FR2537312A1 - IMPROVED BASE FOR INDICATOR PANEL IN SPLIT TUBE - Google Patents

Abstract

A PORTABLE, FOLDABLE INDICATOR PANEL BASE INCLUDES A ONE-PIECE TUBULAR ELEMENT 12 AND INCLUDES TWO PARALLEL LEG ELEMENTS 18, 20, AND A VERTICAL CHASSIS SECTION 16 THAT SUPPORTS AN INDICATOR PANEL. THE TUBULAR ELEMENT IS SLOTTED 40 THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH, AND INCLUDES A MEANS OF INTERCHINGING TONGUE AND GROOVE WHICH SHAPES A SEAM THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH OF THE SLOT. THE SLOT RELEASES TORSIONAL STRESSES TO ALLOW EASY OPENING OF THE LEG ELEMENTS TO FORM A STABLE BASE, WHILE THE TAB AND GROOVE MEANS STRENGTHENS THE SLIT TUBULAR ELEMENT AND PROVIDES A STRAIGHT SEW WITH A NET LOOK.

Description

The present invention relates to pedestals

  billboards and display devices

  There are many types and sizes of panel stands and poster displays that are currently used to display advertising and information messages to passersby. Known devices range from simple signs that are

  normally fixed to the wall or to posts on the

  keys to non-anchored signboards, as well as to much larger multi-panel devices which are often heavy and difficult to store and move

(whether anchored or not).

  The present invention relates to an indicator panel socket device which comprises a minimum of

  parts (and thus will not wear out or tear down pre-

  of course), allows easy handling and storage

  them (which folds up to form a compact and

  easily transportable), is light, robust and has an

  aesthetic pect, indicator panel bases which

  satisfy the previous objectives are today

  jet of great demand, The base has a slot

  laterally rigged which facilitates folding while its mechanical resistance is improved by a construction

253731 2

2,

  including a tongue-and a locking groove.

  The tongue and groove also allow for improved

  The appearance of the panel base and its weather resistance. The present invention is an improvement on the panel base already described in the patent application

American No. 337 720.

  The display panel socket of the present invention comprises a single piece of tubular material

  extruded which is arched or shaped to give a structured

  re comprising a vertical chassis section and two

  elongated basic elements or legs, The structure is pre-

  view so that the legs open so as to provide a stable base for the display, and also so that they fold down to form a compact unit for transport or storage purposes A two-sided panel for exposing messages and the like is suspended or fixed at

  the chassis section and presented for display inside

laughter of this section.

  The one-piece tubular material has an elongated slot which extends over its entire length La

  slot frees the torsional forces in the sec-

  cambered frame which would prevent it from being opened and closed easily The slot also prevents the

  device is permanently deformed when it is

  nipulated to take its opening and closing positions

  ture. When the indicator panel base is "open" for display purposes, the two legs are spread apart to be substantially parallel and form a stable base, A foldable spacer attached to the two elements

  leg is used to hold them in the "open" position.

  When the base is not displayed, it folds to form

  sea a narrow, compact unit, for storage purposes, In this position the two legs are brought to be contiguous to each other, being one above the other, The tubular material comprises for example following an extrusion operation, a tongue and a locking groove which form a seam the

  along the slit The tongue and throat are used to

  expensive the slot open so that only one seam can be seen. Thus, the present invention makes it possible to obtain

  ning a much more aesthetic aspect In addition, the launch

  lookout and throat are paired to strengthen

  resistance to torsion of the panel base and to

  ter the entry of dirt and water As we can extrude the tubular material so that it has a slot over its entire length before being bent to form a

  indicator panel socket, the separate stage of fabrica-

  tion which concerns the cutting of slots for releasing torsional forces is eliminated, Thus, the base of

  indicator panel of the present invention has a fabrica-

very economical.

  The present invention will be understood when

  of the following description made in conjunction with the

following sins in which t

  Figure 1 is a perspective view of a so-

  indicator panel key in the open position; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the indicator panel base of Figure ldle showing in an end view and c 8 tee in the closed position; Figure 3-is a top plan view of the indicator panel base of Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a sectional view of the upper spacer of the indicator panel base of Figures 1 to 3, taken along lines 4-4 of Figure 2; Figures 4 ac-4 c show various modes of

  realization of the present invention;

  Figure 5 is a partial perspective view of one of the arched angles of the indicator panel base of Figures 1 to 3; and Figure 6 is a partial sectional view, similar to Figures 4 a-4 c 'of the locking allowed by

  the tongue and groove means of the present invention

tion. 4 th

  In connection with the embodiment of the pre-

  invention represented in Figures 1 to 4, note

  that the indicator panel base or display device

  poster 10 comprises a single section of tube 12 which is preferably hollow and has the shape shown, The

  tube section 12 is preferably made of metal, for example

  steel or aluminum pie, but may consist of a

  robust plastic material, such as polystyrene, over-

  outer face of the tube 12 preferably comprises a coating

  cooked or fint that resists bad weather and has an as-

  attractive pect The tube 12 can be bent or shaped to have the shape shown using conventional methods of shaping or bending metal or plastic tubes, The tube 12 has a structure comprising a base section 14 and a section 16 forming a vertical frame, the base section 14 has two leg elements 18 and which are joined by a foldable spacer 22, the frame section 16 has a generally rectangular shape, with two

  side elements 24 and 26 and a top element (or between

  height) 28 As the figures show, all the elements 18, 20, 24, 26 and 28 are made up of a single section of

  material and joined by four rounded or arched angles 30.

  A warning sign 32 is suspended from the center of the rectangular frame in the preferred embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 3 The sign 32 has two surfaces

  planes for the display and presentation of pu-

  software or the like The panel 32 is preferably made of a thin sheet, for example aluminum, but can be of any thin material, light, robust and on which posters or other messages can be affixed or printed

  The panel 32 is suspended by the upper spacer

  lower 28 of the chassis section by a pair of hinges

  res 34 The hinges are fixed by fasteners 36 to the spacer and extend into openings 38 made

  in the panel, When the panel 38 is suspended free-

  lying at ch Ussis 16, it hangs substantially in a direction 253731 t 5. perpendicular to the ground so that it can present its two display surfaces to passers-by in an optimum manner, It will be understood that the present invention is

  not limited to a specific way in which the pan-

  level 32 is fixed to or suspended from section 16. Another way is for example represented in the

  US Patent Application No. 337,720 which has been discussed

  tion above there are many other ways con-

  naked in the art, and any of these methods can

to be used.

  The tube 12 comprises, for example following an extrusion operation, a continuous slot 40 over its entire length When the tube 12 is shaped to have the shape shown, the slot 40 is preferably located around the inner periphery of the structure

  chassis See figure 5, which shows

  feels the slot 40 on the inner periphery of an angle

  rounded or arched 30, The slot makes it possible to release the

  those of torsion which are present in the pipe section

  12 when shaped and allows the panel base to

  indicator to be manipulated to its open and closed positions easily and without permanent deformation of the tube.

  In connection with FIGS. 4 and 4 a, we have represented

  felt a sectional view of the tube 12, which shows the slot 40

  in a first embodiment, currently preferred.

  Figure 4a is an enlarged view of the slot 40 The tube 12 has a groove 70 having the general shape of a V along a first edge 72 of the slot 40 Along

  of the second edge 74 of the slot 40 is a lan-

  lookout 76 having substantially the cross-sectional shape of a V and corresponding to the groove 70. The term V-shaped here means the shape of a rounded V or the shape of a U.

  FIG. 4 h represents a second embodiment of -

  the invention, where the groove 70 ′ and the tongue 76 ′ have the general shape of a rounded V or of a U. It will be understood that the

  Figures 4 a-4 c are simply representative of three configurations

  tongue and groove options, other con-

  figurations that can be used without going out of your mind

of the present invention.

  The tongue 76 and the groove 70 are intended

  to mate or engage with each other to form

  sea a seam 78 along the slot 40, The tongue

  and the groove fit into each other, as shown

  felt in Figure 6, in the sense that the movement of one

  ends (i.e. end 74 with the tongue-

  te, i.e. the end 72 with the groove) is limited by the other end This will occur when the tube 12 is deformed by a sufficient torsional force This interlocking does not affect the ability of the slot 40 to release the torsional forces present in the tube The tongue

  and the interlocking groove give the tube 12 a

  additional resistance to torsion when they are deformed to take the position shown in FIG. 6 and also tend to keep the ends 70 and 74 in circumferential alignment, the seam 78, formed by the interlocking of the tongue and of the groove, has a clean linear appearance without gaps or apertures

  in which foreign bodies could gather.

  The two leg elements 18 and 20 are felt

  so parallel When the panel base is

  ve in its "closed" position as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the elements 18 and 20 are placed side by side, allowing the folded base to take the form of a compact assembly, of small thickness, for transport and storage When the base is in its position

  "of openings, ready to be displayed (as shown in fi

  gure 1), the elements 18 and 20 are separated forming a

stable hase 14.

  The foldable spacer 22 is fixed to the leg elements by a pair of fasteners 42, The spacer 22 is of the conventional type having a pair of foldable arms 44 and 46 connected by a pivoting mechanism 48, When the base is closed for storage, the spacer 22 assumes its folded position and is located along the upper part of the

  two leg elements 18 and 20 (see Figures 2 and 3).

  -7, When the base is opened to be exposed, the spacer is locked in the rectilinear position, keeping the two leg elements spaced from each other (see Figure 1) To this end, a locking mechanism 49 is, fixed to the free end of the arm 44 The spacer 22 also limits the distance between the leg elements

  and this prevents the legs from being too wide

  inadvertently or unnecessarily.

  The ends of the two elements 18 and 20 are

  sealed by caps or stoppers 50 in a manner

  re to give a "finished" appearance and to prevent dirt, water and other debris from entering the tube Small "feet" 52 made of plastic or rubber-based material

  are provided on the lower part of the jam-

  be 18 and 20 These 52 feet protect the lower part

  leg elements against scratches or damage

  laughs and also prevent the base from sliding on the ground in strong winds To increase the stability of the base in wind, it is also possible to place a ballast, or weight (not shown) inside the two elements 18 and 20, The present invention is not limited to the embodiments which have just been described, it

  is on the contrary susceptible to modifications and varian-

  those who will appear to those skilled in the art, 8,

Claims (7)

  1 Indicator base, comprising a single section of tubular material (12) to form a basic structure (14) comprising two leg elements (18, 20) and a vertical frame structure (16), the tubular material having a slot (14) over its entire length so that it can be easily   spread the leg elements and without causing a   permanent formation of the tubular element, and   both a fitting means C 70, 76) forming a seam (78) along the slot, and an indicator panel (32) fixed and placed in the chessis structure,   2 base according to claim 1, character   se in that the fitting means comprises a means of   tongue (76) and groove (70).   3 base according to claim 1, characterized in that the fitting means (70, 76) comprises a locking means and a substantially V-shaped groove means 2 Q and a tongue means which can be engaged in the groove means -   4 base according to claim 3, character-   in that the tongue means has substantially the form   me of a V to conform to that of the groove means.   5 base according to claim 1, characterized   in that it further comprises a means (22 i for main-   tie the two leg elements in the spread position.   6 base according to claim 5, characterized in that the holding means is a folded spacer ble (22).   7 base according to claim 1, characterized in that 1, seam (78) is disposed along the inner periphery of the structure of chess (16>,