WO2009040860A1

WO2009040860A1 - Interchangeable information support and device comprising such support

Info

Publication number: WO2009040860A1
Application number: PCT/IT2008/000593
Authority: WO
Inventors: Vincenzo Iemma
Original assignee: Vincenzo Iemma
Priority date: 2007-09-26
Filing date: 2008-09-15
Publication date: 2009-04-02
Also published as: ITTO20070672A1

Abstract

An interchangeable support (1) for exposing information is described, composed of at least one base (3) and at least one removable portion (5) adapted to be removably attached to such base (3) by interposing fastening means, the removable portion (5) being composed of a plurality of rigid listels (7) which are mutually longitudinally linked, and the base (3) being composed of a plurality of rigid listels (11) which are mutually longitudinally linked, such base (3) and such removable portion (5) being similar and kinematically corresponding flexible surfaces when they are mutually attached though the fastening means. A device (20) for exposing such support (1) is further described.

Description

INTERCHANGEABLE INFORMATION SUPPORT AND DEVICE COMPRISING SUCH SUPPORT

The present invention refers to an interchangeable support for exposing information, such as for example advertising messages, and to a device for exposing such support .

As known, the art provides an extremely high number of advertising exposing devices, that allow more or less cyclically displaying different messages. In general, such exposing devices are technically divided into two big families, multi-image advertising exposing systems with rotary cloths, with vertical or horizontal sliding, in which the cloth contains a number of mutually joined images and is unwound and rewound between a pair of different rollers, and placards with rotary prisms, in which, on every face of a prism, a portion of image to be displayed is applied, image that is obviously displayed as a whole when the respective prism faces are all coplanar.

Both above technical solutions however suffer from a common inconvenience, which is the one dealing with the replacement of the advertising message/s to be exposed. In the first case, in fact, when it is necessary to remove, replace or integrate one or more new messages in the sequence placed on the cloth, it is necessary to remove the whole cloth, operation that obviously is scarcely practical and that requires excessively long times.

In the second case, instead, the single images to be displayed must be individually removed or attached to every face of the individual prisms: also in this case the operation is long and cumbersome.

Moreover, all known solutions proposed by the art are single-face, namely information are capable of being placed and consequently displayed only on one face or surface of their related supports, consequently limiting the number of information themselves that can be exposed without requiring following replacements.

Object of the present invention therefore is solving the above prior art problems, by providing an interchangeable support for exposing information, such as for example advertising messages, that allows removing, replacing and placing the message itself in an easier, quicker and more versatile way than it was proposed by the prior art.

Moreover, an object of the present invention is providing a device for exposing the interchangeable support that allows removing, replacing and placing the support itself in an easier, quicker and more versatile way than it was proposed by the prior art .

Ano.ther object of the present in'vention is providing an interchangeable support for exposing information and/or a device for exposing such interchangeable support that allows an exposition of information at least on two faces, thereby allowing to display a greater number of information than what was proposed by the prior art.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention, as will appear from the following description, are reached with an interchangeable support for exposing information as described in claim 1.

Moreover, the above and other objects and advantages of the invention are reached with a device for exposing the interchangeable support as described in claim 9.

Preferred embodiments and non-trivial variations of the present invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

It will be immediately obvious that numerous variations and modifications (for example related to shape, sizes and parts with equivalent functionalities) can be made to what is described, without departing from the scope of the invention as appears from the enclosed claims.

The present invention will be better described by some preferred embodiments thereof, provided as a non-limiting example, with reference to the enclosed drawings, in which: FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a component of the interchangeable support according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the partially assembled interchangeable support according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the complete interchangeable support according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the device according to the present invention for exposing the interchangeable support of FIG. 1, 2 and 3.

With reference to Figures 1 to 3, it is possible to note that the interchangeable support 1 according to the present invention for exposing information, such as for example advertising messages or useful communications for the public, is composed of at least one base 3 and at least one removable portion 5. In particular, the removable portion 5 is composed of a plurality of rigid listels 7 that are mutually longitudinally linked. In particular, the listels 7 could be mutually linked by interposing hinge-type kinematisms. In another preferred embodiment, as shown in the Figures, linking between listels 7 is guaranteed by applying on them (FIG. 2) , once having arranged them suitably parallel and spaced, at least one adhesive film 9 that reciprocally keeps them in their initially set positions. In such a way, the removable portion 5 performs the function of a flexible surface on which it is possible to fix or apply a further flexible layer, for example ad adhesive, including information to be exposed.

Similarly, also the base 3 is composed of a plurality of rigid listels 11 that are mutually longitudinally linked. Also in this case, the listels 11 could be mutually linked by interposing hinge-type kinematisms. In another preferred embodiment, like the one shown in the Figures, linking between listels 11 is guaranteed by applying on them (FIG. 3), once having arranged them suitably parallel and spaced in a corresponding way to the arrangements of listels 7 composing the removable portion 5, at least one adhesive film 13 that reciprocally keeps them in their initially set positions. The base 3 will then be a flexible surface similar and kinematically corresponding to the removable portion 5. In particular, the removable portion 5 is adapted to be attached to the base 3 by interposing suitable fastening means to guarantee a following easy detachment. In particular, such fastening means can comprise one or more magnetic elements (not shown) , one or more buttons 15 of the "poussoir" type or other functionally similar systems. As described, the interchangeable support 1 according to the present invention thereby allows, in a quick, easy, economic and practical way, to replace exposed information by simply removing from the base 3 the removable portion 5 on which the flexible layer containing information is placed, and possibly replacing it with another one placed on a different and distinct removable portion 5.

With reference instead to FIG. 4, it is possible to note a preferred embodiment of the device 20 for exposing at least one interchangeable support 1 according to the present invention. In particular, the device 20 according to the present invention is composed of an external container 21 comprising at least one displaying window 23a and/or 23b containing inside it moving means for at least one interchangeable support 1, such means being adapted to take at least one portion of information arranged on the removable portion 5 secured onto the base 3 next to such displaying window 23a and/or 23b. The displaying window 23a and/or 23b is obviously an opening obtained along a surface of the external container 21, possibly covered with a layer of transparent material, for example glass or plastic material.

In a preferred embodiment thereof, such as the one for example of FIG. 5, the moving means comprise at least one pair of rotating shafts, of which at least one drive shaft 31 and at least one driven shaft 33 (in the embodiment of FIG. 5, the moving means comprise as an example three driven shafts) , mutually and kinematically connected through motion transmitting means, such as or example at least one chain, one belt or one gear coupling. Similarly, the drive shaft and the driven shaft can be mutually connected by at least one flexible connection element, such as for example at least one belt 35 closed around both shafts and dragged together with their motion, equipped with fastening means of the base 3 of the interchangeable support 1 according to the invention.

It is wholly clear that the flexible connection element 35 could be superfluous if the motion transmitting means were made as belt or chain, on which the fastening means of the base 3 could then be secured to perform a similar technical function as the flexible connection element itself.

It is clear that in such a way the particular flexibility conferred to the support 1 by the arrangement of listels 7 and their mutual linking allows both the base 3 and the removable portion 5 to be able to easily flex during their passage around the rotating shafts. Obviously, along a same flexible connection element 35, many interchangeable supports 1 according to the present invention can be secured, each one including for example a different advertising message, that in turn are exposed through the displaying window (s) 23a, 23b with which the device 20 is equipped. The number of interchangeable supports 1 that can be secured along the flexible connection element 35 is obviously function of the length of the flexible connection element itself, of the width of each interchangeable support 1 and of the spaces allowed between adjacent interchangeable supports 1. Obviously the drive shaft 31 can be mechanically connected to any type of motor, preferably an electric motor equipped with encoder, that rotates it, and at the same time rotates the flexible connection element and the interchangeable supports 1 secured thereto. In particular, the motor could cooperate with a suitably calibrated timer so that it drives the motor itself to perform, in a certain interval of time, such an angular rotation as to take an interchangeable support 1, at that time next to one of the displaying windows, to completely pass such window in order to take a following support 1 next to the same window. Obviously, the stay time of each support 1 next to a displaying window is a parameter depending on any specific need.

The minimum configuration of the device 20 in which the moving means comprise only a drive shaft 31 and a driven shaft 33 is particularly efficient if the displaying window is arranged in a position of the container 21 included between rotation axes of the two shafts, such as for example in the displaying window 23a.

If instead one wishes to place at least one displaying window, such as for example in case of window 23b, in a position of the external container 21 that is substantially orthogonal to the plan joining the rotation axes of the shafts, it could be convenient, in order to avoid an excessive bending of the interchangeable support 1 next to the curvature of a single shaft, thing that could make it difficult, if not even impossible, to read information included on the removable portion 5, to use moving means comprising at least four shafts, of which at least one drive shaft and the other driven shafts (obviously, also in this case, kinematically mutually connected through motion transmitting means, such as for example at least one chain, one belt or one gear coupling) , at least two of which having their rotation axes arranged on the sides of the displaying window 23b. In such a way, when an interchangeable support 1 is next to a displaying window 23b, the base 3 and consequently the removable portion 5 are in an at least partially planar position, since they are connected at least to the flexible connection element, which, being subtended between the two shafts on the sides of the displaying window 23b, is in a substantially rectilinear position, thereby making it easier and immediate to read and/or perceive the pieces of information placed on the removable portion 5 of the interchangeable support 1 according to the present invention.

Obviously, the number and position of the displaying windows 23a, 23b on the container 21 can change. In particular, arranging many displaying windows on the opposite sides of the container 21, it is possible, through the device 20 according to the present invention, to display simultaneously and along different directions, many information, solving the problem of a single face that was the one of prior art solutions.

Claims

1. Interchangeable support (1) for exposing information, characterised in that it is composed of at least one base (3) and at least one removable portion (5) adapted to be removably attached to said base (3) by interposing fastening means, said removable portion (5) being composed of a plurality of rigid listels (7) which are mutually longitudinally linked, and said base (3) being composed of a plurality of rigid listels (11) which are mutually longitudinally linked, said base (3) and said removable portion (5) being similar and kinematically corresponding flexible surfaces when they are mutually attached through said fastening means.

2. Interchangeable support (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said removable support (5) is equipped on its surface with at least one flexible layer including said information.

3. Interchangeable support (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said listels (7) are mutually linked by interposing hinge-type kinematisms.

4. Interchangeable support (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said listels (7) are mutually linked through at least one adhesive film (9) applied thereon.

5. Interchangeable support (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said listels (11) are mutually linked by interposing hinge-type kinematisms.

6. Interchangeable support (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said listels (11) are mutually linked through at least one adhesive film (13) applied thereon.

7. Interchangeable support (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said fastening means comprise one or more magnetic elements.

8. Interchangeable support (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said fastening means comprise one or more buttons (15) of the "poussoir" type.

9. Device (20) for exposing at least one interchangeable support (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that it comprises an external container (21) comprising at least one displaying window (23a; 23b) , said external container (21) containing therein moving means of at least one of said interchangeable supports (1) to take at least one portion of said information arranged on said removable portion (5) fastened onto said base (3) next to said displaying window (23a; 23b) .

10. Device (20) according to claim 9, characterised in that said moving means comprise at least one drive shaft (31) and at least one driven shaft (33) mutually kinematically connected through motion transmitting means and/or at least one flexible connection element (35) equipped with fastening means of said base (3) of said interchangeable support (1) .

11. Device (20) according to claim 10, characterised in that said drive shaft is connected to at least one electric motor

equipped with encoder.