GB2482313A

GB2482313A - Self-expanding convex display stand

Info

Publication number: GB2482313A
Application number: GB1012664.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Daniel Pattison; Lascelle Augustus Barrow
Original assignee: Augustus Martin Ltd
Current assignee: Augustus Martin Ltd
Priority date: 2010-07-28
Filing date: 2010-07-28
Publication date: 2012-02-01
Anticipated expiration: 2030-07-28
Also published as: GB2482313B; GB201012664D0

Abstract

A foldable, self-expanding convex display stand 10, e.g. of card or cardboard comprises a tubular sleeve 40 composed of two panels 11, 12 that have a bowed form. Biasing means 15 are provided to bias the panels into the expanded, bowed configuration, comprising a polygonal prism sub structure with mutually hinged walls permitting the sub-structure to be compacted to a substantially flat condition, and an elastic band (30, Fig. 4) to urge the substructure into an expanded condition. The sleeve may be divided into a number of sections by fold lines 45 which may be folded with respect to one another in zig-zag fashion when in the collapsed configuration to provide a compact form, e.g. for storage in a container (48, Fig. 1).

Description

I

STRUCTURES OF SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID

AND FOLDABLE MATERIAL

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to structures of substantially rigid and foldable material (such as card or cardboard), e.g. for use as displays of information and/or advertising matter. In particular the present invention relates to a self-expanding display unit comprising a sleeve of two mutually facing, edge-connected panels that, when the unit is expanded and erect, have a bowed, arcuate form presenting outer display io surfaces that are convex to the viewer, and further comprising biasing means for effecting a bending and separation of intermediate portions of the panels (between their mutually-connected edges) such as to deform the sleeve's panels into mutually concave walls, the biasing means comprising one or more resiliently extensible members.

Background

Such self-expanding structures are directed towards satisfying a demand for temporary advertising and/or information display unit which are typically used in retail locations as part of temporary promotional displays, e.g. to promote a new product or special offer. Similarly, temporary advertising and/or information displays are used at sales fairs, conferences and other situations where temporary, promotional signage is required. For these situations, marketing and sales personnel require temporary advertising and/or information displays that can be easily transported, easily set-up and that are relatively inexpensive to produce and store.

In order to satisfy these requirements, a number of display units constructed from cardboard, have been developed. Cardboard is a lightweight, portable, and inexpensive material and, while quite rigid, can also be easily folded. This ability to be folded is very useful as it allows the display units to be folded substantially flat to a more compact shape and of reduced size when not in use.

Typically, the temporary display units may have the biasing means provided by one or more elastic bands arranged to help the display unit self-expand from a folded, stored configuration to an expanded, operating configuration. The use of elastic bands allows the display units to be stored in a relatively flat state with the elastic bands in a stretched or tensioned condition and such that, when the display unit is released from its folded position, the elastic bands cause the sleeve's panels to adopt the desired bowed, arcuate form presenting outer display surfaces that are convex to the viewer (as the tension in the elastic bands is allowed to reduce). Then, when in use, the display unit can be a self-supporting three-dimensional shape that requires little if any adjustment once it has been set up. The erected structure can then be freestanding on the ground mounted on support feet, or hung from a building, ceiling or beam to provide a hanging display.

Each of the self-expanding display units disclosed in US-2010/90043261, US-A- 7159350 (equivalent to EP-1395971) and WO-2006/037896 provides a bracing panel stressed by the elastic bands between the opposed edges of the sleeve. When the compression of the flattened structure is released the sleeve edges are drawn towards one another by the elastic bands causing the panels to bow outwardly away from one another to the desired shape (like that of a simple concave lens).

These self-expanding structures are considered improvements over those which did not self-expand and which required assembly of several separate parts to provide an erected structure. Examples of these are disclosed in USA Design Patent No. 378301, US-A-5966857, WO-200710404032 and WO 2009/143605 where the sleeve is slid over a central upright unit or post that is to hold the opposed sleeve walls in a bowed spatial relationship.

While much effort has gone into the development of display units that are easily transported, easily set-up and relatively inexpensive to produce, there are some problems associated with the temporary display units in general. First of all, the manufacturing process can be relatively complex. The requirements that the display unit has means to keep the display panels arcuately bowed and that those means do not interfere with the folding of the display unit has heretofore meant that many individual elements were required to construct the display unit. The manufacture of the display unit therefore entails manufacture of a large number of pieces and their subsequent assembly. This can be a time-consuming and intricate operation to perform.

A further problem with the known display units is that many of the known types of display units are relatively unstable and it is necessary to provide additional ground-engaging supports or feet to ensure the unit remains upright when in use. Such ground-engaging supports further complicate the manufacturing process and can also cause difficulties when a user comes to erect the display unit.

It is an object therefore of the present invention to provide a self-expanding structure for use as a display unit that is simple to manufacture and construct. It is a further object of the invention to provide a self-expanding structure for use as a display unit that is stable when in use as a free-standing structure.

Summary of the Invention

According to the invention there is provided a self-expanding structure of substantially rigid and foldable material, e.g. card or cardboard, for use in displaying information or advertising matter, said structure comprising a tubular sleeve composed of two mutually facing, edge connected panels that, when the structure is in expanded and erect condition, have a bowed form with each panel concave to the other and the outwardly directed faces of the panels presenting convex display surfaces bearing said information or advertising matter, and said structure further comprising, biasing means to bias away from one another regions of the sleeve's said panels intermediate the said panel edges, said biasing means being located between the said two panels and in engagement with regions of said panels' inner faces intermediate the said panel edges to effect direct bowing of each of said panels into a form that is concave to the other of said panels.

In a preferred embodiment said biasing means comprises a polygonal sub-structure with mutually hinged walls permitting the sub-structure to be compacted to a substantially flat condition, and resilient means, e.g. an elastic band, to urge the substructure into an expanded condition and hence bow the panels away from one another.

The polygonal sub-structure may comprise a hollow prism with a parallelogram cross-section having its four walls pivotably connected to one another by the edges of those walls such as to provide, in sequence, first, second, third and fourth pivot io axes with the distance between first and second pivot axes being equal to the distance between the third and fourth pivot axes and shorter than the distance between the second and third pivot axes (that last-said distance being equal to the distance between the fourth and first pivot axes).

With such a hollow prism form of sub-structure, an internally directed pivotable element may be connected to one (preferably longer) wall adjacent said first pivotal axis and such as to be directed towards the third pivotal axis, the free end of the internally directed element being spaced from a movement limiting feature, e.g. the third pivotal axis, when said sub-structure is compressed and engaging this movement limiting feature (e.g. the third pivotal axis) when the sub-structure is erect whereby the movement limiting feature provides a stop to further erection.

One or more of the following features may be provided in a preferred version of this arrangement: the internally directed element may have an attachment facility for the resilient means, e.g. an elastic band; the elastic band may extend in tension from the attachment facility of the internally directed element through an aperture in a wall of the sub-structure and therefrom to a zone of that wall such as to pivot that wall about said third pivotal axis in a direction away from its collapsed engagement of the element; said zone may be defined by an edge of the said wall distal from the said aperture.

In operation, the tension in the elastic band tends to draw the first and third pivotal edges towards one another and to spread apart the diametrically opposite second and fourth pivotal edges of the hollow prism form of sub-structure and such as to render the sub-structure automatically self-expanding when compression of its opposed walls is released.

Advantageously, the hollow prism form of sub-structure has one longer wall of the parallelogram cross-section adhered to one interior panel surface. This allows sliding motion of the opposite longer wall of the sub-structure's parallelogram cross-section to slide against the opposite interior panel surface as the sub-structure automatically self-expands.

Brief Description of the Drawings

By way of example embodiments of this invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure la is a partly-sectioned schematic view of a structure according to this invention in condensed or compressed form within a container; Figure lb is an enlarged view of part of Fig la; Figure ic is a view in the direction of arrow ic in Fig la; Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of the structure of Fig 1 in its self-expanded and erect form; Figure 3 is an enlarged schematic perspective view of part of the structure shown inFig2; Figure 4 is a further enlarged schematic perspective view of biasing means of the structure shown in Figs 1 to 3, Figure 5 is a plan view of a blank for formation into a sub-structure that is part of the biasing means of Fig 4; and Figure 6 is a plan view of a blank for formation into an outer sleeve of the structure of Fig 1.

Detailed Description of Example(s) of the Invention The drawings illustrate a self-expanding structure 10 of substantially rigid and foldable material, e.g. card or cardboard, for use in displaying information or advertising matter. The structure 10 comprises a tubular sleeve 40 composed of two mutually facing panels 11 and 12 that are connected by their side edges 13,14. As io shown in Fig 6, the panels 11,12 are formed from a single sheet 18 of double width material folded over about a vertical crease line that defines one of the edges (e.g. 13) and with an elongate tab 19 provided at the opposite edge of sheet 18, this tab 19 being folded over inwardly and then adhesively attached to the inner surface of the other panel side in the zone marked by broken dot-dash lines in Fig 6 so as to is provide the opposite side edge 14 of the tubular sleeve 40. When the structure 10 is in expanded and erect condition these panels 11,12 have a bowed form with each of panels 11,12 concave to the other and with the outwardly directed faces of the panels 11,12 presenting convex display surfaces bearing the desired information or advertising matter. The tubular sleeve 40 is divided into four sections 4 1-44 by crease lines 45 and these sections 4 1-44 are folded over one another in a zig-zag fashion along the crease or fold lines 45 for insertion into a box-like storage or transportation container 48 (Fig 1).

Resilient biasing means 15 are provided in at least one section, preferably the first and last sections 41 and 44 (Fig 7) or, if desired (and as shown in Figs 1-3) in all four sections 41 -44) The or each resilient biasing means 15 is/are to bias away from one another the opposite regions of the sleeve's panels 11,12 that are intermediate the said panel edges 13,14. For such direct action the biasing means 15 are located between the said two panels 11,12 intermediate (preferably mid-way between) the sleeve edges 13,14 and in engagement with regions of said panels' inner faces intermediate (preferably mid-way between) the said panel side edges 13,14 to effect direct bowing of each of said panels 11,12 into a form such that each panel 11,12 is concave to the other panel 12,11.

As shown in Fig 4, the or each said biasing means 15 comprises a polygonal sub-structure 20 that comprises a hollow prism with a parallelogram cross-section having mutually hinged walls 21-24 permitting the sub-structure to be compacted to a substantially flat condition, and resilient means in the form of an elastic band 30 to urge the substructure 20 into an expanded condition and hence bow central regions of the panels 11,12 away from one another.

When expanded, the polygonal sub-structure 20 has the form of a parallelogram in cross-section. The four walls 21-24 are pivotably connected to one another by the edges of those walls such as to provide, in sequence, first, second, third and fourth is pivot axes 31-34 with the distance between first and second pivot axes 31,32 being equal to the distance between the third and fourth pivot axes 33,34. This distance is shorter than the distance between the second and third pivot axes 32,33 which is equal to the distance between the fourth and first pivot axes 34,31. An internally directed elongate element 25 extends from wall 24 and is face-to-face connected, by double-sided adhesive tape 28, to one longer wall 21 adjacent the first pivotal axis 31. The internally directed elongate element 25 is provided with a crease or fold line 26 enabling the elongate element 25 to pivot and be directed towards the third pivotal axis 33. The free end 27 (Fig 5) of the internally directed element 25 is spaced from the third pivotal axis 33 when said sub-structure 20 is compressed and is in engagement of this third pivotal axis 33 when the sub-structure 20 is erect. This engagement by the free end 27 provides a restraint or stop to further erection and prevents the parallelogram cross-sectional form of the sub-structure 20 becoming that of a regular rectangular cross-section (which would hinder re-flattening of the walls 21 +22, 23+24 when the erect structure is to be folded back up).

To complete the resilient biasing means 15, the internally directed elongate element has an attachment facility for the elastic band 30 that constitutes the sub-structure's resilient means. This attachment facility is provided by a pair of holes 29 through the elongate element 25, the elastic band 30 being threaded through the holes 29 and around the strip 39 between them, and being then threaded through itself to form a loose retaining knot 35 about the strip 39. From this knot 35 and the attachment facility 29 of the internally directed element 25, the elastic band 30 extends in tension past an aperture 27' in the end 27 of element 25, through an aperture 50 in the wall 22 of the sub-structure 20 and therefrom to a distal zone of that wall 22. In the embodiment as illustrated in Fig 4, this distal zone is defined by opposed slots 46 in wall 22 adjacent to the pivot axis 32, one side of the each slot 46 being formed by the edge of wall 21 that is coincident with the pivot axis 33. The arrangement is such as to permit pivoting of the wall 22 about said third pivotal axis 33 in a direction away from its collapsed engagement of the element 25.

In operation, the tension in the elastic band 30 tends to draw the diagonally opposite first and third pivotal edges 31,33 towards one another and to spread apart the diagonally opposite second and fourth pivotal edges 32,34 of the prism sub-structure and such as to render the sub-structure 20 automatically self-expanding when compression of its opposed walls 2 1+22, 23 +24 is released. A limit to such expansion is provided by engagement of the leading edge 27 of the element 25 with the arris formed by walls 22 and 23. The length of element 25 is selected to ensure that this limit occurs before the angle between walls 22 and 23 reaches 90° SO as to ensure that the parallelepiped 15 can be subsequently collapsed.

Advantageously, the polygonal sub-structure 20 has one longer wall 21 or 23 adhered to the interior surface of one panel 11 or 12. This allows sliding motion of the opposite longer wall 23 or 21 of the sub-structure's parallelogram cross-section to slide against the opposite interior panel surface 12 or 11 as the sub-structure 20 automatically self-expands.

Desirably, and as best shown in Fig 5, the lateral edges of longer wall 23 of sub-structure 20 are provided with rectangular cut-outs 47 opposite one another, and corresponding areas on the lateral edges of the opposite longer wall 21 of sub-structure 20 are provided with rectangular tabs 49 that are bent outwardly of the plane of wall 21 and such as to engage in the rectangular cut-outs 47 when the sub-structure 20 is collapsed with walls 21 +22 lying in a common plane generally parallel to (above or below) the common plane containing walls 23+24, the elongate element or tag 26 being trapped in a plane between them. Inter-engagement of the rectangular tabs 49 and the rectangular cut-outs 47 in the collapsed state of the sub-structure 20 aids in holding the sub-structure 20 collapsed against expansion by the tensile forces in elastic band 30, and this is useful during manufacture of the item.

The substantially rigid and foldable material employed for the sleeve 40 of the structure 10 may be the same or different to that used for the or each sub-structure of the structure 10, and the thickness of the material used for the sleeve 40 may be less than the thickness of the material used for the or each sub-structure 15. For example, for the sleeve 40, the material used may be a cardboard having a thickness in the range of 200 micron (as used for so-called folding box boards and twin whites) up to 1500 micron solid board. The cardboard material employed for the faces may be fluted e.g. of so-called "F", "G, or "B" flutes. Alternatively for the outer sleeve 40, the material used may be a PVC sheet, for example having a thickness up to 800 micron, or a "corrugated" plastic board as that known by the Trade mark "CORREX", for example having a thickness of 2 to 3 mm, or a sheeting known by the Trade mark "AMLIGHT". For the or each sub-structure 15 of the structure 10, the material used may be a solid board having a thickness in the range 600 micron to 2000 micron.

It will be appreciated that the resilient biasing means 15 may be provided in some but not all of the four sections 4 1-44. Preferably, and as shown by broken dashed-dot lines in Fig 6, the resilient biasing means 15 may be provided solely in the first and last sections 41 and 44. Furthermore it will be appreciated that the resilient biasing means 15 may be manufactured separately and stored as individual items so as to be available during subsequent assembly of a main tubular structure 40 (as explained above with reference to Fig 6).

To assemble the self-expanding structure 10, the resilient biasing means 15 are attached to the sections desired whilst the double-width sheet 18 is in the open-out form illustrated in Fig 6. The attachment positions are central of the portion of that sheet that is to form one of the panels 11,12 and the method of attachment is preferably adhesively by gluing or by use of double-sided adhesive tape. The sheet 18 is then folded vertically in half about the vertical crease line so as to form one of the edges (e.g. 13) of the intended tubular sleeve 20, and then the elongate tab 19 provided at the opposite edge of one half of the sheet 18 is folded over inwardly before being adhesively attached to the inner surface of the other half of the sheet 18 (in the zone marked by broken dot-dash lines in Fig 6) so as to provide the opposite side edge (e.g. 14) of the tubular sleeve 40.

It will be appreciated that the self-expanding structure 10 can be stored in flattened form within its container 48 (Fig 1), the individual sections 41-44 of the tubular sleeve being in a zig-zag or concertina-like formation with each sub-structure 15 having its walls 21 and 22 lying in a common plane that is generally parallel to (above or below) the common plane containing walls 23 and 24, and having its associated elongate element or tag 26 trapped in a plane between them the walls 21 +22, 23+24. Then, in operation, as the folded sections 41-44 of the tubular sleeve 20 are removed from their container 48, the tension in the elastic bands 30 tends to expand each of the sub-structures 15 from its flattened form into the maximum dimensions of parallelepiped or rhombus form permitted for each sub-structure 15 by the engagement of the end 27 of the internal tab element 25 with the associated pivot axis 33 provided between walls 22 and 23. This action arises automatically when compression of its opposed walls 21 +22, 23+24 is released and permits the structure 10 to be self-expanding.

It will be appreciated that the above-described embodiment of this invention has the advantage that assembly is simple and only requires adhesive attachment of the sub-structure 15 by one wall (e.g. longer wall 23) to one internal surface of the sheet 18 -preferably mid-way between the creases that are to provide panel edges 13,14.

This allows sliding motion of the opposite longer wall 23 or 21 of the polygonal sub-structure 20 to slide against the opposite interior panel surface 12 or 11 as the polygonal sub-structure 20 automatically self-expands.

Other modifications and embodiments of the invention, which will be readily apparent to those skilled in this art, are to be deemed within the ambit and scope of the invention, and the particular embodiment(s) hereinbefore described may be varied in construction and detail, e.g. interchanging (where appropriate or desired) different features of each, without departing from the scope of the patent monopoly hereby sought.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A self-expanding structure of substantially rigid and foldable material, e.g. card or cardboard, for use in displaying information or advertising matter, said structure comprising a tubular sleeve composed of two mutually facing, edge connected panels that, when the structure is in expanded and erect condition, have a bowed form with each panel concave to the other and the outwardly directed faces of the panels presenting convex display surfaces bearing said information or advertising matter, and said structure further comprising, biasing means to bias io away from one another regions of the sleeve's said panels intermediate the said panel edges, said biasing means being located between the said two panels and in engagement with regions of said panels' inner faces intermediate the said panel edges to effect direct bowing of each of said panels into a form that is concave to the other of said panels.
2. A self-expanding structure according to Claim 1, wherein said substantially rigid and foldable material is card or cardboard.
3. A self-expanding structure according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein said biasing means comprises a polygonal sub-structure with mutually hinged walls permitting the sub-structure to be compacted to a substantially flat condition, and resilient means to urge the substructure into an expanded condition and hence bow the panels away from one another.
4. A self-expanding structure according to Claim 3, wherein said polygonal sub-structure comprises a hollow prism with a parallelogram cross-section having its four walls pivotably connected to one another by the edges of those walls such as to provide, in sequence, first, second, third and fourth pivot axes with the distance between first and second pivot axes being equal to the distance between the third and fourth pivot axes and shorter than the distance between the second and third pivot axes (that last-said distance being equal to the distance between the fourth and first pivot axes).
5. A self-expanding structure according to Claim 4, wherein an internally directed pivotable element is connected to one (preferably longer) wall adjacent said first pivotal axis and such as to be directed towards the third pivotal axis, the free end of the internally directed element being spaced from a movement limiting feature, e.g. the third pivotal axis, when said sub-structure is compressed and engaging this movement limiting feature (e.g. the third pivotal axis) when the sub-structure is erect whereby the movement limiting feature provides a stop to further erection.
6. A self-expanding structure according to Claim 5, wherein said internally directed element comprises an attachment facility for the resilient means.
7. A self-expanding structure according to any one of Claims 3 to 6, wherein said resilient means comprises an elastic band.
8. A self-expanding structure according to Claim 7 when dependant from Claim 5, wherein said elastic band extends in tension from the attachment facility of the internally directed element through an aperture in a wall of the polygonal sub-structure and therefrom to a zone of that wall such as to pivot that wall about said third pivotal axis in a direction away from its collapsed engagement of the element.
9. A self-expanding structure according to Claim 8, wherein said zone is defined by an edge of the said wall distal from the said aperture.
10. A self-expanding structure according to any preceding Claims, wherein said polygonal sub-stnicture has one longer wall adhered to one interior panel surface.
11. A self-expanding structure according to any preceding claim, wherein the tubular sleeve is composed of a plurality of sections separated by transverse fold lines whereby the sections, in compressed form, can be folded one upon the other in a zig-zag fashion.
12. A self-expanding structure according to claim 11 wherein a said biasing means is provided in one section intermediate the ends of the tubular sleeve.
13. A self-expanding structure according to claim 11 or claim 12, wherein a said biasing means is provided in each of the two end sections of the tubular sleeve.
14. A self-expanding structure of substantially rigid and foldable material, e.g. card or cardboard, for use in displaying information or advertising matter, said structure being substantially as herein described with reference to and/or as is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows: 1. A self-expanding structure of substantially rigid and foldable material, e.g. card or cardboard, for use in displaying information or advertising matter, said s structure comprising a tubular sleeve composed of two mutually facing, edge connected panels that, when the structure is in expanded and erect condition, have a bowed form with each panel concave and the outwardly directed faces of the panels presenting convex display surfaces bearing said information or advertising matter, and said structure further comprising, biasing means to bias away from one another regions of the sleeve's said panels intermediate the said panel edges, said biasing means being located between the said two panels and in engagement with regions of said panels' inner faces intermediate the said panel edges to effect direct bowing of each of said panels into a form that is concave, wherein said biasing means comprises a polygonal sub-structure with mutually hinged walls permitting the sub-structure to be compacted to a substantially fiat condition, and resilient means to urge the substructure into an expanded condition and hence bow the panels away * * from one another, and said polygonal sub-structure comprises a hollow prism with a ****** * S parallelogram cross-section having its four walls pivotably connected to one another *5.* by the edges of those walls such as to provide, in sequence, first, second, third and fourth pivot axes with the distance between first and second pivot axes being equal * ** to the distance between the third and fourth pivot axes and shorter than the distance :. between the second and third pivot axes (that last-said distance being equal to the * distance between the fourth and first pivot axes), an internally directed pivotable element being connected to one (preferably longer) wall adjacent said first pivotal axis and such as to be directed towards the third pivotal axis, the free end of the internally directed element being spaced from a movement limiting feature, e.g. the third pivotal axis, when said sub-structure is compressed and engaging this movement limiting feature (e.g. the third pivotal axis) when the sub-structure is erect whereby the movement limiting feature provides a stop to further erection, o said resilient means comprising an elastic band that extends in tension from the attachment facility of the internally directed element through an aperture in a wall of the polygonal sub-structure and therefrom to a zone of that wall such as to pivot that wall about said third pivotal axis in a direction away from its collapsed engagement of the element.s 2. A self-expanding structure according to Claim 1, wherein said substantially rigid and foldable material is card or cardboard.3. A self-expanding structure according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein said internally directed element comprises an attachment facility for the resilient means.4. A self-expanding structure according to Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said zone is defined by an edge of the said wall distal from the said aperture.5. A self-expanding structure according to any preceding Claims, wherein said polygonal sub-structure has one longer wall adhered to one interior panel surface.S... *.6. A self-expanding structure according to any preceding claim, wherein the tubular sleeve is composed of a plurality of sections separated by transverse fold 0*S* *. : lines whereby the sections, in compressed form, can be folded one upon the other in a zig-zag fashion. * S. * S ** * . * 7. A self-expanding structure according to claim 6 wherein a said biasing means is provided in one section intermediate the ends of the tubular sleeve.8. A self-expanding structure according to claim 6 or claim 7, wherein a said biasing means is provided in each of the two end sections of the tubular sleeve.9. A self-expanding structure of substantially rigid and foldable material, e.g. card or cardboard, for use in displaying information or advertising matter, said structure being substantially as herein described with reference to and/or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.