BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION: Field of the invention The invention relates to a holder, particularly for holding up a laptop or document, comprising a main support, especially for bearing at least a part of the back of a laptop or document, as well as at least one smaller support which can fold out, particularly for supporting an edge or a side of the laptop or the document.

Prior art Such a holder is known from the American patent no. 1.923. 351. With this known holder the main support is made up of three plates connected to each other by hinges which form a triangle when folded out, in which the surface of the middle plate is a supporting surface for a book. Regarding this known holder the smaller support which can fold out is a hook which can slide and turn and which is connected to one of the plates in such a way that it can move. By pulling the hook out and turning it, a smaller support for supporting an edge of a book is made.

Summary of the invention An objective of the invention is to provide a holder of the type described in the preamble in which the smaller support is simpler than the case is with the known holder and still is sufficiently stable and strong. To this end, the holder according to the invention is characterized in that the smaller support comprises a first part connected to the main support by a hinge, as well as a second part that is connected by a hinge to the first part or to the main support, in which when folded out one of the parts serves as a support, in particular for an edge or a side of a laptop or a document, and the other part supports the part just mentioned. The smaller support of the holder according to the invention obtains its

stability and strength through the triangular shape. Because of this, the parts can be produced thinner and lighter in weight, as a result of which when folded up the holder is more compact and lighter than the known holder.

Preferably, the parts of the smaller support are parts of a plate. Furthermore, the main support comprises preferably at least one plate and, when folded up, the main support's plate and the parts of the smaller support are parallel to each other. Moreover, when folded up, the parts of the smaller support and the plate lie preferably in one plane.

An embodiment of the holder according to the invention is characterized in that the main support comprises at least three plates connected to each other by hinges, in which a first plate is connected to a second plate by means of a first hinge, and the second plate is connected to a third plate by means of a second hinge situated at a distance from the first hinge. The third plate which is situated at a distance from the second hinge can be coupled to the first plate at a distance from the first hinge, so that a triangular supporting structure can be obtained.

Preferably, the first part of the smaller support is connected by a hinge to the main support at a first edge and is connected by a hinge at a second edge, which is situated opposite the first edge, to a first edge of the second part of the smaller support, in which the second part at a second edge, situated opposite the first edge, is provided with a least one projecting tab, which preferably is an extension of the plate, and in which the main support is provided with a slot for cooperating with the tab. When folded out, the first and second parts and a part of the main support between the slot and the first edge of the first part form a triangle when viewed from the side, in which the tab is situated in the slot, and where the first part is a bearing surface for supporting an edge or a side of, for example, a laptop.

Furthermore, the parts of the smaller support are preferably cut out of one of the main support's plates and are not connected to the plate at three of the edges and are connected by a hinge to the plate at a fourth edge, which parts when folded up are situated in the plate's surface and when folded out project from the plate's surface in order to support, for example, a laptop.

A further embodiment of the holder according to the invention is characterized in that the hinged joints between the main support's plates and the parts of the smaller support are flexible hinges. Because of this, the holder can be produced even lighter and more compact.

The main support's plates and the parts of the smaller support are preferably made up of two sheets of metal between which there is a sheet of plastic, which sheet extends between the plates that are hinged to each other and the parts of the smaller support and constitutes the flexible hinges. In this way, a strong sandwich construction is obtained in which the metal sheets provide the strength and the sheet of plastic the hinging action.

Brief description of the drawings The invention will be elucidated more fully below on the basis of drawings in which an embodiment of the holder according to the invention is shown. In these drawings: Figures 1 and 2 are a view from above and a view of the bottom of an embodiment of the holder when folded out and in a flat position; Figure 3 is a side view of a folded-out holder when set up with a laptop on it; Figure 4 is a side view of an enlarged detail of the holder; Figures 5 through 8 inclusive are various positions while the holder is being folded out; and Figures 9,10 and 11 are various positions while the smaller support is being folded out.

Detailed description of the drawings In figures 1 and 2, an embodiment of the holder according to the invention is shown in a view from above and a view of the bottom when folded out and flat, and in figure 3 the holder is shown in a view from the side when folded out and set up.

The holder 1 is made up of four plates 3,5, 7,9 which are connected to each other by means of flexible hinges 11 as follows: a first plate 3 with a first edge 3a is connected by a hinge to a first edge 5a of a second plate 5. The second plate 5 is connected by a hinge at a second edge 5b to a first edge 7a of the third plate 7. A fourth plate 9 with an edge 9a is connected by a hinge to a second edge 3b of the first plate 3.

The third plate 7 is provided with two projecting tabs 13 at a second edge

7b which are an extension of the third plate. The first and the fourth plates 3,9 are provided with two rows of slots 15 for cooperating with the tabs 13.

The plates 3,5, 7,9 when folded up (see figure 5) are parallel to each other and situated one above the other and when folded out form a triangle when viewed from the side (see figure 3), in which the fourth plate 9 lies extended beyond the first plate 3 and where the tabs 13 are situated in two of the slots 15. Figures 5 through 8 inclusive show various positions while the holder 1 is being folded out.

The second plate 5 is provided with a folding smaller support 17, which has been cut out of the plate 5 and is not connected to the plate 5 at three edges 17a, 17b and 17c and is connected by a hinge to the plate at a fourth edge 17d, see figures 1 and 2. The smaller support 17 when folded up is situated in the surface of the plate 5 and when folded out projects from the surface of the plate 5 in order to support, for example, a laptop 19, see figure 3.

The smaller support 17 has a first part 21 that is connected by a hinge to the second plate 5 at a first edge 21a and at a second edge 21b is connected to a first edge 23 a of a second part 23 of the smaller support 17. The second part 23 of the smaller support 17 is provided with two projecting tabs 25 at a second edge 23b, which are an extension of the second part 23. Furthermore, the second plate 5 is provided with two slots 27 for cooperating with the tabs 25.

When folded out, the first and second parts 21,23 and a part of the second plate 5 between the slot 27 and the first edge 21 a of the first part 21 form when viewed from the side a triangle, see figure3, in which the tabs 25 are situated in the slots 27. Here, the first part 21 is a bearing surface for supporting the laptop 19. In figures 9,10 and 11 various positions of the smaller support are shown while it is being folded out.

The second part 23 of the smaller support 17 is provided with atab 29, which is an extension of the second part 23, at the first edge 23a. Furthermore, the first part 21 of the smaller support 17 at the second edge 21b is provided with an opening 31 congruent to the tab 29. When folded out, the tab 29 is an upright edge for holding up the laptop 19, see figure 3. There is an antislip coating 33 on a surface of the first plate 5, as well as on a surface of the first part 21 of the smaller support and on a surface of the tab 29.

The hinged joints between the plates 3,5, 7,9 and the parts 21,23 of the smaller support 17 are flexible hinges 11, see figure 4. Here, the main support's plates and

parts of the smaller support are made up of two sheets of metal 35a, 35b between which there is a sheet of plastic 37. The sheet 37 extends between the plates which are hinged to each other and parts of the smaller support and constitutes the flexible hinges.

Although in the above the invention is explained on the basis of the drawings, it should be noted that the invention is in no way is limited to the embodiment shown in the drawings. The invention also extends to all embodiments deviating from the embodiment shown in the drawings within the context defined by the claims.