GB2122485A

GB2122485A - Improvements in or relating to devices for suspending sheet material

Info

Publication number: GB2122485A
Application number: GB08311000A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Raymond Reginald Janson Wilson; Sylvia Morris
Original assignee: WEST COUNTRY MARKETING AND ADV
Current assignee: WEST COUNTRY MARKETING AND ADV
Priority date: 1982-04-22
Filing date: 1983-04-22
Publication date: 1984-01-18
Also published as: FR2525703A3; GB8311000D0; AU1385683A; GB2122485B; BE905899Q; FR2525703B3; DE8311516U1; ES281074Y; ES281074U; AU551862B2; ZA832798B

Abstract

A device for suspending sheet material comprises sheets (2, 3, 4) bonded together to form a flat laminated structure (1). Magnetic plastics strips (7, 8) are bonded to facing surfaces of the sheets (2, 3). The sheet (2) has an elongate hinge region (13) at its middle so that the portion carrying the strip (7) can be hinged away from the sheet (3) and the strip (8) to allow insertion of the sheet material (14). The device may include a further sheet (9) provided on its outer surface with an adhesive layer (11) and a release paper (12) so that the device may be attached to a vertical surface such as a window. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to devices for suspending sheet material The present invention relates to devices for suspending sheet material, for instance paper carrying printed matter in the form of a poster.

According to the invention, there is provided a device for suspending sheet material, comprising a plurality of sheets bonded together to form a flat laminated structure and first and second mutually magnetically attractive strips bonded to facing inner surfaces offirst and second ones, respectively, of the plurality of sheets, the first sheet having an elongate middle region capable of hinging to permitthe portion ofthe first sheet to which the first strip is attached to be hinged awayfrom the portion of the second sheet carrying the second strip for insertion of sheet material between the first and second strips.

It is thus possible to provide a device for suspending a sheet of material which is easy to manufacture and is of low production cost. The flat laminated structure may be formed easily by adhesively bonding together the sheets and mutually magnetically attractive strips.

The provision of the middle hinge region simplifies the use of the device as it is merely necessary to hinge the first strip and the portion of the first sheet to which it is bonded away from the second strip, for instance by a peeling motion from a free edge of the first strip.

When the device is attached to a support surface, in particularly with the outer surface of the second sheet adhesively attached to the surface, the arrangement of the hinge and the hinging motion which it permits has little effect on the fixing of the device to the support surface. Thus, a secure fixing may be achieved which is resistant to repeated use of the device for suspend- ing sheet material with relatively little danger of the device becoming detached from the support surface.

Preferably, the first sheet is formed of a vinyl laminate material. Such a material is particularly suited to providing the hinge region and allows a considerable amount of hinging before any wearordamagetakes place.

Preferably, a third sheet, for instance of high impact polystyrene material, is disposed between and bonded to portions of the inner surfaces of the first and second sheets not bonded to the first and second Strips. This allows a particularly simple laminated structure to be provided and to have good form stability in use.

Preferably, the outer surface of the second strip is covered by and bonded to a polyester membrane whose outer surface is coated with an adhesive layer for attaching the device to a support surface. The adhesive layer is preferably protected by a removable sheet, for instance of silicone paper. This permits the device to be mounted to a support surface very easily by means of a simple structure which is inexpensive to manufacture.

The polyester membrane and the adhesive layer are preferably transparent to allow printing or other decorative material on th e theoutersurfaceofthesecond sheetto be seen, for instance when the device is mounted to a pane of glass.

Preferably the first and second strips are magnetic plastics strips. Such strips are relatively light and flexible, and can be bonded easily to the laminated structureto allow sheet material to be gripped therebetween by magnetic attraction. However, it would also be possible for one of the strips to be permanently magnetized and the otherstripto be ferromagnetic.

It is thus possible to provide a device which is simple and cheap and which has a long useful life.

Such devices may be used to attach promotional material to shop windows or the like, and the promotional material, in the form of posters orthe like, can be updated at regular intervals. Both the first and second sheets may be made of a vinyl laminate material which allows the device to be cleaned merely by wiping it. Thus, the device may be used in environments where hygiene is of importance, for instance in hospitals.

The device hasthe shape of a rectangle with the hinge region along the middle major axis. However, the device may have any shape desired.

The invention will be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an exploded cross-sectional view of a poster hanger constituting a preferred embodiment of the invention with the thickness ofthe parts exaggerated for purposes of illustration; Figure 2 shows the hanger of Figure 1 ready to receive a poster; and Figure 3 shows the hanger of Figure 1 supporting a poster.

Figure 1 shows a poster hanger 1 for attaching to a vertical surface in the form of a pane of glass (not shown),for instanceforming partof a shop window or the like. The hanger 1 comprises a laminated structure including first and second printed vinyl laminate sheets 2 and 3 and a sheet4 of high impact polystyrene. Adhesive layers 5 and 6 on the inner surfacesofthesheets2 and3 bondtogetherthe sheets 2to 4, and also bond facing magnetic plastics strips 7 and 8 to the sheets 2 and 3, respectively.The magnetic strips 7 and 8 are arranged so that they attract each other a long the facing major surface thereof.Atransparent polyester membrane 9 is bonded to the outer surface ofthe sheet 3 by an adhesive layer 10 and is provided on its outer surface with another adhesive layer 11. The adhesive layer 11 is protected, priorto use, bya sheet 12 of silicon paper.

The thickness and strength of the vinyl laminate sheet 2 is such that the elongate region 13 acts as a hinge allowing the magnetic strip 7 to be peeled away from the strip 8 and hingedaboutthe region 13for insertion orreleaseofa posterorthelike.

In use, the adhesive layer 11 is uncovered by peeling off the sheet of silicon paperandthehangeris attached by means ofthis layer to a vertical pane of glass. The hanger may be used as a promotional device and may carry printed material on the outer surfaces of both sheets 2 and 3. The adhesive of the layer 11 and the polyester membrane 9 are both transparent and allowthe printed matter on the outer surface of the sheet 3 to be seen through the glass.

In general, the hanger is arranged with the hinge region 13 horizontal as shown in Figures 2 and 3 ofthe drawings. In order to attach a poster 14, the magnetic strip 7 and the portion ofthe sheet 2to which it is attached are hinged upwardly to the position shown in Figure 2.The upper edge ofthe poster 14 is then inserted between the strips 7 and 8 and the strip 7 is released so that the magnetic attraction between the strips 7 and 8 causes the strip 7 to return to the position shown in Figure 3. The edge ofthe poster loins thus gripped between the strips 7 and 8 as a result ofthe magnetic attraction, which is sufficiently strong to enable a poster 14to be suspended withoutthe need forfurthersupport. Subsequently, if desired, the poster may be removed by lifting the strip 7 to release the upper edge of the poster.

The poster may be disposed such that its printed material is visible through the pane of glass, as well as or instead of from the side of the glass on which the hanger is disposed. Thus, where the poster and the hanger carry a promotional message of the like, the message may be read from both inside and outside a shop on whose window the hanger is supported.

However, the poster hanger is not limited to such uses and may be attached to any suitable surface, which may be vertical, horizontal, or inclined. The hanger may, for instance, be used to suspend letters, memos, jotters, and the like.

Although the embodiment described with reference tothe drawings comprises an elongate hangersufficiently large to suspend a poster, the hanger may be made in any suitable shape or size. Further, the hanger may be coloured as well as or instead of carrying printed matter, so as to provide an attractive finish.

Claims

1. A device for suspending sheet material, comprising a plurality of sheets bonded togetherto form a flat laminated structure and first and second mutually magnetically attractive strips bonded to facing inner surfaces of first and second ones, respectively, of the plurality of sheets, the first sheet having an elongate middle region capable of hinging to permit the portion ofthefirstsheetto which the firststrip is attached to be hinged away from the portion ofthesecond sheet carrying the second strip for insertion ofsheet material between the first and second strips.

2. Adevice as claimed in claim 1, in whichthefirst sheet is formed of a vinyl laminate material.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 or2, inwhichthe second sheet is formed of a vinyl laminate material.

4. A device as claimed in any one ofthe preceding claims, claims, in which a third sheet is disposed between and bonded to portionsofthe inner surfaces ofthefirst and second sheets not bonded to the first and second strips.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4, in which the third sheet isformed of a high impact polystyrene material.

6. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the outer surface ofthe second strip is covered by and bonded to a polyester member whose outer surface is coated with an adhesive layer for attaching the device to a support surface.

7. Adeviceasclaimed in claim 6, in which the adhesive layer is protected by a removable sheet.

8. A device as claimed in claim 6or7, in which the outer surface of the second sheet carries printing and the polyester membrane and the adhesive layer are transparent.

9. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which thefirstand second strips are magnetic plastics strips.

10. Adeviceforsuspending sheet material, sub stantial ly as herein before described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.