JP7724489B2 - Lectern extender and lectern extension system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a lectern extender and a lectern extension system.

Lecterns, also known as reading tables or bookstands, are used to hold documents such as books, magazines, and sheet music. In recent years, they have also become popular for holding word processors and typewriters, sometimes referred to as manuscript stands or data holders. Lecterns are also used in translation work. In this case, the manuscript is placed on a lectern next to a computer, and the translation is entered into the computer while looking at the manuscript. This shortens the distance between the manuscript and the computer screen compared to placing the manuscript directly on the desk, reducing fatigue during long periods of work and allowing for quicker eye movement. Meanwhile, when translating manuscripts in the field of science and technology, the manuscript is often accompanied by not only text but also drawings and photographs. Once the translation is entered, it must be checked while referring to these drawings. This process can easily result in a desk full of drawings, and if the references to the drawings in the text are not in accordance with their numbers, the desired drawing must be found each time, which can be time-consuming. For these reasons, if multiple documents, such as drawings, could be held on a lectern in an easily rearrangeable manner, the drawings could be viewed simultaneously, greatly improving the efficiency of checking the translation while checking the drawings. Furthermore, since the drawings would no longer be on the desk, only the printed translation manuscript would remain. This not only organizes documents, but also improves work efficiency and accuracy by allowing the viewer to shift their gaze between the translation on the desk and the drawings on the lectern as they proceed through the check (see Figure 5; D1: translated manuscript, D2: drawings). While it is possible to hold documents on a stand other than the lectern, if the lectern is also expected to be used for data entry and other purposes, a separate stand is not necessary, making the use of a lectern advantageous in terms of efficiency and other factors. However, conventional lecterns only allow for viewing one or two pages at a time, and changing the page required switching documents each time. Patent Document 1 discloses a lectern equipped with an extension plate that can move up and down and an extension wing that can move left and right, so that documents of various sizes can be placed on it. However, as mentioned above, it does not consider the possibility of holding multiple documents such as drawings on the lectern in a manner that allows them to be easily rearranged.

Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 2-82927

The object of the present invention is to provide a lectern extender and lectern extension system that can hold multiple documents, such as drawings, on a lectern in a manner that allows them to be easily rearranged.

The stand extender includes an extension plate, at least one first fixing member, and at least one opening. The stand extender further includes at least one second fixing member, at least one notch, and an annular member. The stand extension system includes one or more stands, one or more stand extenders connected to the one or more stands and configured to be connectable to each other via the annular member, and a first fastener. The stand extension system further includes a second fastener for fastening the one or more stand extenders to the one or more stands.

Multiple documents, such as drawings, can be held on the lectern in a manner that allows them to be easily rearranged, which not only keeps documents organized but also improves the efficiency and accuracy of work using documents.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the state before the lectern extender of the first embodiment is attached to the lectern. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the state after the lectern extender of the first embodiment is attached to the lectern. A diagram showing a lectern extension system configured using two pairs of lectern extenders and lecterns. FIG. 10 is another diagram showing a lectern extension system configured using two pairs of lectern extenders and lecterns. A diagram showing a document being held in the lectern extension system. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the state before the lectern extender of the second embodiment is attached to the lectern. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the state after the lectern extender of the second embodiment is attached to the lectern. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the state before the book stand extender of the second embodiment is attached to another book stand. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the state after the book stand extender of the second embodiment is attached to another book stand. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a third embodiment of a lectern extender.

[First embodiment]
FIG. 1 illustrates the first embodiment of the lectern extender 1a before it is attached to the lectern 2a. The lectern extender 1a includes an extension plate 11a, at least one first fixing member 12a (shown by dashed lines in FIG. 1), and at least one opening 13a. As described below with reference to FIG. 5, the lectern extender system can secure A4-sized documents in two rows, one above the other. The first fixing member 12a is primarily used to secure documents to be fastened to the upper row with a fastener 14a (described below). Here, the direction in which the lectern extender 1a is attached to the lectern 2a is the X-direction, which is the same as the longitudinal direction of the lectern extender 1a. The width direction of the lectern extender 1a is the Y-direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X-direction and Y-direction is the Z-direction.

The reading stand 2a comprises a slider 21a that can slide in the X direction and a holding portion 22a formed on the slider 21a. A U-shaped groove 23a is formed between the slider 21a and the holding portion 22a. By sandwiching a document between the slider 21a and the holding portion 22a, the sandwiched document is pressed toward the slider 21a by the spring force of the holding portion 22a, and is thereby held between the slider 21a and the holding portion 22a. Because the slider 21a can slide in the X direction, the held document can be moved in the X direction. Furthermore, by providing the slider 21a, documents of different sizes can be held on the reading stand 2a.

The extension plate 11a is preferably large enough to comfortably accommodate an A4-sized (210 mm x 297 mm) document, with a thickness of approximately 3-5 mm. While larger sizes are acceptable, a size of approximately A4 size is preferable for the lightweight design of the lectern extender 1a, ensuring stable document retention in the holder 22a of the lectern 2a. The material of the extension plate 11a is not limited to a specific material, as long as it is strong enough to support documents without bending when attached to the lectern, and lightweight enough to be stably attached to the lectern. In this embodiment, the extension plate 11a is made of plastic cardboard made of polypropylene (PP), weighing approximately 30 grams at a width of 272 mm, height of 300 mm, and thickness of 3 mm. The interior of the plastic cardboard is formed with multiple parallel walls, similar to cardboard made of paper, that define multiple voids. For this reason, using plastic cardboard is advantageous for reducing the weight of the extension plate 11a while maintaining the above-mentioned strength. However, because plastic cardboard tends to bend around the gap, in this embodiment, the extension plate 11a is positioned so that the internal wall of the plastic cardboard extends along the X direction to prevent the extension plate 11a from bending vertically downward due to the weight of the documents. As mentioned above, the material for the extension plate 11a is not limited to plastic cardboard; it could also be a paper material such as cardboard, another plastic material such as polystyrene foam, or a metal sheet. However, in the case of metal sheets, thinning increases their bending, while thickening increases their weight. For this reason, a lightweight, high-strength plastic material is desirable to ensure the strength of the extension plate 11a when attached to the lectern (e.g., resistance to pinching between the holding portion 22a and the slider 21a) and to support documents without bending when attached to the lectern.

The first fixing member 12a is a metal sheet (steel sheet) and is arranged along the width direction (Y direction) of the extension plate 11a on the upper (upstream in the X direction) end (first end) side of the extension plate 11a, for example, via double-sided tape (Figure 1). The double-sided tape may be a tape that adheres to plastic materials such as polypropylene (PP) (e.g., MKRC-26 manufactured by Motrich Co., Ltd.). A fastener 14a containing at least a portion of a magnetic material such as a magnet can be fixed to the first fixing member 12a. By sandwiching a document between the first fixing member 12a and the fastener 14a, the document is fixed to the extension plate 11a. The fastener 14a is the first fastener in this disclosure. The first fixing member 12a may be composed of multiple metal sheets arranged in a row across the width (Y direction) of the extension plate 11a. However, a single sheet is preferably arranged across the width (Y direction) of the extension plate 11a so that documents can be secured between the first fixing member 12a and the fastener 14a at any desired position. The thickness of the first fixing member 12a is preferably 0.2 mm or less to reduce the weight of the extension plate 11a. A protective member 120a (e.g., tape or resin) may be provided on the first fixing member 12a to prevent the first fixing member 12a from peeling off or to prevent the edges of the first fixing member 12a from injuring the user's fingers or other parts. The protective member 120a is preferably colored and is attached to the first fixing member 12a with an adhesive or the like. Because the protective member 120a is colored, even when a document is placed on the first fixing member 12a, the colored portion can be seen through the document, making it possible to ascertain the position of the first fixing member 12a. This makes it easy to determine the position to place the fastener 14a even when there is no light (such as sunlight or room light) coming from behind the extension plate 11a. The protective member 120a is preferably colored with a highly pigmented color, such as a fluorescent color, so that the first fixing member 12a can be easily seen, and the color should preferably be a warm color or yellow with a relatively high wavelength.

The opening 13a is, for example, a rectangular hole that penetrates the extension plate 11a and is located below the first fixing member 12a in the X direction. More specifically, the opening 13a is arranged along the width direction (Y direction) of the extension plate 11a on the lower (downstream in the X direction) end (second end) side of the extension plate 11a (Figure 1). There may be one opening 13a, but multiple openings (e.g., three) may be provided to adjust the height (position in the X direction) of the extension plate 11a, as described below. The size of the openings 13a is such that the holding portion 22a of the book stand 2a does not interfere with its insertion into the opening 13a. Specifically, if the holding portion 22a of the book stand (e.g., DH-317 manufactured by Sanwa Supply) has a Y direction length of approximately 30 to 40 mm, it is preferable that the Y direction length of each opening 13a be between 40 mm and 50 mm, and the X direction length be between 3 mm and 8 mm. The X-direction position (height) of the extension plate 11a is fixed by inserting the holder 22a of the book stand 2a into one of the openings 13a, and the extension plate 11a is fixed to the book stand 2a by sandwiching it between the holder 22a and the slider 21a (Figure 2). At this time, the gravity acting on the extension plate 11a in the Z direction and the resistance force exerted on the extension plate 11a by the surface of the slider 21a in contact with the extension plate 11a are balanced, thereby fixing the position of the extension plate 11a attached to the book stand 2a.

The lectern extender 1a further includes at least one second fixing member 15a (shown by dashed lines in FIG. 1), at least one notch 16a, and an annular member 17a. The second fixing member 15a is a metal sheet (steel sheet) and is arranged along the width of the extension plate, at least one of between the first fixing member 12a and the opening 13a in the longitudinal direction of the extension plate and between the opening 13a and the second end, via double-sided tape, for example. The double-sided tape may be the same type as that used to secure the first fixing member 12a. As described above, the lectern extender system can secure, for example, A4-sized documents in two rows, one above the other. The second fixing member 15a is primarily used to secure documents on the lower row with the fastener 14a. This is to prevent documents on the lower row placed on the lectern extender system from being blown away by wind from outside or a fan. Therefore, the second fixing member 15a may be located above or below the opening 13a, or even both above and below, depending on the size and position of the documents to be fastened on the lower and upper tiers. The second fixing member 15a may be formed by arranging multiple metal sheets in a row across the width of the extension plate 11a, or by a single sheet arranged across the width of the extension plate 11a (Y direction) so that documents can be fastened at any desired position. The thickness of the second fixing member 12a is preferably 0.2 mm or less to reduce the weight of the extension plate 11a. Furthermore, a protective member 150a (e.g., tape or resin) similar to the protective member 120a may be provided on the second fixing member 12a to prevent the second fixing member 12a from peeling off or to prevent the edges of the second fixing member 12a from injuring the user's fingers or other parts. The protective member 150a is preferably colored like the protective member 120a. As shown in Figure 1, the second fixing member 15a may be positioned directly below the opening 13a. In this case, the holding portion 22a of the book stand 2a clamps the extension plate 11a via the second fixing member 15a, which has the advantage that the second fixing member 15a can protect the extension plate 11a from physical damage that may occur when the extension plate 11a is clamped.

The cutout hole 16a is a hole provided in at least one of the upper right and upper left corners of the extension plate 11a (Figure 1), and a cutout C (Figure 2) is provided from this hole to the upper edge of the extension plate 11a. The ring member 17a is passed through this cutout C and into at least one of the cutout holes 16a. As described below, the ring member 17a is a member such as a looped string used to connect adjacent extension plates 11 in the lectern extension system, and is preferably elastic in order to absorb the forces acting on each other due to the swinging of the extension plates 11a.

As explained above, the holder 22a of the book stand 2a is inserted into the opening 13a of the book stand extension plate 11a, and the extension plate 11a is sandwiched between the holder 22a and the slider 21a, thereby holding the extension plate 11a to the book stand 2a. In this state, by sandwiching a document between the first fixing member 12a and the fastener 14a, the document is fixed to the upper side (the side of the book stand extender 1a), and by sandwiching another document between the second fixing member 15a and the fastener 14a, the document is fixed to the lower side (the side of the book stand 2a) (Figure 5).

Figure 2 shows a lectern extension system 3 consisting of one pair of lectern extenders 1a and lectern 2a. Figures 3 and 4 show a lectern extension system 30 consisting of two pairs of lectern extenders 1a and lectern 2a. Figure 3 shows the state in which the heights (positions in the X direction) of two extension plates 1a are made equal by adjusting the slider 21a, and the extension plates 1a are connected via the annular member 17a. Figure 4 shows the state in which the heights of the two extension plates 1a are made different from each other by adjusting the slider 21a. The function of the annular member 17a will now be further explained. As described above, the extension plate 1a is held by being sandwiched between the holding portion 22a of the lectern 2a and the slider 21a, so the weight of the extension plate 1a and the document causes the slider 21a to bend in the Z direction. For this reason, when multiple extension plates 1a are used, variations in bending may cause the positions of the extension plates 1a to shift in the Z direction. Therefore, by connecting the extension plates 1a together via the annular members 17a, it is possible to prevent positional shifts between the extension plates 1a in the Z direction. Note that if the positional shifts between the extension plates 1a in the Z direction are within the user's tolerance, it is not necessary to connect the extension plates 1a together via the annular members 17a.

Figure 5 shows documents being held on the lectern extension system 30. In this case, the lectern extension system 30 is configured using two pairs of lectern extenders and lecterns, and five documents D2 are placed on the lectern extension system 30. As shown, in this invention, multiple documents D2, such as drawings, are placed on the lectern, and document D1, such as a manuscript, can be viewed on a desk or other surface while these documents can be easily rearranged. This not only organizes documents, but also improves the efficiency and accuracy of work using documents. Note that while Figure 5 shows an example of multiple documents D2 of the same size placed on the lectern extension system 30, multiple documents of different sizes may also be placed, and one or more documents larger than document D2 may also be placed.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment of the book stand extender will be described. Elements having the same functions and actions as those of the book stand extender 1a of the first embodiment will be given the same reference numerals and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

Figure 6 shows the second embodiment of the book stand extender 1a' before it is attached to a book stand 2a' that is different from the book stand 2a of the first embodiment. The book stand extender 1a' comprises an extension plate 11a', at least one first fixing member 12a, and an opening 13a'. The book stand extender 1a' of the second embodiment differs from the book stand extender 1a of the first embodiment in the number and size of the openings 13a'. In this embodiment, there is one opening 13a', and the opening 13a' is larger than each of the openings 13a in the first embodiment.

As shown in Figures 6 and 8, the book stand extender 1a' of the second embodiment is intended to be attached to a different type of book stand 2a', 2a" than the book stand 2a illustrated in the first embodiment. Unlike the book stand 2a of the first embodiment, the book stand 2a' is configured to clamp the document with a coil spring clip portion 210, rather than clamping it between the holding portion 22a of the book stand 2a and the slider 21a. Furthermore, the book stand 2a" does not have a mechanism for securing the top of the document. In order to attach the book stand extender 1a' to this type of book stand, the book stand extender 1a' is formed with an opening 13a' that is larger in size than the opening 13a of the book stand extender 1a of the first embodiment.

More specifically, to attach the lectern extender 1a' to the lectern 2a' to form the lectern extension system 300 (Figure 7), the extension plate 11a' is clamped into the clip portion 210 of the lectern 2a' via the opening 13a', as shown in Figure 7. To attach the lectern extender 1a' to the lectern 2a'' to form the lectern extension system 300' (Figure 9), the extension plate 11a' and the lectern 2a' are clamped into at least one fastener 4 via the opening 13a', as shown in Figure 9. The fastener 4 can be any fastener that can secure the lectern extender 1a' to the lectern 2a'', such as a double clip, eye clip, super clip, power clip, mountain clip, gacha ball (such as OHTO GGA-5), or slide clipper (such as OHTO SLP-300LP). Figure 9 shows an example in which a double clip (such as CP-233 manufactured by Sonic Corporation) is used as fastener 4 to attach a lectern extender 1a' to a lectern 2a". Fastener 4 is the second fastener in this disclosure.

In the second embodiment, the extension plate 11a' is clamped between the clip portion 210 and the fastener 4 through the opening 13a'. Therefore, a space is required for the user's fingertips to clamp the extension plate 11a' between the clip portion 210 and the fastener 4. For this reason, the opening 13a' is larger than the opening 13 in the first embodiment, and there is only one opening. In this embodiment, the size of the opening 13a' is approximately 130 mm horizontally (length in the Y direction) and 50 mm vertically (length in the X direction). However, the size of the opening 13a' may be larger or smaller as long as the clip portion 210 and the fastener 4 can fit inside the opening 13a' and the user can clamp the extension plate 11a between the clip portion 210 and the fastener 4.

The stand extender 1a' further includes at least one (two in this embodiment) second fixing member 15a, at least one notch 16a, and an annular member 17a. These components are similar to those in the first embodiment, so further explanation is omitted. Even when using this second embodiment stand extender, the stand extension system described with reference to Figures 3 to 5 can be configured.

[Third embodiment]
FIG. 10 shows a third embodiment of the book stand extender 1a″. The book stand extender 1a″ of this embodiment differs from the first and second book stand extenders in that it includes a tear-off guide 101. The tear-off guide 101 includes at least one of a tear-off line 101a and a tear-off hole 101b. The tear-off line 101a is a line indicated on the extension plate 11a″, and the tear-off hole 101b is a hole formed through the extension plate 11a″. In this embodiment, the user can expand the opening 13a″ in the X and Y directions by cutting the extension plate 11a″ along the tear-off line with a cutter or the like. The expanded size of the opening 13a″ is approximately the same as the size of the opening 13′ of the second embodiment. By expanding the size of the opening 13a″ in this way, the extension plate 11a″ can be attached not only to the book stand 2a of the first embodiment, but also to the book stand 2a′ or 2a″ of the second embodiment. Therefore, the cutting guide 101 may be any line capable of guiding the user in cutting the extension plate 11a'', and the cutting line 101a may be any line capable of indicating the position where the extension plate 11a'' should be cut. The cutting holes 101b are provided to facilitate the user's cutting of the extension plate 11a''. Although the cutting holes 101b are shown at the four corners of the cutout portion in FIG. 10, they may be located anywhere along the cutting lines 101a, and the number of cutting holes 101b does not have to be four. In this way, in this embodiment, the book stand extender 11a'' can be attached to any of a variety of book stands.

As described above, by implementing the present invention, multiple documents such as drawings can be stored on the lectern in a manner that allows them to be easily rearranged, thereby organizing the documents and improving the efficiency and accuracy of work using the documents. While this embodiment has focused on an example in which documents such as drawings are stored in the lectern extension system, the documents that can be stored in the lectern extension system are not limited to drawings. For example, photographs, drawings, maps, and notes can also be stored in the lectern extension system, or writable sheets can be stored in the lectern extension system and written on. In this case, while holding a book on the lectern, related materials (photographs, maps, drawings, etc.) can be stored in the lectern extension, allowing the reader to read while viewing the visual materials. Alternatively, the lectern extension system can be used like a magnetic whiteboard. Therefore, if the lectern extension system is installed on a desk, the user can work on a computer or other device on the organized desk while viewing the materials stored in the lectern extension system in a rearrangeable manner. This not only improves the efficiency and accuracy of work using such materials, but can also be useful for generating ideas in work that requires imagination and inspiration.

1a Book stand extender 1a' Book stand extender 1a'' Book stand extender 11a Extension plate 11a' Extension plate 11a'' Extension plate 12a First fixing member 13a Opening 13a' Opening 13a'' Opening 14a First fastener 15a Second fixing member 16a Cutout hole 17a Annular member 2a Book stand 2a' Book stand 2a'' Book stand 21a Slider 210 Clip portion 22a Holding portion 23a Groove portion 3 Book stand extension system 30 Book stand extension system 101 Tear guide 101a Tear line 101b Tear hole 120a Protective member 150a Protective member 300 Book stand extension system 300' Book stand extension system 4 Second fastener C Cutout D1 Document D2 Document

Claims (8)

A lectern extender comprising an extension plate, at least one first fixing member provided on the extension plate, at least one opening formed in the extension plate , and a colored protective member provided on the first fixing member . The lectern extender of claim 1, wherein the first fixing member is a metal plate. 3. The lectern extender of claim 2 , further comprising at least one notch and an annular member formed in the extender plate. 4. The lectern extender of claim 3 , wherein the annular member is threaded through the cutout. 5. The lectern extender of claim 4 , wherein said annular member is resilient. 3. The lectern extender of claim 2 , further comprising a cutting guide for use in cutting the extender plate to enlarge the at least one opening. 7. The lectern extender of claim 6 , wherein the tearing guide includes at least one of a tear line for cutting the extender plate and at least one tear hole formed on the tear line.
A lectern extension system comprising: one or more lecterns; one or more lectern extenders according to claim 3 , which are connected to the one or more lecterns and are connectable to each other via an annular member; and a magnetic first fastener.