Abstract:
An information display device adapted to be mounted on the safety bar of a ski-lift chair. The device has a tubular base which is rigidly attached to the safety bar. A tubular carrier is rotatabley secured to the tubular base. This tubular carrier provides a cylindrical support surface for information to be displayed. A tubular cover is mounted about the carrier and fixed to the tubular base to protect the tubular carrier and the information attached to it.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention is directed toward an information display device adapted to be mounted on a cylindrical support such as a bar. The invention is particularly directed toward a display device for mounting on the safety bar of a ski-lift chair. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   Display devices rotatably mounted on cylindrical bars are known. One such known device, mounted on the safety bar of a ski-lift chair, is shown by U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,095. 
   However, the known display devices are not well constructed to protect the information being displayed against the elements, such as blizzards. Further, the known devices are not very securely mounted to prevent tampering with the device and/or with the information carried by the device. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The purpose of the present invention is to provide an information display device that: protects the information to be displayed against tampering and the elements; is easy to rotate about the cylindrical support, even with ski mitts, to display all the information carried by the device; is rugged in construction and securely mounted, and yet makes it easy to change the information displayed. 
   The display device of the present invention has a mounting base that is securely mounted on a support so as to prevent easy removal of the device. The display device has an information carrier rotatably mounted on the base, with the carrier provided with large, accessible, rotation means that can be operated to rotate the carrier on the base even by a person wearing ski mitts. The device presents information on the carrier that is normally well protected from the elements, located under a cover and sealed from exposure to the elements. In a preferred embodiment, the cover is easily opened to allow the information on the carrier to be changed if desired. 
   The invention is particularly directed toward an information display device for mounting on a support, the device having a tubular base adapted to be fixedly mounted about the support and a tubular carrier rotatably mounted on the base. The carrier provides a support surface. Information is provided on or adjacent the support surface. A tubular cover is mounted about the carrier and fixed to the base, the cover protecting the information carried by the carrier. The cover has a transparent portion through which the information can be read. Rotation means are provided on the carrier for use in rotating the carrier about the base within the cover to move the information past the transparent portion of the cover. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the device mounted on a safety bar on a ski-lift chair: 
       FIG. 2  is a cross-section view along line  2 — 2  in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a partial, exploded perspective view of the device; 
       FIG. 4  is a front view with the base mounted on the bar; 
       FIG. 5  is a cross-section view along line  5 — 5  in  FIG. 4 ; 
       FIG. 6  is a front view with the carrier mounted on the base; 
       FIG. 7  is a cross-section view taken along line  7 — 7  in  FIG. 6 ; 
       FIG. 8  is a cross-section view taken along line  8 — 8  in  FIG. 6 ; 
       FIG. 9  is a detail front view showing the connecting means:  FIG. 10  is a detail cross-section view of the carrier showing the connecting means; 
       FIG. 11  is a view similar to  FIG. 9  with the covers closed; 
       FIG. 12  is a front view of the cover mounted on the base; 
       FIG. 13  is a cross-section view along line  13 — 13  in  FIG. 12 ; 
       FIG. 14  is a cross-section view along line  14 — 14  in  FIG. 13 ; 
       FIG. 15  is a cross-section view along line  15 — 15  in  FIG. 13 ; and 
       FIG. 16  is a view similar to  FIG. 2  showing a modified cover. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   The display device  1  of the present invention, as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , has a tubular base  3  that fixedly mounts onto a safety bar B on a ski-lift chair. The device includes a tubular carrier  5  that is rotatably mounted on the base  3 , the carrier  5  carrying the information to be displayed by the device; and a tubular cover  7  overlying the carrier  5  to protect the information it carries, the cover  7  fixedly attached to the base  3 . At least a portion  9  of the cover  7  is transparent to allow viewing of the information carried by the carrier  5 . The device  1  includes rotation means  11  for rotating the carrier  5  about the base  3  to display all the information carried by it through the transparent portion  9  on the cover  7 . 
   In more detail, as shown in  FIGS. 3  to  5 , the base  3  of the device  1  is in the form of an elongate, tubular member. A pair of spaced-apart guide tracks  15 ,  17  encircle the base  3 . Each guide track  15 ,  17  is defined by a pair of spaced-apart guide ribs  19  encircling the base  3 . The base  3  is formed from two, elongated, half-tubular, base members  21 ,  23  as shown in FIG.  4 . These half base members  21 ,  23  are sized to fit snugly about the cylindrical safety bar B on a ski-lift chair to form the tubular base  3 . Fastening means  25 , in the form of bolts or the like, fasten the half base members  21 ,  23  tightly to each other about the bar B, to clamp the base  3 , formed by the half members, to the bar B. The fastening means  25  pass through brackets  27  on the outer surfaces of the half members  21 ,  23 , the brackets  27  adjacent the side edges  29  of the half members. The ribs  19 , defining the guide tracks  15 ,  17 , are half on one half base member  21  and half on the other half base member  23  and aligned when the half base members are joined together. 
   The carrier  5  of the device supports the information to be displayed by the device. The carrier  5 , shown in  FIGS. 3 and 6  to  8 , is also an elongated tubular member and is rotatably mounted on the base  3 . The carrier  5  has two spaced-apart ring sections  31 ,  33  joined by a central cylindrical wall  35 . Each ring section  31 ,  33  has an inner circular wall  37  and an outer circular wall  39 . The inner and outer circular walls  37 ,  39  are joined by radial braces  41 . The outer wall  39  is wider than the inner wall  37 , as shown in  FIG. 8 , and the cylindrical central wall  35  connects to the outer walls  39  of the ring sections  31 ,  33 . The inner walls  37  of the ring sections  31 ,  33  ride in the guide tracks  15 ,  17  on the base  3  between the ribs  19  defining each track. The carrier  5  rotates easily on the guide tracks  15 ,  17 . 
   The carrier  5  is formed from two half carrier sections  43 ,  45 , as shown in  FIG. 6 , allowing the carrier  5  to be mounted about the base  3 . Detachable connecting means  49  are provided on the half carrier sections  43 ,  45  for detachably connecting them together about the base  3 . The connecting means  49 , as shown in  FIGS. 9  to  11 , can comprise a slot  51  on each half ring section  55 ,  57  in each half carrier section  43 ,  45  adjacent one side  53  of the half carrier sections; and a tab  63  projecting from the other side  65  of the half carrier sections  43 ,  45  in the ring sections  55 ,  57 . Each tab  63  carries a projection  67  on its outer surface sized to fit into a slot  51 . The slots  51  on one side  53  of one half carrier section  43  receive the tabs  63  on the other side  65  of the other half carrier section  45 . The slots  51  on the one side  53  of the other half carrier section  45  receive the tabs  63  on the other side  65  of the one half carrier section  43  to securely lock the half carrier sections  43 ,  45  together about the base  3  forming the carrier  5 . While one form of connecting means has been described, other connecting means can be employed. The connecting means  49  allow the carrier to be changed, if needed. 
   The information carried by the carrier  5  can be printed on the outer surface of the central wall  35  of the carrier. Preferably, a separate information sheet  73 , shown in dotted lines, made from paper or other suitable material, with the information printed thereon, can be mounted against the outer surface of the central wall  35  between the ring sections  31 ,  33 . 
   The carrier  5  carries rotation means  11  for use in rotating the carrier on the base  3 . The rotation means  11  can be the outer walls  39  of the ring sections  31 ,  33 . Preferably, the rotation means  11  comprises spaced-apart, radially extending, lugs  77  on the outer surface of the outer walls  39 , the lugs  77  extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the bar B when the carrier  5  is mounted on the base  3  which in turn is mounted on the bar B. 
   A tubular cover  7  is mounted over the carrier  5  when it is mounted on the base  3 , the cover  7  attached to the base  3 . The cover  7 , as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 12  to  15 , has two tubular end sections  81 ,  83  and a central tubular section  85 . The end sections  81 ,  83  are spaced from the central section  85  and joined to the central section  85  by diametrically opposed side bars  87 ,  89 . Top and bottom slots  91 ,  93  are formed between each end section  81 ,  83  and the central section  85 , the slots  91 ,  93  located over and under the ring sections  31 ,  33  on the carrier  5 . The end sections  81 ,  83  each have an end wall  95  with a central opening  99  therein through which the base  3  passes. 
   Sealing means  109  extend about both sides of the outer wall  39  of the ring sections  31 ,  33  on the carrier  5  and contact the inner edges  111  of the tubular end sections  81 ,  83  and the outer edges  113  of the tubular central section  85  sealing the interior the cover  7  from the elements. 
   The cover  7  is made in two parts  114 ,  115  to allow it to be mounted about the carrier  5  and the base  3  as shown in FIG.  12 . The cover  7  is divided into the two parts midway between the side bars  87 ,  89 . Each cover part  114 ,  115  is attached to the base  3  by fasteners  117  passing through brackets  119 , in the areas forming the end sections  81 ,  83 , into brackets  120  on the base  3 . When attached to the base  3 , the cover parts  114 ,  115  abut enclosing the carrier  5 . 
   When the cover  7  is mounted on the base  3 , the rotation means  11  on the carrier is accessible through the four slots  91 ,  93  in the cover so that the carrier  5  can be rotated on the base  3  under the cover  7 . If the rotation means  11  comprise lugs  77  on the ring sections  31 ,  33  of the carrier  5 , the lugs would normally project through the slots  91 ,  93  slightly above the cover  7  making it easier to rotate the carrier  5 . The central section  85  of the cover  7  is spaced from the cylindrical wall  35  of the carrier  5 , and the information that the wall carries. At least the top portion of the central section  85  in the cover  7 , when mounted on the base  3 , is transparent to provide the transparent portion  9  in the cover. This allows the information, carried by the carrier  5  under the cover  7 , to be easily displayed to a person riding in the chair lift. The information can be moved past the transparent portion  9  of the cover  7  by operating the rotation means  11  to rotate the carrier  5  which carries the information. 
   In another embodiment of the invention only the bottom cover part  115 ′ of the cover  7 ′ is attached to the base  3 ′ by fasteners. The top cover part  114 ′ is hinged along one side bar section  89   a ′ to the one side bar section  89   b ′ of the attached, bottom cover part  115 ′ by a hinge  121 . When the cover parts  113 ′,  115 ′ are closed, the other side bar sections  87   a ′,  87   b ′ of the cover parts abut, and a suitable locking device  123  can detachably connect them together. This hinged cover  7 ′ can be easily opened by unlocking the locking device  123  and pivoting the top cover part  113 ′ open about the hinge  121 . This allows the information sheet  73  to be easily changed. 
   The rotation means have been shown as two ring members. The device could operate with just a single ring member located to either side of the device, or with just a single ring in the middle of the device with information in two sections, one section on each side of the central ring member. 
   The device is not very large in diameter when installed on the safety bar allowing a skier to comfortably grip the bar and/or the device. The carrier can be easily rotated, particularly with the lugs, even when wearing mitts to display all the information. The information, when carried on an information sheet, can be easily changed when the cover is hinged yet cannot be easily vandalized when the cover is locked. 
   The information displayed can be in the form of advertising or it can provide information concerning the skiing center such as the type and location of ski trails and the location of ski lifts. 
   While the device has been described as being used in connection with a safety bar on a ski-lift, it could be used in other locations as well. For example, the device could be mounted on the handles of shopping carts to display information on specials available in the store.