GB2237674A - Display devices - Google Patents

Abstract

Display device, eg for advertising or other promotional functions, including one or more tubular elements (10) which receive a flow of air, eg by the wind and/or by movement of the device through the air to be deployed by the airstream so as to maintain the device in a shape and condition for effective display. The device may include a display panel (18) operatively supported by said element(s). The elements may be irregularly shaped and have a tapering cross-section. The external appearance of the device in use may be a three-dimensional representation of an article. <IMAGE>

Description

DISPLAY DEVICES This invention relates to display devices whose visible surfaces may carry two dimensional lettering, symbols, patterns or ornaments and/or which may be formed to constitute or include three dimensional shapes or representations eg for decorative, informative, promotional and or entertainment purposes particularly but not exclusively in outdoor locations.

Flags or banners which are flown from a flag staff, mast or similar support or which may possibly b trailed behind an aircraft or other vehicle are well known and have undoubted advantages of cheapness and simplicity.

However, they have limitations in that they provide an essentially two dimensional display and in being subjected to draping and/or fluttering (depending on the strength of the surrounding wind or other airstream) so that there is seldom full visibility and easy legibility of their display surfaces, also, if constantly flown, they quickly become worn and tattered largely due to said fluttering.

or elaborate and expensive display devices such as airborne balloons, notably hot-air balloons can be formed in a variety of three dimensional shapes to provide large and eye-catchino displays but suffer fro serious disadvantages for general use as regards costs, the need for skilled personnel to fly them, and restrictions on their use in other than suitable selected localities.

Static tethered balloons are again expensive and of limited application.

The object of the invention is to provide display devices which are simple and inexpensive to manufacture in a wide variety of forms and shapes, which require no special skills or supervision for their use, and which are safe and durable and suitable for use in almost any outdoor location and possibly some indoor locations as well without any complex ancillary equipment or maintenance.

According to the invention there is provided an airstream actuated display device including at least one tubular element open at both ends for through flow of air, and tethering means for operatively attaching the device in a position to be acted on by an airstream whereby said element or elements self align with and are deployed by the airstream in use to maintain the device in a substantially constant predetermined shape and condition for its effective display.

It is to be understood that the device may be tethered to a flagstaff, mast or other support eg by being hoisted in the manner of a flag or banner to be acted on by the wind, or the actuating airstream may be created by towing the device behind a moving aircraft or other vehicle or, possibly, eg where used indoors for example in a large hall, by tethering it in a position to be acted on by a powered fan or other airstream source.

Preferably the device will be wormed substantially wholly fror flexible sheet material for example lightweight woven or other fabric and/or sheet plastics material and in many cases, for effective deployment of a large device, it may include a plurality of tubular elements arrange in generally parallel relationship.

or most effective alignment and stiffening of the device under the action of the wind or other airstream the tubular element or elements will be tapered in effective cross-section towards their trailing ends.

The latter effect may also be obtained by having one or more tubular or hollow elements of irregular shape or cross-section (and not necessarily strait in the deployed condition) provided that the upstream or inlet end opening or mouth which will be nearest the point of tethering is greater in effective area than the outlet or downstream opening at the trailing end more remote from the point of tethering.

Additional rigidity and support may be provided by using rigid or semi-rigid material for at least some parts of the device and/or providing stiffening ribs or batons at selected locations though these will tend to add to the weight of the device and may therefore hinder it effective deployment in lower velocity airstreams.

Some examples of the invention and variations thereof are now more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein Figures 1-6 are diagrammatic side elevations of forms of the device updated for substantially two dimensional display in the manner of flags or banners.

and Figures 7-10 are perspective views of some suggested devices formed as three dimensional shapes.

Referring to Figure 1 a simple form of device is shown comprising a tapered open ended tubular element 10 of circular section, ie having the form of a truncated cone. Its larger diameter leading end opening 12 may be provided with a rigid stiffening support of wire or the like to ensure that it is held fully open and support may also serve as an anchorage for a tethering lanyard used to fly the device from a flaostaff 16, mast or other convenient support.

Apart from any stiffening support as referred to above the device will be formed from lightweight flexible material eg fabric and, in this example, includes a generally square display panel 18 also formed from a sheet of the flexible material whose surfaces may carry any two dimensional subject matter eg advertising or promotional material and/or decorative devices including those carried by conventional flags or banners. The lower leading corner of panel 18 will be tethered by a further portion of lanyard 14 and the latter may possibly extend along the leading vertical edoe of the panel 18 to connect with the support ring of leading end opening 12.

Ey using lightweight material the tubular element 10 will be deployed in a generally horizontal and substantially rigid condition by the flow of air therethrough entering through opening 12 and this will support the depending panel 18 in a substantially vertical plane so that it is not creased or folded and so that fluttering movement thereof is substantially reduced.

To add further rigidity to the arrangement described above a device as illustrated in Figure 2 may be provided in which there is a pair of substantially identical tubular elements 10, 11 respectively along the upper and lower edges of the panel 18. The pair of elements will be deployed in spaced parallel relationship by the wind or other airstream so holding panel 18 flat against folding and fluttering.

figure 3 shows several of the tubular elements, in this particular example 4 in number indicated at 10ad linked together in closed coupled relationship to form a display device. Said elements may merely be coupled together at their ends leaving opening or gaps between their peripheries or said as may be filled by panels of sheet material.

figure 4 shows an equivalent arrangement to Figure 3 but constructed to for a rectangular three dimensional shape, in this case the tubular elements indicated at 20a-d are of rectangular cross-section (though tapering in effective cross-sectional as before) and are interconnected by planar side panels.

Figures 5 and 6 are variations on Figure 1 in which broader (Figure 5) or longer (Figure 6) display panels 1 & ,18b have single tubular elements along their top edges.

rigure 8 is a variation on the form of device shown in Figure 4, in this case there are three tubular elements of rectangular section in stacked relationship to provide a three dimensional box shaped device.

rigures 7, 9 and 10 are some examples of the many three dimensional shapes in which devices of the invention may be provided. In Figure 7 the shape of a book will be deployed in semi-rigid condition by the inclusion of suitably arranged internal tubular elements extending generally horizontally in the position of use (not shown).

In Figure 9 a cylindrical drum shape is provided which could be a promotional representation of an article such as canned foodstuff or other packaged product in a jar or similar container, again with internal tubular elements to provide the necessary support and rigidity, possibly coupled with some subsidiary stiffening, for example lightweight rigid supporting rings defining the top and bottom rims of the cylinder.

Figure 10 shows a more elaborate shape, in this example a teddy bear, and here the tubular elements have an irregular non-uniform section being constituted by the upper and lower pairs of limbs of the teddy bear with leading and trailing openings at the extremities of the limbs, for more effective support the leading openings having a greater effective cross-sectional area than the trailing openings. It may be possible for substantially the whole of the hollow interior of the shape to form a part or parts of the passages constituting the effective tubular elements so that the internal through flow of air pressure keeps the body distended into the desired shape, again with subsidiary stiffening if required.

The tubular element or elements need not necessarily extend across the full width of the device in its position of deployment. They could be spaced laterally downstream of the tethering point or points of the device ie so that their leading end openings are spaced away from the point of tethering, the force exerted by the airstream on them keeping a part of the device between them and the tethering taut: and/or a portion of the device may project downstream beyond the trailing end or ends of the tubular element or elements, eg an extension of the panel 18 indicated in broken lines at 24 in Figure 2. This extended portion could be kept more effectively deployed in generally planar condition by lightweight stiffening batons (indicated at 25) eg sewn into pockets of the panel material.

As substantially the whole of each example of the device described above will be formed of flexible sheet material they can readily be folded away for storage or transport, they can be speedily unfurled and deployed whenever needed, minor puncture or tearing will not substantially effect operation (and can easily be repaired) and they provide a simple, cheap, safe and effective display of a hardwearing and durable nature and without requiring ancillary equipment such as supplies of pressurised gas or other inflation devices.

Claims (11)

1. An airstream actuated display device including at least one tubular element open at both ends for through flow of air, and tethering means for operatively attaching the device in a position to be acted on by an airstream whereby said element or elements self align with and are deployed by the airstream in use to maintain the device in a substantially constant predetermined shape and condition for its effective display.

2. A device as in Claim 1 formed substantially wholly from flexible sheet material.

3. A device as in Claim 1 formed from flexible lightweight sheet material with stiffening formations at selected locations.

4. A device as in Claim 1, 2 or 3 including a plurality of said tubular elements arranged in generally parallel relationship.

5. A device as in any preceding claim wherein the element or elements taper in effective cross-section towards those ends which are trailing with respect to the airstream in use.

6. A device as in any one of Claims 1 to 4 including one or more tubular elements of irregular shape or cross section with an upstream or inlet end opening or mouth having a greater effective aperture area for admission of the airstream in use than that of a downstream or outlet end opening for outflow of air from the device.

7. A device as in any one of Claims 1 to 4 including a display panel or panels and/or a three dimensional shape deployed and supported by the tubular element or elements in use.

8. A device as in Claim 6 or 7 wherein the exterior appearance of the device in use is a three dimensional representation of an article or object.

9. A device as in any preceding claim wherein the upstream or inlet end opening or mouth of the or each element is provided with a rigid stiffening support.

10. An airstream actuated display device including a plurality of tubular elements operatively disposed in an airstream by tethering means in use and mounting or supporting display material, each said element being shaped to receive a flow of air through an upstream or inlet end in use with outflow of said air from the respective element being restricted so that, in use, said elements are distended by the airstream to deploy the display material.

11. A display device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in any one of the accompanying drawings.