GB2483786A

GB2483786A - Double sided display sign with band of display material tensioned by spring biased frame.

Info

Publication number: GB2483786A
Application number: GB1115956.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard John Gray
Original assignee: Keymite Ltd
Current assignee: Keymite Ltd
Priority date: 2010-09-18
Filing date: 2011-09-15
Publication date: 2012-03-21
Also published as: GB201115956D0

Abstract

A double sided display sign comprises a frame supporting a display banner 11 in the form of a continuous band / sleeve of a deformable material extending around two side / end members 15, 16 of the frame for presenting two oppositely directed display surfaces. The two side / end members 15, 16 of the frame are biased away from each other to hold the band under tension around the frame so as to present substantially flat surfaces in each direction. The frame is preferably telescopic with internal springs acting to bias the side / end members away from each other. The display band is preferably formed from a loop of PVC mesh material with ends of the material forming the band being joined by a combination of stitching to form a permanent join, and hook and loop fastener 36 to form a releasable join in a part of the band.

Description

A DispIa SJgn

Field

This invention relates to signs and in particular to upright display signs which are sometimes referred to as totem display signs or just totems.

fickg round of the Invention Upright signs are commonly used in the display of advertising materials and/or information and are commonly referred to as totem display signs. The information may be shown directly on the surface of the totem sign. Other totems may typically comprise a poster mounted on an upright support. The poster may be supported on or within a frame mounted on a vertical stand, as shown in EP0926653-A. In another arrangement the display sign may comprise a poster supported on a vertical upright pole, the foot of which is held in a socket fixed to a base plate or recessed into the ground. The poster is typically held in a planar condition by cross-members secured to the upright pole as is shown in DE 10113320 A. The posters provide a large area of wind resistance and in windy conditions the display sign may be blown over and/or damaged, or damage the surroundings.

When used on vehicle sales areas the upright display signs may be supported on a wide flat base plate which in use may be trapped between a vehicle wheel and a surface, typically the floor or ground in order to hold the sign in an upright condition. Such a sign has disadvantages in that when the vehicle is moved off the base, the sign is free to tip over and may damage an adjacent vehicle. This is particularly so when used on car lots in windy conditions.

The present invention provides for an upright display sign of a light construction which is not readily damaged or moved by wind.

Statements of Invention

According to the present Invention there is provided a display sign comprising a frame supporting a display banner in the form of an continuous band of a readily deformable material extending around two side members of the frame and presenting two oppositely directed display surfaces, the two side members of the frame being biased away from each other to hold the band under tension around the frame so as to present substantially flat surfaces in each direction.

The frame may comprise a rectangular frame, the term rectangular including square, preferably with the banner extending around the two shorter side members of the frame.

Preferably the sign is an upright display sign having an upright stand comprising a supporting post with a pair of substantially horizontal cross members mounted at the upper and lower portions of said post, the cross members forming upper and lower side members of the frame.

Preferably, the upper cross member is resiliently biased away from the lower cross-member to hold the band is under tension on the stand so as to present substantially flat surfaces in each direction.

The frame mounted on the post includes the upper and lower cross members, side members and may further include a third cross-member located between the upper and lower members and whereby the frame is attached to the post.

The ends portions of the cross-members may be linked by respective side members which form the longer sides of the frame. An upper portion of the frame including the upper cross member is telescopically connected to a lower portion of the frame secured to the post by the third cross-member and is resiliently biased away from said fixed lower portion.

Similarly for a frame which can be mounted in any desired orientation, the frame includes a first portion including one shorter side member and which is telescopically connected to a second portion including the second shorter side member and the two portions are resiliently biased apart.

End stops are provided at the ends of the sides of the frame hold the band in place on the respective shorter side members.

The band is preferably formed from a mesh fabric material which allows air to pass through the material in windy conditions thereby reducing side loads on the sign. The preferred material is polymeric fabric such as a PVC mesh material some times called banner material and preferably a 355 gms/m2 mesh material. The band of material is formed from a strip of material having end fastened together to form the band. The ends may be releasably fastened together using hook and loop fasteners e.g. VelcoTM. Alternatively the end may be fastened by stitching together for about 50% of the width with Velcro being used for the other 50% of the width. This facilitates fitting and removal of the band from the assembled frame.

Description of Drawings

The invention will be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is an isometric view of a display sign according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is a front view of the stand shown in Fig.1, Fig. 3 is a side view of the stand shown in Fig. 2 FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a display poster, Fig.5 show the ends of the poster, Fig. 6 shows the poster being mounted on the display stand.

Fig.7 is a front view of the frame of a display sign according to a second embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 8 is a section of the frame on the line Vlll-Vlll in Fig.7 and Fig. 9 is a front view of the display sign with Banner in situ.

Detailed Description of the_Invention.

With reference to the drawings there is shown a display sign which is for use for example outside of shops, in forecourts, exhibition hails, shopping malls, garage showrooms or on car sales lots. The sign may used in an upright manner as is shown in Figs 1-3 or in a horizontal orientation as is shown in Figs. 7-9.

The upright display sign 10 shown in Figs. ito 3, sometimes called a totem, comprises a display poster Ii and a stand 12. The stand 12 comprises an upright support post 13 the foot of which is held in a socket 14 mounted on base 15. The socket 14 could alternatively be recessed into a surface such as the ground or floor of a building and the display sign would be provided without the base 15. The foot of the post 13 could be provided with a tubular socket (not shown) which is put into the ground to receive the bottom end portion of the post.

The stand 12 includes a pair of substantially horizontal cross-members 15 & 16 located at the upper and lower portions of the post 13. The cross members are incorporated within a rectangular frame 21 further comprising a third cross-member 17 located between the upper and lower cross-members and a pair of side members 18 & 19. The third cross-member 17 is secured to the upright post 13 which passes through an aperture 22 in the lower cross-member 16. The cross members 15,16,17 and side members 18 & 19 may be formed from tubes extruded from a suitable material such as aluminium or suitable plastics material e.g. PVC, or a polyolefin. The supporting post 13 is preferably formed from aluminium tube.

An upper portion 23 of the frame 21 above the third cross member 17 is telescopically connected to a lower portion 24 of the frame fixed to the post 13 by the third cross-member. The upper porlion 23 of the frame is resiliently biased away from said lower portion 24 by springs 25 housed within the upper end portions of the side member 18 & 19.

With reference also to Figs 4 to 6 the display poster 11 is form from an continuous band of a readily deformable sheet material extending around the two cross-members 15 & 16 and presents two oppositely facing upright display surfaces 31 32, one on each side of the supporting post 13. The resiliently loaded cross-members 15 & 16 put a tension on the band 11 in order to maintain the display surfaces 31,32 in a substantially flat condition.

End stops 33 are provided at the ends of the upper and lower cross-members & 16 to hold the band in place on the frame 21.

The band 11 is preferably formed from a mesh fabric material which allows air to pass through the material in windy conditions thereby reducing side loads on the sign. The preferred material is a polymeric mesh fabric some times called banner material and preferably a PVC mesh material for example, a 355 gms/m2 mesh material. The material can accept printed advertising, indicia, logos etc to be displayed. The band of material is formed from a strip of material S having ends fastened together to form the band.

The ends may be releasably fastened together using hook and loop fasteners 36A, 36B e.g. VelcoTM. Alternatively the ends may be fastened by stitching 35 for about 50% of the width and using hook and loop fasteners 36A & 36B the other 50% of the width. This facilitates fitting and removal of the band from the assembled frame as is shown in Fig 6.

As can be seen in Fig.6, an assembled band 11 can be fitted to the upright frame 21 by placing the upper end of the band 11 onto the upper cross member 15. The band is ten pulled downwards against the bias of the springs 25 moving the upper portion 23 of the frame 21 downwards. The stitched portion of the band is then slipped over the adjacent portion of the lower cross member 16 and the two sides 36A & 36B of the Velcro faster are joined. The springs 25 then tension the band 11.

With reference to Figs 7-9, there is shown an assembled display sign 110 which may be mounted on a support in a desired orientation for example horizontally or vertically. The display sign 110 comprises a display poster or banner 11 and a supporting frame 112. The display banner 11 is of the type described previously.

The frame 112 is rectangular and comprises shorter side members 113 & 114 and longer side members 115 & 116. The side members 113-116 may be formed from tubes extruded from a suitable material such as aluminium or suitable plastics material e.g. PVC, or a polyolefin.

The longer side members 115 & 116 of the frame are each formed from two parts A & B so that the frame 112 is split into two side portions 117 & 118.

The two parts A & B are telescopically connected so that one side portion 117 of the frame 112 is telescopically connected to the other portion 118 of the frame 112. The two side portions 117 & 118 being resiliently biased apart by springs 119 housed within the tubular longer side members 115 & 116.

The resiliently biased side portions 117 & 118 put a tension on the band 11 in order to maintain the display surfaces in a substantially flat condition. End stops 121 are provided at the ends of the shorter sides 113 & 114 to hold the band in place on the frame 112. The endless band 11 can be fitted to the frame 112 when the frame is compressed against the spring bias. The frame is then allowed to extend and the springs 119 then tension the band 11.

Claims

Claim! 1. A display sign comprising a frame supporting a display banner in the form of an continuous band of a readily deformable material extending around two side members of the frame and presenting two oppositely directed display surfaces, the two side members of the frame being biased away from each other to hold the band under tension around the frame so as to present substantially flat surfaces in each direction.
2. A display sign as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the frame comprises a rectangular frame.
3. A display sign as claimed in Claim I or Claim 2 wherein with the banner extends around the two shorter side members of the frame.
4. A display sign as claimed in any one of Claims I to 3 wherein the sign is an upright display sign having an upright stand comprising a supporting post with a pair of substantially horizontal cross members mounted at the upper and lower portions of said post, the cross members forming upper and lower side members of the frame, the upper cross member being resiliently biased away from the lower cross-member to hold the band is under tension on the stand.
5. A display sign as claimed in Claim 3 wherein the frame includes the upper and lower cross members and with a third cross-member located between the upper and lower members whereby the frame is attached to the post.
6. A display sign as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the end portions of the cross-members are linked by respective side members which form the longer sides of the frame.
7. A display sign as claimed in Claim 4 or Claim 5, wherein an upper portion of the frame including the upper cross member is telescopically connected to the lower portion of the frame secured to the post by the third cross-member and is resiliently biased away from said lower portion.
8. A display sign as claimed in any one of Claims I to 3 wherein the frame includes a first portion including one shorter side member and which is telescopically connected to a second portion including the second shorter side member and the two portions are resiliently biased apart to hold the band is under tension.
9. A display sign as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 8, wherein end stops are provided at the ends of the side members to hold the band in place on the stand.
10. A display sign as claimed in any one of Claims I to 9, wherein the band is formed from a mesh fabric material.
II. A display sign as claimed in claim 10, wherein the mesh fabric comprises a PVC mesh material some times called banner material.
12. A display sign as claimed in any one of Claims I to 11, wherein the band of material is formed from a strip of material having end fastened together to form the band at least a portion of said width of strip being releasably fastened together.
13. A display sign as claimed in Claim 12, wherein the releasable fastener comprises hook and 1oop fasteners.

14 A display sign as claimed in Claim 13, wherein the ends are fastened by both stitching for about 50% of the width and using hook and loop fastener for about 50% of the width.