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The invention relates to an advertising assembly, comprising a frame to be attached to a wall of a building or alike and a flexible advertising sheet mounted to said frame.
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In a known assembly of such a type the flexible advertising sheet is attached to the frame using elastic straps which are attached to the edges of the sheet and to the frame. Disadvantages of such a known assembly are the large amount of elastic straps needed for properly tensioning the sheet (and thus the long time required for mounting the sheet to the frame), the number of persons needed for such a complex mounting operation, and the fact that the elastic straps get less tensioned in time such that the sheet does not remain taut (which may require again tensioning many, if not all straps).
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It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved advertising assembly of the type referred to above.
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Thus, in accordance with the present invention the advertising assembly is characterised in that said frame comprises mounting means for a releasable cooperation with opposite edges of said sheet, wherein at least the mounting means cooperating with one of the opposite edges of the sheet are movable from a stationary rest position towards a tensioning position, and wherein in said tensioning position the movable mounting means are biased for tensioning the sheet.
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In the rest position of the movable mounting means the edges of the sheet can be mounted easily to said mounting means, whereafter the movable mounting means are moved to the tensioning position. The bias keeps the sheet taut, also after prolonged use. The ease of mounting allows a sheet to be mounted by a limited number of persons, possibly as little as one person only.
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Preferably, only the mounting means for cooperation with one edge of opposite edges of the sheet are movable. The other mounting means then have a stationary position. However, also all mounting means may be movable, but generally this will lead to an increase of constructional complexity and thus cost of the advertising assembly.
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In an embodiment of the advertising assembly according to the invention, said movable mounting means cooperate with at least a lower edge of the sheet. In such an embodiment (which advantageously may be used with advertising sheets which are mounted in a vertical or substantially vertical position) the upper edge of the sheet can be mounted first to the stationary, upper, mounting means. Next the opposite, lower edge of the sheet (which depends from the upper mounting means) is mounted to the movable, lower, mounting means (which then are in the rest position). Finally the movable mounting means are moved towards the tensioning position for tensioning the sheet and keeping it taut.
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A similar procedure may be used when one side edge of the sheet cooperates with stationary mounting means, whereas the opposite side edge cooperates with movable mounting means.
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In an advantageous embodiment of the advertising assembly according to the present invention, the respective opposite edges of the sheet are provided with enlarged strips, wherein the mounting means firstly comprise longitudinal members provided with at least one undercut groove for receiving said strip, and secondly, for each of said opposite edges of the sheet, comprise at least two spaced apart arms connected to said frame and adapted to be releasably coupled to a said longitudinal member.
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For mounting a sheet to the frame, firstly the longitudinal members are applied to the opposite edges of the sheet (which means that the respective strips are slid into the receiving undercut grooves), whereafter the longitudinal members are coupled to said arms. Again, the arms defining the movable mounting means will be in the rest position when coupling the longitudinal members therewith, and thereafter will be moved towards the tensioning position.
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The use of the longitudinal members makes mounting the sheet to the frame very easy, such that it may be carried out by as little as a single person. Applying the longitudinal members to the edges of the sheet may occur with the sheet resting flat on the ground. Next the longitudinal member may be lifted and be coupled to the arms cooperating with a first edge of the sheet. Finally the opposite longitudinal member may be coupled to the opposite arms in accordance with the procedure described previously.
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Preferably, then, not all of said spaced apart arms defining the movable mounting means are biased for tensioning the sheet. Because spaced apart arms cooperating with the same edge of the sheet will be interconnected by a longitudinal member, it may be sufficient that only one arm (or only some of the arms) is biased.
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When, in accordance with an embodiment of the advertising assembly according to the invention, said arms can rotate between the rest and tensioning positions while moving through a dead centre position, the rest position as well as the tensioning position will be maintained automatically. Maintaining the rest position eases the mounting procedure of the respective longitudinal member to the arms, whereas maintaining the tensioning position contributes to keeping the advertising sheet tensioned and taut under all circumstances.
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In a preferred embodiment, then, the longitudinal member comprises a tube having a rounded circumferential part for engaging a sheet in which said at least one undercut groove is formed, and a substantially opposite coupling part for engaging said arms.
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The sheet will engage the rounded part with its respective edge, such that damage to the sheet is prevented. The coupling part can be connected to the arms in any appropriate manner (possibly using locking means).
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When at least one movable mounting means comprises locking means preventing a movement from the tensioning position towards the rest position, only a movement of the movable mounting means in a direction for further tensioning the advertising sheet is possible. This further promotes a tensioned and taut state of the sheet.
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However, for allowing the movable means to move in the direction of the rest position (for example for dismounting a sheet from the frame), preferably said locking means are releasable, for example by hand.
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Although the advertising assembly is primarily meant for mounting a single sheet to the frame, it is also conceivable that the advertising assembly according to the present invention comprises at least two sheets positioned side by side, and further comprises intermediate movable mounting means positioned at the meeting edges of the sheets and intermediate the mounting means positioned now at the outer edges of both sheets, wherein said intermediate movable mounting means are adapted for a releasable cooperation with said meeting edges, and wherein said intermediate mounting means are biased too.
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Basically the intermediate movable mounting means define a first advertising assembly for a first one of said two sheets in combination with the respective other mounting means cooperating with the opposite edge of said first sheet, as well as a second advertising assembly for the second one of said two sheets in combination with the respective other mounting means cooperating with the opposite edge of said second sheet. These assemblies merge at the intermediate mounting means, such that the adjoining sheets can create the image of a single large sheet.
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It will be clear that by using, in a corresponding manner, more intermediate mounting means, any required number of separate sheets may be combined (above and/or aside each other).
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When such a combined advertising assembly is used in combination with the use of the previously mentioned longitudinal members, it is preferred that the longitudinal member connected to the intermediate mounting means (arms) comprises two parallel undercut grooves.
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Such grooves allow the respective edges of adjoining sheets to be positioned close together in a fixed relation, thus minimising disturbing interruptions in the combined image created by the sheets.
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Biasing the movable mounting means may occur through cylinder piston assemblies, spring members or alike (which generally will be attached to the frame).
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Preferably the frame has adjustable dimensions, such that it can be used with advertising sheets with differing dimensions.
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When the frame is constructed from a number of separate, spaced apart frame parts, these frame parts (that support the mounting means) may be attached to a wall of a building in correspondence with the dimensions of the advertising sheet.
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In an embodiment the advertising assembly according to the present invention is provided with mounting means for tensioning a sheet in two substantially perpendicular directions. Generally this means that there will be four sets of mounting means (when considering a rectangular sheet). However, differing outlines of the sheet may require a different amount of mounting means positioned in a different pattern.
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Hereinafter the invention will be elucidated while referring to the drawing, in which:
- Figure 1 shows a frontal view of an embodiment of the advertising assembly according to the present invention;
- Figure 2 shows, in a side elevational view and on a larger scale, a detail of the assembly of figure 1 with a movable mounting means in a rest position;
- Figure 3 shows a view according to figure 2, however with the movable mounting means in a tensioning position;
- Figure 4 shows, on a still larger scale, a movable mounting means;
- Figure 5 shows a detail of the frame with movable mounting means;
- Figure 6 shows an alternative embodiment of the advertising assembly with two advertising sheets, and
- Figure 7 shows, in a cross section, a detail of an advertising sheet.
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Firstly referring to figure 1 (which shows a frontal view of an advertising assembly when attached, for example, to a wall - not illustrated - of a building), an advertising assembly comprises a frame 1 (to be attached to said wall) and a flexible advertising sheet 2 mounted to said frame 1. The frame 1 comprises stationary upper mounting means 3 and movable lower mounting means 4 for tensioning the sheet 2 in a vertical direction, as well as left and right mounting means 5 for tensioning the sheet 2 in a horizontal direction.
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As appears from figure 2 in combination with figure 1, the upper stationary mounting means 3 comprise two spaced apart stationary arms 6 attached to the frame 1 and a longitudinal member or tube 7 coupled to said stationary arms 6. Likewise, the lower movable mounting means 4 comprise two spaced apart rotating arms 8 and a longitudinal member or tube 9 coupled to said rotating arms 8.
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The left and right mounting means 5 will be constructed in a corresponding manner, and therefore a further explanation of the construction and functioning thereof will be omitted, because it resembles the construction and functioning of the mounting members which are described here.
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The number of arms 6,8 and their position (and thus the position of the parts making up the frame 1) may vary.
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The tubes 7 and 9 are provided with undercut grooves 10 (see figure 4) in which an enlarged edge strip 11 (see figure 7) of the sheet 2 can be received. Although in the illustrated embodiment each tube comprises two undercut grooves 10, this also may be only one groove.
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The tubes 7,9 may be coupled to the respective arms 6 and 8 in a releasable manner. For locking the tubes to the respective arms, locking members (for example locking screws 12, see figure 4) may be applied.
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Referring to figure 4, the rotating arm 8 is connected to the frame 1 through a hinge axis 13 and comprises a lever 14 connected to a biasing member 15 (e.g. cylinder piston assembly or compression spring) rotatably connected to the frame 1 at hinge point 16.
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Also referring to figure 5, it appears that in the illustrated embodiment the frame 1 comprises a bottom 1' and two side walls 1" between which the biasing member 15 and arm 8 with lever 14 are positioned.
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Figure 4 further shows a locking plate 17, the function of which will appear later.
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Referring to figure 2 (which illustrates part of the frame 1 with an upper stationary mounting means 3 and lower movable mounting means 4 in a rest position) and figure 3 (which illustrates the same part of the frame 1 with the upper stationary mounting means 3 and the lower movable mounting means 4 in a tensioning position), the operation of the assembly will be elucidated.
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In the position of figure 2 the arm 8 has been rotated upwardly and is maintained in this so called rest position by the biasing member 15. An advertising sheet 2 is slid with a first (upper) enlarged edge strip 11 in an undercut groove of tube 7 which next is coupled to the arms 6 (it also is possible to firstly couple the tube 7 with the arms 6 and thereafter to slide the strip 11 in the undercut groove of the tube 7). An opposite (lower) edge strip 11 is likewise slid into an undercut groove 10 of tube 9 which is coupled to the rotating arms 8 (also here the succession of steps may be reversed). As indicated schematically in figure 2, the sheet 2 is not yet tensioned.
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Next the arms 8 (together with tube 9) are rotated (counter clockwise in figure 2) around hinge axis 13 against the bias of biasing members 15. Each assembly of arm 8, lever 14 and biasing member 15 will pass a dead centre position (when biasing member 15 and lever 14 are aligned) after which the biasing member 15 will bias the arm 8 towards a so called tensioning position as illustrated in figure 3 in which the sheet is tensioned and taut.
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When the arms 8 rotate towards the tensioning position, the locking plate 17 slides downwards along the frame 1 and will prevent a reversed rotation of the arms 8 (thus only allowing an increased tensioning of the sheet 2). For enabling a rotation of the arms 8 towards the rest position, the locking plates 17 have to be manipulated - e.g. manually - to a non-locking position.
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In figure 6 an embodiment is illustrated with stationary upper mounting means 3, lower movable mounting means 4 and intermediate movable mounting means 18. A first upper sheet 2 is mounted to the upper and intermediate mounting means 3 and 18, whereas a second lower sheet 2' is mounted to the intermediate and lower mounting means 18 and 4. The tube 22 of the intermediate mounting means 18 therefore will include two undercut grooves (this is not necessary, but possible, for the tubes 7 and 9 belonging to the upper and lower mounting means). Further it appears that the frame now comprises separate frame parts 19, 20 and 21.
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Although embodiments are illustrated with stationary and movable mounting means, also embodiments are conceivable with only movable mounting means. The biasing members may be applied to all movable mounting means or only to one or some thereof. This applies too for the locking plates. The movable mounting means are illustrated here as including rotating arms; however, also other ways of movement are conceivable, e.g. sliding members. The manner in which the tubes are connected to the arms may vary too.
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The invention is not limited to the embodiments described before which may be varied widely within the scope of the invention as defined by the appending claims.
