Work surface information display pad

Claim 1

A pad for use on a work surface to display visual information on sheet material to a user of the work surface and to afford the user of the work surface a substitute work surface upon which to perform tasks, the pad comprising: (a) a flexible base layer having upper and lower surfaces and being made of a resilient sponge material, said lower surface of said base layer configured to rest against and be non-destructively removable from the work surface; (b) a gripping surface on said lower surface of said base layer textured to functionally hold said pad in place on the work surface; (c) a flexible cover comprising a single thin transparent layer upheld by and congruent with said base layer, said cover having an upper surface configured to serve as the substitute work surface and on the opposite side therefrom a lower surface resting against said upper surface of said base layer to removably retain the sheet material between said base layer and said cover with visual information on the sheet material being visible through said cover to the user of the work station; and (d) an attachment site between said base layer and said cover at at least a portion of an edge of said base layer at which said lower surface of said cover is bonded directly to said upper surface of said base layer, partial portions of the periphery of said cover other than at said attachment site being capable due to the flexibility of said cover of being repeatedly and non-destructively lifted away from said upper surface of said base layer while said lower surface of said base layer rests against the work surface and while other portions of said periphery of said cover remain in contact with said upper surface of said base layer thereby to permit the user to selectively insert, rearrange, and remove the sheet material between said cover and said base layer.