Supports – Easel; book – copy or music score holder
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-21
2001-01-09
Ramirez, Ramon O. (Department: 3632)
Supports
Easel; book, copy or music score holder
C248S457000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06170792
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to presentation systems and more particularly to a transportable presentation easel that provides the foundation for a modular, fully customizable presentation system which is light-weight, durable, and attractive.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
There are many types of presentation easels currently on the market. The simplest are tripod leg stands between five and six feet tall. The legs may be retractable, telescoping or fixed. The rear leg extends backward to form an inclined surface along the front legs. Sometimes the easels are equipped with pegs or a shelf about halfway down the front two legs. Display items rest on the pegs or shelf and against the legs. Alternatively, the top of the legs contain a pin or attachable bar which holds the display items suspended and resting on the upper portion of the legs. Alternatively, the presentation easel contains a rectangular metal, plastic or fiber backing board surface mounted on tripod or quad leg supports. The legs are generally retractable so that the height of the presentation easel is adjustable. The front of the easel is normally equipped with a bar of pins for hanging a flip chart pad. Fixed or attachable shelves or a storage compartment located at the front bottom of the backing board holds markers, erasers and other accessories or the like. Some models contain one or more fixed compartments mounted on the rear of the backing board for storage of additional accessories.
With the legs extended, most presentation easels sit on the floor for comfortable viewing by a standing individual or a seated audience. Alternatively, with the legs retracted, most can be set atop a table for viewing. One prior art product is directed to a combination easel and carrying case employing a two part, hard covered case which is folded in half for setting up and storage and which contains several compartments for storage of accessories.
Many presentation easels contain a number of similarities and limitations. Other than availability of some models in a very limited number of colors, none of the products currently available offer any significant amount of customizing capability. Customers must accept the fixed configurations offered by the manufacturer. Artist easels tend to be flimsy and poorly suited for flip cart presentations. The metal, fiberboard or hard plastic construction of flip chart products tends to make these products bulky and heavy. Conventional presentation easels are also not designed to provide an aesthetically pleasing indicia display area, e.g., marketing and advertising platform, when not in active use. To meet audio-visual needs such as for a screen or podium, the customer must purchase additional, separate products and use additional floor space for storing and using them. Currently available products, many of which weigh 20 pounds or more, must be hand carried. Accordingly, a severe limitation of the prior art presentation easels is that the products do not provide for transportation of additional audio-visual equipment. The existing presentation easels do not provide for storage of additional, unaltered, flip chart pads, full size artwork or other full size display items. Furthermore, these products are not equipped to integrate electrical or electronic components for advanced uses, such as lighted display board usage or computer up-load capabilities.
Thus, there is a perceived need for a transportable presentation easel that provides the foundation for a modular, fully customizable presentation system designed to accommodate a large assortment of field mountable, modular accessories. These accessories permit the presentation easel to serve a wide array of functions beyond the more basic display function found in conventional presentation easels.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a presentation easel which serves as a foundation for a robust, modular, presentation system. In addition, the presentation easel is highly customizable to a wide variety of customer needs and desires. In an exemplary embodiment, the presentation easel comprises a rectangular frame including first and second horizontal support members and first and second vertical support members, which are all preferably formed of rectangular metal tubes. A fabric shell is provided around the frame and includes an openable side to permit access to a cavity formed between the fabric shell. The cavity is intended to provide a convenient and easy storage area where presentation materials, including relatively large presentation writing pads, may be stored. One surface of the fabric shell is used as a presentation surface to locate and place presentation material and the like.
The presentation easel also includes adjustable legs and in the exemplary embodiment, the adjustable legs include front legs which are adjustably received within first and second vertical support members. In addition, a rear leg assembly is provided, wherein first and second rear leg members are adjustably (i.e. hingedly) attached to the rear surface of the first and second vertical support members. A pair of adjustable rear legs are adjustably received within first and second rear leg members. In this embodiment, the presentation easel comprises a four legged structure. In one embodiment, the adjustable front and rear legs are locked into place at predetermined locations of the first and second vertical support members and the first and second rear leg members by a spring loaded pin assembly which penetrates a side bore to lock the respective leg in place.
In one aspect, the presentation easel includes a plurality of storage compartments provided on a rear surface of the fabric shell. In an exemplary embodiment, the plurality of storage compartments comprises a plurality of pouches which are sewn into the fabric shell and include zippered openings. These storage compartments permit the presentation easel to store a variety of items, including markers, erasers, tent-cards, handouts, etc., either during use of the presentation easel or during transportation thereof.
A pair of wheels are preferably provided on a cross support member extending between the first and second vertical support members. These wheels are slightly raised in relation to feet which are formed at ends of the first and second adjustable front legs so that the wheels engage the ground by slightly tilting the presentation easel resulting in an easily transportable presentation system. A wide variety of accessories may be used with the presentation easel that convert the presentation easel into a portable podium, a portable lighted display board, or a portable audio-visual screen. Yet another feature of the presentation easel of the present invention is that it can be used as a hand truck for the transportation of audio-visual equipment and supplies.
A fold down shelf is also provided between the first and second vertical support members and the first and second rear leg members. This fold down shelf includes an additional storage in a cavity formed between a fabric shell disposed around the frame of the shelf and the shelf includes a support surface so that equipment and the like can be stored during the use of presentation easel or transportation thereof.
The above-discussed and other features and advantages of the present invention will be appreciated and understood by those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2191755 (1940-02-01), Dearing
patent: 2549306 (1951-04-01), Greene
patent: 2681030 (1954-06-01), Hoge
patent: 5083737 (1992-01-01), Rifkin
patent: 5172883 (1992-12-01), Amirian
patent: 5245775 (1993-09-01), Goserud
patent: 5624097 (1997-04-01), Potter
patent: 5720464 (1998-02-01), Meinscher et al.
patent: 5725192 (1998-03-01), Cloninger
patent: 5898962 (1999-05-01), McNeal
Stanrite Catalog, Visual Communicator Easels, (date unknown), p. 117.
Board Easels Catalog, 1997 Copyright, p. 44.
Ebert Edward T.
Miceli Charles
Crutcher William C.
Ramirez Ramon O.
Triple-P, LLC
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