Patent Publication Number: US-11380225-B2

Title: Force-orienting display system

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/151,189 which was filed on Oct. 3, 2018, which application is a continuation U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/568,128 which was filed on Dec. 12, 2014, the contents each of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The disclosed embodiments relate generally to card, picture, or sign exhibiting devices that use forces to affect a common alignment of independent rotatably mounted display elements to display one or more pictures in upright orientations. 
     Concrete mixer drums typically sport artwork featuring their company&#39;s logos or company names on them for marketing and advertising purposes. That artwork, physically applied to the outside of the drum, is properly displayed and oriented right-side up on one side of the mixing drum but is upside-down on the opposite side of the drum. 
     The inverted logo and text, repeatedly employed over the years, has always been a Pink Elephant of that industry. Some attempts to work around the restrictions on the mode of display have been to eliminate all recognizable images, trademarks, names, and any text markings from the drum&#39;s surface, opting for solid colors or simple graphic designs which have no tops or bottoms. Other approaches have been to provide text located on a circumference of the drum, providing a somewhat readable message. Text on the circumference of the drum was readable and acceptable in that it was never inverted, being readable from both sides, but was used as merely a best-case alternative as there was no way to provide for generally horizontally placed text to be displayed right-side up on both sides of the drum. 
     Any other placement of text on a concrete mixer drum at any orientation other than around its circumference will inevitably appear in an improper orientation, still somewhat readable, but angled and at some point in its rotation, inverted nonetheless. 
     A preferred solution to the inverted logo dilemma would be simple in design and simple in operation. The concrete hauling vehicles are heavy enough when empty. A solution should add minimal additional weight to the vehicle. Any solution has to be simple, lightweight, and self-sufficient. 
     Additionally, in an unrelated arena, point-of-purchase and point-of-sale display manufacturers are continually searching for ways to create attractive, interactive, or dynamic displays that are simple in operation and low in cost. Dynamic displays work because they attract people&#39;s attention and communicate more information in the same amount of space as a static display. If a way to create a dynamic display on a vertical surface were to be created which would be simple in construction and operation, it would provide yet another tool for the companies that are involved in the design and manufacture of displays for point-of-sale and point-of-purchase displays. 
     SUMMARY 
     Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the disclosed embodiments include, but are not limited to: 
     providing an easily changeable force-orienting display system which provides alignment and display of an image segmented and mounted on receiver substrates on a number of display segments through the application of existing or applied forces; 
     providing an easily changeable, inexpensive, dynamic advertising device for use in point-of-purchase and point-of-sale displays and others; and 
     providing an easily changeable, segmented exhibitor display device which through the application of known or applied forces displays multiply sectioned images into their composite images through the employment of a common alignment scheme. 
     According to one exemplary embodiment, an easily changeable, or semi-permanent, force orienting display system is provided with a number of display segments that are positioned proximally to each other, that are attached rotatably to movable supports, and that are mounted to a moving surface. The materials used in construction of the display segments can include but are not limited to polymers, plastics, metals, or other materials which may be opaque, semi-transparent, or transparent. The weighted characteristic of each of the display segments implies that its center of balance is not colinear with the display segment&#39;s axis of rotation, guaranteeing alignment of all display segments due to the effect of gravity, or by similar argument if a force other than gravity is involved. The external surfaces of the multiple display segments have receiver substrate areas determined, and any number of images which are cut into image sections are applied to these receiver substrate areas in a variety of ways, including but not limited to painting, decals, hook and loop, slidable trays, sleeves, and other manners of attachment. As the mounting surface moves, the weighted display segments are acted on by gravity to effect a common alignment of each display segment with respect to each proximal display segment and also with respect to the mounting surface, showing common display faces on all display segments in such a manner as to display one or more pictures properly aligned top to bottom in a plurality of views. This allows for right side up orientation of logos lettering or images on, for example, two sides of a concrete mixer drum. Two images may be displayed, one on each side of the concrete mixer drum. 
     Further objects and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description. In the drawings, closely related figures have the same number but different alphabetic suffixes. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a force-orienting display system comprising four elongated display elements of various lengths on a representative portion of a curved movable drum. 
         FIG. 2  shows a force-orienting display system comprising four elongated display elements of various lengths on a representative portion of a movable planar surface, with its vertical center of rotation as marked. 
         FIG. 3  shows an elongated display element whose axis of rotation is colinear with the center of the cylinder&#39;s axis. 
         FIG. 4  shows an elongated display element illustrating a representative way that different material densities can be used to manufacture display elements that have centers of balance that are not colinear with the axis of the cylinder. 
         FIG. 5  shows an elongated display element whose axis of rotation is offset from the central axis of its cylinder. 
         FIG. 6  shows a cutaway of an elongated display element illustrating a method of adding a force inducing mass to the inside of a display element. 
         FIG. 7  shows a display element illustrating how two different graphics are mounted to a left half and a right half of a display element, providing proper orientation of the two different graphics that will later be viewed in proper orientation in a plurality of views. 
         FIG. 8  shows a cutaway view of an elongated display segment with internal lighting devices for internal illumination. 
         FIG. 9  illustrates an elongated display segment displaying tongues used for slidably mounting removable curved picture section sleds. 
         FIG. 10  illustrates an elongated display segment with channels used for slidably attaching removable curved picture section sleds. 
         FIG. 11A  illustrates a sample picture used in a force-orienting display system and its cut lines. 
         FIG. 11B  illustrates a sample picture used in a force-orienting display system as well as its cut lines.  FIG. 11B  is the number “2” reversed, displaying into the page and away from the reviewer. 
         FIGS. 12A and 12B  illustrate how the pictures in  FIGS. 11A and 11B  are cut into picture sections for mounting.  FIG. 12B  is the number “2,” displayed in sections and upside-down. 
         FIGS. 13A through 13D  illustrate how the picture sections of  FIGS. 12A and 12B  relate to each other when applied to the mounting substrate areas defined on the display segments. The figures further illustrate a manner in which their picture sections can be recombined for attachment to display elements. 
         FIG. 14  shows a relative positioning of  FIGS. 11A and 11B  when stacked back to back. 
         FIG. 15  illustrates picture segments of  FIG. 13A  applied to the substrate area of an elongated display segment. The solid black artwork is the front facing image segment of the “1” graphic, and the dashed line is the backward facing and reverse stacked image segment of the “2” graphic. 
         FIG. 16  illustrates picture segments of  FIG. 13B  applied to the substrate area of an elongated display segment. The solid black artwork is the front facing image segment of the “1” graphic, and the dashed line is the backward facing and reverse stacked image segment of the “2” graphic. 
         FIG. 17  illustrates picture segments of  FIG. 13C  applied to the substrate area of an elongated display segment. The solid black artwork is the front facing image segment of the “1” graphic, and the dashed line is the backward facing and reverse stacked image segment of the “2” graphic. 
         FIG. 18  illustrates picture segments of  FIG. 13D  applied to the substrate area of an elongated display segment. The solid black artwork is the front facing image segment of the “1” graphic, and the dashed line is the backward facing and reverse stacked image segment of the “2” graphic. 
     
    
    
     In  FIGS. 15-18 , when the top to bottom order is properly stacked for the correctly oriented, right side up display of image “1,” the stacking order for the display of dashed, image “2” graphic reassembly appears in its reverse order on the back, unseen side of the elongated display segments. They will reverse their stacking order when a different one of the unit&#39;s plurality of views comes into alignment. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     The following terms will be used throughout the specification and will have the following meanings unless otherwise indicated. 
     “Picture” refers to artwork, a physical image, sign, graphic, or the like. 
     “Picture section” refers to a sub portion of a picture that has been cut into smaller pieces. 
     “Graphic section” refers to a graphic or a portion of a graphic within a picture. 
     “Display segment” refers to an elongated display element with defined receiver substrate areas on its exterior whose receiver substrate areas are used to mount picture sections. 
     The disclosed embodiments include a force-orienting display system for displaying a picture in right side up orientation in multiple viewing orientations. The display system comprises rotatable display segments mounted proximally to each other on a movable drum surface. The display segments each have receiver substrate areas established on their exteriors. Any number of pictures can be displayed where the pictures have been cut into smaller picture sections and mounted onto the receiver substrate areas. These are explained in greater detail in the following detailed description. 
     In an exemplary embodiment, a force-orienting display system  10  is illustrated in  FIG. 1  showing multiple display segments  100  of any length, made from a hollow, lightweight plastic. In this embodiment, the display segments are cylinders with circular cross-sections, though any cross-section pattern allowing for free rotation of the display segments  100  can be used. The mounts  101  or display segments  100  comprise a rotational mechanism, such as a conventional bearing  110 , at both ends, allowing for smooth, unobstructed rotational movement of each display segment  100  around its longitudinal axis. 
     The display segments  100  are attached to two conventional mounts  101  attached to a surface  104  in such a way that the display segments  100  are able to rotate freely on their longitudinal axis with respect to the surface  104 . The mounted display segments  100  are proximally located to each other. Each display segment  100  has sufficient length to define areas on its exterior as a receiver substrate for picture sections to be displayed. 
       FIG. 7  shows a display element illustrating how two different graphics are mounted to a left half and a right half of a display element, providing proper orientation of the two different graphics that will later be viewed in proper orientation in a plurality of views. Specifically, a right-side graphic section  250  is applied to a first side, and a left side graphic section  260  is applied to a second side. 
     The center of mass of each display segment  100  is not colinear with its axis of rotation.  FIG. 6  illustrates a cutaway view  102  of a segment  100  where the center of mass of a display segment  100  is modified by adding an internal mass  120 , which may be made of a ferrous metal, lead, plastic, polymer, or other type of material suitable for use as an internal weight.  FIG. 4  illustrates how materials of different densities can be used to create display segments with centers of mass non-colinear with their axes of rotation. For example, in  FIG. 4 , material  105  may be a relatively lighter density material and material  106  may be a relatively higher density material. 
     Receiver substrate areas for mounting picture sections are determined by examining a display segment  100  at rest. Its orientation will have its center of balance below the axis of rotation. A plane through the axis of rotation and the resting center of balance defines a left and right receiver substrate area. Display segments  100  displaying image segments mounted on their receiver substrate areas on the display segments are shown in  FIGS. 15-18 . 
     Pictures selected and cut into smaller picture sections are calculated to fit the physical dimensions of and are attached to the right-side half and left side half receiver substrate areas defined. 
     In one embodiment, the picture sections are printed onto the surface of curved, removable display sleds with semicircular cross sections extending the length of the display segments  100  and slidably attached to a plurality of tongues  320  as illustrated in  FIG. 9  through a corresponding lengthwise groove in the sled, or slidably attached to grooves  330  as illustrated in  FIG. 10  through corresponding tabs or tongue along its lengthwise edges.  FIGS. 11A, 11B, 12A , and  12 B show steps in the cutting of two pictures  202 ,  204  into picture sections  232 ,  234 ,  236 ,  238 ,  242 ,  244 ,  246 ,  248  by cutting along cut lines  220 .  FIGS. 13A through 13D  illustrate combining the picture sections  232 ,  234 ,  236 ,  238 ,  242 ,  244 ,  246 ,  248  from  FIGS. 12A and 12B  into multiple single sheet units which are then applied to multiple display segments  100  in  FIGS. 15-18 . 
     Whereas the picture sections  232 ,  234 ,  236 ,  238 ,  242 ,  244 ,  246 ,  248  from  FIGS. 12A and 12B  are used in  FIGS. 13A through 13D , the picture sections from  FIGS. 11A and 11B  are used in  FIGS. 15-18 , showing the relationship of the different picture sections with respect to each other when attached to an embodiment of the disclosed display system  10 .  FIG. 14  shows a relative positioning  300  of  FIGS. 11A and 11B  when stacked back to back. Typically, one side of the force orienting display system  10  will display a picture to the viewer with its picture sections stacked in a sequentially correct order to display a picture visible to the viewer, as the “1” graphic  230  in  FIGS. 15-18  show. The side facing away from the viewer will be displaying a stacking order in a reverse, inverted order. The hidden dashed lines of the “2” graphic  240  in  FIGS. 15-18  illustrate this reversed stacking order. 
     In one embodiment, a display system  10  as illustrated in  FIG. 1  comprises any number of elongated display segments  100  rotationally mounted to the outside surface  104  of a moving surface such as a drum and is acted on by a known force such as gravity. Each elongated display segment  100 , having a receiver substrate area defined, will have picture sections attached to the substrate areas. The display segments  100  are positioned generally parallel to the surface&#39;s  400  axis of rotation. A number of elongated display segments  100  mounted sufficiently close to each other allow free rotation of all elongated display segments  100  around the surface  104  such as a drum. As the drum completes its full rotations, e.g. as the drum rotates through 360°, the force acting on the elongated display segments  100  will align all of the display segments in similar orientations to a viewer with respect to the surface  104  (e.g. a surface of the drum) displaying a number of reconstructed pictures right side up on one side of the drum, and displaying a number of reconstructed pictures right side up on the opposite side of the drum, thus providing proper orientation for viewing in a plurality of orientations. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , another embodiment of a display system  20  is shown by mounting one or more display segments  100  on an essentially flat, generally vertical, rotating surface  107 , such as a display in a store. Picture sections  232 ,  234 ,  236 ,  238  on receiver substrate locations on each of the elongated display segments are reassembled to display a picture. 
     As the rotating, generally vertical surface is rotated 180°, the picture displayed will change from displaying the picture on its “1” right side to displaying the picture on its “2” left side. As the rotating, generally vertical surface is rotated through another 180°, the picture displayed will alternate from displaying the picture on its “2” left side to displaying the picture on its “1” right side. The picture displaying cycle then repeats. 
     Of course, the display system  20  described above may be implemented on non-flat surfaces. 
     Still another embodiment incorporates the application of one or more known different forces to act on the display segments, such as magnetism, acting on an internal, ferrous mass, which is used simultaneously as a mass to alter its overall center of mass. 
     In another embodiment, the number of receiver substrate may be more than two, such as defining four receiver substrate locations around the display segments  100  instead of two. Gravity and magnetism could then be used in conjunction to display one of four images. 
     An alternate embodiment for affecting the center of mass of the display segments  100  is noted by designing a portion of the display segment  100  to comprise materials of differing densities, such as a relatively light density material  105  and a relatively low density material  106  as shown in  FIG. 4 , thus making one portion of the display segment  100  heavier or lighter than the other. Alternately, hollow display segments  100  can be extruded to have differing wall thicknesses around its circumference yet consistent along its length, giving that portion of the display segment  100  with its thicker walls more mass. 
     The placement of the rotational mechanism  110  may be varied in some embodiments. For example, the rotational mechanism  110  may be integral to the display segment  100 , or it may be integral to its mount  101 . 
     In some embodiments, the display segments  100  may have different diameters. In another exemplary embodiment, transparent tubing is slid over the display segments  100  to attach, secure, and retain the picture sections to the display segments  100 . 
     In another exemplary embodiment, mounts which conduct electricity or incorporate electrical conductors for conducting electricity may be provided for light generating elements  310 , such as a light emitting diode as shown within the cutaway section  103  in  FIG. 8 , or for powering any subsequent internal devices. 
     In some embodiments, picture sections can be removably secured to by any appropriate attachment expedient, such as magnetic backed picture sections and a magnetically attractive surface, by the use of hook and loop material on the backs of the picture sections and on the receiver substrate areas. 
     An alternate embodiment for attaching the graphic sections is evident in that some picture sections will bear a convenient adhesive layer on their obverse, protected by a strippable liner, where the liner can be pulled away from the picture section, exposing an adhesive surface. 
     Yet another alternate embodiment is for pictures which are painted or printed onto the receiver substrate areas. 
     Referring again to  FIG. 2 , in one embodiment of a display system, initial operation starts by providing display segments  100  on an essentially flat, generally vertical, rotating or movable surface  107 , then selecting, cutting and attaching picture sections  232 ,  234 ,  236 ,  238  to receiver substrate areas on the display segments  100 . By moving or rotating the movable surface  107  around its central rotation point  108  and stopping the rotation when the display segments  100  are essentially horizontal, different pictures are alternately displayed. The properly displayed, forward facing picture surface could be part of a point-of-purchase display, with alternating messages or images displayed to shoppers. 
     Explained herein is a system for displaying one or more pictures mounted on one or more independent, freely rotatable, elongated display segments which are attached proximally to each other on a movable surface. The movable surface acts to change the position and orientations of the different display segments with respect to the surface and to nearby display segments, causing a coordinated change of display between one of two different pictures in non-inverted orientations. For example, it correctly displays logos in proper top to bottom orientation on both sides of a concrete mixer drum. 
     A mounting surface need not be completely flat, but the display segments rotate freely with respect to the mounting surface, taking into account all possible movements of the mounting surface. Each display segment attached to a rotating surface must have free, unobstructed rotation throughout the entire range of motion of the surface. 
     The display segments remain generally parallel to each other. They will properly align to display pictures while their axes of rotation are synchronized left sides to left sides, and in a primarily non-vertical orientation. They are not required to be confined to horizontal orientations only, as gravity continues to act on the horizontal component of the center of mass acting on the center of rotation of the display segment to provide a rotational moment when the display segment is not in a true horizontal orientation. However, as the axes of rotation of the display segments approach a vertical orientation, the centers of mass of the display segments become more closely aligned with the axes of rotation, the rotational moment of the horizontal component of gravity on the center of mass acting along the center of rotation approaches zero, and gravity begins to have less effect in providing its novel, desired alignment force on the display segments, and the display coordination breaks down. 
     While the above description contains many embodiments, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but as exemplary implementations thereof. Many other ramifications and variations are possible within the teachings of the invention. 
     Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, and not by the examples given.