GB2426449A

GB2426449A - Display device

Info

Publication number: GB2426449A
Application number: GB0610475A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alvin Larson; Frederick Champnella
Original assignee: CHAMPS PRO MAX PRODUCTIONS LLC
Current assignee: CHAMPS PRO MAX PRODUCTIONS LLC
Priority date: 2005-05-27
Filing date: 2006-05-26
Publication date: 2006-11-29
Anticipated expiration: 2026-05-26
Also published as: GB2426449B; US20060265923A1; GB0610475D0; CA2548047A1

Abstract

A display device for flat display items 28 such as photographs, having a transparent sheet 12 with first and second faces. An opaque screening means such as a grid 18 on one of the faces of the transparent sheet 12 defines at least two distinct and independent viewing areas 20 through the transparent sheet 12. A pocket member 24 is disposed adjacent one of the faces of the transparent sheet 12. This pocket member has a receiving slot 26 associated with each viewing area 20 so that, upon insertion of a photograph or similar flat display item 28 through the receiving slot 26, the pocket member 24 positions and supports the display items or the photograph in alignment with the viewing area 20 associated with the slot 26.

Description

2426449

DISPLAY DEVICE

The present invention relates generally to display devices for planar display items, such as photographs.

5 There have been many previously known devices for displaying flat display items, such as photographs. Typically, these display devices comprise a frame having a front and a rear side. A transparent sheet is mounted within the frame on its front side while a mount with a cutout is positioned flatly against the transparent sheet. The flat display item to be displayed is then mounted within the frame and 10 positioned with tape to maintain alignment with the cutout in the mount.

A primary disadvantage of these previously known display devices, however, is that

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.... the mount typically has a single cutout opening so that only a single planar display

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items could be displayed by the display device. Furthermore, since the display item

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. 15 to be displayed may vary in size, it has been previously necessary individually to cut the mount so that the size of the cutout opening in the mount corresponds to the

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; shape and size of the flat display items or article to be displayed. This, however, is

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disadvantageous^ labour intensive and, thus, expensive.

20 A still further disadvantage of these previously known display devices for flat display items, or articles is that such display devices were not well suited for many applications in which the display of flat items or articles, such as photographs, is desired. For example, many persons attach various pictures and other flat articles to a refrigerator surface by magnets, tape and/or the like. The

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above-described previously known display devices having frame-like mounts are not well suited to use in such an application.

Similarly, it would be desirable to display flat display items or articles in items such as notebooks, paper binders and the like. The above-described previously known display devices are not well suited for such applications either.

The present invention seeks to provide a display device for displaying a plurality of flat display items or articles, such as photographs, which overcomes or at least mitigates the above-mentioned disadvantages of the previously known display devices.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a display device for flat display items or articles, comprising a transparent sheet having first and second faces, opaque screening means associated with one or other of the said transparent sheet, the said opaque screening means defining at least two distinct and independent viewing areas on the said transparent sheet, a pocket member associated with one or other face of the said transparent screen the pocket member having respective slots associated with each viewing area so that, upon insertion of a flat display item or article through a said slot the said pocket member positions and supports the inserted flat display items or article substantially in register with the viewing area associated with that slot.

Alternatively, diagonal slots corresponding to the corners of the flat article can be cut through the transparent sheet and positioned to receive the corners of the flat display items or article.

The display device of the present invention can be utilized to display flat display items or articles in numerous different applications. For example, the display device may comprise the front or back of a paper binder. Similarly, the display device may be used to attach planar articles to a refrigerator, locker, file cabinet, or similar planar surface with magnets, hook-and-loop fasteners, adhesive, and/or the like. Horizontally, the display device may be used to display planar articles as table or desk mats.

According to another aspect the present invention provides a display device for flat articles comprising:

a transparent sheet having a first side and a second side,

an opaque grid on one of said first and second sides of said transparent sheet, said grid forming at least two distinct and independent viewing areas on said transparent sheet,

a pockets page disposed on one of said first and second sides of said transparent sheet, said pockets page having a flat article receiving slot associated with each viewing area so that, upon insertion of a flat article through said receiving slot, said pockets page positions and supports the inserted flat article in alignment with the viewing area associated with the receiving slot.

Various embodiments of the present invention will now more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawing provided purely by way of non-limitative examples only. In the various Figures of the drawings like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view illustrating a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line 3-3 in FIG. 1 and shown on a larger scale for clarity;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 3, but of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 3, but of the third embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating one application of the display device of the present invention.

With reference first to FIGS. 1 to 3, a first embodiment of the invention comprises a display device 10 which includes a transparent sheet 12 having a first face 14

and a second face 16. The transparent sheet 12 is preferably made of a transparent plastics material although other transparent materials may be alternatively used. In addition, the transparent sheet 12 is illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 as being generally rectangular in shape although the transparent sheet 12 may have any shape without deviation from either the spirit or scope of the present invention.

An opaque grid 18 is applied to one face of the transparent sheet 12, either the face 14 or the face 16. This opaque grid 18 defines at least two distinct and independent viewing areas 20 through the transparent sheet 12.

In the first embodiment of the present invention, the opaque grid 18 is formed by printing the grid 18 onto one face 14 or 16 of the transparent sheet 12. Any conventional printing process may be utilized to print the grid 18.

With reference now particularly to FIGS. 2 and 3, a pocket member 24 is positioned flat against the face 16 of the transparent sheet 12. The pocket member 24 includes a slot 26 for receiving a flat article, with one slot 26 being associated with each viewing area 20 on the transparent sheet 12. The slots 26 thus enable a flat article 28, such as a photograph, to be inserted in between the pocket member 24 and the transparent sheet 12.

As best shown in FIG. 2, the pocket member 24 is secured to the transparent sheet 12 in alignment with the grid around at least a portion of each viewing area 20. Preferably, heat welds 30 are used to secure the pocket member 24 to the

transparent sheet 12 around at least a portion of each of the viewing areas 20 in such a way as to form a pocket between the transparent sheet 12 and the pocket member 24 for each viewing area. Thus, upon insertion of a flat display item 28 in between the pocket member 24 and the transparent sheet 12, the pocket member 24 both 5 positions the flat display items 28 in alignment with the viewing area 20 associated with the slot 26, and also supports the flat display item 28 in the pocket formed between the pocket member 24 and transparent sheet 12.

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As shown in FIG. 2, the attachment 30 between the pocket member 24 and the 10 transparent sheet 18 extends around three sides of each substantially rectangular viewing area 20 while the slot 26 extends across the remaining side of the rectangular viewing area 20. This, however, is by way of example only and it will be understood that it is only necessary that the pocket member 24 support and position the flat display item 28 in alignment with the viewing area 20 regardless of 15 the shape of the viewing area 20.

Still referring to FIG. 2, although preferably a heat seal or heat weld is formed between the pocket member 24 and the transparent sheet 12 around at least a portion of each viewing area 20, other means of attaching the pocket member 24 to 20 the transparent sheet 12 may alternatively be used. In addition, the pocket member 24 is also preferably secured to the transparent sheet 12 around the entire outer periphery of the pocket member 24 thus securing the outer edges of the pocket member 24 to the transparent sheet 12 and thereby creating a sealed or finished edge from a perimeter die which provides a nice feel and finish quality.

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With reference now to FIGS. 4 and 5, a second embodiment of the display device 10' is shown. The display device 10', like the display device 10 in FIGS. 1-3, includes a transparent sheet 12 having two faces 14 and 16 and an opaque grid 18 which defines at least two viewing areas 20 in the transparent sheet 12. The grid 5 18, as before, is preferably printed on one of the two faces 14 or 16 of the transparent sheet 12 in the same fashion as in the first embodiment of the invention described in relation to FIGS. 1-3.

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The second embodiment of the display device 10', however, differs from the first 10 embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1-3 in that the pocket member 24' comprises two flat sheets 40 and 42 in face-to-face contact. The first sheet 40 is transparent and the sheets 40 and 42 of the pocket member 24' are secured together in any convenient fashion, such as by heat welds 44 around at least a portion of each viewing area 20 and in alignment with the grid 14. A slot 46 is also formed 15 through the second sheet 42 of the pocket member 24' for each viewing area 20 to allow a flat display item or article, such as a photograph, to be inserted into a pocket formed between the sheets 40 and 42 of the pocket member 24'. In doing so, the attachments 44 between the first sheet 40 and second sheet 42 of the pocket member 24' not only support the display item but also position the display items in 20 alignment with the viewing area 20 in the transparent screen 12.

After the first sheet 40 and second sheet 42 of the pocket member 24' have been assembled together, the pocket member 24' is then attached to the face 16 of the transparent sheet 12 and secured to it by any convenient means, such as a heat

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weld 50. Furthermore, with the pocket member 24' attached to the transparent sheet 12, flat display items inserted through the slots 46 between the sheets 40 and 42 of the pocket member 24' are positioned in alignment with the viewing areas 20 formed through the grid 18.

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With reference now to FIGS. 6 and 7, a third embodiment of the display device 10" is shown which includes a transparent sheet 12 having two faces 14 and 16. The third embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 also includes a pocket member 24' comprising two sheets 40 and 42 in the same fashion as previously described 10 in relation to Figures 4 and 5.

The third embodiment of the display device 10" differs, however, from the previously described embodiments of the display device in that the opaque grid 18 is not printed on the transparent sheet 12. Instead, an opaque mount 70 is 15 sandwiched and encapsulated between the pocket member 24' and the transparent sheet 12. The mount 70 thus defines distinct viewing areas 72 which are aligned with the pockets formed in the pocket member 24'. Any convenient means may be utilized to secure the transparent sheet 12 and pocket member 24' together.

20 With reference now to FIG. 8, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown in which the display device 10 or 10' or 10" forms a cover 82 of a paper binder. Other applications of the present invention include a display device for attachment to a front planar surface, such as a refrigerator, locker or file cabinet.

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From the foregoing, it can be seen that the present invention provides a simple and yet highly effective display device for displaying flat display items or articles, such as photographs

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Claims

1. A display device for flat display items or articles, comprising a transparent sheet having first and second faces, opaque screening means associated with one or other face of the said transparent sheet, the said opaque screening means defining at least two distinct and independent viewing areas on the said transparent sheet, a pocket member associated with one or other face of the said transparent screen the pocket member having respective slots associated with each viewing area so that, upon insertion of a flat display item or article through a said slot the said pocket member positions and supports the inserted flat display items or article substantially in register with the viewing area associated with that slot

2. A display device as claimed in claim 1, in which the said opaque screening means comprises a printed coating on said one or other face of said transparent sheet.

3. A display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said opaque screening means comprises an aperture mount.

4. A display device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said mount is made of cardboard.

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5. A display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said pocket member is secured to said transparent sheet along portions of said opaque screening means.

6. A display device as claimed in any of claims 1 or 3 and 5, wherein said 5 pocket member is secured to said transparent sheet by heat welding.

7. A display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pocket member comprises first and second laminar elements, the said first laminar element being transparent and the said first and second laminar elements being secured together

10 in areas in registration with said opaque screening means.

8. A display device as claimed in claim 7, wherein each said slot is located in registration with an opening in said opaque screening means.

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9. A display device as claimed in claim 7, wherein an outer periphery of said transparent sheet is secured to the outer periphery of said pocket member.

10. A display device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the display device comprises a cover of a binder.

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11. A display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said transparent sheet comprises a plastics, vinyl, or related clear, rigid material.

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12. A display device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the said opaque screening means comprises a grid

13. A display device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, 5 and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.

14. A display device for flat articles comprising:

a transparent sheet having a first side and a second side,

an opaque grid on one of said first and second sides of said transparent 10 sheet, said grid forming at least two distinct and independent viewing areas on said transparent sheet,

a pockets page disposed on one of said first and second sides of said transparent sheet, said pockets page having a flat article receiving slot associated with each viewing area so that, upon insertion of a flat article through said 15 receiving slot, said pockets page positions and supports the inserted flat article in alignment with the viewing area associated with the receiving slot.

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