Abstract:
A biased-assisted sign mounting system for mounting an associated sign to an associated structure includes a mount portion configured for attaching to the structure, an arm mounted to the mount portion and having a pivot portion defining a pivot axis about the mount portion, and a biasing element operably connected to the mount portion and to the arm. The mount and arm each have a biasing element capturing portion at which the biasing element is captured. The biasing element is moveable between a more stressed state and a less stressed state. The arm is pivotal between first and second positions and is stopped at the first and second positions by engagement with the mounting portion. The arm is secured into the first and second positions by the biasing element tending toward the less stressed state and, when the arm is disposed between the first and second positions, the biasing element is urged into the more stressed state.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention pertains to a bias-assisted sign mounting system. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a pivotal, two-position sign mounting system that uses a bias assist to maintain the sign in an opened or closed position. 
     Signs, and more particularly, point of purchase sign or display systems can, when properly designed, be tremendously effective marketing tools. These systems have become widely popular in all manners of retail trade. 
     In one common use, signs are mounted to shelving systems that permit loading of pallets and palletized items onto the stocking shelves. These are commonly referred to as pallet racks. These arrangements permit the storage of large items and large amounts of items on each of the shelves. However, these shelves do not typically lend themselves to the mounting of point-of-purchase displays or signs thereon. 
     Many known signs are permanently or semi-permanently affixed to the shelves and are hung above or below the shelving systems. While many of these signs work quite well to direct the consumer&#39;s attention to the particular products, they do not permit ready access to the shelves to, for example, restock the shelves or retrieve items from the shelves. This, of course, is particularly true of those signs that are permanently or semi-permanently affixed to the shelves. 
     Known mounting systems include those disclosed in Padiak et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,633, entitled “Pivotal, Two-Position Locking Sign Mounting System” and Conway et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,803,420, entitled “Universal Sign Mounting Device”, both of which are commonly assigned with the present application. These systems function well, however, they require some locking arrangement to maintain the sign in a storage (e.g., open) or display (e.g., closed) position. The aforementioned Padiak et al. and Conway et al. patents are incorporated herein by reference. 
     Accordingly there exists a need for a point-of-purchase display or sign mounting system that is used to position a sign in a particular, desired orientation and position, and that is effective for point-of-purchase marketing. Desirably such a system permits fully rotating or pivoting the sign out of the way from a display position to a storage position, to restock the shelf over which the sign is located. Such a mounting system requires minimal hardware to mount the sign to an associated shelving system and further requires no additional hardware to move or pivot the sign from the display position to the storage position. Most desirably, such a system uses a biasing element to assist in moving and maintaining the sign in both the closed and opened positions, with a single biasing element. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A biased-assisted sign mounting system is used for mounting an associated sign to an associated structure. The mounting system includes a mount portion configured for attaching to the structure, an arm mounted to the mount portion and having a pivot portion defining a pivot axis about the mount portion, and a biasing element operably connected to the mount portion and to the arm at their respective biasing element securing portions. The mounting system uses the tendency of a springs to return to a least or less stressed state to maintain the sign in a first closed or second open position. 
     In one embodiment, the system is a tension-biased system in which a tension biasing element is operably connected to the mount portion and to the arm at their respective biasing element securing portions. The arm is secured into the first and second positions by the biasing element tending to a less tensioned state. When the arm is moved between the first and second positions, the biasing element traverses a path crossing the pivot axis that defines a maximum state of tension. In the first and second positions, the biasing element is in a state of tension less than the maximum state of tension. 
     In a current embodiment, the biasing element is a coil spring. The first position is a closed position and the second position is an open position. The open and closed positions are 180° from one another by rotation of the arm. 
     The mounting portion can include an upper stop surface configured for engagement with a lip formed on the arm to prevent over-rotation of the arm beyond the open position. The mounting portion can also include a lower stop surface for engagement with the arm to prevent over-rotation of the arm beyond the closed position. 
     In one embodiment, the mount includes a body have first and second spaced apart outwardly extending flanges. The arm also includes a pair of spaced apart flanges, one each associated with a respective mount flange. In this configuration, the biasing element is disposed between the respective pairs of flanges. The mount includes a pair of spaced apart, collinear pivot pins. One pin is associated with a respective pair of flanges. 
     An alternate embodiment is a compression-biased mounting system. In such a system the mount portion includes a biasing element capturing portion and the arm includes a camming surface spaced from the pivot axis. The compression biasing element is disposed between the mount portion and the arm at their respective biasing element capturing portions. When the arm is moved between the first and second positions, the biasing element is compressed into a compressed state by the camming portion of the arm which portion, when compressed against the biasing element, defines a maximum compressed state. In the first and second positions, the biasing element is in a state of compression less than the maximum compressed state. 
     Preferably, the mount defines a cavity in which the biasing element is disposed. The arm can include a cam follower disposed between the camming surface and the biasing element. The first position is a closed position and the second position is an open position. The open and closed positions are 180° from one another by rotation of the arm. 
     These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, in conjunction with the appended claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The benefits and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art after reviewing the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1A illustrates a tension-bias assisted sign mount embodying the principles of the present invention, illustrated with a sign in the closed position; 
     FIG. 1B illustrates the tension-bias assisted sign mount of FIG. 1A with the sign in the open position; 
     FIG. 2A illustrates an alternate embodiment of a tension-bias assisted sign mount embodying the principles of the present invention, illustrated with a sign in the closed position; 
     FIG. 2B illustrates tension-bias assisted sign mount of FIG. 2A with the sign in the open position; 
     FIG. 2C is a top view of the tension-bias assisted sign mount of FIGS. 2A and 2B; 
     FIG. 3A illustrates a compression-bias assisted sign mount embodying the principles of the present invention, illustrated with a sign in the closed position; and 
     FIG. 3B illustrates the compression-bias assisted sign mount of FIG. 3A with the sign in the open position. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     While the present invention is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, there is shown in the drawings and will hereinafter be described presently preferred embodiments with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated. It should be further understood that the title of this section of this specification, namely, “Detailed Description Of The Invention”, relates to a requirement of the United States Patent Office, and does not imply, nor should be inferred to limit the subject matter disclosed herein. 
     Referring now to the figures and in particular to FIGS. 1A and B, there is shown one embodiment of a bias-assisted sign mount system  10  embodying the principles of the present invention. The sign mount system  10  illustrated is a tension-bias arrangement, and is shown mounted to an exemplary pallet rack beam B such as that discussed and illustrated in the above-noted U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,633 to Padiak et al. The sign  12  is pivotable between a closed or viewing position (as shown in FIG. 1A) and an open or storage position (as shown in FIG. 1B) to, for example, restock a shelf below which the sign  12  the mounted. 
     A mount  14  includes a body portion  16  that is mounted to the pallet rack beam B. The body portion  16  can be mounted to the beam B in any commonly known manner, such as using mechanical fasteners (not shown). A sign support or arm  18  is mounted to the mount body  16 . The arm  18  includes an elongated portion  20  from which the sign  12  is supported. Transverse members  22  can extend between a pair of arms  18  (one shown) to support lateral (upper and lower) edges of the sign  12 . The arm  18  includes a pivot section  24  that extends transversely from an upper region of the elongated portion  20 , as seen in FIG. 1A, at about that portion of the arm  18  adjacent the beam B when the sign  12  is in the closed position. The arm  18  is mounted, at the pivot section  24 , to the mount  14  at a pivot  26 . To this end, the arm  18  pivots or rotates about the mount  14  at the pivot  26 . 
     The mount  14  includes a base portion  28  that engages a lower end of the pallet rack beam B and a face portion  29  that extends upwardly from the base  28  along a front surface of the beam B. The mount  14  terminates at an uppermost portion  30  that is spaced from the base portion  28 . 
     The arm  18  includes a capturing portion shown as a securing pin  32  that is spaced intermediate the pivot  26  and the elongated arm portion  20 . A tension biasing element  34 , such as a coil spring, is mounted at one end  36  to the mount  14  at about the uppermost portion  30 , at a capturing portion such as the illustrated spring mount  38 . An opposing end  40  of the spring  34  is mounted to the pin  32  located on the pivot section  24 . The spring  34  is maintained in tension in this arrangement. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 1A and B, the sign  12  is shown in the closed and opened positions, respectively. In both positions, although the spring  34  is in tension, it is in a least stressed (in this arrangement, a least tensioned state) relative to positions intermediate the closed and opened positions. That is, as the sign  12  is rotated from the closed position to the open position, the spring  34  is pulled or further tensioned through the rotation. As such, the least tensioned states are those shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. Because these are the least tensioned states, the sign  12  will be maintained in either the closed or opened position as rotated. 
     As will be recognized from a study of the drawings, as the sign  12  is rotated from the closed position to the opened position, the pin  32  moves in a path that rotates clockwise about the pivot  26 , increasing the straight-line distance between the pin  32  and the spring mount  38 . To this end, the spring  34  is stretched or further tensioned during rotation as the sign  12  is pivoted about the pivot  26 . Because the sign  12  will tend to the least tensioned states of the spring  34 , it will tend to the opened and closed positions. 
     An alternate embodiment of the bias-assisted sign mount system  110  is illustrated in FIGS. 2A-2C. This embodiment is similar to that shown in FIGS. 1A-1B in that it is a tension-bias arrangement. A mount  114  includes a body portion  116  that is mounted to, for example, a pallet rack beam B. A mechanical fastener, such as a bolt  115  can be used to mount the body portion  116  to the beam B. A sign support or arm  118  is pivotally mounted to the body  116 . The arm  118  includes an elongated portion  120  from which the sign  112  is supported. As with the earlier embodiment  10 , transverse members (not shown) can extend between a pair of arms  118  to support upper and lower lateral edges of the sign  112 . 
     The arm  118  includes a pivot section  124  at an upper region  125  of the elongated portion  120 , at about that portion of the arm  118  adjacent the beam B when the sign  112  is in the closed position (FIG.  2 A). The arm  118  is mounted, at the pivot section  124 , to the mount  114  by a pivot  126 . In the illustrated embodiment, two pivot pins  127  extend between the pivot section  126  and the mount  114  to pivotally mount the arm  118  to the body  116 . As such, the arm  118  pivots relative to the body  116  about the pins  127 . 
     The mount  114  includes a base portion  128  that engages a lower end of the pallet rack beam B and a face portion  129  that extends upwardly from the base portion  128  and rests along a front surface of the beam B. The mount  114  terminates at an uppermost portion  130  that is spaced from the base portion  128 . As will be discussed below, the uppermost portion  130  provides a stop for rotation of the arm  118  when in the open position (FIG.  2 B). 
     The arm  118  includes a spring securing portion  132  that is spaced intermediate the pivot  126  and the elongated arm portion  120 . A biasing element  134 , such as the exemplary coil spring, is mounted to at one end  136  to the body  116  at a spring mount  138  and at an opposing end  140  to the arm  118  at the securing portion  132 . 
     As seen in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the sign  112  is shown in the closed and open positions, respectively. In both positions, although the spring  134  is in tension, it is in a least tensioned state, relative to positions between the open and closed positions. That is, as the sign  112  (arm  118 ) is rotated from the closed position to the open position, the spring  134  is pulled or further tensioned through the rotation. As such, the least tensioned states are those shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. Because these are the least tensioned states, the sign  112  will remain in these positions by the spring  134  tension. 
     Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the most tensioned state is that point at which the spring  134  is at a maximum stretch. In the present mount systems  10 ,  110 , this point is reached when those portions of the mount and arm onto which the spring is secured are aligned with the pivot. For example, in the embodiment of FIGS. 3A-3C, this point is reached when the spring securing portion  132 , pivot pins  127  and spring mount  138  are aligned. When, as seen in FIGS. 2A-2B, the arm is at rest beyond this aligned position, the spring is at a less than maximum tensioned (or least tensioned) state. 
     As seen in FIG. 2A, when in the closed position, the sign  112  is prevented from over-rotating by contact of the arm  118  with a mount lower stop surface  144 . This serves as a stop for the arm  118  in the closed position. In the open position, the arm  118  is prevented from over-rotating by a lip  146  formed on the arm  118  that engages a mount upper stop surface  148 . This serves as a stop for the arm  118  in the open position. 
     Referring now to FIG. 2C, there is shown a top view of the sign mount system  110  of FIGS. 2A and 2B. As can be seen from this figure, the mount  114  is formed as a pair of flanges  150 ,  152  that extend outwardly from the body  116 . An upper wall  154  extends between the flanges  150 ,  152  at the uppermost portion  130  of the body  116 . The upper wall  154  forms the upper stop surface  148 . The arm pivot section  124  also includes a pair of flanges  156 ,  158 , one each associated with the mount flanges  150 ,  152 , respectively. The pins  127  extend through respective, abutting mount and arm flanges  150 ,  156  and  152 ,  158 . In this manner, the central area, indicated at  160 , between the respective sets of flanges  150 ,  156  and  152 ,  158 , is open or unobstructed. 
     The spring  134  is mounted to the arm  118  and to the mount  114  in this unobstructed central region  160 . Thus, as the arm  118  is rotated between the open and closed position, its movement (to and between the positions shown in FIGS.  2 A and  2 B), is also unobstructed by, for example, the pivot pins  127 . 
     FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate a mount system  210  that uses a compression-bias arrangement. Again, FIG. 3A illustrates the sign  212  in the closed position and FIG. 3B illustrates the sign  212  in the opened position. A mount  214  is positioned on the pallet rack beam B and secured thereto by methods, such as mechanical fasteners, that will be recognized by those skilled in the art. The mount  214  includes a body  116  that defines a capturing portion formed as a chamber  217 . 
     The sign arm  218  includes an elongated section  220  from which the sign  212  is supported. The arm  218  further includes a pivot section  224  defining a pivot point  226 . The pivot section  224  extends transverse from an upper portion of the arm  218  adjacent the beam B when the sign  212  is in the closed position as seen in FIG.  3 A. 
     A compression-biasing element, such as a coil spring  234  is positioned within the chamber  217  in the body  216 . A cam follower  219  is positioned on, and can be mounted to a lower end  221  of the spring  234 , and is in contact with the pivot section  224 . The pivot section  224  defines a capturing portion formed as a camming surface  225  that is in contact with or engaged by the cam follower  219 . To this end, as the sign  212  is pivoted from the closed position through to the opened position, the pivot section  224  cams against the cam follower  219  urging the cam follower  219  upward, compressing the spring  234 , until the sign  212  is fully pivoted into the opened position as shown in FIG.  3 B. 
     Again, the spring  234  is in a least stressed (in this arrangement, a least compressed) state when the sign  212  is in the fully closed or fully opened positions as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B. At any position through rotation between these positions, a cam surface  223  of the pivot section  224  engages (e.g., rides along) and urges the cam follower  219  to compress the spring  234 . Once the sign  212  is pivoted beyond the point at which the cam surface  223  engages the cam follower  219 , the spring  234  returns to a less compressed state. 
     Springs tend to a least or less stressed state. Certain types of springs can be compressed from a less stressed state to a more stressed state. These springs will tend to expand back to their less stressed state. Other types of springs can be pulled or tensioned from a less stressed state to a more stressed state. These springs will tend to contract back to their less stressed state. The present bias assisted sign mount systems  10 ,  110 ,  210  use these spring principles by passing a spring through a greater state of stress during movement from a first position to a second position. In both the first and second positions, the springs are in a less stressed state than that to which they are subjected during movement between the positions. In this manner, the tendency of the spring to return to its less stressed state is used to maintain the mount systems  10 ,  110 ,  210  in the respective first and second positions. 
     To this end, those skilled in the art will recognize that biasing element other than springs can be used to carry out the present invention. For example, it is anticipated that elastic bands can be used for the tension-biased mounts  10 ,  110 . Likewise, leaf-type springs can also be used for the bias assisted mounts  10 ,  110 ,  210 . Other biasing elements will be recognized by those skilled in the art and are within the scope and spirit of the present invention. 
     As will be recognized by those skilled in the art from a study of the figures, the bias assisted sign mount  10 ,  110 ,  210  urges the sign  12 ,  112 ,  212  into either a fully closed or fully opened position and helps to maintain the sign  12 ,  112 ,  212  in that position. Moving the sign  12 ,  112 ,  212  between the closed and opened positions is readily carried out, merely by grasping and rotating the sign  12 ,  112 ,  212 , and the action of the bias (spring  34 ,  134 ,  234 ) helps to maintain the sign  12 ,  112 ,  212  in the desired position for viewing by the consumer or storage to, for example, restock a shelf below which the sign  12 ,  112 ,  212  is secured. 
     As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, although the present sign mounts  10 ,  110 ,  210  have been described referring to closed and open positions, upper and lower elements, and the like, it is to be understood that these relative terms have been used merely for explanation and ease of understanding the present invention. As such, the invention may be used in a variety of orientations, which orientations are within the scope and spirit of the present invention, and which orientations and descriptions thereof should not be inferred to limit the claims that follow. 
     In the present disclosure, the words “a” or “an” are to be taken to include both the singular and the plural. Conversely, any reference to plural items shall, where appropriate, include the singular. 
     The disclosure of each patent cited herein, whether or not done so specifically, is incorporated herein by reference. 
     From the foregoing it will be observed that numerous modifications and variations can be effectuated without departing from the true spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the present invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific embodiments illustrated is intended or should be inferred.