GB2083262A - Display panels - Google Patents

Abstract

A panel comprises a frame 2 and hooked material 3 secured around its periphery, and flexible sheet material 5 with loops on at least one face, the material 5 being stretched over one face of the frame 2 and held stretched by marginal portions 7 making contact with the hooked material 3, facilitating changing of the flexible material 5 and enabling reuse. Such panels may be demountable, the frame 2 comprising a plurality of frame members enabling panels of various sizes to be produced. The flexible sheet material 5 may have loops on both faces 6, 9 and each face may be of a different colour. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Display panels This invention relates to panels, such as cladding or insulation panels and display panels, of the type in which flexible material is stretched over a frame, and which for display purposes may have an exposed surface of looped material enabling objects with attached hooked material to be mounted thereon or enabling one such panel to be connected to a like panel by means of channel-section shoes within the bases of which is fixed hooked material. Such hooked material used in association with looped material is well known as Velcro (Registered Trade Mark).

One object of the present invention is to provide a panel construction facilitating changing of the flexible material and enabling re-use of it.

Another object of the invention is to provide a panel which is demountable, i.e. is capable of being reduced to or is formed from parts in a more readily transportable form.

A further object is to provide a construction for such a panel which allows of various sizes of panel being produced from modular basic members.

According to the present invention, a panel comprises a frame, hooked material secured to the frame around its periphery, and flexible sheet material with loops on at least one face, the flexible sheet material being stretched over one face of the frame against which the loops lie and held stretched by marginal portions of the flexible sheet material making contact with the hooked material.

For a display panel both faces of the flexible sheet material may have loops, so that those on one face secure the material to the frame while those on the other face are avialable for engagement by hooked material attached to objects to be displayed. The two faces may have different colourings or patterns, so as to take advantage of the reversibility of the flexible sheet material.

The hooked material is preferably provided along the edges and one or both faces of the frame, so that even if the frame is secured to a wall or other surface the flexible sheet material can be removed from or attached to the frame without having to detach the frame from the wall or other surface.

The edges of the frame may be provided with grooves into which the edges of the flexible sheet material may be tucked (as can be rapidly effected by running a blade along the material overlying the grooves), for added security or neatness of the finished panel; alternatively, or in addition, detachable trim strips may be applied to the edges of the frame after application of the flexible sheet material; again, a cord or wire may be wound round the frame within the grooves before tucking in the edges of the flexible sheet material, the cord or wire being taken round the frame a second time to secure the edges in the grooves-quick removal of the flexible sheet material being possible (if required) by pulling the cord or wire out of the grooves.

For a panel to be demountable, the frame comprises a plurality of frame members, each carrying a strip of hooked material and detachably connected together. A rectangular or square panel may have the frame members detachably connected at the corners, or it may be provided with corner members detachably connected to the frame members, with each corner member also carrying a strip of hooked material. Frames of other shapes, e.g., circular, can be formed of detachable frame members each provided with hook material. A panel may be curved or otherwise have a nonplanar form, in which case a flexible backing board or card is provided on at least the outside of the curve.The panel can be demounted by peeling the marginal portions of the flexible sheet material from the strips of hooked material and detaching the frame members from each other or from the corner members, for the frame members to be bundled together, and for the flexible sheet material to be rolled or folded up.

Panels of various sizes can be produced by using different lengths of frame members, but variety of size is preferably provided by forming the sides of the frame by one, two or more frame members of a standard length connected together end-to-end, or at rightangles or to corner members, as the case may be, yet still facilitating reduction to a small (in overall length) bundle. Strut members may be provided within the frame. Different sizes of flexible sheet material with loops on one or both faces may be provided, or suitable sizes cut from a stock (e.g., a roll) of such material.

The frame members and any corner members may be of wood or metal or may be extruded or moulded in plastics. The frame members may have bead edges projecting from one face over which the flexible sheet material is stretched, which bead edges will also extend along the adjacent portions of any corner members.

One or more panels in accordance with the invention may be placed back-to-back and/or edge-to-edge with a similar panel or panels to form a display stand or screen and be secured together by channel-section shoes within the bases of which is fixed hooked material (e.g., as described in U.K. Patent No. 1 579 622).

Alternatively, or in addition, clips may be provided on the frame members of the panel or panels for attachment to support poles (e.g., as described in U.K. Patent No.

1 579 620) or to brakets on walls or ceilings.

A number of embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a small-scale diagrammatic elevation of a panel in accordance with the invention with part of the covering material torn away; Figure 2 is an enlarged diagrammatic fragmentary section on the line ll-ll of Fig. 1; Figure 3 corresponds to Fig. 2 but relates to another embodiment of the invention for use as a display panel; Figure 4 corresponds to Fig. 3 but shows a modification of that embodiment; Figure 5 corresponds to part of Fig. 4 and shows another modification; Figure 6 is a fragmentary part-sectional elevation illustrating the construction of a demountable panel; Figure 7 corresponds to Fig. 6 but shows another form of construction;; Figure 8 is a small-scale section through a curved panel in accordance with the invention; Figure 9 is an enlarged diagrammatic fragmentary section of another panel construction in actcordance with the invention; and Figure 10 is an enlarged diagrammatic fragmentary section showing a method of securing two panels in accordance with the invention back-to-back.

In Figs. 1 and 2, a panel 1 comprises a frame 2, hooked material 3 secured to the frame around its periphery (including both part of its edges and part of one face 4), and flexible sheet material 5 with loops on one face 6, the flexible sheet material 5 being stretched over the face 4 of the frame 2 against which the looped face 6 lies and held stretched by marginal portions 7 of the flexible material making contact with the hooked material 3.Such a panel 1 may be used as cladding or insulation by securing the frame 2 to a wall or other surface (not shown) with the face 8 not provided with hooked material against that surface, whereby the flexible sheet material 5 can be removed from or attached to the frame 2 without having to detach the frame from the wall or other surface, which facility proves convenient for removing dirty material 5 for cleaning or damaged material 5 for replacement or merely to change the colour or other finish of the flexible sheet material.

Fig. 1 shows the frame 2 as having mitre joints 9 at its corners, but it is equally feasible to use butt joints (e.g., as shown in Fig. 6).

Similarly, Fig. 2 shows the frame 2 as being formed of channel section metal, but it could equally be of hollow section (e.g., as shown in Fig. 3) or solid (e.g., as shown in Fig. 4) and and could be of wood or plastics (e.g., as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 and Fig. 7 respectively).

In Fig. 3, a display panel has hooked mate rial 3 provided on both faces 4, 8 of the frame 2 (and extends from both over adjacent parts of the edges) to secure flexible sheet material 5 on both faces 4, 8, and the flexible sheet material has loops on both faces 6, 9, so that those on the face 6 secure the material to the frame 2 while those on the side 9 are available for engagement by hooked material attached to objects (not shown) to be displayed. The two faces 6, 9 may have different colourings or patterns, so as to take advantage of the reversibility of the material 5. The edges of the frame 2 are provided with grooves 10 into which the edges 11 of the material 5 are tucked, as can be rapidly effected by running a blade (not shown) along the material overlying the grooves.

In Fig. 4 detachable strips 1 2 are inserted in the grooves 10 for added security of the edges 10 of the flexible sheet material 5.

Fig. 5 shows a cord (or wire) 1 3 wound round the frame 2 within the grooves 10 before tucking in the edges 11 of the flexible sheet material 5, the cord (or wire) being taken round the frame a second time to secure the edges 11 in the grooves 1 quick removal of the flexible sheet material 5 being possible (if required) by pulling the cord (or wire) 1 3 out of the grooves.

Fig. 6 shows a construction of panel 1 which is demountable, the frame 2 comprising a plurality of wooden frame members 14 each carrying a strip of hooked material 3 and detachably connected together by dowels 1 5 projecting from one member fitting into holes 1 6 in another. In Fig. 7 a plurality of extruded plastics frame members 14 are detachably connected to corner members 1 7, which may be injection moulded in halves and welded together, with rectangular spigots 1 8 on the corner members fitting into the ends of hollow portions 1 9 of the extruded frame members 14.

The curved panel 1 shown in Fig. 8 has a flexible backing board or card 20 provided on the outside of the curve to support flexible material 5 held stretched over it by hooked material 3 on the frame 2.

Fig. 9 shows a frame 2 with a bead edge 21 projecting from one face 4 over which the flexible sheet material 5 is stretched, as may prove convenient for a cladding or insulating panel having its other side 8 secured to a wall or other surface 22, as by screws 23 whose heads protrude from the surface 4 but do intrude on the flexible sheet material 5.

In Fig. 10 two panels 1A, 1B are secured back-to-back by means of hooked material 3A on one frame 2A engaging double-looped flexible sheet material 5B already secured to the other frame 2B by its hooked material 3B.

Claims (16)

1. A panel comprising a frame, hooked material secured to the frame around its periphery, and flexible sheet material with loops on at least one face, the flexible sheet material being stretched over one face of the frame against which the loops lie and held stretched by marginal portions of the flexible sheet material making contact with the hooked material.

2. A display panel as in Claim 1, wherein both faces of the flexible sheet material have loops, so that those on one face secure the material to the frame while those on the other face are available for engagement by hooked material attached to objects to be displayed.

3. A display panel as in Claim 2, wherein the two faces of the flexible sheet material have different colourings or patterns, so as to take advantage of the reversibility of the flexible sheet material.

4. A panel as in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the hooked material is provided along the edges and sides of the frame.

5. A panel as in any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the edges of the frame are provided with grooves into which the edges of the flexible sheet material are tucked.

6. A panel as in any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein detachable trim strips are applied to the edges of the frame after application of the flexible sheet material.

7. A panel as in Claim 5, wherein a cord or wire is wound round the frame within the grooves before tucking in the edges of the flexible sheet material, the cord or wire being taken round the frame a second time to secure the edges in the grooves.

8. A panel as in any one of Claims 1 to 7, wherein the frame comprises a plurality of frame members, each carrying a strip of hooked material and detachably connected together.

9. A rectangular or square panel as in Claim 8, wherein corner members are detachably connected to the frame members, with each corner member also carrying a strip of hooked material.

10. A circular panel as in Claim 8.

11. A panel as in Claim 8 having a nonplanar form, with a flexible backing board or card provided on at least the outside of the curve.

1 2. A panel as in Claim 8, with strut members provided with the frame.

1 3. A panel as in any one of Claims 8 to 12, wherein the frame members and any corner members are made of wood, or metal, or are extruded or moulded in plastics.

1 4. A panel as in any one of Claims 8 to 13, wherein the frame members have bead edges projecting from one face over which the flexible sheet material is stretched, which bead edges will also extend along the adjacent portions of any corner members.

15. A display stand or screen comprising panels as in any of Claims 3 to 1 4 as appended to Claim 2 placed back-to-back and/ or edge-to-edge and secured together by channel-section shoes within the bases of which is fixed hooked material.

16. Panels as in any one of Claims 1 to 14, wherein clips are provided on the frame members of the panel or panels for attachment to support poles or to brackets on walls or ceilings.

1 7. Panels substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.