AU700469B2

AU700469B2 - Portable easel

Info

Publication number: AU700469B2
Application number: AU24657/97A
Authority: AU
Inventors: R. Gilbert; Sara E. Green; John Jepsen; Michael Rellinger
Original assignee: Quartet Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: Quartet Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1993-06-09
Filing date: 1997-06-02
Publication date: 1999-01-07
Anticipated expiration: 2014-05-27
Also published as: AU2465797A

Description

P:\WPDO., YS\SPECIE\642639.DIV -2/11/98 -1- PORTABLE EASEL This invention relates to a portable easel.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a portable easel comprising a base pedestal portion having leg means pivotally mounted on and foldable toward and away from said base pedestal portion for securing said base pedestal portion upright on a surface; a display portion telescopically engaged with said base pedestal portion and having means for removably securing thereon display materials; S 10 said portions being movable relative to one another into extended and collapsed positions; S• said portions having cooperating interlocking means for securing said portions in one tier of a plurality of selected positions when said leg means are pivoted and folded away from said base pedestal portion; at least one of said portions comprising a hollow body having spaced apart walls, said walls having reinforcing recesses and wall surfaces arranged to provide rigidity across said body.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a portable easel Scomprising 0005 20 a base pedestal portion having leg means mounted thereon movable for securing said V S base pedestal portion upright on a surface; a display portion engaged with said base pedestal portion and having means for removably securing thereon display materials; said portions being movable relative to one another into extended and collapsed positions; said portions having cooperating interlocking means for securing said portions in one of a plurality of selected positions; said portions each comprising a hollow body having spaced apart walls closed at their edges, said walls having reinforcing recesses and wall surfaces arranged to provide rigidity j. .40 across said body.

n P:\WPDOCS\DYS\SPCIE\642639.DV 2/6/97 -2- Preferred embodiments of the invention will be hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an easel embodying the present invention, showing the easel in extended position ready for use.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the easel shown in Figure 1, except it has been collapsed for use on a table or for storage or transportation (when the legs are folded against the pedestal base portion).

Figure 3 is an enlarged front elevational view of the easel embodying the invention shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a rear elevation view of the easel shown in Figure 3, with parts of the upper easel section being broken away.

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the easel shown in Figure 3, with the legs extended.

Figure 6 is a sectional view of the pedestal base portion of the easel taken on line 6-6 of 20 Figure 4.

Figure 7 is another sectional view of the pedestal base portion of the easel taken on line 7-7 of Figure 4.

Figure 8a is a sectional view of the easel taken on line 8a- 8a of Figure 4.

Figure 8b is a sectional view of the easel taken on line 8b 8b of Figure 4, said line being a continuation of line 8a 8a (without the pad clamp).

Figure 9 is top plan view of the easel shown in Figure 4 (without the pad clamp).

P:\WPDOCS\DYS\SPECIE\642639.DIV -216/97 -3- Figure 10 is a sectional view of the of the easel taken on line 10 10 of Figure 4.

Figure 11 is a view of the easel taken on line 11 11 of Figure 4, taken partially in section.

Figure 12 is a detail sectional view of the leg locking structure for the easel when collapsed for table top use as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 13 is a detail sectional view of the leg locking structure similar to Figure 12, 10 except showing the easel in extended position of Figure 5, taken on line 13 13 thereof Figure 14 is a fractional detail sectional view of the upper part of the display portion of the easel, showing the pad clamp and associated spring clip structure.

15 Figure 15 is a detail schematic view of the toggle and leg movement relative to the pedestal base portion of the easel.

With reference to Figures 1 5 of the accompanying drawings, the easel 10 has a pedestal base portion 11 and a display portion 12, upon which a pad of paper P may be affixed or indicia o• 20 placed thereon for display to a group of people in a conference or meeting situation.

Preferably, the pedestal base portion 11 has spaced apart feet 13 and upright members 14, which may be bridged by the upper portion thereof defining compartments 15 for holding markers, tape and the like. Telescoped into the pedestal base portion 11, is the display portion 12, and this pedestal base portion has unitary front and rear walls, 16 and 17, respectively (see Figs. 6 and Legs 18 are arranged and foldable into corresponding grooves 19 on the rear wall 17 of the pedestal base portion 11.

A flat display board 20 is on one face of the display portion 12, and is intended to back up a writing pad P or other display. A spring clamp assembly 21 is secured to an upper edge of the display board 20 so that a pad P may be clipped by the spring clamp assembly to the P:\WPDOCS\DYS\SPECIE\642639.DIV -2/6/97 -4display board 20 for securing the pad P thereon in a way for pages of the pad to be flipped over the top 22 of the board. Lifting handles 23 may be molded into side edges 24 of the display portion 12 for easy and balanced lifting and collapsing of the display portion relative to the pedestal base portion 11.

The legs 18 are preferably tubular and U-shaped and have a bottom member 25 bridging upright side members 26 which are pivotally secured to the rear wall 17 of the pedestal base portion 11 by means of upper toggle bracket assemblies 27 through short toggle links 27a, preferably screw mounted to the rear wall and leg. The side leg members 26 also are secured 10 to the rear wall 17 by lover toggle bracket assemblies 28, preferably also screw mounted to the rear wall and leg, through long toggle links 29, which define arcs for moving the legs 18 toward oooo and away from the pedestal base portion 11 during set up and storage of the easel 10, as shown schematically in Figure 15, which depict the movement of the legs from position 1 to position 2, and vice versa, in the direction of the respective arrows, as the leg ends 51 are articulated into S1"" 5 and out of the apertures 52, in a manner and for a purpose hereafter discussed. Preferably, the leg side members 26 have an integral cross member 30 at the connection of the toggle links 29 to provide rigidity of the structure when set up.

The rear wall 17 of the pedestal base has several recess and protrusions. Recesses 31 20 provide handles for carry the easel 10 selectively from either side of the easel when collapsed.

Recess 32 provides a handle for carry the easel by the leg cross member 30 in an upright position when collapsed. Recess 33 provides rigidity to the pedestal base portion 11 and includes kiss-offs or stress absorbing wells 33a for absorbing strain during collapse and extension of the display portion relative to the base portion. Bottom recess 34 may be used for grasping the legs 18 and pulling them out of the leg recesses during set up. Leg cross member protrusions act as guides for properly seating the leg cross member 30 when the legs are closed against the pedestal base portion in the leg recesses 19. A rounded protrusion 36 having an inverted V shaped cross section is arranged across the lower side of the rear wall and reinforces the wall 17.

With reference to the display portion 12, its rear wall 37 is unitary with the front wall p:\WPDOCS\DYS\SPECIE\642639.DIV 2/6/97 forcing the display board 20, the rear wall has a plurality of ribs 38 and stress absorbing wells 39, which stiffen and space apart the front display board 20 and rear wall 37 and absorb stress during extension and collapse of the base and display portions 11 and 12, respectively. On each side of and between the ribs 38, are a plurality of ramps 40 which when the easel is assembled preferably have a steeper taper in the direction of the feet 13 and a relatively more shallow taper in the direction of the top of the display board, and below each of these ramps 40 is a stress absorbing well 41.

A ledge 43 may be provided on the bottom edge of the display board 20 which can act 10 as a lip for balancing a marker when the easel 10 is in use, and this ledge 43 also interlocks with rounded protrusion 36 on the rear wall 17 of the pedestal base portion 11 when collapsed; and °the upper face of the board top 22 has a recess 42 which corresponds to a protrusion 43a on the eec.

rear wall 17 of the pedestal base portion 11. Thus, like easels can be stacked interlock and be retained in a stack while being transported.

The spring clamp assembly 21 is preferably screw mounted to the front wall of the display board 20 and may have posts 44 having free ends over which drilled holes H in the pad are installed, and this assembly preferably comprises an inverted L Shaped clamp plate 45 arranged over the face of the board 20 for holding the upper edge of the pad P and a backer strip 46 which 20 has a spring 47 urging the plate 45 over the pad toward the strip 46.

As shown in Figures 9 11, the rear wall 37 of the display portion 12 is formed with spaced apart vertically arranged tracks 48 and ridges 49, and the pedestal base portion 11 has inside edge member 50 formed corresponding to and interlocking with the tracks 48 and ridges 49 for sliding the display portion 12 upwardly or downwardly along the inside edge members relative to the display portion 12 for elevating or lower the display portion.

With reference to Figures 12 and 13, means is provided for securing the display portion 12 relative to the pedestal base portion 11, either in extended floor mounted position as shown in Figure 1 or in telescoped table mounted position shown in Figure 2, respectively. In either position, the legs 18 are articulated, by the toggle links 27a and 29 held by upper and lower p:\WPDOCS\DYS\SPECIE\642639.DIV -2/6/97 -6brackets 27 and 28, respectively, when folded away from the pedestal base portion 11 (see Figure 15), in position as shown in Figures 12 or 13, so that the ends 51 of the leg side members 26 obliquely extend through an aperture 52 through the pedestal base portion 11 and come to rest against an angularly tapered wall 53 of the aperture clearing upper wall 54.

The rear wall 37 of the display portion 11 has formed in it two sets of wedge shaped notches, one set arranged near the top 55 and the other set arranged near the bottom 56 of the display portion rear wall 37, each vertically and horizontally aligned, for receiving the leg ends 51, thus locking the display portion relative to the base portion selectively in the table top position shown in Figure 12 (using the top set 55 of notches) or the floor position shown in Figure 13 (using the bottom set 56 of notches).

S: In addition to the ramps 40 previously described for slowing down the movement of the display portion 12 as it slides downwardly on the pedestal base portion 11, bars 57 may be 15 formed on the front wall 16 of the base portion, above the apertures 52, and corresponding bumps 58 may be formed in the rear wall 37 of the display portion to restrict the movement of the display portion 12 downwardly on the base portion 11 and to help hold the portions in position once adjusted, as shown in Figures 12 and 13.

.i 20 Also, when the display portion 12 is telescoped downwardly over the base pedestal portion 11 in the manner described, the compartments 15 are closed and covered by the display portion. Thus, materials stored in these compartments may be safely stored, transported and reused when the easel are needed again.

Normally, easels 10 are stored in the position shown in Figure 2, except the legs 18 are folded against the leg recess 19, laid horizontally stacked one easel upon the next easel, so that they interlock, as described, for stability. The upper easel is removed from the pile, and its display portion 12 may be extended, as shown in Figure 1, if used on a floor, or telescoped, if used on a table, as shown in Figure 2, with the legs folded away from the pedestal base 11 and in interlocked position with the display portion 12, as shown in Figures 12 and 13, respectively.

A change from floor mount to table amount, or vice versa, may be easily accomplished, by ',WPDOCS\DYS\SPECIE\642639.DIV- 2/11.

-7slightly folding the leg ends 51 to clear the notches 55 or 56, moving the board 20 upwardly or downwardly, and re-locking the leg ends into the corresponding notches.

While a preferred embodiment of the novel easel has been shown, many variations and changes may be made in the structure, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Accordingly it is not desire that the invention should be limited to the exact construction described.

Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context requires 10 otherwise, the word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" or comprising" will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.

1 *o*oo P:\WPDOCS\DYS\SPECIE\642639.D" -2/11/98 -8- THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS: I. A portable easel comprising a base pedestal portion having leg means pivotally mounted on and foldable toward and away from said base pedestal portion for securing said base pedestal portion upright on a surface; a display portion telescopically engaged with said base pedestal portion and having means for removably securing thereon display materials; said portions being movable relative to one another into extended and collapsed 10 positions; said portions having cooperating interlocking means for securing said portions in one of a plurality of selected positions when said leg means are pivoted and folded away from said "base pedestal portion; at least one of said portions comprising a hollow body having spaced apart walls, said 15 walls having reinforcing recesses and wall surfaces arranged to provide rigidity across said body.

2. The easel recited in claim 1, wherein said portions are each formed of unitary blow 0000 molded plastic material.

3. The easel recited in claim 1, wherein said portions have means for interlocking like easels, one stacked upon another easel for transportation and storage.

4. The easel recited in claim 1, wherein said interlocking means has an aperture through said pedestal base portion and notches aligned with said aperture in said display portion.

The easel recited in claim 4, wherein said interlocking means has articulating means for moving a part of said leg means through said apertures and into a corresponding notch to secure said portions in selected position.

Claims

6. The easel recited in claim 1, wherein said base pedestal portion has integral handle means which may be grasped when said easel is in collapsed condition.
7. The easel recited in claim 1, wherein said hollow portion has rib and well means to reinforce said portion.
8. The easel recited in claim 1, wherein said display portion has a flat board surface on a side opposed to the leg means on said base pedestal portion. S 10 9. The easel recited in claim 8, wherein the edges of said display portion intermediate said board surface have opposed gripping handles for telescoping said portion into extended and o collapsed condition. The easel recited in claim 8, wherein one edge of said board surface has a clamp 15 assembly for securing display materials to said surface.
11. The easel recited in claim 10, wherein said clamp assembly has a post element for securing a drilled pad to said surface.
12. The easel recited in claim 10, wherein said clamp assembly comprises a clip member arranged over a backer strip for holding said display material in position.
13. The easel recited in claim 12, wherein said clamp assembly has a spring member interspaced between said clip member and backer strip for urging said clip member against said board surface.
14. The easel recited in claim 1 wherein said pedestal base portion has integral compartments which are open when said portions are extended and closed when said portion are in collapsed position. P:\WPDOCS\DYS\SPECIE\642639.DV -2/11/98 The easel recited in claim 1, wherein said base pedestal portion and said display portion both comprise hollow bodies having space apart walls with reinforcing recesses and wall surfaces arranged to provide rigidity across each of said bodies.
16. The easel recited in claim 1, wherein said hollow body has finished edges.
17. The portable easel comprising a base pedestal portion having leg means mounted thereon movable for securing said base pedestal portion upright on a surface; 10 a display portion engaged with said base pedestal portion and having means for removably securing thereon display materials; said portions being movable relative to one another into extended and collapsed S.i positions; said portions having cooperating interlocking means for securing said portions 15 in one of a plurality of selected positions; said portions each comprising a hollow body having spaced apart walls closed at their edges, said walls having reinforcing recesses and wall surfaces arranged to provide rigidity across said body. 4444
18. The easel recited in claim 17, with the addition of members associated with said leg means for holding said easel upright in selected extended or collapsed position.
19. The easel recited in claim 18, wherein said leg means are associated with said interlocking means and removably secure said portions together when in selected position. The easel recited in claim 17, with the addition of ramp and bar means on said portion for restricting movement of said display portion relative to said base portion during movement of said portions in one direction but which do not interfere with movement of said portions in f/A lopposed direction. P:\WVPD0CS\DYS\SPECll3\6426-? 2/1 1/98 Dated this 30th day of October, 1998 QUARTER MANUFACTURING COMPANY By Their Patent Attorneys DAVIES COLLISON CAVE P:\WPDOCS\DYSSPEC1E\642639.DIV -2/6/97 ABSTRACT A portable flipchart plastic blow molded easel having a display portion telescopically arranged on a pedestal base portion having legs pivotally secured to and foldable away from the base portion for holding the easel upright, the legs and portions having cooperating interconnected means for securing the easel in selected extended or collapsed condition, for table top or floor use and having nesting structure for holding like collapsed easels stacked together during transport and storage. *so *ft