Prayer and meditation mantel and pedestal
A mantel and pedestal that can be folded for storage and transportation and assembled for temporary display by the user and suitable for meditative and devotional purposes.
1. Field of Use
The invention pertains to a devotional or meditative centerpiece that can be used in a fixed location or be transportable or collapsible for storage when not in use. The invention may provide a personal devotional or meditative centerpiece that can be used when traveling.
2. Prior Art
Religious or meditative fixtures have long been known and used by all spiritual and religious groups. Typically, these fixtures have been alters, icons, statutes and the like. The fixtures are often decorated with symbols having meaning and significance to the user or groups, such symbols varying with the beliefs, traditions or tastes of the individual or group. Few of these objects or devices, which have demonstrated long standing utility for focusing the devotional activities of the individual user, have been suitable for transport or storage.
With the continuing, if not increasing, spirituality of individuals, combined with the ever increasing mobility of the individuals in their occupations or lives, there accordingly is a need for a transportable, collapsible, storable and rapidly deployable device suitable to focus the individual's spiritual and meditative activities.
SUMMARY OF INVENTIONThe invention pertains to a method and apparatus for erecting or removeably installing a meditation or devotional object that can contain or hold items having religious or spiritual significance for individuals. The invention also pertains to a portable object that can be made of various materials such as wood, resinous plastic, paper (such as card board or paper board) etc., having sufficient mechanical strength to be used in conjunction with tension, suction or other type of mechanically removable attachment mechanisms minimizing deactivation of the protective system by power failure or sabotage.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an easily assembled and transportable structure that can be used to place religious or spiritual objects.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a structure that can be used by travelers in small temporary lodging places such as hotel rooms, etc.
It is another object of the invention to provide a object that can contain personally significant religious or spiritual symbols or markings.
Other benefits of the invention will also become apparent to those skilled in the art and such advantages and benefits are included within the scope of this invention.
SUMMARY OF DRAWINGSThe accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention. These drawings, together with the general description of the invention given above and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
The above general description and the following detailed description are merely illustrative of the subject invention and additional modes, advantages and particulars of this invention will be readily suggested to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
The invention comprises two components which may be used alone or in conjunction. The first component is termed a meditation mantel or “mantel”. It is intended to provide a surface for placing various objects selected by the user. It is designed to be easily and quickly installed without marring a supporting wall surface. It is specifically intended to be suitable for installation in any corner wall area that forms a substantially 90° interior angle, e.g., a room wall corner. Accordingly, the surface of the mantel may be a triangular surface area.
This alternate arrangement is illustrated in
The pedestal 820 illustrated in
This specification is to be construed as illustrative only and is for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the manner of carrying out the invention. It is to be understood that the forms of the invention herein shown and describe are to be taken as the presently preferred embodiments. As already stated, various changes may be made in the shape, size and arrangement of components or adjustments made in the steps of the method without departing from the scope of this invention. For example, equivalent elements may be substituted for those illustrated and described herein and certain features of the invention may be utilized independently of the use of other features, all as would be apparent to one skilled in the art after having the benefit of this description of the invention.
Further modifications and alternative embodiments of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of this specification.
Claims
1. A storable mantel device that may be temporarily installed on a wall corner formed by two Intersecting walls comprising:
- a) a mantel shelf component; and
- b) at least one attachment component for each intersecting wall surface with a surface interfacing with the wall surface.
2. The mantel of claim 1 further comprising at least one spring component in tensioned communication with at least one attachment component.
3. The mantel of claim 2 wherein the spring component pressing the attachment component increases the frictional interface between the wall surface and the attachment surface.
4. The mantel of claim 2 wherein the surface of the attachment component includes a protruding sub-component that can penetrate into the wall surface.
5. The mantel of claim 2 wherein the tensioned communication includes a vector pressing the mantel toward the wall corner.
6. The mantel of claim 1 wherein the mantel can be folded for storage and transportation.
7. The mantel of claim 6 wherein the mantel Includes a pivoting hinge.
8. The mantel of claim 6 wherein the folded mantel forms a compartment for storage of objects.
9. The mantel of claim 1 further comprising a side component in communication with at least one wall surfaces proximate to the wall corner.
10-15. (canceled)
16. A apparatus comprising:
- a) a pedestal for prayer or meditation further comprising a base component, a pedestal component and a top component wherein the pedestal component has a top end and a bottom end;
- b) the bottom end of the pedestal component Is removeably installable onto base component; and
- c) a top component is removeably installable onto the top end of the pedestal component.
17. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising a surface for placement of objects within the pedestal component.
18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the surface within the pedestal component comprises an opening with a door.
19. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the top component includes means to hold an object.
20. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising at least one foldable component.
21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the foldable component comprises sysmbols.
22. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the pedestal component comprises a single piece.
23. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the pedestal component is a substantially cylindrical shape.
24. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the pedestal component comprises a plurality of side subcomponents.
25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein at least two side subcomponents are pivotably connectable.
26. A pedestal apparatus comprising:
- a) a base component, a pedestal component and a top component wherein the pedestal component has a plurality of side subcomponents with top ends and bottom ends and at least two side subcomponents are pivotly connectable;
- b) the bottom end of the pedestal component is removeably installable onto base component; and
- c) a top component Is removeably installable onto the top end of the pedestal component.
27. The pedestal apparatus of claim 26 wherein the components can be detached and stored In a flat position.
28. The pedestal apparatus of claim 26 wherein the pedestal component can be collapsed and stored In a flat position.
29. The pedestal apparatus of claim 26 further comprising an apparatus for prayer or meditation.
30. The pedestal apparatus of claim 26 wherein the apparatus weighs less than 5 pounds 31. The pedestal apparatus of claim 26 wherein the apparatus is less than 24 inches high.
Type: Application
Filed: May 4, 2004
Publication Date: Nov 10, 2005
Inventor: Janice Moss (Missouri City, TX)
Application Number: 10/838,306