GB2276348A - Bracket-mounted clipboard. - Google Patents

Abstract

A clipboard comprises a body (1) having a socket (4) and a separable mounting bracket having a two tongues (6, 7) of different length, each of which tongues is complementary to the socket (4). When the shorter tongue (7) is engaged in the socket (4) the bracket is adapted to be mounted to a shopping trolley (i.e. either with the edge rail of the basket engaged between lugs (8) and the longer tongue (7), and with the longer tongue (7) itself resting on the inner surface of the basket to stabilise the clipboard against tilting; or with the tongue (7) engaged with a dedicated complementary formation on the trolley). When the longer tongue (6) is engaged with the socket (4) the bracket is adapted to cooperate with a complementary further bracket (14, Figs 5 and 6, not shown) which may be secured to a wall by adhesive. In this configuration the lugs (9) may serve as a pencil holder. An embodiment is shown in which the tongued bracket is provided with a cord loop whereby the clipboard may be worn round the neck of a user. <IMAGE>

Description

TITLE Improvements in or relating to Clip Boards This invention relates to improvements in or relating to clipboards and is primarily, but not essentially, concerned with a clipboard for retaining a sheet of printed matter and wherein means are provided to enable the clipboard to be mounted on a shopper's trolley, basket or the like to form an aide memoir.

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide a clipboard assembly which may be mounted on or dismounted from a shopper's trolley using a simple constructional means.

It is a further object to provide a clipboard which may be mounted easily and in a stable manner on a shopper's trolley and, as an alternative, may be used in the home by mounting to a wall.

In accordance with this invention there is provided a clipboard assembly comprising a support board to receive a note pad or the like on a flat face surface thereof and a support bracket with opposed tongues which may be selectively engaged with a slot in a lower side edge of the board, one of said tongues forming, in combination with spaced depending lugs, a channel to engage the top rail of a shopper's trolley with the tongue being adapted to contact a lower part of said trolley frame to provide stability against pivotal movement about the top rail.

In a preferred embodiment each tongue is capable of engagement with the slot with the one tongue being substantially longer than the other tongue. With such an arrangement the bracket may be stowed on the clipboard when same is not in use by engaging the one (longer) tongue with the slot with detent or friction means being provided to retain the bracket engaged with the slot in the clipboard.

When in such a position and in a further embodiment the other (smaller) tongue may be adapted to engage an elongate slot in a supporting bracket which may be secured to a suitable surface such as a wall. The respective planes on which each tongue lies may be at a mutually obtuse angle whereby in use the clipboard, when connected with the other tongue, leans back whereby the one tongue is caused to bear against the frame of the trolley or other support.

This invention is further described and illustrated with reference to a preferred embodiment shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 shows the clipboard in perspective view, Figure 2 shows the supporting bracket in perspective view and disengaged from the clipboard, Figure 3 shows a rear view of the clipboard assembly showing the slot and the supporting bracket, Figure 4 shows the assembly mounted on a shopper's trolley, Figure 5 shows the assembly and supporting bracket for mounting on a wall surface, Figure 6 shows the assembly and wall bracket connected together, Figure 7 shows the assembly in cross-section on 7-7 of Figure 4 and mounted on a shopper's trolley, Figures 8a to 8c show sections on 8-8 of Figure 3, with different configurations for keying the tongue on the board, Figure 9 shows the clipboard and bracket being assembled for wall mounting, Figure 10 shows the clipboard and bracket being assembled for trolley mounting, Figure 11 shows an alternative use, and Figure 12 shows a section on 12-12 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings, and in particular Figures 1 and 2, the clipboard assembly comprises a rigid rectangular support board 1 having an integral top portion which may be flexed forming a spring clip member 2 serving to secure paper or the like sheets 16 comprising a shopper's list on the flat face surface la.

Adjacent the lower edge 3 of the board and on the rear surface thereof is provided an elongate slot 4 which is defined by a moulded bar 5 which could be pressed out of the material of the clipboard 1 if required. A supporting bracket, as shown in Figure 2, comprises one elongate (longer) tongue 6 and an opposed second (shorter) tongue 7 extending from opposite directions of a connecting strip 8. The strip 8 also has spaced depending lugs 9 which define, in combination with tongue 6, a channel 10 which is profiled to snap-engage and seat over the top rail 11 of a shopper's trolley 12 (see Figure 4).

The shorter tongue 7, as may be seen from the drawing, is at an obtuse angle in relation to the tongue 6 and is adapted to engage the slot 4 on the clipboard.

The length of the tongue 6 is such that same may bear firmly against a lower rail part 13 of the frame of the trolley 12 to provide stability.

When the clipboard is not in use on a shopper's trolley, then tongue 7 may be disengaged from slot 4 and tongue 6 engaged with the said slot so that the bracket can be stowed at the base 3 of the clipboard 1. In such a position, the lugs 9 will be upstanding and form tabs which serve as a pen holder (see Figures 5, 6, 9 and 11). In addition, and as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the shorter tongue 7, which is now protruding from the base 3 of the clipboard 1, may be arranged to engage a slot in a wall bracket 14.

As shown more clearly in Figures 3 and 12 the slot 4 is formed by a bar 5 integrally moulded with the board 1 and there are provided also two laterally extending ribs Sa. These ribs afford strengthening as well as defining an area into which a respective tongue 6 or 7 may locate with lateral stability.

Referring now to Figure 8 of the drawings, modifications are shown whereby insertion of a tongue 6 or 7 may only be made in the correct sense. As shown in Figure 8a, this is achieved by means of a groove in a surface of the tongue 6 or 7 which engages a central projecting rib 80 on the rear of the board 1. In Figure 8b a similar effect is achieved by angling the side edges of the tongues 6 and 7 which cooperate with undercut parts on the ribs 5a to form a dovetailed connection.

In Figure 8c a further arrangement is shown wherein the rear of the board 1 between the ribs 5a is convexly curved and cooperates with a complementary concavity on the face of the tongue 6 or 7. Other means may be provided such as a projection on the crossbar 5 forming the slot which engages a groove in the relevant surface of the tongue 6 or 7.

In a further construction not shown, the strip 8 with tongue 7 may be a part which is semi-permanently snap connected or otherwise secured to the top rail 11 of a trolley, thus the trolley 12 may be permanently provided with the necessary tongue structure 7 which receives the clipboard 1. A further embodiment of this invention, as shown in Figure 11, provides for the tongue 7 to include suitable apertures to which may be secured a cord or chain 70 whereby the clipboard may be worn around the neck.

The tongues 6 and 7 may include projections or pips 61 and 71 and as shown in Figure 3. The purpose of these is to ensure that the relevant tongue is retained whereby a positive force must be applied to engage the tongue fully into the slot 4 and to disengage same. In this embodiment such engagement is achieved by virtue of the pips firstly deforming the bar 5 and thereafter engaging behind the bar, whereby a positive force is required to disengage the two parts.

An alternative arrangement provides for the tongues 6 and 7 with strip 8 to he pivotally mounted to the lower edge of the board whereby the tongue assembly may be rotated on the board so as to present one or other of the tongues 6 or 7 in the required position for engagement with the trolley 12 or with the wall bracket 14. Such an arrangement would then not require a slot 4 in the lower edge of the board 1.

As shown in Figure 5, the wall mounting bracket 14 may include a self-adhesive pad 14a to secure same to a flat surface such as a wall and furthermore, the rear of the clipboard 1, as shown in Figure 3, may include a magnetic rubber material lc by which the pad may be attached to a suitable ferro-magnetic surface such as a refrigerator.

As shown in the drawings and in particular Figures 1 and 3, the clip member 2 comprises an integrally moulded part and where the construction is of a plastics material the inherent resiliency enables the top of the clip to be flexed sufficiently for a notepad or the like to be slipped under the retaining portion 2a and on release, the pad will then be firmly held.

The construction according to this invention thereby provides a convenient clipboard on which a shopping list may be retained and used in the home and which may be displayed in a prominent position using the wall bracket 14 of Figure 5. The clipboard may then be used on a shopper's trolley 12 by means of the supporting bracket which can be removed from stowage on the clipboard and reversed so that tongue 7 engages slot 4.

Claims (13)

1. A clipboard assembly comprising a support board to receive a note pad or the like on a flat face surface thereof and a support bracket with opposed tongues which may be selectively engaged with a slot in a lower side edge of the board, one of said tongues forming, in combination with spaced depending lugs, a channel to engage the top rail of a shopper's trolley with the tongue being adapted to contact a lower part of said trolley frame to provide stability against pivotal movement about the top rail.

2. An assembly in accordance with Claim 1, wherein each tongue is capable of engagement with the slot with the one tongue being substantially longer than the other tongue.

3. An assembly in accordance with Claim 2, wherein the bracket may be stowed on the clipboard when same is not in use by engaging the one (longer) tongue with the slot with detent or friction means being provided to retain the bracket engaged with the slot in the clipboard.

4. An assembly in accordance with any preceding claim, wherein the other (smaller) tongue may be adapted to engage an elongate slot in a supporting bracket which may be secured to a suitable surface such as a wall.

5. An assembly in accordance with any preceding claim, wherein the respective planes on which each tongue lies are at a mutually obtuse angle whereby in use the clipboard, when connected with the other tongue, leans back such that the one tongue is caused to bear against the frame of the trolley or other support.

6. An assembly in accordance with any preceding claim, wherein lugs are spaced each side of the one tongue and displaced from the plane thereof to define a channel to engage said top rail, the lugs having an arcuate profile to conform with the surface of said top rail.

7. An assembly in accordance with Claim 6, wherein the lugs are profiled such that the bracket snap-engages the said top rail.

8. An assembly in accordance with any preceding claim, wherein the side edge of the board opposed to the edge having the slot includes an integral note pad or the like clamping clip.

9. An assembly in accordance with any preceding claim, wherein ribs extend from the slot on the rear surface of the board and define guides for the relevant tongue restraining same against sideways movement.

10. An assembly in accordance with any preceding claim, wherein the slot is defined by a bar extending across part of the rear surface of the board and upstanding therefrom.

11. An assembly in accordance with any preceding claim, wherein the support bracket comprises an elongate strip, one tongue projecting to one side thereof from a first edge, another tongue projecting to the other side thereof from a second and opposed edge, a lug spaced to each side of said other tongue on said second edge and projecting to said one side of the strip, the said one tongue and said lugs defining a channel coextensive with said strip to engage said top rail with deformation allowing snapengagement therewith.

12. A clipboard assembly constructed and arranged to function substantially as described herein and as exemplified in the drawings.

13. In combination a shopper's trolley and a clipboard as described herein and exemplified.