Information collection kiosk

A molded plastic collection bin with transparent front and rear panels receives entry blanks introduced through a slot in a covering counter. The collection bin is supported on two side frames which are formed of tubular aluminum with riveted plastic sheets. Front and rear plastic panels extend between the two side frames and are engaged on protruding fasteners. The counter, the side frames, and the collection bin each have aligned holes which receive two connecting carriage bolts. A bungee cord resiliently extends between the carriage bolts within the collection bin, retaining the assembly in a connected orientation. An information display has a metal frame with retractable threaded tubes which engage with the counter. Printed elements such as posters are clasped between plastic sheets and engaged with C-channels on the frame. A bent metal door selectively covers an access opening in the rear plastic wall of the collection bin. The door has a tab which protrudes through a slot in the bottom wall of the collection bin which receives the bail of a padlock, permitting the door to be secured in a closed position. With the padlock removed, the door may be pivoted out from the bin.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
 STATEMENT AS TO RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE UNDER FEDERALLY SPONSORED
 RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 The present invention relates to furniture and displays in general, and to
 displays which are speedily assembled and knocked down in particular.
 For many products and services it is desirable to market selectively to
 potential customers having either a special interest or sufficient
 resources to be a possible purchaser. One technique for obtaining sales
 leads is to collect information in a targeted geographic area. For
 example, a provider of Caribbean cruises might solicit addresses of
 potential customers in northern regions in the winter months. The best and
 most accurate source of customer name, address, and phone number
 information is the potential customer. Various promotional activities can
 be employed to obtain this information voluntarily, for example by
 providing free samples or offering a free chance to win a prize. Usually
 the information is solicited by positioning collection boxes or kiosks in
 the targeted geographic region, for example within shopping malls.
 Because a particular marketing venture may require the speedy collection of
 information, and may be of limited duration, the information collection
 kiosks are usually temporary structures, and are not built into the
 shopping mall environment. Furthermore, because of the potential value of
 the collected consumer information, the completed entry blanks may be a
 target of theft. Therefore, the collection kiosks must have at least a
 limited level of security. However, because the cost of collecting the
 information has a significant labor component, it is desirable to minimize
 as much as possible the time required to assemble, empty, and disassemble
 the collection kiosks. Moreover, the kiosks are preferably constructed of
 low-cost yet sturdy materials.
 To promote consumer interest in the collection activity, it is desirable to
 provide transparent walls to the collection box, thereby allowing a
 potential contest entrant to make a determination of how popular the
 contest is. Some collection kiosks have required significant disassembly
 to collect the completed entry blanks.
 What is needed is an information collection kiosk which is economically
 produced, rapidly assembled and disassembled, and, while easily accessed
 for removal of entry blanks, provides a level of security against theft.
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 The information collection kiosk of this invention has a molded plastic
 collection bin with transparent front and rear panels for receiving entry
 blanks introduced through a slot in a covering counter. The collection bin
 is supported on two side frames which are formed of tubular aluminum with
 riveted plastic sheets. Front and rear plastic panels extend between the
 two side frames and are engaged on protruding fasteners. The counter, the
 side frames, and the collection bin each have aligned holes which receive
 two connecting carriage bolts. A bungee cord resiliently extends between
 the carriage bolts within the collection bin, retaining the assembly in a
 connected orientation. A display assembly has a metal frame with
 retractable threaded tubes which engage with the counter. Printed elements
 such as posters are clasped between plastic sheets and engaged with
 C-channels on the frame. A bent metal door selectively covers an access
 opening in the rear plastic wall of the collection bin. The door has a tab
 which protrudes through a slot in the bottom wall of the collection bin
 which receives the bail of a padlock, permitting the door to be secured in
 a closed position. With the padlock removed, the door may be pivoted out
 from the bin.
 It is an object of the present invention to provide an information
 collection kiosk which is assembled in the field without requiring tools.
 It is another object of the present invention to provide an information
 collection kiosk which is rapidly assembled and disassembled.
 It is a further object of the present invention to provide an information
 collection kiosk which may be rapidly emptied.
 It is also an object of the present invention to provide an information
 collection kiosk which may be transported in a compact knocked down
 condition.
 It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an information
 collection kiosk having a prominent information display region that is
 easily changed.
 It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an
 information collection kiosk which is rigid and sturdy.
 Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent
 from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the
 accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
 Referring more particularly to FIGS. 1-3, wherein like numbers refer to
 similar parts, a kiosk 20 for collecting information-containing sheets of
 paper, such as contest entry blanks 22, is shown in the figures. The kiosk
 20 is composed of several subassemblies which are readily connected
 without the aid of tools.
 A collection bin 24 is thermoformed from opaque plastic material and has
 two spaced upwardly extending and outwardly diverging side walls 26. A
 side flange 28 extends outwardly from each of the side walls 26. The side
 walls 26 are joined by a bottom wall 30. front and rear lips 32 extend
 inwardly from each side wall 26, and transparent plastic panels are
 riveted to the lips 32 to define the collection bin front wall 34 and rear
 wall 36. The thermoformed plastic may be ABS plastic, and the transparent
 plastic may be a polycarbonate material, such as LEXAN manufactured by GE
 Plastics.
 The collection bin 24 is supported in an elevated position by two spaced
 side frames 38. Each side frame 38 has a tubular side frame member 40 with
 a base segment 42 and a top segment 44 spaced above and parallel to the
 base segment, and joined to the base segment by a front segment 46 which
 converges toward a rear segment 48. A stiff plastic side panel 50 is
 riveted to each side frame member 40. The side panels may be formed of cut
 or routed sheets of textured ABS plastic. The side flanges 28 of the
 collection bin extend over the top segments 44 of the side frame members
 40.
 A counter 52 is a thermoformed from thermoplastic material such as ABS
 plastic, and is disposed over the collection bin 24 and the side frames
 38. The counter 52 has an upper wall 54 with a downwardly extending
 peripheral skirt 56 which overlaps portions of the collection bin front
 wall and rear wall and portions of the side frame top segments 44. The
 counter upper wall may have a recess 58 molded therein to retain a stack
 of entry blanks 22. An entry blank slot 60 is routed into the counter
 upper wall 54. The entry blank slot 60 is sufficiently wide to permit
 convenient insertion of an entry blank 22, but is sufficiently narrow to
 prohibit access to the interior of the collection bin 24. One or more
 writing instruments 62 may be attached to the counter 52, each instrument
 being connected to the counter 52 by a cable 64 which extends through an
 opening 66 in the counter upper wall 54.
 The side frames 38, the bin 24, and the counter 52 are connected together
 by two carriage bolts 68 which extend through aligned holes, and which are
 joined within the interior of the collection bin by a resilient cable 76
 with hooks 78 on each end, such as a bungee cord. The side frame bolt
 holes 70 are formed in the side panels 50 immediately below the top
 segments 44 of the side frame members 40. The collection bin bolt holes 72
 are formed in the bin side walls 26 beneath the side flanges 28. The
 counter bolt holes 74 are formed in the peripheral skirt 56. Each carriage
 bolt 68 has a transverse hole 80 which extends into the interior of the
 collection bin 24. The bungee cord hooks 78 are engaged with the
 transverse holes 80. The bungee cord 76 is selected of a length
 sufficiently short to apply tension to the carriage bolts 68 and retain
 them in position. The hooks 78 of the bungee core 76 prevent the removal
 of the carriage bolts 68 from the outside.
 The stiffness of the structure is greatly increased by a front panel 82 and
 a rear panel 84 which are connected between the side frames 38. The front
 panel 82 and rear panel 84 are cut from sheets of plastic material and are
 each provided with four slots 86 generally at the four corners of the
 panel. Each slot 86 has a lower generally circular opening 90 which is
 larger than the protruding head 92 of a bolt 94 which is fastened to a
 front segment 46 or rear segment 48 of a side frame member 40 and which
 extends inwardly. As shown in FIG. 3, the bolt head 92 is spaced from the
 tubular frame segment to which it is connected a distance sufficient to
 provide clearance for the thickness of the plastic panel. Each slot 86 has
 a vertical portion 96 extending upwardly from the circular opening 90, the
 vertical portion being narrower than the bolt head 92. To attach the
 panels 82, 84 to the side frames 38, the circular openings 90 of the four
 slots 86 are positioned over the bolt heads 92 and the panel is displaced
 toward the tubular segment of the frame member from which the bolt heads
 protrude. The attached panel is then displaced downwardly so that the
 bolts 94 extend through the narrow vertical portions 96 of the slots 86.
 To restrict undesired upward displacement of the panels 82, 84, which
 might result in the panels separating from the bolts 94, the front panel
 82 and the rear panel 84 have relieved upper comers 98 into which single
 wing nuts 100 may be rotated. The relieved comers 98 allow the wing nuts
 100 to be rotated to point sidewardly when it is desired to remove the
 panels 82, 84. When the wing nuts 100 point downwardly, upper displacement
 of the panels 82, 84 is prevented.
 When the counter 52 is secured in place over the collection bin 24 by the
 carriage bolts 68 and the bungee cord 76, the only outlet of the entry
 blanks 22 from the collection bin 24 is through an access opening 102 cut
 in the rear wall 36 of the collection bin. The opening 102 is generally
 rectangular and is positioned immediately above the bin bottom wall 30. A
 slot 104 is cut in the collection bin bottom wall 30 at a location spaced
 inwardly slightly from the access opening 102. As shown in FIGS. 2-3, the
 access opening 102 to the bin 24 is selectably blocked by a removable door
 106.
 The door may be fabricated in a variety of fashions, for example as an
 injection molded part, a stamped part, or a machined part, or, as shown in
 the drawings, as an assembly of a bent sheet metal element 108 and a
 plastic sheet 110 with a protruding handle 112. The sheet metal element
 108 has a downwardly extending lock tab 114 which, in the locked position
 shown in FIG. 2, protrudes through the slot 104. The lock tab 114 has a
 hole 116 positioned below the bottom wall 30 of the bin 24 in the locked
 position. The hole 116 receives the bail 118 of a conventional padlock
 120. The rear panel 84 has a cut-out 121 beneath the access hole, to
 provide clearance for the padlock 120. The door 106 has a central
 rectangular section 122 which is wider than the width of the access
 opening 102. The portions of the door rectangular section 122 which extend
 on either side of the access opening adjacent the exterior of the bin rear
 wall 36 define two sidewardly extending side tabs 124 which prevent the
 inward displacement of the door 106.
 The central rectangular section 122 is spaced rearwardly of the lock tab
 114 by a spacer flange 126. A second spacer flange 128 is positioned above
 the spacer flange 126 and extends rearwardly from the top of the central
 rectangular section 122. An interior tab 130 extends upwardly from the
 second spacer flange 128 within the bin 24 and extends adjacent to the
 forward surface of the rear wall 36. The interior tab 130 is approximately
 the same height as the central rectangular section 122. The access opening
 102 has a height which is somewhat less than the combined height of the
 interior tab 130 and the central rectangular section 122 of the door 106.
 Therefore, when the lock tab 114 is received within the slot 104, the
 interior tab 130 and the central rectangular section 122 block access into
 the collection bin 24. However, as shown in FIG. 3, when the padlock 120
 is removed, and the door is slid upwardly so that the lock tab 114 clears
 the slot 104, the lock tab may be rotated rearwardly to permit the
 interior tab 130 to be withdrawn from within the bin 24.
 As shown in FIG. 2, the door 106 is stiffened by fastening the plastic
 sheet 110 with double sided adhesive tape at the upper edge and the lower
 edge to the interior tab and the lock tab respectively. The metal handle
 112 extends through the central rectangular section 122 and is fastened to
 the plastic sheet 110 with screws. The spacing between the plastic sheet
 110 and the central rectangular section 122 may be maintained by
 positioning nuts or washers 132 therebetween.
 A display assembly 134 permits printed elements 136 such as posters to be
 displayed above the counter 52. The display assembly 134 has a display
 frame 138 with two upwardly extending side members 140 connected to a
 central column 142 by a lower cross member 144, an upper cross member 146,
 and two struts 150. The lower cross member 144 is positioned upwardly of
 the lower limit of the display frame 138. Two outer tubes 152, preferably
 aluminum, are welded to the lower cross member 144, one on each side of
 the central column 142. Downwardly opening holes are provided in the lower
 cross member 144 beneath each outer tube 152. An inner tube 154 is
 received within each outer tube 152 and is slidable vertically within the
 outer tube. The inner tubes may be conventional PVC pipes. The lower end
 of each inner tube 154 has male threads 156 which extend below the lower
 cross member 144. Once inserted within the outer tube 152, each inner tube
 is provided with a protrusion 158 such as a screw which prevents the inner
 tube from dropping out downwardly from the outer tube. Hence, prior to
 assembly and during storage and transportation, the inner tubes are
 compactly received within the outer tubes and within the display frame
 138.
 To assemble the display assembly 134 on the counter 52, the display frame
 138 is positioned on the counter 52 above a reinforced ledge 160. A steel
 reinforcing bar 162 is riveted beneath pipe holes 164 in the counter ledge
 160. Female threaded elements such as nuts 166 are welded to the underside
 of the reinforcing bar 162 and threadedly receive the threads 156 of the
 inner tubes 154.
 Vertically extending metal C-channels 168 open toward one another within
 the display frame 138. The struts 150 bisect the C-channels. A printed
 element 136 is clasped between two plastic sheets 170, at least the outer
 one of which is transparent. The sheets 170 and the surrounded printed
 element 136 are then engaged within the two opposed C-channels 168,
 causing the sheets 170 and printed element to take on a curve. A similar
 assembly of plastic sheets and printed element may be positioned on both
 sides of the display frame 138. The upper cross member 146 tapers from a
 wide section at the central column 142 to a narrower section where it
 joins the C-channels 168. This tapering conforms to the shape of the
 sheets 170.
 A molded plastic cap 172 has an upper wall 174 which overlies the upper
 cross member 146 and which is connected to the upper cross member by
 strips 176 of hook and loop fastener material. The cap 172 has downwardly
 extending side walls 178 which engage the top edges of the plastic sheets
 170.
 In the field, assembly of the kiosk 20, as shown in FIG. 1, may be
 accomplished entirely without the aid of tools. First, the two side frames
 38 are placed parallel to one another and spaced apart approximately the
 width of the front and rear panels 82, 84. Each of the panels 82, 84 is
 then attached to the protruding bolt heads 92 by bringing the slots 86
 over the bolt heads and lowering the panels. The panels are retained in
 place by pivoting the wing nuts 100 downwardly into the shallow relieved
 upper comers 98. Next, the collection bin 24 is set on the assembled side
 frames and the counter 52 is set on top of the bin and side frames 38.
 With the holes 74, 70, 72 aligned in the counter 52, side frames 38, and
 bin 24 respectively, the two bolts 68 are inserted to extend into the bin.
 The assembler then takes the bungee cord 76 in one hand and inserts it
 through the access opening 102 in the rear wall 36, hooking first one hook
 78 through an opening 80 in one of the bolts 68, and then hooking the
 second look 78 through the opening 80 in the other bolt 68. The door 106
 is then inserted to block the opening 102 and a padlock 120 affixed to the
 lock tab 114.
 The display assembly 134 is then connected to the counter 52 by positioning
 the display frame 138 over the reinforced ledge 160. The protruding ledge
 160 also helps to properly align the inner tubes 154 with the holes 164 in
 the ledge. Because the inner tubes are free to slide within the outer
 tubes 152, the threaded ends 156 will descend into the holes 164, through
 the reinforcing bar 162 to engage with the threaded elements 166. The
 upper portions of the inner tubes 154 are then rotated to threadedly
 engage the inner tubes with the reinforcing bar, and thereby fix the
 display assembly to the counter 52. The display elements 136 are each
 placed between two plastic sheets 170, and the three layers are bent so
 that the sides are engaged within the two opposed C-channels 168. The
 assembly is completed by pressing the plastic cap 172 down onto the upper
 cross member 146 to engage the opposed strips 176 of hook and loop
 fastener. Disassembly will follow a similar procedure in reverse.
 The assembled kiosks 20 may be positioned in areas of consumer interest. A
 consumer who wishes to supply personal information for participation in
 the promotional event selects an entry blank 22 from the recess 58,
 completes it with the supplied writing instrument 62 and deposits it
 through the entry blank slot 60 into the collection bin 24.
 From time to time the kiosk 20 is serviced by removal of the entry blanks
 and by the occasional replacement of the printed display elements 136. For
 both service activities, no tool is required other than the key for the
 padlock 120.
 It is understood that the invention is not limited to the particular
 construction and arrangement of parts herein illustrated and described,
 but embraces such modified forms thereof as come within the scope of the
 following claims.