GB2062745A

GB2062745A - Advertising Sign

Info

Publication number: GB2062745A
Application number: GB8014482A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: NEON PRODUCTS Ltd
Current assignee: NEON PRODUCTS Ltd
Priority date: 1979-11-05
Filing date: 1980-05-01
Publication date: 1981-05-28

Abstract

An illuminated advertising sign comprises a cabinet having a filler (2) and a retainer (6) to hold a panel. The retainer (6) is attached to the filler (2) by hinged joints. Each joint has two corresponding shaped members including a female member located on the filler (2) and a male member (16) located on the retainer (6). The female member comprises a recess (10) having a first surface (12) arranged on an arc of a circle and a second surface (14) arranged on a chord of the circle. The male member (16) has a first surface (18) corresponding to the first surface (12) of the recess (10) and a second surface (20) corresponding to the second surface (14) of the recess (10). The two first surfaces (12, 18) and the two second surfaces (14, 20) are in contact at a rest position (Figure 2) but the retainer (6) can be removed from the filler (2) by rotating the retainer (6) through a predetermined angle. The rest position is determined by abutment of the two second surfaces (14, 20). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Advertising Sign This invention relates to an illuminated sign.

Illuminated signs simply comprise a cabinet able to receive a sign face and contain means to illuminate the sign. They may be either double sided, that is with a sign on each side, or they may be single sided. The part of the cabinet holding the sign face is normally called the retainer, the part of the cabinet mounted on a wall or the like is normally called the filler.

There are a wide number of ways of locating the retainer to the filler. The retainer should normally be removable fairly easily from the filler to enable changing of the sign or maintenance of the lighting, usually a fluorescent tube, within the sign. Typically in the prior art the cabinets have a hinged joint and experience reveals this to be the best method. However, there are a number of disadvantages with the existing hinge joints. For example many of them require screws to prevent the sign face retainer from falling away from the main sign frame or filler. The use of screws to ensure positive maintenance is generally undesirable. It is far better that there be a hinge that is itself able to provide positive location with a minimum use of screws.The screws can become lost or dropped and in this regard it must be remembered that signs are normally mounted some height in the air to provide the necessary visibility.

The gap or channel between the top of the filler and the top of the retainer is normally called the reveal. Many prior art hinge joints have a fairly large reveal. This is undesirable as rain can enter the cabinet producing a number of undesirable effects, particularly to the electrical components within the cabinet. Further from an appearance point of view architects and designers prefer as small a reveal as possible.

The present invention seeks to provide a sign in which the retainer is positively located to the filler at the upper edges of the cabinet of the sign but does not require additional means such as screws to locate the two members together. The arrangement is such that the retainer can be rotated but cannot be removed from the sign cabinet frame until the retainer is rotated through a predetermined angle.Thus, the present invention is in a sign including a cabinet comprising a filler to be mounted at a location and a retainer to hold a panel and having means to provide illumination of the panel and is the improvement whereby the retainer is attached to the filler by hinged joints each comprising: two corresponding shaped members, one formed on the retainer the other formed on the filler, said members including a female member comprising a recess having a first surface arranged on an arc of a circle and a second surface arranged on a chord of said circle; a male member having a first surface corresponding to the first surface of the recess and a second surface corresponding to the second surface of the recess, whereby the two first surfaces and the two second surfaces are in contact at a rest position but the retainer can be removed from the filler by rotating the retainer through a predetermined angle, said rest position being determined by abuttment of the two second surfaces.

Aspects of the invention are illustrated in the drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sign cabinet according to the invention; Figure 2 is a detail of a section through a typical retainer and a filler of a sign on the line 2-2ofFigure 1;and Figure 3 is an enlarged end view similar to Figure 2.

The drawings show a cabinet comprising filler portions 2 to be mounted on a location, a wall 4 in the drawing, and a retainer 6 to hold a sign face in the spaces 8 provided. The sign, not shown, will typically comprise a plastic panel having the required design or information to be illuminated marked on it. There is means (not shown) to provide illumination, for example a fluorescent tube, located within the cabinet.

Referring particularly to the top edge the retainer 6 is attached to the filler 2 by a continuous hinged joint. That continuous hinge joint comprises two correspondingly shaped members. In the illustrated embodiment the members include a female member located on the filler 2 and comprising a recess 10 having a first surface 12 arranged on an arc of a circle and a second surface 14 arranged on a chord of the circle. A second male, member 1 6 is located on the retainer 6 and has a first surface 18 corresponding to the first surface 12 of the recess 10. There is a second surface 20 corresponding to the second surface 14 of the recess 10. The arrangement is such that the two first surfaces 12 and 18 and the two second surfaces 14 and 20 are in contact at a rest position as shown in Figure 1.Furthermore the arrangement is such that the two members cannot be disengaged except by pivoting the retainer 6 about the two members to an angle in excess of about 450. This rotation is carried out by moving the bottom of the retainer 6 upwardiy. It should be noted in the drawings that the contacting of the second surfaces 14 and 20 is such that the relative positions of the filler 2 and retainer 6 are fixed. However, as additional support there can be provided a flange 22 on the member 1 6 to contact a flat surface 24 on the filler 2.

The bottom corner of the cabinet includes a filler 2 formed precisely as the filler 2 at the upper corner for economy. However, the male member 1 6 is not required at the lower part of the cabinet.

A self tapping screw 26 is provided to hold the retainer 6 to the filler 2 to prevent relative movement of the retainer 6 and the filler 2. The screw 26 extends through a clear hole 28 in the retainer 6 into a slot 30 in the filler 2 aligned with clear hole 28. The screw 26 can be screwed into the slot 30, through the retainer 6, to hold the parts in a fixed position.

The sign according to the present invention may be made of extruded metal, as is conventional in the sign art, or may be of an extruded plastic material of a requisite strength.

It should also be noted that the reveal 32 is a narrow slot, thus providing minimum access for rain and also providing aesthetically clean lines, highly desirable from an architectural point of view.

The arrangement of the filler 2 and retainer 6 in the sign according to the present invention provides a positive interlock between the filler 2 and the retainer 6. As indicated the retainer 6 can be rotated but cannot be removed from the sign cabinet unless it is rotated to a predetermined angle.

It should also be noted that the plastic sign face may be readily withdrawn from the retainer simply by removing one end of the sign cabinet frame. A further advantage is that all sizes of the sign face retainer may be made interchangeable 4 with one another. Thus, two relatively wide retainers can be used on one end of the cabinet in conjunction with two narrower retainers on the top and the bottom. Recesses as exemplified at 34 can be positioned at the corners of the sign cabinet. Such recesses are a conventional means of locating various attachment devices, for example, for the ends of a cabinet.

Claims

1. A sign comprising a cabinet having a filler to be mounted at a location and a retainer to hold a panel, and means to provide illumination of the panel, wherein the retainer is attached to the filler by hinged joints each comprising two corresponding shaped members, one formed on the retainer the other formed on the filler, said members including a female member comprising a recess having a first surface arranged on an arc of a circle and a second surface arranged on a chord of said circle, and a male member having a first surface corresponding to the first surface of the recess and a second surface corresponding to the second surface of the recess, whereby the two first surfaces and the two second surfaces are in contact at a rest position but the retainer can be removed from the filler by rotating the retainer through a predetermined angle, said rest position being determined by abutment of the two second surfaces.

2. A sign as claimed in claim 1 in which the female member is on the filler and the male member on the retainer.

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3.A sign as claimed in claim 1 or 2 comprising means at the bottom of the sign to hold the retainer to the filler to prevent relative movement of the retainer and the filler.

4. A sign as claimed in claim 3 in which the means at the bottom of the sign comprises a clear hole in the retainer, a continuous slot in the filler, aligned with said clear hole, whereby a self tapping screw can be threaded into the filler, through the retainer, to hold the parts in a fixed position.

5. A sign substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.