GB2486648A

GB2486648A - Portable, Collapsible Display Stand, e.g. for a Mobile Phone, PDA or Ebook

Info

Publication number: GB2486648A
Application number: GB1021532.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Wilber
Original assignee: STEVEN JOHN DOUGLAS WILBER
Current assignee: Jrbadger & Co
Priority date: 2010-12-20
Filing date: 2010-12-20
Publication date: 2012-06-27
Anticipated expiration: 2030-12-20
Also published as: GB201021532D0; US20120318950A1; GB2486648B

Abstract

A collapsible portable display stand comprises a planar sheet of material (Fig. 2) which has a plurality of cuts to define four sections which are moveable relative to one another such that the sheet may be converted from a first, flat configuration to a second, erected configuration in which it is able to support an information display article, e.g. a mobile phone, PDA or ebook, in an inclined position. The sections defined by the cuts are a base 25 for resting on a support surface, a foot stop 28 against which a lower edge of an information display article may be rested, a back support 27 and a tab 26. The foot stop, back support and tab are each inclined about respective hinge positions 20-23. The back support and tab have notch formations which are inter-engagable to secure them in an inclined position and which preferably allow the angle of inclination to be adjusted. The stand further comprises a stabiliser region 40 which extends rearwardly from the hinge position 21 of the back support.

Description

I

PORTABLE STAND FOR AN IN FORMATION DISPLAY ARTICLE

This invention relates to a portable stand for an information display article and which enables an article such as a mobile phone, personal digital assistant (p.d.a.), electronic game or electron book (ebook) to be supported in a hands-free manner, in an inclined position for ease of viewing.

Various designs of portable stands for portable electronic devices and other information display articles are well known and many typically are of a rigid, three dimensional form. Although they may be light in weight and may provide a stable support they are not conveniently portable.

For convenience of portability it has been proposed to provide a stand which is convertible between a compact, substantially flat form for transportation and storage and an erected form for supporting an article in one or more inclined positions for ease of hands-free viewing. One example of a known stand convertible between a storage and an erected configuration is the acrylic display stand marketed by Design Acrylics (www.designacrylics.co.uk).

However, a variety of previously proposed stands have suffered various disadvantages including one or more of not being readily converted between storage and erected configurations, of having poor stability, and not being easy and inexpensive to manufacture.

The present invention seeks to provide an improved portable stand in which at least some of the aforedescribed disadvantages are mitigated or overcome.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided a portable display stand comprising a sheet of substantially rigid but not inflexible material which in a first configuration lies flat and which comprises a plurality of cuts lying within the outer periphery of the sheet thereby to provide at least four sections which are moveable relative to one another to convert the sheet from the first, flat configuration to a second, erected configuration in which it is able to support an information display article in an inclined position, said plurality of cuts being arranged to define the outlines of at least a base section for resting, in use, on a support surface, a foot stop against which, in use, a lower edge of an information display article may be restrained from sliding downwards from an inclined position, a back support, and a tab, the foot stop, back support and tab each being inclinable relative to the base section about respective hinge positions, the back support and tab being shaped to define formations which are inter-engagable to secure each of the back support and a tab in a position inclined relative to the base section, and said portable stand further comprising any one or more of the following features:- * the back support comprising a notch which is part of the outer periphery of the sheet when said sheet is in the first, flat configuration and which in use inter-engages with the tab to secure the stand in the second configuration; * the tab comprising a formation for engaging with a notch in the back support, and optionally comprising a plurality of formations whereby the back support may be selectively secured relative to the tab in any one of two or more inclined positions thereby to provide a selection of viewing angles for a supported article; * the sheet being devoid of any voids such as apertures within the outer periphery of the sheet, and optionally the plurality of cuts being formed by die cutting or a similar technique whereby the two confronting edges formed by a cut are in contact or substantially adjacent one another; * for at least one and preferably each of the foot stop, back support and tab the sheet material comprising a hinge position comprising a cut which extends along a part of the length of the hinge position, said cut optionally being formed by die cutting; * the respective hinge positions for each of the foot stop, back support and tab each having mutually parallel hinge axes; * the respective hinge positions for each of the foot stop, back support and tab each having mutually parallel hinge axes and the hinge axis for the tab lying between the hinge axis for the back support and the hinge axis for the foot stop; * the base section comprising at least one stabiliser region which extends beyond the hinge position of the back support, as considered in a direction away from the foot stop; * each of the foot stop, back support and tab being defined by cuts which lie relative to their respective hinge positions such that they are each movable in the same direction when converting from the first, flat configuration to the second, erected configuration; * an edge region of the outer periphery which is formed with the notch is profiled to provide two support zones which are spaced apart at opposite sides and remote from the notch, said support zones lying further from the back support hinge position than the part of the edge region adjacent the notch. Said edge region may be of a concave shape with the notch preferably lying centrally of the concave profile.

The portable stand preferably is of a substantially rectangular shape. For use in supporting small electronic devices such as a mobile phone it may conveniently be of a credit card size, i.e. in the order of 55 x 85 mm. However it will be appreciated that a larger version may be provided if intended for supporting a larger item such as a p.d.a, a book or e-reader.

The substantially rectangular shape may be square or may comprise adjacent edges of different sizes. In the latter case preferably the hinge positions provide hinge axes which are substantially parallel with the shorter edges of the rectangular shape.

The material of the portable stand should be selected to be sufficiently rigid as compared, for example, with paper such that each of the sections will remain substantially flat when the stand is in the second, erected configuration.

However the material is to be sufficiently flexible whereby, without the need to provide separate hinge components, the material of the stand can be repeatedly flexed at the hinge positions thereby to allow the at least four sections to be moved relative to one another by pivotal action.

Suitable materials for the portable stand include plastics materials such as polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, polyester or other thermoplastic elastomer.

The material may be in sheet form, having two opposite sides which are each flat. However, for a stand which is dimensioned to support a relatively large display device such as a electron book in contrast to a mobile phone, it may comprise a layer of material at least one side which is non-planar and is provided with reinforcing formations, such as reinforcing webs, that impart stiffness but do not increase weight unduly as compared with a display stand formed from a sheet having two flat sides and a sufficient thickness to provide a similar stiffness.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for manufacture of a portable stand of the type comprising a sheet of substantially rigid but not inflexible material which comprises at least four sections which are movable relative to one another to convert the sheet from a first, flat configuration to a second, erected configuration in which it is able to support an information display article in an inclined position, said sections being defined by a plurality of cuts each formed by the process of die cutting whereby confronting edges of a cut are in contact or substantially adjacent to one another, said plurality of cuts being arranged to define a base section for resting in use on a support surface, a foot stop for restricting an information display article from sliding downwards from an inclined position, a back support, and a tab, the foot stop, back support and tab each being inclinable relative to the base section about respective hinge positions and the back support and tab being shaped by the die cutting operation to define formations which are inter-engagable to secure each of the back support and tab in a position inclined relative to the base section.

Preferably, and particularly if of, or not substantially larger than, a credit card size, the display stand material lying within the outer periphery of the sheet is cut solely by die cutting and is devoid of any apertures.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which:-Figure 1 is a plan view of a portable display stand in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is perspective view of the display stand of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows the stand of Figures 1 and 2 in a first stage of conversion to a second configuration; Figure 4 shows the stand of Figures 1 and 2 in one of a plurality of alternative second configurations; Figure 5 shows the stand of Figures 1 and 2 in a second configuration different from that of figure 4; Figure 6 shows the portable stand in use to support an article; Figure 7 shows in plan a portable stand in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 8 shows in plan a portable stand in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention.

A portable display stand 10 comprises a rectangular sheet of polypropylene of credit card size and shape. Three edges, 11,12,13 are straight but optionally, as in this embodiment of the invention, one, 14, of the shorter edges is concave and formed centrally with a notch 15.

The sheet is die cut to create four cuts 16-19 and four series of short length cuts or series of cuts which provide hinge positions 20-23 as described in more detail below.

The cuts 16-19 define four sections, namely a base section 25, a tab section 26, a back support 27 which comprises the concave edge 14 and notch 15, and a foot stop 28.

The tab 26 (see figure 3) can be pivoted upwards from the base section about the hinge position 22.

The back support 27 (see Figure 4) similarly can be pivoted upwards, in the same direction as the tab, about the hinge positions 20, 21.

Likewise the foot stop 28 can be pivoted upwards, in the same direction as the tab, to an inclined position, as also shown in Figure 4, about the hinge position 23.

The distal end 30 of the tab 26 is provided with a series of five pairs of tab notches 31. The two tab notches of each pair are provided on the two parallel edges of the tab that extend lengthwise away from the hinge position 22. The distance across the tab between the bases of the tab notches of any pair corresponds with the width of the notch 15 in the back support 27.

Accordingly, as made clear by Figures 4 and 5, the back support can be secured in an inclined position relative to the base section 25 in any one of five positions, thus providing the option of various viewing angles or the alternatives of landscape or portrait viewing of the device being used. In each of those positions outer edge regions 35 (see Figure 4) of the concave edge 14, namely the edge regions spaced remote from the notch 15, provide spaced apart support for a supported information display article such as an electronic device 36 (see figure 6). In the position as shown in Figure 6 the device 36 is restrained from sliding downwards from the inclined position by virtue of the foot stop 28.

As evident from Figures 4 -6, the base section comprises two regions 40 that extend beyond the back support hinge axes 20,21 in a direction away from the foot stop 28. In consequence of the rigidity of the sheet material from which the stand is formed these regions 40 serve as base stabiliser regions to resist toppling in the event of the stand being used to support an article for which the centre of gravity acts further from the foot stop than the back support hinge positions, 20, 21. Similarly when force is applied to a screen display with a finger or probe.

In this embodiment of the present invention the stabiliser regions 40 lie adjacent the respective longer edges 11,13 of the stand. That is, they lie outwards of limb portions 41 which extend from the back support hinge positions 20,21 to the head portion 42 of the back support (see figure 4). In this position, in which the two stabiliser regions 40 are widely spaced, they are well positioned to resist any tendency for sideways toppling in addition to rearwards toppling. However it is not essential that stabiliser regions are provided at outward positions adjacent the aforementioned longer edges.

In a second embodiment of the present invention, illustrated with reference to Figure 7, a portable stand 50 is constructed substantially as described above except that limb portions 41 of the back support 27 are each divided to provide two limb sections 41a,41b. The base section comprises a pair of stabiliser regions 42 which each lie interposed between a pair of neighbouring limb portions 41a, 41b.

In a third embodiment of the present invention (see Figure 8) a portable stand is constructed substantially as described in respect of the first embodiment of the invention except that the base 62 comprises stabiliser regions 61 which are of a greater length than those of the first embodiment. In consequence the edge portion 63 of the back support 64 is narrower. In this construction the greater length of the stabiliser regions, as extending beyond the back support hinge regions 65, provides the stand with an enhanced degree of resistance to toppling in a rearwards direction.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that the present invention provides a portable display stand which may be readily converted between storage and erected configurations, has improved stability as compared with the earlier referred to prior art device and, at least for the smaller sizes such as those for use with smartphones, may be manufactured economically by the use of die cutting. Furthermore the display stand as described above allows the viewing angle to be adjusted easily as well as allowing an information display article to be supported in either of, and readily moved between, a landscape and a portrait viewing mode.

Claims

Claims 1. A portable display stand comprising a sheet of substantially rigid but not inflexible material which in a first configuration lies flat and which comprises a plurality of cuts lying within the outer periphery of the sheet thereby to provide at least four sections which are moveable relative to one another to convert the sheet from the first, flat configuration to a second, erected configuration in which it is able to support an information display article in an inclined position, said plurality of cuts being arranged to define the outlines of at least a base section for resting, in use, on a support surface, a foot stop against which, in use, a lower edge of an information display article may be restrained from sliding downwards from an inclined position, a back support and a tab, the foot stop, back support and tab each being inclinable relative to the base section about respective hinge positions, the back support and tab being shaped to define formations which are inter-engagable to secure each of the back support and a tab in a position inclined relative to the base section, and said portable stand further comprising at least one stabiliser region which extends beyond the hinge position of the back section as considered in a direction away from the foot stop.
2. A portable display stand according to claim 1 wherein the back support comprises a notch which defines part of the outer periphery of the sheet when in the first, flat configuration and which, in use, inter-engages with the tab to secure the stand in the second configuration.
3. A portable display stand according to claim 2 wherein the tab comprises a formation for engaging with the notch in the back support.
4. A portable display stand according to claim 3 wherein the tab comprises a plurality of formations whereby the back support may be selectively secured relative to the tab in any one of two or more inclined positions.
5. A portable display stand according to claim 4 wherein the tab comprises at least two and preferably five pairs of notches with the two notches of each pair being provided in respective parallel edge regions of the tab to serve as formations for engaging with the notch in the back support.
6. A portable display stand according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the sheet is devoid of any voids inwards of the outer periphery of the sheet.
7. A portable display stand according to any one of the preceding claims and comprising a plurality of cuts formed by die cutting.
8. A portable display stand according to any one of the preceding claims wherein, for at least one of the foot stop, back support and tab, the sheet material comprises a hinge position which comprises a cut which extends along a part of the length of the hinge position.
9. A portable display stand according to claim 8 wherein said cut is formed by die cutting.
10. A portable display stand according to claim 8 or claim 9 wherein each of the foot stop, back support and tab comprises a hinge position which comprises a cut which extends along a part of the length of the hinge position.
11. A portable display stand according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the respective hinge positions for each of the foot stop, back support and tab each have mutually parallel hinge axes.
12. A portable display stand according to claim 11 wherein the hinge axis for the tab lies between the hinge axis for the back support and the hinge axis for the foot stop.
13. A portable display stand according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the base section comprises two stabiliser regions which each lie adjacent a respective one of a pair of opposite edges of the sheet.
14. A portable display stand according to any one of the preceding claims wherein each of the foot stop, back support and tab are defined by cuts positioned relative to their respective hinge positions such that they are each movable in the same direction when converting from the first, flat configuration to the second, erected configuration.
15. A portable display stand according to any one of the preceding claims wherein an edge region of the outer periphery is formed with a notch for inter-engaging with a tab, said edge region being profiled to provide two support zones spaced apart, at opposite sides of and remote from the notch.
16. A portable display stand according to claim 15 wherein said spaced apart support zones lie further from the back support hinge position than the parts of the edge region adjacent the notch.
17. A portable display stand according to claim 15 or claim 16 wherein said edge region provided with the notch is substantially concave in shape.
18. A portable display stand according to claim 1 and constructed substantially as hereinbefore described.
19. A method for manufacture of a portable display stand of the type comprising a sheet of substantially rigid but not inflexible material and wherein said sheet comprises at least four sections which are movable relative to one another to convert the sheet from a first, flat configuration to a second, erected configuration in which it is able to support an information display article in an inclined position, said sections being defined by a plurality of cuts each formed by the process of die cutting whereby confronting edges of a cut are in contact or substantially adjacent to one another, said plurality of cuts being arranged to define a base section for resting in use on a support surface, a foot stop for restricting an information display article from sliding downwards from an inclined position, a back support and a tab, the foot stop, back support and tab each being inclinable relative to the base section about respective hinge positions and the back support and tab being shaped by the die cutting operation to define formations which are inter-engagable to secure each of the back support and tab in a position inclined relative to the base section.
20. A method according to claim 19 and substantially as hereinbefore described.