FOLDABLE DOUBLE EASEL
20260047676 ยท 2026-02-19
Inventors
Cpc classification
A47B23/042
HUMAN NECESSITIES
International classification
Abstract
A foldable easel includes a first media panel hingedly connected to a second media panel which is hingedly connected to a third panel laying horizontally along a flat surface. A first support, second support, and locking panel help support the first and second media panel to be erected in a viewing fashion. At least two items may be displayed on the first and second media panels while erected and the easel may be folded into a compact unit when in a state of non-use.
Claims
1. A foldable easel configured to move between a folded state and an erected state comprising: a first panel configured to stand in a first plane in an erected state and configured to support a first item, a second panel hingedly connected to the first panel configured to stand in a second plane different from the first plane in the erected state and configured to support a second item; and a third panel hingedly connected to the second panel, configured to stand in a third plane in the erected state, the third plane different from the first plane and the second plane, wherein the third panel is configured to lay flat on a horizontal surface in the erected state, and wherein, in the erected state, the second panel is angled less than 90 degrees relative to the third panel, and the first panel is angled greater than 90 degrees relative to the second panel, wherein in a folded state, the first panel, the second panel, and the third panel are all parallel.
2. The foldable easel of claim 1, further comprising a first support panel hingedly connected to the first panel and a locking panel hingedly connected to the first support panel, the first support panel configured to stand in a fourth plane in the erected state and the locking panel configured to stand in a fifth plane in the erected state, wherein, in the erected state, the locking panel is configured to lock the first panel in the first plane supported by the first support panel.
3. The foldable easel of claim 2, further comprising a second support panel hingedly connected to the third panel, the second support panel configured to stand in a sixth plane in the erected state, wherein, in the erected state, the second support panel is configured to interact with the locking panel and the second panel to lock the second panel in the second plane supported by the second support panel.
4. The foldable easel of claim 3, wherein the second panel further includes: a first locking aperture configured to receive a locking flap of the locking panel in the erected state; and a second locking aperture configured to receive a first locking tab of the second support panel in the erected state.
5. The foldable easel of claim 4, wherein the second support panel further includes a first locking aperture configured to receive a second locking tab of the locking panel in the erected state.
6. The foldable easel of claim 5, wherein the second support panel further includes a second locking aperture configured to receive a second locking tab of the locking panel, in the erected state.
7. The foldable easel of claim 6, wherein the second panel further comprises a first thickened portion adjacent the first panel in the erected state and a second thickened portion adjacent the third panel in the erected state, wherein the first and second thickened portions are configured to retain the second item therebetween when the second item is placed on the second panel in the erected state.
8. The foldable easel of claim 7, wherein the first locking aperture of the second panel is defined in the first thickened portion such that in the erected state, the locking flap of the locking panel extends through the first locking aperture, through the first thickened portion, and extends out beyond the first thickened portion to create a ledge, and wherein the second locking aperture of the second panel is defined below the first thickened portion such that in the erected state, the first locking tab of the second support panel extends through the second locking aperture and along the first thickened portion.
9. The foldable easel of claim 8, wherein the first locking tab of the second support panel is configured to extend through the first thickened portion generally horizontally such that the first locking tab of the second support panel is configured to support the first item thereon.
10. The foldable easel of claim 8, wherein in the folded state, the first panel, the second panel, the third panel, the first support panel, the locking panel, and the second support panel are configured to lie parallel to one another.
11. The foldable easel of claim 9, wherein the first item is a viewing screen configured to rest on the first locking flap in the erected state, wherein the second item is a graphics tablet configured to be held on the second panel between the first thickened portion and the second thickened portion to restrict up and down movement of the graphics tablet.
12. The foldable easel of claim 9, wherein at least one of the first thickened portion and/or the second thickened portion of the second panel further includes a bore for receiving a third item, wherein the third item is a pen or stylus.
13. The foldable easel of claim 9, wherein the first item is a book configured to hang over a hinge between the first panel and the first support panel, and wherein the second item is writing pad configured to be held on the second panel between the first thickened portion and the second thickened portion to restrict up and down movement of the writing pad such that a user can utilize the writing pad at an ergonomic angle while viewing the book at an ergonomic angle.
14. The foldable easel of claim 9, wherein the second item is a spiralized notebook, and wherein the second panel further comprises a plurality of apertures configured to receive a spiral of the spiralized notebook such that the spiral notebook is configured to lay flat on the second panel.
15. The foldable easel of claim 9, wherein at least one of the first thickened portion and/or the second thickened portion of the second panel further includes a bore for receiving a third item, wherein the third item is a pen or stylus.
16. A double easel comprising: a first panel standing in a first viewing plane, a second panel hingedly connected to the first panel and standing in a second viewing plane different from the first plane; and a third panel hingedly connected to the second panel and standing in a third plane, the third plane different from the first plane and the second plane, wherein, in a state of use, the third panel is configured to lay flat on a horizontal surface, and wherein, the second panel is angled less than 90 degrees relative to the third panel, and the first panel is angled greater than 90 degrees relative to the second panel, wherein in a state of non-use the first panel, the second panel, and the third panel are configured to fold together to be parallel to one another.
17. The foldable easel of claim 16, further comprising a first support panel hingedly connected first panel and a locking panel hingedly connected to the first support panel, the first support panel standing in a fourth plane and the locking panel standing in a fifth plane, wherein, the locking panel comprises one or more locking features configured to lock the first panel in the first plane supported by the first support panel.
18. The foldable easel of claim 17, further comprising a second support panel hingedly connected to the third panel, the second support panel standing in a sixth plane, wherein, the second support panel is configured to interact with the locking panel and the second panel to lock the second panel in the second plane supported by the second support panel.
19. The foldable easel of claim 18, wherein the one or more locking features includes: a first locking aperture and a second locking aperture of the second panel and a first locking aperture and a second locking aperture of the second support panel.
20. A blank for forming a foldable easel, comprising: a locking panel; a first support panel hingedly connected to the locking panel at a first fold line; a first media panel hingedly connected to the first support panel at a second fold line opposite the first fold line across the first support panel, wherein in a set up easel the first media panel is configured to support a first medium; a second media panel hingedly connected to the first panel at a third fold line opposite the second fold line across the first media panel comprising a first and second thickened portion with at least two bores, wherein in the set-up easel the second media panel is configured to support a second medium; a third panel hingedly connected to the second panel at a fourth fold line, opposite the third fold line across the second media panel; and a second support panel hingedly connected to the third panel at a fifth fold line, opposite the fourth fold line across the third panel; wherein in the set-up easel: the third panel is configured to lay flat on a horizontal surface; the second media panel is configured to fold upward and away from the third panel to form a first viewing plane; the second support panel is configured to fold upward and away from the third panel to meet the second media panel, wherein a locking tab portion of the second support panel is configured to insert into the second media panel to lock the second media panel in the first viewing plane; the first media panel is configured to fold relative to the second media panel to stand generally vertically relative to the horizontal to form a second viewing plane; the first support panel is configured fold downward, away from the first media panel and towards the third panel; and the locking panel is configured to fold relative to the first support panel inwards towards the third panel, wherein a first portion of the locking panel is configured to insert into the second support panel to lock the first support panel and the first media panel into place, and a second portion of the locking panel is configured to insert into the first media panel to lock the first media panel into place and further support the first medium on the first media panel, wherein in a folded easel, the locking panel, the first support panel, the first media panel, the second media panel, the third panel, and the second support panel are configured to lay flat and stack atop one another.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0027] So that those skilled in the art to which the subject disclosure appertains will readily understand how to make and use the devices and methods of the subject disclosure without undue experimentation, other embodiments thereof will be described in detail herein below with reference to certain figures, wherein:
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0046] Reference will now be made to the drawings wherein like reference numerals identify similar structural features or aspects of the subject disclosure. For purposes of explanation and illustration, and not limitation, an illustrative view of an embodiment of a foldable double easel in accordance with the disclosure is shown in
[0047] In accordance with at least one aspect of this disclosure, as shown in
[0048] With reference to
[0049] A third panel 108 can be hingedly connected to the second panel 104 (e.g., via hinge 110), configured to stand in a third plane in the erected state. The third plane may be different plane from the first plane and the second plane, e.g., as shown. The third panel 108 can be configured to lay flat on a horizontal surface in the erected state (e.g., as shown in
[0050] With continued reference to
[0051] The second panel 104 can further include a first locking aperture 124 configured to receive a locking flap 126 of the locking panel 116 in the erected state and a second locking aperture 128 configured to receive a first locking tab 130 of the second support panel 120 in the erected state.
[0052] The second support panel 120 further includes a first locking aperture 132 configured to receive a first locking tab 133 of the locking panel 116 a second locking aperture 134 configured to receive a second locking tab 136 of the locking panel 116 in the erected state. As shown in the enlarged partial view in
[0053] Still with reference to
[0054] As shown, the first locking aperture 124 of the second panel 104 can be defined in the first thickened portion 138 such that in the erected state, the locking flap 126 of the locking panel extends through the first locking aperture 124, through the first thickened portion 138, and extends generally horizontally out beyond the first thickened portion 138 to create a ledge 142 configured to support a media item thereon, which in certain embodiments can be the same or different from the first item 103 thereon.
[0055] The second locking aperture 128 of the second panel 104 can be defined below the first thickened portion 138 such that in the erected state, the first locking tab 130 of the second support panel 120 extends through the second locking aperture 128 and along the first thickened portion 138. In certain embodiments, the first and/or second thickened portions can include at least one bore 148 for receiving a third item therein.
[0056] Now with reference to
[0057] A third panel 208 can be hingedly connected to the second panel 204 at a fourth fold line 210 opposite the third fold line 205 across the second media panel 204, and a second support panel 220 can be hingedly connected to the third panel 208 at a fifth fold line 222 opposite the fourth fold line 210 across the third panel 208.
[0058] When the easel 100 is set up, the third panel 208 can be configured to lay flat on a horizontal surface. To fold the blank 200 into the easel 100 as shown in
[0059] A first portion (e.g., locking tabs 233 and 234) of the locking panel 216 can be inserted into the second support panel 220 to lock the first support panel 212 and the first media panel 202 into place. A second portion (e.g., locking flap 226) of the locking panel 216 can be inserted into the second panel 204 to lock the first media panel 202 into place and further support the first medium 103 on the first media panel 202. When the easel is folded (e.g., in a state of non-use), the locking panel 216, the first support panel 212, the first media panel 202, the second media panel 204, the third panel 208, and the second support panel 220 are configured to lay flat and stack atop one another, e.g., as shown in
[0060] With specific reference to
[0061] Turning now to
[0062] Turning now to
[0063] Different from easels 100 and 1300, easel 1600 can have a plurality of defined sections for holding multiple different items on each of the first and second panels 1602, 1604. For example, the first panel 1602 can have a slot 1672 for holding the first item 1603, and the second panel 1604 can have two defined portions for holding multiple second items 1606. In this example, the first item 1603 can be a viewing screen 1644, one of the second items 1606 can be a keyboard 1646 and one of the second items 1606 can be a graphics/drawing tablet 1674, both the keyboard 1646 and graphics/drawing tablet 1674 configured to communicate with the viewing screen 1646, where the user can seamlessly transition between the items. The second panel 1604 can be shaped to conform to the second item(s) 1606 to prevent movement of the items 1606 when in use (e.g., to prevent the items 1606 from falling off the easel 1600 or moving out of their desired position).
[0064] Disclosed herein are embodiments of a self-supporting foldable easel which can be easily erected, folded, and/or disassembled in no more than three steps. In certain embodiments the easel may be made of corrugated cardboard, gator board, paper board, plastic, composite material, or another equivalent material. In certain embodiments the material used may be biodegradable.
[0065] In certain embodiments the locking flap 126 has a hinge 170 to make it flexible when going into the locking aperture of the second panel 104. The locking flap 126 helps distribute the weight of the upper portion of the easel by pushing the upper portion of the easel 100 slightly down and backwards which in turn puts upward tension on the ledge 142 of the locking flap 126. To release the locking flap 126, slight pressure should be applied to the locking panel 116 and the first support panel 112. This provides an unexpected strength to the easel compared to conventional easels, which rely entirely on the hinge to support the weight of items placed on the upright panel causing the hinges to weaken and fail prematurely.
[0066] Embodiments of the easel disclosed herein can be easily folded and unfolded for portability and for easy storage. The easel, starting from a folded position, folds out, first by lifting the top section, hinged in the front, upwards revealing a hidden panel hinged at the back. This panel lifts up and slots into the panel above creating a triangular structure which serves as the base and the lower easel. The remaining layers, also hinged at the back, swing upward to form the upper easel. The upper section, consisting of three panels, folds out. The first two panels are the front and back of the upper easel. The third panel splits into two tabs. One-tab slots into the lower section of the base and one tab slots into the upper section of the base, forming the shelf of the upper easel and the assembly is complete.
[0067] The articles a, an, and the as used herein and in the appended claims are used herein to refer to one or to more than one (i.e., to at least one) of the grammatical object of the article unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. By way of example, an element means one element or more than one element.
[0068] The phrase and/or, as used herein in the specification and in the claims, should be understood to mean either or both of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Multiple elements listed with and/or should be construed in the same fashion, i.e., one or more of the elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the and/or clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to A and/or B, when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as comprising can refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other elements); etc.
[0069] As used herein in the specification and in the claims, or should be understood to have the same meaning as and/or as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, or or and/or shall be interpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at least one, but also including more than one, of a number or list of elements, and, optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicated to the contrary, such as only one of or exactly one of, or, when used in the claims, consisting of, will refer to the inclusion of exactly one element of a number or list of elements. In general, the term or as used herein shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives (i.e., one or the other but not both) when preceded by terms of exclusivity, such as either, one of, only one of, or exactly one of.
[0070] Any suitable combination(s) of any disclosed embodiments and/or any suitable portion(s) thereof are contemplated herein as appreciated by those having ordinary skill in the art in view of this disclosure.
[0071] The embodiments of the present disclosure, as described above and shown in the drawings, provide for improvement in the art to which they pertain. While the apparatus and methods of the subject disclosure have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that changes and/or modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the subject disclosure.