PORTABLE RETRACTABLE ERASABLE WRITING SURFACE

摘要

A portable, retractable writing surface device (100) provides a writing surface (117) that may be extended from a housing (105 or 500, 504) and held sufficiently flat by the device (100) to facilitate marking on the writing surface (117) with a writing implement (526), such as a dry-erase marker, chalk, grease crayon, pencil, pen, permanent marker or the like. The device (100) maintains sufficient rigidity in the extended writing surface (117), such that the device (100) may be used without an additional support surface, such as a clip board or table. The writing surface (117) may be retracted back into the housing (105 or 500, 504) to protect the writing surface (117) and to reduce the size of the device (100) for storage or transport, such as within a pocket or briefcase. Retracting the writing surface (117) may include rolling the writing surface (117) onto a spool (415), accordion folding the writing surface (117) or otherwise reconfiguring the writing surface (117) to make it fit into a compact space (collectively referred to herein as "compressing" the writing surface). One or more resilient members (405, 410) may be used to make the extended writing surface (117) flat when the writing surface (117) is extended from the housing (105 or 500, 504). The writing surface (117) may include a flexible computer display screen.