GB2283296A

GB2283296A - Assembly of framework components of display system

Info

Publication number: GB2283296A
Application number: GB9322224A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Adrian Pritchard
Original assignee: DEV DISPLAY Ltd
Current assignee: DEV DISPLAY Ltd
Priority date: 1993-10-28
Filing date: 1993-10-28
Publication date: 1995-05-03
Also published as: GB9322224D0

Abstract

A framework comprises rods or tubes 10 attached to a spider plate 15 provided with a spigot 24 which is received and retained in a node 27. The spigot 24 is braced by rods 25. The ends of the tubes 10 receive plastics studs 17 which are clamped by grub screws 20, to attach the tubes 10 to the spider plate 15. Each cubic node 27 has six sockets 29 to receive the spigots 24 and retainer pins 33 engage holes in the sockets 29 and spigots 24. Each tube 10 has ribs 12 defining channels 13 for receiving links 14 and panels (not shown). <IMAGE>

Description

Title: Display System Field of the Invention This invention relates to display systems.

Disclosure of the Invention According to the invention a display system comprises a plurality of components for assembly into a framework, the components including rods or tubes; spider members each having a plate, a spigot projecting from the plate and bracing means spanning the plate and the spigot in order to strengthen the interconnection between the plate and the spigot; attachment means for attaching the plate to ends of the rods or tubes and a plurality of nodes each having a plurality of sockets to receive and retain a spigot.

On each spider member,, the spigot preferably projects perpendicularly from the plate which is conveniently rectangular or square, the spigot adjoining the plate in the centre thereof and projecting from one side of the plate, the attachment means being operative to connect the ends of the rods or tubes to the other side of the plate.

The attachment means preferably comprise plastics studs having shanks expandable against the inner walls of the tubes to frictionally engage the inner walls of the tubes.

The bracing means may comprise a plurality of rods, tubes or gusset plates but in a preferred embodiment the bracing means comprises four symmetrically arranged angled rods, each extending between the spigot and a point of attachment on the plate in the region of a corresponding corner of the plate.

Each node preferably has six spigots the axes of which are arranged on the six possible rectangular coordinates in space, so that each node is capable of receiving or retaining the six spigots of six spider members.

A display system according to the invention will now be described, by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows in exploded view the components of the display system, Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating how four tubes can be assembled in a parallel manner, Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating a detail of the assembled display system, Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating how two lengths of tubes can be joined together end to end, and Figure 5 shows a representative framework assembled from components of the display system.

Referring to Figure 1, the display system comprises a plurality of tubes 10 each having projecting ribs 12 defining channels 13, extending the length of each tube, the two channels 13 on each tube 10 facing in mutually perpendicular directions. Facing channels can be spanned by linking members 14 which themselves present matching channels, the arrangement being such that any of the channels can receive panels (not shown). Figure 2 shows a sub-assembly of four parallel tubes 10 interconnected by linking members 14.

The hollow ends of the tubes 10 are attachable to the plate 15 of a metal spider member 16 by plastics studs 17.

Each stud 17 has a head 18 and a serrated shank 19 which is split and is capable of being clamped in a tube end by means of a grub screw 20, which is inserted in a hole in the wall of the tube 10 and the inner end of which bears on an inset 22 (Figure 3) to cause the shank 19 to expand and to grip the inner surface of the tube 10.

Each plate 15 is square and has, adjacent its corners, holes 23, enabling four tube ends (eg the sub-assembly of Figure 2) to be connected to each spider member 16 by means of the studs 17.

A central spigot 24 projects perpendicularly from and is rigidly attached to the centre of the plate 15, four equiangularly arranged rods 25 bracing the attachment of the spigot 24 to the plate 15. The four bracing rods 25 converge towards the spigot 24 where they are rigidly secured to the spigot through the intermediary of a hublike cylindrical shoulder.

Projecting ends 26 of the spigots 24 are interconnected by nodes, a representative one of which is shown at 27 in Figure 1. The node 27 has a central cube from the six faces of which respectively project six bosses 28 each having a cylindrical blind bore 29 dimensioned to receive a spigot end 26 with a sliding fit. Other spigot ends 26 are shown in broken lines in Figure 1. Each boss 28 is formed with two cross bores 30, mutually perpendicularly arranged, and each spigot end 26 has a cross bore 32. A pin 33 can be inserted through aligned cross bores 30, 32 to retain the spigot 24 in a selected boss 28, at a chosen one of the possible orientations corresponding to alignment of the cross bores in the boss and the spigot.

The pin 33 has a ring pull 34 for ease of withdrawal of the pin 33.

Figure 5 shows an example of a framework assembled from the components of the display system. It will be appreciated that the use of nodes each having six bosses, with each boss having two perpendicular cross bores, enables frameworks of a large variety of shapes and sizes to be assembled from the components described. The resulting framework may support display panels in the channels or support sheeting by means of eyelets. The erected assembly can be readily dismantled and the components re-used.

Figure 4 illustrates how two tubes may be joined together end to end by the use of a double-stud 35 having oppositely projecting shanks 36 each split and capable of being clamped within a tube end by a grub screw 37 bearing on an insert 38.

Claims

1. A display system comprising a plurality of components for assembly into a framework, the components including rods or tubes; spider members each having a plate with a spigot projecting therefrom; attachment means for attaching the plate to the ends of the rods or tubes; and a plurality of nodes each having a plurality of sockets to receive and retain a spigot.

2. A display system according to claim 1, wherein each spider member includes bracing means spanning the plate and the spigot in order to strengthen the interconnection therebetween.

3. A display system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each plate is square or rectangular, and the spigot projects perpendicularly from the centre of the plate.

4. A display system according to claim 3 as dependent on claim 2, wherein the bracing means comprises four symmetrically arranged angled rods, each extending between the spigot and a point of attachment on the plate in the region of a corresponding corner of the plate.

5. A display system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the attachment means comprise plastics studs, each plastics stud having a shank expandable against the inner walls of the rods or tubes to frictionally engage therewith.

6. A display system according to claim 5, wherein the expansion of the shank is actuated by a grub screw.

7. A display system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each node comprises six sockets, the axes of which are arranged on the six possible rectangular coordinates in space, such that each node is capable of receiving or retaining the spigot of each of six spider members.

8. A display system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the end region of the spigot inserted into the socket of a node comprises a cross-bore, which crossbore may be aligned with a cross-bore in the walls of the socket, so as to allow a retaining pin to pass through the walls of the socket and the end region of the spigot.

9. A display system according to claim 8, wherein each socket comprises two crossbores mutually perpendicularly arranged, such that the spigot is retainable in one of the possible orientations corresponding to alignment of the cross-bores in the socket and the spigot.

10. A display system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rods or tubes comprise one or more channels capable of receiving the edge of a display panel, each channel being defined by a pair of projecting ribs.

11. A display system according to claim 10, comprising interlinking members insertable between the channel of one rod or tube and the facing channel of an adjacent rod or tube.

12. A display system according to claim 11, wherein each interlinking member also comprises one or more channels capable of receiving the edge of a display panel.

13. A display system according to any one of the preceding claims, substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying drawings.