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United States Patent 5,046,626
Hansen September 10, 1991
Display rack for documents

Abstract

Document holder for holding magazines, brochures and other looseleaf papers in an upright position, with a relatively large portion of each document being exposed to view. The device is constructed in modular form and is readily increased and decreased in size to hold different numbers of papers. THe disclosed embodiments include both a wall-mounted rack and a carousel rack.

Inventors: Hansen; Robert S. (P.O. Box 2238, Rohnert Park, CA 94928)
Appl. No.: 563684
Filed: December 20, 1983

Intern'l Class: A47F 003/14
Field of Search: 211/55,50,56,58,128,129,131,163,194,12,10,88,52 312/183 206/449,425 220/4 F,4 C,22.3,229 248/441.1,447.1

References Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
374509Dec., 1887Thum.
951664Mar., 1910Swan211/56.
2614698Oct., 1952Bell211/163.
2664206Dec., 1953Beal211/55.
2818192Dec., 1957Weiner220/4.
3365067Jan., 1968Miller et al.
3767057Oct., 1973Holmes.
4062452Dec., 1977Bartholomew211/55.
4081080Mar., 1978Rorex211/55.
4083456Apr., 1978Genn et al.211/55.
4162014Jul., 1979Bobrick211/55.
Foreign Patent Documents
857489Dec., 1960GB.
1482997Aug., 1977GB211/55.

Primary Examiner: Johnson; Blair M.
Claims


I claim:

1. In a document holder for holding a plurality of papers in a generally upright position: a rotary base rotatable about a vertically extending axis, a first upwardly and outwardly inclined frustroconical side wall mounted on the base and positioned coaxially of the vertically extending axis, a horizontally extending wall positioned midway between the upper and lower margins of the first side wall, and a second upwardly and outwardly inclined frustroconical side wall resting on the horizontally extending wall and being disposed coaxially of and spaced radially inward from the first side wall to form a paper holding compartment having an annular profile in horizontal section for receiving a plurality of papers in side-by-side relation and constraining said papers to an upwardly and outwardly inclined, outwardly curved configuration which confers rigidity to the papers and enables them to stand in a generally upright position and extend a substantial distance above the first side wall without bending under their own weight, the side walls and the horizontally extending wall being releasably joined together in a manner permitting ready assembly and disassembly of the document holder, with the side walls being fabricated of sheets of flexible material which lie flat when the document holder is disassembled and have interlocking tabs at the end portions thereof which hold the sheets in a circular configuration when engaged.

2. In a document holder for holding a plurality of papers in a generally upright position: a rotary base rotatable about a vertically extending axis, a first upwardly and outwardly inclined frustroconical side wall mounted on the base and positioned coaxially of the vertically extending axis, a horizontally extending wall positioned midway between the upper and lower margins of the first side wall, and a second upwardly and outwardly inclined frustroconical side wall resting on the horizontally extending wall and being disposed coaxially of and spaced radially inward from the first side wall to form a paper holding compartment having an annular profile in horizontal section for receiving a plurality of papers in side-by-side relation and constraining said papers to an upwardly and outwardly inclined, outwardly curved configuration which confers rigidity to the papers and enables them to stand in a generally upright position and extend a substantial distance above the first side wall without bending under their own weight, the side walls and the horizontally extending wall being releasably joined together in a manner permitting ready assembly and disassembly of the document holder, with circumferentially spaced outer portions of the horizontally extending wall being received in interlocking, supportive relationship between vertically spaced bosses which project inwardly from the first side wall.

3. The document holder of claim 2 wherein the bosses are formed by forming circumferentially spaced horizontally extending slots of limited length in the first side wall, and bending portions of the wall in an inward direction above and below the slots.

4. In a document holder for holding a plurality of papers in a generally upright position: a rotary base rotatable about a vertically extending axis, a first upwardly and outwardly inclined frustroconical side wall mounted on the base and positioned coaxially of the vertically extending axis, a horizontally extending wall positioned midway between the upper and lower margins of the first side wall, and a second upwardly and outwardly inclined frustroconical side wall resting on the horizontally extending wall an d being disposed coaxially of and spaced radially inward from, the first side wall to form a paper holding compartment having an annular profile in horizontal section for receiving a plurality of papers in side-by-side relation and constraining said papers to an upwardly and outwardly inclined, outwardly curved configuration which confers rigidity to the papers and enables them to stand in a generally upright position and extend a substantial distance above the first side wall without bending under their own weight, the side walls and the horizontally extending wall being releasably joined together in a manner permitting ready assembly and disassembly of the document holder, with the second side wall being secured to the bottom wall by tabs which project from the side wall and are received in slots formed in the bottom wall.
Description


This invention pertains generally to document holders, and more particularly to a display rack for holding a plurality of looseleaf papers in an upright position.

The tendency of magazines, brochures and other looseleaf papers to buckle and collapse due to their own weight makes it difficult to hold such papers for display in an upright position. Consequently, such papers are frequently stacked in piles on a horizontal surface or placed in racks in which no more than a small portion of each sheet is exposed. When stacked in piles, the papers may take up valuable counter space or other working surfaces, and when placed in a rack with only limited exposure, the papers are difficult to see without removing them at least partially from the rack.

It is in general an object of the invention to provide a new and improved document holder for holding magazines, books and other looseleaf papers in an upright position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a document holder of the above character in which a relatively large portion of each document is exposed to view.

Another object of the invention is to provide a document holder of the above character which is constructed in modular form and is readily increased and decreased in size to hold different numbers of papers.

Another object of the invention is to provide a document holder of the above character which is portable.

These and other objects are achieved in accordance with the invention by providing a document holder having a plurality of upwardly and outwardly inclined partitions spaced in overlapping fashion along an axis to form a plurality of vertically aligned paper holding compartments having front and rear walls defined by alternate ones of the partitions. Each of the partitions has a nonlinear profile in horizontal section such that the walls of each container constrain papers placed therein to a horizontally curved configuration which confers rigidity to the papers and enables them to stand in the compartments without bending under their own weight. The front wall of each compartment extends to a lower vertical height than the rear wall and engages only the lower portions of the papers in the compartment with the upper portions of the papers being exposed and visible above the front wall. The document holder is constructed in modular form, and the number of compartments is readily changed by adding or removing modular sections. In one disclosed embodiment which is particularly suitable for hanging on a wall or other vertical surface, the compartments are formed by pocket-like members connected together in overlapping fashion along the vertical axis. In another disclosed embodiment which is particularly suitable for use on a counter or other horizontal surface, the compartments are formed by overlapping frustoconical walls mounted on a rotary base and centered about the vertically extending axis.

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of one embodiment of the document holder according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of one of the modular units which make up the document holder of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 4--4 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5a is a fragmentary side elevational view illustrating an alternative connector for joining the modular units together in the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5b is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along line 5b--5b in FIG. 1, illustrating another alternative connector for joining the modular units together in the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a second embodiment of a document holder according to the invention.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7--7 in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of one of the bottom wall members utilized in the embodiment of FIG. 6.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of one of the side wall members utilized in the embodiment of FIG. 6.

The embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 comprises a plurality of similar modular units 11 which are detachably connected together to form a rack suitable for mounting on a wall or other vertically extending support surface. Each of the modular units comprises a pocket-like member having a horizontally curved, generally rectangular outer wall or partition 12, and a pair of side flanges 13 which extend rearwardly from the lateral margins of the outer wall. A cross-member 14 extends horizontally between the side flanges on the back side of the outer wall about midway between the upper and lower margins of the outer wall and is rigidly affixed to the back side of the outer wall and to the inner sides of the side flanges. The upper portions 16 of the side flanges are generally rectangular in profile, with rear edges 17 which are generally parallel to the lateral margins of outer wall 12, and the lower portions 18 of the side flanges are tapered, with rear edges 19 which are inclined relative to the lateral margins of the outer wall. Cross-member 14 has a top flange 21 which is generally perpendicular to outer wall 12 and a rear flange 22 which depends from flange 21 and is aligned with the rear edge portions 19 of the side flanges. A mounting hole 24 is formed in flange 22 for receiving a mounting hook or other fastener whereby the rack can be attached to the wall or other supporting surface.

Modular units 11 are connected together in overlapping fashion along a vertically extending axis with the upper edge of each outer wall being aligned generally opposite the top flange 21 of the cross-member of the next adjacent modular unit, and the upper rear edge portions 17 of side flanges 13 abutting against the lower portion of the outer wall of the next module. The outer walls of the adjacent modules are thus spaced apart in generally parallel relation to form the front and rear walls of paper holding compartments 26, with side flanges 13 and cross-member flanges 21 forming the side and bottom walls of the compartments. The lower rear edge portions 19 of side flanges 13 are aligned vertically for engagement with the wall or other mounting surface, and outer walls are inclined upwardly and outwardly as best seen in FIG. 2. The paper holding compartments are thus offset or spaced vertically, with the upper portions of papers 28 in one compartment being exposed and visible in front of the lower portion of the next compartment. Any desired number of modules can be employed to provide a corresponding number of compartments.

The upper modular section 31 of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4 is generally similar to the other sections except it is truncated and terminates at the cross-member. This section is somewhat longer than the lower portions of the other modules, and the top flange 21 of its cross-member serves as a decorative ca for the rack.

Outer walls or panels 12 have a nonlinear profile in horizontal section such that papers 28 placed in compartments 26 are constrained by the walls to a horizontally curved contour which confers rigidity to the papers and enables them to stand in the compartments without bending under their own weight. In the embodiment illustrated, the walls are arcuately curved, but they can have any suitable configuration which will confer rigidity to the papers.

Hook-like tabs 32, 33 project from the rear edges 17 of side flanges 13 and are received in slots 34 in the outer wall 12 of the next adjacent module to releasably secure the modules together in interlocking form. These connectors are engaged by inserting the tabs of one module into the slots of a second and moving the first module in a downward direction relative to the second. They are disengaged by moving the first module in an upward direction relative to the second and withdrawing the tabs from the slots.

FIGS. 5a and 5b illustrate alternative tabs 35, 36 for connecting the modular units together. Tabs 35 are employed at the upper rear corners of flanges 13, and tabs 36 are employed below. Tabs 35 project upwardly and rearwardly from the flanges and include a generally rectangular upper portion 37 and a rounded lower portion 38. These tabs are engaged by inserting upper portions 37 into slots 34 and rotating the module downwardly through an angle of 90.degree. to position upper portions 37 behind the outer wall of the next adjacent module. Tabs 35, 36 have laterally projecting shoulders 39 which engage the back side of the outer wall of the adjacent module when the tabs are inserted into the slots of that module. These connectors are disengaged by inwardly directed lateral pressure on the side flanges from which the tabs project.

Modular units 11 can be fabricated of any suitable rigid or semi-rigid material such as plastic, sheet metal or cardboard. Outer wall 12 and side flanges 13 are preferably formed as a unitary structure, and cross-member 14 can be affixed to the outer wall and the side flanges by any suitable means.

The embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 6-9 comprises a plurality of vertically stacked, generally circular modular units 41 mounted on a rotary base 42 to form a carousel rack. The base includes a platform or turntable 43 rotatively mounted on a stationary base 44 adapted to rest on a counter or other horizontally extending support surface.

Each of the modular units 41 includes an upwardly and outwardly inclined frustoconical side wall 47 and a horizontally extending bottom wall 48. The side walls are spaced in overlapping fashion along a vertically extending axis, with the lower portion of the side wall of one module being positioned coaxially within the upper portion of the side wall of the next lower module and the bottom wall of the upper module being positioned midway between the upper and lower margins of the side wall of the lower module. The side walls of the adjacent modules are spaced apart to form paper holding compartments 49, with horizontally extending walls 48 forming the bottom walls of the compartments. As in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4, paper holding compartments 49 are offset or spaced vertically, with the upper portions of papers 51 in one compartment being exposed and visible in front of the lower portion of the next higher compartment. Any desired number of modules can be employed to provide a corresponding number of compartments. Compartments 49 are generally annular in horizontal section and are adapted to hold a plurality of paper in side-by-side relation.

Walls 47, 48 are detachably connected together, and the entire rack is readily assembled and disassembled. In this regard, side walls 47 rest upon bottom wall 48 and have circumferentially spaced tabs 53 which project downwardly from the lower margins of the side walls and are received in slots 54 formed in the bottom walls. Circumferentially spaced portions 56 of the outer peripheries of the bottom walls are received in interlocking, supportive relation between vertically spaced bosses 57 which project inwardly from the side walls. In the embodiment illustrated, the bosses are formed by forming inwardly extending oval shaped dimples in the side wall and cutting slots across the dimples where the bottom walls are to be received.

Side walls 47 and bottom walls 48 are preferably fabricated of a relatively lightweight sheet material such as plastic or cardboard. The material of which side walls 47 are fabricated is preferably flexible enough to permit the side walls to be laid flat when the rack is disassembled, and the end portions of the sheets which form the side walls have interlocking tabs 59 which hold the side walls in their conical configuration when engaged. With the rack disassembled and the side walls laid flat, the side walls and bottom walls are readily stacked in a compact package for carrying or storage.

The lowermost section 61 of the embodiment of FIGS. 6-9 comprises a relatively short upwardly and outwardly inclined side wall 62 which rests upon platform 43, with interlocking tabs 63 projecting through slots 64 in the platform. Side wall 62 is approximately half as high as the side walls of the remaining sections, and it has a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the upper portions of the other side walls. Side wall 62 is positioned coaxially of the lower portion of the next adjacent side wall 47 which also rests upon platform 43, with its tabs 53 projecting through slots 66 in the platform. An additional paper holding compartment 67 is thus formed between side wall 62 and the next adjacent side wall 47, with platform 43 forming the bottom wall of this compartment.

A generally circular lid 68 having a depending peripheral flange 69 is mounted on side wall 47 of the uppermost section and serves as a decorative cap for the carousel rack. The space bounded by lid 68 and walls 47, 48 of the uppermost module can be used as a storage bin, if desired, with lid 68 forming a removable cover for this space. Likewise, the spaces enclosed by the remaining side walls and bottom walls can also be utilized for storage.

As in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4, side walls 47, 62 have a nonlinear profile in horizontal section, and papers 51 placed in compartments 49, 67 are constrained by the side walls to a horizontally curved configuration which confers rigidity to the papers and enables them to stand in the compartments without bending under their own weight.

It is apparent from the foregoing that a new and improved document holder has been provided. While only certain presently preferred embodiments have been described in detail, as will be apparent to those familiar with the art, certain changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

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