 |
Description  |
|
|
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention is directed to a display system which is portable, free
standing and can be readily erected, knocked-down, packed, transported,
unpacked and/or repacked for display purposes at sales presentations,
press conferences, conventions, seminars and the like. The display system
of the present invention is designed to provide a relatively large display
surface without sacrificing portability, and doing so through the
utilization of stately columns and contemporary curves which provide an
aesthetically attractive three dimensional presence, yet having the
flexibility of being easily reconfigured into smaller or larger free
standing displays or table top displays. The display system includes at
least two columns spanned by a display panel, although for larger displays
at least two columns or tubular end panels are stacked upon each other to
form a single stacked column at opposite sides of the display with at
least two stacked display panels therebetween.
The tubular end panels or columns of the present display system avoid the
generally complexities of many conventional display systems, structurally
improve the performance of the display system and particularly allow the
display system to be readily set-up and knocked-down with a minimum of
effort and in the absence of any tools whatsoever.
A display system over which the present display system constitutes an
unobvious improvement is that disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 08/148,617 filed on Nov. 8, 1993 in the name of Wallace Thomas Carter
which granted on Aug. 8, 1995 under U.S. Pat. No. 5,439,043. The latter
display system includes at least one display panel and a column or tubular
end panel secured to each side edge of the display panel with each column
being formed from a sheet of resilient material having opposite edges
disposed contiguous each other to thereby impart a generally hollow
configuration to each column. A generally hollow tubular elongated member
is secured to each opposite edge of the sheet and to a portion of the
sheet approximately midway between the sheet opposite edges. When the
sheet is disposed with its edges contiguous to each other, two of the
tubular elongated members are adjacent each other and the third tubular
elongated member is generally diametrically opposite thereto. The adjacent
or contiguous tubular elongated members are secured to each other by, for
example, magnetic strips and/or plastic spring clips and another generally
U-shaped elongated member is secured to one of the sheet edges for
securing each column to an associated edge of an associated display panel.
In this fashion two relatively flat sheets of resilient material can be
each formed into a column with each column being then secured to opposite
vertical edges of a central display panel thereby forming a relatively
aesthetic system. However, in each column the opposite contiguous side
edges are in edge-to-edge substantially abutting relationship which
necessarily places the U-shaped elongated member exteriorly of each
column. Therefore, rather than the surfaces of the columns and the central
panels appearing as a single unbroken continuous surface, the exposed
U-shaped elongated members are visible and detract from the overall
aesthetic appearance of the display system. The latter is emphasized if,
as is often the case, the U-shaped elongated members are constructed from
different material and different colored material than the material and
color or colors of the columns and/or the display panels associated
therewith. Therefore, while the display system of the latter-identified
patent is far more aesthetically attractive than heretofore provided,
improvements thereover are highly desirable, particularly in the
competitive and cost conscious environment of portable displays.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The novel display system of the present invention is similar to that
disclosed in the latter-identified patent in that it includes at least one
display panel and a column at each edge secured to the display panel with
each column being formed from a sheet of resilient material having
opposite edges. However, the opposite edges are not disposed in contiguous
edge-to-edge abutting relationship, but are instead secured in
substantially overlapped relationship to each other. It is along an inner
unexposed surface of one of the overlapped edges that the U-shaped
elongated member is secured and slidably receives therein an edge of a
central panel. Since the forward facing or display side of each column is
covered by a sheet of material which corresponds in texture and color to
that of the central display panel or panels, once the central panel(s) is
edge-united to the U-shaped elongated member of each column the display
side or front-facing side of the overall display is essentially unbroken,
and more importantly the U-shaped elongated members are hidden from sight.
Thus, the display system or portable display of the present invention is
decidedly more appealing than that of the noted patent.
With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the
nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to
the following detailed description, the appended claims and the several
views illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective exploded view of a display panel of the present
invention prior to assembly, and illustrates upper and lower three-panel
display panels, elongated strips for uniting the upper and lower display
panels in vertically aligned stacked relationship and superimposed pairs
of tubular end panels or columns which are axially stacked and assembled
and united to an associated display panel by means of a U-shaped elongated
member which is hidden when the display panel is viewed from the front or
display side thereof.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the display system or portable display of
FIG. 1, and illustrates the same in assembled relationship.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of one of the tubular
end panels or columns of FIGS. 1 and 2, and illustrates first and second
magnetically attractive securing means for retaining the column in its
tubular configuration with side edge portions thereof in overlapped
relationship, and one of the side edge portions carries a U-shaped
elongated member or channel.
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a corner of one of the columns
in the tubular assembled relationship thereof, and illustrates a central
panel aligned for insertion in the U-shaped elongated member or channel.
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken generally along line
5--5 of FIG. 2 and illustrates a tubular insert within a pair of stacked
tubular end panels for maintaining the same in assembled stacked
relationship.
FIG. 6, which appears on the sheet of drawing containing FIG. 2, is an
enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view taken generally along line 6--6
of FIG. 2 and illustrates an insert housed in opposing slots of the upper
and lower display panels for maintaining the same in aligned stacked
relationship with each other.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
A novel display system or portable display constructed in accordance with
this invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings and is
generally designated by the reference numeral 10.
The display system 10 includes four identical columns 11, 12, 13 and 14
with each column or tubular end panel being of a generally cylindrical
configuration. As is apparent from FIG. 1, the columns 11 and 12 are
intended to be stacked relative to each other in axially aligned
relationship, as are the columns 13 and 14 and the final stacked and
assembled relationship thereof is shown in FIG. 2.
Upper and lower foldable panel displays or display panels 15, 16,
respectively, are each of a conventional construction and are each
preferably constructed from a relatively stiff front sheet of material 17
(FIGS. 1, 2 and 6) bonded to a relatively stiff rear sheet 19 along the
abutting planar surfaces (unnumbered) therebetween except for upper and
lower edge portions which are free of adhesive and define an upper
upwardly opening slot 18 and a lower downwardly opening slot 20 between
the sheets 17, 19 of the respective upper and lower display panels 15, 16,
respectively. Relatively elongated stiff plastic strips 21 are inserted
halfway into each of the opposing pairs of slots 18, 20 of the respective
lower and upper display panels 14, 15, as is best illustrated in FIGS. 1,
2 and 6 which function to retain the display panels 15, 16 in stacked,
assembled relationship (FIG. 2).
Preferably the front and rear surfaces (unnumbered) of the front and rear
sheets 17, 19, respectively, are each covered by relatively thin sheets
27, 29, respectively, of cloth which has an aesthetic appearance. Each of
the upper and lower display panels 15, 16, respectively, include generally
parallel fold lines 24, 25 which partially define with opposite side edges
(unnumbered) of the display panels 15, 16, a central panel portion 23 and
opposite side panel portions 22 and 26. A generally upwardly opening
U-shaped channel or foot 30 receives a lower edge (unnumbered) of each of
the panel portions 22, 23 and 26.
Reference is particularly made to FIG. 3 of the drawings which illustrates
the tubular end panel or column 13 which is constructed from a sheet of
relatively resilient material, preferably plastic, which is designated by
the reference numeral 40. The sheet 40 is generally of a polygonal,
rectangular or square configuration, depending upon the size and
configuration of the column 13 desired, and is defined by an upper edge
41, a lower edge 39 (FIG. 5) parallel to the upper edge 41, a side edge 42
and an opposite side edge 43 parallel thereto. The plastic sheet 40
includes a first outer surface or face 44 (FIG. 4) and a second inner
surface or face 45 (FIG. 3). The side edge 42 defines the free edge of a
first side edge portion 46 of the sheet 40 while the side edge 43 defines
a second side edge portion 47 of the sheet 40.
First and second reinforcing means 51, 52, respectively, are bonded or
otherwise secured to the respective first and second side edge portions
46, 47 at the respective outer and inner surfaces 44, 45. The reinforcing
means 51, 52 are aluminum tubes of a generally rectangular transverse
cross sectional configuration which are disposed in generally parallel
relationship to each other and extend substantially between the upper edge
41 and the lower edge 39 of the sheet 40.
The reinforcing means 51, 52 carry respective first and second securing
means 61, 62 in the form of magnetically attractable strips of material
which will hold the two tubes 51, 52 in intimate side-by-side generally
parallel relationship, as shown in FIG. 4, to maintain the sheet 40 in its
tubular or column-like configuration (see FIGS. 1 and 2). As is best
illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4, the first side edge portion 46 and the
second side edge portion 47 are thereby held in overlapped relationship to
each other with the second side edge portion 47 projecting generally
toward the side edge (unnumbered) of the panel portion 26 of the upper
display panel 15. This brings the second side edge portion 47 of all four
tubular end panels or columns 11 through 14 into smooth generally unbroken
merger with the side edges (unnumbered) of the respective display panels
15, 16 and in doing so maintain hidden a U-shaped clamping or securing
member or channel 70 bonded or otherwise secured to the inner face or
surface 45 of each sheet 40 immediately adjacent its side edge 43 and
opening generally tangentially outwardly from each column 11-14 and toward
the side edge (unnumbered) of the associated side panel portions 22, 26,
of the upper and lower display panels 15, 16 whose edges are slidably
received and clampingly held therein by the natural resilience of the
channels 50. The gripping can be augmented by adhering disks 71 to inner
and/or outer legs (unnumbered) of the channel 70. The disks 71 have an
exterior surface (unnumbered) which has a high coefficient of friction and
thereby tightly grip the cloth sheets 27, 29 of the display panels 15 and
16 which preferably include an outer face or surface defined by a thin
piece of cloth 73 corresponding in texture and color to the cloth 27, 29
of the upper and lower display panels 15, 16, respectively. Thus, when the
edges (unnumbered) of the side panel portions 22 and 26 (FIG. 2) are
received in the U-shaped channels 70 the transition between the side panel
portions 22, 26 and the columns 11-14 is barely visible and has been
exaggerated in FIG. 2 for purposes of disclosure and description only.
The columns 11, 12 and 13, 14 are maintained in axially aligned stacked
relationship by means 80 (FIG. 1) in the form of a relatively flat
resilient plastic member carrying fastening means in the form of a strip
of hooked and/or looped tape 81 (Velcro.RTM.) along one of the edges
thereof. Each member 80 is normally uniplanar and can be formed into a
relatively tight ring with the ends (unnumbered) thereof in overlapped
relationship. When thus formed the now annular resilient members 80 can be
inserted into the lowermost columns 12, 14 and the hooked or looped tape
81 will adhere to inner overfolded portions of the cloth 43, as is most
apparent from FIGS. 3 and 5 of the drawings. The upper columns 13, 14 are
then merely slid downwardly over the upper portions of the annular members
80, as is shown in FIG. 5 and in the latter configuration the now annular
resilient members 80 maintain the axially stacked relationship of the
columns 11, 12 and 13, 14. The final assembly of the portable display 10
appears generally as shown in FIG. 2, although it is again emphasized that
the lines of merger between the columns 11-14 and side panels 22, 26 are
far less apparent than in FIG. 2.
The display 10 of FIG. 2 is not only relatively easily set-up, but
obviously the reverse procedure just described quickly allows the display
10 to be knocked down, stacked flat, packaged and transported as necessary
for successive usage.
Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been specifically
illustrated and described herein, it is to be understood that minor
variations may be made in the apparatus without departing from the spirit
and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.
* * * * *
|
|
 |
|
 |
Description |
|
