DISPLAY BILLBOARD AND METHOD

Abstract: A billboard for displaying for an image is provided comprising a three-dimensional structure having at least one panel which forms a recess leading towards an apex, a display surface formed on an interior surface of the recess, whereby the interior surface of the recess can appear to protrude instead of recede providing an apparently protruding display surface for an image. A method of displaying an image on a billboard is also provided.

Description: DISPLAY BILLBOARD AND METHOD Field of the Invention This invention relates to a billboard and a method for displaying an image on a billboard. Background to the Invention Conventional advertising display systems, such as billboards, typically comprise two-dimensional images on posters which are glued to a flat support panel. Although such a system is cheap to produce, it does not provide a very realistic or lasting impression of the object or objects displayed. Three dimensional structures protruding from billboards are also known. A famous example is that of a car such as a cadillac protruding from a flat billboard. Conventionally, these three dimensional (3D) billboards are provided by forming an exact hollow replica of the item to be displayed. This then protrudes from the billboard so that it can be seen from all sides. These replicas are complex and difficult to manufacture since they are often several tens of times larger than the original. In addition, the design requirements for the replica are also different from the original, it usually being necessary to form a light weight version which is to be supported in a manner different from that of the original. This means that each replica is usually a "one-off" to meet the specific requirements of each display. The manufacturing costs and complexity are therefore onerous for each replica. Also, the level of consumer interest in such replicas is limited since the 3D replica is just that, a replica. It would therefore be desirable to produce a display apparatus which is more interesting to the eye than a replica whilst being relatively simple and inexpensive to produce. Summary of the Invention Accordingly, the present invention provides a billboard for displaying an image comprising: a three dimensional structure having at least one panel which forms a recess leading towards an apex; a display surface formed on an interior surface of the recess; whereby the interior surface of the recess can appear to protrude instead of recede providing an apparently protruding display surface for an image. In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a method of displaying an image on a billboard comprising: providing a billboard for displaying an image according to the invention; providing an image on the display surface on the interior surface of the recess. Preferably, the at least one panel forms an apex. Preferably, at least one panel is substantially planer. Preferably, at least one panel is four-sided. Preferably, the three dimensional structure has three or more panels arranged to form the recess leading to the apex. Preferably, the three or more panels are substantially planer. Preferably, each panel has at least one first corner and the first corners of the panels meet to form the apex. Preferably, at least one of the first corners of a panel forming the apex is substantially right angular. Preferably, all the corners of the panels forming the apex are substantially right angular. Preferably, the panels are four-sided. Preferably, a second corner of at least one of the panels opposite the first corner of that panel is obtuse. Preferably, the panels are joined together along neighbouring edges to form the recess. Preferably, neighbouring edges of adjacent panels which are joined together are substantially equal in length. Preferably, three, four-sided panels are provided, first corners of the panels forming the apex; each of two first edges of each panel, which are each side of each first corner, adjoin a first edge of a neighbouring panel to form the recess; and second edges of the panels opposite the first edges are shaped so that if the three dimensional structure were opened up along one of the adjoining pair of first edges of the panels, at least one of the second edges would be angled with respect to the corresponding first edge opposite to it so as to lead towards an apparent meeting point of the edges some distance from the three dimensional structure. Preferably, the first corner of at least one panel is substantially right angular. Preferably, all the first corners are substantially right angular. Preferably, an image displayed on the interior surface of the recess contracts towards the second edges of the panel. Preferably, the solid angle of the apex is substantially equal to or less than 90° in any plane passing through the recess and the apex. Preferably, the three dimensional structure is mounted to a substantially planer support structure. Preferably, the three dimensional structure is mounted at least partially in a hole formed in the substantially planer support structure whereby the three dimensional structure passes at least partially through the hole. Preferably, the hole is substantially triangular. Preferably, the three dimensional structure comprises three panels arranged to form the recess and the apex, the panels forming a pyramid-shaped structure, and a triangular hole for accommodating the pyramid shaped structure being provided in the substantially planar support structure. The panels segments may be formed from paper, wood, metal or plastic. The apparatus of the invention having all the benefits of simplicity of manufacturing and cost of a two-dimensional system, and providing a 3-dimensional impression of an object, is highly desirable from both a commercial and manufacturing standpoint. Detailed Description of a Preferr«»H ^mh^diment The present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 is a plan view of display panels according to one embodiment of the present invention with images formed on each of the surfaces. Figure 2A is a plan view of display panels according to the embodiment of figure 1, before assembly. Figure 2B is a perspective front view of the display panels of figure 2A forming a 3-dimensional structure when assembled. Figure 3A is a plan view of the panels of a second embodiment of the invention opened out before assembly showing the angular relationship between the edges of the panels remote from the apex with respect to a vertical axis, in the plane of the paper, as shown. Figure 3B is a plan view showing how the shape of the panels in figure 3A have been determined according to the principles of perspective using two-directional reference points. Figure 4 shows a planar support structure for mounting the 3-dimensional structure according to one embodiment of the invention. Figure 5 shows a side view of the 3-dimensional structure of figures 1, 2A and 2B mounted on the planar support structure of figure 4. Figure 6 shows a front view of an assembled apparatus according to the invention in the process of being mounted on a planar support structure or billboard. Figures 7A, 7B and 7C show the visual effect of the invention when travelling past the billboard from left to right. Figure 8 shows the manipulation of images to produce a skewed image which gives an impression of a perspective view. Figures 1, 2A and 2B show a first embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, three substantially planar panels 1, 2 and 3 are provided. Panels 1, 2, 3 have a display surface on one side for displaying images. Figures 1 and 2A show the relative sizes of the three panels. Referring to figure 2A in particular, four-sided panel 1 has two sides 1A and IB which correspond in length to an edge or side of a neighbouring panel which it is to be placed against. In this case, side 1A of panel 1 is the same length as side 2B of panel 2. Similarly, side IB is the same size as side 3A of panel 3 and side 2A is the same length as side 3B of panel 3. Whilst the panels are shown illustrated as being positioned adjacent one another in figure 2A, they need not necessarily be joined together along sides 1A, 2B, IB, 3A, 2A and 3B but preferably are joined together when mounted in position ready for display. Also, it is not necessary that the adjoining sides are the same length, it is simply preferable. A perspective view of the three panels when assembled is shown in figure 2B. Panel 1 is joined to panels 2 and 3 along edges 1A and IB respectively. Panel 1 is substantially at right angles to panel 2 in this particular case along the whole length of side 1A of panel 1. Similarly, panel 1 is substantially at right angles to panel 3 along substantially the whole length of panel IB and panel 2 is substantially at right angles to panel 3 along the whole length of side 2A. The view shown in figure 2B is a perspective view looking into the recess formed by the three panels when positioned at an angle with respect to one another. The recess leads, in this particular embodiment in which the panels have corners, to an apex 5 which, again in this preferred embodiment, forms the deepest point of the recess. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that differing numbers of panels may be provided and that the panels need not be four-sided. Also, the angle of one panel with respect to a neighbouring panel need not be 90°. The display surface will produce the desired effect regardless of whether the panels are exactly at 90° with respect to one another. The significance of whether the panel is greater than or less than 90° will be explained later. The surfaces of the panels facing the recess form a display surface for displaying images. The actual number of sides to each panel is determined not only by the desired shape for the display surface, but also by the shape of the object, the image of which is to be displayed on the display surface. The simplest image to be displayed is that of a box with rectangular sides. The panels shown are particularly suitable for displaying an image of a box, the actual shape of the four-sided panels aiding the impression that the display surface is protruding rather than receding. The sides of the three panels denoted by the suffixes C and D are remote from apex 5 and constitute the edges of the recess formed by the three panels when they are joined together in the arrangement shown in figure 2B. Referring to figure 2B, the display surface provided by the inwardly facing surfaces of panels 1, 2 and 3 give the impression that the apex 5 protrudes rather than recedes. This effect is enhanced by the shape of the panels as will be described with reference to figures 3A and 3B. In figures 3A and 3B, a second embodiment of the invention prior to assembly is shown. The second embodiment also has three four-sided panels 6, 7 and 8. Figures 3A and 3B illustrate the principles for shaping the panels to provide a display surface particularly suitable for displaying a four-sided rectangular box on the display surface in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention. The suffixes A, B, C and D denote corresponding sides of panels 6, 7 and 8 to those illustrated in figures 2A and 2B in connection with panels 1, 2 and 3 respectively. Also, in this particular embodiment, panel edges 6A and 6B (or 7A and 7B or 8A and 8B) are substantially at right angles to one another when assembled. The corners of the panels, opposite those corners which form the apex, form obtuse angles. This means that adjacent sides to those corners, ie 6C, 6D, 7C, 7D and 8C and 8D, are angled with respect to opposite sides 6A and 6B, 7A and 7B and 8A and 8B respectively. In figure 3B, in can be seen that sides 6D and 7C are angled with respect to opposite sides 6B and 7A to the same extent though in opposite directions. Thus, sides 6B and 6D lead to an apparent point 11 remote from the structure whilst sides 7A and 7C lead to an apparent point 12, also remote from the structure, and the distance between point 11 and apex 5 and point 12 and apex 5 is the same. In contrast, side 7D is angled with respect to side 7B, the two sides leading towards a point 9 some distance away. However, side 8C is at relatively greater angle with respect to side 8A and leads to an apparent point 10 which is closer to apex 5 than point 9. It can also be seen that side 6C opposite side 6A is angled to a sufficient degree so that if extended it would meet side 6A at the same point as side 7D would meet side 7B ie point 9. The same principle applies to side 8D which is angled with respect to side 8B such that if extended it would lead to point 12 in other words to the same point as side 7C would meet side 7A if extended. Thus, the outermost sides 6C, 6D, 7C, 7D, 8C and 8D have been skewed to give the impression of leading toward a point in the distance in accordance with the well known principles of perspective drawings. While it is preferred that all of the panels are skewed in this way in order to enhance the effect of the invention and, moreover, corresponding sides are preferably skewed to the same extent, it is not necessary. Indeed, perspective principles may be applied to selective sides of selected panels. In figure 4, a substantially planar panel 13, 13' is modified by the provision of a triangular hole 14, 14' for mounting the three dimensional structure illustrated in figure 2B. The precise shape of the hole will be determined by the shape of the three dimensional structure itself. In the case of a three panelled structure each of the panels having four sides, as shown in figure 2B, the hole is triangular. The extent to which the three dimensional structure passes through the hole will depend upon the size of the hole. For example, if the hole has shape 16 as shown by the dotted line on figure 2B, the three dimensional structure will pass through panel 13 and will be angled with respect to panel 13 in a particular way. If the hole has shape 17, then the three dimensional structure will not pass quite so far through panel 13 and will be mounted at different angle with respect to panel 13. The three dimensional structure of the invention could also be mounted independently without a planar support structure or it could be mounted to the front of a conventional planar support panel without a suitably shaped hole for example by means of support struts. A side view of the structure of figure 1, 2A and 2B partially passing through a panel 13 is shown in figure 5. In figure 6, a three dimensional structure is shown in the process of being mounted on a poster 13 through a hole 14. The effect of providing a display surface on inwardly facing surfaces of a recess is illustrated in figures 7A, 7B and 7C. Here, three views of a three dimensional structure similar to that seen in figure 6 are shown but taken from three different angles as if a viewer were travelling from left to right in front of the three dimensional structure. In figure 7A, a viewer is directly in front of mounting panel 13. The viewer travelling from left to right has just passed the left most edge of the left panel 6 and therefore the interior surfaces of panels 6, 7 and 8 have just come fully into view. The apex 5, panels 6, 7 and 8 and the images displayed on panels 6, 7 and 8 appear to protrude rather than recede into the recess. In figure 7B the viewer has moved a little more to the right with respect to the mounting panel 13 and is now looking at panel 13 from an angle rather than from directly in front. However, the display surface, formed by receding panels 6, 7 and 8, appears to the viewer as if he has moved slightly to the left with respect to the panels. This produces a striking visual effect. In figure 7C, the viewer has travelled even further to the right with respect to panel 13 and panels 6, 7 and 8. He is now at quite an acute angle with respect to mounting panel 13. Nevertheless, it appears to the viewer that he has travelled even further to the left of apparently protruding panels 6, 7 and 8 so that it appears to him that he is now almost directly facing panel 6 whereas in fact he is even more distant from panel 6. To aid the impression of a protruding display, the images displayed can be skewed in accordance with the principles of perspective as shown in figure 8. The apparent angular velocity of the display surface is in the opposite direction to the actual angular velocity of the viewer. The display recess actually appears to move as if the viewer were travelling in the reverse direction. However the display recess apparently moves at a greater or lesser speed depending upon the angle of the panels with respect to one another. It will be understood by those skilled in the art when a viewer moves in a line in a particular direction, if the angular relationship of the panels with respect to one another in a plane passing through that line and the apex is less than 90°, then the apparent angular velocity of the display surface bearing the image in that direction is greater than the actual angular velocity of the viewer. This situation produces the most striking visual effect though of course, the angular range of view is more limited. Similarly, if the angle of the panels with respect to one another in a plane through the line of the direction of travel and the apex is greater than 90°, then the apparent angular velocity of the display surface is less than the actual angular velocity of the viewer. Thus, when a viewer moves with respect to the display recess it will also appear that the recess is moving but not in the direction expected. The effect is enhanced if the images on the planar surfaces are skewed as illustrated in the images in figure 1 and again in figure 8. Further enhancement of the visual effect produced by the three dimensional structure is achieved by mounting the system on a planar support surface such as substantially planar mounting panel 13, which may itself bear images. The principles of the invention can be applied to any three dimensional structure which provides a recess, the interior surface of the recess providing a display surface. It is not always necessary that the interior surfaces of the recess lead to an actual, physical apex, which for the three four-sided panels illustrated is a pyramid shaped apex, but rather that the interior surfaces apparently lead to an apex. Nevertheless, the provision of an actual apex is preferred as this not only simplifies the construction of the three dimensional structure formed by the panels but it also enhances the impression that the recess is protruding rather than receding. The entrance to the recess should not be so narrow that the viewer cannot see into it. It is for this reason that the angular relationship between panels when in situ is around or just less than 90° say anywhere between 75° and 90° and preferably between 85° and 90°. The panels may be discrete entities or they may be formed from a single sheet of material, for example by bending or folding. Preferred materials for the panels include wood, paper, metals and plastic. Preferably, the display surface is adapted to support image bearing panels of the same shape. The separate image bearing panels may be glued or otherwise mounted onto the display surface panels. This arrangement has the advantage that the image may be removed and replaced with a new one, which increases the flexibility and usefulness of the invention. A further advantage of forming the image on a separate sheet of material may be less costly. Thus, the invention provides a very simple apparatus for forming three dimensional structure which when bearing an image gives an impression of a three dimensional object whilst being made from two dimensional pieces. The simplicity of the apparatus minimizes the manufacturing costs, whilst the striking and realistic images which can be presented on the display surfaces of such apparatus provide a distinct advantage over conventional two dimensional display boards or posters.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A billboard for displaying an image comprising: a three dimensional structure having at least one panel which forms a recess leading towards an apex; a display surface formed on an interior surface of the recess; whereby the interior surface of the recess can appear to protrude instead of recede providing an apparently protruding display surface for an image. 2. A method of displaying an image on a billboard comprising: providing a billboard for displaying an image according to claim 1; providing an image on the display surface on the interior surface of the recess. 3. A billboard according to claim 1 or 2 in which the at least one panel forms an apex. 4. A billboard or a method according to claim 1, 2 or 3 in which at least one panel is substantially planer. 5. A billboard or method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which at least one panel is four-sided. 6. A billboard or method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the three dimensional structure has three or more panels arranged to form the recess leading to the apex. 7. A billboard or a method according to claim 6, in which the three or more panels are substantially planer. 8. A billboard or a method according to claim 6 or 7 in which each panel has at least one first corner and the first corner of the panels meet to form the apex. 9. A billboard or a method according to claim 8, in which at least one of the corners of a panel forming the apex is substantially right angular. 10. A billboard or a method according to claim 9, in which all the corners of the panels forming the apex are substantially right angular. 11. A billboard or a method according to any of claims 8, 9 or 10, in which the panels are four-sided. 12. A billboard or a method according to claim 11 in which a second corner of at least one of the panels opposite the first corner of that panel which forms the apex is obtuse. 13. A billboard or a method according to any of claims 6 to 12, in which the panels are joined together along neighbouring edges to form the recess. 14. A billboard or a method according to any of claims 6 to 13, in which neighbouring edges of adjacent panels are substantially equal in length. 15. A billboard or a method according to any of claim 1 to 14, in which: three four-sided panels are provided; first corners of the panels forming the apex; each of two first edges of each panel, which are each side of each first corner, adjoin a first edge of a neighbouring panel to form the recess; and further wherein second edges of the panels opposite the first edges are shaped so that if the three dimensional structure were opened up along one of the adjoining pair of first edges of the panels, at least one of the second edges would be angled with respect to the corresponding first edge opposite to it so as to lead towards an apparent meeting point of the edges a distance from the three dimensional structure. 16. A billboard or a method according to claim 15, in which the first corner of at least one panel is substantially right angular. 17. A billboard or a method according to claim 16, in which all the first corners are substantially right angular. 18. A billboard or a method according to claim 14, 15, 16 or 17 in which an image displayed on the interior surface of the recess contracts as a function of the distance of the image from the apex so as to appear more distant towards the second edges. 19. A billboard or a method according to any of claims 1 to 18, in which the solid angle of the apex is substantially equal to or less than 90° in any plane passing through the recess and the apex. 20. A billboard or method according to any preceding claim in which the three dimensional structure is mounted to a substantially planar support structure. 21. A billboard or a method according to claim 20, in which the three dimensional structure is mounted at least partially in a hole formed in the substantially planar support structure whereby the three dimensional structure passes at least partly through the hole. 22. A billboard or a method according to claim 20 or 21 in which the three dimensional structure comprises three panels arranged to form the recess, the panels forming a pyramid-shaped structure, and a triangular hole for accommodating the pyramid shaped structure being provided in the substantially planar support structure. 23. A billboard for displaying an image substantially as described herein with reference to and/or as illustrated in the accompanying figures. 24. A method of displaying an image substantially described herein with reference to and or as illustrated in the accompanying figures.

Inventors: FROST PETER, SCOTT HUNTER TIMOTHY, FROST, PETER, SCOTT HUNTER, TIMOTHY
Applicants: FROST IRISZ, FROST PETER, SCOTT HUNTER TIMOTHY, FROST, IRISZ, FROST, PETER, SCOTT HUNTER, TIMOTHY
Application year: 1997
Main classification: G09F15
IPC codes: G09F1, G09F15, G09F19