EP0136031A1

EP0136031A1 - A wall display assembly

Info

Publication number: EP0136031A1
Application number: EP84305527A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Aboobaker Garda
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-08-17
Filing date: 1984-08-14
Publication date: 1985-04-03
Also published as: GB2145267A; GB8328247D0

Abstract

A wall display assembly includes a wallboard (12) with a front face shaped and marked to represent a sports playing area, such as a hockey rink. Means (14,16) are provided for attaching the wallboard to a wall, and the wallboard (12) has holes for receiving hooks or the like on frames (20) adapted to retain and display card members such as hockey cards (20a, 22). The wallboard has means (39, 32) defining slots remote from the front face, the slot-defining means (30,32) providing laterally accessible compartments for receiving and storing card members (20a, 22) not on display. Furthermore, the slot-defining means spaces the wallboard (12) from a wall to which the wallboard is attachable, thus giving it a sence of relief or forward projection, and protecting the hooks engaging the holes. The slot defining means are preferably adapted to receive box shaped containers (44) wherein a multiplicity of cards (20a, 22) may be stored.

Description

THIS INVENTION relates to a wall display assembly adapted for use by sports enthusiasts, and has to do particularly with a rear structure of the assembly which provides important advantages for the same.
In my issued Canadian Patent 1,138,199 dated December 28, 1982, and entitled "Wall Display Assembly and Components Thereof", I disclose a wall display assembly which includes a wallboard having a shape and markings representing a sports playing area, such as hockey or football, means for attaching the wallboard to a wall, and a plurality of holes in the wallboard. The assembly includes at least one frame having hanging means in the form of a hook for passing through a hole to attach the frame to the wallboard. The frame has means for receiving and displaying an object such as a card.
The wall display assembly disclosed in my said patent consists essentially of a flat wallboard, adapted to be juxtaposed directly against the wall. While this arrangement is quite.satisfactory in terms of appearance and usefulness, it lacks the relief that it might have if it were spaced outwardly from- the wall. Moreover, by having the wallboard spaced slightly outwardly from the wall, the hooks of the frames which pass through the holes would not come into contact with the wall and risk breaking or dislodgement.
Furthermore, the wall display assembly disclosed in the above-identified Canadian patent lacks some means to store cards which are not on display. It is well known that young sports enthusiasts, particularly children who closely follow baseball or hockey, enjoy collecting and saving cards showing pictures of their favourite players. Over the course of a few years, a child may collect a large number of such cards, certainly more than can conveniently be displayed on a wall display assembly such as that disclosed in my Canadian Patent 1,138,199. It would therefore be of advantage to provide the wall display assembly with some means for storing and retaining such cards or similar items which may not be on display at any given time.
Accordingly, it is an object of an aspect of this invention to provide a wall display assembly which includes a wallboard with a front face for displaying cards or the like in hanging frames, including the improvement of a means behind the wallboard defining laterally accessible compartments for receiving and storing card members or the like, the slot means also spacing the wallboard from a wall to which the wallboard is attached.
More particularly, this invention provides a wall display assembly comprising a wallboard having a front face shaped and marked to represent a sports playing area, and means for attaching the wallboard to a wall. The wallboard includes hole means and the assembly includes frame means for receiving and retaining card members. The frame means includes engagement means such as hooks for engaging the hole means to retain the frame means in position on the wallboard. The wallboard includes slot means remote from the front face, the slot means defining laterally accessible compartments adapted to receive and store card members, the slot means spacing the wallboard from a wall to which the wallboard is attached. Card holding boxes may be inserted into or withdrawn from.the compartments.
One embodiment of this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals denote like parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a wall display assembly constructed in accordance with this invention;
'Figure 2 is a perspective view of a blank wallboard;
Figure 3 is a rear perspective view of the wallboard of Figure 1;
Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of one corner of the wallboard of Figure 1, showing constructional details.
Figure 5 is a view similar to that of Figure 4 showing a pair of card holding containers.

Attention is first directed to Figure 1, which shows a wall display assembly generally at the numeral 10, which comprises a wallboard 12 shaped and marked to represent a sports playing area. In Figure 1, the wallboard is marked to represent a hockey rink. Means are provided for attaching the wallboard to a wall, and more specifically this means is constituted by an upstanding flange 14 provided with spaced apertures 16 through which nails or screws may be driven into the wall. The wallboard 12 has plurality of holes 18 and the assembly includes at least one frame shown in Figure 1 at 20, the frame 20 being adapted to retain and display card members such as that shown at 22 in Figure 1.
The particular construction of the frame 20 does not form part of this invention, and is fully disclosed in my earlier Canadian Patent No 1,138,199. The frame 20 includes a hook adapted to pass through one of the holes 18, thus retaining the frame 20 in position on the wallboard 12.
In accordance with the present invention, the wallboard 12 includes slot means remote from the front face thereof (that visible. in Figure 1), the slot means defining laterally accessible compartments adapted to receive and store card members such as that shown at 22 in Figure 1. The slot means also spaces the wallboard 12 from a wall to which the wallboard is attached.
Attention is more particularly directed to Figures 2, 3 and 4, for a detailed description of the slot means just defined.
It is firstly pointed out that the wallboard 12, as seen in the figures, includes substantially parallel side edges 25 and 26 adapted to be oriented vertically when the wallboard is attached to a wall, and straight top and bottom edges 28 and 29 respectively which are perpendicular to the side edges. The slot means includes a plurality of "T"-shaped flange members 30 projecting rearwardly from the back of the wallboard 12, with the cross arm 32 of the "T" substantially parallel with and spaced rearwardly from the wallboard 12.
It can be seen that each vertically adjacent pair of flange members 30 defines a "C"-shaped slot or opening which is adapted to receive a card 20a inserted laterally from the side.
As particularly seen in Figure 3, the flange members 30 are in two groups, a first group 33 which extends inwardly from the side edge 25, and a group 35 which extend inwardly from the side edge 26. Each group of flange members extends from its respective side edge toward the other and perpendicular thereto, and abuts a web member 38 which extends parallel to the respective side edge and is spaced inwardly therefrom. The web members 38 thus constitute an inward abutment beyond which the card members 20 (20a) cannot be pushed. It is intended that the size of the pockets or compartments defined between vertically adjacent flange members 30 and limited by the position of the web member 38 will be such as conveniently to receive card members of standard size, with a small amount of play.
The assembly further includes an "L"-shaped top edge 40 which completes compartments with the uppermost flange members of the two groups 33 and 35. At the bottom of each group is a shorter "L"-shaped member 42 which completes a compartment with the flange member next above it, respectively. The flange 14 is integral with the top edge 40.
It will thus be appreciated that the structure shown in detail in Figure 4 and seen in larger view in Figure 3 not only provides laterally accessible compartments for storing cards and the like, but also spaces the wallboard from the wall to which the wallboard is attached.
In Figure 5, a convenient container 44 for holding a multiplicity of cards is shown. The container 40 is rectangular in plan view and the side wall thereof have been cut away as shown to provide easy access to the cards stored therein. Each container will hold approximately thirty cards. A handle 46 is provided whereby the container 44 may be gripped in order to be withdrawn from the compartment wherein it has been inserted. The width of the container is slightly smaller that the width of the compartments in order that there is a sliding fit between the container and the compartment.
A suitable support formation in the form of a support leg may be provided for slanding the wallboard on a horizontal surface as opposed to hanging the wallboard from a wall.
While one embodiment of this invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the foregoing description, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the essence of this invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A wall display assembly characterised by comprising a wallboard (12) having a front face shaped and marked to represent a sports playing area, means (14, 16) for attaching said wallboard to a wall, hole means (18) in said wallboard and frame means (20) for receiving and retaining card members (20a, 22), the frame means (20) including engagement means for engaging said hole means to retain the frame means in position on the wallboard (12), the wallboard including slot means (30, 32) remote from said front face, the slot means defining laterally accessible compartments adapted to receive and store card members (20a, 22) the slot means spacing the wallboard (12) from a wall to which the wallboard (12) is attachable.

2. An assembly according to claim 1, in which the slot means (30, 32) includes a plurality of "T"-shaped flange members (30) projecting from the back of the wallboard (12) and extending substantially horizontally in vertically spaced-apart relation.

3. An assembly according to claim 2, in which each of said plurality of flange members (30) abuts against a web member (38).

4. An assembly according to claim 1, in which the wallboard (12) has substantially parallel side edges (25, 26) adapted to be oriented vertically when the wallboard is attached to a wall, the slot means including a plurality of "T"-shaped flange members (30) projecting rearwardly from the back of the wallboard with the cross-arm (32) of the "T" substantially parallel with and spaced from the wallboard (12), the flange members (30) comprising a first group (33) extending from one (25) of said side edges toward the other (26) and perpendicular thereto, and a second group (35) extending from said other side edge (26) towards said one side edge (25).

5. An assembly according to claim 4, in which the flange members (30) of each said group (33, 35) abut a web member (38) which extends parallel to the respective side edge and is spaced inwardly therefrom.

6. An assembly according to claim 5, in which the wallboard (12) has a top and bottom edge perpendicular to said side edges (25, 26) the assembly including an "L"-shaped top edge (40) completing compartments with the uppermost flange members.

7. An assembly according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, including a plurality of containers (44) for location in the laterally accessible compartments, each container being adapted to hold a multiplicity of cards (20a, 22).