NZ232965A - Portable display stand with flexible panel pressed in slotted base - Google Patents

Description

C'sss: (5).%??,- / i/i03 !oz' cO i ~c'(l i * Publication Date: 2fc m 1992 P.O. vtourna!, fiio: — ; l.-Ct r .J" ' • •tV /<-\v t ^ ■W r ov< If 16 MAR?590'! Patents Form No. 5 \ „ ^/- fClSJ> NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION DISPLAY STANDS WE, AC EDWARDS PLC, a British company of Monro Industrial Estate, Station Approach, Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire EN8 7LX, UNITED KINGDOM hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be peirticularly described in and by the following statement: (followed by page la) DISPLAY STANDS This invention, relates to portable display stands of the kind that are used for displaying notices, warnings, signs, advertisements and so forth to be 5 assimilated by passers-by both indoors and particularly out-of-doors in wind.

Such display stands are sometimes subjected to hard usage resulting from carelessness, heavy weather and vandalism so that they are constructed in a somewhat elaborate way.

It is an object of the invention to provide a form of display stand that is particularly simple, robust, and economical to produce, and will remain stable in high winds.

According to the present invention there is provided a portable display stand comprising a display panel, a base form to stand on a supporting surface, formed to cover the area of the supporting surface by presenting a substantially continuous exposed surface from one outer line of contact with the supporting surface to such an outer line of contact on the opposite side of the stand, except for an elongate slot essentially located between the two lines of contact, the display panel having its lower edge faces fitted into the slot and rising vertically from the slot a distance at least equal to the maximum distance between the two outer lines of contact characterised in that the panel is generally rectangular and is a flexible flat sheet which bends progressively when subject to a head-on wind of ^ increasing speeds, whilst the stand remains stationary.

* \\ * A While the plan form of the base may very "/) conveniently be rectangular, other shapes are possible. For example the said outer lines of contact may be arcuate with the ends of each arc being located close to the ends of the slot.

" The means provided for securing the display panel in the slot may advantageously consist in providing a friction fit between the panel and the faces of the slot.

If necessary further means may be provided for securing the oanel in a cavity beneath the slot ana exposed beneath the base. In another alternative the lower edge of the (followed by page 2) panel is put into an elongated member that grips the panel by being forced into the slot.

The aforesaid exposed surface of the base may conveniently be a cambered surface extending between the 5 sides of the base. Advantageously the aerodynamic structure is such that the panel is a metal sheet of a size that, when the stand is standing out-of-doors, it will bend progressively as a head-on wind speed increases and the weight of the base is such that the stand will 10 remain stationary in a wind speed of at least 45 mph.

Very advantageously the base may be a unitary member moulded from plastics material, such as recycled thermoplastics, thermosets or a combination of both.

In order that the invention may be clearly 15 understood and readily carried into effect portable display stands in accordance therewith will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a plan of a base or plinth forming part 20 of a display stand; Fig- 2 is a vertical section taken on line A-A in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line B-B in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an end view shown partly in section of the base shown in Fig 1; Fig. 5 is an end view of a modification of the base shown in Figs. 1 to 4 with a display panel mounted thereon; Fig. 6 is a front view of the display panel shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is an exploded axiometric view of a further modification of the display stand of Figs 1 to 4, the display panel being shown separated from the base; and 35 Fig. 8 is a view similar to that of Fig. 7 but Figure 9 is an axiometric view showing a further modification of the display stand. 232HK5 Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, the base or plinth 1 is formed with a central vertical slot 2 for receiving the lower edge faces of a rectangular display panel 3 (such as shown in Fig. 6).

The base 1 is formed with a cambered top surface 4 which is uniform along the length of the base between its ends 5 and curves downwards to low vertical sides 6, the slot 2 being located longitudinally at the centre of the surface 4. The base is formed from recycled 10 thermoplastics/ thermosets or a combination of both and is coffered underneath as shown at 10, the coffering only being shown in the lower part of Fig. 1 so that it only rests on the bottoms of its sides and ends, the divisions between the coffers 10 and a closure portion 7 defining 15 the bottom of the slot 2.

Each end wall 5 of the base is formed with an undercut recess 8 which internally has an upwardly extending part 9 (Fig. 2) to provide a handle.

In one example of the display stand shown in Figs. 20 1 to 4, the length of the base is 585 mm, its width 500 mm, its height 70 mm, the length of the slot 505 mm, depth of slot 60 mm and width of slot 18 mm. (3 The display panel 3 consists of aluminium or it may consist of zinc coated steel. The body of the panel 25 is held tightly between vertical ridges 12 formed on the opposite faces of the slot. The height of the vertical display panel may be 900 mm so that when out-of-doors it can bend in the wind.

Tests on a display sign as described above have 30 been effected in the 15 ft. Wind Tunnel at Hatfield, the panel being of aluminium and having the dimensions 500 mm x 900 mm. It was found that the panel bent progressively as the wind speed increased. With a 20 gauge panel and the base fully weighted to 25 lb (11.34 kg) the tunnel was 35 run up to 45 mph and later to 51 mph without the display stand sliding or toppling. In each case the test was -2OCT 1991 ^stopped for reasons unconnected with the rest. In a third * 232!)G5 test the display stand began to flutter at 55 mph and it began to lift at 58 mph. In a fourth test with an 18 gauge panel and the same base weight, the panel began to flutter at 61 mph, getting worse at 64 mph. The stand 5 slid backwards at 70 mph. In a fifth test with an 18 gauge panel and a base weight of 19.75 lb (8.96 kg), the base began to vibrate at 42 mph and the stand began to oscillate at 50 mph. The display sign, however, was still steady at 50 mph. In a sixth test with an 18 gauge panel 10 and a base weight of 14.5 lb (6.57 kg), the base began to vibrate at 30 mph and the panel began to oscillate at 50 mph.

Figures 5 and 6 show an alternative way of making sure that the lower end of the panel 3 is firmly retained 15 in the slot 2. In this case a portion 14 of the base 1 containing the slot 2 terminates at the top of a cavity 15 in the bottom of the base, lips 16, 17 extended downwards from the portion 14 into the cavity 15. These lips have registering holes that register with a hole 18 (Fig. 6) in 20 the panel 3 when the panel is inserted through the slot 2 and between the lips. A retainer 19 can then be passed through the three holes to hold the panel against rising V in the base.

In the modification of Fig. 7 the slot 2 extends 25 the whole length of the base and is further extended at each end by a pair of parallel flanges 13 each provided with a hole that registers with a hole 14 at the comer of the panel 3 so that a peg, such as a screw, can be used to secure the panel. Alternatively the slot 2 may be 30 extended upwards by parallel flanges rising from the cambered surface 4 on each face of the panel 3 and secured to the panel by pegs passing through holes in the panel.

Figure 8 shows another way of ensuring that an adequate grip is provided between the slor 2 and panel 3. ^35 This is useful in any process where the moulding of the ^ 2OCT 1991^' —cycled material may not be sufficiently accurate to \ 0' reach the required tolerances. An elongated grip member ** - *> "» R f provides an inner slot 21 between side walls 22 that receives the lower edge of the panel 3. There is a wedge action between the slot 2 and the member 20 when the latter is inserted which seals the panel in situ. There 5 are male formations 23 at the ends of the member 20 that fit correspondingly shaped female formations 24 at the ends of the slot 2 to ensure that the member 20 is squarely inserted in the slot 2.

While each base 1 shown in the drawings is 10 retangular in plan, it is to be understood that other plan forms may be used. For example the base 1 may be circular in plan with the slot on a diameter.

It will be appreciated that for signs rather larger than those described above the weight can become too great 15 for reasonably easy manual handling and yet it is necessary to retain the aerodynamic control in high winds. Therefore, the example shown in Figure 9 has been designed. This weighs 12 Kg and its length is 880 m and its width 750 mm. It will be seen that while substantial 20 portions of the shape of base shown in Figures 1 to 5 and 8 have been removed from each side, the outer lines 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 of contact with the supporting surface on opposite sides provide boundaries for a continuous surface comprising the cambered surface 4 and on each side 25 vertical surfaces 30 and 31. This has been found to provide an aerodynamic result approaching that of the shape of Figures 1 to 5 and 8. Broadly the shape of the base may be considered to consist of a central longitudinal body 4 with the slot 2 centrally disposed 30 therein with two feet 32 at each end radiating therefrom respectively on opposite sides on the top surfaces of the body and feet merging into one another.

Claims (14)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A portable display stand comprising a display panel, a base form to stand on a supporting surface, formed to cover the area of the supporting surface by presenting a substantially continuous exposed surface from one outer line of contact with the supporting surface to such an outer line of contact on the opposite side of the stand, except for an elongate slot essentially located between the two lines of contact, the display panel having its lower edge faces fitted into the slot and rising vertically from the slot a distance at least equal to the maximum distance between the two outer lines of contact characterised in that the panel is generally rectangular and is a flexible flat sheet which bends progressively when subject to a head-on wind of increasing speeds, whilst the stand remains stationary-

2. A stand according to claim 1 characterised in that the slot includes a plurality of vertical ridges formed on the opposite internal faces thereof -between which the panel is a friction fit. 232865 - 7 -

3. A stand according to claim 1 characterised in that the internal walls of the slot have first and second holes located opposite one another, and the panel has a hole located near its lower edge and securing means comprises a retainer which can be passed through the three holes when in register so as to hold the panel in the base.

4. A stand according to claim 1 characterised in that securing means comprises a removable elongate grip member for insertion into the slot and arranged to receive the lower edge of the panel such that the grip member grips the panel when the grip member is inserted into the slot.

5. A stand according to claim 1 or 2 characterised in that the slot is extended by pairs of parallel flanges at opposite sides of the base, the flanges extending the slot laterally or vertically, flanges in each pair being arranged to lie against faces of the panel and formed with holes, mating with a hole in the panel, for receiving a peg, so as to secure the panel in place. % • 1 JUL J992 - 8 - 232865

6. A stand according to claim 3 characterised in that said base has a cavity beneath the slot for receiving said retainer. 5

7. A stand according to any preceding claim characterised in that said supporting surface is cambered.

8. A stand according to any preceding claim characterised in that the base has a coffered 10 under-surface to define an edge upon which said base is supported on the surface.

9. A stand according to any preceding claim characterised in that the base is provided with a 15 handle.

10. A stand according to any preceding claim characterised in that the base is rectangular, the slot extending in a substantially longitudinal 20 direction in said base at a location generally midway along the width of the base.

11. A stand according to any preceding claim characterised in that said base comprises a central 25 longitudinal body which comprises the substantially continuous exposed surface, the longitudinal body having the slot generally centrally /*' °*\ U — •— • op 1 JUL 1992^ \ - 9 - 23 2M)l 5 10 15 /""S W O located therein and two pairs of feet extending generally perpendicularly from the body at its ends.

12. A stand according to any preceding claim characterised in that the base is a unitary member moulded from plastics material.

13. A stand according to any preceding claim characterised in that said display panel is manufactured from aluminium or from zinc coated steel.

14. A stand according to any preceding claim wherein the flat sheet is arranged to bend progressively when subject to head on winds at speeds of at least 45 mph with the stand remaining stationary. A C EDWARDS PLC