly for reading or writing matter such as a book, magazine or letter, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.