Patent Publication Number: US-6216372-B1

Title: Process for attaching posters or related items onto strip of translucent material

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a process for attaching posters or related items onto an illuminated carrier film of translucent material, which runs from one reel to another and back again. In this process the individual poster is flexibly secured to the carrier film at its extending edges, perpendicular to the roller direction of the carrier film, and the edges of two adjacent posters are positioned in pockets. The pockets are formed by tongues of a translucent guide, secured in fixed position to the carrier film. 
     With the related process described in EP 0 333 820 B, individual adjacent posters mounted on the carrier film alternate, and a vertical light beam in the visual range of the graphics occurs between two adjacent posters on the carrier film. In some circumstances, the fluorescent tubes behind the transparent carrier film are visible; this can be distracting to those facing the advertising posters. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     One of the objects of the present invention is a process related to the above-mentioned technology but which totally eliminates such light beams between adjacent posters. 
     In accordance with the present invention, the side edge of one poster is inserted into a pocket bordered by the carrier film and a first tongue, and a second poster is inserted into a second pocket bordered by the first tongue and a second tongue attached to the first one. This allows the edges of the posters to overlap one another in the pockets. The second pocket is situated in front of the first one. 
     With this arrangement, occurrence of a light beam in the graphic&#39;s visual range during review of a series of posters is eliminated. This makes it possible that with overlapping posters there would not only be no light beams with regard to the posters, but there would even be a darker stripe between adjacent Posters. Observers would not find this distracting. The overlapping areas can be printed in such a way that no light penetration occurs. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Novel features and advantages of the present invention in addition to those discussed above will become apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art from a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts and in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic sectional top plan view of apparatus for attaching posters or related items onto a carrier film of translucent material, according to the prior art. 
     FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic sectional top plan view of apparatus for attaching posters or related items onto a carrier film of translucent material, according to the present invention; and 
     FIG. 3 is a partial diagrammatic sectional top plan view showing an alternative embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring in more particularity to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows the prior art which comprises a poster alternating display system  1  with a guide  3  mounted on a carrier film  2  made of translucent material. The guide  3  is permanently mounted to the carrier film  2 . The guide component  3  consists of a connecting area  4  secured to the carrier film by adhesive  7 , and two surrounding convex shaped tongues  5 ,  6  extending to the right and left, as shown in FIG.  1 . The tongues are constructed as a single piece with the connecting area  4  between them. The guide is preferably made of a similar translucent material as the carrier film  2  and is permanently fixed by adhesive  7  at the connecting area  4  of the guide  3 . 
     In the area covered by the convex tongues  5 ,  6 , two translucent strips  8 ,  9  are permanently mounted on the side of carrier film  2  facing the tongues, along the length of each translucent strip. Each translucent strip runs from the top of the carrier film to the bottom thereof. Two posters  10 L,  10 R are flexibly fastened (i.e. floating) on the translucent strips  8 ,  9  and they can be removed. This guarantees easy movement of the individual posters when the carrier film is scrolling back and forth due to the springiness of the tongues  5 ,  6 . The guide  3  is permanently mounted on carrier film  2  between the translucent strips  8 ,  9 . 
     As shown in FIG. 1, the free side edges of the posters  10 L,  10 R do not reach the bottom of pockets  11 ,  12  formed by carrier film  2  and tongues  5 ,  6 . This allows a limited shift of the posters in the pockets as the carrier film scrolls back and forth. The double arrow (D) associated with each tongue indicates that the tongues can float on the overlapped posters. 
     In use, the tongues  5 ,  6  are moved away from the carrier film  2  and the posters  10 L,  10 R are fixed to the translucent strips  8 ,  9  by removable double stick tape  20 . Sections of double stick tape  20  may be applied at the top and bottom of the translucent strips  8 ,  9 , or at the middle, depending on the various sizes of the posters. When released, the tongues  5 ,  6  spring back against the edge of the posters. With the posters spaced apart in this manner light L from source  13  passes through the carrier film  2  in the area between the posters which creates a visual distraction to the viewer  22 . 
     In operation of the poster alternating system  1 , the carrier film  2  and the posters on the film are illuminated from behind by a plurality of light sources, such as fluorescent tubes  13 . If the carrier film is moved to display an adjacent poster, e.g., to the left in FIG. 1, the connecting area  4  also runs through the visual area. Since carrier film  2 , the guide  3 , and the connecting area  4  are transparent or milky, light exits between two spaced posters, as indicated by arrow L. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates the present invention wherein a guide  14  has a tongue  15  corresponding to tongue  5  of guide  3 . Tongue  15  overlaps the edges of poster  10 L as described above and covers it and holds it securely on the carrier film  2  as it moves from right to left and vice versa. The width of tongue  15  is somewhat larger in order to allow a shift of the connecting area  4 a to the right in FIG. 2, i.e, the connecting area of the guide is no longer located on the axis between translucent strips  8 ,  9 . Tongue  15  is fixed to the carrier film by adhesive  7  at area  4   a  onto carrier film  2 . 
     A convex tongue  17  adjoins the free edge of tongue  15 . In FIG. 2, tongue  17  extends to the right, i.e., in the direction of the connecting area  4   a  and the translucent strip  9 . 
     This leads to the development of a take-up pocket  18  for poster  10 R which is located in front of the pocket  19  between tongue  15  and the tongue  17 . The right side edge of poster  10 L is fed into pocket  19  and the left side edge of poster  10 R is fed into pocket  18  until the posters edges overlap one another. In the area of overlap the posters are preferably printed in such a way that they not only reduces light penetration, but in combination with one another they also prevent a disturbing light penetration. Either the print on the edge of one poster is enough to prevent light penetration or the print on the edges of both posters is sufficient to prevent light penetration. The insertion sequence of posters  10 R and  10 L into their respective pockets is random. The posters are not to be fed into the bottom  18   a  or  19   a  of the pockets, since otherwise the limited movement of in the pockets would be impeded. 
     Posters  10 L,  10 R may measure various sizes in the side-to-side direction with the overlapping adjacent side edges measuring about 2″ to 5″. The posters are held against the carrier film  2  by the double stick tape  20  on the translucent strips  8 ,  9 , and the tongues  15 ,  17 . Also, static charges between the carrier film and the posters hold the posters against the film. 
     In FIG. 3, the connecting area  4   a  of tongue  15  extends further to the right, and the translucent strip  9  is secured by adhesive  7  to the area  4   a . Double stick tape  20  is secured to the exterior of translucent strip  9 .