Support device

Abstract

A portable, light-weight, foldable, support device for papers, portable computers, bingo cards and the like, the device formed from lightweight, plastic, planar, spaced upper and lower parallel sheets separated by integrally-formed, spaced, parallel ribs laterally extending between said sheets from one side edge of the said sheets to an opposite side edge, the upper sheet having a plurality of linear cuts, each cut running through the upper sheet from the one side edge of the said upper sheet to the opposite, each cut being between a different adjacent pair of the said ribs to permit the folding of the device about a corresponding fold line in the lower sheet formed between those same ribs, the cuts and corresponding fold lines being of a number and spaced so as to form, in the device, in sequence, a working surface panel, an elevation panel, a support panel, and a lip panel, these panels foldable, about the fold lines in the lower sheet, in one direction out of the plane of the sheets, into an operative configuration of the device so that said working surface panel is upwardly and rearwardly inclined with respect to a horizontal working surface on which the device may rest, and the said working surface panel is supported at a lower front edge of the said working surface panel on said horizontal support surface, and at its upper rear edge by the other panels, said panels provided with securing means for reasonably holding the said panels in the operative configuration.

What I claim as my invention:  
     
         1 . A portable, light-weight, foldable, support device for papers, portable computers, bingo cards and the like, the device formed from lightweight, plastic, planar, spaced upper and lower parallel sheets separated by integrally-formed, spaced, parallel ribs laterally extending between said sheets from one side edge of the said sheets to an opposite side edge, the upper sheet having a plurality of linear cuts, each cut running through the upper sheet from the one side edge of the said upper sheet to the opposite, each cut being between a different adjacent pair of the said ribs to permit the folding of the device about a corresponding fold line in the lower sheet formed between those same ribs, the cuts and corresponding fold lines being of a number and spaced so as to form, in the device, in sequence, a working surface panel, an elevation panel, a support panel, and a lip panel, these panels foldable, about the fold lines in the lower sheet, in one direction out of the plane of the sheets, into an operative configuration of the device so that said working surface panel is upwardly and rearwardly inclined with respect to a horizontal working surface on which the device may rest, and the said working surface panel is supported at a lower front edge of the said working surface panel on said horizontal support surface, and at its upper rear edge by the other panels, said panels provided with securing means for reasonably holding the said panels in the operative configuration.  
     
     
         2 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein the upper sheet of the working surface panel is provided near its rear edge with clip means for releasably securing the activity sheets in position on said working surface panel.  
     
     
         3 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein the device is constructed so as to be supported on a horizontal support surface at a lower front edge of the working surface panel, and along the edge of the support panel near the juncture of the elevation panel and said support panel.  
     
     
         4 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein the lip panel, the elevation panel, and the support panel are constructed so as to be foldable, in one plane, about the fold line separating the working surface panel and said elevation panel into a flat, storable and carrying orientation.  
     
     
         5 . A device according to  claim 1 , when, in the operative configuration, the panels are constructed so as to be folded, in a triangular fashion, so that a portion of the upper sheet of the lip panel confronts and is releasably secured to a mid portion of the lower sheet of the working surface panel so as to lend support to the integrity of the working surface panel.  
     
     
         6 . A device according to  claim 5 , wherein releasable securing means are positioned on one or both of the confronting surfaces of the lip panel and working surface panel to secure, releasably, the lip and working surface panels in the operable configuration.  
     
     
         7 . A device according to  claim 6 , wherein said securing means comprise hook and pile fasteners located at confronting locations on the confronting surfaces of the working surface panel and of the lip panel.  
     
     
         8 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein the panels are of rectangular shape and of the same size along one side and along the other side of the panels; the support panel is of a smaller size that the working surface panel; the elevation panel is of a smaller size than the said support panel; and the lip panel is of the smallest size.  
     
     
         9 . A device according to  claim 3 , wherein friction means are affixed to portions of the lower sheet of the working surface panel near the lower front edge of the same, and to supporting surfaces of the other panels of the device to encourage immobility of the device when resting on a support surface.  
     
     
         10 . A device according to  claim 2 , wherein the clip means comprise one or more pairs of jaws, each having an upper jaw movable in a hinge-like manner so as to close and to interconnect, releasably, with a bottom jaw affixed to the working surface panel to hold activity sheets.  
     
     
         11 . A device according to  claim 4 , wherein the lower sheet of the support panel, when in the carrying orientation, confronts the lower sheet of the working surface panel.  
     
     
         12 . A device according to  claim 11 , wherein releasable securing means are positioned on the lower sheet of the support panel so as to confront releasable securing means positioned on the lower sheet of the working surface panel, said releasable securing means holding said support panel and said working surface panel together when in flat, storable and carrying orientation.  
     
     
         13 . A device according to  claim 12 , wherein the securing means comprise hook and pile fasteners.  
     
     
         14 . A device according to  claim 6 , wherein the releasable securing means positioned on the lower sheet of the working surface panel are disposed so as to meet the releasable securing means positioned on upper sheet of the lip panel when in operable position, and to meet the releasable securing means positioned on the lower sheet of the support panel when in the carrying orientation.  
     
     
         15 . A device according to  claim 12 , wherein the releasable securing means positioned on the lower sheet of the working surface panel are disposed so as to meet the releasable securing means positioned on upper sheet of the lip panel when in operable position, and to meet the releasable securing means positioned on the lower sheet of the support panel when in the carrying orientation.