Display panel assembly

Abstract: A display panel assembly comprising at least two frames (10) each having uprights (12) on opposite sides thereof, the uprights of adjacent frames having pivotal interconnections (16) to enable the frames to be variably angled relative to one another. The frames (10) also have top and bottom cross members (14), the uprights and cross members each having a pair of projecting ribs defining a panel receiving slot around the inside edge of the frame in the median plane of the frame, and the cross members also having lips (54) which define top and bottom panel receiving slots on both sides of the median plane.

Description: Field of the invention This invention relates to an assembly for supporting display panels. Background to the invention A variety of arrangements of assemblies for supporting display panels are known. Some such arrangements comprise two or more pivotally connected frames which may also offer the possibility of stacking one on top of the other. Such frames are thus of a modular nature, and can be interconnected to form an assembly of any desired size, not only in width but possibly also in height. The assembly usually stands simply by pivotting the frames, when upright, into a non-coplanar relationship. Generally, each frame is capable of holding a display panel in the median plane of said frame. In particular, in EP No 0292833 is disclosed a display panel assembly comprising at least two frames, each having parallel uprights on opposite sides thereof, two adjacent uprights of two adjacent frames being pivotally connected to allow the plane of one frame to be variably angled relative to the plane of the other frame, each upright of a frame having external, spaced, longitudinally extending ribs directed towards corresponding ribs on the opposite upright, thereby to define coplanar slots for receiving edges of two display panels on opposite sides of the median plane of the frame, the frames also having cross members shaped with panel receiving slots in the same two planes, so that two display panels can each be held all round its periphery in the two planes on opposite sides of said median plane. With this known arrangement either one panel can be removed from the frame only by first disconnecting a cross member. It is a general object of this invention to provide an improved display panel assembly generally having the afore-mentioned characteristics but of improved versatility compared to known arrangements. The invention According to the invention, there is provided a display panel assembly comprising at least two frames each having parallel uprights on opposite sides thereof, two adjacent uprights of two adjacent frames being pivotally connected to allow the plane of one frame to be variably angled relative to the plane of the other frame, each upright of a frame having two external, spaced, longitudinally extending ribs directed towards the corresponding ribs on the opposite upright, thereby to define opposed coplanar slots for receiving opposite edges of a display panel, the frames also each having cross members connecting the uprights, the cross members being shaped to define display panel-receiving slots coplanar with the slots in the upright, characterised in that the said slots are arranged to receive a display panel in the median plane of the frame, and in that the cross members but not the uprights also have parts which define panel-receiving slots in spaced planes parallel to and on both sides of said median plane of the frame. The assembly in accordance with the invention thus offers the possibility, in each frame, of locating a display panel in any one of three planes, or of locating two oppositely facing panels in any two of such planes. This greatly increases the versatility and ease of use of the assembly, especially when a display is to be offered on both sides of the assembly, and/or when frequent changing of some of the panels, for example for updating purposes, is required. Moreover, as panels are held in the two outer planes only by the cross members, either one such panel can readily be removed by hooking it out of position, without disconnecting a cross member. Preferably, therefore, each cross member comprises two elongate elements, the first element providing the surfaces which are coplanar with the outer faces of the ribs on the uprights and the second element having ribs which, with the said surfaces of the first part, define the slots in the outer planes. The two elements may interconnect by means of a dovetail-type joint, being slid longitudinally into engagement with one another (before assembly of the frame). In addition, the outer surfaces of the second elements, which surfaces lie in planes normal to the plane of the frame to define the top and bottom peripheral edge faces of the frame, may have longitudinal grooves and/or longitudinal projections which mate with the grooves, enabling the frames to be stacked in coplanar relationship, so that an assembly of a required height can be produced. An important subsidiary feature of the assembly of the invention concerns the construction of the frame uprights. These uprights are preferably of tubular form, each slotted or slottable to accommodate a toothed member which will mate with a corresponding toothed member inserted in a slot of an upright of an adjacent frame, thereby in conjunction with a bridging element interconnecting the axes of the two tubular uprights to provide the pivotal connection between the two uprights, and thus between the two frames. Preferably two such pivotal connections are provided, respectively adjacent the top of the bottom of the two frames. Each pair of toothed members may itself be slotted to accommodate the bridging element. The angular extent of the slots in the uprights is preferably large enough to permit relative rotation of the two frames through 360 degrees. Assembly of the pivotal interconnections is enabled by the open ends of the tubular uprights, which permit headed locating screws to be fixed in position through central apertures in the gear wheels and in rounded enlargements at the ends of the bridging element. The open ends of the tubular uprights also enable interconnecting pegs to be inserted between the ends of adjoining uprights when frames are stacked on top of one another. Thus, a preferred construction of upright is an extruded circularly cross-sectioned tube, integrally formed with the afore-mentioned pair of longitudinally extending external ribs, said pair of ribs having inturned lips so as to define an undercut panel-receiving slot. The cross members are preferably shaped to define matching undercut panel-receiving slots in the same plane (the median plane of the frame). A cross member may then be connected to an upright by means of a connecting element having a stem received in a slot in the end face of the cross member and a lug received in the undercut slot of the upright, together with a grub screw screwing laterally into the cross member to engage into a tapered recess or aperture in the stem of the connecting element, whereby said element is drawn into tight engagement with the underside of the lips of the slot-defining ribs of the upright. In a preferred embodiment, the principal parts of the frame are produced from five extruded sections, e.g. of aluminium, consisting of a tubular section for forming the uprights, a section for forming the first elements of the cross members, respective sections for forming the second elements of the cross members, one with grooves in its outer face and one with projections on its outer face, and a gear wheel section from which the gear wheels are produced by slicing. Description of drawings The display panel assembly in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a two frame display panel assembly, and showing how two frames may be stacked on top; Figures 2A and 2B show the pivotal connections between the two frames; Figures 3 and 4 respectively show alternative cross members of a frame in cross section; Figure 5 shows how two display panels may be located in a frame; Figure 6 is an exploded view of the parts involved in establishing a rigid connection between the frame uprights and the cross members; and Figures 7A and 7B show cross sectional details of the upright/cross member connection. Description of embodiment The display panel assembly as illustrated in Figure 1 comprises two rectangular frames 10 each having two uprights 12 and two cross members 14. Two adjacent uprights are pivotally connected at 16, by means later described, so that the angle between the planes of the two frames can be varied. A second pair of hingedly connected frames 10A can be stacked on top of the first pair of frames 10, using pegs 18 to interconnect the uprights on top of one another. The assembly may also be extended sideways by providing pivotal connections 16 to additional frames. A pivotal connection 16 between two uprights 12 is explained with reference to Figures 2A and 2B. First, it is to be understood that the uprights each comprise an extruded tubular element, e.g. of aluminium, of circular cross-section. The pivotal connection 16 is defined by two gear wheels 20 inserted into lateral slots cut in the tubular walls of the respective uprights, together with a link 22 interconnecting the axes of the two gear wheels. The gear wheels 20 are themselves laterally slotted to accommodate the link 22, and the assembly is secured by pivot pins 24 having screwthreaded end portions. At each upright 12, the pivot pin 24 is inserted through the open end of the tubular upright, passing through a washer 26, the gear wheel 20 and an enlarged end portion 28 of the link 22, to screw into an internally threaded washer 30 which seats against an internal lip 32 formed in the tube by enlarging the internal diameter of the tube over a portion extending inwardly along the tube from its open end. A bearing for rotation is offered by a central boss 34 on the washer 26, which boss is received in a corresponding recess in the adjacent face of the gear wheel 20. The angular extent of the lateral slots in the uprights is sufficient to enable relative pivotting of the frames through 360 degrees, i.e. fully folded back against one another in one sense to a fully folded back condition in the opposite sense. It is also be be observed, from Figure 2A in particular, that each tubular upright 12 is extruded with a pair of spaced, parallel, longitudinally extending external ribs 36 having inturned lips 38. The ribs 36 are directed towards corresponding ribs on the opposite upright of a frame, whereby an undercut slot 40 for receiving the edges of a display panel is defined in the median plane of the frame. Referring now to Figures 3 and 4, alternative cross members 14A and 14B are illustrated. The cross member 14A or 14B comprises a first element 42 extruded of aluminium and a second element 44 also extruded of aluminium, which fit together by longitudinal relative sliding, before the frame is assembled, by means of a dovetail-type joint 46. The first element 42 is shaped to define an undercut slot 48 coplanar with the above-described undercut slots 40 in the frame uprights, whereby a slot is provided in the median plane of the frame for receiving all four edges of a panel to be displayed. Additionally, however, the side faces 50 of the first element are, when the frame is assembled, coplanar with the outside faces 52 (see Figure 2A) of the ribs 36 on the uprights. The second element 44 has ribs 54 which, in conjunction with the side faces 50, define slots in which the top and bottom edges of another display panel may be received, as for example indicated at 56 in figure 5, wherein 58 designates a display panel located in the median plane of the frame. The difference between the cross members of Figures 3 and 4 is that, in the embodiment of Figure 3, the outside edge face of the second element 44, which provides the outside edge faces of the complete frame at the top and bottom thereof, is formed with grooves 60, whilst the corresponding face of the second element 44 is formed with matching projections 62. Thus, a frame 10A having a bottom cross member according to Figure 4 will stack on top of a frame 10 having a top cross member according to Figure 3, with the projections 62 mating with the grooves 60, as indicated in Figure 3. The reverse situation is indicated in Figure 4. As previously mentioned, the tubular uprights of stacked frames are interconnected by pegs 18 (see Figure 1). In general it is preferred, although by no means essential, for any one frame to be formed with both top and bottom cross members of the same type. Figures 6 and 7 illustrate the manner in which a frame is assembled by effecting a joint between the cross members (the elements of which have already been fixed together) and the uprights. Figure 6 shows the relevant component parts, comprising an upright 12, cross member 14 comprising elements 42 and 44, connecting element 64 having a stem 66 and lug 68, and grub screw 70. Figures 7A and 7B show how these elements are secured together. The first element 42 of the cross member is extruded with a longitudinal aperture 72 for receiving the stem 66 of the connecting element 64 into the end face 74 of said first element of the cross member. The connecting element 64 is first loosely held in position by screwing the grub screw 70 through a plain aperture 76 in the outer face of the second element 44 of the cross member and through a threaded aperture 78 in the first element 42 of the cross member, so that a pointed end of said grub screw partly enters a tapered aperture 80 in the stem of the connecting element 64. The lug 68 of the connecting element 64 may then be inserted into the end of the undercut slot 40 formed on the upright, insertion being limited by engagement of the end of the second element 44 of the cross member with a cutaway 82 at the end of the lipped ribs 36 of the upright which define the undercut slot. Tightening of the grub screw 70 then draws the lug 68 into tight engagement with the inside of the lipped ribs 36 of the upright, thus effecting a tight and secure joint between the upright and the cross member. The undercut slot 40 of the upright thus serves for the dual purposes of jointing with the cross member and location of a display panel. It will be understood that the embodiment of display panel assembly above described with reference to the drawings may be modified in various ways within the scope of the invention hereinbefore defined.

Claims: A display panel assembly comprising at least two frames (10) each having parallel uprights (12) on opposite sides thereof, two adjacent uprights of two adjacent frames being pivotally connected (16) to allow the plane of one frame to be variably angled relative to the plane of the other frame, each upright of a frame having two external, spaced, longitudinally extending ribs (36) directed towards the corresponding ribs on the opposite upright, thereby to define opposed coplanar slots (40) for receiving opposite edges of a display panel, the frames also each having cross members (14A, 14B) connecting the uprights, the cross members being shaped to define display panel-receiving slots (48) coplanar with the slots in the uprights, characterised in that the said slots (40, 48) are arranged to receive a display panel in the median plane of the frame, and in that the cross members but not the uprights also have parts (54) which define panel-receiving slots in spaced planes parallel to and on both sides of said median plane of the frame. A display panel assembly according to claim 1, wherein each cross member comprises two elongate elements (42, 44), the first element providing the slots (48) which are coplanar with the slots (40) of the ribs on the uprights and the second element having ribs (54) which, with the side surfaces (50) of slot-defining ribs of the of the first part, define the slots in the outer planes. A display panel assembly according to claim 2, characterised in that the two elements (42, 44) interconnect by means of a dovetail-type joint (46), being slid longitudinally into engagement with one another, before assembly of the frame. A display panel assembly according to claim 2 or claim 3, characterised in that the outer surfaces of the second elements, which surfaces lie in planes normal to the plane of the frame to define the top and bottom peripheral edge faces of the frame, have longitudinal grooves (60) and/or longitudinal projections (62) which mate with the grooves, enabling the frames to be stacked in coplanar relationship, so that an assembly of a required height can be produced. A display panel assembly according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the uprights (12) are of tubular form, each slotted or slottable to accommodate a toothed member (16) which will mate with a corresponding toothed member inserted in a slot of an upright of an adjacent frame, thereby in conjunction with a bridging element (22) interconnecting the axes of the two tubular uprights to provide the pivotal connection between the two uprights, and thus between the two frames. A display panel assembly according to claim 6, characterised in that two pivotal connections comprising toothed members (16) are provided, respectively adjacent the top and the bottom of the two frames. A display panel assembly according to claim 7, characterised in that each pair of toothed members is slotted to accommodate the bridging element. A display panel assembly according to any of claims 5 to 7, characterised in that the angular extent of the slots in the uprights is large enough to permit relative rotation of the two frames through 360 degrees. A display panel assembly according to any of claims 5 to 8, characterised in that assembly of the pivotal interconnections is enabled by open ends to the tubular uprights (12), which permit headed locating screws (24) to be fixed in position through central apertures in the gear wheels (20) and in rounded enlargements at the ends of the bridging element (28). A display panel assembly according to claim 9, characterised in that the open ends of the tubular uprights (12) are adapted to receive interconnecting pegs (18) inserted between the ends of adjoining uprights when frames are stacked on top of one another. A display panel assembly according to any of claims 1 to 10, characterised in that each upright (10) is an extruded circularly cross-sectioned pair of longitudinally extending external ribs (36), said pair of ribs having inturned lips (38) so as to define an undercut panel-receiving slot (40). A display panel assembly according to claim 11, characterised in that the cross members (42, 44) are shaped to define matching undercut panel-receiving slots in the median plane of the frame. A display panel assembly according to claim 12, characterised in that a cross member (42,44) connects to an upright (12) by means of a connecting element (64) having a stem (66) received in a slot (72) in the end face of the cross member and a lug (68) received in the undercut slot (40) of the upright, together with a grub screw (70) screwing laterally into the cross member to engage into a tapered recess or aperture (80) in the stem of the connecting element, whereby said element is drawn into tight engagement with the underside of the lips of the slot-defining ribs of the upright. A display panel assembly according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the principal parts of the frame are produced from five extruded sections of aluminium, consisting of a tubular section for forming the uprights (12), a section for forming the first elements (42) of the cross members, respective sections for forming the second elements (44) of the cross members, one with grooves in its outer face and one with projections on its outer face, and one with projections on its outer face, and a gear wheel section from which the gear wheels (16) are produced by slicing.

Inventors: PRITCHARD ADRIAN MARCUS, PRITCHARD, ADRIAN MARCUS
Applicants: DEV DISPLAY LTD, DEVELOPMENTAL DISPLAY LIMITED
Application year: 1990
Main classification: G09F15
IPC codes: G09F1, F16B7, G09F15, G09F7