Patent Publication Number: US-2012030978-A1

Title: Signage device

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention concerns a device for displaying a sign or logo for information or promotional purposes. In particular, though not exclusively, the invention relates to such a device when adapted for mounting, for example, to an article of furniture such as a chair. The device may also be termed “a badge mounting device” and the terms signage device and badge mounting device are used interchangeably in this specification. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,143,583 describes an advertising sign particularly adapted for use at the rear of motor vehicles in the 1930s. It comprises a base in the form of a substantially flat disc intended to be secured by bolts or rivets to a bracket at the back of the motor vehicle. This base is in the form of a substantially flat, circular disc having a peripheral edge curled over to present an annular channel, said channel defining a central opening into which a correspondingly circular display plate can be inserted to lie flat against the base, said display plate being secured in that position by a split ring of tubular form of a size to clip into the channel overlying the periphery of the display plate. A pin projects from the base adjacent its bottom edge, just inside the peripheral channel and the display plate is provided with a radial slot at a location defining its bottom edge so that the display plate is appropriately orientated and located non-rotatably in the base when the slot is registered with and engaged on the pin. The display plate can be removed by first prising out the retaining split ring by inserting a tool via a notch in the outer edge of the channel. It can then be exchanged for a different display plate. 
     Nowadays, in conference centers, and in hotels and other establishments having conference, meeting and event facilities, many devices are used for displaying promotional material, for example the logo of an organization utilizing the conference facility. 
     An object of the present invention is to provide chairs with badge mounting devices whereby the badges are interchangeable as required, either to advertise the services provided by the conference facility such as by using a hotel or conference centre logo, or to display the logo of an organization using the conference facility, or to display any badge or picture or similar as desired by organizers of a social event, such as a wedding. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a badge mounting device which may be fixed to any display surfaces and allow badges to be mounted interchangeably in a quick and simple manner. 
     Yet a further object is to provide for quick and easy mounting of badges or signs whereby they remain reliably upright, or in appropriate required orientation when in position, thus avoiding the untidy appearance of several such signs disposed randomly at different angles. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure provides a signage device for attachment to a surface from which a sign having at least partial edge curvature is to be displayed. The curved edge region of the sign is provided with a locating formation in the form of a tongue or a notch. A simple version of the device of the invention has a supporting part, for attachment to a surface, which consists of a flat strip of curved configuration having a concavely curved upper support edge to support the curved edge region of the sign and a framing part attached to the supporting part in superimposed relationship thereto to retain and frame the sign when the sign is supported upon the supporting part. The upper support edge of the supporting part has a location formation, namely a tongue or a notch, complementary to that of the sign, said formations engaging with each other to maintain the sign in a selected orientation and in a non-rotatable manner relative to the supporting part when, in use, the supporting part is attached to a surface and the sign is inserted behind the framing part. 
     A more robust version of the device, which is also better adapted for attachment to a wide variety of substrates, such as many different styles of chairs, doors or other display backing, also includes a backing plate to which the supporting part is attached. 
     The framing part may be integrally formed with or attached or attachable to the supporting part. 
     The sign may be a circular disc. Other shapes, such as oval or elliptical, are possible. 
     The supporting part may be a semi-circular strip of material, to match a circular disc. 
     However, in preferred embodiments the supporting part may have a lower edge of part circular shape, which may be of greater angular extent than semicircular and its curved upper edge may have a central region of no more than semicircular shape and respective tapering end regions which joined to the tips of the lower edge. 
     The framing part may be of annular form corresponding in radius to that of the supporting part, when the latter is semi-circular or has a part circular lower edge. 
     The location formations, namely the tongue or notch at the upper surface of the supporting part of the device, and complementary notch or tongue on the lower surface of the sign may be V-shaped for ease of inter-engagement. 
     The supporting and framing parts and the sign, and the backing plate when provided, may be formed from sheet material. The sheet material may be metallic or it may be of plastics. 
     The supporting and framing parts may be die cut in a single sheet of material and retained therein, until required for use, by bridging pieces. 
     The signage device may be combined with an article of furniture having a surface to which the device is attached, replaceably to display the sign. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a first embodiment of a signage device in accordance with the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of a second embodiment of a signage device in accordance with the invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the second embodiment with parts connected as viewed from the front; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the second embodiment with parts connected as viewed from the rear; 
         FIG. 5  is a front plan view of a backing plate of the second embodiment; 
         FIG. 6  is a corresponding side view of the backing plate of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a front plan view showing a supporting part of the second embodiment attached onto the backing plate; 
         FIG. 8  is a corresponding side view of the connected parts in  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a front plan view of the fully assembled second embodiment, with a framing part overlying the supporting part; and 
         FIG. 10  is a corresponding side view of the second embodiment shown in  FIG. 9 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A first embodiment of a signage device of this invention, as shown in  FIG. 1 , comprises three parts, namely a supporting part  10 , a framing part  11  and a sign  12  in the form of a substantially circular disc on which may be printed or engraved a company logo, for example, or other information. 
     The supporting part  10  and the framing part  11  may be cut from a single sheet of material, for example polished steel, and typically in the region of 1 mm to 2 mm in thickness. The sign  12  may similarly be formed in multiples from a single sheet of material of similar kind. 
     However, all of these parts may be produced from other suitable material, such as vinyl or other plastics material. 
     The supporting part  10  is of generally semi-circular form and the framing part  11  is annular, these parts having matching radius. 
     The supporting part  10 , on its opposed faces, is provided with a self-adhesive material with a removable backing sheet whereby the annular framing part  11  may be attached to the part  10  in superimposed relationship therewith and then the two combined parts may be attached to the surface from which the sign is to be displayed. 
     The supporting part  10  has a V-shaped tongue  15  projecting radially inwards substantially at its mid-point, and the combined supporting and framing parts are intended to be placed on the display surface with the tongue  15  at the lowermost position. 
     In view of the semi-circular and annular relationship of the supporting and framing parts, once the device is in position on a backing surface, then the disc-like sign  12  may be inserted beneath the framing part  11  with the lower half of its circumferential edge resting upon and supported by the upper surface of the supporting part  10 . For this purpose a V-shaped notch  16  is provided at what is intended to be the lowermost part of the sign  12  to become engaged with the tongue  15  of the supporting part  10 . Thus the tongue  15  and notch  16  serve as location means to ensure that the sign is maintained in an upright disposition and framed by the part  11  whereby, for example, a logo displayed upon the sign  12  is visible through the frame of the part  11 . It is then easily removable to be replaced, if and when required, by an alternative sign. 
     In use, the surface on which the signage device shown in  FIG. 1  is mounted will typically be a flat surface on the back of a conference chair, although its uses are manifold and it can be attached to any surface from which a sign is to be displayed while retained in an upright position. 
     A conference chair designed and produced to receive such a signage device may be provided with an upright smooth surface preferably of bright stainless steel at the back of the chair, thus to be visible when the chair is in use, for example, around a conference table. 
     In modified versions of the above described signage device, the supporting part  10  and the framing part  11  may be formed integrally as a single piece, for example molded from plastics, in which case self-adhesive material is required only on the surface of the part  10  to be applied to the article surface from which the sign is to be displayed. 
     In other modified versions of the above described signage device the supporting part  10 , whether integral with or attached to the framing part, may be attached by magnetic means to an underlying surface which is made of steel. 
     Furthermore, the device may be other than strictly circular while still having curvature at the sides and/or the lower region of the device, the tongue and notch  15 ,  16  being provided to ensure that the sign remains upright irrespective of the curvature of its supporting surface. 
     Obviously, in modified versions, the notch and tongue maybe provided the opposite way round, the supporting part  10  being provided with a notch while the sign  12  has an inter-engaging tongue. Also these location means may be other than V-shape although the inclined edges of the tongue  15  and notch  16  are such as to provide ease of introduction. 
     The device enables users interchangeably to display advertising, promotional or aesthetic material or other information as required for a particular event or occasion by quickly and smoothly inserting and removing the sign from its mounted position behind the framing member  11 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 2 to 7 , these illustrate a second embodiment of the signage or badge mounting device of the invention. This consists of three parts, namely a backing plate  18 , a supporting part  20  and a framing part  21 . All of these parts may be cut from sheet steel, typically about 1 mm in thickness. However, they may also be produced from any other suitable material. 
     The backing plate  18  is provided to enable a signage device consisting of a supporting part and a framing part, similar in form to the first embodiment described above, to be attached in an efficient, reliable and removable manner to a wider range of support substrates than may be possible with the first embodiment and its adhesive attachment. 
     The backing plate  18  is formed as a substantially circular disc which has three legs  19 ,  22 ,  23  extending from the rear surface. As shown, these are punched out from the sheet metal as tabs which are bent outwards and then again to provide connector portions  24  which lie spaced above and approximately parallel to the rear surface of the remaining plate. The connector portions are formed with holes  25  for connection to the underlying substrate, typically the back of a chair, by means of screws. Access for fixing the screws is through the cut out portions of the plate  18 . 
     In modified versions the legs may be provided by separate components welded to the rear surface of the backing plate  18 , in which case apertures in the plate are required at appropriate overlying positions to allow access for securing or releasing the screws. 
     The three legs  19 ,  22 ,  23  are positioned at substantially equally angular spacing, that is at approximately 60° spacing to each other around the circular plate  18 . The leg  19  which is to be the uppermost leg when the backing plate  18  is mounted in use is bent outwards to a lower depth than the other two legs so that, for example, its connector portion  24  may lie about 5 mm from the rear surface of the plate  18 , whereas the connector portion  24  of the other two legs  22 ,  23 , may lie at about 7 mm from the rear surface of the plate  18 . This specifically adapts this particular embodiment of the device for streamlined fitting to a substrate such as the rear surface of a chair back which is curved or sloped rearwards. 
     As shown, particularly in the enlarged detail from  FIG. 10 , and upper edge adjacent region of the backing plate  18  is displaced to a small degree out of the plane of the remaining plate  18  to provide a rearwardly sloping lip  28 . This facilitates insertion of a sign in the form of a circular disc, exactly as sign  12  in the first embodiment, between the framing part  21  and the backing plate  18  in the assembled and mounted device. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the backing plate  18  is formed with two circumferentially spaced shallow protrusions  26  for the purpose of location of the supporting part  20 . 
     The supporting part  20  has a lower edge of part circular shape which is greater than semicircular, as apparent in  FIGS. 2 and 7 . Its upper edge, which in use supports the sign, has a central region of no more than semicircular shape, so as to receive the lower half of the circular sign. An upstanding V-shaped tongue  27  is provided at the midpoint of the upper edge, as in the first embodiment, to engage and locate the corresponding notch  16  on the sign  12  and prevent rotation of the sign  12  when mounted within the device. End regions of the upper edge are tapered outwards at  17  to adjoin the lower edge at tips of the part  20 . This shape of the supporting part  20  enables speedy and accurate insertion of the sign  12 . In this respect at conference facilities there may be several hundred signs/badges which need to be inserted into respective badge mounting devices, or replaced, and this needs to be accomplished with maximum efficiency. 
     The supporting part  20  has spaced apertures  29  which align with and locate on the protrusions  26  of the backing plate  18  prior to spot welding of the supporting part  20  to the plate  18 .  FIGS. 7 and 8  shows the supporting part  20  attached onto the plate  18  in this manner. 
     The framing part  21  comprises an annular plate or ring, as in the first embodiment. It is attached to the front face of the supporting part  20  by adhesive.  FIGS. 3 ,  4 ,  9  and  10  show the fully fabricated device which, other than the protruding legs, has an entire thickness of between 2 and 3 mm, so that it sits closely in a streamlined manner upon an underlying substrate, typically the backrest of the chair, and does not protrude in a way which could lead to it catching on clothing or items carried by people passing by. Furthermore, the manner in which the legs are formed enables attachment to fabric of a chair backrest, again in a streamlined manner, and in a manner which should leave no marks or damage if the device is subsequently removed. 
     The foregoing describes two embodiments of the invention and certain variants thereof. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise details of the described embodiments and many variations in design are possible within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.