Abstract:
A display system utilizing a graphics box as a primary component is disclosed. The graphics box greatly increases the flexibility and aesthetic appeal of displayed graphics cards. The ability to mass produce the graphics box, use multiple graphics boxes to deliver displays of different size and information content and, especially, the ability to reuse the graphics boxes, means that costs of the disclosed display system are relatively low and are achievable without a decrease in the aesthetic appeal of the entire display. Structures for supporting the graphics box to further increase the flexibility of the display system are also disclosed.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     This invention relates to graphic display systems. The invention is more particularly concerned with economical, aesthetically pleasing and easily modifiable graphic display systems to be utilized primarily in retail stores.  
         [0002]     Graphical display systems are used in many different ways to convey messages through words or images or through a combination of both words and images. Retail stores utilize graphical displays for many purposes, including informing customers as to available merchandise or special circumstances. These retail stores often need to modify their displays to reflect the season (e.g., “Back-to-School”, “Happy Holidays”, “Spring Savings”) or other events (e.g., “SALE”).  
         [0003]     An often utilized display system has been large banners. These banners are typically one-time only use and expensive to print, distribute and install. Another often utilized display system includes freestanding signs which take up floor space and may not be very attractive. Ceiling hung signs are also often used, but these are particularly difficult and expensive to install. These and other alternative display systems are necessary to assure ‘blanketing’ of the store with the appropriate information. Some of these display systems may be more visually pleasing than others.  
         [0004]     Each of these currently utilized display systems has inherent problems and, taken together, these distinct display options present an additional problem. Many different sizes and formats of the same information must be supplied to stores to fill the many different display elements and display spaces available. Each of these formats and sizes requires different art-direction, printing, shipping and installation considerations.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     The present invention seeks to solve many of the problems inherent in the conventional display systems and the use of a large number of display elements. The present invention utilizes a single, standardized graphical printing element, which can be referred to as a “graphics card”. Graphics cards may be inserted into a standardized clear acrylic holder/display unit, which can be referred to as a “graphics box”.  
         [0006]     The graphics card can bear a stand alone message, e.g. “SALE”, or a portion of a message, e.g. “S”. Four graphics cards can be supplied (“S”, “A”, “L” and “E”) and inserted into four graphics boxes. These four graphics boxes, e.g. placed side-by-side or stacked one on top of another, will spell out “SALE” four times as large as the single graphics box.  
         [0007]     In addition, each graphics card can be treated as a picture element (“pixel”) and a two-dimensional array (e.g., 2×2, 4×4, 4×10) of graphics boxes containing the graphics cards can then display a large picture or other display component, with or without text. Regardless of how the graphics cards are utilized, they can be of uniform size. This allows not only a great deal of flexibility but also a great deal of simplicity and efficiency in supplying a store or numerous stores with uniformly sized graphics cards all useable in a reusable graphics box based display system.  
         [0008]     Thus, the reusable and reconfigurable graphics box allows for maximum flexibility of display choices balanced with minimum cost in changing displayed messages throughout a store. In addition, the cost savings does not reflect poorly on the overall quality and aesthetically pleasing nature of the display system. Because the most expensive element of the display system, i.e. the graphics box, may be reused many times, relatively expensive materials can be utilized in the construction of the graphics box. As a result, a pleasing aesthetic may be achieved at a reasonable per unit cost.  
         [0009]     Some of the objects of the invention having been stated above, other objects will become evident as the description proceeds below, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings as best described below. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]      FIG. 1A  is a perspective exploded view of display elements;  
         [0011]      FIG. 1B  is a perspective view of the display elements of  FIG. 1A  being inserted into the graphics box;  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a supporting frame;  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a clip;  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of two graphics boxes supported by supporting frames, with clips shown in exploded configuration;  
         [0015]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the graphics boxes and supporting frames of  FIG. 4  with the clips in place and a third graphics box stacked thereon with additional clips in an exploded configuration;  
         [0016]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a 3×3 embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0017]      FIG. 7  is an exploded perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the display elements, including a mounting plate;  
         [0018]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a mounting bracket  
         [0019]      FIG. 9  is a side elevational view of the mounting bracket disposed in the mounting plate; and  
         [0020]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the mounting bracket disposed in the graphics box with two mounting brackets shown in exploded relationship. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0021]     Referring first to  FIG. 1B , there is shown the basic unit of the present retail display system, i.e. graphics box  1 . Graphics box  1  is formed from four frame sections which are of a rigid material. One insertion frame section  6  is provided and three retention frame sections  2  are joined together at adjacent the extreme ends thereof. Any appropriate means of rigidly joining the ends of the insertion frame section  6  and the retention frame sections  2  may be used. Examples of frame joining techniques include glue, adhesive resin, welding and framing joinery.  
         [0022]     The primary difference between insertion frame section  6  and retention frame sections  2  is the existence of a slot  12  extending completely through the insertion frame section  6 . The retention frame sections  2  do not have a slot. However, the retentions frame sections  2  may be provided with a groove  8  of substantially the same width as slot  12  but only extending part of the way through the retention frame sections. If grooves  8  are provided in some or all of retention frame sections  2  they must be in alignment with each other and slot  12  in insertion frame section  6 . The reason for this will be made clear below.  
         [0023]     Shown in  FIG. 1A  are graphics cards  16  and display plates  14 . One or more graphics cards  16  are sandwiched between display plates  14  and, when pressed together, form a box insert  15 . The size of the graphics cards  16  and display plates  14 , i.e. the box insert  15 , are such that they are able to be inserted into slot  12 .  FIG. 1B  discloses the box insert  15  being inserted into the graphics box  1 .  
         [0024]     As stated above, slot  12  and grooves  8  are in alignment with one another. In addition, the width of slot  12  and grooves  8  are of similar dimensions. The width of grooves  8  and alignment of the grooves  8  with slot  12 , as well as with one another, allow the box insert  15  to be slid into place and effectively prevented from moving in any direction other than sliding in or out of the graphics box  1  through slot  12 .  
         [0025]     In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the graphics cards  16  alone are inserted into the graphics box  1 , i.e. no display plates are utilized. Another alternative embodiment would eliminate some or all of grooves  8 . A groove  8  only opposite slot  12 , for example, could be sufficient to retain the display plates  14  and graphics cards  16 . Alternatively, other retention structures could be provided in place of grooves  8 . For example, display plates  14  could be rigidly attached to graphics box  1  by adhesive or welding. Graphics cards  16  could be inserted between the display plates  14 .  
         [0026]      FIG. 2  discloses a supporting frame  30  for use in supporting one or more graphics boxes  1 . The supporting frame  30  is disposed about a bottom corner a graphics box  1 . As best seen in  FIG. 5 , a bottom corner of graphics box  1  is disposed in the supporting frame with the horizontal portions  34  of the supporting frame disposed about the horizontal portion of the bottom corner of the graphics box. The vertical portion of the bottom corner of the graphics box is retained in slot  38  defined by the graphics box retaining rails  36  and the vertical portion  32  of the supporting frame  30 .  
         [0027]     The graphics box  1  may be utilized individually, but is most effectively utilized in groups.  FIG. 5  shows three graphics boxes disposed in an L-shaped configuration. The bottom two graphics boxes are retained by the horizontal surface on which they are disposed as well as by the supporting frame  30 .  FIG. 3  discloses the structure of a clip  20  utilized to connect graphics boxes. By connecting graphics boxes to one another, the graphics boxes that are well supported by external supporting elements (e.g. floors, tables, walls, supporting frames  30 , wires or any other elements which limit movement of graphics boxes) can support graphics boxes that are not supported by external supporting members.  
         [0028]     The clips  20  may be provided wherever a graphics box abuts another graphics box. Each clip is made from a resilient material and is provided with a central slot  22 . Slot  22  has a width slightly smaller than the thickness of two frame elements. Thus, as best seen in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , clip  20  may be used to connect two abutting graphics boxes by sliding over the abutting frame elements each graphics box. The resilient nature of the clip  20  causes it to deform slightly when connecting two graphics boxes and exert a force which serves to retain the clip in place and transmit supporting forces from the supported graphics box to the unsupported graphics box.  
         [0029]      FIG. 4  shows two graphics boxes  1  disposed in supporting frames  30 . Two clips  20  are shown in exploded view. The clips will connect the two graphics boxes where they abut one another by sliding over the abutting frame elements, front and back, of each graphics box.  FIG. 5  shows the exploded clips  20  from  FIG. 4  in place and a third graphics box that has been stacked on one of the graphics boxes disposed in a supporting frame  30 . Another pair of clips  20 , again front and back, is shown in exploded view where the third graphics box abuts the graphics box disposed in supporting frame  30 . Of course, before the third graphics box is stacked and clipped to the supported graphics box, the appropriate box insert  15  should be placed in the supported box.  
         [0030]      FIG. 6  discloses one of many alternative graphics box groupings; this grouping is of nine identical graphics boxes  1  supported by two supporting frames  30  and twenty-four clips  20 . The graphics boxes in  FIG. 6  are arranged in a 3×3 configuration. For illustration purposes, no box inserts  15  are present in graphics boxes  1 . However, in accordance with the present display system, a huge range of alternative graphics cards  16  may be displayed in these nine graphics boxes  1 . In addition, it should be realized that the displayed message, picture of decoration viewed from one side of the display system need not be the same as that displayed from the other side of the display system.  
         [0031]     Another supporting structure is disclosed at  FIGS. 7-10 . This alternative supporting structure combines a mounting plate  50  and a mounting bracket  60 . Mounting plate  50  may be used as an alternative to one of the display plates  14  disclosed in  FIG. 1A .  FIG. 7  discloses a graphics card  16  sandwiched between a display plate  14  and a mounting plate  50 . The mounting plate  50  can be any rigid material and need not be transparent since it is not usually the function of the mounting plate  50  to allow graphics on graphics card  16  underlying it to be viewed.  
         [0032]     Mounting plate  50  is of generally the same dimensions as display plate  14  such that it is used to sandwich graphics card(s)  16  and be inserted into the slot  12  of the graphics box  1  in generally the same way as described with respect to  FIG. 1B . One difference between how the display structure including mounting plate  50 , shown in  FIG. 7 , is inserted into the graphics box  1  is that the slot  12  must be vertically disposed upon insertion, as opposed to the horizontal disposition of slot  12  shown in  FIG. 1B . This arrangement is shown in  FIG. 10  and is necessary because vertical forces will be exerted on and by mounting plate  50  and if slot  12  is disposed horizontally, mounting plate  50  will be forced out of slot  12 . Once disposed in graphics box  1 , with slot  12  disposed vertically, mounting plate  50  enables the graphics box  1  to be supported by bracket  60 .  
         [0033]     Bracket  60 , as seen in  FIG. 8 , comprises a mounting plate slot  70  defined by mounting plate slot outer wall  72  and a mounting plate slot inner wall  74 . Bracket  60  also comprises a hanging slot  62  defined by a hanging slot outer wall  66  and a hanging slot inner wall  64 . The mounting plate slot  70  structure and the hanging slot  62  structure are connected by a mounting bracket main body  68  and strengthening rib  76 .  
         [0034]     Hanging slot  62  of bracket  60  may be disposed over any vertical supporting structure. Examples of a vertical supporting structure include a portion of a wall, a specialized structure extending from a wall or a supporting frame extending from any of a wall, a floor or even a ceiling. The mounting plate slot outer wall  72  may be disposed through opening  56  in mounting plate  50 . Mounting plate  50  may then be lowered into slot  70 . With slot  62  disposed over a supporting structure (not shown) and mounting plate  50  inserted into slot  70 , mounting plate  50 , and thus graphics box  1  is well supported.  
         [0035]      FIG. 9  shows mounting plate  50  and mounting bracket  60 . Slot outer wall  72  is disposed through opening  56  in mounting plate  50  and mounting plate  50  is retained in slot  70 .  FIG. 10  shows mounting plate  50  and mounting brackets  60 . Once the mounting brackets  60  are disposed through opening  56  and support mounting plate  50 , mounting bracket support slot  62  may be disposed over a supporting structure and support the entirety of graphics box  1  and associated display elements.  
         [0036]      FIG. 10  shows the mounting plate  50  utilized in conjunction with graphics box  1 . Mounting brackets  60  are disclosed in exploded relationship with respect to the mounting plate  50 , i.e. for the purposes of illustration the mounting brackets  60  are not engaged with the mounting plate  50 . Once engaged, as shown in  FIG. 9 , the graphics box of  FIG. 10  may be mounted on a supporting structure (not shown) which engages mounting bracket support slot  62 .  
         [0037]     While the foregoing invention has been described in some detail for purposes of clarity and understanding, it will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, from a reading of the disclosure, that various changes in form and detail can be made without departing from the true scope of the invention in the appended claims.