A SIGN WITH EXCHANGEABLE PIECES OF FOIL

Abstract: The sign has carrier means (21), associated in pairs, to support pieces of foil (30, 31) and arranged at a mutual distance. The pieces of foil (30, 31) have opposed edges with incisions (32) having a mutual distance which is slightly greater than the distance between the carrier means of the sign. The pieces of foil are supported on parts of their carrier edges so that they curve, and foil parts (33) protrude beyond the carrier means at non-supported parts of the carrier edges.

Description: A sign with exchangeable pieces of foil The present invention relates to a sign with a flexible piece of foil being exchangeably attatched to the sign. The flexible piece of foil is preferably made of paper or cardboard or another suitable material, e.g. plastic. The piece of foil is usually at one side provided with infor¬ mation to be presented e.g. text, drawings, diagrams, di- rections, overviews etc. The sign in question is of the type where the information carrying piece of foil is attached to the sign in such way as to be curved about a single axis of curvature which is preferably vertical. Such signs are known, and besides having an agreeable design they are distinguished by being conspicuous at a great distance, even when mounted on a plane wall, and from a direction of view almost parallel to the wall, and additionally they are easily readable. In view of the looks of the sign it is important that the information carrying piece or pieces of foil is/are placed systematically, so that the sign has a beautiful appear¬ ance. Curved signs are known where notices or posters are placed on a curved, firm background, whereafter a curved transparent plate is positioned over the poster. It takes great care to place the poster in the sign so as to sit straight. Such signs are therefore not suitable in cases where the sign is to exhibit several pieces of foil, e.g. in the form of name plates. This is in particular so if the information carrying foils of the sign are exchanged relatively often. For example this is the case with name plates in hotels and hospitals, menu cards in restaurants etc. It is the object of the invention to provide a curved sign where the information carrying piece of foil is exchange¬ able in a simple manner, and where it is ensured that the pieces of foil are always positioned in a precise and systematic manner. The object is achieved by a sign of the kind stated in claim 1. Hereby it is achieved that the piece of foil al¬ ways has the desired curvature and is always placed accu- rately and in a predetermined position relative to the sign. Especially when using several small pieces of foil, such as e.g. name plates, it is achieved that they can be positioned in an interspaced relationship in the sign. By frequent exchange of the information carrying piece or pieces of foil it is desirable to be able to employ a cheap foil material, such as e.g. paper. The pieces of information can then be printed with an ordinary printer connected to a computer. It is, however, a property of paper that it absorps moisture from the air and that its dimensions will vary in dependence on its moisture con¬ tent. Even rather small variations in dimension will mani¬ fest themselves in visible changes of the curvature of the foil. Such a sign may have a firm background in the form of a plane or curved plate, but in order to avoid shadow¬ ing against a firm background it is desirable that the information carrying pieces of foil at all times closely follow the background. Therefore it is expedient to pro¬ vide the sign with a background foil having the same pro- perties as regards dimension changes as a function of the relative air humidity. Such properties are called hygro- tropical. The invention also relates to a flexible piece of foil for use in the sign according to the invention, such piece of foil being stated in claim 7. Finally, the invention relates to a locking mechanism for a sign. The locking mechanism is stated in claim 10. In the following the invention is described with reference to the drawing in which fig. 1 shows an exploded view of a preferred embodiment of the invention, fig. 2 shows a section of the complete sign with a lock¬ ing mechanism, fig. 3 shows interchangeable parts of the locking mecha¬ nism, and fig. 4 shows flexible pieces of foil for use in a sign according to the invention. Fig. 1 shows a sign with a basic part 10 consisting of an extruded aluminium profile. The basic part 10 comprises a curved plate 11 with convex front side 12. Along the two vertical edges of the curved plate the basic part 10 is provided with a couple of guide tracks 13. A front plate 20 is of transparent material and has a cur¬ vature about a vertical axis of curvature corresponding to the curvature of the plate 11. Along the vertical edges of the front plate 20 there are provided a number of protru¬ sions 21 projecting from the concave back side 22 of the front plate 20. The protrusions 21 on the front plate 20 are shaped so as to fit into the guide tracks 13 when the front plate 20 is inserted into the basic part 10. - A - Fig. 2 shows how the vertical edges of the front plate 20 lie behind edges 14 on the basic part 10 whereby the front plate 20 is retained on the basic part 10. Fig. 1 also shows a piece of foil 30 and three pieces of foil 31 all being intended for positioning along the con¬ cave back side 22 of the front plate 20. The pieces of foil 30 and 31 have along their vertical edges at either end at least one carrier edge 32 and on each side of the carrier edges 32 there projects a small protrusion. The carrier edges 32 have an edge length in the vertical di¬ rection corresponding to the vertical extension of the protrusions 21 on the front plate 20. The pieces of foil 30 and 31 have in the horizontal direction a length as measured between pairs of carrier edges 32 which is exact¬ ly the same as the corresponding distance between the pro¬ trusions 21 of the front plate as measured along the con¬ cave back side 22 of the front plate. The pieces of foil 30 and 31 are intended for carrying a text, e.g. a name, and are placed along the concave back side 22 of the front plate by manually bending the piece of foil and positioning the carrier edges 32 of the piece of foil so as to rest in pairs on corresponding pairs of protrusions 21 at respective sides of the front plate 20. The pieces of foil 30 and 31 are made of a material having a certain elasticity, e.g. paper, carboard or plastic foil, and because of the elasticity a piece of foil will try to attain a plane state, but precisely hereby it will be supported and retained by the protrusions 21 in contact with the carrier edges 32 of the piece of foil. To ensure the vertical position of each individual piece of foil on the front plate 20, the distance between two neighbouring protrusions 33 is closely adjusted according to the vertical extension of the protrusions 21. Hereby it is ensured that at all times each individual piece of foil 30, 31 is retained in its exact desired vertical position along the concave back side 22 of the front plate. Fig. 4 shows three different pieces of foil 30, 31, 34 having different heights. The pieces of foil are supplied as parts of pre-punched sheets where the carrier edges 32 have been punched out and where optionally the different foil sizes may also be separated by punching. When a piece of foil is to be provided with text, a sheet with one or more pieces of foil is placed in a typewriter or printer providing the piece of foil with the desired text. Hereafter the foil pieces with text are removed from the sheet by tearing unpunched foil bridges and are as described above placed along the concave back side 22 of the front plate. When the front plate 20 has been pro¬ vided with the desired number of pieces of foil, it is in¬ serted into the basic part 10 of the sign. The piece of foil 34 in fig. 4 has a size exactly corres¬ ponding to the size of the back side 22 of the front plate. Such a piece of foil 34 may be provided as back¬ ground foil behind smaller pieces of foil 30 and 31 placed on the back side of the front plate. Such a background foil 34 may advantageously be of the same material as the information carrying pieces of foil which are placed in front of the background foil and may have another colour than these foils, hereby creating a desired contrast to the pieces of foil. The locking mechanism in fig. 3 consists of two alterna¬ tive and interchangeable parts 40, 41 both being supplied with the sign. They are of elastic plastic material and cohere by means of a material bridge 41, since they have been manufactured in the same casting process. Fig. 2 shows how the locking part 41 is positioned in a recess 15 on the back side of the basic part. A protrusion 21 on the mounted front plate 20 projects from the front side of the basic part into the recess 15 where it is in engagement with the locking mechanism 41. By positioning the front plate 20 on the basic plate 10 the protrusions 21 are displaced in the guide track 13 and will then first butt against the inclined front edge 43 of the locking part 41. Because of the elasticity of the material the upper part 44 of the locking mechanism 41 will be dis¬ placed in the direction of the arrow 45 until the protru¬ sion 21 has completely passed the upper part 44 and abuts against an abutment face 46, whereafter the upper part 44 springs back to the position shown in fig. 2. The front plate 20 is now locked in the position shown in fig. 2, an engagement plate 49, being essentially perpen¬ dicular to the direction of displacement of the front plate, changing such a displacement. When the front plate 20 is to be removed from the basic part 10, a pin 47 is influenced by the locking part 41 in the direction of the arrow 48, whereby the upper part of the locking part 44 moves in the direction of the arrow 45. This makes the protrusion 21 free again, so that the front plate 20 can be removed from the basic part 10. The locking part 41 can be removed from the recess 15, and the locking part 40 can be positioned instead. The locking part 40 has a front edge 43' corresponding to the front edge 43 of the locking part 41, and which allows the pro¬ trusion 21 to slide past and abut on the abutment face 46'. Removal of the front place 20 from the basic part 10 is merely effected by pushing up the front plate, and the protrusion 21 will then slide against the inclined abut¬ ment face 49' facing in the opposite direction of the abutment face 43' . By means of the two interchangeable locking parts 40 and 41 the user is free to choose whether the front plate shall be locked and only be removable by activating the pin 47. The locking mechanism is positioned on the back side of the sign, and is thus not readily visible, and it takes knowledge of the construction of the locking mecha¬ nism as well as an uncomplicated tool in the form of a pencil or a screw driver to influence the pin 47 so as to release the front plate. If on the the other hand the user wishes that anybody should be able to disassemble the sign, the locking part 40 is used instead of the locking part 41. The respective locking parts 40, 41 are merely loosely po¬ sitioned in the recess 15, and they are retained in posi¬ tion in the recess 15 when mounting the sign on a wall.

Claims: P a t e n t C l a i m s : 1. A sign comprising a removable, curved front plate (20) of transparent mate¬ rial having a direction of curvature, a convex front side, a concave back side (22) and mutually parallel edges op¬ posed in the direction of curvature, and at least one flexible piece of foil (30, 31, 34) exchange- ably attached to the sign at the back side (22) of the front plate, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the front plate (20) has rearwardly extending carrier means (21), associated in pairs, on respective ones of its opposed edges to support the piece of foil (30, 31, 34), and that the piece. of foil (30, 31, 34) has opposed edges with opposed incisions (32), associated in pairs, in respective ones of its opposed edges, said incisions (32), for coope¬ ration with the carrier means (21) of the front plate, having a mutual distance which corresponds to the distance between the carrier means (21) of the front plate measured along the concave back side (22) of the front plate and its direction of curvature. 2. A sign according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that there is also provided a background foil being ex- changeably attached to the sign by means of supports. 3. A sign according to claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the piece of foil and the background foil are made of materials with essentially the same hygrotropical pro¬ perties. 4. A sign according to claim 3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the piece of foil and the background foil are made of the same material. 5. A sign according to claim 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the material is paper or cardboard. 6. A sign according to claim 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the material is plastic foil. 7. A flexible piece of foil (30, 31, 34) for use in a sign according to claims 1-6, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the piece of foil (30, 31, 34) has opposed edge^ with opposed incisions (32), associated in pairs, in re- spective ones of its opposed edges, said incisions (32), for cooperation with the carrier means (21) of the front plate, having a mutual distance which corresponds to the distance between the carrier means (21) of the front plate measured along the concave back side (22) of the front plate and in its direction of curvature. 8. A flexible piece of foil according to claim 7, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i z e d in that it is part of a sheet pro¬ vided with punching at least defining the incisions (32). 9. A flexible piece of foil according to claim 8 and where the sheet comprises several pieces of foil, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i z e d in that the sheet is also provided with punching for separating the pieces of foil. 10. A releasable locking mechanism for a sign having a first part (20) and a second part (10) which are mutually displaceable, the first part (20) of said sign being pro¬ vided with a protrusion projecting transversely to the mutual direction of displacement of the parts of the sign, the second part (10) of said sign comprising a locking part being elastically displaceable transversely to the mutual direction of displacement and being adapted for locking the mutual displacement by releasable engagement with the protrusion on the first part of the sign, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the locking mechanism comprises two mutually exchangeable locking parts, of which - one locking part for engagement with the protrusion has two engagement faces which are both inclined in rela¬ tion to the mutual direction of displacement of the parts of the sign and form opposite angles to this di¬ rection, and the other locking part for engagement with the protru¬ sion has a first engagement face which is inclined in relation to the direction of displacement of the lock¬ ing part, and a second engagement face which is essen- tially perpendicular to the mutual direction of dis¬ placement of the parts of the sign.

Inventors: MORTENSEN VIGGO, MORTENSEN, VIGGO
Applicants: MODULEX AS, MORTENSEN VIGGO, A/S MODULEX
Application year: 1993
Main classification: G09F1
IPC codes: G09F1, G09F7