WO2009039608A1

WO2009039608A1 - Display unit

Info

Publication number: WO2009039608A1
Application number: PCT/CA2007/001765
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jaime Patton
Original assignee: Spring Displays Inc.
Priority date: 2007-09-25
Filing date: 2007-09-25
Publication date: 2009-04-02

Abstract

The present invention is a new information display unit that is free standing and self erecting for the visual communication of advertising information. The display unit has flexible members attached to presentation faces having fold lines, which permit the faces to assume a convex shape when not stressed and which do not undergo plastic deformation when stressed to a point when the presentation faces assume a substantially flat shape, at which point the presentation faces may be folded to overlap itself for storage and shipping. When erection of the unit is desired, the flexible members are permitted to return to their unstressed positions, thereby causing the presentation faces to assume a convex shape with the unit assuming a rigid free standing form.

Description

TITLE

DISPLAY UNIT

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to information display units and more particularly to free standing, self erecting display units for visual communication of advertising information

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Display units are generally known for the use of advertising information at the point of sale of a product or service These units usually contain at least one surface on which advertising information is displayed and some means for stabilizing that surface in a displayed fashion These units range in size from about one foot in height up to life-sized units standing six feet tall, or more The larger sizes are desired, since they permit more information to be conveyed at eye-level However, it is difficult and costly to ship units of such large size As a result, it is desirable for the units to be able to be folded down to a smaller size to permit easy shipping However that, in turn, creates the problem of the time consuming and complex re-construction of the unit at the desired location

As a result, it has been proposed to provide a unit can be folded down to a small size to permit easy shipping and then for it to be easily reconstructed without any complex interaction of the user at the desired location

An example of such a unit is described by Volpe (U S Pat No 5,454,180) This consists of a support member attached to multiple display panels Rubber bands are connected across the support member The support member and the display panels have horizontal folds at which the sections of the unit can be folded down to a small size, thereby stretching the rubber bands When the unit is allowed to open, the rubber bands force the unit to unfold and stand up without the requirement of complex interaction by the user By employing a support member, this method requires a large amount of material to support the unit This makes the unit costly and difficult to manufacture The cost and difficulty of manufacturing of this unit is further increased by employing rubber bands Additionally, rubber bands fail to maintain their elasticity in all temperatures and rapidly wear out, thereby limiting the useful life of the unit

Another example of a display unit is described by Michael Smith (U S Pat No 5,868,367) This consists of a flattened disassembled unit, portions of which are connected with rubber bands and other portions of which contain fold lines, slots and tabs When construction is desired, the elastic bands are permitted to force portions of the unit into position and then the user is required to fold the other portions of the unit into position and fasten by means of inserting the tabs into the slots This results in a unit that requires considerable user intervention, thereby requiring time and skill, neither of which may be available to the user Additionally, this method employs rubber bands, the problems presented by which have been discussed above

Other examples of a display unit are described by L'Hotel (U S Pat Nos 6,347,772 and

7,159,350) These consist of at least one presentation face, the reverse side of which is connected at each edge to a connection element, which connection elements are then joined by rubber bands thereby squeezing the ends towards each other to curve the presentation face The presentation face and the connection elements have horizontal fold lines at which the sections of the presentation face and the connection elements can be folded to reduce the size of the unit The folding of the unit is first achieved by straightening out the presentation face by pulling the edges of the presentation face away from each other, thereby stressing the rubber bands When the unit is allowed to open, the rubber bands force the unit to unfold, bend the presentation face and stand up without the requirement of complex interaction by the user By employing connecting members, these methods require a large amount of material that is not used for displaying advertising, thereby increasing the cost and weight of the unit Also, by employing rubber bands, these methods are costly and difficult to initially manufacture Additionally, rubber bands fail to maintain their elasticity in all temperatures and rapidly wear out, thereby limiting the useful life of the unit Additionally, the combination of rubber bands and connecting members limits the stress that can be applied to the presentation face, thereby limiting the strength of the unit

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a display unit which solves the problems presented by the prior art

More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a display unit that does not possess the drawbacks of the prior art

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a display unit which is capable providing a full sized presentation face while being able to be folded down to a size that permits easy and cost efficient shipping

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a display unit that is able to be rapidly and easily reconstructed by a user at a desired location without complex intervention

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a unit that has increased strength over the prior art and that maintains that strength in all temperatures Still another object of the present invention is to provide a display unit that is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture and yet is reliable in operation

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a free standing, self erecting display unit for visual communication of advertising information The unit has two presentation faces joined together at their side edges by flaps Flexible members are attached to the inside surface of the presentation faces which cause the presentation faces to assume a convex shape when not stressed and which do not undergo plastic deformation when stressed to a point when the presentation faces assume a substantially flat shape

When the flexible members are stressed to a point when the presentation faces assume a substantially flat shape the display unit is permitted to fold over itself at fold lines, thereby permitting the display unit to be folded down to a smaller size for shipping and storage

When the stress on the flexible members is removed, the flexible members are permitted to return to their curved rest position With the aid of gravity, this causes the display unit to freely unfold into a display position completely and consistently, without complex human intervention

The present invention does not use support members or connecting members, thereby reducing the amount of material, time and costs of manufacturing and shipping the display unit Additionally, the present invention uses flexible members in place of rubber bands, thereby providing for increased strength, while maintaining that strength in all operating temperatures for longer useful life of the display unit

One embodiment of the present invention provides for a base on which the display unit is placed, having guide members which may be magnetic and interact with metal flexible members to provide for increased stability of the display unit

Another embodiment of the present invention provides for a foot member to be disposed through an opening near the bottom of the presentation faces The foot member is freely disposed through the opening to permit it to be moved between an operating and folded position, depending on whether the display unit is in its display position or folded position

Yet another embodiment of the present invention provides for the formation of the presentation faces from one single sheet of material The single sheet of material is bisected by a crease line, defining presentation faces which may be folded along the crease line and joined at their open side edges, thereby eliminating the step and material of requiring both side edges of the presentation faces to have flaps that are fixed together BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the inside surface of a presentation face

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a flexible member

Figure 4A is a plan view of the display unit

Figure 4B is a cut-away view of the display unit along the line 4B as shown in Figure 4A

Figure 4C is a cut-away view of the display unit along the line 4C as shown in Figure 4A

Figure 4D is a cut-away view of display unit

Figure 4E is an exploded view of a cut-away of the display unit

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the display unit in a partially folded position

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the display unit in a fully folded position

Figure 7 is a plan view of a single sheet intended to form the display unit according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention

Figure 8 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention

Figure 9 is a side view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention

Figure 10 is a perspective view of a foot member

Figure 11 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention in a partially folded position

Figure 12 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention in a fully folded position DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to the figures, the display unit 1 is shown in Figure 1 in the unfolded or display position As can be seen, the unit 1 is generally in the form of a vertical column, but may take other forms depending on the desired application The display unit 1 has presentation faces 10 and 10' each having an outer display surface 11 on which advertising may be displayed and an inside surface 12 The presentation face 10 has fold lines 15, defining sections of the unit 1 which may be folded over themselves when the flexible members 20, shown in dotted lines since they are affixed to the inside surface 12 of the presentation face 10, are stressed to a point when the presentation face 10 assumes a substantially flat shape The display unit 1 sits on a base 30 that aids in stabilizing the unit 1 when it is in the display position

Presentation faces 10 and 10' may be made out of cardboard, paper, plastic, aluminum, metal, laminates, wood, combinations thereof, or other such materials, provided that the material can be folded and can accept a die line crease or fold while still maintaining its relative structural integrity

Figure 2 illustrates the flexible members 20 fixed to the inside surface 12 of the presentation face 10 The flexible member attachment means may be double sided adhesive tape, glue, staples or other attachment means Figure 3 shows the curved shape of a flexible member 20 at rest This curved shape of the flexible member 20 forces the outer display surface 11 of the presentation face 10 into a convex shape when it is affixed to the presentation face 10 and is at rest

Flexible members 20 may be made out of steel, plastic, polyvinylchloride, graphite, aluminum, rubber or other such material, provided that the flexible member 20 is flexible but does not undergo plastic deformation when stressed into a substantially flat shape from a substantially curved shape

As seen in Figure 2, the presentation face 10 has a flap 40 along each of its side edges The flap 40 may cover the complete length of the side edge, as shown in Figure 2, or may cover only a portion of the side edge

A shown in Figure 4C, the presentation faces 10 and 10' are fixed together by flap attachment means at the side edges by fixing the flap 40 of one presentation face 10 with the corresponding flap 40 of presentation face 10' The flap attachment means may be double sided adhesive tape, glue, staples or other attachment means

The display unit 1 sits on a base 30 when it is in the display position, as seen in Figures 4B,

4D and 4E The base 30 presents a platform 31 and has at least one guide member 35 for positioning the display unit 1 on the base 30 If steel is used for the flexible member 20 and the flexible member 20 is positioned at the bottom edge of the presentation face 10, then the guide member 35 may be made from a magnetic material positioned to engage the flexible member 20 and hold it securely to the base 30, thereby providing additional stability to the display unit 1

The display unit 1 is shown in partially folded and fully folded positions in Figures 5 and 6, respectively As can be seen, the presentation faces 10 and 10' may be forced into a substantially flat shape by stressing the flexible members 20, thereby permitting the sections of the display unit 1 to bend at the fold lines 15 and fold over itself In the fully folded position, the display unit may be easily stored or shipped

Since the flexible members 20 do not undergo plastic deformation, the display unit 1 is permitted to expand from a folded position by releasing the stress on the flexible members 20, thereby causing the flexible members 20, and the presentation faces 10 and 10' to which they are fixed, to return to their curved rest positions With the simple aid of gravity, this causes the sections of the display unit 1 to unfold the display unit into the display position

As shown in Figure 7, an alternative embodiment of the present invention has the two presentation faces 50 and 50' formed from a single sheet of material which is bisected by a crease line 60 The flexible members 20 and fold lines 15 may be located in the same fashion as the preferred embodiment described herein However, in this way, the two presentation faces 50 and 50 of the alternative embodiment are folded at the crease line 60 and joined by fixing the flaps 40 of presentation face 50 with the flap 40 of presentation face 50' This eliminates the step and material of requiring both side edges of the presentation faces to have flaps 40 that are fixed together

An alternative to the base 30 is shown in Figures 8, 9 and 10, being a foot member 39 which may be used to aid in the stability of the display unit 1 when in a display position In such an application, an opening 13 is disposed in the presentation faces 10 and 10' to accept the foot member

39, which remains freely disposed through the opening to permit it to fold down with the display unit 1 when the display unit 1 is in a folded position, as shown in Figures 11 and 12

Because the flexible members 20 are fixed directly to the presentation faces 10 and 10', there is no need for bulky internal support members, connection elements and elastic bands to keep the shape and function of the unit As a result, the present invention is easy to manufacture, easy to ship and store and easy to use

While the subject invention has been described and illustrated with reference to certain particular embodiments thereof, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations, changes, modifications, substitutions, deletions or additions of procedures and protocols may be made without departing from the scope of the invention

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A display unit comprising: at least two presentation faces; and at least two flexible members; wherein each presentation face comprises two side edges, a top edge and a bottom edge and at least one fold line; wherein each side edge has at least one flap portion; wherein the presentation faces are fixed together at the side edges by fixing the flap portions of one presentation face to the corresponding flap portions of the other presentation face by flap attachment means such that the fold lines are disposed parallel and opposite each other; wherein at least one flexible member is attached to each presentation face by flexible member attachment means which causes the presentation face to assume a convex shape when not stressed and does not undergo plastic deformation when stressed to a point when the presentation face assumes a substantially flat shape; and wherein a portion of the unit is permitted to fold at the fold lines to overlap at least a portion of itself when the flexible members are stressed to a point when the presentation face assumes a substantially flat shape.

2. The display unit according to Claim 1 , wherein the presentation faces are made of paper.

3. The display unit according to Claim 1 , wherein the flexible members are made of steel.

4. The display unit according to Claim 1 , wherein the fold lines are substantially horizontally disposed on the presentation faces and the flexible members are attached substantially horizontally on the inside surfaces of the presentation faces.

5. The display unit according to Claim 1 , wherein the flap attachment means is glue and the flexible member attachment means is adhesive tape.

6. The display unit according to Claim 1 , further comprising a base, wherein the base presents a platform having at least one guide member; 7. The display unit according to Claim 6, wherein the flexible member is made of steel and is disposed proximate the bottom edge of a presentation face and the guide member is made of a magnetic material and is disposed on the base to engage said flexible member when the unit is in an unfolded position; 8 The display unit according to Claim 1 , further comprising a foot member, wherein the presentation faces have an opening proximate their lower ends through which the foot member is accepted

9 A display unit comprising at least two presentation faces, and at least two flexible members, wherein the presentation faces are formed from a single sheet of material which is bisected by a crease line, wherein each presentation face comprises one open side edge, a top edge, a bottom edge and at least one fold line and shares a common side edge along the crease line with the other presentation face, wherein each open side edge has at least one flap portion, wherein the presentation faces are fixed together at the open side edges by fixing the flap portion of one presentation face to the corresponding flap portion of the other presentation face by flap attachment means such that the fold lines are disposed parallel and opposite each other, wherein at least one flexible member is attached to each presentation face by flexible member attachment means which causes the presentation face to assume a convex shape when not stressed and does not undergo plastic deformation when stressed to a point when the presentation face assumes a substantially flat shape, and wherein a portion of the unit is permitted to fold at the fold lines to overlap at least a portion of itself when the flexible members are stressed to a point when the presentation face assumes a substantially flat shape

10 The display unit according to Claim 9, wherein the presentation faces are made of paper

11 The display unit according to Claim 9, wherein the flexible members are made of steel 12 The display unit according to Claim 9, wherein the fold lines are substantially horizontally disposed on the presentation faces and the flexible members are attached substantially horizontally on the inside of the presentation faces

13 The display unit according to Claim 9, wherein the flap attachment means is glue and the flexible member attachment means is adhesive tape 14 The display unit according to Claim 9, further comprising a base, wherein the base presents a platform having at least one guide member,

15 The display unit according to Claim 14, wherein the flexible member is made of steel and is disposed proximate the bottom edge of a presentation face and the guide member is made of a magnetic material and is disposed on the base to engage said flexible member when the unit is in an unfolded position, The display unit according to Claim 9, further comprising a foot member, wherein the presentation faces have an opening proximate their lower ends through which the foot member is accepted