GB2044506A - Display device - Google Patents

Abstract

Display elements, such as pieces of rigid plastics material, are shaped or marked to represent characters or symbols and are mounted upright on a support member. The support member (1) is a channel member and the display elements (2) are held securely yet detachably in position by engagement of projecting support structures (4) on the elements (2) with the support member (1). Edge-illumination of elements (2) may be provided by a lamp in channel member (1). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Display device This invention relates to a display device, for displaying an arrangement of characters an d/or symbols, for use for example as a shop sign or the like.

An object of the invention is to provide such a display device with which the said arrangement of characters and/or symbols can be displayed in a prominent and attractive manner yet can be adapted to meet individual requirements easily and conveniently.

According to the invention therefore there is provided a display device, for displaying an arrangement of characters and/or symbols, comprising an elongate support member, and a plurality of display elements formed to rep resent characters and/or symbols to be dis played, said elements having base structures which are individually detachably co-operable with said base member to hold said elements side-by-side along the base member and in upright disposition relative thereto.

With this arrangement it will be appreciated that the upstanding elements can define a prominent and attractive display of the characters and/or symbols represented thereby, and, since the base structures of the elements are detachably co-operable with the support member, provision may be made for interchange and positional adjustment of elements such as to enable a desired arrangement to be assembled to meet individual requirements in a particularly simple and convenient manner.

With regard to the elements, these may take any suitable form but preferably comprise flat pieces of a rigid material. Such pieces may be formed to adopt peripherally the shapes of the characters and/or symbols to be represented thereby. Alternatively, the pieces may be of one or more standard shapes (say square or rectangular) and the characters and/or symbols may be marked thereon. The material of the pieces may be opaque, transparent, translucent as desired, and of any suitable colour. In a particularly preferred embodiment the pieces are formed from a transparent acrylic plastics material.

The base structures are preferably formed as integral parts of the elements. Such structures may comprise elongate projections arranged to extend longitudinally of the support member; and most preferably the arrangement is such that adjacent ends of the base structures of adjacent elements can be positioned in abutment with each other. With this arrangement, advantageously, when the elements are brought into co-operation with the base member, the positioning of the elements relative to each other can be regulated simply by effecting said abutment of the base structures ends. The said projections may extend beyond upper regions of the elements, which upper regions are appropriately shaped or marked to represent the characters and/or symbols to be displayed, whereby the base structures can act to ensure that a desired spacing is maintained between adjacent such upper regions.Alternatively, if desired, and particularly in the case where the characters and/or symbols are represented by markings on standard pieces of say square or rectangular shape, the base structures may simply be lower peripheral regions of the pieces whereby adjacent elements may abut along entire upright side edges thereof not merely the ends of the base structures. Indeed, if marked standard-shaped pieces are used, abutment between adjacent elements may occur only along upright edges above the support member and the base structures may be spaced from each other.

With regard to the support member, this may take the form of a channel structure having spaced side walls between which the base structures of the elements can securely yet releasably fit. Alternatively, any other suitable arrangement to ensure secure yet detachable co-operation between the base structures and the support member may be utilised.

If desired, the display device may incorporate a source of illumination for the display elements and in a particularly preferred embodiment the elements comprise flat pieces formed from a transparent or translucent material and the source of illumination is arranged to direct light into same from edges thereof.

The invention will now be described further by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of one form of a display device according to the invention; and Figure 2 is a sectional view of a modified version of the device of Fig. 1.

The device of Fig. 1 comprises a support member in the form of a metal channel 1 and a plurality of display elements 2 detachably engaged with the channel 1.

Each element 2 is cut in one piece from transparent rigid acrylic plastics sheeting and has an upper portion 3 which is shaped to represent peripherally an alphanumeric character or other character or symbol, and a lower portion 4 in the form of a bar. The bar 4 fits tightly, yet removably, within the channel between the side walls 5, 6 of same. The tight fit may be achieved as a consequence of the natural resilience and possible slight inward inclination of the channel side walls 5, 6 and/or as a consequence of the properties of a strip 7 of foam plastics material or other resilient material applied to an inner surface of one such side wall 6.The upper periphery of the bar 4 terminates approximately level with the upper edges of the channel side walls 5, 6 and a line 8 is marked on or cut into the element 2 at or slightly above the upper bar periphery, at least on a front side of the element, to define the lowermost boundary of the character or symbol. The tight engagement between the bar 4 and the channel 1 holds the upper portion 3 of the element 2 securely in upright disposition above the channel 1.

The bars 4 of the different elements 2 are of predetermined longitudinal dimensions in relation to the particular characters or symbols of the elements such that the elements 2 can be positioned with the ends of adjacent bars 4 in abutment with each other, and in such positions it can be ensured that the upper portions 3 of adjacent elements 2 are maintained with predetermined spacings therebetween.

In this way, it will be appreciated that a desired arrangement of characters and/or symbols can be assembled on the channel 1, in a simple and convenient manner, by selecting the appropriate elements 2 from a supply thereof and inserting the bars 4 of same into the channel 1 with the ends of adjacent bars in abutment with each other.

The channel 1 may be mounted in any suitable manner on a wall, on an exhibition stand or the like appropriate to the intended use of same, and for use in this context, the channel 1 may be connected to any suitable bracket, or stand or other mounting arrangement.

The upstanding upper portions 3 of the elements 2 define in themselves a prominent and attractive display of the characters and/or symbols represented thereby. However, if desired, suitable additional structures, such as backing sheets or the like may be provided to improve or supplement the display.

Also, and as shown in Fig. 2, the display device may be modified to enable the elements 2 to be illuminated by a light source incorporated in the device.

In more detail, the device of Fig. 2 comprises an elongate housing 9 containing a fluorescent lamp 10 and a horizontal, rigid strip 11 of acrylic plastics material having one long edge 1 2 thereof extending alongside the lamp 10 to receive light therefrom. The opposite long edge 1 3 of the strip 11 is cut at an angle of 45 so that light is reflected upwardly by such inclined edge 1 3 to emerge vertically at the top surface of the strip 11.

The housing 9 has a front wall 14 which engages the inclined edge 1 3 and projects upwardly above the top surface of the strip 11. A top wall 1 5 of the housing terminates at a position spaced behind said front wall 14 whereby a narrow longitudinal portion 1 6 of the top surface of the strip 11 is exposed, said portion 1 6 being bounded along one side by the front periphery of the top surface of the strip 11 which engages the front wall 1 4 and along the other side by a short upstanding rear wall 1 7. A screen 18 is secured in upright disposition behind such rear wall 1 7.

The walls 14, 1 7 and the said narrow portion 1 6 of the strip top surface define a channel which, like the channel 1 of the embodiment of Fig. 1, can receive and removably retain the bars 4 of elements 2 of the kind hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 1 (one or both of such walls 14, 1 7 being resilient or having resilient material applied thereto).

With this arrangement, the upper portions 3 of the elements 2 project upwardly above the walls 14, 1 7 in front of the screen 1 8 and are thereby displayed in a prominent and attract tive manner. Also the elements 2 are illuminated by light from the lamp 10 transmitted through the strip 11 and from there through the elements 2 which rest on the top surface of the strip 11.In order to ensure that the upper portions 3 of the elements 2 are uniformly illuminated, the bars 4 may be rendered clear as by polishing of same on the entire exposed top and bottom surfaces thereof such that light can enter uniformly along the entire length of each bar 4 and can adequately illuminate the upper portions 3 not merely by transmission through the central regions of the bodies of same but also by transmission through the air from the end regions of the top surfaces of the bars 4 to the side regions of the upper portions 3.

It is of course to be understood that the invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above embodiment which are described by way of example only.

Whilst, in the embodiments specifically described, reference is only made to a single assembly of elements on a single support member it is to be understood that a plurality of support members with respective assemblies of elements may be utilised together to form a single display. Thus, the display device of the invention may be constructed on a modular basis.

Also, whilst reference is made herein to base structures which are co-operable with the support member it is to be understood that such base structures need not necessarily be provided at bottom terminal ends of the elements but instead (or additionally) may be provided above such terminal ends. Thus, for example, a base structure may be provided which is positioned in a central region of the element and behind same such that the element can be supported in upright disposition in front of the support member. The base structure may even be provided at the top of an element such that the element can be suspended from the support member.

Further, there may be more than one support member whereby, for example, an element may be supported top and bottom between a pair of vertically spaced support members.

Claims (20)

1. A display device, for displaying an arrangement of characters and/or symbols, comprising an elongate support member, and a plurality of display elements formed to represent characters and/or symbols to be displayed, said elements having support structures projecting therefrom which are individually detachably co-operable with said support member to hold said elements sideby-side in upright disposition along the the support member.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said support structures are provided at bottom ends of the said display elements whereby said elements are arranged to be held in upright disposition above the support member.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said support structures are provided in central regions of the said display elements and behind same whereby said elements are arranged to be held in upright disposition in front of the support member.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein said support structures are provided at top ends of the said display elements whereby said elements are arranged to be held in upright disposition suspended from the support member.

5. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said display elements comprise flat pieces of a rigid material.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein said pieces are formed to adopt peripherally the shape of the characters and/or symbols to be represented thereby.

7. A device according to claim 5, wherein the pieces are of one or more standard shapes and the characters and/or symbols to be represented thereby are marked thereon.

8. A device according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the said pieces are formed from a transparent material.

9. A device according to claim 8, wherein the material is an acrylic plastics material.

1 0. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the said support structures are formed as integral parts of the elements.

11. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the said support structures comprise elongate projections arranged to extend longitudinally of the support member.

1 2. A device according to claim 11, wherein adjacent ends of adjacent support structures can be positioned in abutment with each other.

1 3. A device according to claim 12, wherein the said projections extend beyond sides of upper regions of the elements which are appropriately shaped or marked to represent the characters and/or symbols to be displayed.

14. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the said support member comprises a channel structure having spaced side walls between which the support structures of the elements can securely yet releasably fit.

1 5. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, including a source of illumination for the display elements.

1 6. A device according to claim 1 5 when taken with claim 8, wherein the source of illumination is arranged to direct light into the elements from edges thereof.

1 7. A device according to claim 1 6 when taken with claims 2, 10, 1 3 and 14, wherein the source of illumination is arranged to direct light into the elements from bottom edges of the said elongate projections.

1 8. A device according to any one of claims 1 5 to 17, including a housing which supports said support member and contains said source of illumination.

19. A device according to claim 18, wherein said housing also supports a screen behind the said elements.

20. A display device substantially as here it before described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.