Patent Publication Number: US-6668475-B2

Title: Air inflated portable billboard

Description:
This application claims priority under 35 USC §119(e) to Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/272,068 filed on Mar. 1, 2001. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In business, it is desirable to be able to communicate messages, advertisements or both in inexpensive ways that attract attention but are also flexible enough to allow for ready transportation of the sign to a near location and/or modification of the message being communicated. 
     The prior art teaches many devices which attempt to provide these benefits. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,071 teaches a fabric faced billboard comprising a sheet of fabric having the advertising message thereon pulled across a rigid billboard panel, wherein air is blown into the billboard, thereby causing the sheet of fabric to remain a smooth, continuous surface. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,369,591 teaches an inflatable display structure which uses an elongated inflated bag for its principal structural support. A display facing is releasably mounted directly onto the inflated bag by snaps or the like. The bag also includes a plurality of gussets within the bag, thereby providing a substantially flat surface for mounting the display facing thereto. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,121 teaches a self-contained inflatable sign which comprises a translucent envelope with a series of lights therein and a banner mounted onto the envelope. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,892,081 teaches an inflatable portable sign which comprises a support post and a balloon having printed matter thereon. In use, the post is inserted into the ground and the balloon is inflated. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,236 teaches a device for stretching a flexible sheet over a support frame for using the flexible sheet as a visual panel. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,916 teaches a two-piece display balloon holder. 
     U.S. Design Pat. No. 413,933 teaches an inflated, enclosed support to which a sign is mounted. 
     U.S. Design Pat. No. 337,129 teaches an inflated sign wherein the sign is enclosed within an envelope which is in turn inflated and sealed 
     U.S. Design Pat. No. 334,031 teaches an inflatable sign which is effectively a flat balloon having indicia printed on a front face thereof. 
     U.S. Design Pat. No. 306,746 teaches a blimp-shaped sign onto which a banner or facing is directly attached. 
     However, these devices are subject to damage from even moderate winds. As will be apparent to one knowledgeable in the art, damage to the inflatable sign results in lost advertising time and therefore lost revenue. Clearly, an improved inflated sign which incurs minimal damage from moderate to high winds is needed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the invention, there is provided an inflatable billboard comprising: 
     an inflatable frame having a top portion, a base portion and two sides, thereby defining an opening; 
     an advertising face mounted within the opening, 
     releasable connectors mounting the advertising face to the inflatable frame, said releasable connectors being manually releasable; and 
     detachable connectors mounting the advertising face to the inflatable frame, said detachable connectors releasing in response to wind pressure. 
     One embodiment of the invention will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side view in perspective of the inflatable sign in use with the wind pressure release means disengaged. 
     FIG. 2 shows the release strap. 
     FIG. 3 shows the wind pressure release strap in the closed position. 
     FIG. 4 shows the wind pressure release strap in the open position. 
     FIG. 5 shows some alternate configurations of the inflatable sign. 
     FIG. 6 shows a side view in perspective of an alternative embodiment of the inflatable sign. 
     FIG. 7 shows an alternate wind pressure release strap in the open position 
    
    
     In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As used herein, “releasable” refers to connectors which must be manually released. 
     As used herein, “detachable” refers to connectors which release in response to wind pressure. 
     As discussed above, the problem with any outdoor cold air inflated billboard system is the effect of wind on that system. It is known from the outset that a billboard system of this nature will sustain damage in moderate to high winds. When dealing with winds of hurricane strength it is only possible to attempt to stop as much of the ripped apart system as possible from becoming airborne and causing damage to surrounding objects. In the case of a tornado obviously if trees can be uprooted so can a portable billboard system. Hurricanes and tornadoes occur rarely enough to have any significant effect on portable billboard systems in use. Moderate to high winds, however, do cause frequent damage to portable billboard systems. This damage results in advertising down time and lost revenues for everyone involved. While minor damage can be resolved on site by trained installers with little lost advertising time and therefore little lost revenue, major damage often involves removing the portable billboard system from the site for repair at substantial cost with possible loss of revenue for several days unless a replacement system is readily available. 
     Described herein is a device which incurs minimal damage from moderate to high winds, thereby reducing lost revenue. The device is designed so that the majority of the total surface area of the combined frame and advertising face is in the advertising face itself, as described below. The frame is designed with aerodynamic principles in mind with smooth curved surfaces. Similarly, the advertising face is also designed with aerodynamic principles in mind by cutting wind vents into its surface to allow wind to pass through in small but evenly distributed areas, as described below. Furthermore, the device includes a pressure release system which is arranged so that when the advertising face is hit with a gust of wind, the pressure release system causes the advertising face to break free of a portion of the frame, thereby relieving wind pressure on approximately ⅓ of its surface area. The advertising face blows in the wind until a trained installer can respond to the situation by quickly reattaching the pressure release system. It is of note that the advertising face would only be reattached when it is judged that the winds will remain at a lower level for a significant amount of time. As will be appreciated by one knowledgeable in the art, the above scenario could have resulted in major damage to the air inflated portable billboard system if the advertising face had remained completely fastened to the frame and permitted to act as a sail in the wind. 
     As discussed herein, the device comprises a cold air inflated fabric structural frame which supports a large flat interchangeable fabric surface upon which graphics are applied thereby creating a lightweight inflated portable billboard system with an advertising face. The structural frame is a simple tubular structure which eliminates the need for interior baffles or gussets. The tubular structure curves smoothly around corners as much as possible to eliminate stress points and to provide a continuous rigid frame. The air inflated horizontal tubes supported above the ground cannot span long distances without resulting in deflection of the tube causing structural weakness and poor aesthetics. The smooth gently curving structures of the structural frame contribute to positive aerodynamic performance. Constructing the structural frame in this manner provides a large advertising surface with a proportionally lower amount of fabric, making the system as light as possible. 
     Referring to the drawings, an inflatable billboard  1  comprises a frame  10 , an advertising face  12 , releasable mounting means  14 , detachable mounting means  16  and tethering means  18 . 
     As shown in FIG. 1, the frame  10  has a base  20 , a first side  21 , a second side  22  and an arched top  24  defining an opening  26  for mounting the advertising face  12  therein, as described below. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 5, in this embodiment, the base  20 , the first side  21 , the second side  22  and the arched top  24  are substantially tubular in shape, having smooth corners. As a result of this arrangement, stress points are eliminated and the frame  10  is a continuous, rigid frame. The frame  10  also includes a deflation zipper  27  for deflating the inflatable billboard and an adapter sleeve  28  for inflating the inflatable billboard  1  by connecting a blower  2  thereto, as described below. The frame also includes the releasable mounting means  14 , the detachable mounting means  16  and the tethering means  18 , as described below. 
     The advertising frame  12  comprises a substantially flat sheet  30  having a first side  31  and a second side  33 . The sheet  30  includes printed matter and/or graphics on at least one face thereof. Specifically, the sheet  30  is arranged such that graphics and the like are printed directly onto the sheet  30 . The advertising face  12  further includes a plurality of wind vents  32  extending through the sheet  30 . Specifically, the vents  32  allow wind to pass through in small but evenly distributed areas, as shown in FIG.  1 . The advertising face  12  also includes releasable mounting means  14  and detachable mounting means  16 , as described below. 
     In some embodiments, the advertising face  12  is made of a vinyl material, a vinyl coated nylon material or other suitable material. It is of note that these materials accept regular printing inks and digital imaging inks. The graphics are applied to the advertising face using means known in the art, for example, direct digital imaging, screen printing, painting or airbrushing. 
     The tethering means  18  anchors the inflatable billboard  1  to a support surface. In one embodiment, shown in FIG. 1, the tethering means  18  comprises a plurality of D-rings  34  sewn onto the outer surface of the frame  10 . As can be seen in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, the D-rings  34  are distributed at various positions on the front and back of the frame  10  for stabilizing the inflatable billboard  1 , as described below. In use, straps  36  connect the D-rings  34  to eyebolts mounted on the support surface, as described below. 
     The releasable mounting means  14  connects the advertising frame  12  to the frame  10 . Specifically, the releasable mounting means  14  secure the advertising frame  12  within the opening  26  of the frame  10  such that the advertising frame  12  and the frame  10  are not separated during even strong winds but are releasable so that the advertising face  12  can be replaced. In this embodiment, the releasable mounting means  14  include a first zipper  38  on the arched top  24  of the frame  10  and a second zipper  40  on the sheet  30 . Connecting first zipper  38  to second zipper  40  forms sealing zipper  41  which reversibly secures the frame  10  and the advertising face  12  together, as described below. The releasable mounting means  14  also includes release straps  42 . Specifically, in one embodiment, the release strap  42 , shown in FIG. 2, comprises D-rings  44  stitched to or otherwise mounted onto the first side  21  and the second side  22  of the frame  10  and corresponding hooks  46  stitched onto the first side  31  and second side  33  of the sheet  30 . For use, the hooks  46  are fitted onto the respective D-rings  44 , thereby securing the advertising face  12  to the frame  10 , as described below. 
     The detachable mounting means  16  detachably mounts the advertising face  12  to the frame  10  such that winds above a threshold level cause the advertising face  12  to partially release from the frame  10 , thereby reducing wind-associated strain on the inflatable billboard  1  and minimizing damage therefrom. In one embodiment, the detachable mounting means  16  comprises straps  50  made of fabric, for example, nylon webbing, which is sewn permanently onto the back of the advertising face  12 , adjacent to the second side  33  of the sheet  30 . A portion  51  of the strap  50  extends beyond the advertising face  12  and has hook fastening tape  52  permanently stitched to it. The extended portion of the strap  50  is passed through the retaining loop of a snap hook  56 , which is manually hooked onto D-ring  48  on the second side  22  of the frame  10 . The strap  50  then folds back onto the front surface of the advertising face  12  onto a piece of loop fastening tape  54  and thus is held in place in a non-permanent fashion. 
     In alternative embodiments, the advertising face  12  is mounted to the frame  10  by a bungee cord system, a spring system, a mechanical spring release system or by a male-female connector, as shown in FIG.  7 . As will be apparent to one of skill in the art, these connectors may be used as either releasable mounting means  14  and/or as detachable mounting means. 
     In an alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the base  20  and a third side  34  of the flat sheet  30  includes either releasable mounting means  14  or detachable mounting means  16 . 
     For use, the inflatable billboard  1  is assembled and inflated on a rooftop or on the ground. The frame  10  is laid out in the intended display area and is secured by connecting D-rings  34  to corresponding eyebolt screws or the like mounted on either a ground stake or the fascia of a building with the straps  36 , as shown in FIG.  1 . The advertising face  12  is then aligned with the opening  26  of the frame  10 . The advertising face  12  is mounted to the frame  10  by positioning the advertising face  12  such that first zipper  38  on the frame  10  and second zipper  40  on the sheet  30  combine to form sealing zipper  41 . As will be apparent to one knowledgeable in the art, the sealing zipper  41  provides near permanent fastening of the advertising face  12  to the frame  10  and provides stable hanging support over the full width of the sheet  30  as shown in FIG.  1 . Next, each one of the hooks  46  are engaged with the corresponding D-ring  44 . As discussed above, the hooks are stitched onto the first side  31  and the second side  33  of the sheet  30 . Next, the detachable mounting means  16  are connected by passing the port hook fastening tape  52  through the retaining loop of the snap hook  56  and folding the strap  50  back onto the loop fastening tape  54 . The hook  56  is then hooked onto D-ring  48  on the second side  22  of the frame  10 . The blower  2  is then connected to the adapter sleeve  28  and the inflatable billboard  1  is inflated. The cold air blower  2  is powered by a 110 Volt circuit is attached with hook and loop fastening tape to the fabric frame. The cold air blower is turned on and left on to inflate the fabric frame, which will then support the advertising face in a taut manner. The frame  10  is then plumbed and/or levelled as required. Lighting may then be optionally installed as required. 
     As discussed above, the advertising face  12  is mounted to the frame  10  using the sealing zipper  41  to ensure near permanent fastening of the advertising face to the frame and a stable hanging support over the full width of the advertising face  12 . As discussed above, the remaining edges of the advertising face, sides and bottom, are held in place by hook fastening tape on the advertising face and loop fastening tape on the cold air inflated fabric structural frame. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, at four points the advertising face is near permanently fastened to the fabric frame with a manual release snap hook sewn permanently to the advertising face with an anchor strap, hooked to a ‘d’ ring on the fabric frame. At two points the advertising face is fastened with a detachable wind pressure release strap, as discussed above. 
     In other embodiments, the inflatable billboard  1  may be arranged such that the four lower attachment points (two on either side) are mounted with the wind pressure release straps. In these embodiments, the top of the advertising face  12  is still held by the sealing zipper  41 , leaving the bottom portion of the advertising face  12  (in some embodiments, approximately ⅔ of the area) to detach as a result of a gust of wind. In some embodiments, these four detachable wind pressure release straps could be engineered to detach at four different peak load levels to provide a more controlled system. As will be appreciated by one knowledgeable in the art, this could be done in any embodiment of the inflatable billboard  1  having two or more detachable wind pressure release straps. For example, one bottom corner may detach first, followed by the opposite bottom corner, followed by the next adjacent point and so on. Each succeeding release would require a larger gust of wind. In this manner, control over release would be maximized while damage to the inflatable billboard  1  would still be minimized. 
     In use, the inflatable billboard  1  provides a highly visible means of communicating an advertisement or an announcement to the public. When the inflatable billboard  1  encounters light to moderate winds, the wind contacts the advertising face  12  and passes through the vents  32 . As wind strength increases, wind load on the advertising face places the hook fastening tape  52  and the loop fastening tape  54  interface of the detachable mounting means  16  in shear tension. When the wind load reaches a critical value, the fastening tapes  52 ,  54  shear from each other allowing the wind to push the advertising face aside and hence relieving the pressure on the advertising face. 
     In one embodiment, the inflatable billboard is an arch shaped structure 18 feet wide×20 feet tall×3 feet deep and supports a graphic area that is 12 feet wide×15 feet tall. The fabric frame is made of 210 denier nylon coated both sides with poly vinyl chloride. Other suitable arrangements are shown in FIG.  5 . 
     The system is a lightweight portable billboard with wind pressure release system, which can be handled and installed by one person. The flat graphic area makes application of extremely high quality graphics possible. 
     The idea fulfills the need for businesses to communicate a message, an advertisement or both in a temporary, easily changeable and readily transportable manner. The air inflated portable billboard with wind pressure release system allows businesses to respond immediately to their on site communication requirements whether it be retail promotion, emergency signage or event support and signage with more confidence in the reliability of the system. 
     Possible variations include use of external or internal lighting systems and application of graphics directly to the fabric frame itself. Different designs could be developed using the same tubular fabric structural frame with no interior baffles required. 
     In another embodiment, the inflatable billboard  1  as described above is modified for indoor use, for example, at tradeshows, in showrooms and the like. Because interior systems are not subject to wind, in these embodiments, the base of the frame is omitted, there are no tethering points, no detachable points and no external fan. In some embodiments, the indoor billboard is 10 feet wide, nine feet tall and has a two foot depth. The unit is weighted at the bottom of the two columns with a wood or other suitable base and internal sand bags or similar ballast is used to anchor the indoor billboard. The advertising face is held in place with two zippers started at the top center of the arch and continued to the ground. The indoor billboard also includes an internal fan powered by a 110 volt circuit. 
     While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described above, it will be recognized and understood that various modifications may be made therein, and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications which may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.