Abstract:
A frame panel apparatus for the ready presentation of flat media therein. The apparatus includes a flexible frame arranged to define a peripheral support for a display. An upper transparent panel having a periphery entirely enclosed by the flexible frame and a lower support panel having a periphery with a only a portion thereof supported by a shoulder member of the flexible frame support a display media therebetween.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to horizontally displayed media presentations, and more particularly to a flat, maintainable, floor mountable, frame arrangement for displaying a readily changeable marketing message. 
     2. Prior Art 
     Successful marketing requires the ability to get people&#39;s attention. Media presentations and retail displays are often presented on the items themselves, hung on walls and from ceilings, or from some sort of a vertical stand in close proximity to the item on sale. 
     An area that has been basically overlooked by the people in the marketing and sales field, is that of floor presentations and displays. A concern of such floor presentation or display, however, is the requirement that such floor display be kept neat and clean, free from the obvious dirt and debris infiltration that would be indigenous to a floor disposed marketing arrangement. One such floor display arrangement may be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 6,022,599 to Rietveld et al. This &#39;599 patent discloses a display unit, which however, is somewhat cumbersome to utilize and which maintains certain peripheral frame and panel portions open and susceptible to grime because of incomplete peripheral framing or support. 
     Further prior art is found in the form of a placemat having a clear plastic topmost sheet with a rubber lower layer. A three sided cut adjacent the periphery of the lower rubber layer permits a central flap to open downwardly, to receive an advertisement. The advertisement thus be seen through the top sheet. The lower sheet of rubber material is very flexible and will not support an inexpensive thin poster sheet of paper as an advertisement by itself. This is because this mat lacks a stiff backing-sheet and a protective peripheral frame edge for the back sheet support and for maintenance of cleanliness of the panel. Its display ad itself must be thick and stiff to make up for the flexible backing sheet, the changeable display ad therefore being expensive to produce because of its required thickness. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a floor panel and display arrangement that overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a floor panel and display arrangement that permits a simple and clean method of changing a paper-thin display poster within that frame arrangement. 
     It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing a frame display arrangement, which is simpler and more convenient than the prior art. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The frame panel display apparatus of the present invention comprises a preferably rectangular or square shaped peripheral frame molded of a soft, flexible, resilient material, such as rubber or the like. 
     The peripheral frame has a first end and a parallel second end. The peripheral frame also has a first side and a second side generally parallel to one another. The peripheral frame has an inner surface which includes a first inner peripheral slot. The first inner peripheral slot extends around the entire inner periphery of the frame. A transparent upper panel is preferably molded into the first peripheral slot during fabrication of the frame. The upper panel is of rectangular or square configuration and has its entire periphery supportively engaged in that first peripheral slot within the frame. 
     The frame, at its first end, has a shoulder portion, which includes a stepped groove, extending only along its first end, adjacent the inner periphery of the first slot thereat. The shoulder portion of the frame at its first end of the frame has an extended web disposed inwardly of the uppermost lip of the peripheral notch of the frame at the first end. 
     A lower back or support panel is disposed adjacent and is hingedly supported upon and by the shoulder portion of the frame only at its first end of the lower panel. The lower back support panel is narrower than the upper panel and is shorter than the upper panel so as to be readily arcuately displaceable therefrom, while the upper panel is supported within its peripheral inner groove of the frame. 
     The bottom back or support panel has a second end that is in close fitting but not engaging contact with the second end of the peripheral frame. The first side and the second side of the peripheral frame are also not in contacting engagement with the respective sides of the lower support panel, to permit that ready arcuate swinging of the lower support panel away from the upper panel, about their common first end thereof. 
     A plurality of anti-skid support pads are preferably arranged between the lowermost side of the bottom or lower panel so as to provide support to both the lower panel and the upper panel when they are disposed within the peripheral frame. Such support is necessary inasmuch as the frame panel assembly is intended to be placed on a floor or walking surface and actually stepped or walked upon. A further embodiment contemplates the panel assembly in use as a desk or countertop display. 
     A paper poster or thin display media may be inserted between the upper panel and the lower panel to present to pedestrians a marketing message beneath their feet within a commercial establishment. 
     In order to change the message, the second end of the peripheral frame may be lifted from the floor (or horizontal desk/counter) surface, while the bottom or lower panel remains in place against the floor. The initial poster or display may be removed and a new display sheet inserted therein. The stiff lower panel remains securely in place within the first end of the frame assembly by virtue of the extended web portion comprising the receiving shoulder at the first end of the frame assembly in which the lower panel is received and secured thereat. 
     During manufacture of the frame assembly, the upper transparent panel and the lower support panel are juxtaposed together, and placed in a mold so that the first end of the peripheral frame encapsulates the first transverse end of the lower support panel and it encapsulates and seals therewith, the entire periphery of the upper transparent panel therearound. A spacer element may be integral with the mold or placed around the second end and sides of the lower panel in the mold to maintain that slight second end and side gap between the lower panel and the inner edge of the soft frame. 
     A further embodiment of the present invention contemplates the embedding of magnets within the lower periphery of the peripheral frame during the molding process to permit such a frame display apparatus to be more securely utilized on a metal surface, such as a desk, floor, or wall. 
     Thus, what has been shown is a novel panel assembly, particularly suited for a floor display presentation wherein the thin inexpensive media presented for display may be readily changed and maintained in a cleaner and more secure frame environment than the prior art. A mop or other wiper and fluid may readily be applied to clean the present frame panel apparatus because of the fully sealed nature of the peripheral frame and the upper panel supported therein, a feature not found in the prior art. 
     The invention thus comprises a frame panel apparatus for the ready presentation of flat media therein, comprising a flexible frame arranged to define a peripheral support for a display, an upper transparent panel having a periphery entirely enclosed by the flexible frame, and a lower support panel having a periphery with a only a portion thereof supported by a shoulder member of the flexible frame. The frame is of rectilinear configuration. The shoulder member extends across a first end only, of the flexible frame. The upper panel is disposed in a sealing slot on an inner surface of the frame. The lower panel is shorter and narrower than the upper panel to permit ready arcuate separation therebetween. The lower panel is hingedly supported at a first end thereof, to a first end of the frame. The lower panel has a lower surface with an arrangement of support pads thereon, the support pad arrangement providing support for both the lower and the upper panel. The upper panel and the lower panel are in close juxtaposition with respect to one another. The flat media is pressed snugly between the upper panel and the lower panel for visual presentation therefrom, and for cleanliness of appearance. 
     The invention also includes a method of presenting a visual display as a floor assembly, comprising the steps of: arranging a flexible peripheral frame about the entire periphery of a transparent upper panel; securing a first end of a lower support panel in a first end of the frame, beneath the upper frame; placing support pads on a bottom side of the lower support panel to support both the lower and the upper panel; pivotably lifting up the frame and the upper panel about a first end of the frame; inserting a display media between the upper and lower panels; and lowering the upper panel and frame onto the lower panel to secure the upper and lower panels in a snug sealed display presenting relationship. The method may include the steps of: arranging an extended web on the first end of the frame to support the first end of the lower panel; placing an arrangement of magnets in the frame for improving securement thereof the a metal surface; and wherein the frame is molded from rubber. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent, when viewed in conjunction with the following drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a frame panel display apparatus constructed according to the principles of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a view taken along the lines  2 — 2  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a view taken along the lines  3 — 3  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 a  is a view taken along the lines  3   a — 3   a  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the lower side of the frame display apparatus of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the entire floor panel display arrangement, showing its lowermost side thereof. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the drawings in detail, and particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown the present invention which comprises a frame panel display apparatus  10  that includes a preferably rectangular or square shaped peripheral frame  12  molded of a soft, flexible, resilient material, such as rubber or the like. 
     The peripheral frame  12  has a first end  14  and a parallel second end  16 . The peripheral frame also has a first side  18  and a second side  20  that are generally parallel to one another. The peripheral frame  12  has an inner surface  22  which includes a first inner peripheral slot  24 , as may be seen in FIG.  2 . The first inner peripheral slot  24  extends around the entire inner periphery of the frame  12  and may be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. A transparent upper panel  26  is preferably molded into and sealed within the first peripheral slot  24  during molding fabrication of the frame  12 . The upper panel  26  is of corresponding rectangular or square configuration and thus has its entire periphery supportively engaged and sealed in that first peripheral slot  24  within the frame  12 . 
     The frame  12 , at its first end  14 , has a shoulder portion  30 , which includes a stepped groove  32 , extending only along its first end  14 , adjacent the inner periphery of the first slot  24  thereat, as is shown in FIG.  1 . The shoulder portion  30  of the frame  12  at its first end  14  of that frame  12  has an extended web  34  disposed inwardly of the inner surface  22  of the peripheral slot  24  of the frame  12  at its first end  14 . 
     A lowermost backing or support panel  40  is disposed adjacent the upper panel  26  and is hingedly supported upon and by the shoulder portion  30  of the frame  12  only at its first end  14 . The lower support panel  40  is narrower than the upper panel  26 , as is represented in FIG. 3 a , and is shorter than the upper panel  26 , as may be seen from FIG. 3, so that they may be readily arcuately displaceable from one another, while the upper panel  26  is supported within its peripheral inner groove  24 . The bottom panel  40  has a second end  42  that is in close fitting but not restrictive engaging contact with the second end  16  of the peripheral frame  12 , as shown in FIG.  3 . The inner edge surface  22  of the first side  18  and the second side  20  of the peripheral frame  12  are also not in contacting engagement with the respective sides of the lower panel  40  to permit that ready arcuate swinging away of the lower panel  40  relative to the upper panel  26 , about the first end  14  thereof. 
     A plurality of anti-skid support pads  44  may be preferably arranged between the lowermost side  46  of the bottom or lower panel  40 , as shown in FIGS. 3,  4  and  5 , so those pads  44  may provide support to both the lower panel  40  and the adjacently overlaying upper panel  26  when they are both disposed within the peripheral frame  12 . Such support is necessary inasmuch as the frame panel assembly  10  is intended in a first preferred embodiment to be placed on a floor or walking surface and actually stepped or walked upon. 
     A sheet of paper poster or thin display media  50 , as represented in FIG. 3, may be inserted between the upper panel  26  and the lower panel  40  to present to pedestrians a marketing message within the frame apparatus  10  which may be arranged for example on the floor beneath their feet as they enter a commercial establishment. 
     In order to change the message (paper poster  50 ), the second end  16  of the peripheral frame  12  may be lifted from the floor surface and pivoted about its first end  14 , while the bottom or lower panel  40  remains in place against the floor. The initial poster sheet or display  50  may be removed and a new display sheet inserted therein. The lower panel  40  remains securely in place within the first end  14  of the frame assembly  10  by virtue of the frictional engagement of the extended web portion  34  and the receiving shoulder  30  at the first end  14  of the frame assembly  10  in which the lower panel  40  is received and secured thereat. 
     During manufacture of the frame assembly  10 , the upper transparent panel  26  and the lower support panel  40  are juxtaposed together, and placed in a mold, not shown for clarity, so that the first end  14  of the peripheral frame  12  encapsulates the first transverse end  15  of the lower support panel  40  and it also encapsulates the entire periphery of the upper transparent panel  26  therearound. A spacer element  17  which may be integral to the mold or may be placed around the second end  19  and sides of the lower panel  40  in the mold to maintain that slight second end and side gap between the lower panel  40  and the inner edge  21  of the resilient frame  12 . 
     A further embodiment of the present invention contemplates the embedding of magnets “M” within the lower periphery of the peripheral frame  12 , as shown in FIG. 3, during the molding process to permit such a frame display apparatus  10  to be more securely utilized on a metal surface, such as a desk, floor, or wall. 
     Thus, what has been shown is a novel panel assembly, particularly suited for a cleanable floor display presentation wherein the media presented for display may be readily changed and maintained in a cleaner and more secure frame environment than the prior art. Such panel assembly being utilizable as a countertop or desktop display, in a further embodiment thereof.