GB2346981A

GB2346981A - A display structure comprising a plurality of separate screens

Info

Publication number: GB2346981A
Application number: GB9926332A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Andrew Bayliss; Nicholas Richard Coates
Original assignee: Seos Display Ltd
Current assignee: Rockwell Collins Visual Display Systems Ltd
Priority date: 1998-11-09
Filing date: 1999-11-05
Publication date: 2000-08-23
Also published as: GB9824549D0; GB9926332D0

Abstract

A display structure (2) comprises a plurality of separate screens (4) which extend at angles, for example right angles, to each other and which are connected together along adjacent edges of the screens (4) by connector means (20), the connector means (20) being so positioned on the screens (4) that, when the screens (4) are connected together, the connector means (20) are not on the inside of the display structure (2) and the connector means (20) are not visible to a user viewing the screens (4) from inside the display structure (2). Connector means (20) comprise a plurality of fastener members (24) provided on the screens (4) and a plurality of adjuster members (26) provided on the fastener members (24). Fastener members (24) are secured to screens (4) by adhesive. Masking means (34) are also provided for masking connector means (20) and the masking means (34) is adjustable in position and preferably attached to the fastening members (24).

Description

A DISPLAY STRUCTURE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SEPARATE SCREENS This invention relates to a display structure comprising a plurality. of separate screens and, more especially, this invention relates to a display structure of the type in which a plurality of separate screens form an enclosure in which person is positioned to view the screens, the screens being back projection screens.

There are many known different types of display structures which utilise screens which form an enclosure into which a person goes in order to view images on the screens. The display structures are often known as those giving immersive displays or immersive cubic displays. The known structures generally employ screens formed of fabric rear projection material stretched over a rigid framework such that the material is able to display an image projected on to the material. The rigid frameworks are arranged together to form various configurations of display structures. Typically, the display structures each have three walls and a floor, and an open side so that users may enter and be observed in the display structures. The display structures may be in the form of cubes or other shapes. The frameworks are often such that they are joined together in a way which is visible to users and/or which interferes with viewed images.

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

Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a display structure comprising a plurality of separate screens which extend at angles to each other and which are connected together along adjacent edges of the screens by connector means, the connector means being so positioned on the screens that, when the screens are connected together, the connector means are not on the inside of the display structure and the connector means are not visible to a user viewing the screens from inside the display structure.

Preferably, the connector means are positioned on adjacent edge parts of the adjacent edges of the screens.

The adjacent edge parts are preferably on transverse edge faces of the screens but they may be on other parts of the screens if desired. The connector means are thus positioned on the outside of the display structure.

The display structure may be one in which the connector means comprises a plurality of fastener members provided on the screens, and a plurality of adjuster members provided on the fastener members.

The adjuster members are preferably screwed to the fastener members. Other means of connecting the adjuster members to the fastener members may be employed.

The fastener members are preferably secured to the screens by an adhesive. Other methods of securing the fastener members to the screens may be employed.

The display structure may include adjustment screws for causing the fastener members to press together with sufficient force that the screens are held together. The adjustment screws are preferably mounted on the fastener members.

The connector means may alternatively be such as to give a rebate joint between connected pairs of the screens.

The display structure may include masking means for masking the connector means.

The masking means is preferably adjustable in position with respect to the connector means. Where the connector means comprises the fastener members, then the masking means is preferably attached to the fastener members. The masking means is preferably secured in position by screws.

The masking means may be secured in position by devices other than screws if desired.

The screens will usually extend at right angles to each other but they may extend at any other suitable and appropriate angles as may be required.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a first display structure as it is used; Figure 2 is an enlarged view of part of the display structure shown in Figure 1 and illustrates how two screens are connected together by first connector means; Figure 3 is a front view of part of the two screens shown in Figure 2 and further illustrates the first connector means; Figure 4 is a top plan view of part of two screens which are connected together and in which masking means is employed to mask the first connector means; Figure 5 is a plan view of part of a second display structure, and shows the use of second connector means; and Figure 6 is an enlarged view of a circled part of Figure 5.

Referring to Figure 1, there. is shown a first display structure 2 comprising three screens 4, a floor 6, a ceiling mirror 8 and a head tracker 10. A side 12 is left open so that a user (not shown) is able to walk into the display structure 2 and view images displayed on the screens 4. The screens 4 are back projection screens which are able to receive images from three floor mounted projectors 14 and/or a ceiling projector 16. The floor mounted projectors 14 and the ceiling projector 16 are mounted outside the display structure 2 as shown. The construction of the floor mounted projectors 14 and the ceiling projector 16 and their method of operation are well known and will not be discussed herein since they are not central to the present invention.

As can be appreciated from Figure 1, the screens 4 are separate from each other and they extend at right angles to each other. The screens 4 are connected together along adjacent edges 18.

Referring now to Figures 2,3 and 4, the screens 4 are connected together along the adjacent edges 18 by connector means 20. The connector means 20 are so positioned on the screens 4 that, when the screens 4 are connected together, the connector means 20 are on the outside of the display structure 2 and the connector means 20 are not visible to a user viewing the screens from inside the display structure 2.

The connector means 20 are positioned on adjacent edge parts of the screens 4. More specifically, the connector means 20 are positioned on transverse edge faces 22 of the screens 4.

The connector means 20 comprises a plurality of fastener members 24 and a plurality of adjuster members 26.

The fastener members 24 are provided on the transverse edge faces 22 of the screens 4 as best appreciated from Figure 2. The adjuster members 26 are secured to the fastener members 24 by screws 30. The fastener members 24 are secured to the transverse edge faces 22 of the screens 4 by an adhesive. Any suitable and appropriate type of adhesive may be employed.

The display structure 2 is such that adjustment screws 32 are employed for causing the fastener members 24 to press together with sufficient force that the screens 4 are held together. The adjustment screws 30 are mounted on the fastener members 24 as shown in Figure 4.

As also shown in Figure 4, the display structure 2 includes masking means 34 for masking the connector means 20 from the image which is coming from the direction shown by arrow 36 and which may come from one or more of projectors 14,16. The masking means 34 is a right angled masking means as shown and it gives a masked area 38 as shown. The masked area 38 is outside the enclosure defined by the screens 4.

The masking means 34 is adjustable with respect to the connector means 20. The masking means 34 is connected to the fastener members 24 of the connector means 20. Screws (not shown) are used to provide this connection of the masking means 34 to the connector means 20.

The connector means 20 operate such that each screen 4 is used to support its adjacent screen 4. The screens 4 are joined together in an unobtrusive manner which is as seamless as possible. The connector means 20 allow localised adjustment along the joins between adjacent screens 4, so that small screen distortions may be removed and pinched together.

The display structure of the invention is such that the screens, for example the screens 4, are solid screens.

The screens are preferably made of an acrylic plastics material but other plastics materials and non-plastics materials may be used if desired. The fastener members and the adjuster members are preferably made in the same material as that employed for the screens but other materials may be employed if desired. Where screws are employed to fix various components together, these may be made of any suitable material, for example nylon or other types of plastics material.

The connector means 20 operate as a pinch mechanism by applying outside pressure to the opposing screen 4, so that the adjuster members 26 attached to one screen 4 will apply a force to the fastener members 24 on an adjacent screen 4, and vice versa. The applied force is applied to each of the fastener members 24 in turn, so that the total combined force on each screen 4 is sufficient to give a structurally sound corner in the overall display structure 2. The use of the connector means 20 creates some negative optical artefacts when an image is applied to one or more adjacent screens 4. These artefacts are produced from straight light defracting through the connecting means and adjacent edges of the screens 4. The use of the corner masking means 34 neatly overcomes the negative optical artefacts and ensures that the image is only applied to the required image area of the or each screen 4. The masking means 34 are located on each fastener member 24 as indicated above and the masking means 34 have a lateral adjustment to accommodate various projector configurations, and to allow for screen small distortions. The masking means 34 are located to their fastener members 24 by means of a small adjustment screw at each end.

Figures 5 and 6 show part of a second display structure 40 having a side screen 42 and a rear screen 44.

Figure 6 is an enlarged view of the circled part in Figure 5. The rear screen 44 has an edge portion 46 which fits in a groove 48 in the side screen 42. An O-ring chord 50 is located as shown in the groove 48 in order to retain the edge portion 46 in the groove 48.

The side screen 42 and the rear screen 44 are supported in an upstanding manner by a main upstanding structural support 52. A mask mount member 54 is secured to the support 52 as shown so that the mask mount member 54 has an edge 56 which is parallel with a front face 58 of the rear screen 44. A mask 60 is mounted as shown to the mask mount 54. An O-ring 62 is positioned as shown between the front face 58 and the mask 60. The mask 60 has slotted mountings for providing coarse adjustment, and compression of the O-ring 62 provides for fine adjustment. The mask 60 is able to provide appropriate masking as indicated by the light ray path 64 from a projector (not shown).

As can be seen from Figure 5, a rear mask 66 is also employed. The rear mask 66 is positioned as shown so that it abuts against the support 52 and an edge face 68 of the side screen 42. The rear mask 66 and the support 52 may be made of hardwood or any other suitable and appropriate materials.

Preferably, the 0-chord 50 is a 3mm O-ring chord 50.

Also preferably, the support 52 is 75mm x 75mm and the rear mask 56 is lOmm thick. Preferably, the rear screen 44 is 9.5mm thick. The support 52 can then have an edge 70 which is 3mm behind the edge face 68 of the side screen 42.

Other measurements may of course be employed if desired.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the display structure may be of a different construction to that shown in Figure 1. Also, fastener members 24 and adjuster members 26 may be employed which are of a different construction to those shown.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A display structure comprising a plurality of separate screens which extend at angles to each other and which are connected together along adjacent edges of the screens by connector means, the connector means being so positioned on the screens that, when the screens are connected together, the connector means are not on the inside of the display structure and the connector means are not visible to a user viewing the screens from inside the display structure.
2. A display structure according to claim 1 in which the connector means are positioned on adjacent edge parts of the adjacent edges of the screens.
3. A display structure according to claim 2 in which the adjacent edge parts are on transverse edge faces of the screens.
4. A display structure according to any one of the preceding claims in which the connector means comprises a plurality of fastener members provided on the screens, and a plurality of adjuster members provided on the fastener members.
5. A display structure according to claim 4 in which the adjuster members are secured to the fastener members.
6. A display structure according to claim 4 or claim 5 in which the fastener members are secured to the screens via an adhesive.
7. A display structure according to any one of claims 46 and including adjustment screws for causing the fastener members to press together with sufficient force that the screws are held together.
8. A display structure according to claim 7 in which the adjustment screws are mounted on the fastener members.
9. A display structure according to any one of claims 13 in which the connector means are such as to give a rebate joint between connected pairs of the screens.
10. A display structure according to any one of the preceding claims and including masking means for masking the connector means.
11. A display structure according to claim 10 in which the masking means are adjustable in position in respect of the connector means.
12. A display structure according to claim 10 or claim 11 in which the masking means are attached to the connector means.
13. A display structure according to claims 4 and 12 in which the masking means are attached to the fastener members.
14. A display structure according to any one of claims 11 -13 in which the masking means are secured in position by screws.
15. A display structure according to any one of the preceding claims in which the screws extend at right angles to each other.
16. A display structure, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.