US 6,264,161 B1Granted

Portable music stand

OwnerW. Robert Waggonerinventor

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Abstract

A portable music stand includes a panel assembly composed of hinged elongate panel sections, two spaced-apart elongate walls or shelves running along one of the panel sections, and opposed end walls mounted to that same panel section and to the shelves, thus to form a container with one open side. The music stand also includes a mounting assembly with a base, a telescoping column extending upwardly from the base, and a brace at the top of the column and releasably coupled to the panel assembly. When in an open, flat configuration, the panel assembly cooperates with the shelves to provide a desk to support sheet music and accessories. Alternatively, the panel sections can be pivoted to a closed position in which the panel sections are wrapped about the container to close it. The mounting assembly is collapsible into a configuration that fits inside the container, and thus can be carried within the closed container. Alternative embodiments include containers with non-rectangular profiles, and resilient panels that are closed by elastic deformation rather than by pivoting hinged panel sections.

Claims32

Dependent claims

A portable stand including:

a panel assembly including a plurality of elongate panels, each panel having a longitudinal panel length and a lateral panel width, the panels being arranged in side-by-side relation an d rotatably coupled to provide for a pivoting of adjacent panels relative to one another about longitudinal axes;
an elongate first wall extending lengthwise in the longitudinal direction along a selected one of the panels and extending lengthwise in the longitudinal direction along a direction of its width;
at least one substantially laterally disposed end closure member integral with the selected panel and the first wall, said end closure member having a lateral profile;
wherein said pivoting of adjacent panels allows alternative placement of the panel assembly in an open setting in which the panels are substantially co-planar and provide a platform, and a closed setting in which the panels, the first wall, and the at least one end closure member cooperate to form an elongate container that extends longitudinally and is polygonal in lateral cross section;
wherein the panels, when in the closed setting, substantially conform to the lateral profile of the end closure members, and
a mounting structure adapted to support the panel assembly in the open setting with the platform inclined from the horizontal such that the selected panel forms a lower end region of the platform, with the first wall extended laterally and upwardly away from the selected panel.

3 more elements

A portable stand including:

a support structure adapted to assume a substantially planar configuration to provide a platform;
an elongate first wall running lengthwise in a longitudinal direction along one edge of the platform;
an elongate second wall running lengthwise along the platform and extending from the platform in proximal, transversely spaced-apart relation to the first wall, said first wall, second wall and a portion of the platform between the walls cooperating to provide a container having an opening opposite said portion of the platform;
wherein the support structure further is adapted to assume a surrounding engagement with the container and substantially conform to a lateral profile of the container to close said opening;
and
a mounting structure adapted to support the platform inclined from the horizontal whereby said one edge of the platform forms a lower edge of the platform, and the first and second walls are disposed proximate the lower edge and extend transversely and upwardly away from the platform.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.