HOLDER

Abstract

A holder for holding a rolled-up newspaper comprises one or more elastic members and a grip that has a shaped surface for positioning against a rolled-up newspaper. When the one or more elastic members are secured to a rear surface of a vehicle seat back or to a literature pocket positioned on the rear surface of a vehicle seat back, the one or more elastic members urge the shaped surface of the grip towards the rear surface of the seat back, or of a literature pocket positioned between the grip and the rear surface of the seat back, such that when a rolled-up newspaper is positioned between the shaped surface of the grip and the rear surface of the seat back or the rear surface of the literature pocket, the newspaper is held in place between the shaped surface of the grip and the seat back or the literature pocket.

Claims

1. A holder for holding a rolled-up newspaper, wherein the holder comprises one or more elastic members and a grip, wherein the grip comprises a shaped surface for positioning against a rolled-up newspaper, wherein, when the one or more elastic members are secured to a rear surface of a vehicle seat back or to a literature pocket positioned on the rear surface of a vehicle seat back, the one or more elastic members urge the shaped surface of the grip towards the rear surface of the seat back or the rear surface of the or a literature pocket positioned between the grip and the rear surface of the seat back such that when a rolled-up newspaper is positioned between the shaped surface of the grip and the rear surface of the seat back or the rear surface of the literature pocket, the newspaper is held in place between the shaped surface of the grip and the seat back or the literature pocket.

2. The holder according to claim 1, wherein the one or more elastic members comprise one or more elastic cords and/or elastic bands.

3. The holder according to claim 1, wherein the one or more elastic members project outwardly from the grip, preferably wherein the one or more elastic members form a plurality of arms projecting outwardly from the grip.

4. The holder according to claim 1, wherein the one or more elastic members form between about 2 and about 10 arms projecting outwardly from the grip.

5. The holder according to claim 1, wherein the shaped surface is a recessed surface.

6. The holder according to claim 1, wherein the shaped surface is curved, preferably wherein the shaped surface is a concave surface.

7. The holder according to claim 1, wherein the grip comprises a handle for pulling the grip in a direction away from the rear surface of a seat back.

8. The holder according to claim 7, wherein the handle comprises a recess in the grip.

9. The holder according to claim 8, wherein the recess forms a storage area, for example for one or more personal items.

10. The holder according to claim 1, wherein the shaped surface of the grip comprises a high friction surface.

11. The holder according to claim 1, wherein the shaped surface of the grip comprises a deformable material.

12. The holder according to claim 1, wherein the grip comprises a deformable material on a seat back facing surface of the grip.

13. The holder according to claim 12, wherein the shaped surface of the grip forms one or more seat back facing edges and the deformable material is positioned on one or more of said seat back facing edges.

14. A literature pocket for an aircraft seat, the literature pocket comprising a holder for holding a rolled-up newspaper, wherein the holder comprises one or more elastic members and a grip, wherein the grip comprises a shaped surface for positioning against a rolled-up newspaper, wherein, when the one or more elastic members are secured to a rear surface of a vehicle seat back or to the literature pocket positioned on the rear surface of a vehicle seat back, the one or more elastic members urge the shaped surface of the grip towards the rear surface of the seat back or the rear surface of the literature pocket positioned between the grip and the rear surface of the seat back such that when a rolled-up newspaper is positioned between the shaped surface of the grip and the rear surface of the seat back or the rear surface of the literature pocket, the newspaper is held in place between the shaped surface of the grip and the seat back or the literature pocket.

15. The literature pocket according to claim 14, wherein the holder is attached to the literature pocket.

16. The literature pocket according to claim 14, wherein the literature pocket comprises an attachment means for attaching the one or more elastic members to the literature pocket.

17. The literature pocket according to claim 16, wherein the attachment means comprises one or more holes, loops and/or channels positioned at or near each lateral edge of the literature pocket through which the one or more elastic members can be threaded.

18. The literature pocket according to claim 16, wherein the attachment means comprises one or more holes, loops and/or channels positioned at or near the base of the literature pocket through which the one or more elastic members can be threaded.

19. The vehicle seat comprising a holder according to claim 1.

20. The vehicle seat comprising a literature pocket according to claim 14.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0075] Example embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying FIGS., in which:

[0076] FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention without a literature pocket;

[0077] FIG. 2 shows another view of the first embodiment of the present invention without a literature pocket;

[0078] FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, with a literature pocket;

[0079] FIG. 4 shows another view of the second embodiment of the present invention, with a literature pocket;

[0080] FIG. 5 shows a third embodiment of the present invention, with a literature pocket;

[0081] FIG. 6 shows another view of the third embodiment of the present invention, with a literature pocket;

[0082] FIG. 7 shows a literature pocket comprising channels at each lateral edge and at the base of the literature pocket;

[0083] FIG. 8 shows a modified version of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2; and

[0084] FIG. 9 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention with a literature pocket.

[0085] The present invention relates to a holder for use on an aircraft seat, in particular to a holder for holding a rolled-up newspaper or magazine. In particularly preferred examples, the holder is provided to the rear of a literature pocket, for example a lower literature pocket.

[0086] With respect to FIGS. 1 and 2, a first example of a holder 1 is shown comprising three elastic cords 2a, 2b, 2c and a grip 4. The first elastic cord 2a is fed through slot 3a on the left side of the grip 4 and through holes 8a and 8b in the seat back. The second elastic cord 2b is fed through a pair of eyelets 5a and 5b in the base of the grip 4 and through holes 8c and 8d in the seat back. The third elastic cord 2c is fed through slot 3b on the right side of the grip 4 and through holes 8e and 8f in the seat back.

[0087] Positioned in this way, the cords form arms 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d, 7e and 7f projecting outwardly from the grip 4 and connecting the grip to the seat back 10 via the holes 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d, 8e and 8f.

[0088] The end of each cord 2a, 2b, 2c is positioned on the front surface of the seat back 10 and prevented from passing through the respective hole by being secured to the seat back or provided with a suitable mechanical element such as a metal bar or metal plate (not shown) to which the end of the cord is attached. It will be appreciated that the front of the seat back 10 is the passenger receiving side of the seat back 10. The rear of the seat back 10 is visible in the FIGS.

[0089] Whilst in the example shown, three separate elastic cords 2a, 2b, 2c are used, it will be appreciated that, alternatively, a single elastic cord could be used. In such an example, the elastic cord is fed through the first hole 8a in the seat back 10 from the front of the seat back 10. The cord 2 is then fed into one end of the slot 3a on the left-hand side of the grip 4 and out of the opposing end, before being fed through the second hole 8b in the seat back 10 from the rear of the seat back 10. The cord 2 is then fed through the third hole 8c in the seat back 10 from the front of the seat back 10, before being fed through eyelets 5a, 5b at the base of the grip 4. The cord 2 is then fed through the fourth hole 8d in the seat back 10 from the rear of the seat back 10, before being fed through the fifth hole 8e in the seat back 10 from the front of the seat back 10. The cord 2 is then fed into one end of the slot 3b on the right-hand side of the grip 4 and out of the opposing end, before being fed through the sixth hole 8f in the seat back 10 from the rear of the seat back 10. In this example, the cord is arranged as described above such that the two ends of the cord 2 protrude from first and sixth holes 8a and 8f at the front of the seat back 10. As with the example shown in the FIGS. in which three separate cords 2a, 2b and 2c are used, the ends of the cord 2 protruding from said holes 8a, 8f can then be secured to the seat back or provided with a suitable mechanical element such as a metal bar or metal plate (not shown) to which the end of the cord is attached, so that the two ends on the cord 2 cannot pass back through the holes 8a, 8f.

[0090] In the examples shown, first and second holes 8a and 8b are positioned towards the left hand edge of the seat back 10, third and fourth holes 8c and 8d are positioned towards the base of the seat back 10 and fifth and sixth holes 8e and 8f are positioned towards the right hand edge of the seat back 10.

[0091] In other examples, as shown with reference to FIGS. 3 to 7, a holder 1 can be attached to a literature pocket 11, which is positioned in the lower region on the rear surface of a seat back 10, rather than being attached directly to the seat back 10. In this example, the literature pocket 11 comprises a channel 13a at the left-hand lateral edge of the literature pocket 11, a channel 13b at the base of the literature pocket 11 and a channel 13c at the right-hand lateral edge of the literature pocket 11. In this example, three elastic cords 2a, 2b, 2c are used. One cord 2a is inserted into one end of the left-hand channel 13a and out of the opposing end, before being inserted into one end of the left-hand slot 3a of the grip 4 and out of the opposing end. The two free ends of the cord are then fixed together. Two more cords 2b, 2c are then used in the same way to join the base 13b to the eyelets 5a, 5b of the grip 4 and to join the right-hand channel 13c to the right-hand slot 3b of the grip 4.

[0092] As with the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, whilst the provision of three cords 2a, 2b, 2c is shown, it will be appreciated that, alternatively, a single cord could be used in the same configuration as described above in relation to FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0093] The grip 4 comprises a concave curved surface 15 which, in use, faces the rear of the seat back 10 of the aircraft seat. The grip 4 further comprises a handle 12, which enables the user to pull the grip 4 away from the seat back 10 when they wish to use the holder 1. For example, the user can pull the grip 4 away from the seat back 10, thus stretching the elastic cord/s 2, and place an object 6 such as a rolled-up newspaper between the grip 4 and the seat back 10. The user can then release the grip 4 allowing the curved surface 15 to engage the object, and allowing the elastic cord/s 2 to contract and urge the grip 4 towards the seat back 10, thus securing the object between the rear surface of the seat back 10 and the curved surface 15 of the grip 4.

[0094] In some examples, as shown in FIG. 8, the curved surface 15 of the grip 4 can include a high friction material in order to restrict movement of the object 6 as much as possible when the object 6 is held within the holder 1. The curved surface 15 of the grip 4 may also or alternatively include a deformable material such that the shape of the curved surface 15 can adapt to suit objects of different sizes and shapes. For example, the curved surface 15 of the grip 4 may include a rubber material having ridges along its surface to increase the friction between the surface 15 and an object 6 being held by the holder. As shown in FIG. 8, the curved grip can be provided with a deformable rubber material 16 on the seat back facing surface of the grip 4. This protects the seat back 10, or the literature pocket 11, from damage resulting from repeated contact therewith by the grip 4.

[0095] In the example shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the handle 12 includes a pocket 9 which can be used as a storage area for small personal items. Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 a grip 4′ can be provided without a pocket.

[0096] Whilst the grip 4′ shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 differs slightly to the grip 4 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, it can be attached to the seat back 10 or the literature pocket 11 in a similar way via pairs of apertures 22, on its left-hand side, base and right hand side.

[0097] As with the example shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, in FIGS. 5 and 6 three elastic cords 2a, 2b, 2c are used. One cord 2a is inserted into one end of the left-hand channel 13a and out of the opposing end, before being inserted through a first pair of apertures 22 on the left-hand side of the grip 4′. Two more cords 2b, 2c are then used in the same way to join the base 13b to the base of the grip via a second pair of apertures at the base of the grip and to join the right-hand channel 13c to the right-hand side of the grip via a third pair of apertures.

[0098] As will be appreciated, in the examples discussed above with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6 in which three elastic cords are used, it will be appreciated that a single elastic cord could be used, for example, in a similar alternative arrangement to that described above in relation to FIGS. 1 and 2, with the cord being fed through the channels 13a, 13b, 13c via the ends of the channels instead of through the holes 8.

[0099] With reference to FIG. 9, an alternative example of the present invention is shown in which a literature pocket 11 is provided between the grip 4 and the seat back 10 but in which the cords 2a, 2b and 2c are attached to the seat back 10 in the same way as described and shown with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, rather than directly to the literature pocket 11 as shown with reference to FIGS. 3 to 7. Again, as will be appreciated, a single cord could alternatively be used, as described above.

[0100] The length of the elastic cord/s used should be such that the curved surface of the grip is in contact with or is close to the seat back 10 or literature pocket 11. This ensures that the object 6 being held by the holder 1 is pressed with sufficient force against the seat back 10 or literature pocket 11 to hold it in place.

[0101] Within this specification, the term “about” means plus or minus 20%, more preferably plus or minus 10%, even more preferably plus or minus 5%, most preferably plus or minus 2%.

[0102] It should be understood that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and without diminishing its attendant advantages. It is therefore intended that such changes and modifications are covered by the appended claims.