GB2200781A - Display device - Google Patents

Abstract

A display device 10 comprises a flexible magnetic display element 11 wound on a sprung roller 12 mounted on a spindle, the respective ends of which being rotatably mounted on right-angled brackets 15, 16 secured to an elongate bracket 14. The bracket 14 can be secured to a wall by keyholes 20 and the display element 11 wound on and unwound from the roller 12 by pulling on a draw cord 19 attached to a pulley 18 united with one end of the roller. The display element 11 is of sheet-form and incorporates a magnetic stratum e.g. a thick textile fabric or plastics material, incorporating magnetic particles (e.g. of strontium) united with a white or light coloured plastics stratum which can be written upon. When the display element 11 is wound out, devices such as indicia, letters, numerals or pictures made of magnetic or magnetisable material can be applied to the display element 11. <IMAGE>

Description

DISPLAY DEVICE This invention concerns display devices, that is to say devices suitable for receiving and retaining indicia, diagrams, writing, pictures, letters, numerals, and/or any other kind of visually-appreciable material whatsoever. Such devices may be used, for example, for commercial purposes, e.g. for providing visual displays at exhibitions, in showrooms and at like locations, for teaching and for purely aesthetic purposes.

It is already known to provide display equipment in the form of relatively rigid panels, carried by supporting frameworks, which panels may have relatively.

soft coverings e.g. of textile materials, for the attachment of display materials thereto. Whilst being quite versatile, these known forms of display device have certain drawbacks. They are comparitively heavy, and assembly and dismantling thereof requires a considerable amount of labour and skill. Moreover, when not required for use they occupy a considerable amount of space.

It is also known to provide, for example, cinematograph screens, in a form which is readily portable, comprising an elongate housing accommodating a roller upon which is rollable sheet-form screen element is wound, the screen element being adapted to be extruded by lifting away, from the rest of the housing, a sidewall thereof, one end of the screen element being connected thereto. Tong-like links, which connect the sidewall to the housing, serve to enable the screen element to be retained in its extended condition by supporting the raised sidewall.

A display device based upon a cinematograph screen of the kind described would be usable, in practice, only by inscription that is to say by writing or drawing upon its surface. In general, attachment of pictures, letters or the like is not possible without causing at least some deterioration of the screen element by piercing or application of adhesive or the like.

An object of the present invention is to provide a display device which does not suffer from the above discussed disadvantages of the prior known proposals, and which has the advantages that it can be produced in a relatively light constructional form which occupies little space and can conveniently be secured temporarily or permanently in a specific location where it is required to be used, and that it is particularly suitable for use by children and infants, enabling them to learn themselves by arranging and rearranging indicia on the device as many times as may be desired and facilitating the giving of instruction, if so wished.

With this object in view, the present invention provides a display device comprising a rollable display element of sheet material, a roller having the display element secured thereto so as to be windable onto or unwindable from the roller upon rotation of the latter, roller support means and means permitting or providing for the roller to be rotated for drawing out the display element when required for use and for winding it in when not so required, characterised in that the roller support means is adapted for securement to a supporting surface such as a wall and in that said display element is of magnetic sheet material.

The roller support means may be in the form of an elongate bracket the ends of which are parallel with one another and support, for example by means of respective bearings, corresponding ends of the roller.

Advantageously, the ends of the elongate bracket are provided by two individual right-angled brackets secured to the brackets by commonly available fasteners such as screws or nuts and bolts.

The roller support means may be provided with a cover or housing which can be fitted to said support means so that it covers the elongate bracket from end to end and which has an opening for the display element to extend therethrough.

The elongate bracket can be fixedly secured to a wall or other suitable supporting structure. To facilitate this fixing the bracket preferably has keyhole shaped apertures therein for accommodating fasteners such as wall screws. Once the bracket is secured to the supporting structure the cover or housing can be attached. When the display element is drawn down to hang from the cover or housing, appropriate indicia made of or incorporating magnetic or magnetisable material can be attached to or positioned on the element simply by placing the same in the desired position.

When no longer required, the indicia can very simply be removed by lifting away from the display element, and the latter can be stowed away by the simply course of winding it onto the roller.

The rollable display element in the device of the invention can be of any suitable pliable form provided it incorporates or embodies an appropriate magnetic stratum. Thus, in a preferred arrangement of the invention, the display element comprises a magnetic carrier sheet, e.g. of relatively thick textile fabric, or plastics material such as polyvinyl chloride, incorporating magnetic particles, and on which is a thin pliable plastics coating, layer or stratum, such as a thin polyvinyl chloride skin.

The magnetic carrier sheet may be united with the thin pliable plastics coating, layer or stratum by being bonded or adhered thereto, by being co-extruded therewith, or by any suitable laminating process.

The magnetic particles of the magnetic carrier sheet are preferably strontium particles which are safer in use than for example barium particles. As the incorporation of strontium particles in the carrier sheet tend to make the latter dark in colour, it is advantageous if the united plastics coating, layer or stratum is white or a light colour, so that it can be written upon.

The means permitting or providing for the roller to be rotated in the device of the invention may comprise a spring which tends to wind up the display element onto the roller; it may, of course, comprise a suitable draw cord arrangement extending around a suitable pulley united with or connected to the roller; or it may comprise any other practical arrangement.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, it being understood that the following is illustrative and not limitative of the scope of the invention.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the display device of the invention shown in its use configuration; and Fig. 2 is a cross-section of part of a display element, which is a component part of the display device of Fig. 1, to show its structure.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the preferred practical embodiment of the display device of the invention is denoted generally by the reference numeral 10 and comprises a flexible display element 11 wound upon a roller 12.

The device 10 also comprises rqller support means 13 in the form of an elongate bracket 14 of constant rectangular cross-section and made for instance by moulding from suitable rigid plastics material. The ends of the bracket 14 are parallel and are provided by two individual right-angled brackets 15 and 16, which may be of the same material of the bracket 14, each secured to the bracket 14 by a pair of nuts and bolts, only one nut and bolt 17 being visible in Fig. 1.

The brackets 15 and 16 provide respective bearings for the corresponding ends of a spindle (not shown) which extends from end to end of the roller 12 mounted thereon.

At one end the roller has a pulley 18 united therewith, and an endless draw cord 19 extends around the pulley 18 to hang in a loop therebelow.

The bracket 14 is adapted by the presence of two key-hole shaped apertures 20, 21 therein for enabling it to be fixed to a support such as a wall (not shown).

The roller support means 13 may be provided with a cover or housing 22, shown in dot-dash outline only in Fig. 1, which covers the elongate bracket 14 from end to end and the bottom of which is open, or has an opening, to enable the display element 11 and the draw cord 19 to extend therethrough. The housing 22 may be a snap-fit on the bracket 14 or it may be secured to the bracket 14 by fasteners such as screws (not shown).

As will be readily seen from Fig. 2, the flexible display element 11 comprises a magnetic sheet-form component composed of a basic rectangular magnetic carrier sheet 23 of relatively thick and strong woven textile fabric, or relatively thick but flexible plastics such as polyvinyl chloride, the fabric or plastics incorporating magnetic particles, and to which carrier sheet 23 has been laminated, by adhesive bonding, a thin pliable coating, layer or stratum 24 of plastics such as polyvinyl chloride.

From a safety point of view, the magnetic particles are ideally strontium particles.

The carrier sheet 23 is dark in colour because of the magnetic particles but its exposed surface 25 is smooth.

As for the coating 24, its exposed surface 26 is smooth and white so that it can be written upon.

The display element 11 is attached by one end to the roller 12. At its other end it is folded back and secured to itself to form a hollow hem 27 which-can accommodate a heavy weight, such as a metal rod (not shown).

The mode of use of the device 10 will readily be understood from the foregoing description. Assuming the device 10 is intended to be used as an educational toy by a child, it will be installed, for instance, on a wall in the child's bedroom or playroom. When the child wishes to make practical use of the device 10, he or she manipulates the draw cord 19 to rotate the roller 12 and thus let off the display element 11 so that it hangs down beneath the roller support means 13. Usually it will be wound fully down, but of course this is not essential. When wound out, the child can use the display element 11, for instance, by applying to it devices such as indicia, letters, numerals, 28, and so on made of suitable magnetic material, such as a magnetic foil, but preferably of the same material as the display element 11 itself.A selection of letters, numerals, figures, symbols and so on can, of course, be supplied with the device 11 in a sufficient assortment to enable the device to be employed effectively as a learning aid or teaching aid, or simply to enable a child to use it for his or her own amusement.

Because the exposed surface 26 of one side of the display element 11 is smooth and white, it can be written or drawn upon, preferably using a readily-erasable medium, such as a washable ink by use of a felt-tipped applicator.

Since the primary purpbses of the device 10 is to receive and retain applied matter, it is not of major consequence, of course, if indelible inscriptions or drawings are applied to the display element 11.

The use of the device is not confined to infants as above described and it will immediately be perceived that the device can be used in any environment where something is required to be exhibitied or displayed, e.g. in connection with lectures, seminars and the like.

The invention is not restricted to the precise details as above described and many variations may be made thereto.

Thus, the form of the housing and the materials it is made of may be selected as may be desired from such designs and materials as may be practicable. Thus, it may be of metal, timber or the like. The display element may comprise a simple extruded magnetic plastics sheet, or it may comprise any suitable layered or plied structure being composed, for instance, of a magnetic ply and one or more carrier plies as appropriate. At its free end hanging out of the housing, instead of a weighted hem, a single or multiple stiffening strip, which prevents entry of the end of the element into the housing upon winding up, may be provided. Any form of mechanical winder may be provided for unwinding and winding up the display element, and if desired a spring-loading may be provided for the roller.

Instead of the elongate bracket being provided with keyhole shaped apertures for its securement to a supporting structure, its securement can be provided for by means of adhesive 'sticky' pads on the bracket(s). The elongate bracket may be replaced by a housing, made for instance by moulding from a suitable rigid plastics material, this being generally of elongate box form, approximately square in cross-section, and comprising a main body composed of front and top panels which are generally plain, a rear panel which is adapted, e.g. by the presence of key-hole shaped apertures therein, for enabling the housing to be fixed to the support, such as a wall, and a bottom panel, which has a longitudinal slot extending substantially from end to end thereof. The housing body is closed at its ends by end caps which provide respective bearings for the corresponding ends of the spindle, mounting the roller, which extends from end to end of the housing, within the latter.

Other modifications are, of course, possible.

Claims (14)

1. A display device comprising a rollable display element of sheet material, a roller having the display element secured thereto so as to be windable onto or unwindable from the roller upon rotation of the latter, roller support means and means permitting or providing for the roller to be rotated for drawing out the display element when required for use and for winding it in when not so required, characterised in that the roller support means is adapted for securement to a supporting surface such as a wall and in that said display element is of magnetic sheet material.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the roller support means may be in the form of an elongate bracket the ends of which are parallel with one another and support, for example by means of respective bearings, corresponding ends of the roller.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the ends of the elongate bracket are provided by two individual rightangled brackets secured to the brackets by commonly available fasteners such as screws or nuts and bolts.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the roller support means is provided with a cover or housing which can be fitted to said support means so that it covers the elongate bracket from end to end and which has an opening for the display element to extend therethrough.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the roller support means is adapted for securement to a supporting surface by having key-hole shaped apertures therein for accommodating fasteners such as wall screws.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5 wherein the elongate bracket has two key-hole shaped apertures.

7. A device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the rollable display element can be of any suitable pliable form and incorporates or embodies an appropriate magnetic stratum.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7 wherein the display element comprises a magnetic carrier sheet, e.g. of relatively thick textile fabric, or plastics material such as polyvinyl chloride, incorporating magnetic particles, and on which is a thin pliable plastics coating, layer or stratum, such as a thin polyvinyl chloride skin.

9. A device as claimed in claim 8 wherein the magnetic carrier sheet is united with the thin pliable plastics coating, layer or stratum by being bonded or adhered thereto, by being co-extruded therewith, or by any suitable laminating process.

10. A device as claimed in claim 8 or 9 wherein the magnetic particles of the magnetic carrier sheet are strontium particles.

11. A device as claimed in claim 8, 9 or 10 wherein the plastics coating, layer or stratum is white or a light colour, so that it can be written upon.

12. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means permitting or providing for the roller to be rotated in the device of the invention may comprise a spring which tends to wind up the display element onto the roller.

13. A device as claimed in claim 12 wherein said means also comprises a suitable draw cord arrangement extending around a suitable pulley united with or connected to the roller.

14. A display device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.