GB2104271A - Display frame - Google Patents

Abstract

A clamping frame (1) for receiving advertising sheets (29) and the like, consists of a closed base frame (2) having secured to its borders front or edge elements (20, 21, 22, 23) which can be individually tilted out of the frame surface, at least one of these elements having a flap (16, 17, 18, 19) at one end at least, which overlaps or underlaps with part of the adjacent element (20, 21, 22 23) and at least one of the elements (20) being lockable in its closed position relative to the base frame (2) by means of a lock (26). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Display device This invention relates to a display device for mounting and displaying sheet material, such as advertisement papers, posters and the like, the device comprising a flat base frame on which the sheet material can be mounted, and edge elements pivotally mounted along the periphery of the base frame for movement between release positions out of the plane of the base frame in which sheet material can be mounted in or removed from the base frame and clamping positions in which the edge elements clamp the sheet material against the base frame.

Clamping frames serve for the interchangeable mounting for advertising and poster papers, placards and other information carrier sheets which shall be fitted at the external surface of motor vehicles, e.g. buses, or street cars, or on stationary internal or external surfaces of buildings. The sheet within the clamping frame being exposed publicly, there is the risk that unauthorised persons could open the clamping frame by folding the front elements out of the frame surface to steal the contents.

The present invention has been developed primarily with a view to improve the anti-theft properties of a display device.

According to the invention there is provided a display device for mounting and displaying sheet material, such as advertising papers, posters, and the like, the device comprising a flat base frame on which the sheet material can be mounted, and edge elements pivotally mounted along the periphery of the base frame for movement between release positions out of the plane of the base frame in which sheet material can be mounted in or removed from the base frame and clamping positions in which the edge elements clamp the sheet material against the base frame; in which a first edge element has a flap extending from one end which is in overlapping relationship with the end of an adjacent second edge element in the clamping positions of the first and second elements; and in which one of said edge elements is lockable to the base frame in its clamping position.

The resultant device comprises edge elements protected from being folded out, the locking of one of the elements being sufficient for safely retaining all other front elements in the clamping or closing position. The overlapping of the flap at the end of a first element with part of the adjacent end of the corresponding next element causes the elements to be mutually arrested - and - one of the elements being locked - none of them can be opened. As long as consecutive elements are present, the clamping frame formed by the elements may be of an optional shape, be it polygonal as well as round. The safety system for the elements is simple and moderately priced. A key operated locking system may be provided in said one element, thus ensuring that the clamping frame is operated exclusively by authorised persons.

The base frame may be rectangular, and provided with four edge elements coupled roundabout by flaps so that in the corners of the base frame, a flap of one element overlaps with part of the adjacent front element, that said one element containing the locking system, can be unfolded without being hindered by a flap, that upon unfolding of said one element an adjacent element is released to be unfolded, the relase of the individual elements being continued in the order of their arrangement and that the last element being adjacent to said one element is not released for unfolding until all other elements have been unfolded previously.

This principle is applicable to an optional number of edge elements of a base frame. What is essential is the mutual arresting of adjacent edge elements.

While unlocking, as set forth above, is performed in that the elements are released in the order of their arrangement, a variant will be described hereinafter in which the unlocking operation does not follow the order of the elements. To this effect, all four elements in a rectangular base frame are coupled mutually by flaps so that in the corners of the base frame one flap of an element overlaps part of the adjacent element, that said element including the locking system can be unfolded without being hindered by a flap, that upon unfolding said one element, both adjacent elements are released for unfolding and that the element opposite to the said one element is not released for unfolding before all other elements have been unfolded previously.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the flap at the end of said first element can underengage the free adjacent end of the subsequent element, no flaps being mounted at said one element including the locking system.

As an alternative thereto, the flap at the end of the first element can overengage the flap-free adjacent end of the subsequent element, said one element including the locking system being provided at one end at least with a flap. While, in the former case, the flaps are mounted at the inner surface of an element to rest in closing position against the inner surface of the next element and the outer surfaces of all elements are changing into one another in a smooth and flush manner, the flaps in the latter case are mounted on the outer surface of an element and come to an abutment against the outer surface of the other element.

If the ends of the elements are inclined, each flap is advantageously formed by a sheet plate strip which is inserted to clamp in the profile of the element and to project beyond the inclined end of the element with a rectangular portion serving as a flap. Such a flap under-engages the flap-free adjacent end of the next element to be held down by it.

The enclosed drawing contains a schematic illustration of embodiments of the invention.

In the drawing Figure lisa plan view of the clamping frame having closed front elements, Figure2 is a cross section alone line ll-ll of Figure 1,the front element being open, Figure 3 is a plan view at one corner of the clamping frame having opened front elements, Figure 4 is an elevation of the opened front element in direction of the arrow IV in Figure 2, Figure 5 is a cross section of part of the clamping frame having an opened front element at the point of the lock, Figure 6shows a cross section in accordance with Figure 5, the front element being closed, along line VI-VI in Figure 1, and Figure 7 is a plan view of the clamping frame with a changed order of the flaps.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a display device for mounting and displaying sheet material.

The device has a rectangular clamping frame 1 comprising a rectangular rigid base frame 2 which is composed of four bars, preferably of light metal and connected at the corners by means of angles 3. The base frame 2 has a rear wall 4 of a rigid material, the edges of which are clamped between a longer leg 5 and a shorter leg 6 (Figure 2). The outer edge of each bar of the base frame 2 is provided on a stem 8 with a cylindrical bead 7 extending over its total length.

The bead is enclosed by a claw 10 which is arranged at an outer side wall 9 of a front or edge element 20, 21,22,23. The two members 7 and 10 form a hinge about which each element is tiltable between two positions i.e. an opening or release position (Figure 5) and a closing or clamping position (Figure 6). The front elements 20,21,22,23 are substantially identical.

Their construction will be explained hereinafter with reference to front element 21.

The front element 21 is a profiled bar, preferably of light metal which consists of an outer side wall 9, and inner side wall 11 and a front wall 12. At the inner surface of the inner side wall 11,there is fitted a longitudinal groove 13 engaged by one edge of a leaf spring 14, the other edge of which protrudes into a recess 15 of the base frame 2. Several leaf springs 14 are distributed over the length of the front element 21. With a swing of the front element, the slightly curved leaf spring 14 is tilted beyond its deadpoint thus retaining firmly the front element 21 not only in closing but also in opening position.

The ends of each front element 20,21,22 and 23 are bevelled at an angle of 45" and at least at one end of the three front elements 21,22,23 rectangular flaps 16,17,18, 19 are axially projecting past the bevelled part. When the front elements 20, 21,22,23 are closed, the flaps 16,17,18,19 underengagethe adjacent flap-free end of the next front element. The front element 21 has a flap 16 facing front element 20; front element 22 has a flap 17 facing front element 21 and front element 23 has two flaps 18 and 19 facing front element 22 or 20 respectively.

Both ends of front elements 20 are flapless.

The flaps are formed at the outer ends of sheet plate strips 16a, 17a, 18a and 19a the one longitudinal edge of which is deflected rectangularly, the deflection 24 resting against the inner surface of the outer side wall 9 of the apertaining front element.

The other longitudinal edge of each sheet plate strip engages an acute corner 25 between the inner side wall 11 and the front wall 12 of the front element, thus safely keeping against tilting and displacement the clamped sheet plate strip 16a, 17a, 18a, 19a in the front element.

The internal edge of each sheet plate strip 16a, 17a, 18a, 19a is provided with a notch to adapt it to the bevel part of the front element. In the centre of front element 20, there is a lock 26 which, when actuated, can lock the front element 20 with respect to the base frame 2. To reinforce the portion of the front element 26 receiving the lock 26, a plate 30 mounted against the internal surface of the front element extends between the outer side wall 9 and the inner side wall 1 (Figures 1,5,6). In locking position, a nose 27 engages a border 28 of the base frame (Figure 6). If the nose 27 is released from the engagement with the border 28 by means of key 31, the front element 20 can be folded out of the plane of the base frame 2 (Figure 5).When folded upwards, the front element 20 releases flaps 16 and 19 at the adjacent front elements 21 and 23. At first, onlyfront element 21 can be folded upwards, because the front element 23 is still arrested by the flap 18 engaging under the front element 22. Only upon folding upwards the latter, the front element 23 also can be folded up thus bringing about an open clamping frame 1 to permit to place e.g. an advertising paper 29 to the rearwall 4. The two flaps 18 and 19 stabilise the clamping frame 1. To ensure the function of the locking system, one of the flaps 18 or 19 would do.

For clamping the advertising sheet 29, the front elements are folded into the frame surface in reverse order, i.e. first the front element 23, then front element 22, subsequently front element 21 and finally front element 20 are tilted into the clamping position in which each front element 20, 21,22,23 presses one margin of the advertising sheet 29 against the rear wall 4 (Figure 6). When the lock 26 is closed, the advertising sheet 29 is safely protected in the clamping frame 1 from unauthorised removal.

The lock 26 may be disposed at any optional front element on the priviso that its ends are free from flaps engaging under the ends of adjacent front elements.

In the example of Figure 7, the flap 18 was omitted.

In this case, upon folding out the front element 20, the two adjacent front elements 21 and 23 are released for unfolding, and, as soon as they have been folded upwards, the last front element 22 can be also unfolded, because its flap 17 is no longer held down by the end of front element 21.

Although not shown, evidently the overlapping relationship between a flap provided on an element and an adjacent end of an neighbouring element may be such that the flap overlaps said end (rather than underlaps as shown), i.e. is located uppermost.

Also, the element which is lockable to the base frame may have a flap at one end at least (not shown).

Claims (8)

1. A display device for mounting and displaying sheet material, such as advertisement papers, posters and the like, the device comprising a flat base frame on which the sheet material can be mounted, and edge elements pivotally mounted along the periphery of the base frame for movement between release positions out of the plane of the base frame in which sheet material can be mounted in or removed from the base frame and clamping positions in which the edge elements clamp the sheet material against the base frame; in which a first edge element has a flap extending from one end which is in overlapping relationship with the end of an adjacent second edge element in the clamping positions of the first and second elements; and in which one of said edge elements is locable to the base frame in its clamping position.

2. A display device according to claim 1, in which the base frame is rectangular and has a respective edge element extending along each of its sides, there being an overlapped flap at each junction between a pair of adjacent edge elements, and in which said one edge element (which is lockable to the base frame) is pivotable to its release position without being hindered by a flap and the edge elements thereafter are pivotable in succession around the frame to their release position so that a final edge element (adjacent to said one element) is not allowed to pivot to its release position until all of the other elements have been pivoted to their release positions.

3. A display device according to claim 1, in which the base frame is rectangular and has a respective edge element extending along each of its sides, there being an overlapped flap at each junction between a pair of adjacent edge elements, and in which said one edge element (which is lockable to the base frame) is pivotable to its release position without being hindered by a flap, and upon release of said one element both of the adjacent elements are allowed to pivot to their release positions so that a final element (opposite to said one element) is not allowed to pivot to its release position until all of the other elements have been pivoted to their release positions.

4. A display device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the flap at the end of said first element engages under the flapless adjacent end of the adjacent second element, and in which no flaps are provided on said one element.

5. A display device according to any of one claims 1 to 3, in which the flap at the end of an element engages over the flapless adjacent end of the following element, and in which said one element, which is lockable to the base frame, is provided with a flap at one end at least.

6. A display device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which bevelled ends are provided on the elements, and each flap is formed by a sheet plate strip which is inserted to clamp in the profile of a respective element and projects beyond the bevelled end of the elements with a rectangular portion which forms the flap.

7. A display device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which said one element includes a lock for locking the element to the base frame.

8. A display device according to claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.