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

"The present invention is a collapsible, easily assembled, and readily transportable podium that can be easily adjusted to different angles. It remains stable even when pressure is applied or the base is pulled in opposite directions. The interlocking means between the pivoting arm and the base holds the pivoting arm in place and locks it onto the base, ensuring the structural stability of the podium. The podium can be quickly and easily set-up by sliding the pivoting arm into place and folding the podium along its hinged means until it lies flat against the base."

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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