Combination book protector and reading prop

Claim 1

FOR USE WITH A CONVENTIONAL BOOK HAVING FRONT AND BACK COVERS AND AN INTERMEDIATE SPINE TO WHICH THE PAGES ARE BOUND, A COMBINATION BOOK PROTECTOR AND READING PROP COMPRISING A PAIR OF STIFF PANELS HAVING A SIZE COMPARABLE TO THAT OF THE BOOK COVERS AND ADAPTED TO BE PLACED AGAINST THE OUTER SURFACES OF THE BOOK COVERS RESPECTIVELY, A FLEXIBLE CONNECTOR BETWEEN SAID PANELS ADAPTED TO EXTEND ACROSS THE SPINE OF THE BOOK, MEANS ARTICULATING THE UPPER EDGES OF SAID PANELS IN HINGED RELATION TO THE CORRESPONDING UPPER EDGES OF THE BOOK COVERS, WHEREBY THE PANEL CAN OVERLIE AND PROTECT THE BOOK WHEN IT IS CLOSED AND CAN BE SWUNG REARWARDLY AWAY FROM THE BOOK COVERS TO SERVE AS PROPS WHEN THE BOOK IS OPENED, AND A FLEXIBLE BAND EXTENDING FORWARDLY AND ADAPTED TO ENCIRCLE THE OPENED BOOK IN A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL DIRECTION, SAID BAND SERVING TO HOLD THE PAGES DOWN AND THUS HELPING TO KEEP THE BOOK OPEN WHEN THE BOOK IS BEING PROPPED IN A STANDING POSITION BY SAID PANELS, THE ENDS OF SAID FLEXIBLE BAND BEING SECURED TO SAID PROP PANELS SO THAT SAID BAND SERVES SIMULTANEOUSLY TO LIMIT THE REARWARDLY SWING OF SAID PANELS AND TO HOLD THE BOOK PAGES DOWN.