Patent Application
20100320354
The invention relates generally to easels and more particularly to a mobile field easel.
For centuries, artists have enjoyed the beauty and tranquility of painting en plein aire. Unfortunately, this required artists to drag heavy, expensive and cumbersome easels, designed for the studio, to the field. While this equipment is very simply constructed and used in a studio or an easily accessible remote location, nature artists or others who need to carry such equipment to remote locations have the problem of lugging such equipment into the field. One example are so called French Easels which suffer from many drawbacks including the ones previously listed. It is not uncommon for a French Easel to weigh upwards of ten (10) pounds and stand five (5) to six (6) feet tall. The weight and size of known easels simply makes them unacceptable for artists who prefer to either paint outdoors or travel with their easel and not be burdened with a cumbersome easel.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a light weight, compact and inexpensive field easel which is capable of folding to a compact size for easy transport and/or storage. Ideally the easel would also be adjustable so that artists of different stature (or height) could utilize the easel in the field while seated in a chair, on a stool or the ground. This application discloses such an easel.
In some aspects, the invention relates to a field easel which includes (a) a height adjustment element that allows an artist to adjust the height and plane of a media support element, (b) a media support element and (c) one or more connectors which connects the height adjustment element to the media support element and allows the height adjustment element and the media support element to pivot relative to one another.
Other aspects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.
It should be noted that identical features in different drawings are shown with the same reference numeral.
The current application discloses a mobile field easel that allows artists to work en plein aire (or in the open air) without having to transport bulky conventional easels to the field. The mobile field easel is light weight, compact and inexpensive field easel and capable of folding to a compact size for easy transport and/or storage. The mobile field easel is adjustable so that artists of different stature can use the easel in the field, or the studio, while seated in a chair, on a stool or the ground.
Now referring to
In one preferred embodiment, the height adjustment element 11 includes a horizontal base member 12, one or more first vertical elements 14, height adjustment connections 16a & 16b, one or more second vertical elements 17 and an slot 19 located in the second vertical elements 17 and an upper height adjustment element member 18. Generally, the base member 12, first vertical elements 14, second vertical elements 17 and upper height adjustment element member 18 form a substantially rectangular or square shaped structure as shown in
In one embodiment, the first vertical element 14 further has an first face 15 with a mortise 15a located on the first face 15. In an alternate embodiment (not shown), the height adjustment element 11 includes one or more upper tubular sections and one or more lower tubular sections. A clamp, in the form of a clamping collar, the structure and operation of which is well known in the art, may be included in a junction between the upper and lower tubular sections. Generally, portions of the upper and lower tubular sections are sized and configured for slideable, registered engagement with each other thereby to provide the artist the ability to adjust the length of the height adjustment element.
In an alternate embodiment (not shown), the height adjustment element 11 does not include the upper height adjustment element member 18 and the second vertical elements 17 may connect directly to the connector 28 which in turn is connected to the an upper horizontal media support member 21.
The height adjustment element 11 allows the user to adjust the overall height/length of the mobile field easel 10. In one embodiment, the first vertical element 14 and the second vertical element 17 are connected through the mortise 15a and the slot 19. The slot 19 is designed to receive the mortise 15a and operate in a track and guide manner in which the mortise 15a guides the movement of the second vertical element 17 and the first vertical element 14 relative to one another in a vertical or nearly vertical sliding manner. As the first vertical element 14 and the second vertical element 17 move relative to one another the overall height of the height adjustment element 11 is increased (to the extended configuration) or decreased (to the compact configuration). If the movement of the first vertical element 14 and the second vertical element 17 increases the distance between the horizontal base member 12 and the media support element 20 the mobile field easel 10 is moving towards the extended configuration. Generally, a taller artist may wish to have the height adjustment element 11 in a position of greater length than a shorter artist.
The height adjustment element 11 also allows the artist to control the “plane” or horizontal/vertical orientation of the media support element 20. Some artists prefer to draw/paint with their media in a more horizontal placement while others prefer the media in a more vertical placement. An artist who prefers the media in a more vertical orientation might prefer to have the height adjustment element 11 in a more extended configuration than one who prefers to have the media in a horizontal configuration. Generally, by increasing the length of the height adjustment element 11 the angle of the connection between the height adjustment element 11 and the media support element 20 will be deceased (i.e., made less than 90 degrees) thereby placing the media support element 20 in a more vertical orientation.
Further, when in the compact configuration, the mobile field easel 10 is very portable in that while not in use, the first vertical element 14 and the second vertical element 17 may be retracted to decrease the length of the height adjustment element 11 producing a smaller footprint for storage and/or transport.
In one embodiment the mobile field easel 10 includes two (2) first vertical elements 14 and the second vertical elements 17. Generally, the first vertical elements 14 are located opposite one another and the second vertical elements 17 are located second of the first vertical elements 14 and opposite one another as well.
The horizontal base member 12 is designed to provide support for the mobile field easel 10 while in use. In one embodiment, when the artist places his or her foot on the horizontal base member 12, the mobile field easel 10, and more particularly the media support element 20 is stabilized producing a better pallet for painting, drawing and/or writing. In an alternate embodiment (not shown), the horizontal base member 12 may have one or more spikes or prongs extending from it which may be placed in the ground by the artist to further stabilize the mobile field easel 10.
The height adjustment connections 16a & 16b generally serve two purposes: (i) they fasten the first vertical element 14 and the second vertical element 17 together in both the extended and compact formations and (ii) provide a mechanism for adjusting the mobile field easel 10 from the compact configuration to the extended configuration. In one embodiment, the mobile field easel 10 includes two (2) height adjustment connections 16a & 16b with one each being located on an first vertical element 14. The height adjustment connections 16a & 16b may be located at any position along the length of the first vertical element 14. In one embodiment, to prepare the mobile field easel 10 for use, the artist will loosen the height adjustment connections 16a & 16b and move the first vertical element 14 and the second vertical element 17 relative one another to the desired height. Then the artist will re-tighten the height adjustment connections 16a & 16b thereby securing the first vertical element 14 and the second vertical element 17 in position. To store or travel with the mobile field easel 10, the artist may loosen the height adjustment connections 16a & 16b and place the mobile field easel 10 in the compact position. Again, the artist may re-tighten the height adjustment connections 16a & 16b thereby securing the first vertical element 14 and the second vertical element 17 in position. In one embodiment, the height adjustment connections 16a & 16b are knurl knobs; although wing nuts, star knobs, ball knobs, t-knobs, ratchet knobs, round knobs and other nut and bolt systems that may be tightened by hand are considered within the scope of this disclosure.
The media support element 20 supports the artist's media while the media is in use. By way of non-limiting example, the artist may use paper pads (including charcoal paper pads, airbrush paper pads, watercolor pads, drawing and drafting papers or pads and marble papers), canvases (including without limitation oil canvas and linen canvas) or ally other appropriate media that the artist desires. Generally, as shown in
In one embodiment, the media support element 20 includes an upper horizontal media support member 21, a lower horizontal media support member 22 and one or more vertical media support members 23, 24 & 25. In this embodiment, the upper horizontal media support member 21, the lower horizontal media support member 22 and the one or more vertical media support members 23, 24 & 25 form a substantially square or rectangular shaped media support element 20. In some embodiments (not shown) the media support element does not include the upper horizontal media support member 21. The vertical media support members 23, 24 & 25 generally have an upper portion and a lower portion, said upper portion connecting to the upper horizontal media support member 21 and the lower portion connection to the lower horizontal media support member 22.
In one preferred embodiment, the lower horizontal media support member 22 further includes a media securing lip 22a. The media securing lip 22a is designed to allow the media to rest against it and help further stabilize the media.
In one embodiment, the height adjustment element 11 and the media support element 20 are connected by one or more connectors 28. The connectors 28 allow the height adjustment element 11 and the media support element 20 to move relative to one another. Preferably, the upper horizontal media support member 21 receives one portion of the connector 28 while one or more of the second vertical elements 17 receives another portion of the connector 28. In one embodiment the connector 28 is a hinge so that the height adjustment element 11 and the media support element 20 may move independently of one another. In an alternate embodiment (not shown) one portion of the connector 28 is connected to the one or more of the first vertical elements 14 and another portion of the connector is connected to the upper horizontal media support member 21. In yet another alternate embodiment, one portion of the connector 28 is connected to the height adjustment element's 11 upper height adjustment element member (not shown) and one or more of the one or more vertical media support members 23, 24 & 25.
While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art, having benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate that other embodiments can be devised which do not depart from the scope of the invention as disclosed here. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be limited only by the attached claims.
