Display device for flat articles

A device for displaying flat articles, such as a book, gramophone record, card etc., which device is substantially provided with a frame 1 and a number of horizontally extending carrier elements 6 for these particles supported by the frame, whereby each carrier element is manufactured from a strip of plate material that is bent over along lines running in lengthwise direction in order to obtain a substantially U-shaped cross section having legs of different length, whereby the free edge 8 of the long leg 7 is folded outward over more than 90.degree., and whereby the frame is provided with at least one suspension member fitting in the fold in addition to at least one support means 2 extending downwards from that member, as a result of which a loose chain of elements 6 can be formed, of which the height and angle of slope can be adapted to any purpose of use.

The invention relates to a device for displaying flat articles, such as a 
book, gramophone record, card etc., which device is substantially provided 
with a frame and a number of horizontally extending carrier elements for 
these articles supported by the frame. 
Such a display device or display case is usually manufactured from plate 
material, such as fibre plate, whereby the frame and the carrier elements 
form a rigid entity with one another such that a shelf-free case 
construction is created. The drawback of such a construction is that this 
case together with the elements is difficult to adapt to the location 
where the case is used. 
An object of this invention is to provide a display device that consists of 
a limited number of components, that is simple to assemble and simple to 
adapt to the location of use with respect to dimension and form. 
The device according to the invention is distinguished in that each carrier 
element is manufactured from a strip of plate material that is bent along 
lines running in lengthwise direction in order to obtain a substantially 
U-shaped cross section having legs of different length, whereby the free 
edge of the long leg is folded outward over more than 90.degree., and 
whereby the frame is provided with at least one suspension member fitting 
in the fold in addition to at least one support means extending downwards 
from that member. 
Owing to the U-shaped carrier elements with legs of different lengths it is 
possible to hook these elements to each other with the result that a loose 
chain of elements is formed, the height of which can be adapted to any 
requirement. The chain of carrier elements is only suspended from the 
frame on the upper suspension member with the result that the latter 
acquires the function of a purely supportive member whereby the carrier 
elements do not have to be further fixed to the frame. In this way the 
angle of slope as well as any change in the angle of slope can be easily 
adapted to the purpose of use. 
In order to achieve greater widths of the device the elements have only to 
be suspended adjacent to each other so as to obtain a continuous carrier 
element for the products for display. 
Above mentioned and other features of the invention will be further 
elucidated in the figure description of two embodiments following 
hereinafter.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Designated in the figures with the numeral 1 is the supporting frame which 
consists in the embodiments shown of a framework of tubular material. The 
side surface is thus formed by a bent tube 2 which displays a 
substantially triangular shape. The tube form can be of any suitable 
material and bent in any suitable manner. The tubular side parts 2 are 
mutually joined by cross members 4, thus obtaining a spatial construction 
whereby it is noted that the bottom portions 5 of the tubular side parts 2 
are each provided with support brackets 3. 
The frame 1 bears a number of carrier elements 6, each of which are built 
up according to the invention from a strip of plate form material, for 
instance metal, which is bent such that a cross section results in the 
form of a U with legs of different lengths. 
The free edge strip of the long leg 7 of the U-shaped profile is folded 
over sharply to the rear or outwards in order to obtain a suspension strip 
8. The carrier elements are all of equal length, which can be a random 
length depending on the purpose of use and the material used. 
Owing to the profiling of the plate material it becomes comparatively stiff 
as a result of the formed ridges, so that longer elements can be formed. 
It should be noted that the body portion 9 of the U-shaped profile encloses 
an obtuse angle with the long leg 7 of the U-profile as opposed to an 
acute angle with the short leg. This ensures that under the influence of 
gravity articles placed in the carrier elements are situated with their 
rear side at an interval from the front surface of the profile, which 
prevents the articles falling out of the carrier elements. 
As a result of the folded over strip 8 the elements 6 can be suspended on 
each other which results in a vertical chain, so that the number of 
elements 6 determines the height of the display. 
Only the frame 1 is provided at the top with a suspension member 10 in the 
form of a cross member extending between the tubular side parts 2. 
In addition each of the tubes is formed on the sides facing one another 
with a support means 11 in the form of a flat profile which extends 
downwards from the suspension member 10. The ends of each carrier element 
6 rest on the upper surface of this support means and it will be apparent 
that as a result of the sloping position of the foremost part of the 
tubular elements 2, and thereby the sloping position of the support means 
11, further fixing of the elements 6 on this support means 11 becomes 
superfluous. 
If the element 11 in strip form is arranged in the middle of the tube 2, 
see FIG. 2, there is also created a sideways bounding of the U-shaped 
profiles of the carrier elements 6 that are open at either side. This 
bounding serves to contain articles displayed on the carrier elements 6. 
By arranging the strip-form support means 11 not in the middle but 
continuously along the tube 2 there can result continuous U-shaped 
profiles of adjacently positioned elements 6. 
The pitch distance between elements 6 of the downward hanging chain can 
easily be altered by the insertion of additional support strips 12, see 
FIG. 3, this strip being placed in the inside of a U-shaped profile of a 
carrier element 6, after which the folded over edge strip 8 of the 
following element 6' can be hung round the upper edge of the strip 12. In 
this way the distance between successive elements 6, 6' is reduced. This 
is of advantage in the case of articles V of different height. It will 
also be apparent from the above that the angle of slope over which the 
mutually suspended elements 6 extend can easily be altered by changing the 
angle of the foremost part of the tubular element 2 relative to the 
vertical. 
It is further possible to give the foremost part of the tubular element 2 a 
portion with a double slope, see 2' in FIG. 4, as a result of which chains 
of carrier elements 6 located above one another can be obtained. Each 
chain has its own respective suspension member 10' and 10" of the frame 1. 
Turning now to the embodiment of FIG. 5 it is noticed that the same 
reference numerals are used for the same elements as described above. 
The embodiment according to FIG. 5 is adapted to be placed in a corner of a 
room or the like wherein the side surface of the supporting frame of two 
adjacent display devices are on a distance to each other, as the bottom 
parts 5 lies further from the wall of the room than the proportions of the 
side frame. Therefore the corner could not be covered by the elements 6 in 
the way as described and disclosed in FIG. 1. The side frame portions 
formed by a tube 2 is provided with a strip element 11 extending under a 
certain angle, for instance 45.degree. with respect to the support strip 
11 of the display according to FIG. 1. 
The corner display can be provided with a support strip 8 to suspend the 
upper element 6, said element being cut obliquely at both outer side parts 
in order to fit in between the tube like members 2 of the adjacent display 
devices. 
The lower elements 6 are cut in the same way obliquely and will be 
suspended to the upper elements while resting on the support strips 11, 
11' in order to form a upside down triangular display device for the 
corner. 
The strip like elements 11 are shown to be welded or the like to the tube 
elements 2, but according to a further embodiment as depicted in FIG. 7 
and 8, the strip elements 111 can be L-shaped. One flange of the L-shaped 
strip 111 is provided with holes 112, each of which cooperates with a 
bracket 113 welded to the tube 2. 
As clearly shown in FIG. 8 the rear strip 111 is in the position to be 
placed upon the bracket 113, whereas the front strip 111 is already placed 
in position on the brackets 113. 
So the inner side of each side wall made by tubes of other profiled 
elements can be provided with a L-shaped strip 111 in order to form the 
support means for the display elements 6. In this embodiment it is not 
necessary to have left and right shaped side frame units as necessary in 
the embodiment according to FIG. 1, but those frame units can be place 
where applicable, whereas the strip element 111 can be suspended to the 
brackets 113 in any suitable position. 
To form a corner display unit as depicted in FIG. 5 the strip-like member 
1, 111 is not provided with flanges under 90.degree. but applies for a 
stip-like member 111' having the flanges under 45.degree.. 
It will be apparent from the above that the height, the width and the 
number of chains formed by mutually suspended elements depend on the shape 
of the side parts 2. This can be formed in any arbitrary manner by 
employing profile material, for example a tube, and bending and welding it 
together, with the proviso that a support means extends sloping downward 
from a suspension member. The device can be further perfected using purely 
standard components consisting of a U-shaped carrier element for the 
articles having legs of different lengths.