This invention relates to a portable stand for a computer printer.
Portable computer printer stands are known to the art. These are often made of plastic and are provided with an inclination, so that when they are placed on a table or other support, they provide a slope to receive the printer, usually, at 15 degree to the horizontal. This inclined position of the printer is intended to allow the matter under print to be readily visible to the user. However, it is found in practice that the visibility is not as good as it should be because of inadequate inclination. Any increase in inclination of the printer to improve visibility is likely to result in the printer becoming unstable and toppling off the stand.
This invention proposes a portable stand for a computer printer which enables the printer to be seated on the stand at an inclination of, say, 45 degrees to the horizontal, thereby considerably increasing the visibility of the matter being printed, even when the user is in a seated position, without risk of losing stability or toppling off The stability is enhanced by reason of the fact that the printer, when seated on. the stand, is only in two line contact with the stand, one line contact with the stand at the top end of the printer and one other line contact with the stand at the bottom end of the printer, so much so that the entire weight of the printer comes on these line contacts.
On such lines of contact the proposed stand is provided with spaced bushes, preferably made of rubber, which will be in friction contact with the printer thus providing adequate immobility and stability to the printer when mounted on the stand. This arrangement of the proposed stand is quite unlike the known stand where a substantial portion of the bottom surface of the printer comes into contact with the supporting surface of the known stand on which the printer rests. Consequently, the likelihood of relative sliding movement of the bottom surface of the printer with respect to the supporting surface of the known stand taking place is markedly more.

In the invention proposed herein, the bottom portion of the printer when installed on the proposed stand, will have beneath it, unlike the known stand, ample free air space, open to atmosphere resulting in a three fold benefit.
Firstly, the exposure to atmosphere of the bottom portion of the printer has a cooling effect on the printer produced by the open air space underneath the printer, unlike the printer installed on the known stand where there is hardly any such exposure to air.
Secondly, the space beneath the printer installed on the proposed stand leaves sufficient elbowroom for the user to manually feed paper (e.g. continuous stationery) from the bottom side of the printer whenever such feed facility exists; and to easily tear off paper from the printer.
Thirdly, the space beneath the printer when installed on the proposed stand is sufficient to store small items of stationery, whenever it is found necessary to do so.
Such other features of this invention as have not been expressly set forth will be apparent from its following further description.
The portable stand for installation of a computer printer, according to this invention, comprises an integral, rigid frame having a supporting base and rest, the base for being placed on a surface in a substantially horizontal position with the rest in a substantially upright position, to enable the printer to be seated astride the base and rest in an inclined position, substantially in line contact between the top and bottom ends of the printer and the top and bottom ends of the supporting rest and base, respectively, thereby provi(j!ing a clear view of, and access to, the printer, from its top as well as from its bottom, while also providing ample free air space beneath the bottom of the printer; at least one part of the frame being formed into a stopper for restraining the printer from sliding downwards off the frame; a plurality of grips provided on the frame, to be in friction contact with the body of the printer and also with the said surface, for maintaining both the printer and the frame stably in position.

This invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings
which illustrate in
Fig. 1 the known stand without printer installed thereon
Fig. 2 the known stand with printer about to be installed thereon
Fig. 3 the known stand with printer installed thereon
Fig. 4 by way of example, and not by way of limitation, a view of one of possible
embodiments of the proposed stand without the printer installed thereon
and
Fig. 5 by way of example, and not by way of limitation, another view of the said
embodiment with the printer installed thereon
The known portable computer printer stand 1 is made of plastic and provided with an inclination, so that when placed on a table or other surface, it provides a slope 2 to receive the printer 3, usually, at 15 degrees to the horizontal. This inclined position of the printer is intended to allow visibility of the matter being printed. However, it is found in practice that the visibility is not as good as it should be because of insufficient inclination. Any increase in inclination is likely to result in the printer losing stability and possibly toppling off the stand. The known stand has a stopper 4 to prevent the printer installed on h from sliding off.
On the other hand the proposed portable stand, has an open frame F with a supporting base B and a rest R. The frame is preferably made up of a rod , tube or like member E made of metal, such as, stainless steel, bent to shape, with the ends welded or otherwise joined together, to provide an integral, rigid and sturdy structure.
The base is placed in a substantially horizontal position on a surface with the rest in a substantially upright position, to enable the printer P to be seated astride the base and rest, in an inclined position, say, 45 degrees to the horizontal, thereby providing a clear view of, and access to, the printer, from its top as well as its bottom. The base B and rest R will be made of predetermined dimensions to furnish different sizes and angles of

inclination to suit different printers.
At least one part of the frame F at the base B is bent into a stopper S for restraining the printer from sliding downwards off the frame.
A plurality of rubber grips G are provided on the frame, to be in friction contact with the body of the printer P and also with the surface on which the stand is placed, for maintaining the printer, as well as the stand, stably in position.
It will be seen that the bottom portion J of the printer, when installed on the stand, has ample free air space A beneath it resulting in the benefits already outlined above.
The proposed stand is lightweight, yet tough and durable..
The terms and expressions in this specification relating to the proposed portable stand are of description and not of limitation, since it will be appreciated that various other embodiments thereof are possible without departing from the scope and ambit of this invention.

We Claim:
1. A portable stand for installation of a computer printer comprising an integral, rigid frame having a supporting base and rest, the base for being placed on a surface in a substantially horizontal position with the rest in a substantially upright position, to enable the printer to be seated astride the base and rest in an inclined position, substantially in line contact between the top and bottom ends of the printer and the top and bottom ends of the supporting rest and base, respectively, thereby providing a clear view of, and access to, the printer, from its top as well as from its bottom while also providing ample free air space beneath the bottom of the printer; at least one part of the frame being formed into a stopper for restraining the printer from sliding downwards off the frame; a plurality of grips provided on the frame, to be in friction contact with the body of the printer and also with the said surface, for maintaining both the printer and the frame stably in position.
2. A portable stand for installation of a computer printer as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the frame has an open structure made of at least one metal rod bent into shape with the ends thereof welded or otherwise joined together.
3. A portable stand for installation of a computer printer substantially as herein described
with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.