EP0225694A1

EP0225694A1 - Display for a parking meter

Info

Publication number: EP0225694A1
Application number: EP86307681A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Lincoln W. Bouve
Original assignee: VISUAL MEDIA Inc
Current assignee: VISUAL MEDIA Inc
Priority date: 1985-10-08
Filing date: 1986-10-03
Publication date: 1987-06-16

Abstract

A display device (4) particularly adapted for use with a parking meter (2) comprises an outer transparent shell (20) providing a window (12) for viewing the parking meter indications and a display window (14) for viewing advertising information, a rack (18) within the shell (20) to provide an additional surface for carrying advertising information, and a slider (16) supported by the rack to provide surfaces for carrying advertising slogans or the like, the slider (16) being held in place by grooves in the rack (18) and by a support (30).

Description

Technical Field

This invention relates to the art of signs or displays. In particular, the invention relates to a display especially adapted to be attached to a parking meter.

Background Art

Parking meters are well known and are used throughout the world. A parking meter is typically mounted on a pole and located along a street or in a parking lot. Because the parking meter is easily visible and widely used, it is an ideal vehicle for carrying advertising or a slogan such as a safety, or an anti-littering slogan. Most parking meters are approximately at eye level to a person walking on foot and material displayed on the parking meter is thus extremely effective.
One known device for employing a parking meter as a display base is shown in U.S. Patent 4,453,325 (Ofsowitz et al). This patent shows a device which attaches to the top of a known parking meter and comprises a unitary member having one portion adapted to be attached to the parking meter and a second portion which supports an advertising message. The second portion is simply a vertical sheet of plastic to which pressure-sensitive adhesive decals or the like are applied. The first and second portions are integrally formed to minimize the ability of a vandal to remove the decal-supporting portion from the parking meter.
The Ofsowitz et al article suffers from several disadvantages. First, the advertising decal is exposed to the elements and deteriorates rapidly. Second, the advertising message is simply a on decal which must be applied to an upstanding surface. Application of the decal is difficult, and it is not advisable to make the decal of expensive material since it may be easily stolen.

Summary of the Invention

In accordance with the invention, an apparatus is provided which may be easily attached to a parking meter by replacing an upper part of the meter. The apparatus provides a clear outer, protective shell of extremely hard plastic such as Lexan, to reduce the possibility of vandalism and to protect the display from the elements. Lexan, for example, is extremely hard and will prevent most attempts at vandalism. A rack is supported inside the shell and may contain a slogan on outer surfaces which are easily seen through the transparent shell. A slider, comprising a generally planar part having opposed faces each of which provides an area of substantial size for receiving the advertisement, is received in grooves in the rack to be easily installed. This unique construction allows the slider to be replaced at will and yet to be supported in a clean, vandal-proof environment during display.
The shell has an opening at its top which is covered by a cap. The cap is spaced from the top by a small amount to provide a breathing space so that moist air within the parking meter escapes to prevent the buildup of moisture within the meter.
The slogan on the slider may be applied by silk screening which results in an extremely artistic message which does not become fouled by weather, vandalism, or the like, and thus retains its pleasing appearance over a long period of time.
It is an object of this invention to provide a unique display for attachment to a parking meter.
Another object of this invention is to provide a display device wherein the display is provided on an element which may be removably held by a support structure.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a display wherein a protective shell is transparent to allow easy viewing of the parts within the shell.

Brief Description of Drawings

Figure 1 is a front view of a parking meter showing a display apparatus in accordance with the invention.
Figure 2 is a cross-section taken along line 2-2 of figure 1.
Figure 3 is a cross-section taken along line 3-3 of figure 2.
Figure 4 is a cross-section taken along line 4-4 of figure 3.

Detailed Description

Figure 1 is a front view of a typical parking meter 2 having a display apparatus 4 in accordance with the invention attached. The parking meter includes a top part 6 which is pivotally attached to a base 8 to allow access to the interior of the meter.
The display 4 is attached directly to the meter top part 6 by removing the meter's standard viewing window (not shown) and replacing it with the inventive display.
Figure 2 is a cross section taken along line 2-2 of figure 1 and shows more clearly how the display of the invention is attached to the meter. As is known in the art, a standard viewing window for a parking meter is secured by bolts which extend through the meter top 6 and into a support structure for the viewing window. The inventive display 4 provides threaded holes 10 which receive the bolts used to secure the known viewing window to the meter top 6. Thus, installation merely requires removal of the known viewing window and placement of the inventive display on the parking meter such that threaded holes 10 are engaged by existing bolts of the parking meter.
The display according to the invention includes an outer shell preferably made of clear plastic to provide parking meter windows 12 to view the parking meter clock indicator (not shown), and display windows 14 to view the advertising message. The advertising message is located on a slider 16 which is held in a rack 18 and the sides of rack 18 may also carry a message.
Figure 3 shows the inventive structure in more detail and is a cross section taken along line 3-3 of figure 2. Outer shell 20 is made of transparent plastic to provide parking meter windows 12 and display windows 14. The shell 20 is molded at region 22 to provide openings 10 and curved rib 24. Covering 26 is preferably sonically welded to shell 20 to block access from the exterior to the molded region 22 to prevent removal from the outside of the bolts securing the display device to the parking meter.
Rack 18 is supported within shell 20. The rack is preferably made of dark plastic and has a slogan on an outer flat surface 28 which lies adjacent an inner surface of shell 20 and which is easily visible through the clear plastic of shell 20. Slider 16 is received in a groove formed by ridges 44 (see figure 4) in rack 18 to hold it in a generally central location in the display device. Since the rack narrows toward the top, the slider is easily inserted or removed from the bottom.
A support 30 engages the bottom of slider 16 to hold it in place and also supports rack 18. Slider 16 has cut out portions 32 which are engaged by flexible depending clips 34 of support 30. It will be appreciated that this mechanism provides an easy means for installing or removing slider 16 to replace it with another message.
Slider 16 may thus be manufactured by a silk screen process to produce artistic logos without fear of theft or deterioration by weather. The slider is simply installed in the grooves in rack 18 and pushed upwardly until clips 34 engage the cut-outs 32 to hold the slider. Such a process is quite easy and may be accomplished on large numbers of meters without undue expense.
Support 30 preferably has a thickness approximately equal to an inner dimension of shell 20 so that the support is held transversely to the shell at regions 31.
Support 30 also preferably includes a lower surface 29 which engages meter top 6 when the display has been bolted in place and is coplanar with a part of the bottom of shell 20. Curved surfaces 33 of support 30 frame the meter clock to allow its viewing.
Since the parking meter is exposed to the elements, it must breathe to allow moist air to exit from the upper part of the display. In accordance with the invention, the upper portion of the shell 20 includes openings 36 to allow air to exit. A cap 38 has legs 40 which extend through the shell to secure the cap to the shell. Spacers 42 provide a small gap between the bottom of the cap and the top of the shell so that air exiting through openings 36 will flow through the gap and out of the meter.
Figure 4 is a cross section along line 4-4 of figure 3 and illustrates a prefered form of the invention. The upper part of the display 4 includes opposed display windows 14 and opposed meter viewing windows 12. Rack 18 is preferably made as a thin strip which is then folded in a generally U-shape. The rack includes ridges 44 which form grooves for receiving slider 16 as described above.
It will be appreciated that a unique device has been provided which is not expensive to manufacture and which provides an easily installed, vandal-proof display. Modifications within the scope of the appended claims will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. Display apparatus characterised by a shell (20) having one or more transparent portions or windows (12, 14), a rack (18) within the shell (20), and a slider (16) for carrying a display and engaged by the rack (18), the rack (18) including means for removably receiving the slider (16).

2. Display apparatus according to claim 1, characterised by support means (30) for supporting the rack (18) in the shell (20) and for supporting the slider (16) in the rack (18).

3. Display apparatus according to claim 2, characterised in that a bottom surface of the support means (30) is co-planar with a bottom surface of the shell (20).

4. Display apparatus according to an one of claims 1-3, characterised in that the shell (20) comprises means for attaching it to a parking meter (2).

5. Display apparatus according to claim 4, characterised in that the shell (20) comprises one or more windows (12) for allowing viewing of a clock dial of the parking meter.

6. Display apparatus according to any one of claims 1-5, characterised in that the rack (18) has a groove for slideably receiving at least one edge of the slider (16).

7. Display apparatus according to any one of claims 1-6, characterised in that the slider (16) has two co-planar opposed side edges with the distance between the uppermost parts of these opposed edges being equal to or less than the distance between the lowermost parts of the opposed edges so that the slider (16) may be inserted into and removed from the rack means which support it from a bottom part of the shell (20).

8. Display apparatus according to claim 2 or any claim dependent thereon, characterised in that the support means (30) comprise means forming a slot for receiving the slider (16) therein and flexible tabs or clips (34) for releasably engaging the slider (16).

9. Display apparatus according to any one of claims 1-8, characterised in that the shell (20) comprises opposed transparent faces (14) for allowing the viewing of the slider (16), opposed transparent windows (12) for allowing the viewing of a clock dial of a parking meter, and transparent sides for allowing the viewing of the rack (18).