Adjustable table podium

Abstract

A transportable, easily adjustable, readily assembled and collapsible podium for use in lectures. The podium comprises a solid front panel, against which the lecture material rests; a lip projecting outwardly from the substantial bottom of the front panel, upon which the lecture material sits; and a base, which may rest on a supporting surface. The podium further comprises a pivoting arm hingedly attached to the backside of the front panel providing stable, angularly adjustable prop means for the lecture material to be viewed at the angle most comfortable for the user. Once in its assembled form, the podium will not spontaneously collapse or disassemble when handled or if grabbed at the front panel because of the podium's interlocking means between the pivoting arm and base. The pivoting arm effortlessly slips into one of several openings in the base and interlocks with the rim of the opening, locking it into place.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] Not Applicable STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT [0002] Not Applicable REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISK APPENDIX [0003] Not Applicable BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0004] 1. Field of Invention [0005] This invention relates in general to podiums used to prop up notes for a lecturer or speaker, and in particular to podiums which are easily collapsible and transportable yet durable, can be angularly adjusted, and securely maintain structural stability in the adjusted position. [0006] 2. Description of the Related Art [0007] In meetings around a conference table, a seated speaker or lecturer would find it convenient to place his / her reports or lecture notes on a podium that rests on the table. The speaker may then view the lecture notes from the podium which would prop up the notes at a particular angle where they may be easily read without strain on the eyes nor ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0013] Despite the utility of all the previously cited references, none of them function as effectively as the present invention for use as a podium. Therefore, in light of the mentioned necessary attributes of a practical podium, one object of the present invention is to provide a podium that is collapsible, easily assembled, and readily transportable.

[0014] Another object of the present invention is to provide a podium that is angularly adjustable to thereby position written materials in an angle comfortable for the user's needs.

[0015] Furthermore, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a podium which, when assembled, remains intact and is reliably secure in retaining its angle in set-up position even when a downward or upward pressure is applied to the panel supporting the lecture notes or when the panel supporting the lecture notes and the base are pulled in opposite directions. Hence, the podium would be stable enough that a lecturer may freely hold onto, rest his / her hands on, or lift up the assembled podium by the panel to move the podium to another location without fearing it coming apart, spontaneously disassembling, or losing the angle to which it has been adjusted. The podium would also remain stable if bumped by the lecturer or an observer.

[0016] Moreover, another object of the present invention is to supply means for angular retention that is not only stable, but also simple, easy-to-use, and requires minimal effort to set-up.

[0018] To accomplish the objects expressed above, the present invention comprises: a front panel with a solid surface against which the back of the lecture material may rest; a lip towards the bottom of the front panel projecting outwardly towards the lecturer and upon which the bottom edge of the lecture material may rest; a base, the bottom surface of which may sit on a supporting surface such as a table or desk; a pivoting arm, which serves as angularly adjustable prop means for the front panel; and interlocking means between the pivoting arm and the base, which serves to hold the pivoting arm in place and lock it onto the base. Interlocking means is provided as follows: the pivoting arm is attached at its proximal end to the backside of the front panel by pivotal means. The distal end of the pivoting arm is of a fixed, predetermined shape such that it may latch and interlock onto any one of a series of receptacles disposed along the upper surface of the base in line with the trajectory of the pivoting arm. Each receptacle comprises an opening which serves to house the tip of the pivoting arm and a rim which the tip latches onto. Thus, the tip of the pivoting arm at its distal end and the receptacle which it locks onto comprise the interlocking means. The interlocking means holds the pivoting arm in place; provides a stable connection between the pivoting arm and the base such that the structural stability of the podium would not be compromised should the podium be handled at either the front panel or the base; and allows means for angularly adjustable prop means as latching the pivoting arm onto a different receptacle accordingly correlates with a different angle. Also, because of the simple mechanism of the interlocking means and because the openings for the receptacles on the base are in line with the trajectory of the pivoting arm, the pivoting arm quickly and easily slides into place, slipping into the openings to interlock with the base for quick and easy set-up of the podium.

Problems solved by technology

However, these devices do not provide a mechanism to angularly adjust the podium to the particular angle most comfortable for the user.

This could compromise the comfort of the user as he / she may still be forced to contort his / her neck and head to view the notes properly since the angle at which the notes may be most optimally viewed would differ according to both the height of the table on which the podium rests and the height of the user.

However, in all the afore mentioned U.S. Patents, save U.S. Pat. No. 4,607,817 to Aquino (1986), no provision is made to lock the device in the adjusted position, such that if the speaker were to grab the podium by the panel which holds the lecture material, to, for example, move to another location, the base or panel which sits upon a supporting surface would swing outward, dislodging the component used to prop up the panel holding the lecture material, causing the device to disassemble and lose the angle to which it may have been adjusted, creating a nuisance for the user.

Furthermore, the hold of the tab could easily come undone with a small amount of pressure should the user grab the device at the panel which holds the lecture notes.

Yet although its design is collapsible, transportable, and would not readily lose the angle to which the device has been adjusted, its mechanism for locking the device at a particular angle (the holes of the device's components must be properly aligned and a pin must be inserted through the holes) is too intricate and inconvenient as the pin could easily be dropped while handled or could also be lost or misplaced.

Also, the design of this device is quite flimsy as papers may readily fall through the bars of the supporting frame intended to hold the materials set upon it because the supporting frame is not a solid surface.

The supporting frame is also not designed to hold reports or books which a speaker may use as reference nor does it seem strong enough to support such materials.

Thus this device would not be the most practical for use as a podium.

Because the connections between the bookstand's base panel, the panel that holds the book, and the panel that supports the angled position is achieved by simple adhesion, the connection is not solidly reliable.

Furthermore, the adhesive strength of the materials would weaken over time with use.

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