GB2320974A - Integrated display device - Google Patents

Abstract

An integrated display device comprises a member embodied by: a base layer 12 able to provide for demountable attachment (such as by magnetism or cling) of one side of the base layer to a surface; an intermediate layer 13 bearing on one side a representation; and an upper transparent protective layer 14, such as an acetate sheet, revealing the display and enabling one or more removable indicia, such as manually applied marking or a label, drawing or other representation, to be located on the upper transparent protective layer in a given position relative to the representation or a part thereof. Typically the base layer and the intermediate layer are embodied as a single member. Alternatively the top layer and the intermediate layer are embodied as a single member. The intermediate layer may be removed and replaced by another such layer carrying a different representation. Preferably the device is flexible.

Description

INTEGRATED DISPLAY DEVICE This invention relates to an integrated display device. It is particularly. though not exclusively, concerned with such a display device for use in teaching or instruction.

For such use there arises a need for a particular representation to be provided so that having displayed the representation a teacher can explain or describe matters and manually add features by pen or other marking means (typically a marker as used on white board) or by adding demountable representations. Typical representations would be a map, a graph or other quantitative representation or music staves.

According to the present invention there is provided an integrated display device comprising a member embodied by: a base layer able to provide for demountable attachment (such as by magnetism or cling) of one side of the base layer to a surface; an intermediate layer bearing on one side a representation; and an upper transparent protective layer, such as an acetate sheet, revealing the display and enabling one or more removable indicia, such as manually applied marking or a label, drawing or other representation, to be located on the upper transparent protective layer in a given position relative to the representation or a part thereof.

According to a first preferred version of the present invention the base layer and the intermediate layer are embodied as a single member.

According to a second preferred version of the present invention the top layer and the intermediate layer are embodied as a single member.

According to a third second preferred version of the present invention or the first preferred version thereof the side of the upper layer remote from the representation is provided with a varnish or other finish to improve or protect its ability to be written on or to receive and demountably retain indicia.

According to a fourth preferred version of the present invention or any preceding preferred version thereof the device is flexible.

According to a fifth preferred version of the present invention or any preceding preferred version thereof the device the, or an, intermediate layer bearing a first representation is adapted for removal from the device to enable the intermediate layer to be replaced by a further intermediate layer typically one having a second representation thereon to enable the device to provide for the display of the further representation in place of the first representation.

According to a sixth preferred version of the present invention the device is adapted to receive and locate a filter or other transparent or semi transparent member on the device outside the transparent layer so as to modify the appearance of the representation when viewed by way of transparent layer.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing of integrated display devices demountably attached to a vertical surface: Figure 1 is a front view of a first embodiment; Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken on section II - II of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a horizontal section of a second embodiment.

The drawings are not to scale. In particular in Figures 2 and 3 for the sake of clarity of description the thickness of layers is exaggerated relative to the overall width of the device.

FIGURES 1 AND 2 The drawings variously show a display device 11 comprising a stack of sperate flexible members including: a base layer 12, an intermediate layer 13 and an upper layer 14.

The base layer 12 is of plastics material and has a rear side 15 remote from the intermediate layer 13 which adapted so that when the device 11 is pressed into contact with vertical white board 16 by way of rear side 15 the rear side 15 serves to cling to the board 16 to demountably maintain the device 11 in a vertical working position.

The intermediate layer 13 is a printable sheet of plastics material and bears on front side 13A a representation 17, in this case deposited by a printing process.

The upper layer 14 is a transparent vinyl acetate sheet with a transparent varnish layer 18 deposited on it. The upper layer 14 serves to reveal, while at the same time protecting, the representation 17. The varnish layer 18 enables one or more indicia such as a word, drawing, label or other representation to be readily and demountably located on the device 11 to the representation 17 or a part thereof.

Typically if the representation 17 was, for example, a map then further labels representing towns or regions can be demontably attached to the layer 18 to provide for the instruction of viewers of the device 11. Apart from indicia in the form of planar elements bearing information manually generated entries can be applied by crayon or erasable ink or other media directly onto the layer 18 or be made on subsidiary devices which are themselves pushed into contact with the layer 18.

Typically when the device is mounted on a white board a pen normally used on the white board can be used to manually apply indicia to the layer 18 typically for instructional purposes either directly relating to representation or as a catchword or note.

FIGURE 3 In this embodiment the device 31 is made up of two members, base layer 32 and an upper layer 33. In general external appearance the device 31 is similar to device 11 of Figures 1 and 2. However whereas in Figures 1 and 2 there are provided separate base layer 12 and intermediate layer 13 in this second embodiment the function of the two layers 12, 13 is combined into the single layer 32 with: a rear side 35 serving a corresponding function to rear side 15 of the exemplary embodiment and serving to attach the device 31 to a vertical wall surface 36; and a front side 37 on which representation 38 is deposited in this case by a printing process.

The front side is 37 is protected by means of a transparent varnish layer 39 similar in form and function to layer 18 of Figure 2.

In the two embodiments referred to in connection with Figures 1 to 3 the representation is retained in an enclosure since the upper layer (layer 14, Figures 1 and 2; layer 39, Figure 3) covers the representation in each case and surrounds the edges of the layer bearing the representation. However it is envisaged that in the case of an embodiment having three layers (as described in connection with Figures 1 and 2) then an aperture can be provided in one or both of the outermost layers to enable the intermediate layer bearing one representation to be removed and replaced in whole or in part with another intermediate layer bearing a different representation. In this way a given device can be used, for example, to display a family of representations having a particular characteristics upon which instruction is to be given.

In order to facilitate instruction a further version of the device can include a border to enable a sheet of transparent or semi transparent material to be mounted by way of the device which sheet serves to modify the appearance of the representation.

Typically the sheet can be serve to provide a polarising effect upon, or to filter out a colour incorporated in, the representation so that the information provided with the sheet in place differs from that with the sheet removed.

The present invention provides a device whereby a high quality representation can be readily displayed and modified or annotated to enhance a teaching event without damage or deterioration of the representation. The device dispenses with the need for a teacher using the device to prepare an elaborate display on a white or other board which can result in loss of attention by those being instructed. In addition the invention enables a teacher or instructor lacking drawing skills to make use of well prepared representations and images without wasting time trying to prepare them himself while still enabling him to readily add annotations or other material. By making the device of flexible layers the devices of the invention can be rolled up when not in use to facilitate carriage and storage.

The two exemplary embodiments refer to a base member with a rear side adapted so as to readily cling to a surface (which is referred to a vertical but is readily attached to a surface at any angle. Typically cling can be enhanced by providing a large number of small recesses extending over, and integral with, the outer rear surface to act as local suckers. In an alternative embodiment the device can incorporate magnetic means (which means can itself be flexible) so that the device can be demountably located on a magnetic or ferromagnetic panel.

Claims (8)

1 An integrated display device comprising a member embodied by: a base layer able to provide for demountable attachment (such as by magnetism or cling) of one side of the base layer to a surface; an intermediate layer bearing on one side a representation; and an upper transparent protective layer, such as an acetate sheet, revealing the display and enabling one or more removable indicia, such as manually applied marking or a label, drawing or other representation, to be located on the upper transparent protective layer in a given position relative to the representation or a part thereof.

2 An integrated display device as claimed in Claim I wherein the base layer and the intermediate layer are embodied as a single member.

3 An integrated display device as claimend in claim 1 wherein the top layer and the intermediate layer are embodied as a single member.

4 An integrated display device as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the side of the upper layer remote from the representation is provided with a varnish or other finish to improve or protect its ability to be written on or to receive and demountably retain indicia.

5 An integrated display device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the device is flexible.

6 An integrated dispaly device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the, or an, intermediate layer bearing a first representation is adapted for removal from the device to enable the intermediate layer to be replaced by a further intermediate layer typically one having a second representation thereon to enable the device to provide for the display of the further representation in place of the first representation.

7 An integrated display device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the device is adapted to receive and locate a filter or other transparent or semi transparent member on the device outside the transparent layer so as to modify the appearance of the representation when viewed by way of the filter or transparent layer.

8 An intergrated display device as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.