Multi-positional universal book holder

• US 20070034767A1
• Filed: 08/10/2005
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Together US Two LLC
• Original Assignee: Together US Two LLC
• Inventors: Mastropaolo, Mary, Mastropaolo, Cosmo, Petrella, Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 7,458,555 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 248/447.200
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 23/02 releasably mounted on the bedstead or another item of furniture

Abstract

A book holder includes a tray for holding a book, a ball joint and swivel assembly connected between the back of the tray and one end of a gooseneck, and a C-clamp connected to the other end of gooseneck, whereby the book holder can be attached to an arm of indoor and outdoor furniture with the tray being rotatable in the plane of its front face over 360° to a desired position, rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the gooseneck to a desired position, and the gooseneck bent to further position the tray, thereby permitting a user to be sitting or prone with a book positioned on the tray in a desired reading position, or permitting the book holder to be moved while still attached to the furniture, to a non-use position out of the way of a user.

Claims

1. A multi-positionable book holder comprising:

a tray for holding a book, said tray including a flat front face, flat back, right and left side edges, a top edge, and a bottommost lip extending outward from said front face upon which the bottom portion of a book can rest when the book is placed on the front face of said tray;

an elongated arm having first and second ends, said arm being adapted for selectively bending it to a desired orientation in any desired direction;

a positioning mechanism connected between the back of said tray and said first end of said arm, for both permitting said tray to be swiveled in the plane of its front face to any desired position between 0° and

360°

from any starting position, and to be rotated about a longitudinal axis of said elongated arm to a desired position; and

a vise clamp mechanism connected to said second end of said arm for attaching said book holder to an arm of indoor or outdoor furniture including beach chairs, chaise lounges, lawn chairs, and beds.

2. The book holder of claim 1, further including:

a cup holder rotationally secured to an exterior face of a back portion of said vise clamp.

3. The book holder of claim 2, further including:

a cap hanger secured to an exterior side portion of said cup holder.

4. The book holder of claim 1, further including:

an anti-glare film having a top portion secured to a top portion of the front face of said tray, for covering a page of a book being read.

5. The book holder of claim 4, wherein said anti-glare film consists of semitransparent vinyl material tinted to have anti-glare properties.

6. The book holder of claim 1, wherein said elongated arm includes a super-flexible gooseneck capable of retaining its position when a book is placed on said tray.

7. The book holder of claim 1, wherein said positioning mechanism includes:

a housing enclosing and providing at one end a portion of a ball joint mechanism, another portion of said ball joint mechanism being rigidly secured to the back of said tray, and said housing enclosing and providing at an opposite end a portion of a swivel mechanism, another portion of the latter being rigidly secured to the first end of said elongated arm; and

an adjustment knob having a screw rod portion screwed into said housing, said housing being adapted for locking said ball joint and swivel mechanisms into position upon tightening of said adjustment knob, and for permitting operation of said ball joint and swivel mechanisms upon loosening of said adjustment knob.

8. The book holder of claim 7, wherein said ball joint mechanism includes:

said housing having a first half section mated to a second half section;

a mounting plate rigidly secured to the back of said tray;

a shaft having one end rigidly secured to said mounting plate, and another end protruding away from said mounting plate;

a ball head rigidly secured to said another end of said shaft;

said one end of said first and second half sections of said housing each including an interior semicircular shaped cavity opposing one another for retaining said ball head, and permitting movement thereof when said adjustment knob is loosened allowing said first and second half sections of said housing to move slightly away from one another, and preventing movement thereof when the half sections of said housing are moved toward one another via tightening of said adjustment knob.

9. The book holder of claim 8, wherein said swivel mechanism includes:

the opposite ends of said half first and second half sections of said housing each including a semicircular interior V-shaped lip opposing the other;

a swivel head secured to the first end of said elongated arm, said swivel head including a circular V-shaped groove for retention between the V-shaped lips of said housing half sections, said housing being rotatable about said swivel head when said adjustment knob is loosened, and being locked in position on said swivel head when said adjustment knob is tightened.

10. The book holder of claim 7, wherein said swivel mechanism includes:

said housing having a first half section mated to a second half section that are moved toward one another via tightening of said adjustment knob, and away from one another via loosening of said adjustment knob;

the opposite ends of said half first and second half sections of said housing each including a semicircular interior V-shaped lip opposing the other;

a swivel head secured to the first end of said elongated arm, said swivel head including a circular V-shaped groove for retention between the V-shaped lips of said housing half sections, said housing being rotatable about said swivel head when said adjustment knob is loosened, and being locked in position on said swivel head when said adjustment knob is tightened.

11. The book holder of claim 8, wherein the semicircular shaped cavities of each of said first and second half sections of said housing have a serrated surface.

12. The book holder of claim 1, wherein said vise clamp mechanism includes:

a C-shaped main bracket including a top, a back, and a bottom spaced from and opposing said top portion, the exterior of said top portion being rigidly connected to said second end of said arm, and a threaded hole through a protruding free end of the bottom;

a threaded bolt member screwed into said hole in the bottom of said bracket, a first end of said bolt opposing the top of said bracket, and a second end protruding away from the bottom of said bracket;

a knob rigidly attached to the second end of said bolt member;

a jaw attached to the first end of said bolt member, whereby said knob is rotated in one direction for moving said jaw toward the top of said bracket, and in an opposite direction for moving said jaw away from the top of said bracket, for securing or removing said clamp mechanism from an arm of indoor or outdoor furniture.

13. The book holder of claim 12, further including:

a cup holder rotationally secured to an exterior face of the back of said bracket.

14. The book holder of claim 13, further including:

a cap hanger secured to an exterior said portion of said cup holder.

15. The book holder of claim 2, wherein said cup holder includes:

an open top section having a diameter for receiving a cup of relatively large diameter; and

a plurality of successively smaller diameter sections proceeding from said top section, for receiving cups of relatively smaller diameter than said large diameter cup, respectively.

16. The book holder of claim 15, further including:

a cap hanger secured to an outside wall portion of one of said top section and plurality of successively smaller diameter sections.

17. The book holder of claim 8, wherein said adjustment knob has its screw rod portion passing through a hole in a sidewall of one of said first and second half sections of said housing, and screwing into a threaded boss on the interior of the other of said first and second half sections of said housing.

18. The book holder of claim 7, wherein said housing includes:

a first half section having a hole in a side portion through which said screw rod passes; and

a second half section having a threaded boss on an interior wall portion for receiving said screw rod.

19. The book holder of claim 4, further including:

a narrow film retention strip removably attached to the top portion of the front face of said tray, the top portion of said film being sandwiched therebetween.

20. The book holder of claim 9, further including:

an anti-glare film having a top portion secured to a top portion of the front face of said tray, for covering a page of a book being read.

21. The book holder of claim 12, whereby side portions of the top of said C-shaped main bracket are angled for clamping to both round and flat arms of said furniture.

22. A combined book, cup, and cap holder comprising:

a tray for holding a book, said tray including a flat front face, flat back, right and left side edges, a top edge, and a bottommost lip extending outward from said front face upon which the bottom portion of a book can rest when the book is placed on the front face of said tray;

an elongated arm adapted for being selectively bent to a desired orientation in any desired direction, said arm having first and second ends;

a ball joint and swivel assembly connected between the back of said tray and said first end of said arm, for both permitting said tray to be rotated or swiveled in the plane of its front face over 360°

, and to be rotated about a longitudinal axis of said arm, for selectively positioning said tray;

a C-clamp having a top portion rigidly connected to the second end of said arm, a back portion, a bottom portion, and a jaw member attached to said bottom portion and adapted for moving between said bottom and top portions for securing therebetween to an arm of indoor or outdoor furniture, an inside face of said top portion being angled to facilitate securement to both round and flat arms;

a cup holder rotationally secured to an exterior face of said back portion of said C-clamp;

a cap hanger secured to an exterior surface of said cup holder; and

an anti-glare film having a top portion secured to a top portion of the front face of said tray, for covering a page of a book being read to reduce glare.

23. An object positioning device comprising:

a housing enclosing and providing at one end a portion of a ball joint mechanism, said housing enclosing and providing at an opposite end a portion of a swivel mechanism;

said object being connected to another portion of either one of said ball joint and swivel mechanisms; and

an elongated rod having a first end that is rigidly supported, and a second end attached to the unattached another portion of the other one of said ball joint and swivel mechanism, said swivel mechanism permitting said object to be rotated in one plane to a desired position between 0° and

360°

from any starting position, and said ball joint mechanism permitting said object to be rotated about a longitudinal axis of said elongated rod to a desired position.

24. The object positioning device of claim 23, further including:

an adjustment knob having a screw rod portion screwed into said housing, said housing being adapted for locking said ball joint and swivel mechanisms into position upon tightening of said adjustment knobs, and for permitting operation of said ball joint and swivel mechanisms upon loosening of said adjustment knob.

25. The object positioning device of claim 24, further including:

said housing including a first half section mated to a second half section, each of said sections having at common end portions a semicircular shaped cavity;

said ball joint mechanism including;

a ball head captively retained between and said semicircular cavities of said first and second half sections of said housing;

a shaft having one end rigidly connected to said ball head, and another end connected to either one of said object and said elongated rod.

26. The object positioning device of claim 25, wherein said swivel mechanism includes:

the opposite ends of said first and second half sections of said housing each including a semicircular interior V-shaped lip opposing the other;

a swivel head having a central portion connected to the unattached end of the one of said elongated rod, and shaft, said swivel head further having a circular V-shaped groove for retention between the V-shaped lips of said first and second half sections of said housing, said housing being rotatable about said swivel head when said adjustment knob is loosened, and being locked in position when said adjustment knob is tightened.

27. The object positioning device of claim 25, wherein the semicircular shaped cavities of said first and second half sections of said housing have a serrated surface.