GB2307585A - A sign for holding posters - Google Patents

Abstract

A sign (2) for holding posters (4) comprising at least one viewing face (6, 8) through which a poster (4) is viewed, and a storage compartment (10) for storing posters (4) not being viewed. The compartments are provided with a closure means in the form of a cover (22), which may be provided with a locking means.

Description

A SIGN FOR HOLDING POSTERS This invention relates to a sign for holding posters.

Signs for holding posters are well known. The signs comprise at least one viewing face throughXwhich a poster is used. The viewing face is usually made of a transparent material such for example as transparent polyvinyl chloride.

The posters usually have to be changed several times a day. For example, in the case of restaurants advertising breakfast, lunchtime and evening menus, the posters will require changing three times a day.

This presently means that it is necessary to bring the poster to be displayed from a store facility which is remote from the sign. The replaced poster then has to be returned to the store facility. It will thus be apparent that this changing of posters is both tedious and time consuming.

It is an aim of the present invention to reduce the above mentioned problem.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a sign for holding posters, which sign comprises at least one viewing face through which a poster is viewed, and a storage compartment for storing posters not being viewed.

With the sign of the present invention, the posters not being viewed are always present with the sign. It is merely necessary to take a poster to be viewed from the storage compartment, and to place in the storage compartment the poster which has just been viewed and which is being replaced. Thus the sign of the present invention saves much time as compared with the above mentioned existing signs where journeys have to keep being made to a storage facility remote from the sign.

The sign of the present invention may be one which comprises at least one viewing compartment which contains the viewing face and which is for receiving the poster to be viewed, and in which the storage compartment is a separate compartment from the viewing compartment.

Usually, the storage compartment will be constructed for storing the posters in a flat readyto-view condition.

Preferably, the storage compartment has a top opening for enabling the posters to be inserted into the storage compartment from above. Generally, it is easier to insert and remove the posters from above than from a side of the sign. However, the sign of the present invention may have any appropriately positioned means for inserting and removing the posters from the storage compartment.

Preferably the sign is one in which there are two of the viewing faces through which the sign is viewed, and in which the storage compartment is centrally positioned between the two viewing faces. If desired, the sign may have a single viewing face, for example in the case where the sign is to be mounted flat against a wall. The sign could also be constructed to have more than two viewing faces if desired.

Preferably, the sign is a free standing sign.

The free standing sign may comprise a base and a housing which upstands from the base and which contains the viewing face or viewing faces.

If desired, the sign may be one which is for being mounted flat against a wall, or for being mounted on a wall such that the sign extends outwardly from a wall. The wall may be an exterior wall for displaying posters outside a building, or the wall may be an interior wall for displaying posters inside a building, for example inside a shopping precinct.

Preferably, the sign includes closure means by which the storage compartment is closed and opened.

Preferably, the closure means is a lockable closure means. If desired, the closure means may be a non lockable closure means which is secured in position by, for example, being a push fit in position.

The closure means is preferably a cover.

The present invention also extends to the sign when provided with the posters.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sign for holding posters; and Figure 2 is a section, not to scale, on the line A-A shown in Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a sign 2 for holding posters 4. The sign 2 has two viewing faces 6, 8 through which the posters 4 are viewed.

The sign 2 also has a storage compartment 10 for storing those posters 4 which are not being viewed.

As can be seen from Figure 2, the sign 2 is such that it has two viewing compartments 12, 14 containing the viewing faces 6, 8 respectively. Each viewing compartment 12, 14 contains one of the posters 4 to be viewed through the viewing face 6, 8. As shown in Figure 2, one of the posters 4 is being inserted into the viewing compartment 12. The storage compartment 10 is separate from the viewing compartment 12, 14.

The storage compartment 10 is also such that it is larger than the posters 4 so that the posters 4 are able to be stored in the storage compartment 10 in a flat ready-to-view condition.

As shown in Figure 2, the storage compartment 10 has a top opening 16 for enabling the posters 4 to be inserted into the storage compartment 10 from above.

Thus the posters 4 can be inserted into and removed from the storage compartment 10 in an easy manner.

The sign 2 is a free standing sign having a base 18 and a housing 20 which upstands from the base 18 and which contains the storage compartment 10 and the viewing compartments 12, 14.

The storage compartment 10 and the viewing compartments 12, 14 are all closed by closure means in the form of a cover 22. The cover 22 pushes over right angled members 24 as shown in Figure 2. The cover is locked in position by locking means (not shown).

The posters 4 may contain any suitable and appropriate type of information, depending upon the intended use of the sign 2. In Figure 1, the poster 4 is shown having the words SALE TODAY. The sign 2 can be used for advertising any suitable and appropriate things including restaurant menus, bus station time tables, railway station time tables, shop sales and headlines for morning and evening newspapers.

The sign 2 is such that the posters are able to be stored simply, conveniently and unobtrusively in the storage compartment 10. Posters to be viewed are simply and easily removed from the storage compartment 10. Posters that have been viewed are simply and easily replaced in the storage compartment 10.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiment of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings has been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the sign 2 could be such that it onzy has one viewing face. The sign 2 may also be wall mounted.

Claims (12)

1. A sign for holding posters, which sign comprises at least one viewing face through which a poster is viewed, and a storage compartment for storing posters not being viewed.

2. A sign according to claim 1 and comprising at least one viewing compartment which contains the viewing face and which is for receiVing the poster to be viewed, and in which the storage compartment is a separate compartment from the viewing compartment.

3. A sign according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the storage compartment is constructed for storing the posters in a flat ready-to-view condition.

4. A sign according to any one of the preceding claims in which the storage compartment has a top opening for enabling the posters to be inserted into the storage compartment from above.

5. A sign according to any one of the preceding claims in which there are two of the viewing faces through which the sign is viewed, and in which the storage compartment is positioned between the two viewing faces.

6. A sign according to any one of the preceding claims and which is a free standing sign.

7. A sign according to claim 6 in which the free standing sign comprises a base and a housing which upstands from the base and which contains the viewing face or viewing faces.

8. A sign according to any one of the preceding claims and including closure means by which the storage compartment is closed and opened.

9. A sign according to claim 8 in which the closure means is a lockable closure means.

10. A sign according to claim 8 or claim 9 in which the closure means is a cover.

11. A sign according to any one of the preceding claims and including the posters.

12. A sign for holding posters, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.