Patent Application
20120145870
None.
None.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of display easels, and more particularly, to display easels that form part of or may be incorporated into ring binders.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Many different types of display easels have been suggested for many different applications. Some of those types of display easels have been incorporated into ring binders. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,552,479 discloses an easel type binder having front, rear and central binder panels with fold lines running longitudinally the full length of the front and rear binder panels to permit the panels to be folded into a binder-closed position. The binder is provided with a transversely extending fold line which extends across the front, rear and central binder panels to permit the upper portion of each panel to be folded back into an easel providing position. A pair of flaps having locking tabs are provided to “rigidify” the binder in its easel formation. In another example, U.S. Pat. No. D341,160, an extendable support is included on a central portion of a binder such that the support may be folded up when the binder is closed and folded down to a position at a right angle with the central portion of the binder to hold the binder in a standing position. Many other examples of easels can be found, including folding easels such as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 871,833, entitled “Easel and Hanger.”
In a preferred embodiment, the present invention is a folding display easel. The easel comprises a left panel having a base side, right side at substantially a right angle to said base, a top side having a first portion at substantially a right angle to said right side and a second portion angling toward said base side, and a left side having a retention element; a right panel having a base side, left side at substantially a right angle to said base, a top side having a first portion at substantially a right angle to said left side and a second portion angling toward said base side, and a right side having a retention element; a center panel having a base side, a left side, a right side, a top side, a front face and a rear face; a first connecting element connecting said right side of said left panel to said left side of said center panel, said first connecting element permitting said left panel to fold toward said front face of said center panel and resisting said left panel folding toward said rear face of said center panel; a second connecting element connecting said left side of said right panel to said right side of said center panel, said second connecting element permitting said right panel to fold toward said front face of said center panel and resisting said right panel folding toward said rear face of said center panel; a first engagement element formed integrally with said top side of said center panel, wherein said first engagement element engages with a ring when said easel is placed in a ring binder; and a second engagement element formed integrally with said top side of said center panel, wherein said first engagement element engages with a ring when said easel is placed in a ring binder. The easel has a folded position in which a first of said right and left panels is folded to a position adjacent said front face of said center panel and a second of said right and left panels is folded to a position adjacent said first of said right and left panels and said easel has a support position in which said right and left panels are partially folded to positions placing said right and left patent at approximately right angles with said center panel to support a binder resting upon said second portions of said tope sides of said right and left panels and retained on said second portions by said retention elements on said right and left panels.
The first engagement element may comprise a plurality of tabs extending from top side of said center panel. The plurality of tabs comprises a first tab having a neck portion and a tip portion, said tip portion being larger than said neck portion; a second tab having a neck portion and a tip portion, said tip portion being larger than said neck portion; and a third tab having a neck portion and a tip portion, said tip portion being larger than said neck portion. The second tab is between said first tab and said third tab. The first and second tab tips form a channel and said first and second tab necks form a receptacle connected to said channel, said channel being larger than said receptacle. The first tab tip and said second tab tip may have straight edges facing one another, wherein said straight edges form a channel. The straight edges of said first tab tip and said second tab tip may be non-parallel to one another and thereby form a channel that becomes narrower as it gets closer to the receptacle. The second engagement element may be formed spaced apart from the first engagement element and similar to said first engagement element in structure.
Still other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description, simply by illustrating a preferable embodiments and implementations. The present invention is also capable of other and different embodiments and its several details can be modified in various obvious respects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive. Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.
For a more complete understanding of the present invention and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which:
A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to
The center panel 110 has a top side or edge 114 and a bottom edge or side 112. The top side 114 has a plurality of engagement elements 200 extending from it. As shown in
The straights sides on the tabs that are opposing one another preferable are angled slightly toward one another to provide increased resistance as a ring of a binder is inserted between the tabs until the ring is past the channel and in the receptacle. The tab corners, edges or ridges between the straight sides and the neck portions provide a retention mechanism to prevent unintended released of the easel from a binder.
When in use, the right and left panels of the easel are paced at approximately right angles to the center panel, as shown in
The foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, and modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of the invention. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to enable one skilled in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto, and their equivalents. The entirety of each of the aforementioned documents is incorporated by reference herein.
