Movable information device and method for the manufacture thereof

A sliding information device for placement and sliding on an even and flat supporting surface wherein the device comprises a baseplate with a flat and even bottom surface and an upright element, fastened to its top surface by means of a base that enables elastic bending of the element back and forth from an unloaded rest position A to a loaded oblique position B and a method for manufacturing it comprising the cutting of a series of segments from an elastically bendable substrate.

The invention relates to a movable in particular a slideable information device with a ground support for placement on a supporting surface. The device also comprises an upright element that is connected to the ground support, which contains a baseplate, for example. This upright element then bears information, printed or otherwise, for example an advertisement, instructions or publicity message. The invention concerns also a very useful method for manufacturing such a device and assembling it from its elements, comprising ground support and upright element.

TECHNICAL FIELD, STATE OF THE ART

Such information devices are generally known. For the most part, the ground support is a movable stand of plastic, wood or metal, with an integrated upright holder in which or on which a medium, in plate or sheet form for example, for the intended informative message can be slid or stuck. This design makes the device considerably expensive. Sometimes the device can also be too easily knocked over such that the intended function as a medium for a message no longer attracts attention until the device is stood or put upright again.

It is known that a horizontal plate, for example a glass plate, with a flat, very even and smooth bottom surface can be slid over and adjustably attached by suction to a very even and flat top surface of a supporting horizontal (glass) plate. The perfect contact between the two plates prevents air being able to penetrate into the mutual contact zone close to the outside edge of this zone. A vacuum or sub-pressure is, as it were, created between the (glass) plates. The atmospheric pressure on the free outer surfaces of the two plates thus keeps them firmly pressed together. Due to their smooth contact surface, the plates can slide somewhat over one another without detaching from one another. In other words, the vacuum area slides with the contact surface. U.S. Pat. No. 3,422,556 relates to an information device with a magnetic base plate and an upright holder for carrying an information marker for use on automobiles or other magnetic objects.

On the other hand, a non-adjustable information medium in plate form according to an analogous vacuum adhesion principle is known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,136,392. This information medium comprises a partially convex outer surface and a partially concave inner surface, and a cavity between this inner surface and the supporting surface on which the medium must be attached. By pressing the flexible convex part of the medium centrally onto the supporting surface, the air there is driven out of this cavity past the outside edges of the contact surface with the supporting surface. In this way, a vacuum area is created in this contact surface. This vacuum area ensures that the information medium is firmly, but not adjustably, affixed to the supporting surface analogous to a suction pad effect. For the rest, this information medium has no upright element. GB 2429820 discloses a suction cup mounted sign for a vehicle.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a movable information device with a ground support and with an upright element whereby the device does not fall over when the upright element is collided with transversely. In other words, the ground support must not detach from its supporting surface upon such a collision. The invention further aims at keeping the device readily able to slide over the supporting surface for the purpose of its versatile usability. Thus the device must for example not be attached immovably or rigidly to the supporting surface. Moreover, according to a further objective, the device preferably does not completely detach from the underlying supporting surface when it is gripped at the top of its upright element and then it is attempted to slide it over the supporting surface, or if a person wants to wrench it away in a direction almost perpendicular to the supporting surface.

Due to its typical spatial structure with a ground support and an upright element, it is difficult to package and transport the information device in an easy and compact manner. This is a great disadvantage because generally a large number of devices have to be packaged and shipped together to the user. It is thus in addition a purpose of the invention to provide a manufacturing method that enables an easy packaging and transportation of the movable information devices. It is at the same time a purpose of that method to allow an easy manual, semi-automatic or automatic assembly of the movable information device from its components. In particular it is a purpose to provide a manufacturing method that enables the ground support and the upright element components to be manufactured together at the same time so that they can be assembled in view of a compact packaging.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention, these objectives are met in a surprising way by a movable, in particular sliding, information device for placement and sliding on (over, in contact with) an even and flat supporting surface. As a ground support, the device consists of a baseplate with a flat and even surface on its underside. An upright element is fastened to the top surface of the baseplate via a base. According to the invention, it is important that the base allows elastic bending of the upright element back and forth from an unloaded rest position A to a transversely loaded oblique position B as explained hereinafter.

According to another important aspect of the invention, the base of this upright element comprises a limited fastening zone with the baseplate as explained hereinafter. This fastening zone runs substantially parallel to the upper surface of the baseplate. The distance “b” between the edge of this fastening zone of the base and the outside edge or peripheral edge of the baseplate must not be less than 2.5 cm anywhere according to the invention.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the upright element is preferably fastened almost in, or facing the centre of the baseplate. The upright element will also often be fastened almost perpendicular to the said top surface.

For the rest, the invention provides a series of other important preferred characteristics of the device as contained in the added claims and further explained hereinafter.

With regard to the favourable method of manufacturing the movable information device the objectives of providing an easy assembly from its components, enabling a compact packaging and transportation, the method comprises the application of printing on an elastically bendable substrate in plate form, and the cutting or stamping (punching) out of a series of segments from that substrate. The outer periphery of these segments defines the components bordering each other for the device such as the upright element, base, an extension piece of that base and the baseplate as is explained hereinbefore and hereafter.

According to an important characteristic of the method, the dividing line between that extension piece and the baseplate is preferably not entirely cut through during this cutting operation. A suitable fixing means is also applied onto the said base. Then the baseplate is folded over from the segment by 180° along the said dividing line, preferably the incompletely cut dividing line. The baseplate is thereby pressed against the base onto the applied fixing means for a strong and durable attachment there.

The upright element is now folded back from this flat laminated structure by 90° (perpendicularly) along the folding line between the base and the upright element. In this way, the intended spatial structure for the information device is set up, with its baseplate and its upright element durably bonded to it.

In practice, the flat segments cut out in series will often be immediately stacked on one another to be able to compactly ship them to the user, for example after the baseplate has been folded over from the segment by 180° and strongly attached to the base by adhesive.

After unstacking these thus obtained, laminated, primarily flat structures, the user can perpendicularly fold out the upright element for each information device to be set up. After setting up, the perpendicular position of the upright element can, if desired, be additionally locked by folding out at least one suitable prop element that can be folded out from the upright plate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the arrangement according toFIG. 1, the information device1with its baseplate3is set down on the even and flat, possibly smooth, horizontal top surface as a supporting surface2. This even supporting surface can be a table top, for example, if necessary with a ground or polished surface of wood or veneer, plastic, glass, natural stone, marble, concrete or metal. A substrate with an even and smooth topcoat, for example a coat of lacquer, can also be used as a supporting surface2. The baseplate3also has a pronounced even and flat, possibly smooth, underside (bottom) surface4that rests on the table top and whereby the underside surface4makes perfect contact with the supporting surface2without enclosing an air film. The contact zone thus behaves as a sub-pressure or vacuum area while the top surface of the baseplate3is exposed to atmospheric pressure. As a result, this baseplate with the device1can only slide over the supporting plate2, and also without detaching from it.

The upright element5inFIG. 1andFIG. 2is fastened in its vertical rest position A on the baseplate3by means of a base6, for example by inserting a fastening zone7in the form of a strong adhesive for example (Loctite or a double-sided adhesive tape). The baseplate lays thus completely flat on the supporting surface2. An information message14(FIG. 4) can be applied, for example printed, to one or both sides or walls of the upright element5. The printing will then preferably be done before the baseplate and upright element are fastened together. Analogously information messages can be applied to the baseplate, at least on its topside. If desired, separate, possibly removable, extra information media13can be affixed on the baseplate3and/or on the upright element5. These information media13may be three-dimensional objects. If desired, the upright element itself can have a three-dimensional form above its base.

The baseplate3is sufficiently rigid but can be somewhat flexible, for example a plastic. It will in general at least contain plastic in its even underside surface4. A perfectly flat PVC sheet is preferable. Its thickness is between 0.2 mm and 0.8 mm, and preferably between 0.35 mm and 0.5 mm for the purpose of a suitable flexibility and pliability. The bottom surface4of the baseplate has a surface greater than 30 cm2, and preferably greater than 40 cm2, and can be up to 1 m2depending on the desired volume of the information device. The baseplate3can be square, circular, oval or polygonal. It can also have a more irregular periphery. The base6does not necessarily have to be fastened close to the centre of the baseplate3; in particular this is not necessary for a baseplate with an irregular periphery. The baseplate3preferably has rounded corners17.

The upright element5is preferably also a flexible, in particular elastically bendable, PVC plate with the same thickness as the baseplate3. This simplifies the manufacture of the device1, as the baseplate3, base6and upright element5, after applying the desired printing, can all be punched from the same PVC plate. The upright element5can also have a pronounced decorative form, as sketched inFIG. 1.

The base6can be rectangular, preferably also with rounded outside corners17. It can also have the shape of a semicircle (half-moon), for example. A conventional, strip-shaped substrate covered with adhesive on either side can be used as a strong adhesive in the fastening zone7.

FIG. 2also sketches in dotted lines a position in which the device1is gripped close to the top edge of its upright element5and is lifted upwards with a force according to arrow16. As a result, the flexible baseplate can be lifted up somewhat just below the fastening zone7such that a (temporary) minimal, enclosed space15can occur above the supporting surface2. This space15possibly causes a somewhat stronger sub-pressure there and thus even greater resistance to the detachment of the baseplate3from the supporting surface, for example while horizontally sliding the device1over the supporting surface. In order to finally remove the information device1from its supporting surface2, the device1can be slid across it by its baseplate until a part of its peripheral edge19is past a free edge of the supporting surface2. In this way, the sub-pressure or vacuum is then neutralised or removed.

FIGS. 1 and 2also illustrate the important characteristic of the invention regarding the distance “b” from the outside edge19of the baseplate3to the peripheral edge18of the fastening zone7with the base6. According to the invention, this distance “b” must not be less than 2.5 cm anywhere, but preferably greater than 3 cm. The distance “b” can also be markedly larger than 3 cm so that the minimal space15can remain relatively small, even with devices1with a substantially large baseplate3(for example greater than 100 cm2). The fastening zone7will preferably have an area of a least 1 cm2. In each case the space15must not extend beyond the supporting surface2to a boundary where an outside edge19of the baseplate3is lifted up from the supporting surface. This would mean a leak for the vacuum whereby air could flow in via this outside edge of the contact surface between the baseplate3and the supporting surface2into the space15. The baseplate3would then immediately detach from the supporting surface.

FIG. 3a, andFIG. 3bshow two analogous positions in which the upright element5is pushed in an oblique position along a transverse direction B: once to the right and once to the left. The pressure in the direction B can be the result of a wind load on the device1, for example. If the bending force B is now stopped in reaction, the flexible, elastically bendable upright element5will immediately elastically return to its rest position A, without the baseplate3having the opportunity to detach from the supporting surface2.

A strong connecting zone8, for example a substantially L-shaped profile, between the base6and upright element5supports and also fosters the realisation of the intended elastic bending for the element5when it is loaded in a transverse direction B and when this load is then removed. The strong connecting profile8can be realised, for example, with an upright element5of a thermoplastic by hot-folding its base6into a practically perpendicular plastic shape, for example via an intermediate zone9between the base6and upright element5. This zone9can approximate the upright leg of an L profile, for example around its longitudinal axis10(as a folding line) in the intermediate (transitional) zone9. This is also shown inFIG. 1. InFIG. 3aand inFIG. 4, the zone9comprises an advantageous division of the deformation over two parallel folding lines10. This can foster a durable resistance of the intermediate zone to repeated bending loads. The folding lines10can be designed as a longitudinal groove or notch in the lower part of the upright element5.

The design according toFIG. 4concerns the possible addition of an extension piece12to the base6close to its outside edge11, and which, if need be, runs almost parallel to the baseplate3. The extension piece always covers the baseplate3at least in part. In this way a split-shaped storage space is created between the baseplate and extension piece12for the insertion of one document or another, such as a receipt. The extension piece12can, if desired, protrude past the outside edge19of the baseplate. This does not impede the operation of the movable device1.

As sketched inFIG. 5a, the starting product for the manufacture of the information device1according to the invention is preferably an elastically bendable substrate20in plate form with an even and flat underside (bottom) surface4. It can be a PVC or a polyethylene plate, for example. This substrate20is first provided with the desired printing14(FIG. 4) at the preselected places on one or both flat sides. Then the appropriate segments21are cut or punched out. The peripheral line22of these segments thereby defines the components of the device that border each other: the upright element5, its base6, an extension piece12against the base and finally the baseplate3.

The dividing line23between the baseplate3and the extension piece12can thereby be almost completely cut through. The length of the uncut section28in the dividing line23is then preferably short because this facilitates the subsequent folding over of the baseplate3by 180° along this dividing line23. This short length of the section28can even be limited to one point zone29, but preferably to two such point zones. The baseplate3and the extension piece12are then thus only connected at least at one, or preferably at least two, point zones29. As a result, the precise folding over of the baseplate3by 180° along the dividing line, and keeping it in its correct position, can be readily done. Only after the end of the folding operation by 180°—and preferably after the strong bonding onto the base6—will the point-shaped connecting zones29be readily broken up if desired. In this way, a laminated flat structure25is obtained, as shown inFIG. 6.

As a result, a very advantageous effect also occurs for the flat structure25and for the device1in its folded open position. Indeed, a flat split30occurs between the top side31of the folded baseplate3and the outside edges of the extension piece12extending across it, as shown inFIG. 7. Temporary papers, such as business cards, napkin edges, order forms or bills can be clamped in these splits, if desired.

In stead of a cut out dividing line23, the embodiment of a segment21inFIG. 5bwith a similar cross-section according to line II-II (inFIG. 5a) shows a groove or notch36at the place of that cut out dividing line23. This groove will preferably extend along the dividing line23and along the entire width of the baseplate3. Such groove36is to be considered according to the invention as a kind of a dividing line23that is not fully cut out. The presence of such groove36can foster an easy alternative bending and folding over of the baseplate3along the dividing line23.

The cutting out of the series of segments21from the substrate20, the successive application of the fixing means24to the bases6, the folding over of the baseplate by 180° along the dividing line23, and the strong bonding of the baseplate3to the bases6can be done by machine in a continuous operating line. Preferably a polyurethane or isocyanate glue is used as an adhesive part of the fixing means24.

The strong and durable bond can be further assured by stacking a number of laminated structures25on one another (FIG. 7) and, if desired, the stack, packaged or otherwise, can be kept under transverse pressure for a certain time.

The information device1in its folded open position according toFIG. 8occurs by folding out the upright element5, close to the folding line10, by 90° from the laminated structure25. In order to prevent this element5bending back from its straight upright position to a sloping position over time, a suitable prop element27can be folded out against the baseplate3, for example along its folding line33in the upright element5. Due to this measure, the upright position of the element5is locked. However, if the device is to be returned to its laminated flat structure25for more or less easy stacking, then the prop element27can be bent back along its folding line33in the plane of the element5, and this element is then bent back against the baseplate3. The prop element27shown inFIGS. 5aand8thus approximates a right-angled triangle, for example, the sloping side34and bottom edge35of which are made when punching out the segments21.

The automatic bonding (in a continuous line) or semi-automatic bonding of the baseplate3onto the base6, for the realisation of the laminated flat structure25, can proceed as follows. The successive segments21can be punched from the substrate20with the partially cut dividing line23between the baseplate3and the extension piece12in a first stage in a transport line, for example comprising a continuous conveyor belt. At the same time, the cutting of the sloping side34and bottom edge35of the prop element27is done. In the next stage, the appropriate adhesives24are applied in the successive bonding zones (against the bases6) passing by. Further on in the transport line, the successive baseplates3are suitably gripped mechanically and/or pneumatically and folded over by 180° along the dividing line23on the extension piece12and onto the bonding zones with adhesive24. They are sufficiently pressed on them for initial bonding. With this folding over of the baseplate3from the substrate20, the surrounding substrate residue around the parts12,6and25keeps these parts in the right position for further operations and transit through the transport line. Just before or during the removal and stacking of the already (somewhat) laminated structures25, the surrounding edge residues of the substrate20are then removed for recycling, for example. If desired, the stack can be suitably compressed under pressure for further consolidation of the adhesives for a durable and accurately positioned attachment of each base6on its accompanying baseplate3.

Finally,FIG. 9illustrates an embodiment of the information device wherein the extension piece12is much larger than for example inFIG. 4orFIG. 5a. Indeed the edges37can run parallel to the peripheral line22of the upright element5during punching out of the segments21from the substrate20(FIG. 5a). In this manner the extension piece12can cover a much larger part of the baseplate3and so contribute to an extra protection of this baseplate, combined even with a more complete use of the available plastic present in the original substrate20.

At the same time, the flaps with edges37of the extension piece12offer extra space to insert in a removable way sheets, tags, cards in a larger split30than shown inFIG. 5a.

The invention is of course not limited to the described embodiments of the claimed information device and method. Many functional variants of the method stages and constructive variants of the information device, obvious to the person skilled in the art are conceivable.