GB2325770A - A display stand - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of displaying information and a display stand therefor which comprises a display board (20) held upright on at least one leg (11) secured in a base (10) having a substantially flat planar plate portion (15) that sits upon the ground, the leg (11) being detachably mounted in a socket (13) in the base (10) having a resiliently loaded detent mechanism (17, 27) permitting ready release of the board from the base.

Description

A Display Stand This invention relates to display stands and in particular to free standing display stands or boards used to present information in association with particular products, especially motor vehicles.

Motor vehicle price displays and/or other information indicators are commonly used in the trade so that a display is associated with a particular vehicle. Such displays typically comprise an upright board on which information is carried and a base to which the board is secured in an upright manner. The base sometimes has a flat base plate onto which the wheel of a vehicle can be driven so that the weight of the vehicle helps maintain the board upright by clamping the plate against the ground.

A problem arises when a respective vehicle is driven away on test and the stand is left standing upright with no additional stabilizing load on the plate. Frequently in such circumstances the stands topple over with consequent damage.

The present invention provides a display stand which avoids the above problems.

Accordingly there is provided a display stand comprising a display board which is held substantially upright on at least one leg secured in a base having a substantially flat planar plate portion that sits upon the ground, the leg being detachably mounted in the base to permit ready release of the board from the base.

Preferably, the leg is biased by resilient means, preferably a spring means, into a locked position in the socket and can only be removed from the socket by overcoming the spring bias.

There may be further provided an additional key locking device preventing unauthorised removal of the board from the base without shifting the key lock device to an unlocked condition.

The stand is preferably for use in association with vehicles, and preferably the planar plate has spaced raised ribs adjacent opposed edges, these ribs in use being located on each side of a vehicle tyre foot print.

Preferably the plate is triangular in shape to accommodate tyres of different length foot prints between the diverging ribs adjacent the sides of the triangle.

Also according to the invention there is provided a method of displaying information in relation to a vehicle, especially for use on vehicle display areas, wherein the information is displayed on a substantially upright board held in a base having a plate clamped to the ground by a vehicle wheel, wherein the display board is readily dismountable from the base before removing the vehicle load from the plate.

The base is capable of receiving a range of display devices as long as they have a leg which is compatable with the socket in the base.

The invention will be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a display stand according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is a plan view of the stand of Fig.l, Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the stand of Fig.l, Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail of the bayonet fitting f=m the side view before engagement, and Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail of the bayonet fitting tipn the front after engagement.

With reference to Figures 1 to 3, there is shown a display stand comprising a base 10 and a board 20 of any desired shape and typically made from wood, aluminium, plastics material or any combination thereof. Alternatively the leg may support a flag, dispenser, or other display devices. The board 20 is mounted on at least one cylindrical steel or tubular steel leg 11, for convenience shown only in Fig.l. The leg 11 at its lower end portion has a pair of diametrally opposed lugs 12 extending radially outwardly thereof. The leg is detachably mounted to the base 10 through a socket 13 having bayonet fitting 14.

The base 10 comprises a substantially flat steel plate 15 which is substantially in the form of a isosceles triangle with the socket 13 located adjacent the apex and raised ribs 16 extending along each side edge margin. The ribs 16 help locate a car tyre on the plate 15 so that the footprint is between the ribs 16.

The diverging ribs accommodate tyres of different length footprints.

The socket 13 is square shaped in cross-section and has opposed slots 17 in the side walls which form the bayonet fitting. The shape of the socket prevents the round leg from "welding itself" in the socket as might happen with matching cylindrical leg and socket. The socket 13 is held upright on the plate 15 by four angled steel webs 18 arranged at the corners of the square socket 13. The webs may be welded in place.

The upper opening of the socket 13 is surrounded by a fixed square collar 19 on which is mounted a key lock device 21 having an arm 22. The arm 22 is rotatable when the key is in place.

The plate 15 and socket 13 are encased in a plastic housing 23, preferably a vacuum formed ABS housing. The housing 23 is held to the plate 15 by a housing location bracket 24 positioned near the apex of the plate and a support and fastening post 25 located between the bracket 25 and socket 13. A carrying handle 26 is attached to the upper surface of the plate 15 and projects through the housing to facilitate carrying the base 10.

The square socket 13 is shown in detail in Figures 4 & 5 and has a compression spring 27 located in its lower portion. The spring 27 is welded to the plate 15. The slot 17 for the bayonet fitting comprises a first vertical (or axial) portion 28 which opens to the upper surface of the socket 13 and the lower end of which connects into a horizontal portion 29. The horizontal portion 29 of the slot extends into an upwardly inclined portion 31 which connects with a second vertical blind portion 32.

The leg 11 is inserted into the socket 13 with the lugs 12 engaging in the open vertical portions 28 of the slots. The leg 11 is then pushed downwards against the spring bias and relatively rotated so that the lugs move through the portions 29,31. If the downward load is now removed the spring 27 will bias the leg 11 upwardly with the lugs 12 locking in the vertical section 32. The only way that the board can now be separated from the base is by overcoming the bias of the spring 27 followed by a twist and lift.

The arm 22 attached to the key device 21 can be rotated into position so that a notch 33 therein engages a lug 12 and helps support the weight of the board and prevents unauthorised removal of the board from the base. To enable the board to be separated from the base 10 the key device is operated to rotate the arm 22 downwards freeing the lugs 12 to move in the bayonet fitting.

In use a base 10 is placed on the ground, and a car driven or otherwise moved so that its tyre sits on the plate 15 leaving the socket 13 alongside the vehicle so that a display board can be mounted in the socket. If it is desired to test drive the vehicle, the display board is simply removed as described above.

Claims (16)

Claims

1. A Display stand comprising a display board which is held substantially upright on at least one leg secured in a base having a substantially flat planar plate portion that sits upon the ground, the leg being detachably mounted in the base to permit ready release of the board from the base.

2. A stand as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the leg is inserted into a socket in the base with a resiliently loaded detent mechanism therein.

3. A stand as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the leg is biased by spring means into a locked position in the socket and can only be removed from the socket by overcoming the spring bias.

4. A stand as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3 wherein the leg is substantially cylindrical having a pair of diametrically opposed radial lugs at its lower end portion, which are engagable in a bayonet fitting in the socket.

5. A stand as claimed in Claim 4 wherein the socket is substantially square in cross-section.

6. A stand as claimed in Claim 4 or Claim 5 wherein the bayonet fitting comprises opposite slots each comprising a first axial portion opening to the upper surface of the fitting and connecting at its lower end with a horizontal portion whose other end connects with an upwardly inclined portion, which interconnects with a second axial portion.

7. A stand as Claimed in any one of Claims 4 to 6 wherein there is further provided an additional key locking device preventing removal of the stand from the base without moving the device to an unlocked condition.

8. A stand as claimed in claim 7 wherein the additional lock device helps support the stand.

9. A stand as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 8, for use in association with vehicles, wherein the planar plate has spaced raised ribs adjacent opposed edges, these ribs in use being located on each side of a vehicle tyre foot print.

10. A stand as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the plate is triangular shaped with the ribs being formed adjacent the mutually inclined edges of the plate.

11. A stand as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 10, wherein the socket in the base is located in a raised portion of the base located to one side of the plate portion.

12. A display stand as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11 wherein a handle is fixed to the plate portion adjacent the raised portion of the base for carrying the base.

13. A display stand substantially as described herein and as shown in the drawings.

14. A method of displaying information in relation to a vehicle, especially for use on vehicle display areas, wherein the information is displayed on a substantially upright board held in base having a plate clamped to the ground by a vehicle wheel, wherein the display board is readily dismountable from the base before removing the vehicle load from the plate.

15. A method as claimed in Claim 14 wherein the board is held to the base by means of a bayonet fitting and is detached by simple push down, twist, and pull actions.

16. A method as claimed in claim 14 or claim 15 wherein the board can be selectively locked to the base to prevent unauthorised removal.