WO1999036274A1

WO1999036274A1 - Portable easel assembly

Info

Publication number: WO1999036274A1
Application number: PCT/US1998/011918
Authority: WO
Inventors: David C. Kramlich
Original assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: 3M Co
Priority date: 1998-01-16
Filing date: 1998-06-10
Publication date: 1999-07-22
Anticipated expiration: 2000-07-16

Abstract

A portable easel assembly (10) including a stack of sheets (12); and a fiberboard support portion including first and second rectangular major panels at least as large as the sheets. Edges of those major panels are joined at a first bend line, and the opposite edge of the second major panel is joined to a third panel at a second bend line. The stack of sheets is attached to one of the major panels, and the support member can be bent along the bend lines between (1) a use position with portions of a first major surface (15) on the major panels facing each other and a first tab portion on the third panel in a tab receiving opening in the first panel to dispose the major panels at an acute angle with respect to each other so that the easel assembly can be supported on a horizontal surface with the stack of sheets positioned to receive and display data; and (2) a storage position with portions of a second major surface (16) on the major panels (18, 20) parallel and facing each other on opposite sides of the stack of sheets and the third panel. The third panel and one of the major panels have handle openings that align in the storage position of the support member, and the other of the major panels has a second tab portion that, in that storage position can be moved through and releasably retained in that position to releasably retain the support member in its storage position.

Description

PORTABLE EASEL ASSEMBLY

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to portable easel assemblies of the type including a support portion used to support a pad of sheets in a position where information can be written on the sheets during a meeting so that it can be seen and reviewed by those attending the meeting; and in particular, to such easel assemblies that are adapted to be supported on a horizontal surface such as the top surface of a table or desk.

Background of the Invention

Presently there exist portable and disposable easel assemblies including support portions of fiberboard that can be positioned on a horizontal surface (e.g., the top surface of a desk or table) and used to support pads of sheets in a position where information can be written on the sheets with felt tip pens or the like. The easel assembly commercially designated "Tabletop Flip Chart Pad and Easel Combo" that is available from AmPad Corp., Dallas, TX, and the easel assembly commercially designated "Static Images Presentation Sheets" that is available from Avery-Dennison, Farmington, MA, provide illustrative examples. Such easel assemblies are typically used during a meeting so that information written on the sheets can be seen and reviewed by those attending the meeting. Typically, one or more sheets with information written on them are removed from the pad and attached to a vertical surface such as the wall of the meeting room so that a large amount of information can be reviewed at one time. Such portable and disposable easel assemblies provide the advantages over more permanent easel assemblies with support members of metal or polymeric material of being portable and relatively inexpensive. Known portable and disposable easel assemblies, however, provide the disadvantages (1) of having a support surface for the pad that is not continuous or free of openings so that a person using the easel assembly may have to write on an uneven surface, particularly when only a few sheets remain on the pad, and/or (2) (because of their light weight) of being too easily moved along the surface on which they are supported either because of forces applied by writing on the pad, or when inadvertent contact is made with the easel assembly, and/or, (3) when not in use, of being in a configuration that is not as convenient to handle as may be desired.

Disclosure of the Invention

The present invention provides a relatively inexpensive portable and disposable easel assembly including a support portion of fiberboard that can be positioned on a horizontal surface (e.g., the top surface of a desk or table) to support a pad of sheets on a continuous support surface in a position where information can be written on the sheets with felt tip pens. The easel assembly can restrict movement along a surface on which it is supported when forces are applied to it by writing on the pad or by inadvertent contact, and, when not in use, the easel assembly is in a configuration that is very convenient to handle compared to other known portable easel assemblies.

According to the present invention there is provided an easel assembly comprising a stack or pad of sheets; and a support portion that can be formed from a sheet of fiberboard. The support portion has first and second major surfaces and includes first and second similarly sized major panels at least as large as the sheets in the stack, and a third panel. One edge of the first major panel is joined to one edge of the second major panel at a first bend line along which the support portion can be bent, and the edge of the second major panel opposite the first major panel is joined to one edge of the third panel at a second bend line at which the support portion also can be bent. The stack of sheets (e.g., a stack of about 20 sheets) is attached to the support portion so that it extends along and is coextensive with the portion of the second surface on one of the major panels. The support portion can be bent along the bend lines to a use position with portions of the first major surface on the major panels facing each other and with a projecting first tab portion on the third panel positioned in a tab receiving opening in the first major panel to dispose the major panels at an acute angle with respect to each other (e.g., 30 degrees) so that the easel assembly can be supported on a horizontal surface with its first bend line uppeπnost and the stack of sheets in a position where sheets on the stack can be used to receive and display data. The support portion can also be bent along the bend lines to a storage position with portions of the second major surface on the major panels facing each other on opposite sides of the stack of sheets and the third panel, and with the major surface portions on the panels generally parallel to each other. The third panel and one of the major panels have through handle openings aligned with each other along the edge of the major panel opposite the first bend line in the storage position of the support portion, and the other of the major panels has through cuts defining a second tab portion that is aligned with the handle openings in the storage position of the support portion. That second tab portion can be bent and moved through the aligned handle openings, and includes means for releasably retaining it in that position to thereby releasably retain the support portion in its storage position. Thus, the sheets are fully supported on the in the support portion while they are being written on, and the easel assembly in its storage position is a relatively thin rectangular package that encloses the stack of sheets and has a convenient handle for carrying it.

To restrict movement of the easel assembly along a surface on which it is supported when forces are applied to it by writing on the pad attached to the second major panel or by inadvertent contact, the easel assembly can optionally be provided with through slots along the second bend line of the support portion and with temporary attachment strips. Each of the temporary attachment strips has a first end portion attached to the support portion along its first surface, extends through one of the slots, and has a second end portion on the side of the slot opposite its first end portion that includes means (e.g., a layer of repositionable pressure sensitive adhesive or a layer of magnetic material) adapted for releasably attaching it to a horizontal surface supporting the easel assembly when it is in its use position.

Brief Description of Drawing

The present invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts in the several views, and wherein: Figure 1 is a top, left, front perspective view of a easel assembly according to the present invention in which the easel assembly is in its use condition, and in which the easel assembly is supported on a horizontal surface such as that of a desk or table; Figure 2 is a top, left, rear perspective view of the easel assembly of Figure

1 in its use condition and supported on the horizontal surface;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the easel assembly of Figure 1 shown with a support member included in the easel assembly disposed with all portions of its opposite major surfaces coplanar; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the easel assembly of Figure 1 in which the easel assembly is in its storage condition;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the easel assembly of Figure 1 in which the easel assembly is in its storage condition;

Figure 5 is a top view of the easel assembly of Figure 1 in its storage condition as illustrated in Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken generally along the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment Referring now to the drawing there is illustrated an easel assembly according to the present invention generally designated by the reference numeral 10.

Generally, the easel assembly 10 comprises a stack or pad of sheets 12 having a first edge 13 along which sheets in the stack are bound together; and a support portion 14 comprising a sheet of fiberboard or other similar material having first and second major surfaces 15 and 16. The support portion 14 includes first and second generally rectangular similarly sized major panel-like portions or panels 18 and 20 each at least as large as the sheets 12 in the stack, and a third panel 22. One edge of the first major panel 18 is joined to one edge of the second major panel 20 at a first bend line 24 along which the support portion 14 can be bent, and an edge of the second major panel 20 opposite the first major panell 8 is joined to one edge of the third panel 22 at a second bend line 26 at which the support portion 14 also can be bent. The first major panel 18 has a through tab receiving opening 28 along and spaced a short distance from an edge of the first major panel 18 opposite the first bend line 24, and the third panel 22 has a first tab portion 30 projecting outwardly along its edge opposite the second bend line 26. The first tab portion 30 is adapted to be received and releasably retained in the tab receiving opening 28 as is illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. The stack of sheets 12 is attached to the support portion 14 with the stack of sheets 12 extending along and coextensive with the portion of the second surface 16 on one of the major panels 18 or 20 (i.e., preferably panel 20 as illustrated) with the first edge 13 of the stack of sheets adjacent the first bend line 24.

The support portion 14 is bendible along the two bend lines 24 and 26 to a use position (see Figures 1 and 2) with portions of its first major surface 15 on the major panels 18 and 20 facing each other and with the first tab portion 30 positioned in the tab receiving opening 28 to dispose the first and second panels 18 and 20 at an acute angle (e.g., 30 degrees) with respect to each other. As can be seen in Figures 1 and 2, in this use position the easel assembly 10 may be supported on a horizontal surface 32 with the first bend line 24 uppermost and the stack of sheets 12 in a position (see Figure 1) where sheets 12 on the stack can be used to receive and display data. With the first tab portion 30 withdrawn from the tab receiving opening 28, the support portion 14 is also bendible along the two bend lines 24 and 26 to a storage position (see Figures 4, 5, and 6) with portions of its second major surface 16 on the first and second panels 18 and 20 facing each other on opposite sides of the stack of sheets 12, with the third panel 22 positioned between the first and second panels 18 and 20, and with the portions of the surfaces 15 and 16 on the panels 18, 20, and 22 generally parallel to each other. The third panel 22 and one of the major panels 18 or 20 (i.e., the first major panel 18 as illustrated) have through handle openings 34 aligned with each other along, parallel to and spaced a short distance from the edge of that major panel 18 opposite the first bend line 24 in the storage position of the support portion 14, and the other of the major panels 18 or 20 (i.e., the second major panel 20 as illustrated) has through cuts between the major surfaces 15 and 16 defining a second tab portion 36 of that other major panel 20. The second tab portion 36 is aligned with the handle openings 34 in the storage position of the support portion 14 as is best seen in Figure 6, the second tab portion 36 is then bendible to a projecting position (see Figure 6) projecting through the aligned handle openings 34, and the second tab portion 36 includes means (later to be explained) for releasably retaining the second tab portion 36 in that projecting position to thereby releasably retain the support portion 14 in its storage position. In the support portion 14 as illustrated, the handle opening 34 in the first major panel 18 is the same opening as the tab receiving opening 28, however alternatively separate openings could be used.

The easel assembly 10 optionally includes means for restricting movement of the easel assembly 10 along a surface 32 on which it is supported when forces are applied to it by writing on the pad of sheets 12 attached to the second major panel 20 or by inadvertent contact with the easel assembly 10. The support portion 14 has two spaced through slots 40 along the second bend line 26, and the easel assembly 10 further comprises temporary attachment strips 42. Each of the attachment strips 42 has a first end portion 43 attached to the support portion 14 along its first surface 15, extends through one of the slots 40, and has a second end portion 44 on the side of the slot 40 opposite its first end portion 43. The attachment strip 42 includes means adapted for releasably attaching its second end portion 44 to a horizontal surface 32 supporting the easel assembly 10 in the use position of the support portion 14. As illustrated the second end portion 44 of each of the attachment strips 42 comprises a coating of repositionable pressures sensitive adhesive providing that means adapted for releasably attaching its second end portion 44, and the second end portions 44 of the attachment strips 42 can be releasably adhered to the second surface 16 of the support portion 14 in its storage position. Alternatively that means adapted for releasably attaching its second end portion 44 could be provided by a strip of magnetic material if the surface 32 on which the easel assembly 10 is to be supported comprises ferrous metal, or could be any other type of fastener suitable for the surface 32 on which the easel assembly 10 is to be supported. The means mentioned above for releasably retaining the second tab portion 36 in its projecting position projecting through the handle openings 34 when the support portion 14 is in its storage position is provided, as can be seen in Figures 3, 5, and 6 by the second tab portion 36 having a proximal part 50 adapted to be received in the handle openings 34 and a distal part 52 having a normal shape with a width measured parallel to the bend lines 24 and 26 that is wider than the maximum width of the handle openings 34. The distal part 52 of the second tab portion 36 is bendible somewhat resiliently about a crease 54 to a modified shape affording movement of the second tab portion 36 through the handle openings 34, and is bendible back to its normal shape with the proximal part 50 of the second tab portion 36 projecting through the handle openings 34 so that the distal part 52 engages the first surface 15 of the first major panel 18 and thereby releasably latches the support portion 14 in its storage position. The handle openings 34 are generally trapezoidal in shape having spaced parallel sides generally parallel to the bend lines 24 and 26 and diverging sides between those parallel sides. The spacings between the parallel sides and diverging sides on the handle openings 34 are sufficient for a person to comfortably insert his or her hand through them at the same time that the second tab portion 36 extends through them, and the spacing between the parallel sides is also sufficient to pass the distal part 52 of the second tab portion 36 when it is bent about the crease 54.

Means are also provided for releasably retaining the first tab portion 30 in its position in the tab receiving opening 28 when the support portion 14 is in its use position. The first tab portion 30 has a proximal part 60 adapted to be received in the tab receiving opening 28 and a distal part 62 having a normal shape with a width along the surfaces 15 and 16 measured parallel to the bend lines 14 and 16 that is wider than the maximum width of the tab receiving opening 28. The distal part 62 is bendible along a crease 64 to a modified shape affording movement of the first tab portion 30 through the tab receiving opening 28, and is bendible back to its normal shape with the proximal part 60 of the first tab portion 30 projecting through the tab receiving opening 28 so that the distal part 62 will engage the surface 15 and releasably retain the first tab portion 30 in the tab receiving opening 28. The tab receiving opening 28 is generally trapezoidal in shape having spaced parallel sides generally parallel to the bend lines 24 and 26 and diverging sides between those parallel sides. The spacing between the parallel sides is sufficient to pass the distal part 62 of the first tab portion when it is sufficiently bent about the cease 64.

Preferably, the stack of sheets 12 consists of a relatively small number of paper sheets 12 (e.g., 45 pound paper) such as between fifteen to thirty sheets, with a stack consisting of about twenty sheets 12 being preferred. Alternatively, the sheets 12 in the stack could be of other materials such as polymeric films or any other materials on which graphics can be written. Also, preferably each sheet 12 in the stack has a layer of repositionable pressure sensitive adhesive along its rear surface (e.g., the adhesive being in a one inch wide stripe parallel to and spaced a short distance from the first edge 13 of the stack). The end portions of the sheets adjacent the first edge 13 can be fastened together by staples, padding compound, or other suitable means that are known in the sheet padding art, and the sheets may be perforated adjacent those bound end portions to facilitate separating sheets from the pad of sheets. The sheets 12 if of paper can be coated with a suitable bleed through resistant coating to restrict absorption of ink from felt tip pens and the like, such as the flouro chemical sold under the trade designation "FC807A" by Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, St. Paul, MN. The repositionable pressure sensitive adhesive used along the rear surfaces of the sheets can be that described in International Published Patent Application No. WO 94/19420, published September 1, 1994, the content whereof is hereby incorporated herein by reference, and the sheets 12 may be coated as needed with a release agent of the type described in that application.

As an example, the support portion 14 can be made of 200 pound "B" flute corrugated fiberboard, however other materials including sheets of polymeric materials could be used. The first and second panels 18 and 20 can have lengths of about 28 inches (71 centimeters) and widths of about 20 inches (51 centimeters) to support a pad of sheets 12 having lengths of about 24 inches (61 centimeters) and widths of about 20 inches (51 centimeters), and the third panel 22 can be sized to dispose the panels 18 and 20 at an included angle of about 30 degrees when the support portion 14 is in its use position.

The present invention has now been described with reference to one embodiment and several possible modifications thereof. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes can be made in the embodiment described without departing from the scope of the present invention. Thus, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the structure and its use described in this application, but only by the structures and their uses described by the language of the claims and the equivalents thereof.

Claims

What is Claimed is:

1. An easel assembly comprising: a stack of sheets adapted to be written on, said sheets having major surfaces of a predetermined size; and a support portion comprising a sheet of stiff material having first and second major surfaces and including first and second generally rectangular similarly sized major panels having a size at least as large as that of said stack of sheets, and a third panel, each of said panels having opposite edges spaced along said surfaces with one edge of said first major panel being joined to one edge of said second major panel at a first bend line along which the support portion can be bent, and the edge of said second major panel opposite said first major panel being joined to one edge of said third panel at a second bend line along which the support portion can be bent, said first major panel having a through tab receiving opening along the edge of said first major panel opposite said first bend line, and said third panel having a projecting first tab portion along the edge of said third panel opposite said second bend line adapted to be received in said tab receiving opening, said stack of sheets being attached to said support portion with said stack of sheets extending along and coextensive with the portion of said second surface on one of said major panels, said support portion being bendible along said bend lines between (1) a use position with portions of said first major surface on said major panels facing each other and said first tab portion positioned in said tab receiving opening to dispose said first and second panels at an acute angle with respect to each other so that the easel assembly may be supported on a horizontal surface with said first bend line uppermost and said stack of sheets in a position where sheets on the stack can be used to receive and display data, and (2) a storage position with portions of said second major surface on said first and second panels facing each other on opposite sides of said stack of sheets, with said third panel positioned between said first and second panels, and with the surface portions on said panels generally parallel to each other, said third panel and one of said major panels having through handle openings aligned with each other along the edge of the major panel opposite the first bend line in the storage position of said support portion, and the other of the major panels having through cuts between said major surfaces defining a second tab portion of said other of the major panels, said second tab portion being aligned with said handle openings in the storage position of said support portion, said second tab portion being bendible to a projecting position projecting through said aligned handle openings in the storage position of said support portion, and said second tab portion including means for releasably retaining said second tab portion in said projecting position to thereby releasably retain the support portion in said storage position.

2. An easel assembly according to claim 1 wherein said stack of sheets is attached to said second major panel, said support portion has spaced through slots along said second bend line, and said easel assembly further comprises temporary attachment strips, each of said attachment strips having a first end portion attached to said support portion along said first surface, extending through one of said slots, and having a second end portion on the side of said slot opposite said first end portion, said attachment strip including means adapted for releasably attaching said second end portion to a horizontal surface supporting said easel assembly in said use position of said easel assembly.

3. An easel assembly according to claim 2 wherein said second end portion of each of said attachment strips comprises a coating of repositionable pressures sensitive adhesive providing said means adapted for releasably attaching said second end portion, and said second end portions of said attachment strips are releasably adherable to said second surface of said support portion in the storage position of said support portion.

4. An easel assembly according to claim 1 wherein said first tab portion has a proximal part adapted to be received in said tab receiving opening and a distal part having a normal shape with a width along said surfaces measured parallel to said bend lines that is wider than the maximum width of said tab receiving opening, said distal part being bendible to a modified shape affording movement of said first tab through said tab receiving opening, and being bendible back to said normal shape with said proximal part of said first tab projecting through said tab receiving opening to releasably retain said first tab in said tab receiving opening.

5. An easel assembly according to claim 4 wherein said tab receiving opening is generally trapezoidal in shape having parallel sides generally parallel to said bend lines and diverging sides between said parallel sides diverging away from said first bend line.

6. An easel assembly according to claim 1 wherein said second tab portion has a proximal part adapted to be received in said handle openings and a distal part having a normal shape with a width measured parallel to said bend lines that is wider than the maximum width of said handle openings, said distal part being bendible to a modified shape affording movement of said second tab through said handle openings, and being bendible back to said normal shape with said proximal part of said second tab projecting through said handle openings to provide said means for releasably retaining said second tab in said projecting position through said handle openings.

7. An easel assembly according to claim 6 wherein said handle openings are generally trapezoidal in shape having parallel sides generally parallel to said bend lines and diverging sides between said parallel sides.

8. An easel assembly according to claim 1 wherein said stack of sheets consists of between fifteen and thirty sheets.

9. An easel assembly according to claim 1 wherein said stack of sheets consists of about twenty sheets.

10. An easel assembly according to claim 1 wherein sheets in said stack of sheets each have front and rear surfaces and each have a layer of repositionable pressure sensitive adhesive along said rear surface.