Pillow mounted book holder

This Application claims benefit of Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/121,821 filed Feb. 24, 1999.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a pillow carrying book holder or a book holder carried by a pillow which may readily rest on the lap of a user and easily hold a book in a desired reading position.

Book holders used for retaining and positioning a book for reading without requiring the reader to hold the book are well known. There are various designs and constructions which are positionable and rest upon a table or other flat surface. One known construction of this type comprises metal rods which connect together and have certain of the rods which fold to engage a book and to fold to a stored position. Another such construction illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,123,029 comprises a wooden face plate with a triangular support plate on the back and having a shelf on the front on which a book may rest, it having spring biased fingers to engage and hold the book.

Other constructions permit a book to be held by the reader while in a sitting or prone position. Examples of such book holders are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,029,668; 2,481,107 and 4,356,991. However, each of these book holder are awkward to use and when used is relatively unstable and uncomfortable. Another apparatus which may be used to support a book and which may be used either resting on a table or positioned on the lap of a user is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,114,110, this structure being a board with a flexible support or base and an elastic cord for holding the book.

It is highly desirable and would be extremely useful if a book holder were constructed to rest comfortably on the lap of a user and yet be stable. It is know to provide a board in a stuffed bag forming a portable lap desk, see for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,537,646 . However, no such simple comfortable book holder is known to have been proposed in the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Consequently, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a book holder that may rest comfortably on the lap of a user while in a sitting or prone position.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a book holder that is connected to a pillow permitting the book holder to be disposed on the lap of a user with the pillow comfortably on the lap of the user.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a book holder in combination with a pillow, the book holder having a frame disposed within the interior of the pillow and having book engaging fingers disposed on the exterior of the pillow and biased toward the frame.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a pillow carrying book holder structure including a frame in the form of a board positioned within the pillow, the board supporting retraction mechanism which is connected to a pair of book engaging fingers, the fingers being externally of the pillow and biased by the retraction mechanism toward the frame. Thus, a book may be positioned on the pillow in juxtaposition with the board and held by the fingers as they are retracted toward the pillow and the frame. The pillow may be filled with conventional stuffing material and may include a freely movable particulate filling comprising a multiplicity of small balls or other particles such as used in a “bean bag” so that the pillow will conform to the lap of a user. Thus, the pillow mounted book holder may comfortably be positioned for use when the reader or user is sitting, resting or prone.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The particular features and advantages of the invention of the invention as well as other objects will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1

is a front elevational view of a pillow mounted book holder constructed in accordance with the present invention, partly broken away and with parts thereof removed for purposes of clarity; and

FIG. 2

is a sectional view taken along line

2

—

2

of

FIG. 1

illustrating the book holding and retraction mechanism.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings,

FIG. 1

illustrates a throw pillow

10

within which is mounted a book holding structure

12

constructed in accordance with the present invention. The book holding structure comprises a frame

14

defined by a plate or other structure preferably formed from wood and which may have a substantially rectangular configuration. The front surface of the frame

14

may be attached as by glue to the interior of the ticking or covering

16

of the pillow as illustrated at

18

while a pair of spaced apart blocks

20

,

22

are glued to or otherwise secured to the rear surface of the frame

14

adjacent the lower edge of the frame. A small pair of blocks

24

,

26

may be secured to the frame above the blocks

20

,

22

respectively, or may be formed together with the respective block

20

,

22

. Formed through the frame

14

and each of the blocks

20

,

22

is a first aperture or bore

28

,

30

respectively. Additionally, there may be two apertures

32

,

34

and

36

,

38

formed respectively through each of the blocks, the apertures being substantially parallel bores, all for purposes which will hereinafter become clear.

Extending through each block

20

and

22

is a respective extension spring

40

, only one of which is illustrated, one end of each spring being secured to the rear of the respective block

20

,

22

such as at

42

. The other end of each spring

40

extends through the ticking

16

and is fastened to a user graspable finger

44

which may be in the form of a wire or rod bent so that respective ends may overlay the apertures

32

,

34

and

36

,

38

respectively. A rod

46

,

48

extends through each respective hole or aperture

32

,

34

while a similar pair of rods (not illustrated) extends through the holes

36

,

38

, and the outer end of each rod is fastened to the respective end of the bent rod

44

overlaying the holes

32

,

34

and

36

,

38

. The opposite end of each rod may be bent or otherwise formed so as to have a stop

50

formed thereon as illustrated in regard to the rod

48

. A felt pad

52

or the like may be bonded to each bent rod

44

intermediate the connection with the respective pair of elongated rods

46

,

48

. Thus, the felt pad

52

may abut the open pages of a book resting on the sets of rods

46

,

48

after the fingers

44

have been pulled to position the book and the open pages.

Positioned about the retractor mechanism and secured to the rear of the frame

14

may be a housing

54

preferably constructed from sheet metal and covered with plastic or form rubber. Thus, filler material

55

such as polyester or the like will not interfere with the operation of the retractor mechanism. Additionally, in order to provide stability and permit the pillow to conform to the lap of the user, particulate

56

comprising free flowing solid material such as small balls or beans which are used in “bean bags” may be located within the pillow at the bottom thereof below the polyester fill material. Thus, the pillow may be placed on the lap of the user, positioned comfortably and a book held thereon.

Accordingly, there is herein disclosed a pillow having a book holder for use when one is reading and prefers to rest comfortably without manually holding the book.

Numerous alterations of the structure herein disclosed will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. However, it is to be understood that the present disclosure relates to the preferred embodiment of the invention which is for purposes of illustration only and not to be construed as a limitation of the invention. All such modifications which do not depart from the spirit of the invention are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.