GB2172734A - Advertising and/or promotion device - Google Patents

Abstract

A device for use in advertising or promotion comprises a vertical wall 2 of transparent material, such as clear plastic sheet, and an arched part cylindrical sheet 1 secured behind this wall. The arched sheet is formed by bending a flat sheet wider than the vertical wall to fit between tabs 3 on vertical edges of the wall. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Advertising and/or promotion device The invention relates to an advertising and/or promotion device of the kind comprising at least one vertical wall consisting of a transparent material, notably clear-sight, i.e. non-clouding plastics foil.

Display cabinets and show cases where posters and objects for sale are displayed behind glass are known. Besides pure advertising pictures and/or communications they also enable notices and communications of various other kinds to be displayed, such as for example price lists, signposts to special offers and other kinds of displays as well as photographs, pictures, graphics and the like.

Such devices are very expensive, costly to produce, their erection is time-consuming and transportation cumbersome.

It is the aim of the invention to improve a device of the kind specified in that sense that, whilst presenting a high degree of stability, it is easy to produce, easy to erect and easy to transport in space-saving fashion.

A further aim of the invention resides in providing a stand for posters or bill boards which is capable of standing upright, requires little space for transport and storage, can be set up by a few simple manipulations and allows an easy and rapid change of the poster or like object.

According to the invention this aim is achieved due to the fact that behind each wall there is fixed an inwardly curved or arched, part-cylindrical sheet the generatrix of which is approximately vertical.

This device may be used for a wide range of applications, particularly as a vending stand, goods support, display, advertising poster stand, publicity pillar, bill carrier, display carbinet, goods container, table or pedestal. Although the device may be manufactured from thin sheet material, notably cardboard, carton and/or plastics foil, due to its configuration and shape it has a very high degree of stability. The cost of stamping out the correct shapes from such materials are low, and the initial assembly as well as the dismantling operation are particularly simple. In the folded or collapsed state the device requires very little space for transportation. The advertising, display and promotion efficacy of the device is extremely high.

The above listed advantages are obtained particularly when the sheet consists of a flat, folded material, particularly carton, corrugated cardboard or plastic. In this respect it is suggested that, for preference, the walls are formed by a tube, envelope or hose of transparent plastics material which is multiply bent at an angle to form a polygonal cross section.

With a view to providing an easy way of arching the sheet faces in question it is proposed that the side length of the walls measured in the horizontal direction should be shorter than the length of the respective adjacent sheet face in the flat, i.e. non-arched state.

For simple production and easy assembly it is proposed that the walls are bent over inwards at an angle along at least one vertical edge thereof to form a flap or tab section.

So that the walls will form exterior side walls, pairs of mutually adjacent wall tabs or flaps may then be secured to each other, preferably by means of an adhesive. Preferably the side walls consist of at least two blanks of which respective lateral inwardly arched flaps are secured, notably adhesively, to flaps of adjacent blanks.

In order to provide a support, in particular a container (chute, hopper) on the topside it is proposed to arrange a horizontal bottom element on the topside resting on top of the horizontal edges of the walls. In such an arrangement the side walls may project above the said bottom element. It is further suggested that the bottom element may comprise a vertically upstanding lateral edge which lies against the inside of the side walls. A secure fixation of the bottom element is obtained by providing flaps or tab projecting from the upper horizontal edge of the faces and engaging in slots of the bottom element. It is further suggested to provide slits at the corners of the bottom element wherein engage the tabs of the side walls.

Stability may be further improved by means of a diagonal vertical wall projecting downwards from the underside of the bottom element and extending between the arched faces.

In such an arrangement the wall may be angled or bent away from a horizontal sheet secured to the underside of the bottom element. It is further suggested that a further sheet of the same thickness as the horizontal sheet is secured to the remaining residual area at the underside of the bottom or shelf element. This ensures secure and planar positioning of the bottom or shelf element.

According to a preferred suggestion a second face or sheet to which the advertisement has been applied is arranged in front of each arched sheet face, said second sheet having approximately the same degree of arching as the first sheet. Whilst it is perfectly possible to print the advertisement directly on the arched sheet, it is alternatively possible to provide an advertising sheet in front of the arched sheet so as to be easily exchangeable.

If the device comprises only one wall it is proposed that this should comprise marginal side regions angled to the same side and extending at an acute angle, preferably of about 45 , relative to the main surface area of the wall and that the lateral edges of the sheet are embraced thereby which involves some arching or curved out. The angle at which the marginal side regions of the wall extend relative to its major area is conveniently adapted to the curvature of the sheet because then the marginal side sections of the wall will engage with the marginal side regions of the sheet.

However, this angle does not necessarily depend on the curvature of the sheet.

The clear-sight foil material may, in principle, be of any desired thickness. For example, it is possible also to use rigid acrylic sheeting.

However, for reasons of material economy a thin flexible material, approximately 0.2-0.4 mm thick consisting of PVC, polystyrene or similar plastics will be preferred. It is vital to ensure that the angle fold of the marginal side regions of the clear-sight foil is durable. The actual strength of the clear-sight foil is produced by the tension of the carton of superior width B which is to be wedged into the angled legs.

The sheet will generally consist of cardboard, but paper and plastics foil may also be taken into consideration.

In principle the height of the sheet may differ from the height of the wall. The upright standing ability of the device according to the invention will be preserved even if the sheet and the wall are of different heights. However the most secure upright standing ability is obtained when the wall and the sheet have the same height and for this reason this embodiment is preferred.

As already mentioned, the printing or writing on the sheet or face is a matter of free choice. It is also possible to print the sheet and the wall, so that when viewed from the front the printings or writings on sheet and wall are relatively superimposed. It is further possible to fit an additional strip-like face or wall in the device and such additional strip or strips of inferior height by comparison with the sheet or the wall may either adapt to the arching of the sheet to provide an additional facility for printing or writing on the sheet, or may extend in the plane of. . . in the latter case the strips may either have a width like the wall and engage by their lateral edges-with the inside edges of the angled regions of the marginal side sections of the wall.On the other hand such additional strips may have angled marginal side sections like the wall and may be placed from the outside on the wall embracing the wall by their angled marginal side sections. It is also possible to place a printed bill or poster on top of the unprinted sheet and to cover this by a wall. Such a three-layered or tripple unit will then be clamped fast between the angled marginal side sections of the wall causing a rearward arching thereof.

The advertising face or sheet can be changed by the simple operation of pulling out the former and pushing in a new advertising face. If the rearwall of the advertising face or sheet simply serves as an unprinted shape or form element a printed paper poster or bill will be placed on the rear wall and on top of this, for cover, a clear-sight PVC foil of the same format is placed, the whole unit is then again clamped or wedged fast between the grooved legs of the wall and again forms the standard display. The advantage of this arrangement resides in the easy, simple and cheap facility of changing the printed posters.

During transport and storage the advertising face or sheet is flat and occupies very little space. Further advantages reside in the earlier described universal applicability and range of the device according to the invention as well as in its economical manufacture.

According to another preferred embodiment the rearwall of the face or sheet may be provided with fold lines extending in the direction of its width which allow the sheet to be folded harmonica-fashionwise from top to bottom. This enables the device according to the invention being despatched in an extremely space-saving manner inside a tubular cardboard container. The wall, the transparent cover plate and the printed poster are rolled up and the sheet is collapsed into harmonica pleats and thus pushed inside the roll. Since the fold lines run in the direction of the width of the sheet the bending of the rear wall of the sheet during insertion of the wall flaps is in no way impaired.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, the latter is designed to serve as an element for the construction of a display- or deco-wall and/or a partition wall comprising a plurality of such unit elements adapted to be joined up in one plane by connecting means. To this end each of the side edges of the sheet is to be provided with a hollow profile into which connecting tabs or flaps can be inserted from above and/or beneath. The hollow profiles along the side edges of the sheet, which may be formed, preferably by at least triple folding over of the side edges of the sheet, the last folded section being secured to the backside of the sheet, increase the rigidity of the device and also allow the insertion therein of connecting tabs or flaps. By means of the taps several poster-stand elements may be mutually assembled in one plane, side by side and/or vertically above or beneath one another to make up a wall which can be easily erected and taken down again.

In order to improve the cohesion of the sheet with the hollow profiles along the side edges and the wall it is suggested, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, that at each angled side edge portion of the wall there is provided a terminal portion which is folded or angled inwards and embraces the hollow profile. This greatly improves the positive and dynamic engagement between wall and sheet.

The connecting tab, in a simple form of ex ecution thereof, may consist of two carton blanks of the sheet which are mutually secured in their middle region or at their end.

Such a tab engages forklike in the hollow profiles of respective adjacent unit elements and ensures their cohesion. Intermediate tabs have in each case two prongs extending to opposite sides and they connect in each case four unit elements together in the corner region. At the upper and lower edge of such a display wall assembled from unit elements twopronged connecting tabs are inserted into the hollow profiles along the side edges of the sheet whereby in each case two laterally adjacent unit elements are connected with one another. Unit elements which are arranged side by side touch one another along the lateral edge regions of the clear-sight foil. On the other hand, unit elements which are arranged vertically above or below one another may have their bottom or top edges spaced apart. To this end the connector tabs may comprise spacer-shoulders.Instead of this arrangement however, vertically stacked unit elements may also be assembled flush, that is to say without gaps or spaces therebetween.

Examples of embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings in which: Figure 1 shows the carbon in elevation and Figure 2 in plan, both in the initial state, Figure 3 is an elevation of the clear-sight foil and Figure 4 is the corresponding plan view, Figure 5 is a plan view of a poster stand made up from the carton and the clear-sight foil, Figure 6 is the corresponding perspective view Figure 7 is the corresponding plan view, Figures 8 to 12 illustrate further embodiments of poster stands according to the invention, Figures 12 to 20 illustrate a poster stand element which is suitable, in association with connector tabs, for the erection of unit-element display walls, Figure 2 1 is a perspective view of another device according to the invention, Figure 22 is a horizontal section through the device according to Fig. 21 taken beneath the upper bottom or shelf element, Figure 23 is a section according to Fig. 22 with side walls from one single blank, Figure 24 is a section according to Fig. 22 or 23, with a side wall divided into four, Figure 25 is a horizontal section through a device of triangular cross sectional configuration, and Figure 26 shows a device having a rectangular cross section with a side wall divided into two and a bottom or shelf elemet which can be inserted from above with a rigidification wall diagonally therebeneath.

According to Fig. 1, the printed carton 1 is of square or rectangular shape. It will be understood however that in principle it may have any other shape, for example that of a circle or of an oval. The width of carton 1 is designated B and its height H.

The clear-sight (transparent) foil 2 according to Fig. 3 has a width b which is less than the width B of the carton add a height h which may be smaller, equal to or greater than the height H of carbon 1. To one and the same side marginal side sections 3 are bent or angled away under the angle a from the main face of the foil 2. They form the opening for the insertion therein of carton 1 as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. During the insertion of carton 1 into the transparent foil 2 the lateral edges of carton 1 come to engage with the inner edges of the angled marginal sections 3. Due to the superior width B of carton 1 by comparison with the width b of the foil 2 the carton 1 domes or arches out as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, i.e. away from the foil 2. This affords a good standing ability for the poster stand even in the event of differential heights H and h in carton 1 and foil 2.

In the embodiment of the poster stand according to Figs. 7 and 8 comprising the carton 1 and the transparent foil 2 additional strips 4 and 5 are provided. Strip 5 has the same width as the foil 2 and is introduced for engagement with the rearward side of the foil 2. Strip 4 has angled marginal edge sections 6 like the foil 2 which externally embrace the angled sections 3 of the foil 2. In other words, strip 4 is placed in front of the frontal side of the transparent foil 2. These side strips 4, 5 may be used for printing or writing additinal information or for covering and concealing certain information on carton 1 in which latter case the strips may also be adapted to the curvature of carton 1 as indicated by the dot-and-dash line 5' in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 shows an embodiment of the poster stand according to the invention in which the carton 1 has a greater form-stamped or punched height compared with the transparent foil 2 with a top-margin section 1a. In the embodiment according to Fig. 10 the situation is reversed, here the transparent foil 2 has a form-stamped marginal section 2a projecting above the top edge of carton 1.

Fig. 11 shows the carton 1 with fold lines 5 extending parallel in the direction of its breadth and allowing the carton rearwall 1 to be folded harmonicafashionwise for space-saving transportation thereof (Fig. 11be. On erection the pleated rearwall is pulled out towards top and bottom until it is flat. Then a printed poster 6 is placed in front of it and this is covered by a transparent pane 7 (Fig. 12).

This composite unit is then bent and clamped fast between the angled marginal sections 3 of carton 1.

Fig. 13 shows the transparent foil 2 which comprises inwardly directed terminal portions 3a at the marginal sections 3. The marginal sections 3 and their angled terminal portions 3a embrace, as shown in Fig. 14, hollow profiles 10 which are provided along the lateral edges of carton 1. The hollow profiles 10 are preferably formed by triple folding over of marginal sections 10a to 10c of carton 1. The last fold section 10c is secured, e.g. adhesively, to the backside of carton 1. However, the hollow profile may be produced separately as a whole and then secured, notably adhesively, to the side edges of carton 1. Nor is the cross sectional configuration of the hollow profile 10 confined to the illustrated triangular cross section but it may assume a different configuration, for example square.

The erection of a wall assembled from the poster stand unit elements according to Fig.

14 requires connector tabs. To this end simply formed connector tabs 11 according to Figs. 15 to 17 may be used which consist of two carton blanks 1 lea, 1 ib of symmetrically opposite shape which in the case of the intermediate connector tabs according to Figs. 15 and 16 are secured to one another in the middle region 13. With end connectors according to Fig. 17 which are inserted at the top and bottom edges of the display wall into the hollow profiles 10 along the side edges of carton 1, the connection between the carton blanks 1 1a, 1 1b is made at one end. It is also enough to use just one carton blank which is folded in the middle and then forms the endconnector tab according to Fig. 17.

Fig. 18 illustrates in side elevation the mutual connection of two vertically stacked poster stand unit elements by means of connector tabs 11. The frontal view of this connection is shown in fragmentary illustration in Fig. 20. One blank 1 1a is pushed into the hollow profile 10 of one unit element and the opposite blank 1 1b into the hollow profile 10 of the laterally adjacent hollow profile 10 of another poster stand unit element. In other words, one connector tab 11 makes a corner connector for four poster stand unit elements as is most cleariy shown in Fig. 20.

If vertical spaces or gaps are to be provided between vertically stacked poster stand unit elements the connector tab 11 may comprise shoulders 12, as illustrated in Figs. 15 and 18.

Fig. 19 shows a display wall erected from a plurality of vertically stacked poster stand unit elements with supporting legs 14 inserted into the bottom of the wall. In this arrangement the furcated blanks 1 1a, 1 1b which are inserted into the hollow profiles 10 mutually connect at the legs 14 laterally adjacent poster stand unit elements.

The dimensions of poster stand unit elements, which are assembled to form a display wall may be equal or differential. It is also possible to connect the poster stand elements according to the invention with differently shaped or formed wall elements or with shelf surfaces 15 which are push fitted on or between the wall elements with corresponding tab-like fittings.

The device according to Figs. 21 to 26 may be used for widely different purposes, particularly as a goods-vending stand, goods pedestal, display, advertisement poster stand promotion pillar or column, display cabinet, chute or dispenser, table or stool. Viewed in horizontal cross section the device may form a triangle, a square or a polygon, and in the given examples of execution the vertical side walls 21 are plane. The side walls consist of a transparent material, notably plastic foil which, for material economy, is relatively thin and therefore flexible. However, this flexibility is compensated by the rigidifying action of the other components.The side wall 21 may, as shown in Fig. 23, consist of a single blank which has been angled three times to form three corners of the square section and which has two further angled sections along the vertical edges forming inwardly directed flaps or tabs. These two flaps form one part of a diagonal in the square and are secured to each other, preferably adhesively. The number of blanks used to make up the whole side wall surrounding the device determines the number of pairs of tabs or flaps which are mutually adhesively joined.

On the inside of each wall 21 is a face or sheet 23 of paper, cardboard, carton or plastic foil which is domed or arched in such a way that the vertical side edges of this sheet 23 touch the edges 24 of side wall 21. Since the sheet 23 has a greater breadth or length in the horizontal direction than that of side wall 21 the sheet 23 is concavely inwardly arched. There are as many sheets or faces 23 as there are flat or plant sections of the side wall 21, and the individual faces 23 of the entire device may be formed by a single stamped out blank folded three times as shown in Fig. 23. The number of blanks forming the faces 23 corresponds to the number of blanks forming the side walls.

Each face 23 may be provided with advertising matter, notably writing and/or illustrations. Alternatively however an additional, curved face 25 of approximately the same size as face 23 may be removably placed in front of face 23 and provided with written or /and illustrative advertising matter.

When the faces 23, and notably faces 25, are taken out of the interior of the device the side walls can be readily folded down without having to be detached from each other and thus all parts in the collapsed state occupy no more than the height corresponding to the thickness of their material. Thus the device can be stacked and stored in a minimum of space.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 21 the height of the transparent side walls 21 is superior to that of the faces 23 and a horizontal bottom or shelf element 26 the dimensions of which correspond to the interior space between side walls 21 has been placed on top of the upper edges of the faces 23. This bottom, which in this example is square, comprises diagonally directed slots 27 the length of which corresponds to the width of the tabs 22 and in which the said tabs 22 engage. The number of slots 27 corresponds to the number of tab pairs. Along the four side edges of the shelf 26 there are marginal sections which are vertically upwardly angled and the height of which corresponds to the difference between the side wall 21 and the faces 23 so that these lateral edges 26a of the shelf or bottom element lie against the insides of the side walls 21.Thus the bottom element 26 and its edges 26a together form an upwardly open container, or chute in which goods may be placed and offered for sale.

The device shown in Fig. 26 differs from that according to Fig. 21 in that its horizontal cross section is rectangular or oblong and that the bottom 26 closes the device at the top side without showing upstanding edges. On the other hand, on the underside of the bottom 26 a rigidification wall 28 is diagonally secured thereto and projects vertically downwards to fit in between the faces 23 in order to rigidify the device. The vertical edges of the wall 28 thus reach up to two corners or edges 24 of the device. This wall 28 is angled or bent away from a horizontal face, not shown, which is adhesively fixed to the underside of bottom 26. In order to make the bottom 26 sit at the same level on the topside of the device a sheet having the same thickness as the rigidifying wall 28 has been glued horizontally onto the remaining triangular surface.

At the upper horizontal edges of the faces 23 individual tabs, not shown, may project towards the top which would engage in slits formed in bottom element 26 and would be bent over in order to improve the seat of the bottom element 26 on faces 23.

Claims (24)

1. Advertising and/or promotion device comprising at least one vertical wall of a transparent material and in each case one inwardly arched part-cylindrical sheet secured behind each wall of which the generatrix is approximately vertical.

2. Device according to claim 1 with arched sheets of a flat folded material, in particular carton, corrugated cardboard or plastics material.

3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, with one or more walls formed by a tube of transparent plastics material in which the plastics material has been multiply bent at an angle to form a polygonal cross section.

4. Device according to any preceding claim in which the side-length of the walls measured in the horizontal direction is shorter than the length of the respective sheet engaging with the side edges in non-arched condition.

5. Device according to any preceding claim in which the walls are bent inwards at least along one vertical edge to form a tab.

6. Device according to any preceding claim with a horizontal bottom element resting at the top side on the horizontal edges of the sheets.

7. Device according to any preceding claim, with a second sheet with advertising matter applied thereto arranged in front of each arched sheet and having substantially the same curvature as the first sheet.

8. Device according to any claim 5 to 7, comprising a wall which has marginal side sections angled to one and the same side at an acute angle to the major surface area of the wall and embracing the side edges of the sheet by arching it out.

9. Device according to any preceding claim in which the height of the wall is equal to the height of the sheet.

10. Device according to any preceding claim with foldlines extending parallel in the direction of breadth in the sheet enabling the sheet to be folded harmonica-fashionwise and collapsed.

11. Device according to any preceding claim as unit element for the construction of a display -or decowall and/or partition wall from a plurality of unit elements adapted to be joined up in one plane by connector means, with a wall, a sheet and in each case a hollow profile arranged along the side edges of the sheet into which connector tabs can be inserted from above and/or below.

12. Device according to claim 11, with a hollow profile formed by at least triple bending-over of the side edges of the sheet, the last folded section being secured to the rearside of the sheet.

13. Device according to one of claims 11 or 12, with an inwardly angled terminal section embracing the hollow profile at the angled marginal side sections of the wall.

14. Device according to any of claims 11 to 13, in which the connector tab consists of two carton blanks of the sheet mutually secured in their middle region (for intermediate tabs) or at one of their ends (for end tabs).

15. Device according to claim 14 with spacer shoulders on the connector tabs.

16. Device according to claim 5 in which the walls are exterior side walls and in each case two mutually adjacent tabs of the side walls are secured, particularly adhesively, to each other.

17. Device according to any of claims 1 to 10 and 16 with side walls consisting of at least two blanks of which in each case two lateral inwardly arched tabs are secured, particularly by adhesive fixation, to tabs of adjacent blanks.

18. Device according to any of claims 6 to 10 in which the walls form exterior side walls which project above the bottom element.

19. Device according to claim 18, with a bottom element comprising a vertically upstanding lateral edge which engages-with the inside of the side walls.

20. Device according to claim 18 or 19, with tabs projecting above the upper horizontal edge of the sheets and engaging in slits of the bottom element.

21. Device according to any of claims 18 to 20, with slits fitted in the bottom element at the corners in which engage the tabs of the side walls.

22. Device according to any of claims 18 to 21, with a diagonal vertical wall projecting downwards from the underside of the bottom element and fitting in between the sheets.

23. Device according to claim 22, with a wall which is bent away from a horizontal sheet and secured to the underside of the bottom element.

24. Device according to claim 23 with a sheet secured on the remaining surface at the underside of the bottom element not covered by the horizontal sheet and of the same thickness as the horizontal sheet.