Multiple Viewing Angle Media Support
Patent No. USRE48479 (titled "Multiple Viewing Angle Media Support") was filed by Happy Products Inc on Jan 30, 2019.
What is this patent about?
’479 is related to the field of media support devices, specifically addressing the need for a versatile stand capable of providing multiple viewing angles for tablets or similar devices. The background involves the common problem of propping up media devices for comfortable viewing, often requiring users to adjust the device or use makeshift solutions to achieve the desired angle.
The underlying idea behind ’479 is to create a triangular prism-shaped pillow with each face providing a different stable viewing angle. This is achieved by designing the internal solid structure such that each external face (back support) is angled differently relative to the base, allowing the user to simply rotate the pillow to select the desired viewing angle.
The claims of ’479 focus on a media support apparatus comprising three support sides, each with a back support and an edge support. The key feature is the specific angular relationship between each back support and the solid interior, resulting in three distinct viewing angles (36, 74, and 49 degrees). The solid interior is a pillow covered in fabric.
In practice, the user would place their tablet or other media device against one of the three back support surfaces. The chosen surface, with its pre-defined angle, would then hold the device at the corresponding viewing angle. The fabric covering provides a soft, non-slip surface to prevent the device from sliding.
This design differentiates itself from prior art by offering a simple, passive solution with multiple, precisely defined viewing angles integrated into a single, easily manipulated object. Unlike adjustable stands with complex mechanisms, ’479 relies on the inherent geometry of the triangular prism and the fixed angles of its faces to provide stable and consistent support.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical landscape at the time
In the early 2010s when ’479 was filed, at a time when media devices were typically implemented with a single viewing angle. When hardware constraints made it non-trivial to provide multiple viewing angles for a media support device.
Novelty and Inventive Step
The examiner approved the patent because the prior art does not disclose or fairly suggest an apparatus having three support sides, each comprising a back support and an edge support with an edge angle of between 85 and 120 degrees to an adjacent support back, wherein the apparatus is configured to provide first, second, and third viewing angles of the first, second, and third support backs that are different from one another.
Claims
This patent has zero claims. Therefore, there are no independent claims, no focus of independent claims, and no role of dependent claims.
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Date
Description
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USRE48479
- Application Number
- US16262797
- Filing Date
- Jan 30, 2019
- Status
- Granted
- Expiry Date
- Oct 20, 2034
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO, Google Patents