Abstract:
A foldable display support stand is foldable easily and readily into a folded collapsed condition. The stand has a foldable pedestal panel foldable in a horizontal to maintain the stand in a stable erected condition. A pivotal brace extending between the front panel and the rear panel is operative to an extended condition to push the side panels outwards in the erection of the stand, and they are pullable outwards and downwards to initiate the folding operation together with the folding of a pedestal panel upwards to fold the stand into a folded collapsed condition. An elastic cord is connected between the rear panel and the pedestal panel to facilitate the automatic erection of the folded stand to the erected condition.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a display support stand applicable for directly supporting a merchandise, a merchandise containing case, or a planar board having a pictorial representation of a merchandise, and particularly relates to a support stand constructed from a unique design pattern provided on a single cardboard or corrugated board. The stand is easily foldable to a collapsed condition for storage and transportation and is readily erectable from the folded collapsed condition to the erected condition either manually or automatically. 
     2. Background Art 
     Display stands are widely employed for displaying merchandise and/or advertising pictorial boards showing the merchandise particularly in retail facilities. Merchandise display stands made of cardboard or corrugated board are cost effective to fabricate and transport, and convenient to use. Such display stands are commonly made from a design pattern provided on a single sheet material such as a cardboard or corrugated board. The pattern is cut or stamped out from the sheet and the pattern is then folded along various pre-arranged fold lines to form the stand in the erected condition. The stand may either have an A-frame with front and back panels sloping upwards from a relatively large rectangular bottom base which maintains the stand to rest stably on the ground when the stand is in the erected condition. Some stands may have a foldable front pedestal for supporting a merchandise show case or by placing the merchandise directly on the pedestal. However, due to the bulkiness of the sheet material and the relatively large dimensions of the design, many such stands are usually difficult and time consuming to assemble. Furthermore, they are considerably difficult to fold to a collapsed condition for storage and transportation and it is also often problematic to unfold them from the folded condition to the erected condition. 
     Some stands incorporate elastic cords which are stretched to the tension condition when the stand is in the folded condition so that the stand may be erected automatically by mainly allowing the elastic cords to pull the various parts of the folded structure to unfold so as to erect the stand in a self pop-up manner. The incorporation of elastic cords in the stand often renders the stand very awkward and relatively difficult to fold into the folded condition from the erected condition because of the necessity of having to fold the various parts while maintaining the elastic cords connected to these parts in the tensioned condition. 
     Another problem with the foldable cardboard stand is that the cardboard inherently retains its folded condition after it has been folded for some time such that it becomes difficult to unfold even with the tension force provided by the elastic cords. For this reason, many so called self-erectable stands are not effective in the self-erecting operation. Some foldable cardboard stands are provided with a pivotable brace panel within the stand to force the folded stand to unfold. The brace panel is folded against the front or rear panel within the stand when the latter is in the collapsed and in the folded condition. It can be pivoted to the horizontal position during the erecting operation of the stand to force the front and rear panels to move apart from one another so as to ensure that the stand would effectively unfold from the folded collapsed condition. However, such additional pivotable brace panel are not integrally formed with the stand but is an individual separate part which must be attached at one edge to the inner wall of the front or rear panel of the stand with adhesive during or after the stand has been assembled. Such additional attaching operation with adhesive is labor intensive and time consuming to carry out, and it greatly increases the fabrication time of the stand. Still furthermore, the pivotable brace renders the folding operation of the stand awkward and difficult to carry out since the brace must be first manually folded pivotally to abut the front or rear panel of the stand and then with it held in the folded condition while the stand is being folded. 
     Another long suffered problem with foldable stand is that the walls of its base lacks rigidity such that they are unable to support the weight of attachments mounted to the stand during use; and particularly the integrity or the side walls of the base will deteriorate quickly after the stand has been repeatedly folded and unfolded several times thus rendering the stand useless. Some stands have attempted to resolve the problem by providing side walls double-folded inward at the lower edges so as increase their rigidity. However, the double-folded side walls require additional fabrication processes and they also render the folding and unfolding operations of the stand very difficult and unwieldy. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a foldable display support stand which is readily erectable and easily foldable into the folded condition and it can be effectively unfolded into the erected condition or folded to the collapsed condition. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a foldable display support stand having an integrally formed pivotable brace. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a foldable stand having a pivotable brace which facilitates not only the unfolding operation but also the folding operation of the stand. 
     It is still another object of the present invention to provide a foldable and automatically erectable merchandise display stand with an automatically erectable pedestal. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will now be described in more detail according to a preferred but non-limiting embodiment and with reference to the accompanying illustrations; wherein 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the design pattern provided on a cardboard or corrugated board for forming the display stand of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective side and bottom perspective view of the stand of the present invention initially folded along fold lines in the fabrication of the stand of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective side and bottom perspective view of the stand showing the formation of integral brace by the engagement of two foldable panels relative to the front center panel and the rear panel. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective rear view of the stand in a partially folded condition with the rear panel folded to lie juxtaposed to the front panel. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective front view of the stand in a partially folded condition with the foldable brace pulled outward and downward, the side panels folded inwards, and the pedestal panel folded upwards to lie juxtaposed to the folded side panels. 
         FIG. 6  is a side perspective view of the stand in the partially erected condition with the foldable brace pulled partially downwards and the pedestal panel is the unfolded upward position. 
         FIG. 7  is a side perspective view of the stand in the fully erected condition and with an elastic cord connected between the rear panel and the free end portion of the pedestal panel. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     With reference to the drawings, the display stand  10  of the present invention is formed by providing a geometrical  FIG. 11  as shown in  FIG. 1 , on a single cardboard or a corrugated paper board. The  FIG. 11  has a rectangular center panel  12  which has the selected front dimensions of the display stand. A hexagonal panel  13  extends outwards from the lower edge  14  of the center panel  12 . The hexagonal panel  13  consists of a trapezoidal panel  15  located adjacent to the center panel  12  from the common side edge  14 . A free end trapezoidal panel  16  extends from the other edge of the trapezoidal panel  15  and located distal to the center panel  12 . The trapezoidal panel  15  and the free end trapezoidal panel  15  shares a common edge  17 . A transverse slot  18  is formed at the common edge  17 . The hexagonal panel  13  is foldable relative to the center panel  12  along the common side edge  14 . A pedestal panel  19  extends outwards from the upper edge  20  of the center panel  12  and it is foldable relative to the center panel  12  along the common edge  20 . The pedestal panel  19  preferably has a wider width than the center panel  12 . Two opened slots  21  and  22  are formed at the free edge  23  of the pedestal panel  19 . The distance between the opened slots  21  and  22  is equal to the distance between the left vertical side edge  24  and the right vertical side edge  25 . The outer free edge  23  preferably has an aesthetic round curvature. 
     A first geometric pattern  26  and a second geometric pattern  27  extend outwards respectively from the vertical side edges  24  and  25  of the center panel  12 . The geometric pattern  26  and geometric pattern  27  are mirror images of one another. The geometric pattern  26  consists of a generally rectangular left front side panel  28  extending outwards from a vertical common side edge  24  with the center panel  12 . The width of the rectangular left front side panel  28  is equal to half the selected depth of the subsequently erected stand and it is equal to the distance between the upper edge  20  of the center panel  12  and the inner end of the opened slot  21 . The upper edge  29  of the left front side panel  28  is preferably sloping downwardly towards its left side edge  30 . A trapezoidal left rear side panel  31  extends outwards from the common left vertical side edge  30  of the left front side panel  28 . The left rear side panel  31  has a generally rectangular lower portion with a lower right side edge common with the left side edge  30  of the left front side panel  28  and an upper extension vertical side edge  32  extending a short distance above the top edge  29  of the left front side panel  28 . The upper right side edge  33  of the left rear side panel  31  slopes upwardly and outwardly towards its left vertical side edge  34 . The width of the left rear side panel  31  is equal to the width of the left front side panel  28 . A horizontal fold line, and preferably a horizontal double fold line  35  is formed in the left rear side panel  31 . The distance between the horizontal double fold line  35  and the bottom edge of the left rear side panel  31  is equal to the distance between the top edge  20  and the bottom edge of the center panel  12 . A rectangular left rear panel  36  extends outwards from the left vertical side edge  34  of the left rear side panel  31 . A transverse fold line  37  is formed in the left rear panel  36  at a location aligned with the double fold line  35  of the left rear side panel  31 . The width of the left rear side panel  31  is slightly wider than half the width of the center panel  12 . 
     A trapezoidal panel  38  extends from the lower edge  20  of the left rear panel  36  and its top edge  40  is common to a portion of the lower edge  20  of the left rear panel  36 . 
     A generally trapezoidal shape tab  41  extends downwards from a portion of the left lower edge  42  of the trapezoidal panel  38 , and a cut out is formed at its upper right corner immediately adjacent to the trapezoidal panel  38 . 
     The left rear panel  36  and the trapezoidal panel  38  as well as the trapezoidal tab  41  have a common vertical left side edge  44  which forms the left side edge of the geometric pattern  26 . 
     Similarly, the geometric pattern  27  consists of a right front side panel  45  having dimensions and a mirror image of the left front side panel  28 . The right front side panel  45  extends rightward from the vertical right side edge  25  of the center panel  12 . A right rear side panel  46  extends to the right of the right front side panel  45  and it has dimensions and a mirror image of the left front side panel  31  with a sloping upper left edge  47 . A double fold line  48  aligned with the double fold line  35  of the left rear side panel  31 . The right rear panel  46  has a common vertical side edge  49  with the right front side panel  45 . 
     A right rear panel  50  having dimensions and a mirror image of the left rear panel  36  extends from the right vertical aide edge  51  of the right rear panel  46 . A horizontal transverse fold line  52  aligned with the horizontal fold line  37  is formed in the right rear panel  50 . 
     A trapezoidal panel  53  having dimensions and a mirror image of the trapezoidal panel  38  extends downwards from a portion of the bottom edge  54  of the right rear panel  50 , and it is foldable along its top edge  55  relative to the right rear panel  50 . 
     A trapezoidal tab  56  having dimensions and a mirror image of the trapezoidal tab  41  extends from the right bottom edge portion  57  of the trapezoidal panel  53  and a cut out  58  is formed at its upper left corner immediately adjacent to the trapezoidal panel  53 . 
     The right rear panel  50  and the trapezoidal panel  53  as well as the trapezoidal tab  56  have a common vertical right side edge  59  which forms the right edge of the geometric pattern  27 . 
     In assembling the display stand, the left geometric pattern  26  and the right geometric patter  27  are folded rearwards relative to the center panel  12  along the vertical side edges  24  and  25  so that the left front panel  28  and the left rear panel  31  in combination form the left side panel of the stand, while the right front panel  45  and the right rear panel  46  in combination form the right side panel of the stand. The left rear panel  36  and the right rear panel  50  are then folded rearwards with a vertical free edge portion overlapping one another as best shown in  FIG. 4  to form the rear panel of the stand. The trapezoidal tabs  41  and  56  are then folded along edges  42  and  57  towards and overlapping one another to form a trapezoidal tab  60  with the width between the two cut outs  43  and  58  equal to the width of the transverse slot  18  formed in the hexagonal panel  13 . The overlapping trapezoidal tabs are then forcefully inserted into the transverse slot  18  to form a pivotal brace at the bottom of the stand and directly connected to and abutting the lower edges of the side walls of the base as best shown in  FIG. 3 , therefore forming the pivotal brace integrally without having to attach these parts to one another and to the front and rear panels of the stand with adhesive in separate time-consuming operations. 
     The pedestal panel  19  is then folded backward and downward to rest on the top edges of the left front panel  28  and right front panel  45  with the open slots  21  and  22  at the front edge  23  of the pedestal panel  19  snugly engage with the vertical edge  32  and  49  of the left front panel  31  and right front panel  46  respectively. The pedestal panel  19  is sloping slightly rearwardly and downwards due to resting on the sloping top edges of the left front panel  28  and right front panel  45 . The upper front edges of the stand also slope upwardly and rearwardly due to the sloping upper edges of the left rear panel  31  and the right rear panel  46  such that a display item placed on the pedestal may rest safely and securely on the pedestal  19  and the sloping upper edges of the left rear panel  31  and the right rear panel  46 . 
     The stand may be quickly and readily folded to a collapse condition, by pulling the pivotal brace formed by the engagement between the overlapping trapezoidal panels  38  and  53  downward and outward from the bottom end of the stand while folding the pedestal panel upwards to disengage it with the left rear panel  31  and right rear panel  46  with the side panels of the stand folding inwards towards one another along the vertical side edges  30  and  49  until the left rear side panel  31  and the right rear side panel  46  lie juxtaposed to the left rear panel  36  and the right rear panel  50  respectively with the pedestal panel  19  in the raised position and lying over the left rear panel  36  and right rear panel  50  to form the collapsed folded condition as shown in  FIG. 4 . The front and rear panels of the stand are pulled by the pivotal brace to fold against one another when the latter is being pulled downward and outward of the bottom of the stand. The stand in this folded condition may be further folded along the fold line  20  and the double fold lines  35  and  48  as well as the transverse fold lines  37  and  52  to form a totally collapsed condition for convenient storage and transportation. 
     The stand in the collapsed condition may be unfolded and erected readily and quickly by again unfolding along the fold line  20  and then pushing the pivotal brace inwards forcing the side panels to unfold back to the erected condition with the pivotal brace now positioned horizontally between the front and rear panels of the stand to maintain the latter in the erected condition. The pedestal panel  19  may then be folded downwards until its open slots  21  and  22  engage with the side edges  32  and  49  of the left rear panel  31  and right rear panel  46  to maintain further the stand in the rigid erected condition. Moreover, since the pivotal brace is directly connected to and formed from the lower edges of the side walls of the base, they provide added rigidity to the side walls of the base without requiring the problematic double-folded lower edge construction of the base side walls as in the known stands. Therefore, the pivotal brace not only renders the folding operation but also the unfolding operation to be carried out effectively and readily as well as provided rigidity to the side walls of the base. 
     An elastic cord  61  may be mounted between the free edge portion of the pedestal panel  19  and the rear panel of the stand as shown in  FIG. 7  such that when the stand is in the collapsed condition, the elastic cord will be maintained in a tension condition. With this alternative construction, the stand in the collapsed folded condition may be quickly unfolded by merely holding the top of the left rear panel  36  and right rear panel  50  and raising and shaking the folded stand such that the elastic cord in tension would pull the pedestal panel  19  downward while the pivotal brace would unfold to force the side panels to return to the erected condition until the pedestal panel  19  is pulled back to the horizontal position with the open slots  21  and  22  engaging with the edges of the side panels to maintain the stand in the stable erected condition.