GB2538485A

GB2538485A - An improved sign apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2538485A
Application number: GB1507005.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mcgrouther Andrew
Original assignee: Presentation Tech Ltd
Current assignee: Presentation Tech Ltd
Priority date: 2015-04-24
Filing date: 2015-04-24
Publication date: 2016-11-23
Also published as: GB201507005D0

Abstract

A sign apparatus is provided, where the apparatus comprises a substrate (12) having an upper face (13), and a transparent cover layer (14) with a first adhesive (15) applied to an underside thereof. A second adhesive (16) is applied to at leastone portion of the upper face (13) of the substrate (12), where the second adhesive has a lower peel strength than the first adhesive (15). In use, the upper face (13) of the substrate (12) receives a data sheet (18) displaying a sign and/or information. When the cover layer (14) is adhered to the substrate, the cover layer and substrate encapsulate the data sheet lying on the upper face of the substrate, laminating the data sheet. The substrate and the cover layer may have apertures which align when the cover layer is adhered to the substrate. An adhesive portion may be shaped to provide a visual indicator for positioning the data sheet. The first adhesive may be polyacrylate. The substrate may be magnetic.

Description

An Improved Sign Apparatus

Field of Invention

The present invention relates to sign apparatus, and in particular a sign which can be quickly assembled and fixed in place in an internal or external location.

Background

The options available to a person wishing to display a sign or information outdoors are limited. Permanent metal signs are available, but need to be manufactured in a factory. The fact they need to be manufactured in a factory means that there can be a long period of time between placing an order and receiving delivery of the signs, and the signs are expensive.

Another type of sign available is a printed sign made from corrugated plastics. Printed plastic signs are less durable but cheaper than metal signs. However they still need to be printed by specialist printing professionals. This again means that the signs are relatively expensive.

The cheapest, most basic, option available to a person who wishes to display a sign or information outdoors is to print it onto a paper sheet and then use heat lamination means to enclose the paper sheet between two transparent laminate sheets. These signs are cheap, but require some skill during the lamination process to ensure the two transparent laminate sheets are correctly aligned and adhere together. If the sign is not correctly laminated such as when the laminator is incorrectly calibrated, it can degrade quickly when exposed to the elements. Furthermore, to attach the sign to a surface or an object, apertures need to be punched in the sign. These apertures can cause seepage into the sign. This leads to further degradation of the sign.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a sign that is not only relatively cheap and quick to assemble, but is also resistant to the elements and thus overcomes at least one of the aforementioned problems with existing outdoor signage.

Summary of Invention

According to the present invention there is provided a sign apparatus comprising: a substrate having an upper face, a transparent cover layer with a first adhesive applied to an underside thereof, and a second adhesive applied to at least one portion of the upper face of the substrate, the second adhesive having a lower peel strength than the first adhesive, wherein, in use the upper face of the substrate receives a data sheet displaying a sign and/or information, and when the cover layer is adhered to the substrate, the cover layer and substrate encapsulate the data sheet lying on the upper face of the substrate.

This enables an assembler of the sign to quickly encapsulate a sheet of information forming a sign. Also when the sign is being assembled, an assembler does not need to use a hand to hold the data sheet in position. This allows the assembler to use both hands to adhere the transparent cover sheet over the substrate.

The substrate may have at least one first aperture, the cover layer may have at least one second aperture, and when the cover layer is adhered to the substrate the first and second apertures align so as to allow at least one fixture to pass through the apertures, and wherein a seal is formed between the apertures and the data sheet. The seal formed between the apertures and the data sheet prevents water seeping into the data sheet from the apertures for the attachment of fixtures.

The substrate may have a plurality of first apertures located about its periphery and the cover layer may have a plurality of second apertures located about its periphery, and when the cover layer is adhered to the substrate the pluralities of first and second apertures align so as to allow fixtures to pass through the apertures, and wherein a seal is formed between the apertures and the data sheet.

The at least one adhesive portion may be shaped to provide a visual indicator for accurate location of the data sheet. This allows the assembler of the sign to accurately place the data sheet on the surface of the substrate and the data sheet is less likely to be incorrectly aligned.

The second adhesive may have a peel strength in the range of 4 to 10 N/25mm.

The first adhesive may be a polyacrylate.

The first adhesive may have a peel strength in the range of 12 to 25 N/25mm.

The cover layer may include a backing sheet which initially covers the first adhesive. This prevents the cover layer from attaching itself prematurely to the substrate or to an undesired surface.

The substrate may be magnetic.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a first embodiment of a sign according to the present invention prior to assembly; Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the sign of Figure 1 when the sign is assembled; and Figure 3 is a schematic side view of a second embodiment of a sign according to the present invention prior to assembly.

Detailed Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 shows a sign 10 according to the present invention. The sign 10 comprises a substrate 12, a transparent cover layer 14 and a data sheet 18. In Figure 1, the sign is depicted prior to assembly. The substrate 12 and cover layer 14 are preferably formed to be the same size and shape. In the embodiment of the invention depicted in Figure 1 they are both formed to be rectangular, but they may be square, circular or any other desired shape.

In Figure 1, which depicts an upper face 13 of the substrate 12 and an underside of the transparent cover layer 14, the substrate 12 includes a plurality of first apertures 20 located about its periphery. The apertures 20 allow for the attachment of fixtures to hold the sign 10 against a desired object. The desired object could be, for example, a lamp post, fence, or wall. The fixtures used may be screws, nails, cable-ties, or any other suitable fixtures depending on the object to which the sign 10 is to be attached. The apertures of the plurality of apertures 20 may all be of uniform size and shape, or they may be constituted of different apertures of different size and shape to allow for the attachment of different types of fixtures.

As depicted in Figure 1, a first adhesive 15 is applied to the underside of the transparent cover layer 14. The first adhesive 15 may cover the whole, or only selective portions, of the transparent cover layer 14. The first adhesive 15 may be formed of any suitable adhesive with a peel strength or adhesive power in the range of 12 to 25 N/25mm. In an embodiment of the present invention, the first adhesive 15 has a peel strength or adhesive power of 16 N/25mm, and the first adhesive 15 is a permanent polyarcylate adhesive.

The transparent cover layer 14 includes a plurality of second apertures 22 located about its periphery. The size, location and number of apertures of the plurality of second apertures 22 correspond to the size, location and number of apertures of the plurality of first apertures 20 in the substrate 12.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the transparent cover layer 14 is formed of an ultraviolet-blocking polyester thermal film with the first adhesive 15 applied to its underside. This provides the data sheet 18 of the sign 10 with a defence against ultra violet rays from the sun, preventing degradation of the data sheet 18.

Alternatively, the transparent cover layer may be formed of two layers: a transparent UV encapsulating film on a top layer and a soft PVC film on the bottom layer, with the first adhesive 15 applied on the lower face of the PVC film. However, the transparent cover layer 14 may be formed of any suitable transparent material.

The transparent cover layer 14 may be integrally formed together with the first adhesive 15. Alternatively, the transparent cover layer 14 may be formed separately and subsequently the first adhesive 15 applied to the substrate 12.

As depicted in Figure 1, the substrate 12 may have at least one portion with a second adhesive 16 applied thereto. The second adhesive 16 may be applied in any shape, pattern or arrangement on the upper face 13 of the substrate 12.

In the embodiment of the present invention depicted in Figure 1, the second adhesive 16 located on the upper face 13 of the substrate 12 between the substrate 12 and the data sheet 18. The second adhesive 16 may be shaped to correspond to the shape of the data sheet 18. For example, in the embodiment of the invention depicted in Figure 1, the adhesive portion 16 is rectangular to correspond to the rectangular shape of the data sheet 18.

The second adhesive may be an adhesive with peel strength or adhesive power in the range of 4 -10 N/M. In an embodiment of the present invention, the second adhesive preferably has a peel strength or adhesive power of 6.5 N/25mm. The second adhesive may be formed of any suitable adhesive, but is preferably an aqueous dispersion of copolymers.

The substrate 12 is preferably formed of a sheet of semi-rigid plastic but may be formed of any suitable substrate such as, for example, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET). In an embodiment of the present invention, the substrate 12 has greater stiffness than the transparent cover layer 14. This provides rigidity and durability to the sign 10.

The data sheet 18 is placed on the upper face 13 of the substrate 12 such that data or sign printed on the data sheet 18 is facing upwards. The data sheet 18 may be any size, so long as the outer periphery of the data sheet 18 lies inwards of the apertures in the transparent cover layer 14 and substrate 12.

The data sheet 18 may be used to display any visual information such as, for example, road directions, planning, or event information. The data sheet 18 may be any shape so long as it is capable of being encapsulated by the transparent cover layer 14. The data sheet 18 may be comprised of any suitable sheet, for example, laser or inkjet printed paper.

Industrial Applicability

Figure 2 depicts a schematic, not to scale, cross-sectional view of the assembled sign 10. To assemble the sign 10, the data sheet 18 is placed facing upwards on the substrate 12 and then the transparent cover layer 14 is adhered to substrate 12 and data sheet 18. The first adhesive 15 on the underside of the transparent cover layer 14 sticks to the upper face 13 of the substrate 12 and they bond together. When the transparent cover layer 14 is adhered to the substrate 12, the plurality of first apertures 20 located in the substrate 12 and the plurality of second apertures 22 located in the transparent cover layer 14 align and form apertures 24 through the sign 10. A fixture or fixtures can be placed in or through the apertures 24 to secure the sign 10 to a wall or object.

When the transparent cover layer 14 is adhered to the substrate 12, a weatherproof seal 19 is formed between the cover layer 14 and the substrate 12 so as to encapsulate the data sheet 18. The seal 19 lies between the apertures 24 and the data sheet 18 so rainwater and the like cannot reach the data sheet from the apertures 24. To achieve the seal 19, the first adhesive 15 needs to cover a greater area of the transparent cover layer 14 than the area of the data sheet 18.

Before the transparent cover layer 14 is adhered to the substrate 12 to encapsulate the data sheet 18 and form the sign 10, a backing sheet may initially cover the transparent cover layer 14 to prevent the first adhesive 15 from prematurely adhering to the substrate 12 or an undesired surface. The backing sheet may be coated with a release agent to provide a release effect against the first adhesive 15 when it is removed from the transparent cover layer 14. In an embodiment of the present invention, the backing sheet may be longer in length than the transparent cover layer 14 to provide a pull tab for the backing sheet. This allows for the easy release of the backing strip from the transparent cover layer 14.

The substrate 12 and transparent cover layer 14 may be separate from each other before the transparent cover layer 14 is adhered to the substrate 12. However, in an embodiment of the present invention, as depicted in Figure 1, the substrate 12 and transparent cover layer 14 may initially be attached along adjacent end edges. This allows for easier storage assembly, transportation and assembly of the sign 10, and also means the apertures in the cover layer and substrate can be pre-punched with the two layers lying atop one another.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the second adhesive 16 is capable of holding the data sheet 18 in position on the substrate 12. This means that when the data sheet 18 is placed on the upper face 13 of the substrate 12 and the transparent cover layer 14 is not adhered to the substrate 12, the data sheet 18 retains its position when the sign 10 is moved. This means an assembler of the sign 10 does not need to use a hand to hold the data sheet 18 in position when assembling the sign 10. This allows the assembler to use both hands to adhere the transparent cover layer 14 over the upper face 13 of the substrate 12. However with its peel strength being lower than that of the first adhesive the second adhesive allows the data sheet 18 to be repositioned on the substrate 12 as required.

The second adhesive 16 may be shaped to provide a visual indicator for accurate location of the data sheet 18 by the assembler of the sign 10. In this way, the second adhesive 16 may be shaped to provide accurate location of standard sizes of sheets or more complicated shaped sheets. This has the advantage of saving time during the assembly of the sign 10.

There may be a number of portions of the second adhesive 16 on the upper face 13 of the substrate 12 corresponding to different standard sizes of paper. For example, in an embodiment of the present invention located on the upper face 13 of the substrate 12 is located one adhesive portion shaped to receive an A4 sheet and another adhesive portion shaped to receive an A5 sheet.

In a second embodiment of the present invention, as depicted in Figure 3, the substrate 12 and transparent cover layer 14 of the sign 10 are attached to each other along one edge. The cover layer comprises first and second cover portions 14a, 14b separated by a hinge portion 24. The first portion 14a is bound to the substrate 12. The hinge 24 is located on the upper 13 face of the substrate 12 between the apertures 24 and the data sheet 18. In this embodiment, when the transparent cover layer 14 is to be fully adhered to the substrate 12, the second portion 14b of the transparent cover layer is folded in the direction of the substrate and pressed onto the substrate. The sign 10 of Figure 3 is depicted prior to assembly. In the embodiment of the sign 10 depicted in Figure 3, the apertures 24 pass through the first portion 14a of the cover layer bound to the substrate 12.

The fact that the apertures 24 through the sign 10 and the data sheet 18 are sealed from each other has the advantage that it prevents from water seepage from the apertures 24 through the sign 10. Therefore, the data sheet 18 is not degraded even after long periods of exposure to the elements.

In addition, the sign 10 is formed of durable materials with waterproof qualities. Therefore, the sign 10 has increased resistance to the elements.

When the sign 10 is assembled, the data from the data sheet 18 can be seen by a viewer of the sign 10 through the transparent cover layer 14. The process of adhering the transparent cover layer 14 to the substrate 12 can be accomplished rapidly. This means that a large number of signs 10 can be assembled in a short period of time by a relatively unskilled worker.

Also, the assembly does not require the services of a factory to create the sign 10.

Therefore, time and money are saved by a purchaser of the sign 10.

In addition, the present invention avoids the need to use heat lamination means to assemble the sign, which typically requires a skilled operator if the sign is to be assembled correctly.

Alternatively, there may only be one aperture in the substrate and transparent cover layer instead of a plurality of apertures, or none.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the substrate may be formed of a magnetic material. This allows for the easy attachment of the sign to a metal surface without the need for the attachment of fixings. In this embodiment, the sign may not have apertures in the substrate and the transparent cover layer, so no holes through the sign are formed when the transparent cover layer is adhered to the substrate.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the pluralities of first and second apertures may only be formed along one edge of the sign. In the embodiment of the sign where the sign includes a hinge, the sign may only have apertures through one edge of the sign, for example, where the first portion of the cover layer is bound to the substrate.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the sign may not have any apertures at all. In this embodiment, transparent cover layer and substrate are as previously described, except for the omission of the pluralities of first and second apertures.

Modifications and improvements may be incorporated without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A sign apparatus comprising: a substrate having an upper face, a transparent cover layer with a first adhesive applied to an underside thereof, and a second adhesive applied to at least one portion of the upper face of the substrate, the second adhesive having a lower peel strength than the first adhesive, wherein, in use the upper face of the substrate receives a data sheet displaying a sign and/or information, and when the cover layer is adhered to the substrate, the cover layer and substrate encapsulate the data sheet lying on the upper face of the substrate.
2. The sign according to claim 1, wherein the substrate has at least one first aperture, the cover layer has at least one second aperture, and when the cover layer is adhered to the substrate the first and second apertures align so as to allow at least one fixture to pass through the apertures, and wherein a seal is formed between the apertures and the data sheet.
3. The sign according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the substrate has a plurality of first apertures located about its periphery and the cover layer has a plurality of second apertures located about its periphery, and when the cover layer is adhered to the substrate the pluralities of first and second apertures align so as to allow fixtures to pass through the apertures, and wherein a seal is formed between the apertures and the data sheet.
4. The sign according to any preceding claim, wherein the at least one adhesive portion is shaped to provide a visual indicator for accurate location of the data sheet.
5. The sign according to any preceding claim, wherein the second adhesive has peel strength in the range of 4 to 10 N/25mm.
6. The sign according to any preceding claim, wherein the first adhesive is polyacrylate.
7. The sign according to any preceding claim, wherein the first adhesive has a peel strength in the range of 12 to 25 N/25mm.
8. The sign according to any preceding claim, wherein the cover layer includes a backing sheet which initially covers the first adhesive.
9. The sign according to any preceding claim, wherein the substrate is magnetic.