1. Technical Field
The invention relates generally to an advertising display for stadiums and bleachers. More particularly, the invention relates to a system for displaying advertising panels which are securable to the back and sides of a stadium bleacher. Specifically, the invention relates to an advertising panel mounted and tensioned on the perimeter of the back and sides of the bleacher by one or more frame members.
2. Background Information
Advertising is a large industry in the United States and includes both printed media and electronic formats. Printed media comes in a variety of forms and may include banners and advertising billboards.
While advertising banners or panels are well known in the advertising industry, they are generally held in place with eyelets welded in the corners of the banner and string or yarn secured through the eyelet to a pole. The banner length then must be precise to fit within the area defined by the support poles or an unsightly amount of string will be necessary to secure the advertising panel to the pole. Advantageously, the use of string to secure the banner makes removal and replacement extremely easy for both the owner, as well as for, vandals or thieves.
Banners are traditionally used in smaller venues such as high school football stadiums, along fences, or the back of a bleacher. As discussed above, traditional eyelets are typically used to secure the banner to the fence or bleacher. While the advertising banners may adequately display an image, they do not appear professional or particularly pleasing to the audience.
Further, bleachers include open backs and sides which may be hazardous to pedestrians and children. In particular, children may be enticed to play within the support structure of the bleachers and become injured. The side and backs of the bleachers are also very unaesthetic in that there is a plurality of support structure designed for supporting the weight of the spectators and is generally not pleasing to look at.
The present invention broadly comprises a bleacher advertising display system that includes a bleacher having a seating surface and a plurality of support beams that defining an external vertical surface on the bleacher. An advertising panel having indicia thereon is engaged with a carrier and secured to by one or more frame members to the support beams so that the advertising panel is displayed along the external vertical surface of the bleacher. The frame members are adjustable to maintain the tension in the advertising panel.
The present invention also broadly comprises a method of displaying advertising including the steps of providing an advertising pane, engaging the panel with a carrier, attaching a frame member to a support beam that comprises part of an external vertical surface of the bleacher, attaching a rod to the frame member, coupling an advertising track with the carrier, and securing the advertising track to the rod. The method further includes the step of adjusting the tension on the adverting panel by changing the length of the rod that extends outwardly from the frame member.
A preferred embodiment of the invention, illustrated of the best mode in which Applicant contemplates applying the principles, is set forth in the following description and is shown in the drawings and is particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims.
Similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.
At the outset, it should be appreciated that like drawing numbers on different drawing views identify identical, or functionally similar, structural elements of the invention. While the present invention is described with respect to what is presently considered to be the preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention as claimed is not limited to the disclosed aspects.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of the ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although any methods, devices or materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the invention, the preferred methods, devices, and materials are now described.
The advertising display system of the present invention is indicated generally at 20, and is particularly shown in
Frame member 26 is generally C-shaped in profile and includes a top wall 86, a rear wall 88, and a bottom wall 90. Top wall 86 defines top hole 34, rear wall 88 defines a rear hole 36, and bottom wall 90 defines a bottom hole 92. Bottom hole 92 is arranged parallel to top hole 34 but preferably is offset relative thereto to allow for the removable attachment of frame member 26 to flange 80 of beam 78 as will be described hereafter. Each of the top hole 34, rear hole 36, and bottom hole 92 is threaded. Both of the top hole 34 and bottom hole 92 are threaded to receive mounting bolt 38 therein. Rear hole 36 is threaded to receive bolt 42 therein. Bolt 38 has threads 40 to mate with one of top and bottom holes 34, 92 and bolt 42 has threads 44 to mate with rear hole 36.
Rod 28 may include a head 46 having a generally circular portion 47 with an opening 48 sized to receive bolt 42 therethrough. Rod 28 includes threads 50 arranged to be mated with a hole 52 in advertising track 30. Rod 28 is secured in a final position on track 30 with a lock nut 54 which may be any traditional type of nut and does not require a specific nylon stop of a lock nut. In the preferred embodiment, a pair of washers 56 is used in conjunction with bolt 42 to secure rod head 46 to frame member 26 via rear hole 36. Advertising track 30 is rotatable about rod 28 and therefore may be configured in a variety or orientations relative to frame member 26. Furthermore, when rod 28 is rotated in a first direction the circular portion 47 thereof moves closer toward an exterior surface of advertising track 30. When rod 28 is rotated in a second direction, the circular portion 47 thereof moves further away from the exterior surface of advertising track 30. Thus, the distance between advertising track 30 and rod 28, and therefore between track 30 and frame member 26 is adjustable by rotating rod 28 in either of the first and second directions.
In accordance with one of the main features of the invention, advertising track 30 preferably is generally tubular and has a chamber 58 which communicates with a longitudinally aligned slot 60 defined in track 30 opposite threaded hole 52. Advantageously, rod 28 can extend partially into chamber 58 of advertising track 30 to act as a locking mechanism for articles or devices that are disposed within chamber 58.
Advertising panel 32 preferably is composed of a sheet material, such as vinyl and may include a plurality of small holes therein that permit air to pass through panel 32 without damaging the material thereof. Although advertising panel 32 is shown and described as being composed of a vinyl material, any suitable material known in the art may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as claimed. Advertising panel 32 has a top end, a bottom end, and first and second sides extending between the top and bottom ends. The sheet material of panel 32 is folded back upon itself at the top end and is secured in place by a seam 82 (
In accordance with one of the main features of the invention, a carrier 68 is provided to engage ring 64. Carrier 68 preferably is generally tubular and defines an inner passage 70 which extends through the length of carrier 68. Unlike advertising track 30, inner passage 70 preferably does not include a slot, although one may be incorporated without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Although carrier 68 is shown and described as being generally tubular, it will be understood that any other cross-sectional configuration may be utilized without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as claimed. Carrier 68 is received within bore 66 of ring 64 on advertising panel. An outer surface 72 of carrier 68 is disposed proximate an inner surface the ring 65 that defines bore 66. Carrier 68 and ring 64 are complementary shaped and sized to have a tight fit but the components preferably do not have an interference fit and, consequently, carrier 68 can be removed from bore 66 if desired.
Once carrier 68 is secured within bore 66, advertising track 30 is slidably engaged with ring 64 such that advertising portion 62 of panel 32 extends outwardly through slot 60 of advertising track 30. When this occurs, the outer surface 74 of ring 64 is located within chamber 58 of advertising track 30 and is disposed adjacent the interior surface of track 30 that defines chamber 58. Rod 28 is inserted into hole 52 and is rotated until the terminal end 76 of rod 28 contacts outer surface 74 of ring 64 and locks the same within advertising track 30. Thus, advertising panel 32 extends outwardly from and is securely retained by advertising track 30.
Referring to
Having described the structure of the first preferred embodiment, a preferred method of operation will be described in detail and should be read in light of
Bolt 38 is threaded through either of top hole 34 or bottom hole 92 of frame member 26, depending on which side of the beam is most easily accessed. Frame member 26 is then positioned so that flange 80 extends into cavity 98. Bolt 38 is rotated until either inner surface 94 of top wall 86 abuts the upper surface of flange 80 or inner surface 96 of bottom wall 90 engages the bottom surface of flange 80. Bolt 38 is tightened to the point that frame member 26 cannot be pulled out of engagement with flange 80. Nut 54 may either be threadably engaged with threads 50 on the shaft of rod 28 and rotated upwardly until a portion of the tip 76 thereof extends outwardly beyond nut 54 or nut 54 may be mounted on the outer surface of track 30 adjacent hole 52 and the threaded shaft of rod 28 is screwed through into nut 54 and into hole 52.
Nut 54 is rotated to thread a length of rod 28 downwardly into chamber 58 of track 30. When a sufficient length of the shaft of rod 28 is received in chamber 58, the tip 76 will engage the exterior surface of the combined ring 64 and carrier 68 and will lock the same in place within track 30. Rod 28 is secured to frame member 26 by inserting bolt 42 through washers 56, through opening 48 and into rear hole 36 in rear wall 88 of frame member 26. Bolt 42 is rotated until rod 28 is tightly retained against rear wall 88 of frame member 26. Thus, track 30 and advertising panel 32 are securely locked to frame member 26. Frame member 26 is then secured to beam 78 as previously described.
In a similar fashion, a second advertising track (not shown) and second frame member (not shown) may be secured to an opposite end of advertising panel 32 from that shown in
Having described the structure and operation of the first preferred embodiment, only those portions of the second embodiment which are different from the first embodiment are described in detail. Likewise, similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the various embodiments.
Panel fastening assembly 24 further includes a frame member 126 which is removably secured to a beam 138 (
In accordance with another feature of the present invention, first arm 106 includes a rear portion 116 that is complementary in shape and size to second arm 118. Both of the rear portion 116 and second arm 118 include a plurality of elongated slots 120. The slots 120 on rear portion 116 are aligned with the slots on second arm 118. In the preferred embodiment, four elongated slots 120 are defined, in rear portion 116 and four elongated slots 120 are defined in second arm 118. Four mounting bolts 122 are provided to secure first arm 106 and second arm 118 together. Each mounting bolt 122 preferably includes a threaded portion 124 at each end and when bolts 122 are engaged through slots 120 in first and second arms 106, 118, the threaded portion 124 extends beyond the outer surfaces 126, 128 of rear portion 116 and second arm 118, respectively. Nuts 130 are engaged with mounting bolts 122 and abut outer surfaces 126, 128. Once first and second arms 106, 118 are secured together with mounting bolts 122, a cavity 132 is defined by an inner surface 134 of second arm 118, an inner surface 136 of rear portion 116 of first arm 106, and mounting bolts 122. Since slots 120 are elongated longitudinally, the longitudinal position of mounting bolts 122 may be varied as necessary to secure frame member 126 to beam 138, as will be hereinafter described.
The distance between advertising track 30 and frame member 126 is indicated by the dimension “B”. As will be evident, dimension “B” may be adjusted by rotating nuts 54, 104 to change the length of the section of bolt 100 that extends between track 30 and rod 28.
The securement of a bottom end of an advertising panel 32 with panel fastening assembly 24 is illustrated in
Having described the structure of the second preferred embodiment of the panel fastening assembly 24 in accordance with the present invention, a preferred method of operation will be described in detail and should be read in light of
Panel fastening assembly 24 is secured to beam 138 in the following manner. First arm 106 and second arm 118 are arranged on opposite sides of vertical beam 138 and the plurality of mounting bolts 122 are inserted through elongated slots 120. Mounting bolts 122 are secured in place around vertical beam 138 with nuts 130 to form a cavity 132. Vertical beam 138 is retained within this cavity 132. Rod 28 is inserted into elongated slot 112 in first arm 106 and washers 56 and nuts 110 are finger tightened. The position of rod 28 in slot 112 is adjusted and then nuts 110 are rotated to lock rod 28 against further movement in slot 112. Rod 100 is inserted through opening 48 in rod 28. Nut 104 is rotated to adjust the position between track 30 and rod 28. Nut 104 is rotated in a first direction to decrease the distance between track 30 and rod 28 and thereby increase the tension on panel 32. Nut 104 is rotated in a second direction to increase the distance between track 30 and rod and thereby decrease the tension on panel 32. The remainder of the installation is similar to that of the first preferred embodiment. Once again, carrier 68 is inserted within inner bore 66 of ring 64 and the combination is then engaged within advertising track 30 such that advertising portion 62 extends outwardly through slot 60 of track 30. In the installation of track 30 at the bottom end of advertising panel 32, skirt panel 144 hangs downwardly to hide ring 64 and frame member 26.
Having described the structure and operation of the two preferred embodiment panel fastening systems, a preferred embodiment advertising display will now be described in detail. Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the various embodiments.
Advertising panel 32 may be utilized to enclose one or more of a right side region 208 of bleacher 200, a rear side 210 thereof, and a left side region 212 of bleacher 200. While the preferred embodiment advertising display includes three sides of bleacher 200 covered with one or more advertising panels 32, it is within the spirit and scope of the present invention as claimed to locate the advertising panel on only a single side, or a combination of the three sides. Further, the advertising panel may be displayed along only a portion of the bleacher such as only the middle of the rear side.
As illustrated in
It should further be understood that panel fastening assemblies 24 could be used to secure the top end of the advertising panel 32 and panel fastening assemblies 22 could be used to secure the lower end 142 of advertising panel 32 or a combination of the two panel fastening assemblies 22, 24 could be used along either or both of the top and lower ends of panel 32.
Although it has not been illustrated herein, it should be understood that panel frame assemblies 22, 24 could alternatively be mounted to support structure 203 in such a fashion that they will be able to engage a side edge of advertising panel 32 instead of the upper and lower end 142 thereof. In this instance, ring 64 will be formed along the side edge of panel 32, carrier 68 will be inserted into the ring 64 on the side edge and then advertising track 30 will engage carrier 68. Additionally, panel frame assemblies 22, 24 could be adjusted in the manners previously described to maintain tension on advertising panel in a horizontal direction. It should further be understood that panel frame assemblies 22, 24 could be positioned in such a manner as to engage each of the top end, lower end 142 and side edges of advertising panel 32. In this instance, essentially the entire perimeter of panel 32 is supported by panel frame members 22, 24 and the adjustability of those frame members will permit tension in both the vertical and horizontal directions to be adjusted and maintained.
Accordingly, the bleacher advertising display is an effective, safe, inexpensive, and efficient device that achieves all the enumerated objectives of the invention, provides for eliminating difficulties encountered with prior art devices, systems, and methods, and solves problems and obtains new results in the art.
In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed.
Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention are an example and the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described.
Having now described the features discoveries, and principles of the invention, the manner in which the bleacher advertising display is construed and used, the characteristics of the construction, and the advantageous new and useful results obtained; the new and useful structures, devices, elements, arrangement, parts, and combinations are set forth in the appended claims.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20120073169 A1 | Mar 2012 | US |