US3292287A

US3292287A - Display

Info

Publication number: US3292287A
Application number: US391669A
Authority: US
Inventors: Louis A Marn
Original assignee: CENTURY DISPLAY Mfg CORP
Current assignee: CENTURY DISPLAY Mfg CORP
Priority date: 1964-08-24
Filing date: 1964-08-24
Publication date: 1966-12-20
Anticipated expiration: 1983-12-20

Description

Dec. 20, 1966 L, A, M R 3,292,287

DISPLAY Filed Aug. 24, 1964 INVENTOR LOUIS A. MA RN BYW W #M ATT'YS United States Patent nols Filed Aug. 24, 1964, Ser. No. 391,669 4 Claims. (Cl. 40--77)- This invention relatesto a novel display particularly adapted to draw attention to :and illustrate objects in three-dimensions. different types of products, it is highly desirable to provide a display which is of the three-dimensional variety so that it may be viewed from any side. Contrasted with displays of this type are those which are visible from one side only, requiring the same to be placed against a wall, counter or the like and thus, limiting their application.

The present invention obviates this limitation of prior art devices by providing a display which is visible from all sides, and further which draws attention to the display through presenting multiple images no matter which side the display is viewed from. Means may be provided to rotate the display if desired or it may remain stationary. The unique design permits a wide range of applications and uses as will become more apparent hereinafter. The salient features of the present invention will be better comprehended upon a consideration of the objects to be achieved and a detailed description of a preferred embodiment which follows.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a new and improved advertising display particularly adapted for viewing from all sides.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an advertising display which produces multiple images of a single object regardless of the position or angle from which the display is viewed thereby presenting an eyecatching effect.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a new and improved display of simplified design capable of producing multiple images of an advertising subject or object, and further wherein means may be provided to continuously rotate the display to cause the images to have the appearance of being in motion.

Further and fuller objects will become readily apparent when reference is made to the accompanying drawirigs wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the display of the present invention on a reduced scale;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the display with the base portion being shown in section to illustrate the motor mounting; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the wall section taken along lines 33 of FIG. 2.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the display generally includes a base 11, a housing 12 and a cover indicated generally at 13. As illustrated in FIG. 1 the base 11 may be round or of any desired shape. Centrally of the base 11 is an opening 14 adapted to receive a shaft 15 projecting from a motor and light assembly 16. A power cord 17 may extend through the shaft 15 to supply electrical energy to the motor and light assembly 16, providing power for the illumination of the lamps 18 and rotation of the motor 28.

The housing 12 is provided with marginal side walls 19 formed into a rectangle and joined to a similarly shaped base 20 to provide a mounting portion for the motor and light assembly 16. At the upper edges of the side wall 19 is provided an object supporting surface 21 which may be formed of transparent plastic or the like. An object 22 which is illustrated as being of frustoconical shape is indicated in phantom lines. It is to be In designing displays for advertising ice understood that it may be any type of advertising subject or object normally the subject of an advertising display such as a beverage bottle, jewelry, or the like. It is contemplated that the object supporting surface 21 will be sufiiciently opaque to obscure the motor and the light assembly 16, yet transparent enough to pass the, light generated by the lamps 18 to illuminate the interior of the cover 13 for purposes to become apparent.

The cover 13 is of polyhedral or pyramid shape being formed of a series of triangular shaped sides 23* joined together at the apexes and along the marginal edger. While the present design is illustrated as being a four-sided pyramid it is contemplated that it may be polyhedral to include any number of sides for reasons to become apparent hereinafter when the operation is described. Obviously, the entire cover may be formed in any suitablemanner, for example from a single sheet, or a plurality of sheets joined together. i

As is best seen in FIG. 3 the wall section 23 of the polyhedral cover 13 is composed of a plurality of layers or laminationsl The .wall section 23 includes first and second

outer layers

24 and 25 of transparent plastic, glass or the like. The intermediate layer 26 is provided with a thin semi-transparent coating of metal 27 thereon. In one embodiment, the intermediate layer 26 was composed of a clear plastic known as Mylar with a coating of aluminum, vacuum deposited thereon to provide the desired semi-transparent effect which is sometimes referred to as a one-way mirror. The

outer layers

24 and 25 are provided to lend rigidity to the finished wall construction since the intermediate layer is maintained quite thin for obvious reasons.

The motor and light assembly 16 is joined to the base 20 of the housing 12 and moves therewith while the shaft 15 of the motor assembly 28 serves to rotate the base 20 and housing 12 relative to the fixed or stationary base 11. As described above the marginal side walls 19 on the housing 12 generally are opaque, however it is contemplated that transparent openings may be provided in the sides thereof to illuminate indicia panels for advertising and/or identifying the object 22 which is displayed.

It is contemplated that the object 22 will be placed within the cover 13 when the display units are assembled. Obviously, the cover 13 may be made to snap on and oil if desired, particularly if the object 22 is to be changed at frequent intervals as may be the case in some applications.

In operation, the display may be placed at any desired location, for example in a window, on a cash register, back bar, counter, or even suspended from the ceiling. Prior to the lamps 18 being turned on, the exterior surface of the wall sections 23 on the cover 13 appear to be a true mirror surface to the casual observer, assuming of course that the level of illumination outside the cover 13 is greater than that within.

When it is desired to display the object 22, the lamps 18 are turned on by completing the power supply circuit in the usual manner. At this time, the object 22 beomes visible through the side wall 23 closest to the ob server, while the side walls rearwardly of the object 22 act as mirrors to reflect multiple images of the object 22. Since the wall sections 23 of the cover 13 converge, a very stimulating and eye-catching effect is presented by the multpile images appearing in the rearward walls, each of which diminish in size as they extend toward a vanishing point. The object 22 is reflected off of all of interior wall sections 23 of the polyhedral cover 13 producing reflections of reflections and presenting a stimulating effect. As pointed out previously, the display may be rotated if desired to cause the images to appear to be constantly in motion to the observer who ordinarily views the display from a fixed location.

After a consideration of the foregoing it is obvious that control of the level of illumination in the interior of the cover 13 may be provided to cause the object 22 to appear and disappear as the lamps 18 are turned on and off, or as the intensity is adjusted upward and downward. In most cases wherein the motor unit is used to rotate the display, switching can be accomplished at various stages of the rotation through a known type of switch device causing the object 22 to appear and disappear. From the foregoing it will become obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made without departing from the inventive concepts embodied herein. Therefore any limitations imposed are to be within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A display device particularly adapted for displaying an object in three-dimensions including providing multiple reflections of the same comprising in combination, a housing adapted to support a cover, said housing having an upper transparent object supporting surface adapted to support said object to he displayed, said upper transparent object supporting surface having marginal sidewalls extending downwardly, a polyhedral cover over said object and said upper object supporting transparent surface, said cover being formed from material being either reflective or transparent depending 'on the level of illumination within the cover and means to illuminate the interior of said polyhedral cover thereby illuminating said object to provide multiple images reflected off the interior walls and visible exterionly of the display regardless of the angle of viewing. I

2. The display device of claim 1 wherein means is provided to rotate said object supporting surface and said polyhedral cover.

3. A display device adapted for viewing from all sides comprising an object supporting surface which is trans parent to illumination while being sufliciently opaque to preclude viewing therethrough, an object which is to be advertised supported on said surface, light source means below said object, and a cover over said object, said cover being of polyhedral shape including a plurality of wall sections lying in different planes, each of said wall sections being transparent when the interior level of illumination is above that on the side being viewed and providing a reflective surface i-nteriorly of said cover, while being transparent externally thereof whereby multiple images of the object displayed are visible from all sides of the cover.

4. The display device of claim 3 wherein means is provided to rotate said object supporting surface and said polyhedral cover to give the appearance of said images being in motion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 718,496 1/1903 Meagher 240-101 2,008,567 7/ 1935 Simonton 240l0.1 X 2,286,247 6/1942 Yearta '2l9 X 2,565,079 8/1951 Kern 4077 X 3,247,609 4/ 1966 Hayes et al. 4077 FOREIGN PATENTS 371,370 4/1932 Great Britain.

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

H. F. ROSS, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A DISPLAY DEVICE PARTICULARLY ADAPTED FOR DISPLAYING AN OBJECT IN THREE-DIMENSION INCLUDING PROVIDING MULTIPL REFLECTIONS OF THE SAME COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A HOUSING ADAPTED TO SUPPORT A COVER, SAID HOUSING HAVING AN UPPER TRANSPARENT OBJECT SUPPORTING SURFACE ADAPTED TO SUPPORT SAID OBJECT TO BE DISPLAYED, SAID UPPER TRANSPARENT OBJECT SUPPORTING SURFACE HAVING MARGINAL SIDEWALLS EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY, A POLYHEDRAL COVER OVER SIDE OBJECT AND SAID UPPER OBJECT SUPPORTING TRANSPARENT SURFACE, SAID COVER BEING FORMED FROM MATERIAL BEING EITHER REFLECTIVE OR TRANSPARENT DEPENDING ON THE LEVEL OF ILLUMINATION WITH THE COVER AND MEANS TO ILLUMINATE THE INTERIOR OF SAID POLYHEDRAL COVER THEREBY ILLUMINATING SAID OBJECT TO PROVIDE MULTIPLE IMAGES REFLECTED OFF THE INTERIOR WALLS AND VISIBLE EXTERIORLY OF THE DISPLAY REGARDLESS OF THE ANGLE OF VIEWING.