AN ERECTABLE DISPLAY

Abstract: An erectable display (10) includes a plurality of elongate members (11a), (11b) arranged in two parallel sets (12, 13) and that one set (12) lies in front of the other set (13) and connecting elements (14) connecting respective adjacent pairs of members (11a) or (11b) in the two sets (12, 13). The connecting members (14) and (15) are connected to their respective elongate members by pivots (16a, 16b) or (17) respectively. The display can be expanded and contracted in two dimensions in the action of connecting (14) and (15).

Description: AN ERECTABLE DISPLAY This invention relates to an erectable display. Temporary or erectable display stands are frequently used at exhibitions and a variety of designs have been developed to enable them to be portable. One group of such displays are known as "pop up" displays and they consist of a number of hinged elements that are interconnected so that they can be collapsed to fit within a carrying case and expanded to create a three dimensional lattice-like structure that can stand on the ground. Steel strips or magnets are then mounted on the lattice structure to provide locations for magnetic strips on the backs of graphic overlays. In a typical design there may be as many as twenty one of these steel strips or bars (sometimes known as "magnetic bars") . The mounting of these bars on the lattice frame is time consuming and care has to be taken not to leave a bar behind when the stand is being dismantled. Current "pop up" displays are in two types. The first provides a flat display surface when the graphic overlays are mounted on it, whilst the second presents a curved surface. The displays are also essentially of one size, because they are either fully erected or total collapsed. From one aspect the present invention consists in an erectable display including a plurality of parallel elongate members arranged in at least two parallel sets such that one lies in front of the other and connecting elements connecting respective adjacent pairs of members within each set and respective adjacent members in the two sets, pivot means for connecting the elements to the respective members such that the members can be moved apart within each set and between each set to form a three dimensional display structure wherein at least some of the pivot means are slidably engaged on their respective members. In a preferred embodiment the pivot means which connect connecting elements within a set provide a plurality of pivot positions and additionally or alternatively adjacent pairs of those slidable pivot means, which connect the connecting elements within a set and are mounted on the same member, may be slidable relative to each other. Releasable detent means for lockingly engaging at least some of the slidable pivots to their respective members maybe provided so that the detents engage when a desired erection position has been reached. Alternatively locking bars may be provided between pairs of interconnected connecting elements. The effective length of the bars may be adjustable. The connecting elements for one set of members may be connected at respective first pivot positions and the connecting elements for the other sets of members may be connected at respective second positions, in which case the display structure will form a curve. Lifting means, such as straps, may be located between the sets and connected to the upper most slidable pivot means on respective adjacent members to assist in closing the display . At least two of the members may be provided with a respective foot and may carry a co-operable support at their upper ends, so that a first display can be mounted on top of a second display. Preferably the elements form locations for graphic overlays and may be in the form of steel channel sections, which can receive graphic overlays bearing magnetic strips. From a further aspect the invention consists in a case for an erectable display including a base, a hollow body on the base, the body forming with the base seat on the upper part of the base such that a graphic overlay can be wrapped around the case to sit on the seat to create a temporary lectern. Although the invention has been defined above it is to be understood that it includes any inventive combination of the features set out above or in the following description. The invention may be performed in various ways and a specific embodiment will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which : Figure 1 is a perspective view of a display stand fully erected; Figure 2 is an enlargement of one portion of the display stand of Figure 1 ; Figure 3 illustrates how the display stand of Figure 1 may be used in a partially erected arrangement; Figures 4a & 4b are a front and end view respectively of the portion of the elongate member containing one group of pivots ; Figures 5a & 5b are a front view and an end view of a portion of the same elongate member illustrating the other pivot; Figures 6a and 6b schematically illustrate the provision of a locking bar in erected and partially collapsed positions; Figure 7 is a side view of one member (not to scale) of the top half and the top of a member from the lower half and illustrates alternative slider connections and the provision of a foot and a corresponding receiver. Figure 8 is a view of a case for use with the display; Figure 9 illustrates the case being used as a temporary lectern; and Figure 10a and b show an alternative embodiment to that of Figures 4a and b. An erectable display 10 includes a plurality of parallel elongate members 11a, lib arranged in two parallel sets 12, 13 such that one set 12 lies in front of the other set 13 and connecting elements 14 connecting respective adjacent pairs of members 11a or lib within each set 12 or 13 and further connecting members connecting respective adjacent members 11a, lib in the two sets 12,13. The connecting members 14 are connected to their respective members 11a, lib by pivot elements 16a or 16b, whilst connecting elements 15 are connected to the elements 11a, lib by pivots 17. As can be seen more clearly in Figure 2, the connecting elements 14 connect to the pivot element 16b when they are inclined downwardly from right to left, but to the pivot element 16a, when they are inclined upwardly right to left. Each pivot element 16a, 16b has a pair of pivot locations Bl & B2 for purposes that will be described below. Each pivot element 16a, 16b, or a single one of the pivot elements 16a, 16b may be provided with a button or plunger 18 that can spring into a locating hole, one of which is shown by way of example at 19, to releasably define the erected position. The structure of the pivot elements 16a, 16b is more clearly shown in Figures 4a and 4b and these also illustrate that the members 11a, lib are constructed from a channel section the lips 20 of which serve to retain the sliding pivot elements 16a, 16b. The elements 16a, 16b are shaped complimentarily so that they act as a stop for each other, when one or other has reached an end of movement position. As can be seen in Figures 5a and b, the pivots 17a are similarly slidably held within the members 11a and lib and, as illustrated in Figure 2, stops 17c are provided for limiting their downward movement. Pivots 17b are fixed. The stops 17c may also fulfil the part of the function of the plunger 18. Pivot 17a, when engaged against stop 17c, forms a stop in turn for pivots 16a and 16b. They can then be locked in that position by the cocking bar 41 described below. The display 10 can be formed in upper and lower halves and Figure 2 in fact illustrates a part of such an upper half. This arrangement is simply to allow for compact storage . In the erected position, illustrated for example in Figure 1, the members 11a, lib are pulled apart to their fullest extent both within the set and between the sets. This forms a lattice-like structure with the members 11a presenting parallel faces 21 on which overlays can be engaged to form the desired display. In this respect the display 10 differs principally from the prior art construction by virtue of the integral location faces 21, which are achieved by the provision of the sliding pivots. The structure is therefore much simpler and quicker to erect than that of previous displays. Further, if the connecting elements 14 in set 12 are connected to the pivot position Bl, whilst those in set 13 are connected to the pivot position B2 then the spacing between the members 11a in set 12 will be less than the spacing the members lib in set 13 and the display will become curved. Thus a single display 10 can provide the user with the choice of a straight or curved display. Figure 3 illustrates a further flexible feature of the design. As can be seen the members 11a, lib can be progressively separated from the collapsed stack, generally indicated at 23, so that displays of 1, 2 , 3 or 4 panels can be obtained. Indeed with a bigger display even more panels can be achieved. The overlay 24 is attached between an open pair of members 11a using magnetic strips 24a, and a further overlay will be located on the second pair of open members in Figure 3. The stack 23 can be covered by a curved overlay such as illustrated at 25. It will be understood that it is the split nature of the pivots formed by elements 16a, 16b which allows the progressive opening to occur. Straps 40 are provided on the lower half of the display to facilitate closing. They are connected between the uppermost pivots 16a and allow direct longitudinal lifting of those pivots. The straps 40 can be lifted and moved along the 'plane' of the display to cause progressive closing movement. Figures 6a and 6b illustrate a locking bar 41 which can be substituted for or augmented stops 20 and/or plungers 18 and allow one handed release. The length of the locking bars may be adjustable to facilitate a curved configuration. In the current embodiment the difference in the distance between points A, between the straight and curved configurations is 6mm. The length of the locking bar needs, therefore, to be adjustable. This may be achieved by one section having a transverse peg and the other suitable located openings. Referring to Figure 7, a conical foot 42 may be provided at the lower end of some or all of the channel members 11 and a co-operating support on receiver 43 may be provided at the upper end so that any half can be stacked on another half, by dropping the feet 42 into respective receivers 43. The feet 42 may be moulded integrally with the bottom pivot support . Turning now to Figures 8 and 9 a case 26 is illustrated. It comprises a base 27, of corrugated cylindrical body 28 and a lockable lid 29. In normal carrying usage, the overlays are wound up and placed within the body 28 and the display 10 is then split into its two halves and placed in padded bags, which are located within the rolled overlays. However, once the case has been emptied, it can be turned into a temporary lectern with the suitable display, by curving an overlay 30 around the body 28 so that it sits on the annular seat 31 defined by the base 27. The base also carries a roller 33 for easy movement and, unusually, the lid 28 is a screw thread lid, with a spring locking button 32 which engages after a partial rotation of the lid. In some cases, for example, when the display includes a lot of panels, the body 28 may more conveniently be oblate in cross-section. In that case the lid, obviously, will not be screw threaded. Figure 10a and 10b show an alternative construction to that shown in Figure 4. Here the single elongate member 11a is replaced by a pair of side-by-side channels lie and lid each receiving an individual pivot element 16c and 16d to define a respective trackway for them. This enables the sliders or pivot elements to move independently with the result that the unit could be opened or closed from either end, however the linked channels lie and lid would be more complicated to fabricate.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A display including a plurality of parallel elongate members arranged in at least two parallel sets such that one set lies in front of the other and connecting elements connecting respective adjacent pairs of members within each set and respective adjacent members in the two sets, pivot means for connecting the elements to the respective members such that the members can be moved apart within each set and between each set to form a three dimensional display structure wherein at least some of the pivot means are slidably engaged on their respective members. 2. A display as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pivot means which connect connecting elements within a set provide a plurality of pivot positions. 3. A display as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 preceding claims wherein adjacent pairs of the slidable pivot means, which connect the connecting elements within a set and are mounted on the same member, are slidable relative to each other . 4. A display as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein adjacent pairs of the slidable pivot means, which connect the connecting elements within a set are mounted in adjacent trackways and are slidable relative to each other. 5. A display as claimed in any one of the preceding claims further including releasable detent means for lockingly engaging at least some of the slidable pivots to their respective members when a desired erection position has been reached . 6. A display as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein locking bars are provided between pairs of interconnected connecting elements. 7. A display wherein the length of the locking bar is adjustable . 8. A display as claimed in claim 2 or claims 3 to 7 as dependant on claim 2 wherein the connecting elements for one set of members are connected at respective first pivot positions and the connecting elements for the other set of members are connected at respective second pivot positions. 9. A display as claimed in any one of the preceding claims further including lifting means located between the sets and connected to the uppermost slidable pivot means on respective adjacent members to assist in closing the display. 10. A display as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein at least two of the members are provided with a respective foot and carry a co-operable support on their upper end so that a first display can be mounted on top of a second display. 11. A display as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the elements form locations for graphic overlays. 12. A display as claimed in claim 6 further including at least one graphic overlay bearing magnetic strips and wherein the elements are formed of steel channel sections. 13. A case for an erectable display including a base, a hollow body on the base, the body forming with the base seat on the upper part of the base such that a graphic overlay can be wrapped around the case to sit on the seat to create a temporary lectern.

Inventors: GUTHRIE RAYMOND, GUTHRIE, RAYMOND
Applicants: DISPLAY MATRIX LIMITED, GUTHRIE RAYMOND, GUTHRIE, RAYMOND
Application year: 1999
Main classification: G09F15
IPC codes: G09F15