WO2002091333A2

WO2002091333A2 - Advertising frame

Info

Publication number: WO2002091333A2
Application number: PCT/SE2002/000887
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bengt Ahlund; Bertil Bergström; Börje Josefsson
Original assignee: Hl Display Ab
Priority date: 2001-05-08
Filing date: 2002-05-08
Publication date: 2002-11-14
Also published as: AU2002309369A1; AU2002309369A8; WO2002091333A3; SE0101592D0

Abstract

Poster frame that makes it possible to change a poster and which, in order to create a rectangular frame, comprises four frame profile sections connected at the corners of the frame. One (7) of these frame profile sections can be moved in relation to the other three (8). The two corners at the ends of the movable frame profile (7) comprise an angled corner piece (10), one arm (9) of which is telescopically movable in the respective adjacent fixed frame profile (8), so that the movable frame profile (7) can be moved between an inner closed position of the frame (3) and an outer end position in which the frame is open and a poster can be inserted into and taken out of grooves in the fixed frame profiles (8).

Description

Advertising frame

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a poster frame that makes it possible to change a poster, such as an advertising poster, and which, in order to create a rectangular frame, comprises four frame profile sections connected at the corners of the frame, at least one of which frame profile sections can be moved in relation to the other three, in order to make easier the insertion and removal of a poster which can be inserted in grooves arranged in the frame profiles and aligned with each other.

Background to the invention

Various types of poster frame for the purpose stated above are already known. GB 361114 and US 5987694 describe frame designs utilizing insertable holders to allow pictures or posters to be changed. US 3883974 describes a frame with a removable frame side. This design requires, however, an extra transverse frame section, which among other things complicates the production and makes it more expensive. GB 2160347 describes a frame design in which the upper frame section is removable. The reason for this is stated among other things to be to make it possible to change a picture without needing to take down the frame which, for example, may be hung on a wall. The upper section is removed completely and then replaced when a new picture has been inserted down between the backing piece and the protective glass. The picture is thus held in place between these elements.

US 3783543 also describes a frame in which the upper frame section is intended to be removed completely from the rest of the frame. The frame comprises angled corner pieces but does not have means for preventing these from being pulled out of the frame's side profiles completely. DE-A1 2331364 describes a frame in which the frame sides are mounted on a permanent backing piece.

Other known frames, which in particular are used for advertisements, are so-called snap-fix frames, in which the frame sections are removable in order to permit the insertion of a new advertisement from the front of the frame, after which they are snapped back to hold the advertisement in place. Such snap-fix frames are not suitable for being manufactured in a curved shape, so that the message has a convex curve in one or the other direction.

As the basis for the present invention is the desire to achieve a frame design which is also suitable for the manufacture of curved frames. Such sideways curved frames have a more aesthetically pleasing appearance than completely flat frames and help to make the advertisement more readable as this will also be at least partially visible from the side.

As the frame will have curved frame components, which have a certain strengthening effect, such a frame will be more resistance to damage. This also applies to any front sheet of transparent plastic material that may be used.

As both the advertisement and any front sheet will thereby be held in compression in a curved state in the frame, the compressive forces will retain these in the inserted position and prevent them being displaced in the grooves in the frame profiles. The contact between the advertisement and the protective sheet is also improved as a result of the curve.

The object of the invention

An object of the present invention is to achieve a poster frame that is simple to manufacture, install and use, that is one that allows posters to be changed simply and which can also be produced with a curved shape.

The basis for the invention is the idea that the abovementioned objects can be achieved by constructing the frame so that one side of the frame can be pulled out a limited amount to allow posters to be removed and inserted in grooves running around the frame. For this purpose, means will be arranged for keeping this side of the frame in the pulled-out position during the replacement operation.

A poster frame of the type described in the first paragraph is constructed in such a way that at least each of the two corners of the frame at the ends of the movable frame profile comprises an angled corner piece, one arm of which is attached to the movable frame profile, while the other arm of each comer piece is telescopically movable in the respective adjacent fixed frame profile, so that the movable frame profile can be moved between an inner closed position of the frame, in which all the frame profiles are in close contact with each other at the corners and the grooves in the profiles form a continuous groove that goes right round to hold a poster in place, and an outer end position in which the frame is open and a poster can be inserted into and taken out of the grooves in the fixed frame profiles.

The special characteristics of the poster frame according to the present invention are that the second arm of the said corner pieces comprises a tongue manufactured in one piece with the said arm, which, when the movable frame profile is pulled out to the said outer end position, engages in an opening in the respective fixed frame profile, preventing the movable frame profile from being removed from the frame completely and keeping the frame profile in the assumed position until a contrary force of a certain size is applied to it.

This embodiment of frame design is simple and cheap to manufacture, allows posters to be changed simply and means that the frame can be constructed with a curve in one direction. As the movable frame profile is not completely removed when it is pulled out, the frame's stability is retained even in the open position, without the aid of other means of connection, and the reinsertion of the frame profile is made easier.

It is preferable for the corner piece to be manufactured of a plastic material and for the sprung tongue to be manufactured in one piece with the corner piece. In order to counteract fatigue failure of the sprung tongue constructed of plastic, the comer pieces are suitably constructed with an additional sprung tongue of sprung metal that makes loose contact with the plastic tongue and presses this in the direction towards the opening in the fixed frame profile.

Further characteristics of the invention are apparent from the following patent claims.

The invention will be described in greater detail below with reference to the attached drawings showing exemplary embodiments.

Brief description of the drawings

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate schematically a double-sided poster frame according to the invention, viewed in perspective and from above respectively.

Figures 3 and 4 illustrate a single-sided poster frame according to the invention for wall-mounting, viewed in perspective and from above respectively.

Figure 5 shows a corner piece of the frame in larger scale.

Figures 6 and 7 show the frame according to Figure 3 in the open state. Figure 8 shows an exploded view of the components making up a corner piece of a frame according to the invention.

Figure 9 shows the parts according to Figure 8 assembled.

Figures 10 and 11 show the frame corner according to Figure 9, when the frame is in the open position.

Figure 12 shows a further development of the frame corner according to Figure 10.

Figures 13 and 14 show the frame corner according to Figure 12, when the frame is in the closed and open positions respectively.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments Figures 1 and 2 show a poster assembly with a stand comprising a bottom plate 1 and two uprights 2. Two poster frames 3 facing in opposite directions are mounted on the uprights to create a double-sided assembly. A top sign is indicated by 4.

As is shown best in Figure 2, both the poster frames 3 are curved in a sideways direction, which means that a poster 5, such as an advertisement, mounted in the frame will be curved. This gives an aesthetically pleasing appearance and makes the advertisement more readable, as this will also be at least partially visible from the side.

The advertisement is mounted in grooves in the frame sections and can, if required, be covered by a transparent front sheet. Behind the advertisement there is a supporting board 6 compressed in the frame. The curved shape of the components means, in addition, that the assembly has good resistance to damage. As a result of the compressing forces that achieve a curved shape in both the advertisement and in any covering sheet, the contact between the advertisement and the cover sheet will be improved and the danger of these being displaced in the grooves in the frame is eliminated or reduced.

The poster assembly according to Figure 1 can, of course, also be manufactured in a single-sided version or in the form of a so-called A-frame, with or without top sign.

Figures 3 and 4 show a single-sided poster frame corresponding to each of the frames 3 in the assembly according to Figure 1. The frame according to Figure 3 is intended to be able to be mounted on a wall, for example, and is shown in a closed position, in which a poster 5 can be inserted in a groove in the frame sections running right round the frame. The frame sections make tight contact with each other also at the upper corners of the frame, as illustrated in Figure 5.

The frame according to Figure 3 is illustrated in Figure 6 in the open state to permit advertisements to be changed in the frame. In order to make this possible, the upper frame section 7 has been pulled out to an upper end position, in which it is guided in the frame's side sections 8 by means of guiding arms 9 projecting down into these, as is shown more clearly in Figure 7 and will be described in greater detail below.

The exploded view in Figure 8 illustrates the ends of the upper frame profile 7 and one of the side frame profiles 8 which are to be joined together to form one of the two upper corners of the frame. The profiles 7 and 8, which suitably consist of extruded aluminium profiles, are connected by means of an angled corner piece 10, manufactured of a suitable plastic material, such as polyamide. The frame profiles 7 and 8 are intended to be pushed onto the arms 11 and 9 respectively of the corner piece 10 to make a tight connection between the frame profiles 7 and 8, as illustrated in Figure 9.

In this embodiment, the frame profile 8 is provided with backward-projecting flanges 12, 13, which make possible mounting of the frame, for example on uprights 2 provided with grooves, according to Figure 1. The frame profile 8 has a groove that is open towards the centre of the frame, see also Figure 10, with a deep part 14 intended to receive a supporting board, not shown. A shallower part 15 of the groove is intended to receive an advertisement or the like and, if required, a covering front sheet of transparent plastic material. When the frame is assembled, the grooves of each of the frame profiles will form a part of a continuous groove that goes right round the frame.

The upper frame profile 7 is designed with a wall plate 16 at the back, the function of which will be described below.

Figure 9 shows the parts according to Figure 8 in assembled position and in this position the frame is closed to hold an advertisement in the groove that goes right round the frame. For the sake of clarity, this has not been shown, which also applies to the supporting board at the back and any covering sheet. Figures 10 and 11 show the comer part of the frame in the opened position, that is the upper frame profile 7 has been pulled out to an outer end position, in order to allow the removal or insertion of an advertisement in the groove that runs right round the frame. When an advertisement has been inserted in the groove in the frame's side sections 8 and bottom section, the upper section 7 is pushed back into place, by which means the advertisement is held firmly in the frame. In the pulled-out position shown, the wall plate 16 of the frame section 7 serves to cover that part of the opening between the frame profiles 8 which in this position is not covered by a supporting board, as in this position this should be pulled out of the groove in the frame section 7. In addition, a supporting board will be easily guided back into the groove in the section 7 by the wall plate 16, when the frame section 7 is pushed back in place.

As the intention of the pulled-out position illustrated is to make possible simple changing of the advertisements, it is important that the movable frame section 7 remains in the pulled-out position during the changing operation. Similarly, it is of great importance that the frame section 7 cannot be completely removed from the other part of the frame, but retains a stabilising connection between the side sections 8, also in the pulled-out position. This also prevents theft or loss of the movable frame section and eliminates the need for an additional task of reassembling the frame section, which in certain situations can be difficult, for example when the frame is mounted high up on, for example, a pole.

According to the invention, the arms 9 of the corner pieces 10 are constructed with a sprung tongue 17, which is provided with a projecting catch 18 at its free end, which catch engages with an opening 19 in the bottom surface of the side profile 8 when the movable profile is pulled out. This prevents a complete pulling out of the frame profile 7 from the side profile 8 and defines an outer end position of the profile that can be pulled out. The catch 18 is provided with an inclined guide surface 20, that interacts with the edge of the opening 19 when the arm 9 is pushed back into the side profile 8 and makes it possible for the frame section 7 to be able to be pushed back into place when a certain force is applied to this. The sprung force of the tongue 17 is so balanced that the profile strip's 7 own weight is too small to enable the strip to be inserted when a frame is mounted vertically. This is so that the frame can remain open unsupported while advertisements are being changed.

An embodiment according to Figure 11 is such that in the normal position, that is when the frame profiles 7 and 8 are pushed together, the sprung tongue 17 manufactured in one piece with the corner piece is in a bent upwards pre-stressed position, from which the tongue moves downwards as a result of its spring force when the opening 19 in the frame profile 8 is located below the catch 18 of the sprung tongue. This means, however, that the sprung tongue can suffer from fatigue failure with time, as it is normally in the active state and assumes its unloaded resting state only when the frame profile 7 is pulled out.

In order to solve this problem, according to the present invention, the device can be supplemented by a metal spring of suitable sprung metal, that does not suffer fatigue failure and the spring force of which supplements the spring force of the integrated plastic spring.

Figure 12 illustrates how a metal spring 21 can be installed in the arm 9 of the corner profile, so that it biases the sprung plastic tongue 17 in the direction towards the bottom surface of the profile 8 (not shown).

Figures 13 and 14 illustrate the function of the sprung tongue 17 and the metal sprung tongue 21 interacting with it. Figure 13 illustrates the normal position, that is the position in which the arm 9 is inserted in the side profile 8 of the frame. The sprung plastic tongue 17 is thereby held in a pressed upwards position as a result of the interaction between the projection 18 and the bottom surface 22 of the profile 8. As the tongue 17 is in this position for long periods of time, there is a danger of fatigue failure. The resulting reduction in the sprung force of the tongue is compensated for by means of the metal spring 21 which helps to press the tongue 17 against the bottom surface 22 of the side profile 8.

Figure 14 illustrates that when pulling the arm 9 out of the side profile 8, the sprung plastic tongue 17 with its catch 18 is pressed down into the opening 19 in the bottom surface 22 of the side profile 8, whereby further pulling out of the arm is prevented. The pressing down of the tongue's 17 catch 18 is ensured by means of the metal spring 21 , which also helps ensure that the tongue remains in the pressed down position, even if a certain degree of fatigue failure has taken place in the plastic material of the tongue 17.

When the frame is to be reassembled, the sloping guide surface 20 of the catch 18 interacts with the edge of the opening 19 and raises up the catch 18 out of engagement with the opening while at the same time the metal spring 21 is re-tensioned. The spring 21 , which is in loose contact with the plastic tongue 17, does not thereby prevent the arm 9 being pushed into the side profile 8.

The frame described above is opened at the top. It can, of course, equally well be constructed to be opened at the bottom, which can make changing posters easier in the case of, for example, frames in high locations. Alternatively, it can open both at the top and at the bottom, or sideways, if this is found to be expedient.

Claims

1. Poster frame that makes it possible to change a poster and which, in order to create a rectangular frame, comprises four frame profile sections connected at the corners of the frame, at least one (7) of which frame profile sections can be moved in relation to the other three (8), in order to make easier the insertion and removal of a poster (5) which can be inserted in grooves (14, 15) arranged in the frame profiles and aligned with each other, and in which at least each of the two corners of the frame (3) at the ends of the movable frame profile (7) comprises an angled corner piece (10), one arm (11) of which is attached to the movable frame profile (7), while the other arm (9) of each corner piece is telescopically movable in the respective adjacent fixed frame profile (8), so that the movable frame profile (7) can be moved between an inner closed position of the frame (3), in which all the frame profiles are in close contact with each other at the corners and the grooves (14, 15) in the profiles form a continuous groove that goes right round to hold a poster (5) in place, and an outer end position, in which the frame is open and a poster can be inserted into and taken out of the grooves in the fixed frame profiles (8), characterized in that the said second arm (9) of the said corner pieces (10) comprises a sprung tongue (17) manufactured in one piece with the said arm, which sprung tongue (17) when the movable frame profile (7) is pulled out to the said outer end position engages in an opening (19) in the respective fixed frame profile (8), which prevents the movable frame profile (7) being removed from the frame (3) completely and keeps the frame profile in the assumed position until a contrary force of a certain size is applied to it.

2. Device according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the sprung tongue (17) has a projecting end section (18) arranged to engage, in such a way that it can be removed, in the said opening (19) in the wall of the interacting frame profile (8) when the movable frame profile (7) is in its outer end position.

3. Device according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the said corner pieces (10) are manufactured of a plastic material and in that each of these comprises a metal spring (21), which interacts with the said sprung tongue (17) manufactured of plastic to press this in the direction towards the said opening (19) in the fixed frame profile (8).

4. Device according to Claim 3, characterized in that the said metal spring (21 ) is in the shape of a tongue of sprung metal, one end of which is attached to the respective corner piece (10) and the other end of which is in loose contact with the said plastic sprung tongue ( 7).

5. Device according to any one of Claims 1-4, characterized in that the said grooves (14, 15) in the frame profiles (8) are dimensioned to receive a supporting board and, if required, a transparent cover sheet, in addition to the said poster (5).

6. Device according to Claim 5, characterized in that the said grooves have a deep part (14) intended to receive the edges of the supporting board, so that the supporting board can project outside the edges of the poster (5).

7. Device according to Claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the movable frame profile (7) is constructed with a wall plate (16) parallel with and behind the supporting board, which wall plate is intended to cover the part of the opening between the frame profiles (8) which is not covered by the supporting board, when the movable frame profile (7) is in its outer end position.

8. Device according to any one of Claims 1-7, characterized in that the upper (7) and lower frame profiles of the frame (3) are curved, so that a poster (5) inserted in the frame has a convex curve.

9. Device according to Claim 8, characterized in that the upper frame profile (7) can be moved relative to the side profiles (8).

10. Device according to any one of claims 1-9, characterised in that the frame profiles (7, 8) consist of extruded aluminium profiles, which are slid onto the angled corner pieces (10) made of plastic.