EP0209420B1 - Device such as a frameless holder for presenting a document - Google Patents

Abstract

The device is of the clip-frame type designed to display a document in the form of a text or picture. It comprises spring clips designed to hold the edge of the document against a rigid plane support by means of claws. Each clip is rivetted to the support and the claw on each clip is at the end of a curved branch incorporating a lever. The curvature and elasticity of this branch tend to hold the claw against the document or an optional piece of glass over it. When the lever is depressed the clip "opens" and the claw moves back to enable a document to be inserted or removed.

Description

We already know the devices called coasters which allow to hold a document applied by its periphery against a generally rigid support by means of clamps arranged on the rear face of the support, a transparent plate such as a glass plate being generally interposed between the document itself and the clips.

Document DE-A-2 421 215 in particular discloses a device comprising a flat support provided with a so-called "front" face intended to receive a document such as a text or a graphic representation maintained applied by its periphery against said "front" face of the planar support, elastic clamps being placed against the face opposite to the previous one and called "rear face", the clamps each having at least one claw having to be located opposite the front face to hold the document, generally with the interposition of a transparent plate, between this label and the document.

Most of the time, the elastic effect of the clamps is used to hold the support, the document and the glass plate together so that the clamps are not positively secured to the support and therefore cannot be used as a means of hanging the sub - glass with a hook.

Additional means are then provided such as a link which is placed on the rear face of the support and which brings all the clamps together for the support of the under cover by a nail planted in a wall.

It has also been thought to complete the elastic clamping effect to improve the immobilization of the clamps in particular by providing sharp pins which must penetrate into the material of the support such as chipboard, wood, etc.

These known devices are however not entirely satisfactory because the clamps are poorly maintained, the assembly is unreliable and often inconvenient.

The present invention overcomes all these drawbacks and makes it possible to obtain a device such as a coaster whose handling is very simple and whose clamps are perfectly held in place which ensures very reliable mounting and perfect cohesion of the support. of the document and, if applicable, of the glass plate.

To this end, the subject of the invention is a device comprising a flat support provided with a so-called "front" face intended to receive a document such as a text or a graphic representation maintained applied by its periphery against said "front" face of the flat support, elastic clamps being placed against the face opposite to the previous one and called the "rear" face, the clamps each having at least one claw having to be located opposite the front face to hold the document, generally with the interposition of a transparent plate, between this claw and the document, characterized in that each clamp is fixed to the support and has an elastic branch which carries the claw and which is arched so as to be able to simultaneously exert two stresses on said claw, one of the periphery of the support towards its center and the other from the front face towards the rear face, this branch being integral with a lever offset relative to it and which is s usceptible to simultaneously reverse the two stresses when by acting on this lever we tend to remove its offset from the branch.

According to other characteristics of the invention: each clamp has opposite the elastic branch with respect to the place by which it must be fixed to the support a folded tab to be spaced from the rear face of the support and comprising means of connection with a support or support member such as bridge, hook, link and the like;

The end of each leg is provided with a notch;

the device comprises an easel which has at least one housing for receiving the lower edge of the complete device and a branch the end of which is crossed by an opening into which a leg of pliers must penetrate;

the leg of the clamps is crossed by a hole and the opening of the branch of the bridge has a relief which must penetrate into said hole when the bridge is in place.

• La figure 1 est une vue schématique en perspective d'une pince conforme à l'invention.
• Les figures 2 et 3 sont des vues schématiques illustrant le blocage et le déblocage d'une pince conforme à l'invention par rapport à un sous- verre complet.
• La figure 4 est une vue de la face arrière d'un dispositif conforme à l'invention munie de quatre pinces.
• La figure 5 est une vue schématique en coupe montrant un dispositif conforme à l'invention accrochée à un clou planté dans une paroi.
• Les figures 6 et 7 sont des vues schématiques respectivement en perspective et de profil d'un dispositif conforme à l'invention associé à un chevalet de maintien.
• La figure 8 est une vue schématique partielle montrant la coopération d'un chevalet et d'une pince conformes à l'invention.

The invention will be better understood from the detailed description below made with reference to the accompanying drawing. Of course, the description and the drawing are given as an indicative and non-limiting example.

• Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a clamp according to the invention.
• Figures 2 and 3 are schematic views illustrating the locking and unlocking of a clamp according to the invention relative to a complete coaster.
• Figure 4 is a view of the rear face of a device according to the invention provided with four clamps.
• Figure 5 is a schematic sectional view showing a device according to the invention attached to a nail planted in a wall.
• Figures 6 and 7 are schematic views respectively in perspective and in profile of a device according to the invention associated with a support easel.
• Figure 8 is a partial schematic view showing the cooperation of an easel and a clamp according to the invention.

Referring to the drawing, it can be seen that a device according to the invention comprises clamps which must be fixed to a flat and relatively rigid support to maintain against it a graphic representation, a document, a poster, etc.

Each clamp comprises a base 1 intended for its attachment to a support 2 such as a rigid plate of any known type such as agglomerated wood fibers, plywood, cardboard, a synthetic material or any other material.

Here, the fixing of the clamps by their base 1 is obtained by providing in the latter a hole 3 through which passes a rivet 4 which crosses the entire thickness of the support 2 but which does not protrude from the so-called "front" face of the support 2 so that the document to be maintained 5 is not deformed.

The base 1 of each clamp is secured to a branch 6 folded to present a tab 7 carrying a claw 8 of small extent and substantially parallel to the branch 6.

The branch 6 is arched to extend obliquely to the base 1 at an angle whose value can be of the order of 20 to 25 degrees and this so that the claw 8 is substantially at the same level as the base 1 .

In the branch 6 is cut a lever portion 10 which is also arched in the opposite direction of the branch along a transverse line 11.

To constitute a complete device, clips are fixed to the support 2 in variable number according to the dimensions of the latter and according to an arrangement which may be different depending on whether it is preferred to have a single clamp per side or several or even on two opposite sides only and not on others, etc.

This fixing can be carried out industrially in a particularly efficient way since the support 2 is made of a robust material and that can easily be produced with a tool ensuring the automatic positioning of the clamps in their place according to the size of the support 2 and by fixing by placing a rivet 4 in each hole 3 of each base 1.

The positioning of the clamps is done in such a way that the tab 7 is very close to the edges of the support 2, leaving a slight clearance, the important thing being that the claw 8 is well opposite the so-called front face on which the document to present 5 is placed.

The clamp is made of an elastic material and in particular of metal so that after fixing and taking into account the arching of the branch 6, each clamp is in the situation which is evoked by FIG. 2 where the clamp is seen not only fixed on the support 2 but also in the position for holding a document 5 on which a transparent plate 12 such as a glass pane has been placed.

We see in this figure 2 that thanks to the elasticity of the clamp and thanks to the bending of the branch 6 the latter exerts a stress according to the arrow F1, that is to say of the periphery of the support assembly 2- document, 5 plate 12 towards the center and a stress according to the arrow F2 directed from the plate 12 towards the support 2 so that the plate 12 and the document 5 are kept pressed against the rigid support 2 and are at the same time centered so as not to not able to slide laterally parallel to the plane of the support 2.

In a stable position which could be called the active position, the assembly is therefore perfectly maintained and the fixing of the clamp by the rivet 4 guarantees excellent mounting reliability since no sliding and no movement of the clamps is possible.

When we want to dismantle the assembly in particular to change the document 5, we press the lever 10 according to the arrow F3 for example by pushing a finger A as shown in FIG. 3.

The lever 10 which was offset relative to the branch 6 flexes under the pressure of the finger A which tends to eliminate the offset of the lever 10 and the branch 6 and these coordinated movements have the consequence of simultaneously reversing the stress according to the arrow F1 and the stress according to arrow F2 so that the clamp deforms elastically on the one hand according to arrow F4 which corresponds to a release of the claw F8 and on the other hand according to arrow F5 which corresponds to a straightening of the branch 6.

Naturally if the push of the finger A according to the arrow F3 is moderate or if the push is quickly released, the branch 6 is raised and there is an intimate combination of the two movements according to the arrows F4 and F5 which have only been dissociated for better understand its nature.

If, on the contrary, the pressure is maintained in the direction of arrow F3, it is possible to prevent the lifting of the branch F6 without hampering its straightening.

It is understood of course that during the establishment of the document 5 and the plate 12 we first have to release the claw 8 as shown in Figure 3 then release any action on the lever 10 so that the clamp resumes its natural position which is that of FIG. 2.

By pressing the lever 10 more or less, the claw 8 is carried more or less in front of the support 2, which makes it possible to provide a more or less thick 5-plate document document 12, the clamping being always as effective since the the elasticity and the camber of the branch 6 tend to bring the claw 8 at least up to the plane of the front face of the support 2.

To further increase the safety of the attachment of the clamp on the support 2, two stampings 15 and 16 are provided on the base 1 in order to punch the support 2, the penetration of the stampings 15 and 16 in the mass of this support 2 having for effect of immobilizing it in rotation in the case where the rivet 4 could allow the clamp to pivot about its axis. On the other side of the branch 6 relative to the hole 3 (or to the rivet 4) is a tongue 20 straightened perpendicular to the base 1 and secured to a tab 21 folded parallel to the plane of the base 1 and therefore to the plane support 2.

The tab 21 is provided with a notch 22 whose bottom 23 is rectilinear and therefore has a certain length.

With this notch 22, it is possible to hang the coaster to a nail 8 driven into a wall C (Figure 5) and the linearity of the part 23 allows to perfectly balance the whole by shifting it more or less relative to nail 8.

We note that this ability is particularly interesting because the clamp is securely attached to the support 2, the attachment to the nail 8 presents no risk of accidental fall and that even if the assembly is subjected to vibrations the clamp cannot be detached from the support 2.

One can also use the clamps according to the invention no longer for hanging a coaster to a nail but for placing the assembly on an easel as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.

The bridge 25 comprises two branches 26 and 27 at the end of which are housings 28 and 29 whose width is sufficient to allow the lower edge of the support 2-document 5-plate 12 assembly to be placed therein according to a suitable inclination.

Between the branches 26 and 27 extends a flying buttress 30 which can advantageously be articulated by its edge 31 to allow adjustable travel.

In a simple solution which is not, moreover, shown, the flying buttress 30 is simply pressed against the lower clamp of the assembly, but in a more elaborate version, an association of the kind which is shown on Figure 8.

According to this embodiment, the flying buttress 30 has a slot 32 in the middle of which is a relief 33, the passage between the end of the relief 33 and the opposite face of the slot 32 being sufficient to allow the inserting the tab 21.

The latter is provided with a hole 34 into which the relief 33 must penetrate, as can be seen in FIG. 8.

With such an assembly, it is ensured to have a perfect maintenance and balance of the coaster relative to the bridge 25 because the flying buttress 30 can neither slide laterally since it is held by the short sides of the slot 32 nor vertically since it is held by the relief 33 engaged in the hole 34.

One could also provide at the end of the buttress 30 a simple notch into which the tab 21 would penetrate, but this simplified mounting would only provide lateral and not vertical support for the buttress 30.

The invention makes it possible to produce assemblies in the workshop comprising a support 2 and several clamps so that the item offered to customers is perfectly produced by industrial means but imposes on it a predetermined format.

Naturally it is possible to use the invention for the presentation of documents with or without additional transparent plate.

Claims (5)

1. A device comprising a plane carrier (2) provided with a so-called "front" face arranged to receive a document (5) such as a text or a graphic illustration held if pressed by its periphery against the said "front" face of the plane carrier, resilient grippers being placed against the face opposite to the preceding face referred to as the "rear" face, the grippers each comprising at least one claw (8) intended to be situated facing the front face to hold the document (5), generally with interpositioning of a transparent panel (2) between this claw (8) and the document (5), characterised in that each gripper is secured to the carrier (2) and has a resilient branch (6) which bears the claw (8) and is curved so as to be able simultaneously to exert two biases on said claw (8), the one from the periphery of the carrier (2) towards its centre and the other from the front face towards the rear face, this branch (6) being fast with a lever (10) offset with respect to it and which is liable to cause simultaneous inversion of the two biases when an attempt is made to cancel the offset of the lever with respect to the branch (6) by action on this lever (10).

2. A device according to claim 1, characterised in that each gripper is provided, opposite to the resilient branch (6) relative to the point (3) at which it is to be fastened to the carrier (2), with a lug (21) bent so as to be spaced from the rear face of the carrier (2), and comprising means for connection (22-34) to a bearing or supporting member such as a rest (25), hook, link and the like.

3. A device according to claim 2, characterised in that the end of each lug is provided with a notch (22).

4. A device according to claim 2, characterised in that it comprises a rest (25) which has at least one seat (28-29) to receive the lower edge of the complete device and a branch (30) through the end of which passes an opening (32) into which the lug (21) of the gripper is intended to penetrate.

5. A device according to claim 4, characterised in that the lug (21) of the grippers is pierced by a hole (34) and the opening (32) of the branch (30) of the rest (25) has a projection (33) intended to penetrate into the said hole (34) when the rest (25) is in position.

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