Patent Application
20230368711
This application relates to presentation boards and, more specifically, self-standing display boards. The teachings of this disclosure may also be applicable to re-configurable self-standing structures and/or other display boards outside of the presentation context.
Individuals, organizations, and companies have a plethora of presentation board options to choose from when preparing visual presentation materials. However, commercially-available presentation boards may generally be categorized as either low-end or high-end. Low-end presentation boards, for example, commonly available tri-fold cardboard display boards, are low-cost and may be lightweight; however, such low-end boards may be easily damaged, be flimsy, and/or appear cheap, thereby undermining the presentation or sales pitch such boards are used for. High-end presentation boards are customizable and may appear impressive to the presenter’s intended audience, but they are often expensive, heavy, bulky, and/or difficult to manage.
A presentation board product that is economical, customizable, easily portable, readily storable, light weight, durable, and/or impressive-looking is desired by the market. It would further be advantageous for such presentation board to be easily and quicky set-up and taken down.
The present disclosure provides a description of display boards to address the perceived problems described above, methods of manufacture, methods of use, and related systems thereof. It is to be understood that the descriptions herein are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the inventive concepts disclosed.
In one embodiment, a display board is provided. The display board may include a left panel, a left-middle panel, a center panel, a right-middle panel, a right panel, a left-top fold section, a right-top fold section, a left-bottom fold section, and/or a right-bottom fold section. The display board may be configured to be placed in at least a display configuration and a closed configuration.
The left panel and the left-middle panel may intersect with an exterior orientation. The left-middle panel and the center panel may intersect with an interior orientation. The right-middle panel and the center panel may intersect with the interior orientation. The right panel and the right-middle panel may intersect with the exterior orientation. The front sides of panels that intersect at the exterior orientation may face away from each other in the display configuration and in the closed configuration. The back sides of panels that intersect at the interior orientation may face away each other in the display configuration and in the closed configuration.
The left-top fold section may further include a left-top fold panel, a left-top middle fold panel, and a left-top center fold panel. The right-top fold section may further include a right-top fold panel, a right-top middle fold panel, and a right-top center fold panel. The left-bottom fold section may further include a left-bottom fold panel, a left-bottom middle fold panel, and a left-bottom center fold panel. The right-bottom fold section may further include a right-bottom fold panel, a right-bottom middle fold panel, and a right-bottom center fold panel.
The left-top fold panel and the left-top middle fold panel may intersect with an interior orientation. The left-top middle fold panel and the left-top center fold panel may intersect with an exterior orientation. The right-top fold panel and the right-top middle fold panel may intersect with an interior orientation. The right-top middle fold panel and the right-top center fold panel may intersect with an exterior orientation. The left-bottom fold panel and the left-bottom middle fold panel may intersect with an interior orientation. The left-bottom middle fold panel and the left-bottom center fold panel may intersect with an exterior orientation. The right-bottom fold panel and the right-bottom middle fold panel may intersect with an interior orientation. The right-bottom middle fold panel and the right-bottom center fold panel may intersect with an exterior orientation.
The front surface of the display board may contain imagery. The imagery may not span across any panel intersection that corresponds to the exterior orientation.
The display board may substantially consist of corrugated plastic with vertically oriented fluting. The back surface of the display board may be cut at each panel intersection that corresponds to an interior orientation. The front surface of the display board may cut at each panel intersection that corresponds to an exterior orientation.
The display board may substantially consist of foam core board. The back surface of the display board may be scored at each panel intersection that corresponds to an interior orientation. The front surface of the display board may be scored at each panel intersection that corresponds to an exterior orientation.
The display board may further include a central fold the vertically bisects the center panel. The back surface of the display board may be scored or cut along the central fold and/or the front surface of the display board may be scored or cut along the central fold.
In another embodiment, the display board may include a left panel, a left-middle panel a center panel, a right-middle panel, a right panel, and a first fold section. The display board may be configured to be placed in at least a display configuration and a closed configuration.
The left panel and the left-middle panel may intersect with an exterior orientation. The left-middle panel and the center panel may intersect with an interior orientation. The right-middle panel and the center panel may intersect with the interior orientation. The right panel and the right-middle panel may intersect with the exterior orientation. The front sides of panels that intersect with the exterior orientation may face away from each other in the display configuration and in the closed configuration. The back sides of panels that intersect with the interior orientation may face away each other in the display configuration and in the closed configuration.
The first fold section may include a first outer fold panel, a first middle fold panel, and a first center fold panel. The first outer fold panel and the first middle fold panel may intersect with an interior orientation. The first middle fold panel and the first center fold panel may intersect with an exterior orientation.
The display board may further include a second fold section. The second fold section may include a second outer fold panel, a second middle fold panel, and a second center fold panel. The second outer fold panel and the second middle fold panel may intersect with an interior orientation. The second middle fold panel and the second center fold panel intersect with an exterior orientation.
The left panel and the left-middle panel may intersect with an interior orientation. The left-middle panel and the center panel may intersect with an exterior orientation. The right-middle panel and the center panel may intersect with the exterior orientation. The right panel and the right-middle panel may intersect with the interior orientation. The first fold section further may include a first outer fold panel, a first middle fold panel, and a first center fold panel. The first outer fold panel and the first middle fold panel may intersect with an exterior orientation. The first middle fold panel and the first center fold panel may intersect with an interior orientation. The front sides of panels that intersect at the exterior orientation may face away from each other in the display configuration and in the closed configuration. The back sides of panels that intersect at the interior orientation face away each other in the display configuration and in the closed configuration.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate several embodiments and aspects of the apparatuses and methods described herein and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
With reference to
The bottom of left-top fold section 21 may be separated from left panel 10, left-middle panel 30, and center panel 50 by cut-through 1. Left-top fold section 21 may comprise left-top fold panel 11, left-top middle fold panel 31, and left-top center fold panel 51.
The bottom of right-top fold section 22 may be separated from center panel 50, right-middle panel 70, and right panel 90 by cut-through 2. Right-top fold section 22 may comprise right-top fold panel 92, right-top middle fold panel 72, and right-top center fold panel 52.
The top of left-bottom fold section 23 may be separated from left panel 10, left-middle panel 30, and center panel 50 by cut-through 3. Left-bottom fold section 23 may comprise left-bottom fold panel 13, left-bottom middle fold panel 33, and left-bottom center fold panel 53.
The top of right-bottom fold section 24 may be separated from center panel 50, right-middle panel 70, and right panel 90 by cut-through 4. Right-bottom fold section 24 may comprise right-bottom fold panel 94, right-bottom middle fold panel 74, and right-bottom center fold panel 54.
As may be observed in, for example,
With reference to
In certain alternative embodiments, interior and exterior orientations may be reversed. In such embodiments, for example, with reference to
As may be viewed in, for example,
In alternative embodiments enabling a compact configuration, central crease/fold 50C may enable the front bisected portions of central panel 50 to fold together to avoid interference with images printed or otherwise provided on central panel 50. For example, central crease/fold 50c may be cut on the back side of center panel 50 (e.g., with the the back of center panel 50 serving as cut board surface 6). This may avoid a cut in the middle of the front of center panel 50. In such embodiments, central crease/ fold 50c may be taped on the back side of display board 100 before deployment into the display, closed, and/or partially closed configurations to avoid (or limit) any undesirable folding or bending of center panel 50 in such configurations.
In some embodiments, one or more of fold sections 21/22/23/24 may be omitted. Additionally or alternatively, it is contemplated that additional internal fold sections may be added, for example, for aesthetical appeal or additional structural support. For example, an internal fold section may be separated from left panel 10, left-middle panel 30, and center panel 50 by a top cut-through on one side and a bottom cut-through on the other; an internal fold section may be separated from right panel 90, right-middle panel 70, and center panel 50 by a top cut-through on one side and a bottom cut-through on the other; and/or the like.
In certain exemplary embodiments, display board 100 may be commercially offered in a variety of scaled sizes. With reference to
In other exemplary embodiments, a shorter, squatter display board 100 is contemplated. For example, a display board 100 may be 6 units high and 12 units wide; it is contemplated that, with respect to the unit measurements discussed in the paragraph above with respect to
As noted above with reference to
In some embodiments, one or more pins 9 may be inserted into the fluting at and/or adjacent to locations 8 where display board 100 sections intersect in the display configuration. For reference, locations 8 are depicted in
A piece of suitable material, such as a single sheet of corrugated plastic, may be provided at the proper size. Consistent with certain preferred embodiments, a corrugated plastic sheet manufactured by Coroplast®, such as Part number RPA40WB2442, 96″ X 48″ [c] in white may be utilized. It may be preferred for the fluting in such corrugated material be positioned to run vertically to ensure proper structure and flexibility in the final display board 100 product.
The display design may be printed or otherwise affixed to the material. In some embodiments, for example, where a blank display board 100 is desired, this step may be omitted.
The board may be cut to form appropriate cut-throughs (e.g., cut-throughs 1/2/3/4) as appropriate for the design, for example, as depicted in
The board may be scored, for example via grooving tools, laser, cutting tools, and/or the like to form the desired creases/folds, for example, as depicted in
Once cut and scored, display board 100 may be considered formed, but in a fully open configuration. It may then be appropriately folded into the closed configuration (or compact configuration), dropped into a protective sleeve and/or other appropriate packaging, and/or prepared for shipping.
Putting display board 100 into the display configuration from the closed configuration is quick and simple. A display board 100 in the closed configuration 100 (e.g.,
Returning display board 100 into the closed configuration from the display configuration is also quick and simple. A presenter need only bring left panel 10 and right panel 90 together until crease/folds 30a and 70a are substantially adjacent. Then, a presenter can simply place the display board 100 on a flat surface. As in
Due to the lightweight nature of certain contemplated embodiments of display board 100, gusts of wind could topple the display if, for example, a presentation occurs in an outdoor area. To accommodate such uses, a wind stability base add-on is specifically contemplated. For example, a plastic slotted base may be crafted with grooves or similar structures to fit and grasp the bottom surfaces of display board 100 in the display configuration. In this manner, toppling risk may be reduced.
It is contemplated that holographic prints may be affixed to display board 100. In certain of such embodiments, display board 100 may be configured such that a plurality panels comprising holographic prints could be directed toward a single point. Such a configuration may enable a 3-dimensional hologram and enhance the visual appearance of a display board 100.
In some embodiments, electronic lighting or display elements, such as LEDs, OLEDs, E-Ink’s reflective electrophoretic E technology displays, lightweight videos screens, and/or the like, may be integrated into a display board 100 without substantially undermining its aforementioned advantageous characteristics. For example, in some embodiments, electronic display elements or wiring may be provided within fluting of corrugated materials.
Outside of the presentation board context, the above-described structures and methods may be used in a variety of other applications. For example, stable, readily deployable walls for use in emergency shelters, military applications, landscaping, social events, and/or the like based on the structures disclosed herein are contemplated.
Although the foregoing embodiments have been described in detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in light of the description herein that certain changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular aspects only, and is not intended to be limiting, since the scope of the present invention will be limited only by claims.
It is noted that, as used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It is further noted that the claims may be drafted to exclude any optional element. As such, this statement is intended to serve as antecedent basis for use of such exclusive terminology as “solely,” “only,” and the like in connection with the recitation of claim elements, or use of a “negative” limitation. As will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading this disclosure, each of the individual aspects described and illustrated herein has discrete components and features which may be readily separated from or combined with the features of any of the other several aspects without departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure. Any recited method can be carried out in the order of events recited or in any other order that is logically possible. Accordingly, the preceding merely provides illustrative examples. It will be appreciated that those of ordinary skill in the art will be able to devise various arrangements which, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the disclosure and are included within its spirit and scope.
Furthermore, all examples and conditional language recited herein are principally intended to aid the reader in understanding the principles of the invention and the concepts contributed by the inventors to furthering the art, and are to be construed without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles and aspects of the invention, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof. Additionally, it is intended that such equivalents include both currently known equivalents and equivalents developed in the future, i.e., any elements developed that perform the same function, regardless of structure. The scope of the present invention, therefore, is not intended to be limited to the exemplary configurations shown and described herein.
In this specification, various preferred embodiments have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It will be apparent, however, that various other modifications and changes may be made thereto and additional embodiments may be implemented without departing from the broader scope of this disclosure. The specification and drawings are accordingly to be regarded in an illustrative rather than restrictive sense.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Pat. Application Ser. No. 63/340,178, filed on May 10, 2022, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63340178 | May 2022 | US |
