GB2203642A - Display unit - Google Patents

Abstract

A unit for displaying samples of carpets, carpeting and other sheet materials comprises support means which supports a display member 3 to which material to be displayed is attached. The support means comprises a frame member 6 having a pair of inclined struts 7, being inclined towards one another and having a subapical gusset member 8 with which the display member interengages by virtue of engagement means 11. The subapical angle, real or implied, defined by the struts is between 50 DEG to 60 DEG , preferably 55 DEG to 57 DEG , and the bases of the struts are weighted by the attachment of weighted bars 12. The display member may be in the form of a drum 4 or a planar member (5, fig 12). <IMAGE>

Description

"Display Unit" This invention relates to a display unit, especially but not exclusively a kit for a display unit for displaying samples of carpets, carpeting, floor coverings and the like.

Conventional display units lack the versatility of being able to convert rapidly from, for example, a single to a double carousel unit and may have the added disadvantage of bulky side panels to give the required support for the carpeting or the like. Further disadvantages lie with the widely spread supports that restrict customer viewing of the carpeting, and inefficient attachment means from which heavy carpet samples frequently come loose.

According to the present invention there is provided a display unit, comprising support means which supports a display member to which material to be displayed is attached, said support means comprising a frame member having a pair of inclined struts, being inclined towards one another and having a subapical gusset member with which the display member is interengaged.

And still further according to the present invention there is provided a display unit convertible from a first form to a second form, wherein the unit comprises at least a first and a second relatively movable support means which support a display member user selected from selection of display members; said support means comprises a frame member having a pair of inclined struts, said struts being inclined towards one another and having a subapical gusset member with which a display member is interengageable.

Preferably, each frame portion has the pair of struts defining its sloping sides, either as the two equal sides of an isosceles triangle or else as the non-parallel sides of a trapezium; in either case the struts define a subapical angle, real or implied, ranging between 500 to 600 and, most preferably, it ranging from 550 to 570.

The gusset member has an aperture for inter engagement with a protrusion of a display member, said protrusions being positioned so as each display member is correctly balanced for display, the provision of a subapical attachment allowing a narrow spread to the inclined supports and increasing the stands stability.

The display member may be in the form of a planar member or in the form of a drum member.

Preferably, said protrusions on the display member are aligned with the central axis of a drum member; a gusset member may have the aperture on a recurved portion and receive a protrusion from the underside of a planar member.

Preferably, the bases of the struts are weighted by the attachment of weighted bars; preferably, the bars also space the frame portions of which there are, preferably, two per display member.

Each weighted bar member may be provided with engaging means, either permanent or non-permanent, to interengage with the struts of the frame member; preferably, the engaging means comprises protrusions on the bars each protrusion corresponding to a receiving formation at the bottom of each strut.

Further according to the present invention there is provided a kit of parts for a display unit, said kit comprising support means and a display member to which material to be displayed is attachable; said support means comprising a frame member having a pair of inclined struts, being inclined towards one another and having a subapical gusset member with which the display member is interengeagable.

Still further according to the present invention there is provided a display unit made from a kit of parts, said display unit comprising support means which supports a display member to which material to be displayed is attached, said support means comprising a frame member having a pair of inclined struts, being inclined towards one another and having a subapical gusset member with which the display member in tereng ages.

Preferably, the support means are relatively movable; the display member may be disengagable and re-engageable with the gusset means; there may be a plurality of display members.

Yet still further according to the present invention there is provided a kit of parts for a display unit convertible from a first form to a second form, said kit comprising a selected variety of display members and support means; said support means comprises a pair of inclined struts with weighted bases said struts being inclined towards one another and having a subapical gusset member that has means to temporarily interengage the display member.

Preferably, there are a user-selected plurality of display members; also preferably, there is a user selected plurality of pairs of inclined struts with subapical gusset members; the display members may be short or long or of large or small diameter or width.

Preferably, a kit of parts may form simultaneously more than one display unit such as a single and a double carousel unit; preferably, with the above kit of parts this is convertible; for example, a kit providing for two singles and a double carousel unit also provides for one single and a triple carousel unit.l Preferably, there are a plurality of weighted bars; preferably, at least two are required for each display unit; most preferably, the kit for a convertible display unit has more than two.

Preferably, the central region of a frame member lying between the inclined struts can be infilled with a planar member in the shape of esther an isosceles triangle or a trapezium.

The kit of parts and the display units of the present invention are preferably made in mainly metals material but may vary in size, colour and texturing to allow fitment to specific areas and to associate with surrounding decor.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided means to inter engage sheet materials to be displayed on a display unit, said means comprising an attachment member for attachment of said means to a display stand and biassing means to hold a sheet of sheet material.

The attachment member may comprise a runner which corresponds with slotting means provided on a display unit; or else it may comprise a hook, or other hanger or biassed closed grip member, for use with a rail of a display unit.

Preferably, the biassing means comprise two elongate, biassed together jaws; most preferably, the jaws are of L-shaped section.

The means to interengage sheet materials may be made of metals, plastics or other materials and be coloured or textured to coordinate with surrounding display units, display stands and other display equipment and decor.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which; Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an exploded embodiment of a display unit showing the kit of parts according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a support means for a display unit of Fig. 1; Figs. 3 to 9 are exploded diagrams showing the kits of parts and alternative embodiments of the display units according to the present invention; Fig. 10 is a front view of the display unit of Fig. 9; Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the display unit of Figs. 9 and 10; Fig. 12 is an exploded view of an alternative embodiment of a display unit showing a kit of parts according to the invention; Figs. 13A, and 13B are perspective views of alternative embodiments of the display units of Figs. 1, 3 to 12;; Fig. 14 is an exploded view of an alternative embodiment of a display unit according to the present invention; Fig. 15 is an exploded view of still another alternative embodiment of a display unit of the present invention; Fig. 16 is a support means for a display unit of Figs. 14 and 15; Fig. 17 is a gusset member and display member protrusion of the unit of Fig. 15; Fig. 18 is one embodiment of means for attachment of materials according to the present invention; Fig. 19 is a part perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the means of Fig. 18; Fig. 20 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the means of Fig. 18; and Fig. 21 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a display stand with which the means of Fig. 20 may be employed.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 17 the drawings, there is shown in Fig. 1 a kit 1 of parts for a display unit 2, the various components of such kits 1 together with the resulting display units 2 are shown in Figs. 1, 3 to 16.

Each kit 1 comprises at least: a display member 3 that may be in the form of a drum 4 (Figs. 1, 3 to 11 and 14) or else in the form of a planar member 5 (Figs. 12 to 13B and 15); and support means, which is in the form of a frame portion 6 comprising a pair of inclined struts 7 with a subapical gusset 8, with weighted bases 9. The subapical gusset 8 is also provided with means to engage the display member 3, these engaging means being in the form of apertures 10 or slots 10' through which protrusions 11 of the display means 3 are inserted. The bases of the frame portions 6 are weighted by connection with heavy metal bars 12 that also function to space the frame members 6 such that gussets 8 stay correctly distanced to securely engage the protusions 11 of a display member 3.The weighted bars 12 may also be provided with castors 13 for movement of a constructed unit 2 around the display area.

Referring to Fig. 2 of the drawings, there is shown the inclined struts 7 of frame portions 6 of the kits 1. Each portion is provided with a subapical angle of 560. The consequent narrow spread of the struts 7 allows a customer to stand close and view the carpeting or material on display, whilst the weighted bars 12, to which the frame portions 6 are attached in use, and the subapical attachment give sufficient strength and stability that supporting side panels or braces across each pair of struts 7 are not required. The area between the struts 7 and below the gusset 8 may therefore be left open or used to accommodate display mirrors, graphic panels 14 or advertising members or the like.

As certain display members 3 vary in size, either the gusset 8 can be provided with a selection of apertures 10 or there may be a number of alternative kit components. These may be a selection of frame portions 6 and Figs. 2 and 16 show such frame portions 6: type A is suitable for a wide diameter drum 4, (see Fig. 1); type B is suitable for a small diameter drum 4" (see Fig. 3). The depth of the gusset 8 and the position of its apertures 10 may also vary to accommodate these drums 4; certain frame portions 6 will be provided with asymmetrical double apertured gussets 8' to accommodate the protrusions 11 of two differently sized drum members 4', 4" (for an example see Fig. 6).

The protrusions 11 of the drums 4 of Figs. 1, 3 to 11 and 14 are all provided with bushes, to enable smooth rotation, and terminal nuts to secure attachment to the gussets 8. The curved surfaces of the drum 4 are provided with parallel clipping means 15, for attachment of the sheets of material to be displayed which are, for example, carpet samples.

The drum type 4 of display member 3 forms a carousel type of carpet sample display unit 2: Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 show single carousel units 2; the bars 12 of Fig. 1 are extended or replaced with a longer set for the longer drum 4 of Fig. 3.

Similarly, a series of longer 12 bars are required for the construction of double carousel units as shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6; these double units have a central frame portion with a double apertured gusset 8'. Triple carousel units of the embodiments shown in Figs.7 to 11 are formed with yet still longer bars 12 and two double apertured frame portions 6 with double apertured gussets 8', which may have symmetrically placed apertures 10 or asymmetrically positioned ones to accommodate differently diametered drums 4 on either side. The frame member 6 can be reversed Lo convert the unit from narrow diameter and one wide diameter drum 4 to two wide and one narrow. The carousel unit may be of indefinite length and accommodate four or more drums 4, see Fig. 14.

Referring now to Figs. 12 to 13B and 15 of the drawings, the frame portions 6 are also used in conjunction with planar display members 5 to produce cascade display units (Fig.

13A, 14) and with an additional small set of frame members 16 waterfall display units (Figs. 12, 13B). For the waterfall, the gusset member 8 have their apertures 10 on recurved lips 17 through which protrusions 11 on the underside of the planar display member 5 may be inserted; nuts 18 secure the engagement and the weighted bars 12 once again are used to space the frame portions 6 and strengthen the entire structure 2. For the cascade unit of Fig. 14, the engaging means is in the form of a pocket 29 with slotlike aperture 10' which receives the protrusion 11' of the display member.

For the cascade display units, the open areas between the two sets of frame portions 6 may be covered with a graphic panel 19 (see Fig. 13A), hiding the weighted bars 12. For both the waterfall and the cascade, the ends of carpet samples are layered and then sandwiched between a tie bar 20 and one end of the planar display member 5; the tie bar 20 is provided with tightening handles 21 to tightly secure the carpet samples in place.

The frame portions 6 of the units 2 of Figs. 1, 3 to 13B are in the form of isosceles triangles, whereas those of Figs.

14 and 15 are trapezial in outline with the gusset 8 adjoining the two struts adjacent to their upper ends, frame portions A' and B' having implied apices and subapical angles, identical to those of either type A or type B frame portions of Figs.1, 3 to 13B.

The proportions, geometry and weighting of the metal parts of the frame portions are important for the strength and durability of the entire unit 2 and also are important for the overall appearance and for customer viewing of the carpeting. All the display units 2 can be coloured or textured such that each coordinates with surrounding decor and the graphic panels may be made of a variety of materials including glass, plastics and metals.

Referring now to Figs. 16 and 21 of the drawings, there is shown means 22 to interengage sheet materials, such as samples of carpeting, to be displayed on carpeting display equipment.

The sheet material interengaging means 22 may be used with carousel display units or with display stands having a bar attachment 23. The means 22 (see Fig. 14) comprises a length of 20s gauge steel 24, of trapezial cross-section having a slot 25 in one of the parallel sides, the slot 25 running the length of the interengaging means 22. The sides 26, 27 of the slot are biassed together, by the tendency of the steel, to thus restrain one end of a sample of carpeting.

The interengaging means 22 include some form of attachment means. A planar member 28 lying opposite the slot 25 is used with carousel unit to attach the interengaging means 22 to a drum member of a display unit, the drum having parallel furrows (see Fig. 1) that retain a series of said planar members 28. For use' with a display stand having a bar member 23 at right angles to the customer, a hanger attachment 30 of 3/16 inch (4.76 mm) steel rod is welded to the planar member 28 and hooked over the bar member 23 of 1.25 inch (3.18 cm) tube (see Fig. 19). For use with a display stand having bar members 23 in a ladder arrangement (see Fig. 21), there is a clip attachment 31 made of resiliently biassed steel in the form of a biassed closed bar grip, such that when in position for display on this display stand 32, the carpet samples swing freely back and forth on the ladder's rungs 23.

Modifications and improvements may be incorporated without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (19)

1. A display unit comprising support means which supports a display member to which material to be displayed is attached, said support means comprising a frame member having a pair of inclined struts, being inclined towards one another and having a subapical gusset member with which the display member is interengaged.

2. A display unit convertible from a first form to a second form, wherein the unit comprises at least a first and a second relatively movable support means which support a display member user selected ,from a selection of display members; each of said support means comprises a frame member having a pair of inclined struts, said struts being inclined towards one another, and having a subapical gusset member with which a display member is interengageable.

3. A display unit according to either Claim 1 or 2, wherein the inclined struts define the two equal sides of an isosceles triangle.

4. A display unit according to either Claim 1 or 2, wherein the inclined struts define the two non-parallel sides of a trapezium-shaped frame member.

5. A display unit according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the supapical angle defined by the struts is in the range of 500 to 600.

6. A display unit according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the subapical angle defined by the struts is in the range of 550 to 570.

7. A display unit according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the gusset member has an aperture for interengagement with a protrusion of a display member.

8. A display unit according to Claim 7 wherein, the aperture of the gusset member is on a recurved portion of the gusset member.

9. A display unit according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the bases of the struts are weighted by the attachment of weighted bars.

10. A display unit according to Claim 9, wherein there are two frame members to support each display member and weighted bars space the frame members.

11. A kit of parts for a display unit according to any one of the preceding Claims.

12. A display unit as made from the kit of parts of Claim 11.

13. A display unit as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 17 of the accompanying drawings.

14. Means to interengage sheet materials to be displayed on a display unit, said means comprising an attachment member for attachment of said means to a display stand and biassing means to hold a sheet of sheet material.

15. Means to interengage sheet materials according to Claim 14, wherein the attachment member comprises a runner which corresponds with slotting means provided on a the display unit.

16. Means to interengage sheet materials according to Claim 14, wherein the attachment means comprises a hook for use with a rail of the display unit.

17. Means to interengage sheet materials according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the biassing means comprise two elongate, biassed together jaws.

18. Means to interengage sheet material according to Claim 17, wherein the jaws are of L-shaped section.

19. Means to interengage sheet material to be displayed on a display stand, the means being as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 18 to 21 of the accompanying drawings