GB2241600A - Display equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

Display equipment includes a support member 6 having therein at least one rotatable member 10. Each such rotatable member has therein a slot for reception of a substantially plate-like hook which can be inserted into the slot. In general, in use, a pair of such support members will be employed and a panel 8 having hooks 13 projecting from two opposites sides thereof can be interengaged with the support members so that the hooks at one side engage in counterpart rotatable slots in one support member and the hooks at the other side engage in rotatable slots in the other support member. With this equipment, inclined panels can be readily obtained. <IMAGE>

Description

DISPLAY EQUIPMENT This invention relates to display equipment particularly display equipment which can be used in conferences, exhibitions, congresses, shops and other retail or wholesale outlets.

One example of existing display equipment is shown in British Patent 1 311761. A modular panel system type of display equipment is disclosed and claimed in British Patent 2 155 681.

It would be desirable if there were available apparatus which enabled display panels to be mounted at desired chosen angles to the vertical, without at the same time involving extensive assembly and dis-assembly of support structure or the use of special connecting parts and the like which are liable to get lost during erection. Under present day competitive conditions in retailing and at exhibitions and conferences, it is of course highly desirable that a display of pictures, illustrations or information should be quickly and easily assembled and erected and equally quickly and easily dis-assembled and packed away ready for use elsewhere.

According to the present invention, there is provided display equipment which includes a support member having therein at least one rotatable member, each such rotatable member having therein a slot for reception of a substantially plate-like hook which can be inserted into the slot.

In general, in use, a pair of such support members will be employed and a panel having hooks projecting from two opposites sides thereof can be interengaged with the support members so that the hooks at one side engage in counterpart rotatable slots in one support member and the hooks at the other side engage in rotatable slots in the other support member.

According to an aspect of the invention, there is also provided a support member for use in display equipment, the support member being of generally planar shape and having therein a number of circular holes or recesses, each of which is capable of receiving a freely rotatable plug having therein a slot dimensioned to receive a hook of a display panel.

Further according to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a circular rotatable plug for use in a display equipment support member, the plug being of rubber or synthetic rubber or a resilient synthetic plastics material and comprising a slotted disc from which projects a rim, the rim having at least a pair of radial extensions whereby the plug can be rotatably retained in a hole or recess in the support member.

The invention will be better understood from the following description of an illustrative embodiment, given with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a general view partly from the front and partly from the side of one example of display equipment according to the invention; Figure 2 shows part of a panel suitable for use in combination with a support member also shown in Figure 2 and forming part of the display equipment; Figure 3 is a cross-section taken in a horizontal plane III-III in Figure 2 showing rotatable members having slots therein; Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view of one of the rotatable members;; Figures 5-8 are respectively rear view, cross-section on the line B-B of Figure 5, cross-section on the line A-A and an enlargement of part of Figure 6, all showing the construction of a preferred example of a rotatable member according to the invention.

The display equipment shown in Figure 1 has five bays 1-5 each defined by side support members. For the bay 2, the support members are seen at 6 and 7. These support two display anels 8 and 9. The support members preferably each take the form of the support member 6 shown in Figure 2 in that each has a plurality of rotatable members 10. These rotatable members are preferably small plastics or rubber (or synthetic rubber) plugs which are constructed to be a push fit in, and retained while being rotatable in, the support member 6. The display panels 8 and 9 are preferably square or rectangular and in the most preferred embodiment of the invention take the form of the panel 8 shown in the right-hand part of Figure 2. The panel is formed by a flat member having an edge structure or border which is arranged to have hooks fitted thereinto.The hooks are shown at 12, 13. The hooks may take the form shown in Figure 9. They can be maintained by grub screws in a channel-shaped frame member, or in a channel-shaped edge member extending along each of two parallel sides of the panel. One suitable form of edge member or frame member is illustrated at Figure 10 in British Patent No. 2 155 681. The hooks 12, 13 may be retained in such an edge member in a similar manner to that illustrated at Figure 8 in British Patent No. 2 155 681 except that, instead of the plate 86 having a slot 84, a hook would project from the plate 86. In this way, the hooks 12, 13 can be adjusted longitudinally of the channel section edge or frame member.

Referring to Figure 3, the illustrated support member 6 has front and rear walls 14 and 15 and vertical edge portions 16. As stated, the support member 6 is preferably rectangular as seen in front elevation. Four rotatable members 10 are seen in Figure 3, each of them having a through slot 17.

The rotatable members 10 are more fully described with reference to Figures 5-8. Each such member 10 is preferably made as a plastics moulding comprising a generally circular disc 20 having the slot 17 therethrough and, attached to the disc, a rearwardly extending plug portion. The plug portion comprises a rearwardly extending rim 21 having radial extensions thereon at opposite ends of a diameter. The extensions are shown at 22 and the diameter is preferably at right angles to the length of the slot 17.

As will be seen, this construction permits the rotatable member 10 to be pushed into a circular hole in the wall 14 or 15; once pushed in, which can be done manually without any special tools, it is securely retained therein by the overlapping flange portions 22 but is readily rotatable so that the slot can be positioned at any desired angle to the vertical. Of course the benefit of positioning the slot at any desired angle to the vertical is that it can then receive a flat hook of the kind shown at 12 or 13 so permitting the panel to which the hooks 12, 13 are attached to be located at any desired angle to the vertical permitted by the location of the rotatable members in the support member.As can readily be seen from consideration of Figure 2, as well as two possible positions for a panel located with its plane vertical, there are a number of different positions in which an angled panel can be disposed. For example, the hooks could be inserted in rotatable members 10b and 10c, after being positioned an appropriate distance apart in the channel edge section of the panel 8, and if desired a similar panel could be located with its hooks in the rotatable members 10d and 10e. This arrangement would give two parallel angled panels. Of course it will be understood that the right hand side of the panel 8 (Fig. 2) would be supported in a similar way in the support member 7. In an alternative arrangement, the hooks could be spaced more widely apart and located in rotatable members 10b and 10e. A reversely inclined panel, as seen in the upper part of bay 1 in Figure 1, would be achieved by located the hooks of the panel in the rotatable members 10a and 10f of respective support members. Of course the support member may have any desired number of rotatable members, rather than the six illustrated in Figure 2.

To the best of Applicant's knowledge and belief, it has hitherto not been possible to easily assemble and disassemble display equipment and at the same time achieve a wide variety of display panels located at angles to the vertical as well as substantially 'vertically. A great advantage of display equipment according to the present invention is that it is easily and readily manipulated by unskilled persons and the only tool needed is a simple screwdriver.

Claims (7)

1. Display equipment including a support member having therein at least one rotatable member, each such rotatable member having therein a slot for reception of a substantially plate-like hook which can be inserted into the slot.

2. A support member for use in display equipment, the support member being of generally planar shape and having therein a number of circular holes or recesses, each of which is capable of receiving a freely rotatable plug having therein a slot dimensioned to receive a hook of a display panel.

3. A circular rotatable plug for use in a display equipment support member, the plug being of rubber or synthetic rubber or a resilient synthetic plastics material and comprising e slotted disc from which projects a rim, the rim having at least a pair of radial extensions whereby the plug can be rotatably retained in a hole or recess in the support member.

4. Display equipment according to claim 1 which includes at least a pair of support members, each of which is substantially rectangular, which support between them at least one panel having plate-like hooks which are inserted in respective slots.

5. Display equipment according to claim 1 or 4 in which at least one panel is located in a plane at an acute angle to the vertical.

6. Display equipment substantially as herein described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.

7. Any novel combination or sub-combination disclosed and/or illustraLed herein.