Abstract:
An adjustable display holder is disclosed. One embodiment provides a display arm and a display base, wherein the display arm is pivotably connected to the base, and the arm and base have a tongue and groove arrangement, wherein the arm may be elastically deformed to connect to the base, and the arm may retain a shape that arranges the tongue and groove in a way that resists relative pivoting between the arm and base. In this manner, an adjustable display holder may be easily configured without compromising the utility of the display holder.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    This invention relates to the general field of display apparatus, and more particularly to a robust and easy to use adjustable holder for displaying plates, photographs, plaques, and the like. 
         [0002]    Existing display holders consist of a plastic base and a wire arm that is machine riveted to the plastic base in two pivot points. The rivets in the wire arm are sufficiently tight to hold the wire arm in a certain orientation with respect to the plastic base, yet sufficiently loose to allow movement of the wire arm respective to the base. The wire arm may be opened to a display position by grasping the wire arm and the plastic base, and pulling them apart to a desired display angle. 
         [0003]    Unfortunately, the machine riveted pivot points often differ in rotational friction, resulting in bending of the plastic base and thus an uneven display base. Further, the machine riveted pivot points may be rotated too far or have non-linear rotational friction, resulting in an unstable display holder that may tilt and spill the effects it is holding. Further, adjustment of the already tightened machine rivets results in wear on the display holder and may result in breakage of the plastic base, etc. Additionally, display holders consisting of a plastic base and a wire arm require more labor to assemble, and thus more cost to deliver to market. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    Accordingly, an improved display holder is described below in the Detailed Description. For example, one embodiment provides a display holder comprising a display arm and a display base, wherein the display arm is pivotably connected to the base, and the arm and base have a tongue and groove arrangement, wherein the arm may be elastically deformed to connect to the base, and the arm may retain a shape that arranges the tongue and groove in a way that resists relative pivoting between the arm and base. In this manner, an adjustable display holder may be easily configured without compromising the utility of the display holder. 
         [0005]    In another embodiment, an adjustable display holder may include a display arm substantially in a U-shape, the display arm having pivot posts on an open end of the U-shape and further having at least one protruding tongue arranged substantially in the direction of the pivot posts, and a base with pivot post holes to receive and pivotably connect to the pivot posts of the display arm, the base further having at least one groove to receive the protruding tongue of the display arm, wherein the U-shape of the display arm may be elastically deformed by a force to insert the pivot posts into the pivot post holes and the display arm may spring the protruding tongue into the at least one groove at the release of the force and hold the display arm in relative position to the base by the protruding tongue and groove arrangement. 
         [0006]    This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any or all disadvantages noted in any part of this disclosure. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one embodiment of an adjustable display holder. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of one embodiment of an adjustable display holder, and in particular of a display arm and a base of an adjustable display holder. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3   a  is a back elevated perspective view of one embodiment of an adjustable display holder in a relaxed closed position. 
           [0010]      FIG. 3   b  is a front elevated perspective view of one embodiment of an adjustable display holder in a relaxed closed position. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]      FIG. 1  illustrates one embodiment of an adjustable display holder  100  including a base  120  and a flexible display arm  110 . In one embodiment, the display arm  110  may be substantially in a U-shape. A substantially U-shaped display arm  110  provides for ease of manufacture as well as allowing the display arm  110  to bias elastically to a certain shape. In this manner, when the open ended portion of the U-shaped display arm is flexed either inward or outward, the display arm  110  will resist this flexion and function as a spring back towards its unflexed shape. Other embodiments are not limited to the U-shape display arm, and may be any other suitable geometry that allows elastic deformation where the display arm is biased towards its initial shape. In some embodiments, the base  120  is constructed from a single piece of material, for example the base may be molded using a single piece of plastic or other moldable material. 
         [0012]    In some embodiments, the display arm  110  includes pivot posts  112  on an open end of the U-shape to pivotably engage the base  120 . In this embodiment, the base  120  is constructed with pivot post holes  122  to receive and pivotably connect to the pivot posts  112  of the display arm  110 . The elastic deformation of the display arm  110  allows it to be flexed to be inserted into the base  120 , and the shape bias of the display arm then holds the pivot posts  112  in the pivot post holes  122  to fixably connect the adjustable display holder  100  together. In this way, the display arm  110  holds itself in place without applying uneven pressure on both sides of base  120 , thus countering a distorted and unstable holder. 
         [0013]    The display arm  110  further comprises at least one protruding tongue  114  arranged substantially in the direction of each pivot post  112 . The base  120  of display holder  100  includes at least one groove  124  to receive each protruding tongue  114  of the display arm  110 . In this manner, when the protruding tongues  114  are aligned with each groove  124 , the shape bias of the display arm springs the tongues  114  into the grooves  124  and fixes the relative position of the display arm  110  to the base  120 . Additionally, an adjustable display holder  100  can be assembled easily by flexing the display arm  110 , and further be adjusted to different fixed display positions by aligning the protruding tongues  114  of the display arm with corresponding grooves  124  in the base, wherein the shape bias of the display arm  110  holds the tongues  114  in the grooves  124 . In  FIG. 1 , the display holder  100  is oriented with tongues  114  inserted into middle grooves  124  of the base, illustrating one fixed display position. 
         [0014]    In some embodiments, the display arm  110  may have multiple protruding tongues  114  arranged substantially in the direction of each pivot post  112 . The base  120  may have multiple grooves  124  for each protruding tongue  114 , thereby allowing multiple display positions to be created in the manner described above. 
         [0015]    An alternate embodiment may have the pivot posts  112  and protruding tongues  114  facing inward wherein the display arm  110  is flexed outward to fixably connect the display arm  110  to the base  120 . In yet another embodiment, the tongue and groove arrangement may alternatively be any suitable concave and convex tabs and slots to engage when aligned in the absence of an external force applied to either the display arm  110  or the base  120 . Further, a base  120  may receive various sized display arms to support different display items. It would be understood by those of skill in the art that various alternate approaches may be used within the principles of this disclosure. 
         [0016]    In one example embodiment, the base  120  of display holder  100  may comprise two side rails connected by a front cross member  140  and a rear cross member  130 . The side rails may include notches  128  to collect a displayed item such as a plate (not shown), wherein the displayed item rests in corresponding notches  128  and tilts onto the display arm  110  at support member  116 . The notches  128  may further be arranged with different geometries to provide support for different types of display items. In some embodiments, support member  116  may be curved to more securely hold the display item on display holder  100 . In some embodiments, the base  120  may extend sufficiently beyond the pivot posts  112  to improve display holder  100  stability and supporting the display holder  100  to resist tipping over backwards. 
         [0017]    In some embodiments, back cross member  130  may comprise a concave bottom surface  136  in a manner that allows only the side rails of base  120  to contact a surface the display holder  100  rests on. Furthermore, the side rails may have a concave lower surface  126  such that the base  120  rests on a surface on each of its corners, further improving the stability of the display holder  100 . In some embodiments, back cross member  130  may have stops  132  to obstruct the display arm  110  from coming disconnected from the base  120  while the display arm is raised to a fixed display position. The stops may further be arranged flush with the top of cross member  130 . In this manner, when the display arm  110  is resting on cross member  130  in a substantially planar arrangement with the base  120 , the display arm  110  may be flexed to allow insertion of the pivot posts  112  into the pivot post holes  122  without being obstructed by the stops  132 . In an embodiment, the display arm  110  can be attached only when the arm is in resting position. In some embodiments, the grooves  124  may be designed to not meet the pivot post holes  122  where the arm is attached in order to increase display arm  110  stability and the strength of the display holder  100 . 
         [0018]    In some embodiments, the back cross member  130  may be situated to provide support for the display arm  110  when the display arm is in its most open display position, for example if the display holder  100  had a maximum orientation of 90 degrees between the display arm  110  and the base  120 . Embodiments may have orientations beyond 90 degrees, however, if the display arm  110  is opened much wider than this, a tall or heavy display item may shift the center of gravity of the display holder  100  and corresponding display item to back side of pivot posts  112 . While this orientation can be tolerated to some degree, it can increase the risk of the display holder  100  tipping over, the display item with it. 
         [0019]    In the present embodiment, cross member  140  may be situated above the plane intersecting the four corners of the base  120  to further improve stability of the display holder  100 . In yet another embodiment, cross member  140  may be situated to not interfere with the notches  128  such that an item in the display will not be obstructed by the cross member  140 . In some embodiments, the base  120  may be constructed with tall side rails to prevent displayed items from coming in contact with the surface the display holder  100  rests on. 
         [0020]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of one embodiment of an adjustable display holder  100 , and in particular of a display arm  110  and a base  120  of adjustable display holder  100 . On the top of  FIG. 2 , an example display arm  110  includes pivot posts  112 , protruding tongues  114 , end portion  117 , end portion  119 , and support member  116 . Axially opposed forces  170  and  160  represent an applied force to display arm  110  and the shape bias that opposes the applied force. In the present embodiment, a squeezing force  160  may be imparted on either side portion of display arm  110 , for example by squeezing end portion  119  towards end portion  117 . In this regard, pivot post  112  may be aligned with pivot post holes  122  in base  120 , and by releasing the squeezing force  160 , the elastic deformation of display arm  110  is reversed by a biasing force  170 . In some embodiments, end portion  117  and end portion  119  may be pronated to provide a stronger or a more durable shape bias. 
         [0021]    In an embodiment where the pivot posts  112  and protruding tongues are situated on the inside of display arm  110 , the squeezing force  160  would be a separating force  170  and the bias force  160  of display arm  110  would oppose this force in similar manner. In alternate embodiments, tongues  114 , pivot posts  112 , pivot post holes  122  and grooves  124  may be arranged in any combination that allows various display positions to be fixedly oriented by lack of an external force deforming either the display arm  110  or base  120 . 
         [0022]    The embodiment display holder in  FIG. 2  also illustrates a ramp portion  129  and a resting position  125 . There may be a corresponding resting position on ramp portion  129  and a corresponding ramp portion for resting position  125 . These ramp portions and resting positions allow the display arm to relax in a non-display position and not be under a sustained deformation. The relaxed position increasing the shape bias life of display arm  110  and thus the functional life of the present embodiment display holder. 
         [0023]      FIG. 3   a  and  FIG. 3   b  are a back elevated perspective view and a front elevated perspective view of one embodiment of an adjustable display holder in a relaxed closed position.  FIG. 3   a  and  FIG. 3   b  each illustrate the display arm in the relaxed position referred to in  FIG. 2 . In these figures the protruding tongues can be seen within resting position  125 . In the present embodiment, when the display arm  110  is adjusted to a display position, ramp portion  129  applies the squeezing force to end portion  117  and end portion  119  such that by only pivotably rotating the display arm  110  relative to base  120 , the display arm  110  undergoes elastic deformation and will snap and lock into the first groove portion that will receive protruding tongue  114  when they are aligned. 
         [0024]    It will further be understood that the configurations and/or approaches described herein are exemplary in nature, and that these specific embodiments or examples are not to be considered in a limiting sense, because numerous variations are possible. The subject matter of the present disclosure includes all novel and nonobvious combinations and subcombinations of the various processes, systems and configurations, and other features, functions, acts, and/or properties disclosed herein, as well as any and all equivalents thereof.