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  Character-shaped book holderUSPTO Application #: 20070069102Title: Character-shaped book holder Abstract: A book holder for holding a book in a position for substantially hands-free reading that is shaped as a character, such as an animal, human, hero or fantasy object, and adapted for allowing the reader to read the book while sitting or laying down. In the preferred embodiment, the book holder has a character body with upper appendages, which can be shaped like arms, and lower appendages, which can be shaped like legs. At least the upper appendages are flexible and adjustable to grasp the book and hold it in a upright, reading position towards the reader. The lower appendages support the book in this position. Preferably, the book holder has a book support holder to assist in holding the book open and one or more lights to illuminate the reading pages. The lights are electrically connected to a source of electrical power, such as one or more rechargeable batteries. (end of abstract)
Agent: Richard A. Ryan Attorney At Law - Fresno, CA, US Inventor: Michelle G. Kane USPTO Applicaton #: 20070069102 - Class: 248444000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Supports, Easel; Book, Copy Or Music Score Holder, Body Supported The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070069102. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] None. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] A. Field of the Invention [0003] The field of the present invention relates generally to book holders configured to support a book and other reading materials in a position convenient for readers to read and handle. More particularly, the present invention relates to such book holders that support a book or other reading material in a generally vertical or upright position. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to book holders that are in the shape of a human, animal, robotic or other type of characters that are configured to sit on the reader's lap, chest or other supporting surface while the reader reads the book or other reading material. [0004] B. Background [0005] Many people enjoy reading books, magazines, journals or other reading materials for entertainment and educational purposes. Although reading is frequently done at tables, desks and other generally planar surfaces, it is well known that many people prefer to read while sitting on a comfortable chair or couch or while laying in bed. It is also well known that many people enjoy reading while sitting outdoors in a chair, hammock or other support device or while laying on a blanket or towel. Unless the reader lays the reading material flat on a table or desk, one problem with reading books or other materials, particularly while in a chair, couch or bed, is that the reader typically must hold the material in front of his or her eyes with one or both the hands. Typically, the reader holds the book or other reading material while balancing it on his or her lap or chest or against their folded legs. Over time, particularly for larger books or journals, this can be quite uncomfortable due to stiffness of the arms and legs that can result in the condition of the arms or legs "falling asleep" or the reader having to change reading positions to avoid such problems. Although reading a book or other reading material laying flat on a table, desk or other generally planar surface solves the problem of having to hold the book with the reader's hands, it is well known that such reading positions can be uncomfortable due to strain on the back and neck from looking down at the reading material. [0006] With any place in which a person desires to read, it is necessary to have sufficient light to illuminate the reading surface of the book, magazine or other reading material so the reader can see the written material. In order to avoid eyestrain, headaches or other problems, it is preferable that the light be substantially directed at the reading material. To provide sufficient light for reading, the reader typically utilizes natural or artificial light, such as from lamps and the like, that is directed to the pages where he or she is reading. Reading at night requires the use of artificial light. Often, the reader will read from a book or other reading material utilizing a lamp placed on a table or the like next to the chair, couch or bed. There are many times, when the use of a chair or bed side lamp is not desired or appropriate, such as when the reader desires to read while laying in bed and someone else is sleeping next to him or her. Under these circumstances, many readers utilize somewhat small, generally attachable reading lights that clamp or otherwise mount to the book or other reading material and have a light that can be directed toward the pages of the reading material. Most such reading lights are battery powered and utilize flashlight-type light bulbs. With regard to the problems of holding a book or the like while sitting or laying in a chair, couch or bed, the use of the attached reading light adds to the weight of the reading material and, therefore, increases the likelihood of arm or other fatigue from holding the reading material. [0007] A number of prior art patents have addressed various issues with regard to supporting or holding a book or other reading material in a manner that, to one degree or another, provides substantially hands-free support for the reading material. A number of the prior art devices are in the general shape and configuration of commonly available copy holder stands or a book-sized easel or podium. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 6,513,779 to Halpin describes a book holding device having an angled back support section against which a book lays, a frontal lip or ledge on which the book stands and a wire that runs through the back section in an arm-like fashion to hold a book in place upon the holder. In the preferred embodiment, the book holder is constructed from a block of semi-rigid material such as foam. Another similar device is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 6,860,458 to Pagano, which describes a book holder having a book support portion with an inclined upper surface and a base and a freestanding support portion with a document engagement surface and integral base to hold up the book support portion. A page-retaining clip is provided for holding a single sheet of paper. Another type of book holder is exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 6,776,385 to Chang, which discloses an adjustable book holder having a weighted base with a front wall and a pair of side walls, to which a bracket rotatably and adjustably attaches so as to support a frame or casing in a generally upright position. A book stands on the base and leans against the frame/casing and is held open by the front wall of the base. Yet another type of book holding apparatus, that being a clamping stand-type of book holder, is exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 6,938,870 to Salvador, which discloses a base, a post extending upwardly from the base, a flexible rod attached at one end to the post and a clamp-like device at the second end of the flexible rod configured to hold a book in an open position. U.S. Pat. No. 6,742,755 to Pryor discloses a bedside book holding apparatus that comprises a generally upright frame portion, which clamps at the bottom to a bed frame, and a book support frame that is adjustably attached to the upright frame and configured with a support plate to support a book. In one embodiment, a lamp is attached to the support frame to illuminate the book. A number of specialty book holders are also described in issued patents. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 6,820,852 to Wainscott, et al. describes a pillow book holder comprising a pillow with a transparent material on the front side that is dimensioned to receive a book between the pillow and the plastic-type material through an open top end. The book holder holds a book in an open position so that two pages can be read through the transparent plastic-type material. U.S. Pat. No. 6,547,202 to Paton describes a floating bookstand that is shaped similar to the copy holder or easel/podium types of book holders, but specially configured to support a book or other reading material on the surface of water, such as a pool or the like. [0008] While not presently utilized in combination with book holders, many people have stuffed animals, toy action figures, dolls, robots and other objects for display, entertainment and play. Many of these objects, particularly dolls and stuffed animals, have been around for very many years. In one variation of such objects, they are provided with an internal or external mechanisms to facilitate placing the object into a variety of different poses. Some of these have a discreet internal reinforcing or skeletal portion formed of a plastically deformable material that is manually deformable to place the object in the desired shape, and covered by a less rigid material (such as rubber, plastic or cloth). U.S. Pat. No. 6,478,653 to Langton, No. 5,017,173 to Shapero, et al., No. 4,932,919 to Shapero and No. 6,746,303 to Beidokhti are examples of various posable human-shaped figures. U.S. Pat. No. 5,762,531 to Witkin describes a posable stuffed toy animal having hand-bendable flat bands to internally support the body of the animal. U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,949 to Resper, et al. describes a soft doll or animal formed of groups of stuffed segments on a flexible core. [0009] While the foregoing patents describe a variety of different book holder apparatuses and posable objects, none of the foregoing are directed to a book holder that is configured in the shape of character-type object, such as an animal, human figure, robot, action figure or the like. With regard to the foregoing book holders, they are generally not configured for holding in a person's lap or on his or her chest while reading in a chair, couch or bed. An exception is the pillow book holder to Wainscoft described above, which appears to describe a book holder that allows the book to be comfortably held in a persons lap. The book holder of this patent, however, describes securely holding the book inside an envelope-type of configuration, albeit with a transparent cover, on the pillow. An apparent disadvantage of this configuration is that when the reader desires to change pages, he or she must remove the book from the holder, flip the page over and then reinsert the book back inside the envelope portion of the book holder. Other holders also have difficulty with changing pages. [0010] What is needed, therefore, is a book holder that is configured in the shape of a character, such as a bear, human figure, robot, action hero or the like, to hold a book or other reading material in a reading position so as to comfortably rest on the reader's lap or chest for reading in a sitting or laying position. The improved book holder should allow the book to be held by the holder in a manner that facilitates the reader's ability to change pages. The book holder should also be configured to sit on other surfaces, such as a table, desk, floor, deck, stand, rock or the like, and allow the reader to read the reading material held by the holder. The book holder should also be configured with a holding member or the like to assist in holding a book in the open position and one or more lights to illuminate the reading surface of the book or other reading material. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0011] The character-shaped book holder of the present invention provides the benefits and solves the problems identified above. That is to say, the present invention discloses an improved book holder that is configured in the shape of a character, such as an animal (i.e., stuffed bear, monkey or the like), human-like character, robot, action figures, extra-terrestrials and others, that is adapted to hold the book or in a manner that facilitates reading the book thereon, particularly when the reader is in a sitting or laying position. The book holder of the present invention is also configured to sit on generally planar, such as tables, desks, floors and the like, and non-planar surfaces in a manner that the reader can easily read the book held by the book holder. The book holder of the present invention has one or more upper appendages that are adjustably configured so as to hold the book in an open position and one or more lower appendages that are configured to support the book in a generally upright position. The book holder of the present invention can also be provided with a holding member to help hold the book open and in place on the book holder and one or more lights to illuminate the reading surface of the book. [0012] In one general aspect of the present invention, the character-shaped book holder of the present is utilized in conjunction with a book to support the book in a generally readable position and comprises a character body shaped and configured as a character with one or more upper appendages and one or more lower appendages. For many characters, character body will have a pair of arms and a pair of legs that extend generally outward from the front side of the character body. The upper appendages are flexible and adjustable so as to permit the user to utilize the upper appendages to hold the book on the front side of the character body in a generally upright, front facing position so the reader can read the book while the book holder is in his or her lap, sitting on his or her chest or stomach or resting on another surface, such as a table or desk. The ends of the upper appendages, which can be in the shape of hands, paws or the like, can be configured to hold the book open. The bottom of the book can rest on and be supported by the one or more lower appendages, which can include feet shaped ends to help hold the book in place. A book support holder can be located on the character body, such as below and extending downward from the chin of the character's head, to further support the book in an open position. One or more lights can be located on the character body, such as under the chin or on the character's feet, and configured to illuminate the pages of the open book. The lights can be electrically connected to a source of electrical power, such as an AC outlet or batteries. The batteries can be rechargeable and positioned in a battery compartment configured to allow the user to recharge the batteries by plugging in a power cord to an electrical outlet. Preferably, the power cord that interconnects the AC outlet with the rechargeable batteries is removable, such as by connecting to a plug-in receptacle, so the reader can utilize the book holder with the inconvenience of the power cord connected to the book holder. A switch can be operatively connected to the lights so as to allow the user to select when he or she desires to have the lights on for illumination purposes. [0013] Accordingly, the primary objective of the present invention is to provide a character-shaped book holder for use in holding a book that provides the advantages discussed above and that overcomes the disadvantages and limitations which are associated with presently available book holders. [0014] It is an important objective of the present invention to provide a character-shaped book holder that is configured to hold a book or other reading material in a manner that facilitates the reader easily and comfortably reading therefrom [0015] It is also an important objective of the present invention to provide a character-shaped book holder that is configured to hold a book or other reading material to facilitate substantially hands-free reading, particularly when the reader is sitting in a chair or couch and siting or laying in a bed. [0016] It is also an important objective of the present invention to provide a character-shaped book holder that has one or more upper appendages that are flexibly configured so as to hold the book or other reading material in an open position for reading therefrom and in a manner that allows relatively easy changing of pages. [0017] It is also an important objective of the present invention to provide a character-shaped book holder that is configured with a holding mechanism to assist in holding the book or other reading material in an open position. [0018] It is also an important objective of the present invention to provide a character-shaped book holder that is configured with one or more lights adapted to illuminate the reading surface of the book or other reading material while being held by the book holder. [0019] It is also an important objective of the present invention to provide a character-shaped book holder having an internal, rechargeable battery and a switch-operated light connected thereto to illuminate the reading surface of the book or other reading material while being held by the book holder. [0020] The above and other objectives of the present invention will be explained in greater detail by reference to the attached figures and the description of the preferred embodiment which follows. As set forth herein, the present invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, mode of operation and combination of processes presently described and understood by the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Continue reading... Full patent description for Character-shaped book holder Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Character-shaped book holder patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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