Abstract:
A portable display case includes two centermost and two outermost panel members mounted for pivotal movement relative to each other between panel face-to-panel face opposing relationship in substantially parallel planes in a closed position and in substantially side-by-side relationship in an open position. A carrying handle is mounted for reciprocal sliding movement relative to one of the panel members to permit the portable display case to be carried much in the manner in a briefcase or an attaché case. The outermost panels are each of an identical construction and the innermost or centermost panels are each of an identical construction providing interchangeability thereof. To the latter end, latches associated with side edges of the outermost panels are in asymmetrical relationship to each other. The centermost panel members also include recesses into each or both of which can be inserted a header in the closed position of the display case while upper edges of the centermost panel members have recesses or accommodating feet of the header in the display position.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a display system which is portable, free-standing, and can be packed, unpacked and/or repacked, transported and utilized readily for display purposes at sales presentations, conventions, seminars or the like. 
     Conventional display systems normally provide a relatively large display surface formed by a number of display panels which are supported by a frame or are themselves self-supporting. Such display systems are relatively large and the individual components are normally packed in a tubular carrier for transportation and storage. Larger displays can be reconfigured into smaller displays for table top presentations, but no display is specifically so designed as to be relatively small or compact in size for ready transport and subsequent utilization as a table top or desk top display. 
     Examples of conventional display systems of the type aforesaid include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,439,043 granted on Aug. 8, 1995, U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,384 granted on Mar. 18, 1997 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,391 granted on Aug. 11, 1998, each in the name of Wallace T. Carter. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,893,711 issued to Gustafson is not directed to a display or a portable display case, but discloses a so-called convertible carrying case and expandable easel which includes four relatively slidable panels shown best in FIG. 3 in the open position of the carrying case, as compared to the closed position of FIG. 1 and the partially open position of FIG. 2. The carrying case is hinged to open and close between the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and two arms are used as a carrying handle (FIG. 1) and as supporting stands (FIG. 4). Latches (FIG. 1) hold the two case halves or panels closed. This patent reflects the closest prior art developed during a search of the present invention, but will be seen to lack the novel structure disclosed and claimed herein. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,524,852 issued to Hess also discloses a changeable sample case which includes three panels pivoted to each other which when closed define a display case (FIG. 1) which can be opened (FIG. 3) and supported upright for display purposes. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,297,118 issued to Van Skyhawk et al. is another example of a carrying case and a display case in which a handle can be basically pushed, pulled or slid between its carrying position (FIGS. 1 and 2) and eventually pivoted and interlocked in a display position (FIG. 6). 
     Other patents found during the search of the present invention and which are considered of lesser interest and/or disclose equivalent or redundant structure corresponding to structure disclosed in the above-described patents include the following: 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 Greene 
                 U.S. Pat. No. 2,549,306 
               
               
                   
                 Mayer, Sr. et al. 
                 U.S. Pat. No. 2,707,538 
               
               
                   
                 Volkert 
                 U.S. Pat. No. 4,833,802 
               
               
                   
                 Judd 
                 U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,498 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A novel portable display of the present invention includes a portable display case formed of a plurality of panel members with adjacent panel members being pivotally connected to each other. The portable display case preferably includes four such panel members with each panel member having upper and lower substantially parallel edge portions and opposite substantially parallel side edge portions with side edge portions of adjacent panel members being pivotally connected to each other for movement between a closed position in which panel faces of the panel members are in substantially panel face-to-panel-face opposing relationship in substantially parallel planes and an open display position in which the panel members are in substantially side-by-side and/or aligned relationship. One of the panel members, preferably one of two centermost panel members, includes a reciprocally slidable carrying handle which is moved between an inoperative housed position and an operative carrying position which allows the portable display case to be carried much in the manner of an attaché case or the like. The carrying handle preferably includes a pair of legs and a hand grip therebetween. The pair of legs are mounted for reciprocal sliding movement in an associated panel member, and stops prevent the carrying handle from being bodily removed from its associated panel member. 
     The portable display case also includes slots along upper edges of preferably the centermost two panel members which receive projections or legs of a header which allows the header to be supported in an upright position relative to the centermost panel members in the display position. 
     At least a rear face of one of the panel members includes a recess configured to the shape of the header for housing the header during transport. Preferably, the centermost two panel members have recesses corresponding in shape to the header which are opposite mirror images of each other and thereby collectively define a single recess accommodating the header when the two centermost panel members are moved to their closed position. 
     With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a novel portable display case constructed in accordance with the invention, and illustrates the closed position thereof with a carrying handle extended to its carrying position. 
     FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the handle carrying area of the portable display case, and illustrates the handle in its retracted or stored position. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the portable display case of FIG. 1, and illustrates four panel members thereof united by pivots about which the panel members have been partially opened toward a display or use position. 
     FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the portable display case, and illustrates the display position thereof with a central pair of the panel members being substantially in coplanar relationship and a header secured in spanning relationship to the centermost panel members. 
     FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the portable display case in the same position as that illustrated in FIG. 4, and illustrates a header receiving recess in each of the two centermost panel members corresponding to the configuration of the header into which the header can be inserted and stored in the closed position of the display case. 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the portable display case, and illustrates one of the centermost panel members and the header inserted into the header receiving recess thereof. 
     FIG. 7 is a highly enlarged perspective view of the encircled portion of FIG. 6, and illustrates details of a pivot, a retaining slot for the header, a latch for securing the centermost panel members together, and a finger-receiving recess for facilitating the extraction of the header from its recess. 
     FIG. 8 is a fragmentary, enlarged, exploded view of lower corners of the two panel members of FIG. 6, and illustrates further details thereof including the pivots uniting the same. 
     FIG. 9 is a highly enlarged perspective view with parts broken away for clarity of the carrying handle and its associated panel member, and illustrates details of the handle grip, a pair of generally parallel legs, detents carried by the legs, and bores or channels within the panel member for slidably receiving the legs of the carrying handle. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A novel portable display case constructed in accordance with this invention is fully illustrated in the drawings and is generally designated the reference numeral  10  (FIGS. 1,  3 ,  4  and  5 ). 
     The portable display case  10  includes a plurality of panel members, and in a preferred embodiment of the invention, four such panel members  11  through  14  are illustrated in a closed carrying or transporting position (FIG.  1 ), a partially opened position (FIG. 3) and an open or display position (FIGS.  4  and  5 ). 
     Each of the panel members  11  through  14  is of a hollow construction formed from polymeric/copolymeric synthetic plastic material in a conventional manner which lessens the weight of the overall portable display case  10  while at the same time increasing the rigidity thereof. 
     The panel member  11  is in an outermost, outer or exterior panel member and includes an upper edge or edge portion  21 , a lower edge or edge portion  22  substantially parallel to the upper edge portion  21 , and opposite generally parallel side, edges or side edge portions  23 ,  24  (FIG.  4 ). 
     The panel member  12  likewise includes an upper edge or edge portion  31  substantially parallel to a lower edge or edge portion  32  and opposite substantially parallel side edges or side edge portions  33 ,  34 . 
     The panel member  13  includes an upper edge or edge portion  41 , a lower edge or edge portion  42  substantially parallel thereto, and opposite generally parallel side edge portions  43 ,  44 . 
     The panel member  14  is an exterior, outermost or outer panel member and includes upper and lower edges or edge portions  51 ,  52  disposed substantially parallel to each other, and opposite substantially parallel vertical side edges or edge portions  53 ,  54 . 
     The front or “display” surfaces (not shown) of each of the panel members  11  through  14  are covered by a sheet of aesthetic fabric material or the like to define respective display panels  25 ,  35 ,  45  and  55  (FIG.  4 ). 
     The adjacent vertical edge portions  24 ,  33  (FIG. 4) of the adjacent panel members  11 ,  12  are pivotally connected together by upper pivot means  26 , medial pivot means  27  and lower pivot means  28 . Substantially identical pivot means  26 ,  27 ,  28  pivotally connect together the panels  13 ,  14  and  12 ,  13 . The pivot means  26 ,  28  are essentially identical, and like identical pivot means pivotally connect together the side edge portions  34 ,  43  of the panel members  12 ,  13 , respectively, and the side edge portions  44 ,  53  of the panel members  13 ,  14  at respective upper and lower edges thereof. Pivot means  27  are also located between the pivot means  26 ,  27  of the panel members  12 ,  13  and  13 ,  14 . In this manner three substantially vertical pivot axes P 1 , P 2  and P 3  (FIG. 4) are provided about which the panel members  11  through  14  can selectively pivot between the fully closed or transport/carrying position of the portable display case (FIG. 1) to and through the partially open/closed position of FIG.  3  and the fully open or display position of FIGS. 4 and 5. It is to be noted from FIG. 3 that as the panel members  11  through  14  are moved toward the closed position of FIG. 1, the respective display panels or display surfaces  25 ,  35  and  45 ,  55  are progressively moved toward each other until brought into panel face-to-panel face opposing relationship in substantially parallel planes when the portable display case  10  is completely closed, as is readily visualized in FIG. 1 of the drawings. This same pivoting closing motion brings the rear surfaces (unnumbered) of the centermost two panel members  12 ,  13  into panel face-to-panel face opposing relationship, also in substantially parallel planes, for a purpose fully described further herein. 
     As is best illustrated in FIGS. 6 through 8 of the drawings, each of the pivot means  26 ,  27  and  28  includes an integral pin  36  through  38  carried by the side edge portion  33  of the panel member  12  (and the side edge portion  44  of the panel member  13 ) and respective pin-receiving channels or recesses  46  (FIG.  7 ),  47   a ,  47   b  (FIG.  8 ), and  48  carried by the side edge  24  of the panel member  11  (and the side edge  33  of the panel member  14 ). The pivot pins  36 ,  38  have respective ends  56  (FIG.  7 ),  58  (FIG. 8) which project respectively downwardly and upwardly and are snapped-secured in and are retained by the respective pin-receiving channels  46 ,  48 . The pin  37  (FIG. 8) includes oppositely projecting ends  57   a ,  57   b  (FIG. 8) which are snapped-received in the respective pin-receiving channels  47   a ,  47   b . Because of the identical construction of the pivot means  26 ,  27  and  28 , the panel members  11 ,  14  are interchangeable and when interchanged, the upper edge portions  21 ,  51  become the lower edge portions, while the lower edge portions  22 ,  52  become the upper edge portions. This interchangeability of the panel members  11 ,  14  is highly desirable because it requires but a single mold to form either of the end panel members  11 ,  14  which are essentially of an identical construction, thereby reducing the overall manufacturing costs. 
     In order to achieve the interchangeability of the panel members  11 ,  14 , the symmetry thereof when essentially “rotated” or “flipped” 180° from that illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, must be maintained with respect to all other cooperative components, and to this end the side edges  23 ,  54  of the panel members  11 ,  14  are provided with centrally located handle grip receiving recesses  61 ,  62  and two sets of display case latches  63 ,  64  and  65 ,  66  (FIGS.  3  and  4 ). The latch components  63 ,  66  are flexible latching tongues, each having a rectangular opening  67  and a latching bar  68 , whereas the components  65 ,  66  are each a generally polygonal latching projection or latching lip sized for receipt into the associated opening  67  of the latching tongues  63 ,  66 . As is most evident in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings, the positions of the latching tongues  63 ,  66  and latching projections  64 ,  65  are reversed relative tat the panel members  11  and  14 , thus facilitating the fabrication of a single end panel member  11  or  14  in a mold for utilization as either of the panel members  11 ,  14 . 
     Each of the panel members  12 ,  13  includes a respective header-receiving recess  72 ,  73  (FIG. 5) which are each of a configuration corresponding substantially identically to but slightly larger than the configuration of a “header”  80  (FIGS. 4 through 6) which is housed in either or both of the recesses  72 ,  73  in the closed or transport position of the portable display case  10 , as is most apparent from FIG. 6, or the header  80  is placed in spanning relationship (FIGS. 4 and 5) to the panel members  12 ,  13  in the display position of the portable display case  10 . The header-receiving recesses  72 ,  73  each include a respective relatively straight edge  74 ,  75  interrupted by generally C-shaped or U-shaped edges  76 ,  77  and  78 ,  79 , respectively. Arcuate edges  91 ,  92  of the header-receiving recesses  12 ,  13 , respectively, are opposite the generally straight edges  74 ,  75  and each is interrupted by two finger-receiving recesses  93 ,  94  and  95 ,  96 , respectively (FIG.  8 ). As is most apparent from FIG. 6, the finger-receiving recesses  93  through  96  each accommodate a person&#39;s finger to facilitate the removal of the header  80  from either of the recesses  72 ,  73 , as is most readily apparent from FIG. 6 of the drawings. The latter might be necessary because each of the straight edges  74 ,  75  and/or the arcuate edges  91 ,  92  includes a pair of identical retaining lips  101 ,  102  and  103 ,  104  (FIGS. 6 and 8) beneath which an arcuate edge  81  and an opposite straight edge  89  of the header  80  snap-engages (FIGS. 6 and 8) for retention in the header-receiving recesses  72 ,  73 . 
     The header  80  also includes two projections  82 ,  83  (FIGS. 4 and 6) which seat in the C-shaped or U-shaped edges or recesses  76 ,  77  and/or  78 ,  79 . The projections  82 ,  83  are inserted into upwardly opening slots  112 ,  113  (FIGS. 4 through 6) opening upwardly through the upper edges  31 ,  41  of the respective panel members  12 ,  13 . As is most readily apparent from FIG. 4 of the drawings, the header  80  is of a length substantially corresponding to the distance between the pivot axes P 1 , P 3  and thus corresponds in length to twice the distance between the edges  33 ,  34  and/or  43 ,  44 . Thus, the overall vertical distance between the edges  31 ,  32  and/or  41 ,  42  is slightly greater than the length of the header  80  to permit the formation of the header-receiving recesses  72 ,  73  within the vertical overall height of the central panel members  12 ,  13 . In other words, the overall length of the header  80  corresponds substantially to the overall length of the header-receiving recesses  72 ,  73  (as measured vertically in FIG. 5) which in turn is substantially that of the vertical heights of the panels  12 ,  13 , again as measured between the edges  31 ,  32  and  41 ,  42 , respectively, while the latter lengths correspond to approximately twice the width of either of the central panels  12 ,  13 , again as measured between the edges  33 ,  34  and/or  43 ,  44 . 
     Adjacent each of the finger-receiving recesses  93  through  96  is identical respective central panel latching means  123  through  126 . As is best illustrated in FIG. 7, the central panel latching means  123  includes a raised projection  127  and an upwardly directed lip  128 . The corresponding latching means  125  includes a like projection (unnumbered) and the latching lip corresponding to the lip  128  projects downwardly, as is shown in FIG.  5 . Similarly, the lip (unnumbered) of the latching means  124 ,  126  project respectively downwardly and upwardly. Accordingly, when the panel members  12 ,  13  are pivoted to the closed position (FIG.  1 ), the latching lips  128  of the latching means  123 ,  125  and  124 ,  126  snap secure together due to the inherent resilience of the material and can be readily unsnapped for pivoting from the closed position to the open position (FIG.  5 ). 
     Means of the form of a retractable carrying handle  130  (FIGS. 1 and 9) is provided for carrying the portable display case  10  when in the closed position thereof (FIG.  1 ). The retractable carrying handle  130  includes a hand grip or gripping handle  131  and a pair of generally parallel legs  132  having respective noses  134 ,  135  which function to prevent the handle  130  from being totally withdrawn from the associated central panel  112  or  113 . More specifically, since the central panels  12 ,  13  are similarly symmetrically or identically constructed relative to each other, each includes recess means or bores  144 ,  145  (FIG. 9) into which the legs  132 ,  133  slide. Each bore  144 ,  145  includes a respective abutment nose or shoulder  146 ,  147  (FIG. 9) against which the noses or projections  134 ,  135  abut when the carrying handle  130  is in its fully extended position, thus preventing further outward movement thereof. A plate  150  is conventionally secured in overlying relationship to the bores  144 ,  145  of both of the panel members  12 ,  13  (FIG.  5 ). The hand grip  131  is, of course, contoured to match the contours of the handle-receiving recesses  61 ,  62  to fully accommodate therein the hand grip portion  131  in both the closed non-carrying or non-transporting position of the portable display case, as is illustrated in FIG. 2, and in the display position (FIG.  5 ). 
     As was noted earlier herein, the panel members  11 ,  14  are symmetrical to allow interchangeability thereof, and the same is true of the panel members  12 ,  13  which allows these identical panel members to be molded in a single mold, thereby reducing overall costs of the portable display case  10 . In order to achieve such interchangeability, the header/recesses  72 ,  73  (FIG. 5) are not only identical but are reverse mirror images of each other and each can be exchanged for the other which if done with respect to the display case of FIGS. 4 and 5 would position the lower edges  32 ,  42  of the respective panel members  12 ,  13  uppermost and the identical pivoting means  26 ,  27  and  28  would then snap-secure the side edges  33 ,  44  of the respective panel members  12 ,  13  to the side edges  24 ,  55  of the respective panel members  11 ,  14 . The “bottom” edges  32 ,  42  of the respective panel members;  12 ,  13  have recesses  112 ,  113  (FIG. 5) corresponding to the recesses identically numbered adjacent the upper edges  31 ,  41 , and this allows the header  80  to be inserted in the manner shown in FIG. 5 after the centermost panel members  12 ,  13  have been “flipped” or “rotated” in the manner just described. Accordingly, the overall cost of the manufacture of the portable display case  10  is appreciably reduced because a single mold is required to mold therein the panel members  12 ,  13  and a single mold is utilized for molding therein the panel members  11 ,  14 . 
     Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been specifically illustrated and described herein, it is to be understood that minor variations may be made in the apparatus without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined the appended claims.