FIELD OF INVENTION

This disclosure is directed to stand and covers and more particularly to a collapsible stand and method.

BACKGROUND

Collapsible stand and cover devices for articles such as electronic devices are well known. When the functionalities of providing an article stand and providing a cover for an article are integrated into a single device, they create tension between competing design criteria such as stability of the article (at an elevation with respect to the surface on which the stand may be placed), ease of assembly and collapse of the stand into a cover, ease of use of the cover, and so on.

There continues to be a need for improved balancing of these competing criteria in the design of collapsible stand and cover devices. This disclosure addresses that need.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, disclosed is a collapsible article stand configured in an assembled position to support and exhibit an article (at an elevation with respect to the surface on which the stand may be placed). The collapsible article stand includes a stand portion including at least two forward legs and at least a rear leg. The legs may be configured to engage a lower portion of a main body. The legs may splay outwardly in the form of a tripod. The main body may be configured to provide a support against which the article rests in leaning engagement. The legs may each include: (a) a floor support panel hingeably connected to the main body, the floor support panel configured to lie against the floor; (b) an exterior support panel hingeably connected to the floor support panel, the exterior support panel configured to project from the floor to the main body to resist the opposing force created by the load of the article supported by the collapsible stand; (c) a shelf panel hingeably connected to the exterior support panel configured to support the load of the article supported by the collapsible stand; and (d) a shelf support panel hingeably connected to the shelf panel configured to support the shelf panel against the main body.

In another aspect, a collapsible stand for supporting and exhibiting an article may include: a single sheet of relatively stiff material, the sheet weakened along a plurality of transverse parallel lines to provide a plurality of panels connected in hinged relation at their contiguous edges. A flap may be cut along a longitudinal mid-section of the sheet, the flap connected along one side in hinged relation to the single sheet, the flap forming a first leg of the stand. A portion of the sheet along a first longitudinal side of the cut-out of the flap may be configured to form a second leg of the stand. A portion of the sheet along a second longitudinal side of the cut-out of the flap may be configured to form a third leg of the stand. A portion of the sheet along an end of the cut-out of the flap may be configured to form a transverse support structure between the second leg and the third leg of the stand. A first panel of the plural-panel and shelf structure may be configured to provide a main body of the collapsible stand. A second panel of the single sheet of relatively stiff material may be configured to provide a footer panel of the collapsible stand, the footer panel hingedly connected to the first panel. A third panel of the single sheet of relatively stiff material may be configured to provide the floor support panel of the collapsible stand, the floor support panel hingedly connected to the footer panel. A fourth panel of the single sheet of relatively stiff material may be configured to provide the exterior support panel of the collapsible stand, the exterior support panel hingedly connected to the floor support panel. A sixth panel of the single sheet of relatively stiff material may be configured to provide the shelf support panel of the collapsible stand, the shelf support panel hingedly connected to the fifth panel. A seventh panel of the single sheet of relatively stiff material configured to provide an article attachment panel of the collapsible stand, the article attachment panel hingedly connected and releasably attached to the first panel. In an assembled position, the first leg of the stand may be further configured to provide a rear leg of the collapsible stand, and the second and third legs may be further configured to provide two forward legs of the collapsible stand.

In another aspect, a method for covering an article with a disassembled collapsible stand to which it is attached may include: (a) configuring panels of a disassembled collapsible stand formed from a single sheet of relatively stiff material to lie planar to each other, the panels including: a first panel of the plural-panel and shelf structure configured to provide a main body of the collapsible stand; a second panel of the single sheet of relatively stiff material configured to provide a footer panel of the collapsible stand, the footer panel hingedly connected to the first panel; a third panel of the single sheet of relatively stiff material configured to provide the floor support panel of the collapsible stand, the floor support panel hingedly connected to the footer panel; a fourth panel of the single sheet of relatively stiff material configured to provide the exterior support panel of the collapsible stand, the exterior support panel hingedly connected to the floor support panel; a sixth panel of the single sheet of relatively stiff material configured to provide the shelf support panel of the collapsible stand, the shelf support panel hingedly connected to the fifth panel; a seventh panel of the single sheet of relatively stiff material configured to provide an article attachment panel of the collapsible stand, the article attachment panel hingedly connected and releasably attached to the first panel; (b) detaching the seventh panel from the first panel; (c) rotating the seventh panel with article facing upwardly about the hinged connection so that the article lies face down against the first and the seventh panels; (d) turning the single sheet of relatively stiff material over so that the article lies face up from the first and the seventh panels; (e) rotating the first panel with article about the hinged connection toward the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth panels so that the article lies face down against the third and fourth panels; and (f) rotating the sixth panel toward the third, fourth, and fifth panels so that the sixth panel covers at least a portion of the first panel to complete the covering of the article.

