AU2014221271A1 - Foldable sign - Google Patents

Abstract

A transportable sign 10 that is moveable between a substantially flat, folded transport and storage configuration and a free standing position in which the 5 sign has a substantially pyramidal shape with at least three lateral sides, wherein the sign comprises at least three substantially rigid, discrete lateral side panels 12, 14, each panel having a bottom edge and two inclined side edges and the side panels are connected side to side such that there are two outer panels and at least one inner panel; 10 a hinge 26 connecting adjacent discrete panels such that the panels can be folded relative to each other into the collapsed position and unfolded to an in use position in which the panels define a substantially pyramid shape. Figure 6 'K <~ ~$$\ \ 4, 'N t ~jX \t' ~, ~ 'K 'K '4' 'N 't'* 4 '4 '.'.' -# "4 "44" 'N.' """44" "' 4.' 4 "~., 'N." 4" "N '-"4"'"' "'-'-C"-' 'N 4, \4' 4, % ~ 4,4 'iN 44"'"' *4.' "'N 4\ 4, N,! 4,N, 4, 4, K

Description

FOLDABLE SIGN The present disclosure relates to a sign that is moveable between a collapsed storage position and a free standing in use position. 5 BACKGROUND Portable signs that are used to provide temporary signage are widely known and used. Well known signs of this type are the conventional are A frame or sandwich board type 10 signs that have two boards hinged along the top. Such signs are widely used at shop fronts to advertise that the shop is open and/or various specials and the like. The boards are orientated and placed such that they are in the line of view of oncoming motor and/or pedestrian traffic. These signs are advantageous in that they can be collapsed to a flat storage position and expanded out to a free standing in use position. 15 However, there are various features of these boards that make them unsuitable for wider applications. First, the signage is not visible from all sides. Also, the signs are unstable under windy conditions and can be blown over or at worst become projectiles. 20 Other types of signs that are well known are stackable reflective traffic cones. Because of the angle of the cone, it is not possible to display any written message on the cone. Thus the cones generally only used for temporary delineation. There are numerous other types of signs that are designed to be transported in a 25 folded position. Such signs are generally used for advertising and display purpose such as point of sale, trade displays and the like. These types of signs generally have a foldable base or stand and a flexible sign that can be rolled and unrolled. Such signs are only suitable for indoor use on flat surfaces. 30 Another important area where portable signs are used is in relation to safety. Small A frame signs with warnings such as "Caution wet floor" are well known. These signs are only visible in two directions. This is generally not a significant problem, provided the signs are placed in the direction of pedestrian traffic. 1 Temporary warning safety signs are also used in external environments on industrial construction sites, mine sites, processing and packaging plants, refineries and the like. Temporary signs are used to indicate a temporary safety issue such as movement of heavy machinery; blasting operations such as in mines, road construction, tunnel 5 construction, and demolition; chemical spills and the like. Such signs must be of a size and construction that they can be easily seen from a safe distance away from the hazard. It will be appreciated that for some hazards such as blasting operations a safe distance can be a considerable distance. It follows that safety signs of this type must be of a minimum size so as to enable them to be seen from a safe distance. In fact, 10 Australian standards require a minimum vertical height of 600mm or 900mm for transportable safety signs for use around blasting operations at mine sites. Still further, it will be appreciated that the environments in which such signs are used may be quiet harsh. The signs can also be subject to extremes of wind and 15 temperature. The signs that are currently in use for extreme environments such as mines are triangular pyramid shaped signs formed from polyethylene. The signs are about 600mm or 860mm in vertical height. The triangle base means that the sign is sturdy 20 against winds, even when placed on an uneven surface. The signs are able to be stacked for transport and storage. The signs are about 670mm and 905mm wide respectively. It will be appreciated that this is a relatively large footprint and can significantly limit the number of signs that can be transported on the back of a vehicle such as a Ute tray. It is not possible at all to transport a sign in a conventional 25 passenger vehicle. It is therefore an object of the present disclosure to provide an alternative transportable sign. 30 SUMMARY According to a first broad aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a transportable sign that is moveable between a substantially flat, folded transport and storage configuration and a free standing position in which the sign has a substantially pyramidal shape with at least three lateral sides, 2 wherein the sign comprises at least three substantially rigid, discrete lateral side panels, each panel having a bottom edge and two inclined side edges and the side panels are connected side to side such that there are two end panels and at least one inner panel; 5 a hinge connecting adjacent discrete panels such that the panels can be folded relative to each other into the collapsed position and unfolded to an in use position in which the panels define a substantially pyramid shape. The sign may have any number of panels that can be unfolded to form a substantially 10 pyramid shape. By substantially pyramid shape is meant any shape that s may be a pyramid, based upon or otherwise derived from a pyramid. The shape may be a truncated pyramid, in which the top of the pyramid is cut by a plane parallel to the base, or a pyramid in 15 which the top is cut by a plane that is not parallel to the base. The pyramid may also be cut in any desirable manner and need not be cut by a plane. For example, sides may be cut differently. It will be appreciated that any suitable variation is possible and falls within the scope of the present disclosure. 20 By substantially rigid is meant that the panels are inflexible and are unable to be bent and forced out is shape under normal operating conditions. It will be appreciated that a degree of flex may be tolerated. By discrete is meant that the panels are formed separately and are joined together. 25 The side panels have a bottom edge and two inclined side edges. The panels may be triangular, trapezoidal or any other suitable polygon provided that the inclined side edges can be connected to the side edge of an adjacent panel. 30 The number of panels is suitably three in which case the pyramid is a triangle pyramid or a shape based upon a triangle pyramid. Any number of panels may be employed. Suitably the sign has from 3 to 6 panels. The panels are hingedly connected together for pivotal movement with respect to each 35 other. The panels can therefore pivot with respect to each other such that one panel 3 lies substantially flat on an adjacent panel and can be unfolded to the angle required so as to define the pyramid shape. The type of hinge that connects the panels may depend to some extent to the nature 5 of the material from which the panels are formed and the end use of the sign. The panels may be formed of any suitable substantially rigid material that may be used as a sign. Suitable materials include but are not limited to timber, particle board, timber laminate, metal, thermoplastics such as polyethylene or polypropylene or a laminate construction having a foam core with an outer skin that may be fibreglass, PVC, 10 aluminium or the like. A particularly preferred material is a laminate having a foam core with external PVC skins. PVC is a preferred material as it may readily be printed on. 15 The hinges may be any suitable hinges for connecting the panels together. Conventional methods of hingedly joining panel's together employs two hinges mounted to upper and lower sections of the respective panels. In the present disclosure, the hinges may extend substantially along the length of the 20 side edges. Such hinges are known in the hinge arts as piano hinges. Piano hinges may be used where additional structural support is desirable. The hinges may be mounted to the respective panels in any suitable orientation. This will affect the manner in which the sign is folded and unfolded. In one arrangement, 25 the panels may fold and unfold in a concertina like manner. The hinges may be externally or internally mounted with respect to the sign when in the use position. Suitably the hinges are internally mounted. The outer panels have free side edges. When the pyramid shape is formed, the free 30 edges come together. Suitably the sign is provided with means for joining the adjacent free edges together. Any suitable, keeper, latch or the like may be used. In one form of the invention, magnetic latches can be fitted to the respective edges. 4 In one aspect, the sign includes at least one latch that is pivotally mounted to a first outer panel. The latch has a latch body that is pivotally mounted to the outer face of first outer panel and a latch member extending therefrom. 5 The second outer panel has at least one keeper for receiving a respective latch member in a latched position. The latch keeper may be in the form of a catch, loop or other retaining member fixed to the edge of the second outer panel. Suitably the keeper is a recess or aperture 10 towards the edge of the second outer panel. In this arrangement, the second outer panel is wider than the first outer panel such that the edge of the first outer panel abuts the inner surface of the second outer panel. When the sign is in the free standing position with the free edges of the first and 15 second outer panels adjacent to each other, the latch member may be manually rotated so as to move the latch between a free position and a latched position in which the latch member is retained by the keeper. The latch body is suitably configured that it may be readily manually operated and suitably operated by a user wearing safety gloves or the like. Suitably the latch body 20 has a cam profile and the latch member is a hooked member. The latch may be made from the same material as the panels. In one aspect of the disclosure, the top of the pyramid shape is configured to receive and hold a warning device beacon or other light source. 25 As mentioned above, the pyramid may be a truncated pyramid. In this case, the upper edges of the panels define an open shape corresponding to the shape defined by the base edges of the panels, for example a triangle, square, pentagon and the like. In some applications it is desired to mount a warning flag, warning beacon, suitably a 30 solar powered warning beacon to the top of the sign. The truncated pyramid for of the invention may therefore further include a top panel that extends across the open top of the truncated pyramid. The top panel is suitably configured for holding or supporting a warning device that extends above the pyramid 5 shape. The warning device may be any suitable warning such as a flag, beacon, an additional sign or the like. The top panel may be separate from the connected panels and mounted or fixed 5 thereto when the sign is in the free standing position. Suitably the top panel is hingedly mounted along one side thereof to the upper edge of one of the triangular panels. The top panel generally has a surface that is longer and/or wider than the space defined by the upper walls of the truncated panels so that the top panel sits on top of and is supported by the upper edges of the truncated panels. The top panel 10 may have a downwardly facing lip or flange that is configured to snugly fit within the inner faces of the upper ends of the truncated panels. When the top panel is hingedly connected to a side panel and the side panel has carrying apertures for allow a user to insert their hands for carrying, the top panel has 15 a similarly sized aperture that is configured such that it is co-axial with the triangular panel aperture when in the collapsed position. Each side panel has a base. The base preferably has a foot portion at each end with a recess in between so as to accommodate an uneven ground surface. 20 The panels are suitably manufactured or formed independently and then fixed together by the hinges. The panels may be accurately cut to shape using known means such as laser cutting, water jet cutting and the like. 25 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Figure 1 is a plan view of a preferred sign of the present invention in a collapsed unfolded position; Figure 2 is a plan view of a further preferred sign of the present invention in a collapsed unfolded position; 30 Figure 3 is a side view of the sign of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a top plan view of the sign of Figure 1 in the free standing position; Figure 5 is a perspective view of an alternative sign of Figure 1; Figure 6 is a perspective view of an alternative sign of the invention and Figure 7 is a perspective view of another sign of the invention. 35 6 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Figure 1 shows a preferred sign 10 of the present invention in the unfolded and collapsed position. The sign would not normally be collapsed to the unfolded position but it is shown in the unfolded form for illustrative purposes only. It will be appreciated 5 that in use the sign 10 would normally be collapsed to the position in which each panel is folded on top of the other so as to provide a compact unit. The sign 10 has three trapezoidal lateral side panels 12, 14, 16, being two outer panels 12, 16 and an inner panel 14. The outer panels 12, 16 have each have a free 10 side edge 18, 20 and an opposed side edge 22, 24 connected to the inner panel 14. Each panel 12, 14, 16 is made from a laminate formed from two outer skins of PVC and a foam core. Such a material is commercially available under the trade name CELUKA. This is a preferred material as it does not absorb water, it is lightweight for 15 its size, and it is weather and chemical resistant. Still further PVC can be readily printed on. The thickness of each panel is between about 5mm to about 10mm. The panels 12, 14, 16 are connected by stainless steel hinges 26. 28. The hinges 26, 28 extend substantially along the full length of the edges 22, 24. By providing 20 substantially full length hinges, the hinges serve an added benefit of providing a degree of reinforcement to the free standing structure. The hinges are shown as external hinges for illustrative purposes. However, the hinges may also be internal relative to the free standing sign. 25 The horizontal dimensions of the inner panel 14 are marginally narrower than for the outer panels 12, 16. This is to accommodate the hinges so that the effective width of the panels is the same when the sign is arranged to it's in use pyramid shape. The free edge 18 of end panel 12 has three spaced keepers 29 that in use hold the 30 free edges 18, 20 of each panel together when the sign is in the free standing position. The keepers are L shaped stainless steel members having ends that can hook around the adjacent free edge when the sign is in the free standing position. 7 Each panel 12, 14, 16 has a base 30, 32, 34 with two foot portions 36, 38; 40, 42; 44, 46 at the ends of each base separated by a recessed portion 48, 50, 52. The feet and recesses may accommodate any uneven surface upon which the sign may be placed. 5 The upper part of each panel 12, 14, 16 has a carrying aperture 54, 56, 58 configured to be held by a person for easy carrying. The upper edge of outer panel 16 has a cover 60 mounted to it by hinges 62. The cover 60 is shown in the folded away position in which it lays flat along panel 16. The 10 cover 60 has carrying aperture 64 that lies over the carrying aperture 58 in the panel 16. This allows for ease of carrying. In use, when the sign is in the free standing position, the cover 60 is pivoted form the folded away position to a cover position in which it rests on or is otherwise supported 15 by the tops of the edges of the panels. The cover may be configured to mount a warning flag, beacon or other signalling device. In order to place the sign 10 in the free standing position, the panels are moved so that the two free edges 18, 20 of the outer panels 12, 16 meet so that the sign 10 defines a 20 truncated triangle pyramid. The keepers 29 engage the adjacent free edge to hold the two edges together. The cover 60 is then pivoted into position. The sign 10 is easily folded to the transport or storage position by releasing the keepers and folding the panels inwardly on top of each other so that the folded sign 25 has a thickness corresponding to the thickness of the three panels and cover. This may be between about 40mm to about 100mm. It will be appreciated that this allows a significant number of folded signs to be placed on top of each other so that a very large number of signs may be transported when 30 compared to conventional stackable cone type signs. Further a small number of signs may be carried for example in the passenger area of a 4WD or Ute. This is impossible with conventional stackable signs and offers significant working advantages, especially on mine and other blasting sites. 8 Figure 2 shows an alternative sign having 50 having four panels 52, 54, 56, 59. In the free standing position, this sign will define a truncated square pyramid. Figure 3 is a side view of the panel 10 in the free standing position. 5 Figure 4 is a top plan view of the sign 10 in the free standing position with the cover 60 in place. Figure 5 is a perspective view of a sign 10 in the free standing position. The sign 10 is 10 similar to that shown in figure 1 and the same reference numerals will be used to describe the same features. The sign shown in figure 5 has internal hinges 28. Internal placement of the essentially full length hinges protects the hinges in use and allows the sign to easily 15 fold in upon itself under its own weight. The cover 60 is hingedly connected to the upper edge of panel 16 by two spaced hinges 66, 68 for movement between an open position as shown in Figure 5 and a closed position that is shown in Figure 6. 20 The cover 60 has brackets 70 that extend around the edge of the cover. When the cover is 60 closed as shown in Figure 6, the lower surface of the brackets upon the upper edges of panel 12, 14. 25 Figure 7 shows a sign 10 that is similar to that shown in the previous figures but has a different latching arrangement. The edges of the outer walls 12, 16 are latched together by latches 80, 82 that are pivotally mounted to outer panel 16. The latches 80. 82 have a latch body having a cam profile and a hook shaped latch member 84, 86. The latches are rotatable so that the latch members can move between a free and 30 a latched position. The outer panels 12, 16 are relatively dimensioned so that the outer panel 12 is wider than outer panel 16 to which the latches 80, 82 are mounted. This means that the edge 90 of the panel 16 abuts the inner end 92 of panel 12. Latch keepers 96, 98 in 35 the form of apertures towards the end of panel 12 receive latch members 84, 82. 9 It may be appreciated that when latched in this manner, any force placed on panel 12 is distributed along the end of panel 16. The latch bodies and latch members are not subject to such forces thereby protecting them. When latched the panels are held 5 firmly in place so that the sign may be easily packed up and moved without the sign becoming loose and unfolding. It will be appreciated that the sign as disclosed offers many working advantages over existing signs. The sign can be folded to a lay flat storage and transport position. 10 When in the free standing position, a face of the sign can be seen from all angles. This is very important where the sign is being used as a safety sign and in particular on mine, demolition or other sites where it is necessary to mark out and exclusion zone for explosive use or other hazardous operations. 15 Still further, the sign is not subject to being blown over in a heavy wind. This may be compared to conventional A frame or sandwich board signs that suffer from both disadvantages. The sign can be more easily carried than a stackable sign of the same size. More 20 folded signs can be carried on the back of a truck. A person can carry one sign in each hand. It will be appreciated that carrying a sign that has an 870mm wide triangular shaped base is unwieldy to carry. The hinges that extend along the length of the panels are robust and provide structural 25 support to the panels as well as adding additional weight. The hinges allow for repeated folding and unfolding of the panel. The hinges also allow for accurate and repeatable folding to a lay flat position. It will be appreciated that various changes and modifications may be made to the 30 invention as described and claimed herein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. 10

Claims (18)

1. A transportable sign that is moveable between a substantially flat, folded transport and storage configuration and a free standing position in which the 5 sign has a substantially pyramidal shape with at least three lateral sides, wherein the sign comprises at least three substantially rigid, discrete lateral side panels, each panel having a bottom edge and two inclined side edges and the side panels are connected side to side such that there are two outer panels and at least one inner panel; 10 a hinge connecting adjacent discrete panels such that the panels can be folded relative to each other into the collapsed position and unfolded to an in use position in which the panels define a substantially pyramid shape.

2. The sign of claim 1, wherein the pyramid shape is a truncated pyramid. 15

3. The sign of claim 2, wherein the panels are truncated triangles.

4. The sign of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each panel includes carrying apertures or handles towards the upper end. 20

5. The sign of anyone of claims 1 to 4, where the base of each panel includes a foot portion at each end of the base with a recess in between.

6. The sign of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the number of panels is between 25 3 and 6.

7. The sign of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, the hinges extend substantially along the length of the connected edges. 30

8. The sign of any one of claim 1 to 7, wherein the sign includes means for joining the adjacent free edges of the free standing pyramid shape together.

9. The sign of claim 8, wherein at least one latch mounted to a first outer panel.

10. The sign of claim 9, wherein the latch has a latch body that is pivotally mounted 35 to the outer face of first outer panel with a latch member extending from the body. 11

11. The sign of claim 10, wherein the second outer panel has at least one keeper for receiving a respective latch member in a latched position. 5

12. The sign of claim 11, wherein the keeper is a recess or aperture towards the edge of the second outer panel.

13. The sign of claim 12, wherein the second outer panel is wider than the first outer panel such that the edge of the first outer panel abuts the inner surface of the 10 second outer panel.

14. The sign of any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein when the sign is in the free standing position with the free edges of the first and second outer panels adjacent to each other, the latch member may be manually rotated so as to move the latch 15 between a free position and a latched position in which the latch member is retained by the keeper.

15. The sign of any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the top of the pyramid shape is configured to receive and hold a warning device beacon or other light source. 20

16. The sign of claim 15, wherein the pyramid is a truncated pyramid and the sign includes a top panel that extends across the top section of the truncated pyramid.

17. The sign of claim 16, wherein the top panel is hingedly mounted along one side thereof to the upper edge of one of the side panels. 25

18. The sign of claim 19, wherein the top panel is hingedly connected to the side panel, the side panel has a carrying apertures to allow a user to insert their fingers for carrying and the top panel has a similarly sized aperture that is configured such that it is substantially in line with the side panel aperture when in the collapsed 30 position. 12