Patent Abstract:
A holder for displaying a sheet of material is provided. The holder includes a backplate, a lens, and a bracket. The bracket includes a frame defining at least one vertical wall bordering at least one inner wall. The at least one inner wall includes at least one connector for connecting to at least one corresponding connector of the lens for securing the lens to the bracket. A portion of the lens contacts a first wall of the at least one vertical wall and a first inner wall of the at least one inner wall. The backplate is secured to the bracket via at least one fastener. A portion of the backplate contacts a second wall of the at least one vertical wall and a second inner wall of the at least one inner wall.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to display devices. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a holder for displaying a sheet of material that may be customized for a particular purpose and then changed on an as needed basis. 
     2. Background of the Related Art 
     Display holders are used to display information, including advertising or name information. Furthermore, these holders must be able to receive and firmly secure the material received within the holder but also be easily changed if such material in the holder needs to be updated or amended. For example, with advertising material, it is sometimes desirable to change or update the information displayed or the sheet of material on a regular or as needed basis. 
     Accordingly, it is an aspect of the present disclosure to provide a holder suitable for displaying a sheet of material that can be customized for a particular purpose but also removed and replaced if such purpose has changed. 
     SUMMARY 
     A holder for displaying a sheet of material is disclosed having a backplate and a removable lens adjacent to the backplate. The backplate is secured to a bracket using at least one fastening member, such as a screw or rivet. The bracket includes a mechanism for supporting the lens and a sheet of material between the backplate and the lens. The mechanism includes at least one protrusion or peg configured and dimensioned for connecting to at least one connector of the lens and the sheet of material. 
     In particular, the holder includes a backplate, a lens, and a bracket. The bracket includes a frame defining at least one vertical wall bordering at least one inner wall. The at least one inner wall includes at least one connector for connecting to at least one corresponding connector of the lens for securing the lens to the bracket. A portion of the lens contacts a first wall of the at least one vertical wall and a first inner wall of the at least one inner wall. The backplate is secured to the bracket via at least one fastener. A portion of the backplate contacts a second wall of the at least one vertical wall and a second inner wall of the at least one inner wall. 
     According to the present disclosure, a kit is also provided. The kit includes a plurality of brackets, a plurality of backplates, and/or a plurality of lenses. The brackets, lenses and/or the backplates of the kit can be assembled in a plurality of combinations. Additionally, the brackets, lenses and/or the backplates of the kit can be tinted different colors, have difference sizes, etc. to enable the creation of a variety of visual effects and different assembled holders. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Particular embodiments of the presently disclosed holder are described herein with reference to the drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  shows an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of a holder for displaying a sheet of material in accordance with the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  shows a front view of a sheet of material capable of being displayed by the holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  shows a front view of a lens or front plate of the holder shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of a bracket of the holder shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  shows a front view of a backplate of the holder shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6A  shows a perspective view of the holder shown in  FIG. 1  showing the lens removed from the bracket-backplate assembly; 
         FIG. 6B  shows a perspective view of the holder shown in  FIG. 1  showing the lens supported or connected to the bracket-backplate assembly; 
         FIG. 6C  shows a perspective view of the backside of the holder shown in  FIG. 1  showing the connection of the lens to the bracket-backplate assembly; and 
         FIG. 7  shows an exploded perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a holder for displaying a sheet of material in accordance with the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Embodiments of the a holder for displaying a sheet of material are described below in detail with reference to the drawings, in which like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding elements in each of the several views. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , there is shown an exploded view of a holder for displaying a sheet of material therein according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The holder is generally identified by reference numeral  100 . Holder  100  includes a bracket  102 , a lens or front plate  110 , and a backplate  120 . The bracket  102  includes a frame  104  bordering on three sides an inner securing wall  109  and bordering on two sides an inner connecting wall  107 . 
     The frame  104  defines a first vertical wall  103  bordering the inner securing wall  109  on the three sides. The frame further defines second vertical walls  105   a ,  105   b  on two opposing sides of the inner connecting wall  107 . The second vertical walls  105   a ,  105   b  partially including the first vertical wall  103  and having substantially twice the width of the first vertical wall  103 . 
     A third vertical wall  111  having substantially the same width as the first vertical wall  105  provides a separation between the inner connecting wall  107  and the inner securing wall  109 . The bracket  102  further includes a fourth vertical wall  113  at an edge of the inner connecting wall  107 . The inner connecting wall  107  is at a step-down configuration with respect to the inner securing wall  109 . 
     The connecting wall  107  of the bracket  102  includes two connectors, such as pegs or protrusions  106   a ,  106   b , configured for being received by corresponding connectors, such as J-hooks  116   a ,  116   b , of the lens  110  as further described below. The pegs  106   a ,  106   b  are also used for connecting thereto two J-hooks  171   a ,  171   b  ( FIG. 2 ) provided on a sheet of material  170  for holding the sheet of material  170  as also further described below. 
     The bracket  102  further includes two openings  108   a ,  108   b  for attaching to the backplate  120  via two fastening members  130   a ,  130   b , such as screws or rivets. The holder  100  is configured to be mounted to a support surface such as a wall, door, etc. via an adhesive, or one or more fastening members, such as screws, pins, etc. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2-6C , a discussion will now be presented regarding one method of assembly of the various components of the holder  100  shown in  FIG. 1 . First, the sheet of material  170  is mounted on the bracket  102  via pegs  106   a ,  106   b  being connected to J-hooks  171   a ,  171   b  of the sheet of material  170 . Upon mounting to the bracket  120 , a portion of the material  170  rests on connecting wall  107 . The sheet of material  170  can be paper, metallic, plastic, or other type of material having indicia, text, pictures, logos, markings, codes, etc. thereon for display by the holder  100 . 
     Second, the backplate  120  is fastened to the bracket  102  using fastening members  130   a ,  130   b  to form a bracket-backplate assembly. The fastening members  130   a ,  130   b  traverse openings  122   a ,  122   b  of the backplate  120  and are threaded or fitted within openings  108   a ,  108   b  of the bracket  102 . Once the backplate  120  is fastened to the bracket  102 , a portion of the backplate  120  rests against the inner securing wall  109  of the bracket  102  and is flush with respect to the frame  104  and the top surface of each peg  106 . 
     Third, the lens  110  is mounted to the bracket-backplate assembly. Each of the J-hooks  116   a  and  116   b  of the lens  110  includes an opening for receiving therein a corresponding peg  106  of the bracket  102 . The lens  110 , after the pegs  106   a ,  106   b  are received within the openings of the J-hooks  116   a ,  116   b , is slided or positioned towards a bottom portion of the connecting wall  107  against the second vertical wall  105   a  of the bracket  102 . An edge of the lens  110  abuts the third vertical wall  111  and is flush with respect to the third vertical wall  111 . 
     When the holder  100  is fully assembled, each of the pegs  106   a ,  106   b  having outer surfaces  140   a ,  140   b  rests on a curved portion of a respective J-hook  116  as shown by  FIG. 6C . A different connection mechanism, other than the J-hook  116  mechanism, can be provided to holder  100 . 
     The lens  110  and/or sheet of material  170  can be easily removed from the bracket-backplate assembly without disconnecting the bracket-backplate assembly. The final assembly of the holder  100 , as shown by  FIGS. 6B and 6C , has the lens  110  substantially overlaying the backplate  120 . 
     The lens  110  is constructed of a transparent material, such as plastic, acrylic, and glass, including transparent magnifying materials, as is necessary for viewing the sheet of material  170  between the lens  110  and the backplate  120 . It is contemplated, however, that the lens  110  is constructed of other materials, including non-transparent materials, and that the lens  110  is provided with indicia, text, pictures, logos, markings, codes, etc. In this embodiment, the lens  110  acts as the display of indicia, text, pictures, logos, markings, codes, etc., and a sheet of material  170  does not have to be provided between the lens  110  and the backplate  120 . 
     It is also contemplated that the lens  110  is provided with indicia, text, pictures, logos, markings, codes, etc., as well as the sheet of material  170  and/or the backplate  120 . As a result, the lens  110  in combination with the sheet of material  170  and/or the backplate  120  acts as the display for the indicia, text, pictures, logos, markings, codes, etc. It is further contemplated that the backplate  120  is provided with indicia, text, pictures, logos, markings, codes, etc., as well as the sheet of material  170  and/or the lens  110 . As a result, the backplate  120  in combination with the sheet of material  170  and/or the lens  110  acts as the display for the indicia, text, pictures, logos, markings, codes, etc. 
     The dimensions of the various components can be altered to provide holders  100  of various sizes to accommodate sheets of material  170  of various sizes, in accordance with the present disclosure and as described below with reference to  FIG. 7 . The sheet of material  170  can be customized to be the same or different size than the size of the lens  110 , and/or also have J-hooks as the lens  110  for connecting to the pegs  106   a ,  106   b  of the bracket  102 . 
     In accordance with the present disclosure, the holder  100  can be packaged as a kit having a plurality of brackets  102 , a plurality of lenses  110 , and/or a plurality of backplates  120 . Each of the plurality of backplates  120  and lenses  110  can be tinted different colors, or be transparent, opaque, etc. enabling the user to remove the backplate  120  of the holder  100  and/or lens  110  and replace one or both with another backplate  120  or lens  110  provided by the kit. 
     With reference to  FIG. 7 , there is shown an exploded view of another holder  200  for displaying a sheet of material  270  according to the present disclosure. The holder  200  has features identical to holder  100  but a different size. The holder  200 , as with holder  100 , includes a lens  210  through which the sheet of material  270  can be viewed. 
     The lens  210  may be generally rectangular in shape and constructed from a transparent or non-transparent material as is necessary for viewing the sheet of material therethrough, and as described above with respect to lens  110 . A backplate  220  is shaped to substantially correspond to the rectangular shape of the lens  210 , and be mounted to a bracket  202  in a similar manner as described above with respect to backplate  120  and bracket  102 . 
     The bracket of holder  200  has three pegs  206   a - c , and the lens  210  of bracket  202  has three J-hooks  212   a - c  for respectively mounting to the three pegs  206   a - c  of the bracket  202 . 
     It would be appreciated that various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6