Travel watch stand

Abstract

A travel watch stand includes a base and a watch holder connected to the base by a folding support arm which pivots in multiple places and can be selectively raised to support the watch holder in an elevated position above the base when deployed, and selectively lowered to form a compact shape where the watch holder lies flat on the base when collapsed. The arm is concealed in an opening in the base when lowered. A storage tray for holding cufflinks, rings, coins and other items can be provided in the base alongside the opening for the folding arm. The watch holder and support arm can be deployed and positioned in many different ways to accommodate watches and jewelry of different size, shape and weight and to display them in various ways. The base can be enlarged and provided with multiple storage compartments to serve as a valet tray.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A collapsible stand assembly for watches and jewelry, comprising:
 a base with a bottom adapted to rest on a surface and a top with an elongated opening therein;   a watch holder with a top and a bottom;   an elongate support arm with a first end rotatably coupled to the base and a second end rotatably coupled to the watch holder; and   wherein the stand assembly is capable of transitioning from a first configuration with the bottom of the watch holder lying flat against the top of the base and with the support arm received into and concealed by the opening which is at least partially covered by the watch holder, to a second configuration with the watch holder elevated to a position above base and held in position by the support arm.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the support arm and the base and the support arm and the watch holder are rotatably coupled by pivot connections that permits relative pivoting movement between the coupled components with sufficient frictional resistance to hold the watch holder elevated in a selected position above the base when in the second configuration. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the pivot connections are friction joints or friction hinges. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the support arm includes a lower arm rotatably coupled to the base and an upper arm rotatably coupled to the watch holder, and wherein the upper and lower arms are rotatably coupled to each other. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the lower arm is rotatably coupled to the base by a friction hinge mounted in the base. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the upper arm is rotatably coupled to the watch holder by a friction joint connected to an aperture in the upper arm and connected to an opening in a flange attached to the bottom of the watch holder. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the upper and lower arms are rotatably coupled to each other by a friction joint. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the watch holder is adapted to hold a watch or jewelry item, and comprises a rigid bottom plate with top and bottom surfaces, the bottom surface being connected to the support arm and the top surface having a cushion disposed thereon, wherein the cushion provides a contact surface for supporting a watch or jewelry item in a viewable orientation. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the watch holder has a variable orientation relative to the base when the stand assembly is in the second configuration. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the support arm has a variable angular orientation relative to the base when the stand assembly is in the second configuration. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the upper and lower arms have a variable angular orientation relative to each other when the stand assembly is in the second configuration. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the base includes a storage tray sufficiently dimensioned to receive cufflinks, coins, rings and other small jewelry items when the stand assembly is in the second configuration. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the storage tray has side walls sloped at an angle to facilitate removing contents from the tray with a single hand movement. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the storage tray is separated from the elongated opening by a dividing wall. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the watch holder does not fully cover the storage tray when the stand assembly is in the first configuration. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the support arm is disposed at a central location relative to the base and the watch holder. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the support arm is disposed at an off-center location relative the base and the watch holder. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first configuration is a flat configuration in which the stand assembly is capable of being fit into a carrying case. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the opening is sized to closely match the size of the support arm received therein in terms of length, watch and depth when the stand assembly is in the first configuration. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the base is a valet tray with multiple storage compartments. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the base is covered with a soft leather or fabric material. 
     
     
         22 . A collapsible stand assembly for watches and jewelry, comprising:
 a base;   a watch holder;   a support arm with a first end rotatably coupled to the base and a second end rotatably coupled to the watch holder;   wherein the stand assembly is capable of transitioning from a first configuration with the watch holder lying flat against the base to a second configuration with the watch holder elevated to a position above the base and held in position by the support arm; and wherein   the support arm includes a lower arm rotatably coupled to the base, an upper arm rotatably coupled to the watch holder, with the upper arm rotatably coupled to the lower arm, all by pivot connections that permit relative pivoting movement between the coupled components with sufficient frictional resistance to hold the watch holder elevated in a selected position above the base when in the second configuration.   
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the pivot connections are friction joints or friction hinges. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the upper arm is rotatably coupled to a flange attached to the bottom of the watch holder. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the watch holder has a variable orientation relative to the base when the stand assembly is in the second configuration. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the upper and lower arms have a variable angular orientation relative to each other when the stand assembly is in the second configuration. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the base includes a storage tray sufficiently dimensioned to receive cufflinks, coins, rings and other small jewelry items when the stand assembly is in the second configuration. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein the storage tray is separated from the elongated opening by a dividing wall. 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the opening is sized to closely match the size of the support arm received therein in terms of length, watch and depth when the stand assembly is in the first configuration.