DISPLAY ELEMENT FOR PICTURE-CHANGING SIGNBOARDS

Abstract: The invention relates to a bar-shaped display element (18) which has three rectangular, picture-bearing surfaces (12, 14, 16) positioned as long sides of a body with a cross section in the shape of an equilateral triangle. According to the invention, the display element (18) is produced from a plane, sheet-shaped piece of rigid material which is bent to form a dimensionally stable, hollow body with a cross section in the shape of an equilateral triangle, two of its long sides (12, 16) being fastened to one another by means of at least one fastening flap (22) which is continuous with one long side (16) and is folded in inside the other long side and permanently attached to the inside of the latter. The blank from which the display element (18) is produced suitably consists of corrugated board with an outer plane layer suitable for printing.

Description: Display element for picture-changing signboards. The present invention relates to bar-shaped display elements which are intended to be mounted in picture- changing signboards and have three rectangular, picture-bearing surfaces positioned as long sides of a body with a cross section in the shape of an equilateral triangle. Such bar-shaped display elements intended for picture- changing signboards usually comprise an oblong, profiled bar core made of light metal, on which three rectangular, picture-bearing or message-bearing surface elements, so-called slats, are detachably fastened. Pasted onto each of these is a section of a picture which is to be displayed by the signboard. The signboard can thus display three different pictures by means of three stepped rotational movements of 120° of each bar. In order to change a message (picture) on these signboards, it is as a rule necessary to exchange the slats by removing the same from their holders (the bar cores) and mounting new slats provided with the new message. Another, more complicated method of changing a message on picture-changing signboards is to paste new picture messages onto the side surfaces of the bar elements in situ, either in the form of individual strips or as a large picture surface which is cut into strip form after affixing. A further method of changing a picture message on picture-changing signboards is to make each display element in the form of a triangular bar in a single piece and exchange the entire display element when changing the message. This method is used in cases when all three sides are to be changed simultaneously but is relatively expensive, as a result of which it is most - 2 - often used by those who change the message infrequently . It is a common feature of the abovementioned methods of changing a message on picture-changing signboards that they are on the whole relatively costly in terms of labour and material, as a result of which the changing of signboard messages does not usually take place more than a few times per year at the most. From EP-A2-0 379 311, a display element for picture- changing signboards is also known, in which the element comprises a printed cardboard blank which is folded into the shape of a hollow bar prism of triangular cross section, and two holders connected by means of a central rod, which each have two wall portions and two projections in order to secure the ends of the bar prism in its triangular shape. In order to make it possible to mount or demount these cardboard blanks in their holders, one of the three longitudinal edges must form an open slit through which the central holder rod can pass, which makes mounting and demounting involved. Such folded cardboard blanks cannot themselves form a dimensionally stable display bar body for direct mounting in the upper and lower bar holder in a picture-changing signboard either. Against this background, a requirement has arisen for the production and exchange of the message-bearing display elements for picture-changing signboards of the type in question to be simplified and made less expensive in order thus to create a more favourable precondition for more frequent changing of messages on the signboard. Such a requirement may exist in particular in connection with smaller picture-changing signboards, for example those for use as advertizing signboards in shops and the like. - 3 - For this purpose, it is proposed according to the present invention that the display element of the type in question is produced from a plane, sheet-shaped piece of rigid material, which is bent to form a dimensionally stable, hollow body with a cross section in the shape of an equilateral triangle, two of the long sides of the display element being fastened to one another by means of at least one fastening flap which is continuous with one long side and is folded in inside the other long side and permanently attached to the inside of the latter. In this way, a very simple, inexpensive and dimensionally stable display element is obtained, which can be mounted directly in rotatable upper and lower holders in the signboard and which, while still in the form of a plane blank, that is to say before bending together to form a finished bar- shaped display element, can be provided with three part sections for three different picture messages, preferably by means of a printing process. A corrugated board with an outer plane layer suitable for printing is then preferably used as the sheet-shaped material. Alternatively, a rigid cardboard material can be used. The invention also includes a blank for producing a bar-shaped display element of the type in question for a picture-changing signboard, the blank comprising a sheet-shaped piece of rigid material with three adjacent rectangular panels of identical size, which are each either already provided with a part section of a picture message, for example by printing, before the bending together of the blank to form a finished display element, or have a free surface to which a part section of a picture message can be affixed after bending together of the blank to form a bar-shaped display element as a semi-manufactured article, at least one of the two outer panels having one or more fastening flaps with a means of attachment for permanent attachment to the other outer panel . - 4 - The invention is described in greater detail below with reference to the appended drawing, in which: Fig. 1 shows a blank for a bar-shaped display element according to the invention for a picture-changing signboard; Fig. 2 shows in perspective a display element according to the invention produced from a blank according to Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 shows diagrammatically an example of a bar holder which is intended for engagement with the display element in Fig. 2 and is mounted in a frame part of a picture-changing signboard. In Fig. 1, a blank for producing a bar-shaped, hollow display element with a cross section in the shape of an equilateral triangle for use in a so-called picture- changing signboard is designated generally by 10. The blank 10 preferably consists of a corrugated board with an outer plane layer suitable for printing and has three adjacent rectangular panels 12, 14, 16 intended to form the three message-bearing long sides of the finished triangular display bar element 18, as shown in Fig. 2. The panels 12, 14, 16 are preferably each preprinted at the blank stage with their part section of the picture or the message which a number of adjacent bars will display together in the picture- changing signboard. Between the panels 12 and 14 and between the panels 14 and 16, the blank 10 is provided with creases 20 in order to facilitate folding or bending of the blank 10 into the final triangular shape in Fig. 2. The blank 10 also suitably comprises a fastening flap 22 on one long side of the same, which is intended, on bending together of the blank, to be attached to the inside of the panel 12, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to hold - 5 - together permanently the sides or the panels 12 and 16 and thus the entire bar element 18. Other forms of fastening means are also possible for holding together the sides of the bar element. In this way, a very light and inexpensive display element for picture-changing signboards is obtained. Although the panels 12, 14, 16 are most suitably preprinted with their respective picture sections while still at the blank stage, it is possible within the scope of the invention to apply the printing after folding together or, alternatively, to affix separate printed "picture labels" to the panels 12, 14, 16 before or after folding together of the blank 10. A set of, for example, eight bar elements 18 according to the invention can be arranged so as to be mounted releasably in rotatable bar holders in opposite frame elements of a picture-changing signboard so as then ' together to display three different messages on the signboard. One of the opposite bar holders 24 (Fig. 3), preferably the non-driving bar holder, can be resiliently movable in the axial direction of the bar element in the signboard, as indicated by an arrow in Fig. 3. The bar holders 24 have a socket 26 for positive engagement with a respective end portion of a display element 18 according to the invention. Alternatively, both bar holders may be axially stationary, and the bar elements 18 can then first be pushed into the socket in the upper bar holder and subsequently lowered via the socket into the lower bar holder. - 6 - Patent Claims 1. Bar-shaped display element (18) which is intended for mounting in a picture-changing signboard and has three rectangular, picture-bearing surfaces (12, 14, 16) positioned as long sides of a body with a cross section in the shape of an equilateral triangle, characterized in that the display element (18) is produced from a plane, sheet-shaped piece (10) of rigid material which is bent to form a dimensionally stable, hollow body with a cross section in the shape of an equilateral triangle, two of its long sides (12, 16) being fastened to one another by means of at least one fastening flap (22) which is continuous with one long side (16) and is folded in inside the other long side (12) and permanently attached to the inside of the latter. 2. Display element according to Claim 1, characterized in that the sheet-shaped material (10), from which the bar element (18) is produced, consists of corrugated board with an outer plane layer suitable for printing. 3. Display element according to Claim 1, characterized in that the sheet-shaped material (10) , from which the bar element is produced, consists of a cardboard material . 4. Blank for producing a bar-shaped display element (18) for a picture-changing signboard, characterized in that it comprises a sheet-shaped piece (10) of rigid material with three adjacent rectangular panels (12, 14, 16) of identical size, which are intended for the affixing of or, alternatively, to which is affixed a section of a picture which is to be displayed by the signboard, at least one (16) of the two outer panels (12, 16) having one or more fastening - 7 - flaps (22) with a means of attachment for permanent attachment to the other outer panel (12) . 5. Blank according to Claim 4, characterized in that the piece (10) of material consists of corrugated board.

Claims: - 8 - AMENDED CLAIMS [received by the International Bureau on 28 July 1999 (28.07.99); original claims 1 to 3 cancelled; original claims 4 and 5 amended (1 page)] 1. Bar-shaped display element (18) which is intended for mounting in holders in a picture-changing signboard, the display element (18) being produced from a plane, sheet-shaped piece (10) of rigid material having three adjacent rectangular, picture-bearing surfaces (12, 14, 16) and which is bent to form a hollow body with a cross section in the shape of an equilateral triangle, characterized in that the two outer picture-bearing surfaces (12, 16) of the sheet are fastened to one another by means of at least one fastening flap ( 22 ) which is continuous with one outer picture-bearing surface (16) and is, prior to mounting of the display element in the holders of the signboard, folded in inside the other outer picture-bearing surface (12) and attached to the inside of the latter to form a dimensionally stable display element. 2. Display element according to Claim 1, characterized in that the sheet-shaped material (10), from which the bar element (18) is produced, consists of corrugated board with an outer plane layer suitable for printing. 3. Display element according to Claim 1, characterized in that the sheet-shaped material (10), from which the bar element is produced, consists of a cardboard material.

Inventors: OLSSON LENNART O, OLSSON, LENNART, O.
Applicants: IVAMO TRADE AB, OLSSON LENNART O, OLSSON, LENNART, O.
Application year: 1999
Main classification: G09F11
IPC codes: G09F11