GB2139494A

GB2139494A - Display apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2139494A
Application number: GB08311082A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Eric Wentworth Peter Rootham; Ruby Mary Rootham
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-04-23
Filing date: 1983-04-23
Publication date: 1984-11-14
Also published as: GB8311082D0; GB2139494B

Abstract

Display apparatus, comprising sets of respective two sheets (32, 33), wherein in any said set a respective first sheet (32) extends outwardly beyond the edge of a respective second sheet (33), at least one of said first and second sheets having at least one edge portion (34) bendable away from the other of those first and second sheets such that between those first and second sheets at least one inlet mouth (36) can receive at least a portion of at least one item (7), such as a greetings card, note or photograph, to constitute a first display, and at least one window means (33') opening onto a region containing a second display. The windows may have flaps, as in an 'advent calendar', or may cooperate with a rotary dial as in a perpetual calendar, Figs. 4 and 5. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Display apparatus This invention relates to display apparatus for displaying a plurality of displays.

The present invention provides display apparatus, comprising: (a) at least one display clip means, comprising sheets providing sets of respective two sheets, adjacent said sets being provided such that at least a portion of a said sheet is common to two adjacent said sets so that those two adjacent sets abut each other, wherein in any said set a respective first sheet extends outwardly beyond the edge of a respective second sheet, at least one of said first and second sheets having at least one edge portion bendable away from the other of those two first and second sheets such that between those first and second sheets at least one inlet mouth can receive at least a portion of at least one item to constitute a first display, those first and second sheets being able releasably (preferably resiliently) to pinch between them said received item;; (b) at least one window means, said window means being adapted to be openable to access at least one region behind said window means, said region being able to contain a second display, said window means when closed optionally concealing said region and/or said second display; and (c) optional at least one identification means for identifying at least one of a plurality of said window means.

It should be noted that the word sheet refers to a sheet as such or a sheet that is a portion of something else, e.g. of a larger sheet (see later below).

Said first or second sheet can have any suitable shape(s). Some examples of those shape(s) are appearances that are: animallike (e.g. a reindeer, snake, or worm); crescentlike; disclike; facelike; flowerlike (e.g. a rose or rosette); ladderlike; personlike (e.g. an angel or Father Christmas); plantlike (e.g. a bush or tree); shieldlike; starlike (e.g. Star of David); sunburstlike; tabularlike; wheellike (e.g. wheel of fortune). An appearance can comprise any suitable regular and/or irregular outline. Any said sheet's periphery can be plain, profiled, or divided. Profiling or division of sheets can be the same or different; e.g., in a said set, profiling of said first and second sheets (when both have profiled peripheries) can be the same or different. Divisions or profiles of sheets can be at least partly aligned or at least partly unaligned with respect to those sheets.Notches, scalloping, or waves are some examples of divisions.

Divisions can comprise optional information, e.g.

at least part of a scale of dates and/or at least part of a scale of times. Preferably, said sheet bendable edge portion is resiliently bendable. Said sheet bendable edge portion can be subjected to temporary bending away of that portion so as to aid or enable at least one said inlet mouth to be sufficiently open for receiving at least a portion of at least one item to be displayed. Said bending away could be used for revealing optional information (e.g. colour and/or other information) behind that portion. A said sheet can have any suitable appearance(s), e.g. comprise at least one property chosen from any of: colours, light reflections, light transmissions, opacities, and textures. Some examples of appearances constitute decorative appearances (e.g. include any artwork) and/or plain appearances. It is possible for a said sheet to constitute a hologram, or any other optical device.A said sheet can be of any suitable material(s), e.g. cardboard, paper, plastics, or metal.

In any said set of sheets, the two sheets are different in size because of the first sheet's extension, but those sheets can be similar or dissimilar in appearance of e.g. their outlines, e.g.

both sheets can be disclike, tabularlike, or treelike.

Said first sheet's extension can constitute at least one first support for at least one said received item. Said first sheet and/or said second sheet can have a respective periphery profiled or divided (e.g. with at least one notch and/or at least one scallop and/or at least one wave) so as to constitute at least one second support for at least one said received item. Preferably, at least one said sheet is planar, but at least one said sheet could have curvature, e.g. be concave or convex.

A plurality of said sheets can be disposed in any suitable manner(s) in at least one direction. In one embodiment, a plurality of sets comprises at least two said sets disposed in succession one above the other, e.g. in a vertical direction relative to those sets. In a second embodiment, a plurality of sets comprises at least two said sets disposed in succession sideways relative to each other, e.g. in a left to right or top to bottom direction. In either of said successions, at least two sets can touch each other. When at least two sets are in succession sideways relative to each other, at least one respective sheet in at least two sets can be integral with them.When adjacent two said sheets are spaced apart for at least one said inlet mouth, there could be at least one optional spacer means spacing apart at least one portion of a sheet from at least one portion of an adjacent sheet.

Some examples of spacer means are: distance piece(s) (e.g. shims or washers); or fastener means (e.g. adhesive between adjacent said sheets).

When at least two said sheets are interconnected other than when they are integral with each other, at least one connection means can provide at least one said interconnection. Some connection means are a chain, clip, cord, ribbon, rod, staple, stitch, or thread. Said connection means can be at least partly flexible and/or at least partly rigid. Said connection means can be adapted to aid or enable collapse of a plurality of sheets and/or sets.

At least one said sheet or at least one said set can be at least partly collapsible, e.g. such that said collapse can be utilised in packaging said display apparatus. The manner in which said collapse is provided must be consistent with the intended use of said display apparatus. For example, when said display apparatus comprises a plurality of said sets hanging in succession one above the other, collapse of that plurality can be enabled or aided by at least one crease, fold, or score, etc. when a sheet is integral with another sheet, and/or at least one other optional articulation means (e.g. hinge means, for instance a flexible portion of sheet material), or an equivalent thereof.

Said inlet mouth can be closed or at least partly open when it contains no said received item. Said inlet mouth can have any suitable dimensions, e.g.

sufficient width for receiving at least a portion of width of at least one greetings card. Said inlet mouth can have at least one dimension that is the configuration of an open figure (e.g. an arc) or the configuration of a closed figure (e.g. an annulus). A plurality of said inlet mouths can be disposed in the configuration of an open figure or in the configuration of a closed figure. A plurality of said inlet mouths between a set of two adjacent sheets could lead to an optional single compartment between those sheets. At least one said inlet mouth can be partitioned so as to provide optional compartments (rather than one compartment) between the sheets constituting that mouth.

When a said received item enters a said inlet mouth, at least a portion of that item will pass into at least one said compartment, as appropriate. At least a portion of the bottom of any said compartment can be closed or open (e.g. when the top and bottom of a said compartment correspond to diametrically opposite inlet mouths of a said set). In any said set, the sheets can be fixed or movable relative to each other, other than for the purpose of defining a said inlet mouth, e.g.

at least one sheet can be rotatable or static.

Said display apparatus can display a plurality of said received items, the display being in any suitable manner(s), e.g. in at least one tier comprising at least one said item. At least two said items can be staggered relative to each other, or have any other suitable disposition(s). When there is a plurality of said tiers, those tiers can be disposed in at least one direction. At least two said tiers can be staggered relative to each other, or have any other suitable dispositions.

Some examples of said received items are greetings cards, other cards, notes, or photographs. They can be releasably gripped by said at least one display clip means until removed therefrom, e.g. by pulling radially away.

Said window means can be constituted in any suitable manner(s). For example, at least one portion of a said window means can be pivotable, rotateable or slideable, e.g. to provide a single, two, or more openable window portions.

Preferably, at least one portion of a said window means is integral with a said sheet (preferably a sheet foremost to a viewer of said display apparatus) and liftable relative thereto, for instance a pivotable sheet portion. Free edge of a said pivotable window means can be constituted in any suitable manner(s), e.g. could be derived from at least one means chosen from any of: lines of weakness (e.g. a scoreline) and perforations (e.g. cuts and/or holes). Free edge of a said pivotable window means can be liftable in any suitable manner(s) so as to access said region therebehind. At least one optional lifter means can be provided to aid or enable that lifting, e.g. at least one grip provided on the front of a said window means. However, said free edge could be prised upwards by insertion of e.g. a blade.A plurality of said window means can be disposed in any suitable manner(s) in at least one direction.

That disposition can have any suitable appearance(s), e.g. the configuration of a figure, for instance a Father Christmas head. Said plurality of window means can be an even or odd number. That number can correspond to a period, e.g. a period of days, for instance a period of advent of a religious or other festival. One example of said period of days is 24 days corresponding to the Christian period of Advent. Said plurality of window means can comprise at least first and second said window means, those window means being the same or different in appearance.

Said at least one region behind a said window means can be adapted to contain 2dimensional and/or 3-dimensional information.

One example of said 2-dimensional information is at least one indicium provided on a sheet underlying a said foremost sheet. Said at least one indicium can be chosen from any of: devices, ideograms (for instance Chinese or Japanese), letters, music notation, numbers, patterns, pictures, and words. Said 2-dimensional information could be constituted by any suitable artwork. One example of said 3-dimensional information is a gift (e.g. a favour, hat, motto, sweet, token, or toy). When said period corresponds to a religious festival, it is not essential for said 2-dimensional and/or 3dimensional information to be religious.For Example, when there are 24 window means corresponding to the days of the Christian Advent period, said 2-dimensional information could be any known non-religious representation utilised at Christmas or Yuletime, e.g. an elf, Father Christmas, a reindeer, or a sleigh.

Said at least one optional identification means can be constituted in any suitable manner(s).

When said plurality of window means corresponds to a period of days, at least one of those window means could be provided with at least one respective numerical indicium. For example, 24 window means can be respectively numbered to identify the corresponding days of the Christian period of Advent.

Said display apparatus of the present invention could be embodied as selector apparatus for selecting at least a portion of said first display and/or of said second display. At least one said sheet and/or at least one said window means could be movable in providing said selecting. Said selecting could comprise aligning at least two different portions of information to provide a message. That alignment could comprise utilising at least one said sheet and/or at least one said window means. Some applications of said selecting are providing information for astrology, calender(s), competitions, fortune telling, games,lotteries, magic, messages, patterns, pools (for instance football pools), racing (for instance horse racing), raffles, and food recipes.

In the accompanying drawings, which are given by way of example of the present invention: Fig. 1 shows a Christmas tree shaped display apparatus.

Fig. 2 shows a tabular shaped display apparatus.

Fig. 3 shows a rose or rosette display apparatus.

Figs.4,5 together show a perpetual calender display apparatus.

In Fig. 1, Christmas tree shaped display apparatus 31 has an assembly of two sheets 32, 33, one above the other, each of those sheets having the outline of a Christmas tree. Each of sheets 32, 33 can be regarded as being a plurality of sheets (or sheet components or sheet portions) integrally interconnected to each other, such that sheets 32, 33 provide a plurality of sets of two sheets displayed in succession sideways relative to each other, i.e. in a top to bottom direction of Fig. 1. Sheet 32 is behind sheet 33 and extends outwardly beyond sheet 33. The outlines of sheets 32 and 33 can be regarded as being notched, scalloped, waved, or otherwise divided so as to suggest branches of a Christmas tree. These divisions aid bending away of sheet edges, e.g.

portions of edge 34 of sheet 33, this bending aiding or enabling corresponding inlet mouth(s) 36 between sheets 32 and 33 to be sufficiently open to receive an edge portion of a greetings card 7.

The received card 7's lower edge can be disposed in any suitable manner, e.g. as shown or such that it projects over and leans on a portion of edge 34 of sheet 33 (so as to aid or enable support of card 7 in addition to support provided by resilient pinching between sheets 32, 33). There is at least one crease, fold, or score F extending across each of sheets 32, 33. Corresponding creases, folds, or scores F are respectively aligned one above the other, so as to aid or enable collapse by folding the Christmas tree display. A crease, fold, or score F is one example of articulation means; another example is a flexible portion of sheet material.

The foremost sheet 33 of the Christmas tree shaped display apparatus is provided with 24 windows corresponding to the days of the Christian Advent period, i.e. the days 1 to 24th of December. The windows are identified by numbers corresponding to the respective days.

Windows 1 to 14, 16, 19, 20, 22, 23 are constituted by respective single pivotable flap portions 33' of the foremost sheet 33, those portions being pivotable as indicated by broken lines a, and having free edges b indicated by continuous lines corresponding to cuts or lines of weakness, whereby the free edges can be prised upwards. The windows 1 5, 1 7, 18, 21, 24 are constituted by respective pairs of flap portions 33', each flap portion 33' of each pair being constituted in a similar manner to said single flap portions 33'. Each said flap portion 33' is liftable to access at least one region behind its window, that region being adapted to contain or containing at least one item of said 2-dimensional information and/or at least one item of said 3dimensional information.It will be appreciated that the numbering of the windows constitutes a calender. At least one of those windows can omit any said numbering.

In Fig. 2, tabular shaped display apparatus 31 has an assembly of two sheets 32, 33 one above the other, each of those sheets having a tabular outline. Each of sheets 32, 33 can be regarded as being a plurality of sheets (or sheet components or sheet portions) integrally interconnected to each other, such that sheets 32, 33 provide a plurality of sets of two sheets disposed in succession sideways relative to each other, i.e. in a top to bottom or other direction of Fig. 2. Sheet 32 is behind sheet 33 and extends outwardly beyond sheet 33. The outlines of sheets 32 and 33 can be regarded as being notched, scalloped, waved, or otherwise divided so as to suggest compartments or chapters of a tabular outline.These divisions aid bending away of sheet edges, e.g. portions of edge 34 of sheet 33, this bending aiding or enabling corresponding inlet mouths 36 between sheets 32 and 33 to be sufficiently open to receive an edge portion of a greetings card 7. The received card 7's lower edge can be disposed in any suitable manner, e.g. as shown or such that it projects over and leans on a portion of edge 34 of sheet 33 (so as to aid or enable support of card 7 in addition to support provided by resilient pinching between sheets 32, 33). There are e.g. two creases, folds, or scores F extending across each of sheets 32, 33. Corresponding creases, folds, or scores F are respectively aligned one above the other, so as to aid or enable collapse by folding the tabular display.A crease, fold, or score F is one example of articulation means; another example is a flexible portion of sheet material.

In Fig. 3, rose or rosette shaped display apparatus 31 has an assembly of four circular sheets 32 to 35 disposed in succession one above the other. In each set of adjacent said sheets, a first sheet (e.g. sheet 32) extends outwardly beyond an edge of a second sheet (e.g. sheet 33), and each sheet has the appearance of a scalloped disc, the scalloping assisting portions of edge of a sheet (e.g. sheet 33) to be respectively bent away temporarily to enable a corresponding inlet mouth 36 defined between that edge and the other sheet to be sufficiently open to receive an edge portion of a greetings card 7. The rose of rosette shaped display apparatus enables tiers of said inlet mouths.

The foremost sheet 33 of the tabular shaped display apparatus of Fig. 2 or of the rose or rosette shaped display of Fig. 3 is provided with 24 windows, in any suitable manner(s), e.g. as described above for Fig. 1. Fig. 2 or 3 shows its windows numbered in a similar manner to the numbering of Fig. 1, but the windows in Fig. 2 are not of the same appearance as those in Fig. 1 even though they are constituted in a similar manner to those of Fig. 1.

In Figs. 4 and 5, a rose or rosette shaped perpetual calender display apparatus 31 comprises an assembly of three circular sheets 32 to 34 disposed in succession one above the other.

Those sheets are secured together by a fastener 35, which optionally could allow rotation of at least one of those sheets. Each sheet (e.g. sheet 33) has the appearance of a scalloped disc, the scalloping assisting portions of edge of that disc to be respectively bent away temporarily to enable a corresponding inlet mouth 36 defined between that edge and an adjacent sheet (e.g. sheet 32) to be sufficiently open to receive an edge portion of a greetings card 7. The display apparatus enables tiers of said inlet mouths. The foremost sheet 34 has three open windows 37, 38, 39 for displaying corresponding portions of rotatable display discs 40, 41, 42 therebehind. Those discs are secured to sheet 34 by respective fasteners 43, 44, 45.

Window 37 and corresponding disc 40 are optional. Disc 40 displays names of days. Disc 41 displays day numbers via window 38. Disc 42 displays names of months via window 39. It would be possible to modify the apparatus by adding to sheet 34 a further window (not shown) and a corresponding rotatable display disc (not shown) displaying year numbers. The dispositions and shapes of said windows could be other than as shown, and the display discs would be provided accordingly.

In making any said display apparatus according to the accompanying drawings, any suitable material(s) can constitute any sheet thereof, e.g.

suitable paper or cardboard. The sheets can be fastened together by any suitable means, e.g.

adhesive between them and/or by a pin, staple, or stitch, etc. That fastening could allow or resist motion of at least one said sheet, e.g. a circular sheet could be rotatable. As an alternative to a pivotable flap portion of Fig. 1, 2, or 3, the corresponding window could be constituted by at least one aperture or the like provided in a said sheet, and at least one slider could be provided for opening that aperture, the slider being movable by motion of translation and/or motion of rotation.

For example, a slider could be a strip of paper (not shown) removable from a display apparatus, or a pivotable disc (not shown). A pivotable window can be pivotable about any suitable axis, e.g. a pivotable flap portion 33', or a flap portion (not shown) sideways pivotable about an axis rising out of the plane of a sheet 33.

Claims

1. Display apparatus, comprising: (a) at least one display clip means, comprising sheets providing sets of respective two sheets, adjacent said sets being provided such that at least a portion of a said sheet is common to two adjacent said sets so that those two adjacent sets abut each other, wherein in any said set a respective first sheet extends outwardly beyond the edge of a respective second sheet (optionally so as to constitute at least one first support for at least one received item mentioned below), at least one of said first and second sheets having at least one edge portion bendable away from the other of those first and second sheets such that between those first and second sheets at least one inlet mouth can receive at least a portion of at least one item to constitute a first display, those first and second sheets being able releasably (optionally resiliently) to pinch between them said received item; (b) at least one window means, said window means being adapted to be openable to access at least one region behind said window means, said region being able to contain a second display, said window means when closed optionally concealing said region and/or said second display; and (c) optional at least one identification means for identifying at least one of a plurality of said window means.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said display clip means corresponds to a display having an appearance that is animallike, crescentlike, disclike, facelike, flowerlike, ladderlike, personlike, plantlike, shieldlike, starlike, sunburstlike, tabularlike, or wheellike.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one said sheet edge portion is resiliently bendable.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the periphery of at least one said sheet is plain, profiled, or divided.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the periphery of at least one said sheet comprises notch(es) and/or scallop(s) and/or wave(s).

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein a said first sheet and/or a said second has at least one notch and/or at least one scallop and/or at least one wave, optionally to constitute at least one second support for at least one said received item.

7. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a plurality of said sets comprises at least two said sets disposed in succession one above the other.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said plurality of sheets comprises disclike sheets.

9. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a plurality of said sets comprises at least two said sets disposed in succession sideways relative to each other, at least two sheets in those at least two said sets optionally being integral with each other.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said plurality of sheets comprises tabular sheets.

11. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein at least one said sheet or-at least one said set is at least partly collapsible.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11, comprising at least one crease, fold, or score when a sheet is integral with another sheet, and/or at least one other articulation means, optionally hinge means.

1 3. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein at least one said inlet mouth is able to receive at least a portion of: at least one greetings card or other card, note, or photograph.

14. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, comprising a plurality of said inlet mouths.

1 5. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14, when at least one said sheet is made of cardboard or suitable paper, plastics material, or metal.

1 6. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 15, comprising at least one connection means for interconnecting at least two said sheets together.

17. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein at least one portion of a said window means is pivotable, rotatable, or slideable, optionally to provide a single, two, or more openable window portions.

1 8. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein at least one portion of a said window means is integral with a said sheet (optionally a sheet foremost to a viewer of said display apparatus) and liftable relative thereto, optionally a pivotable sheet portion.

1 9. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein a plurality of said window means is disposed as configuration of a figure.

20. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 1 9, wherein a plurality of said window means is a number of window means corresponding to a period, optionally a period of days.

21. Apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein said period of days is a period of advent of a religious or other festival, optionally the Christian period of Advent.

22. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein said at least one region behind a said window means is adapted to contain 2dimensional and/or 3-dimensional information.

23. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein at least one said window means is provided with at least one respective indicium, optionally numerical.

24. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 23, when selector apparatus for selecting at least a portion of said first display and/or of said second display.

25. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings.

26. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings.

27. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings.

28. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.

29. A method of display, comprising providing at least one display by utilising at least one apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 28.

30. A method of display as claimed in claim 29, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings.

31. A method of display as claimed in claim 29, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings.

32. A method of display as claimed in claim 29, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings.

33. A method of display as claimed in claim 29, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.