GB2031289A - Plate assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

A plate assembly comprises plates (10, figure 1, not shown) and flexible connector discs 12, each disc 12 being provided with edge slits 19 each of which is narrowed at its outer end by a nose 20 that is longitudinal in the slit direction. Each plate is at each connecting place provided inside its edge, at a distance therefrom not exceeding the distance between the inner end of a disc slit 19 and the nose thereof, with a longitudinal opening (34) having a length corresponding to the length of the nose 20, so that the plates (10) may be connected by the discs 12 by the engagement of the noses 20 in the openings (34). Preferably each nose 20 is inclined at its outer edge 28 to facilitate the engagement. The plate assembly may be used as a constructional toy, a mobile, or as a display screen for an advertising poster, for example. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Plate assembly comprising plates and connector discs TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a plate assembly comprising plates and connector discs interconnecting the plates and provided with edge slits the width of which is substantial equal to the plate thickness and which are adapted to engage plate edges.

Such plate assemblies and the elements thereof can be used for many different purposes, for example as toy construction elements for assembling buildings of different types, for decorative objects such as mobiles, within the advertising sector, for example for providing poster assemblies or for making show cases by which possible prints on the plates may increase the advertising value of the assembly, for construction of suspended ceilings and for many other objects.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In hitherto known plate assemblies of the kind concerned, for example as known from German Patent Specification No. 860,020 and British Patent Specification No. 1.394.020, the plates as well as the connector discs are provided with edge slits and the discs are brought to engage the plates at a right angle thereto thereby that an edge slit of a disc is brought to engage the plate at the inner end of an edge slit thereof, whereas in the same manner this last said edge slit is brought to engage the disc at the inner end of a first said slit of the disc.Hereby is obtained a relatively good guidance of disc and plate relative to one another and since as normally each plate engages a number of connectordiscs, which are able to serve as supports as well as connectors, a relatively firm construction is obtained at least as long as the discs are not influenced by forces transverse to the plate edge. To ensure this guidance it is necessary however, that the overlap between a disc and a plate is relatively long so that the free area of the plate useable for example for legends or pictures is essentially reduced compared with the total area of the plate.Further the slits in the plate edges results in an essential weakening of the plate, wherefore, especially in case a plate assembly comprises a greater number of plates, danger for bulging of the plate edges appears as more as commonly the plates are made from cardboard or pasteboard, although the same will also be the case even if the plates are constituted by thin metal sheets.

Further, in case the discs are influenced by forces transverse to the plate edges, for example when it is tried to lift a plate assembly only by a single plate, or in case plates are suspended in above the plates arranged connector discs secured in suitable manner, the plates will try to draw themselves away from the connector discs whereby the plate assembly will go to pieces. This danger is especially pronounced if the plates and/orthe discs have been used several times and, consequently, the slits have been expanded and only in small degree perform surface pressure on the plate or disc respectively engaged by the slit.

For example by the plate assembly known from US Patent Specification No. 3.564.758, by which, however, no special connector discs but only plates are used, the last said disadvantage is certainly remidied. By this known plate assembly each edge slit is at its outer end provided with towards each other into the slit extending teeth and in each plate for each edge slit and at a distance from its inner end there is provided a hole wherein the teeth at the outer end of an edge slit of another plate engaging the said edge slit of the first said plate mesh. Even if per se the teeth must be considered as weak owing thereto, that at each slit connection there are two sets of tooth meshing, the assembly turn out to be relatively resistant to pull in the direction of the slits.On the other hand such an assembling manner results therein that the length of the overlap between the two plates becomes even still greater than by the above first mentioned known plate assemblies, wherefore in practice no useable plate area will be available.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to provide a plate assembly of the kind concerned that owing to a short length of overlap makes it possible to obtain great available plate areas without the plates being weakened and nevertheless ensures a reliable mutual guidance between plate and disc and a safe mutual securing of a plate to a disc even in the slit directions.

According to the invention this is obtained by the plates having uninterrupted edge portions at the places of connection that the connector disc is made from a stiff but flexible material, such as HDpolypropylene, that each slit is closed near its outer end by means of a nose that is eiongated in the direction of the slit and extends from the one slit side wall across the slit towards the opposite slit side wall separated from the latter only by a narrow fissure, and that each plate is provided for each connector plate to be connected thereto, at a distance from its side edge corresponding to the distance betwen the inner wall of the slit and the nose thereof, with a longitudinal opening extending transverse to the plate side edge and having a length corresponding to the major length of the nose and a width substantial equal to the thickness of the connector disc.

In such a plate assembly only the connector discs will have to be provided with edge slits and, consequently, the proper strength of the plates will not have to be reduced. A connector disc to be connected to a plate can with an edge slit be brought to engage the unslitted edge of the plate and be pushed in over the latter until the nose of the slit meshes with the plate opening. Thereupon, owing to its length and thereby relatively great guide areas the nose will not alone ensure the securing of the disc in a position perpendicular to the plate, since the nose will have the same function as is obtained by the known plate assemblies by the part of the plate edge slit engaging the disc behind the slit of the latter, but also effectively prevent pulling out of the disc from the plate.As the disc is made from flexible but stiff material the fact that the slit is closed by the nose will not prevent the insertion of the disc since during its insertion the disc can be tilted in such a manner that it takes up only a little angle with the plate and thereby owing to the elasticity of the material the nose will be twisted so that a sufficient great opening will be provided for allowing the disc to be pushed in over the plate.

When the nose reaches the plate opening it will itself under back tilting of the disc engage the same. In a corresponding manner later on the disc can be tilted and thereby the nose tipped out of the opening so that without difficulty the disc can in its tilted position be retracted from the plate.

Preferably the nose is at the outer end of the slit provided with an inclined end edge extending inwardly from its inter-section with a thought extension of the slit side wall from which the nose extends. Hereby not alone it grew easier for the nose to engage a plate opening, but further can the notch defined by the inclined nose edge be brought to engage the plate edge whereby only by a tilting of the disc transverse to its own plane the parts of the disc confining the slit can be turned away from each other whereupon in spite of the slit being practically closed at its outer end the disc can in an easy and simple manner be pushed in over the plate.

Other features, additional objects, and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become apparent as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description of preferred embodiments when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Fig. 1 is an axonometric view of an embodiment of a plate assembly according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is a plan view of an embodiment of a connector disc appertaining to the plate assembly shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a plan view of another embodiment of a connector disc, and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line IV--IV of Fig. 2 and showing the connector disc thereof engaging a plate of which only a fraction is shown.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As an example of application Fig. 1 shows a set of posters made as a plate assembly according to the present invention. The plate assembly shown comprises eight interconnected flat plates 10, for example made from 2 mm thick card board or paste board, which plates by printing or pasting or in other manner may be provided with advertising text and/or advertisement designs or other information. The plates are arranged in two superposed rows each containing four plates, and further the plate assembly is arranged in zig-zag in order to be standing self-supporting on a suitable base. The adjoining side edges 32 of the plates 10 are interconnected by means of connector discs 12 ensuring that the plate assembly constitutes a firm stable unit.

An embodiment of a connector disc 1 2 is shown in Fig. 2.

The disc 12 here shown has the shape of a square with cut-off corners 14. The disc 1 2 is at the middle of each side edge 16 provided with an edge slit 1 8 extending perpendicularly to the edge 1 6 and having its inner end located at a distance from the center of the disc 12.The inner part 1 9 of the slit 1 8 has a width substantia! equal to the thickness of the plates 1 0. The outer end of the slit 18 does not open freely at the disc side edge 1 6 but is here nearly closed by means of a nose 20 extending from the one side wall 22 of the slit 18 and thus at this side wall being in one piece with the disc proper and extending across the slit 18 towards the opposite side wall 24 thereof in such a manner that between the latter and the adjoining nose edge 26 only a narrow fissure remains. The outer edge 28 of the nose 20 is inclined so that it extends inwardly from a thought extension of the slit side wall.24 whereby a notch 30 is provided at the outer end of the slit 18.

Each plate 10 is, as indicated in Fig. 1 and more distinctly shown in Fig. 4, on places where it is expected to be connected to a connector disc 1 2 provided with a longitudinal opening 34 extending perpendicularly to the plate edge 32 and having its outer end 36 positioned at a distance from the edge 32 that at the highest is equal to the length of the nose 20 where the latter has its major length, that is where the nose 20 extends from the slit side wall 22. The width of the opening 34 corresponds to the thickness of the disc 12.

The disc 12 can be made from a number of different materials provided the material used is stiff but nevertheless flexible, for example from a plastics such as HD-polyethylene.

When a connector disc 1 2 has to be brought to engage a plate 10, at first the notch 30 at the end of a slit 18 is brought to engage the plate edge 32, whereafter by a turning or tilting of the disc 12 the disc parts on each side of the slit 18 are wrenched away from their common plane, and then without difficulty the disc can be pushed in over the plate 10. This pushing in is carried out in such a manner that the nose is brought into a position opposite the opening 34, and when thereupon the disc is released or is manually tilted in the opposite direction of the first said tilting the nose 20 will be guided among others by its inclined edge 28 engage the plate opening 34 to mesh therewith, and owing to the elastic nature of the disc the latter will reassume its original shape and in all directions be relatively firmly connected to the plate 10 from which it cannot be unintentionally withdrawn. When, however, later on the connector disc 1 2 has to be removed from the plate 10 it is only needed to tilt the disc 1 2 in such a manner that the nose 20 is twisted out of the opening 34, whereafter without difficulty the disc 12 can be withdrawn from the plate 10.

The connector disc 1 2 can be shaped in many different manners. Thus, in Fig. 3 is shown a circular connector disc 1 2 provided with eight radially extending edge slits 1 8 having a mutual angular distance of 450 and each shaped in the same manner as described above in connection with Fig. 2. The disc 12 may be given, however, many other shapes, preferably shapes of regular polygones, although in certain cases also for example oval or rectangular connector discs may be used.

Further, as appears from Figs. 2 and 3, often it can be advantageous to provide each connector disc or at least some of them with a center hole 38 by means of which they can be placed on a suitably supported pin or suspended in a thread or wire. For example when the plate assembly constitutes a mobile that can comprise four plates 10 mutually interconnected by two superposed connector discs 12 of the shape shown in Fig. 2, a suspension thread for the mobile can be threaded through the center holes 38 of the discs 12 and below the lowermost one be provided with a knot or other stop member preventing the thread from being pulled out.

In connection with a plate assembly as the one shown in Fig. 1 often appropriately each plate 10 of the lowermost row is with its lower edge connected to one or two connector discs thus serving as supporting legs for the plate assembly.

It further has to be observed that per se nothing prevents each edge slit 1 8 from being provided with two or more separate noses 20 and the plate 1 0 with a corresponding number of on line arranged openings corresponding to the opening 34. Most possibly such an embodiment will be of importance, however, only in case the plates 10 and the connector discs 1 2 have very great dimensions.

Besides, the plates 10 do not need to be flat, they can as well be curved in one or more directions.

Claims (3)

1. A plate assembly comprising plates and connector discs interconnecting the plates and provided with edge slits the width of which is substantial equal to the plate thickness, and which are adapted to engage plate edges, characterised in that the plates have uninterrupted edge portions at the places of connection, that the connector discs are made from a stiff but flexible material, such as HD-polyethylene, that each slit is closed near its outer end by means of a nose that is elongated in the direction of the slit and extends from the one slit side wall across the slit towards the opposite slit side wall separated from the latter only by a narrow fissure and that each plate is provided for each connector disc to be connected thereto, at a distance from its side edge corresponding to the distance between the innerwall of a slit and the nose thereof, with a longitudinal opening extending transverse to the plate side edge and having a length corresponding to the major length of the nose and a width corresponding to the thickness of the connector disc.

2. A plate assembly according to Claim 1, characterised in that the nose is provided at its end at the outer end of the slit with an inclined end edge extending inwardly from its intersection with a thought extension of the slit side wall from which the nose extends.

3. A plate assembly comprising plates and connector discs substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.