US20030019988A1

US20030019988A1 - Sign holder

Info

Publication number: US20030019988A1
Application number: US10/093,444
Authority: US
Inventors: Marvin Barber
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-07-24
Filing date: 2002-03-11
Publication date: 2003-01-30
Also published as: CA2353741A1

Abstract

A sign holder, comprises a sheet of material, having top, bottom and side edges and front and rear faces and formed by parallel elongate connecting portions extending between spaced laminas and elongate openings between the connecting portions. A length of wire is bent to form a ground engagement member and an upper portion formed of two arms extends up from the ground engagement member to the sheet and having a pair of vertically spaced upper ends engaging in the openings at opposite sides of the sheet.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to sign holders and, more particularly, to sign holders comprising a length of bent wire supporting a sheet.

2. Description of the Related Art

Sign holders of this type are particularly useful in garden centers and nurseries. For that purpose, it is essential for the sign holders to be extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

In the past, sign holders of this type have usually been formed with one or more prongs, which are inserted into the ground in order to maintain the sign holder in position. Many of these sign holders are somewhat unstable and can turn in the holding medium.

However, the present inventor has appreciated that there is also a need for sign holders of this type which are economical to produce, easy to insert in pots or holding mediums and support the sign without tipping or turning, thus providing better pot stability.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, there is provided a sign holder including a sheet of material formed of a pair of spaced laminas with opposite side edges, a plurality of parallel elongate connecting portions extending from the opposite side edges between the laminas, forming elongate openings between said connecting portions and a length of wire bent to form a lower ground-engagement portion and having an upper portion with a pair of upper ends, one of the upper ends bent to project into one of the elongate openings in one of the side edges of the sheet, and the other of the upper ends bent to project into one of the elongate openings in the other of the side edges of the sheet, the upper ends being mutually spaced apart.

When the sign holder is in use, a label or other notice on a sheet of paper or cardboard can be clipped to the front face of the sheet and the clip will then retain it in position. Alternatively, a marker may be used to mark directly onto the surface of the sheet.

Because the upper ends of the upper portion of the length of wire are inserted into the elongate openings at spaced apart positions, generally vertically spaced apart positions, the sheet is securely held relative to the length of wire, against rotation or other deflection by the wind. Thus, in an extremely simple manner, the sheet of material is securely held in position by the upper ends of the upper portion of the length of wire.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be more readily understood from the following description of an embodiment thereof given, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [0010]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sign holder according to one embodiment of the present invention; [0011]
FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the sign holder shown in FIG. 1; [0012]
FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the sign holder shown in FIGS. 1 and 2; [0013]
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a sign holder according to a another embodiment of the present invention; [0014]
FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the sign holder shown in FIG. 5; and [0015]
FIG. 6 is a rear elevational view of the sign holder shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.[0016]

DESCRIPTION OF TEE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In FIGS. [0017] 1 to 3 there is illustrated a sign holder indicated generally by reference numeral 10, which includes a sheet of material 11 and a resilient elongate rod member 12. In the embodiment shown, the rod member 12 is a length of wire which has a ground engagement bottom portion including a U-bend 14 with two arms 16, 18 projecting upwards in a V-shape. The first arm 16 extends upwards to a first inward projecting end 20 which fits into a top elongate opening 22 of the sheet 11, and the second arm 18 extends upwards to a second inward projecting end 24 fitting into a lower engagement opening of the sheet 11.
The sheet of material [0018] 11 is in the form of a corrugated plastic board, substantially rectangular in shape, with a pair of spaced apart laminas 30 and 32 connected by parallel connection portions 34 and extending between the laminas 30 and 32 from one opposing edge 36 to the other opposing edge 38. These connecting portions 34 form elongate openings 22 which are substantially parallel to each other. The first inward projecting end 20 is shown inserted into the top elongate opening 22 on the opposing edge 38, while the second projecting end 24 is shown inserted into a lower elongate opening 22 on the opposing edge 36. Thus the sheet 11 is supported substantially vertically when the U-bend 14 of the ground engagement bottom portion is inserted into the holding medium.
The sheet of material [0019] 11 may have a paper or plastic label attached by clips or adhesive with identification thereon. Alternatively the sheet 11 may be marked on by a waterproof marker or suitable marker to identify a plant.
The length of wire [0020] 11 is preferably tensioned so the two arms 16 and 18 press inwards thus retaining the projecting ends 20 and 24 in the elongate openings 22 of the sheet 11.
FIGS. [0021] 4 to 6 show a different sign holder which is indicated generally by reference numeral 60, and which includes a sheet indicated generally by reference numeral 62 and a length of bent wire indicated generally by reference numeral 64.
The [0022] sheet 62 is similar to the above described sheet 11 and therefore will not be described in greater detail.
The length of [0023] wire 64 is bent to form a lower ground engagement portion indicated generally by reference numeral 66, which has a U-shaped bend 68 with arms 70 and 71 which normally extend upwardly substantially parallel and adjacent one another to form a ground penetration prong.
The [0024] first arm 70 merges into an upwardly and laterally inclined portion 72 extending across the rear of the sheet 62 to an upper end 74, which is inserted into the sheet 62.
The [0025] second arm 71 merges into a substantially horizontal upper portion 76, which extends to a bent end portion 78 inserted into the sheet 62. It will be seen that the end portions 74 and 78 are mutually vertically spaced, so that the sheet 62 is thereby held from rotation about either of the end portions 74 and 78.
As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, various modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments of the invention within the scope of the appended claims. [0026]

Claims

1 A sign holder comprising a sheet of material having a pair of parallel laminas with parallel elongate connecting portions extending between opposing side edges forming elongate openings between the laminas and the connecting portions, and a resilient elongate rod member having a lower ground engagement portion with two arms projecting upwards therefrom, said arms each having inward projecting ends to fit into one of the elongate openings in each of the opposing side edges of the sheet, said inward projecting ends being mutually spaced apart.

2. The sign holder according to claim 1 wherein the resilient elongate rod member is formed of a length of wire, and the lower ground engagement portion is a U-bend with said arms projecting therefrom.

3. The sign holder according to claim 2 wherein said arms project from the U-bend in a V-shape form, and said inward projecting ends are spaced apart to engage in the opposing side edges of the elongate openings.

4. The sign holder according to claim 3 wherein the V-shaped form is tensioned so that the inward projecting ends are retained in the elongate openings.

5. A sign holder, comprising a sheet of material formed of a pair of spaced laminas with opposite side edges, a plurality of parallel elongate connecting portions extending from the opposite side edges between said laminas forming elongate openings between said connecting portions, and a length of wire bent to form a ground-engagement member and an upper portion, said upper portion having a pair of upper ends, one of said upper ends bent to project into one of the elongate openings in one of said opposite side edges of the sheet, and the other of said upper ends bent to project into one of the elongate openings in the other of said opposite side edges of the sheet.

6. The sign holder as claimed in claim 5, wherein said ground engagement portion comprises a U-shaped bend, said U-shaped bend having arms which extend upwardly parallel to and adjacent one another, whereby said ground engagement member forms a ground penetration prong.