Patent Publication Number: US-8973642-B2

Title: Display stands

Description:
This invention concerns display stands, and also display assemblies. 
     Display stands are widely used at exhibitions and elsewhere. It is generally required that these can be readily erected and dismantled when required. Such stands often include a flexible display member and a dismountable support arrangement. The display member may be provided on a roller, with a pole or other arrangement locatable in position to retain the display member in position extending from the roller. Other arrangements include a flexible display member removably mountable on a collapsible frame. 
     It is often required or at least desirable to have the stands in a different shape or alignment, dependent on the space available. It is however generally not possible to curve display stands of the types outlined above. Therefore a curved shape can only be approximately obtained by the relative inclination of adjacent straight display stands. 
     According to the present invention there is provided a display stand, the stand including a pair of upstanding parallel support members, a flexible display member made of sheet material which extends between the support members and is held taut thereby, and a support arrangement which extends between the support members at or towards the lower end thereof, the support arrangement including a plurality of elongate link members extending in a line between the support members, with the link members pivotally interconnected at respective ends about a substantially vertical axis. 
     The support arrangement may be configured so as to substantially only permit the support members to move relative to each other in a substantially horizontal plane. 
     The support members may be formed from lengths of an extrusion, which may be of aluminium. 
     The support members may be generally rectangular, and desirably generally square, in plan view, and may permit mounting of a display member and/or support arrangement to any of the four sides thereof. 
     The link members may have a first connection structure at one end and a second connection structure at the other end, with respective first and second connection structures engageable together to pivotally connect adjacent link members. 
     The link members may have a sprung interconnection such that they are spring urged to a linear alignment. 
     The first and/or second connection structures may be configured to be substantially rigidly mountable to a support member. 
     One or more recesses may be provided in each support member to receive a first and/or second connection structure. A recess may be provided on each side of the support member. 
     A ground engaging foot member may be provided for each support member. An engagement arrangement may be provided for selectively retaining a support member on a foot member. 
     Each engagement arrangement may include a part on the support member selectively movable between a position engaging a formation on a foot member and a disengaged position. 
     The formation may be elongate and may comprise a channel, such that the relative mounting position of the support member or the foot member can be varied. 
     A plurality of formations may be provided on the foot member such that the support member can be mounted to a respective one thereof as required. 
     The display member is preferably attached to the support members by one or more magnets on the rear of the display member. The magnets may be in the form of a magnetic tape. 
     The invention also provides a display assembly, the assembly comprising two or more display stands according to any of the preceding twelve paragraphs, with adjacent display stands sharing a common upstanding support member therebetween. 
    
    
     
       An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:— 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a display assembly according to the invention in a straight configuration; 
         FIG. 2  is a similar view to  FIG. 1  but with the display assembly in a curved configuration; 
         FIG. 3  is a similar view to  FIG. 2  but with part of the assembly removed; 
         FIG. 4  is a diagrammatic view of some of the components of the assembly of  FIG. 1  in an illustrative configuration; 
         FIGS. 5 to 7  are respectively more detailed perspective views of parts of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a diagrammatic view of part of the assembly of  FIG. 1  in a first condition; 
         FIG. 9  is similar to  FIG. 8  but in a second condition; 
         FIG. 10  is a diagrammatic perspective view of a lower part of the assembly as shown in  FIG. 2 ; and 
         FIGS. 11 and 12  are views of a lower part of the assembly of  FIG. 1  in different configurations. 
     
    
    
     The drawings show a display assembly  10  in the form of three interconnected display stands  12 A,  12 B,  12 C. Each of the stands  12  includes a spaced pair of vertically extending support members  14  mounted on feet  16 . A flexible display member  18  extends between the support members  14  and is held taut thereby. A support arrangement  20  extends between the support members  14  immediately above the feet  16 . For adjacent display stands  12 , a common support member  14  forms part of each display stand  12 . 
     The support members  14  are in the form of lengths of an aluminium generally square extrusion  22 . The extrusion  22  has a central square part  24  with a further square part  26  extending from each corner of the square part  24 . A recess  28  is defined between each pair of further square parts  26 , and lips  30  extend from each further square part  26  to define a narrower opening  32  to each recess  28 . A lip  34  extends from the outer corner of each further square part  26 . 
     The display members  18  are mounted on the support members  14 , by magnetic tape provided along side edges of the display members  18  on the rear side thereof. The magnetic tape will locate on the outside of the respective further square part  26 , and engage against the respective lip  34  to provide an accurate location of the display members  18 . 
     Each support arrangement  20  comprises five link members  36  extending in a line between the respective support members  14 . Each link member  36  includes a first connection arrangement  38  at one end and a second connection arrangement  40  at the other end. The first connection arrangement includes a part circular formation  42  from which extends an outwardly curved arcuate section  44 , with a smaller part circular formation  46  extending via a web  48  from the arcuate section  44 . 
     When mounted to a support member  14  as shown in  FIG. 6  the arcuate section  44  is of a size to locate within a one of the recesses  28  but be retained in there by the lips  30 , with the smaller part circular formation  46  engageable against the square part  24  to substantially prevent pivoting of the respective link member  36  relative to the support member  14 . 
     From the first connection arrangement  38  the link  36  extends in the form of a pair of gently convex plates  50  to the second connection arrangement  40 . The second connection arrangement  40  has a part circular formation  52  similar to the part circular formation  42 . The part circular formation  52  has a web  54  extending across an open part thereof. The web  54  mounts a further part circular formation  56  which is smaller than the part circular formation  52  but larger than the part circular formation  46 . 
     As can be seen from  FIG. 7 , the web  54  is of a size to provide a substantially rigid mounting across the opening  32  of a one of the recesses  28  with the part circular formation  56  extending into the respective recess  28 . This provides a substantially rigid mounting between the second connection arrangement  40  and a respective support member  14 . 
     Adjacent link members  36  are interconnected by the smaller circular part formation  46  of the first connection arrangement  38  locating in the part circular formation  56  of the second connection arrangement  40 . This permits relative pivoting about a substantially vertical axis. A fastener (not shown) may be provided to prevent relative vertical movement between the link members  36 . 
     The feet  16  are in the form of profiled members  58  with downwardly turned sides  60  which are ground engaging. Grooves  62  are also provided in the members  58 , spaced from the sides  60 , and which are ground engaging. A pair of channels  64  are provided, one extending substantially centrally across the feet  16  parallel to the grooves  62 , and the other a side channel extending parallel to the central channel  64 , but between a one of the grooves  62  and the respective side  60 . 
     An engagement arrangement  66  is provided mounted at the base of the support members  14  in a side one of the recesses  28 . The engagement arrangement  66  includes an engagement member (not shown) which is selectively movable to engage in a one of the channels  64  by a cam arrangement connected to a handle  68 . When the handle  68  extends horizontally as shown in  FIG. 8  the member is disengaged from the respective channel  64 , but when the handle  68  locates in the respective recess  28  the engagement member is engaged in the respective channel  64  to mount the support member  14  on the foot  16 . 
     As the channels  64  are elongate, the support members  14  can be mounted in a required position thereon. For instance where the support member mounts a display member on each side, the support member  14  will usually be provided generally centrally on the foot  16  as shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , and also in the central parts of  FIG. 10 . 
     At the end of the display assembly  10  where there is only a display member  18  on one side, the support member  14  can be mounted substantially at the end of a foot  16  as shown at each end in  FIG. 10 , and also in  FIG. 12 . This can be significant if abutting against a wall extending transversely to the assembly  10 . If the assembly  10  is positioned generally parallel to a wall, then the support members  14  can be mounted in the side channel  64  to bring the display members  18  closer to the wall as shown in  FIGS. 11 and 12 . 
     The support arrangements  20  permit the display assembly to adapt a wide range of different curved profiles, as illustrated for instance in  FIG. 2 , with a generally straight central display member  18 , and display members  18  on either side, curved in opposite directions. Obviously a wide range of different shapes can be chosen as desired, with a required number of display stands  12 . 
     The support arrangement  20  substantially only prevents relative movement of the support members  14  in a horizontal plane whilst maintaining a constant spacing between the support members  14 . This will mean for instance that the tops of the support members  14  are substantially prevented from moving front to back or side to side relative to the support arrangement  20 . The configuration of the support members  14  mean that more than two display members  18  could be mounted thereto, or display members could be mounted perpendicularly to each other. 
     There is thus described a display assembly which permits a wide range of shapes to be adopted whilst maintaining the integrity and tautness of the display members  18 , and thus the appearance of the assembly. The assembly whilst permitting a wide range of possibilities could still be readily erected and dismantled as required. The arrangement of the feet permits appropriate mounting relative to surrounding walls or other fixtures or to avoid trip hazards. 
     It is to be realised that a number of modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The number of adjacent display stands provided can be chosen as required, as can the types of the display stands. A different number of link members could be provided. The link members may have a sprung interconnection so as to be urged to a linear alignment. The support members may have a different form, and different connection arrangements could be used. Different feet and/or engagement arrangements therewith, could be used. 
     Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.