Supporting stand

Abstract

A supporting stand for supporting an item is provided. The stand includes a base for defining a substantially planar region of the stand; a lower support for supporting the item at a first distance from the base; and an upper support for supporting the item at a second, greater distance from the base. The lower and upper supports may be substantially parallel to the base, and vertically non-overlapping. The stand may include a riser wall extending between the lower and upper supports, a front wall and opposing rear wall, and first and second sidewalls extending between the front and rear walls. The stand may be collapsible. The stand may include one or more of folds, flaps, fasteners, slots, corrugating medium, and an interior attachment wall for configuring the stand into an operating configuration. The stand may be stackable.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A supporting stand for supporting an item, the stand comprising:
 (a) a base for defining a substantially planar region of the stand;   (b) a substantially planar lower support for supporting the item at a first distance from said base;   (c) a substantially planar upper support for supporting the item at a second distance from said base, the second distance being greater than the first distance;   (d) a substantially planar front wall extending at least partway between the base and the lower support; and   (e) at least three substantially planar walls selected from the group consisting of: a rear wall extending between the base and the upper support; a riser wall extending between the lower support and the upper support; first and second parallel, spaced-apart sidewalls extending between the base and the lower and upper supports; and an interior wall extending between the base and the lower and upper supports.   
     
     
         2 . The stand of  claim 1  wherein the stand is made of sheet-like material, the stand being collapsible into a substantially planar collapsed configuration and extendable into an operating configuration. 
     
     
         3 . The stand of  claim 2  wherein the front wall extends the entire distance between the base and the lower support when the stand is in said operating configuration. 
     
     
         4 . The stand of  claim 3  comprising the riser wall, wherein the riser wall and the lower support are foldably attached to each other and wherein the lower support and the front wall are foldably attached to each other. 
     
     
         5 . The stand of  claim 4  wherein the riser wall and the upper support are foldably attached to each other. 
     
     
         6 . The stand of  claim 5  comprising the first and second sidewalls. 
     
     
         7 . The stand of  claim 6  wherein the front wall is foldably attached to each of the first and second sidewalls. 
     
     
         8 . The stand of  claim 7  comprising the rear wall, wherein the rear wall is foldably attached to each of the first and second sidewalls. 
     
     
         9 . The stand of  claim 8  wherein the rear wall and the upper support are foldably attached to each other. 
     
     
         10 . The stand of  claim 1  comprising the first and second sidewalls, each of the first and second sidewalls being foldable, the stand being made of sheet-like material, the stand being collapsible into a substantially planar collapsed configuration and extendable into an operating configuration. 
     
     
         11 . The stand of  claim 10  wherein the first sidewall comprises a first-side fold disposed partway between a first-side front edge of the first sidewall and a first-side rear edge of the first sidewall, the first-side fold extending between the base and the lower support when the stand is in said operating configuration; and the second sidewall comprises a second-side fold disposed partway between a second-side front edge of the second sidewall and a second-side rear edge of the second sidewall, the second-side fold extending between the base and the lower support when the stand is in said operating configuration. 
     
     
         12 . The stand of  claim 11  wherein each of the first and second sidewalls is folded when the stand is in said collapsed configuration. 
     
     
         13 . The stand of  claim 12  wherein each of the first and second sidewalls is dimensioned to slidably contact each of the lower and upper supports when the stand is in said operating configuration. 
     
     
         14 . The stand of  claim 13  wherein the front wall extends the entire distance between the base and the lower support when the stand is in said operating configuration. 
     
     
         15 . The stand of  claim 14  comprising the riser wall, wherein the riser wall and the lower support are foldably attached to each other and wherein the lower support and the front wall are foldably attached to each other. 
     
     
         16 . The stand of  claim 15  wherein the riser wall and the upper support are foldably attached to each other. 
     
     
         17 . The stand of  claim 16  wherein the front wall is foldably attached to each of the first and second sidewalls. 
     
     
         18 . The stand of  claim 17  comprising the rear wall, the stand further comprising a fastener for removably fastening the front wall and the rear wall to each other. 
     
     
         19 . The stand of  claim 18  wherein the rear wall is foldably attached to each of the first and second sidewalls. 
     
     
         20 . The stand of  claim 19  wherein the rear wall and the upper support are foldably attached to each other. 
     
     
         21 . The stand of  claim 20  wherein each of the lower support and the upper support is substantially parallel to the base when the stand is in said operating configuration. 
     
     
         22 . The stand of  claim 21  wherein the lower support and the upper support are vertically non-overlapping when the stand is in said operating configuration. 
     
     
         23 . The stand of  claim 22  wherein the sheet-like material is cardboard. 
     
     
         24 . The stand of  claim 23  further comprising a pass-through. 
     
     
         25 . The stand of  claim 24  wherein the stand is unitary.