GB1601001A - Display unit - Google Patents

Description

(54) A DISPLAY UNIT (71) We, FUTURAMA SIGNS LI MITED, a British Company of Island Farm House, Island Farm Road, East Molesey, Surrey, KT8 OTR, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a Patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to a display unit primarily but not exclusively intended for displaying advertising posters.

A display unit according to the invention comprises a backing member for a poster or other sheet to be displayed, and a transparent cover adapted to be a friction-held push fit on to the backing member thereby clamping the display sheet in position.

Preferably, the backing member comprises an injection moulded block of lightweight material, such as expanded polystyrene, or, alternatively, a plurality of such blocks adapted to locate one with respect another.

The lightweight backing member so provided can easily be mounted on a wall or other supporting surface, e.g. by screws, double-sided adhesive tape or any other suitable means.

The cover is preferably a clear plastic lid which may be fabricated from sheet material or moulded by a conventional moulding technique such as vacuum forming, press moulding or injection moulding.

The invention will be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the rear surface of a backing member for a display unit in accordance with the invention; and Figure 2 is an exploded front perspective view of a display unit including a backing member as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1 shows a backing member 1 which is a generally rectangular one piece polystyrene block having a convex front face 2, for receiving display material as will be later described, and four rearwardly projecting peripheral walls 4 which together serve to define a rear flat face for the backing member 1.

As will be seen from the drawings, the backing member 1 is generally hollow but is provided with two transverse inner walls 5 each having two suitably disposed apertures 6 extending throughout the width of the respective wall 5 and opening on the convex front face 2 of the backing member 1. A shoulder 6a is provided in each aperture 6 and acts as an abutment against which the head of a fixing screw or the like, inserted from the convex face side of the backing member, may act. Additionally strips 7 of double-sided adhesive tape may be provided, if desired, on the rear face of the backing member 1.

As shown in Figure 2, the backing member 1 is intended to be provided with a cover 8 which has a shape complementary to that of the backing member 1. Such a cover 8 may be made from clear acrylic or other suitable plastics material.

The cover 8 has a front panel 9 which is outwardly curved in conformity with the curvature of the convex surface 2 of the backing member and a rectangular wall 10 extends rearwardly from the edges of this panel 9. The backing member 1 and the cover 8 are suitably dimensioned relative to each other such that the rearwardly extending rectangular wall 10 of the cover 8 is a push fit over the exposed side walls 4 of the backing member 1.

In use, the backing member 1 is mounted on a wall or the like by suitable means, such as screws 11. It is preferred that a fibre spacer ila be inserted in each aperture 6 so that, when the screw is tightened, the spacer expands thereby gripping the inner surface of the aperture 6 and allowing the backing member to be firmly mounted on the wall.

The adhesive strips 7, if present, serve to provide additional support, particularly during the time when the backing member has been positioned on the wall and before the fixing screws have been properly located.

The backing member so provided has a suitably dimensioned poster 12 laid over its convex supporting surface 2 and the cover 8 is then push fitted over the backing member 1 thereby providing a simple and effective display unit for the poster.

In a modification (not shown) of the above-described embodiment, the backing member consists of four polystyrene blocks each having a generally rectangular shape and having locating nipples and indents on their top and bottom edges. The blocks are of hollow design with a flat rear surface provided by the rear face of a rectangular wall projecting rearwardly from the edges of a generally rectangular, outwardly convex supporting surface.

In use, the polystyrene blocks are mounted on a wall in interfitting relationship, e.g. by the use of double-sided adhesive tape and the adjacent supporting surfaces of the four blocks combine to form the supporting surface of the backing member on which a poster of suitable size may be laid. A cover may then be fitted over the backing member in the manner described above.

It will be appreciated that numerous modifications may be made to the abovedescribed embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the blocks may be of solid design; the outwardly facing surface of the backing member could be flat or concave with the front panel of the cover being of complementary shape.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A display unit comprising a backing member for a poster or other sheet to be displayed, and a transparent cover adapted to be a friction-held push fit on to the backing member thereby clamping the display sheet in position.

2. A display unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the backing member comprises at least one injection moulded block of lightweight material.

3. A display unit as claimed in claim 2 wherein the lightweight material is expanded polystyrene.

4. A display unit as claimed in claim 2 or 3 wherein the backing member comprises a front face for receiving display material, rearwardly extending peripheral walls, and further walls located within the bounds of the peripheral walls.

5. A display unit as claimed in claim 2 or 3 wherein the backing member comprises a plurality of the moulded blocks adapted to locate one with respect to another.

6. A display unit as claimed in claim 5 wherein the moulded blocks are adapted to locate one with respect to another by means of locating nipples and indents on their top and bottom edges.

7. A display unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the backing member is adapted to be mounted by means of screws or the like.

8 A display unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the backing member is provided with double-sided adhesive tape for fixing purposes.

9. A display unit substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (9)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. The adhesive strips 7, if present, serve to provide additional support, particularly during the time when the backing member has been positioned on the wall and before the fixing screws have been properly located. The backing member so provided has a suitably dimensioned poster 12 laid over its convex supporting surface 2 and the cover 8 is then push fitted over the backing member 1 thereby providing a simple and effective display unit for the poster. In a modification (not shown) of the above-described embodiment, the backing member consists of four polystyrene blocks each having a generally rectangular shape and having locating nipples and indents on their top and bottom edges. The blocks are of hollow design with a flat rear surface provided by the rear face of a rectangular wall projecting rearwardly from the edges of a generally rectangular, outwardly convex supporting surface. In use, the polystyrene blocks are mounted on a wall in interfitting relationship, e.g. by the use of double-sided adhesive tape and the adjacent supporting surfaces of the four blocks combine to form the supporting surface of the backing member on which a poster of suitable size may be laid. A cover may then be fitted over the backing member in the manner described above. It will be appreciated that numerous modifications may be made to the abovedescribed embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the blocks may be of solid design; the outwardly facing surface of the backing member could be flat or concave with the front panel of the cover being of complementary shape. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A display unit comprising a backing member for a poster or other sheet to be displayed, and a transparent cover adapted to be a friction-held push fit on to the backing member thereby clamping the display sheet in position.

2. A display unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the backing member comprises at least one injection moulded block of lightweight material.

3. A display unit as claimed in claim 2 wherein the lightweight material is expanded polystyrene.

4. A display unit as claimed in claim 2 or 3 wherein the backing member comprises a front face for receiving display material, rearwardly extending peripheral walls, and further walls located within the bounds of the peripheral walls.

5. A display unit as claimed in claim 2 or 3 wherein the backing member comprises a plurality of the moulded blocks adapted to locate one with respect to another.

6. A display unit as claimed in claim 5 wherein the moulded blocks are adapted to locate one with respect to another by means of locating nipples and indents on their top and bottom edges.

7. A display unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the backing member is adapted to be mounted by means of screws or the like.

8 A display unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the backing member is provided with double-sided adhesive tape for fixing purposes.

9. A display unit substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.