The present invention relates generally to a display system.
Display systems can be temporary structures, such as those found at conferences and trade shows, or permanent structures, such as those often found in office, school, or hotel lobbies. Display systems can also be interactive, such as those found in certain museums. There are a variety of different kinds of display systems, and for each kind there are typically a number of functional concerns with respect to providing the best display system for a particular situation.
In various embodiments, a display system is described. The system can include a support surface having a grid of magnetic elements arranged in at least two columns of spaced apart magnetic elements and at least two rows of spaced apart magnetic elements, and a plurality of display elements. Each display element can include at least one magnetic element corresponding to at least one magnetic element of the grid of magnetic elements on the support surface. At least one of the support surface or the display element includes a magnetic element that is a permanent magnet such that the display element can be removeably attached to the support surface.
The features, objects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to one skilled in the art from the following description and claims when read in light of the accompanying drawings.
This description of the exemplary embodiments is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description. In the description, relative terms such as “lower,” “upper,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” “above,” “below,” “up,” “down,” “top” and “bottom” as well as derivatives thereof (e.g., “horizontally,” “downwardly,” “upwardly,” etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description and do not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated in a particular orientation. Terms concerning attachments, coupling and the like, such as “connected,” refer to a relationship wherein structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise.
In various embodiments, a display system is described. In some embodiments, the display system includes a support surface and a plurality of display elements. The support surface includes a grid of magnetic elements that can include at least two columns of spaced apart magnetic elements and at least two rows of spaced apart magnetic elements. The support surface includes an outer surface that is generally planar. In some embodiments, the support surface can be a planar, non-magnetic material, such as a non-magnetic metal, wooden sheet (particle board, plywood, etc.), or a polymer sheet with the grid of magnetic elements secured thereto. In some embodiments, the support surface can be a planar, magnetic material (e.g., a metal, such as steel). In some embodiments, for example, as shown in
The grid of magnetic elements having at least two columns of spaced apart magnetic elements and at least two rows of spaced apart magnetic elements can include magnetic elements selected from, for example, ferromagnetic materials, magnets, rare earth magnets, etc. Rare earth magnets include, for example, permanent magnets made from alloys of rare earth elements. In some embodiments, a display element includes at least one magnetic element corresponding to at least one magnetic element of the grid of magnetic elements on the support surface. In some embodiments, a display element includes at least two magnetic elements corresponding to at least two magnetic elements of the grid of magnetic elements on the support surface, or at least three magnetic elements corresponding to at least three magnetic elements of the grid of magnetic elements, or at least four magnetic elements corresponding to at least four magnetic elements of the grid of magnetic elements.
In some embodiments, the grid of magnetic elements 6 can be arranged in at least two columns of spaced apart magnetic elements and at least two rows of spaced apart magnetic elements. In some embodiments, the grid of magnetic elements can be arranged in at least three columns of spaced apart magnetic elements and at least three rows of spaced apart magnetic elements. In some embodiments, the magnetic elements 10 forming the at least two columns of spaced apart magnetic elements and the at least two rows of spaced apart magnetic elements include permanent magnets 12. In some embodiments, the permanent magnets 12 are rare earth magnets. In some embodiments, magnets 12 include a samarium-cobalt alloy or a neodymium alloy. In some embodiments, two or more of the magnets 12 are oriented to have the same polarity facing out of the support structure 4. In some embodiments, each of the magnets 12 are oriented to have the same polarity facing out of the support structure 4.
As shown in
In some embodiments, the magnetic elements 10 can have a particular shape or can be countersunk in a depression having a particular shape. In some embodiments, the magnets 12 can have a particular shape, which can be the same or different from that of the depression. In some embodiments, the fastener 14 can have a particular shape. In some embodiments, the magnetic elements 10, the magnets 12, the fastener 14, the depression containing each magnetic element, or any combination thereof can have a shape selected from a circle, triangle, square, rectangle, parallelogram, pentagon, hexagon, octagon, etc. In some embodiments, one or more of the magnetic elements 10, the magnets 12, the fastener 14, the depression containing each magnetic element, or any combination thereof can have a first shape, and one or more of the magnetic elements 10, the magnets 12, the fastener 14, or any combination thereof can have a second shape, or a third shape, etc. In some embodiments, each magnetic element 18 on the display element can have the same shape as each depression containing magnetic elements 10 in the support surface. This facilitates proper orientation of the display elements even when the display element only utilizes one magnetic element.
In some embodiments, the grid of magnetic elements 6 includes at least three columns of spaced apart magnetic elements. In some embodiments, the grid of magnetic elements 6 includes at least four columns of spaced apart magnetic elements. In some embodiments, the grid of magnetic elements 6 includes at least five columns of spaced apart magnetic elements. In some embodiments, the grid of magnetic elements 6 includes at least six columns of spaced apart magnetic elements. In some embodiments, the grid of magnetic elements 6 includes at least seven columns of spaced apart magnetic elements. In some embodiments, the grid of magnetic elements 6 includes at least eight columns of spaced apart magnetic elements. In some embodiments, the grid of magnetic elements 6 includes at least nine columns of spaced apart magnetic elements. In some embodiments, the grid of magnetic elements 6 includes at least ten columns of spaced apart magnetic elements. In some embodiments, the grid of magnetic elements 6 includes at least fifteen columns of spaced apart magnetic elements.
In some embodiments, the grid of magnetic elements 6 includes at least three rows of spaced apart magnetic elements. In some embodiments, the grid of magnetic elements 6 includes at least four rows of spaced apart magnetic elements. In some embodiments, the grid of magnetic elements 6 includes at least five rows of spaced apart magnetic elements. In some embodiments, the grid of magnetic elements 6 includes at least six rows of spaced apart magnetic elements. In some embodiments, the grid of magnetic elements 6 includes at least nine rows of spaced apart magnetic elements.
In some embodiments, the grid of magnetic elements 6 is configured such that each set of adjacent columns are spaced apart by a first horizontal distance 11, and each set of adjacent rows are spaced apart by a first vertical distance 9. In some embodiments, the first vertical distance 9 and the first horizontal distance 11 are the same. In some embodiments, the first vertical distance 9 and the first horizontal distance 11 are different.
In some embodiments, the support surface 4 has a predetermined width and a predetermined height in order to provide space for the grid of magnetic elements 6 arranged in at least two columns of spaced apart magnetic elements and at least two rows of spaced apart magnetic elements.
In some embodiments, the predetermined width of support surface 4 is between about 3 feet to about 20 feet. In some embodiments, the predetermined width is between about 7 feet to about 17 feet. In some embodiments, the predetermined width is between about 3 feet to about 8 feet.
In some embodiments, the predetermined height of support surface 4 is between about 1 foot to about 10 feet. In some embodiments, the predetermined height is between about 1 foot to about 8 feet. In some embodiments, the predetermined height is between about 2 feet to about 4 feet.
In some embodiments, the support surface 4 can be made out of a non-magnetic metal, plastic, wood (e.g., particle board, plywood, etc.), graphite, or any other suitable material. In some embodiments, the support surface 4 can be made out of a magnetic material (e.g., a metal, such as steel).
In some embodiments, the predetermined spacing for the at least two columns of spaced apart magnetic elements in the grid of magnetic elements 6 is a first horizontal distance 11. In some embodiments, the horizontal distance 11 is between about 2 to about 55 inches, between about 3 to about 27.5 inches, or between about 4 and about 12 inches.
In some embodiments, the predetermined spacing for the at least two rows of spaced apart magnetic elements in the grid of magnetic elements 6 is a first vertical distance 9. In some embodiments, the vertical distance 9 is between about 3 to about 37.5 inches, between about 4 to about 22.5 inches, or between about 5 and about 15 inches.
As shown in
In some embodiments, the display system 2 includes a plurality of first display elements and a plurality of second display elements 8. As shown in
In some embodiments, the plurality of display elements 8 can have a particular shape. In some embodiments, one or more of the display elements 8 can have a first shape and one or more of the display elements 8 can have a second shape, or a third shape, etc. In some embodiments, the plurality of display elements 8 can have a shape selected from triangle, square, rectangle, parallelogram, pentagon, hexagon, octagon, etc.
In some embodiments, the grid of magnetic elements 6 can be oriented to have a shape associated with one or more of the display elements 8. In some embodiments, the grid of magnetic elements 6 and the display elements 8 will have the same shape. As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
In some embodiments, each one of a first set of display elements includes a display element body with one row of two magnetic elements attached to the back and each one of a second set of display elements includes a display element body with four magnetic elements arranged in two rows and two columns. In some embodiments, additional sets of display elements can have six or more magnetic elements arranged in two or more rows and three or more columns, or three or more rows and two or more columns.
As shown in
As shown in
Each of the plurality of display elements 8 has a predetermined width and a predetermined height. As shown in
Width=(n1×first horizontal distance #)−a1 Formula (1)
As shown in
Height=(n2×first vertical distance #)−a2 Formula (2)
In some embodiments, the predetermined width and the predetermined height of display element 8 can be equal to a specified amount such that the horizontal space (a1) between adjacent display elements 8 and the vertical space (a2) between adjacent display elements 8 is the same. In some embodiments, the predetermined width and the predetermined height of each display element 8 can be equal to a specified amount such that the horizontal space (a1) between adjacent display elements 8 and the vertical space (a2) between adjacent display elements 8 are different, but are consistent when display elements 8 are attached to adjacent rows and columns of the grid of magnetic elements 6.
In some embodiments, sets of display elements 8 having different sizes can be used with the grid of magnetic elements 6 on the support structure 4. When the grid of magnetic elements 6 has magnetic elements horizontally spaced apart at a distance 11, and magnetic elements vertically spaced apart at a distance 9, then display elements 8 can have a predetermined width using formula (1) where n1 is 2, 3, or 4 and a predetermined height using formula (2) where n2 is 1, 2, 3, or 4. The uniform horizontal and vertical spacing (a1, a2) can be selected as desired (e.g., 0.5″, 1″, 1.5″, 2″, etc.). For example, a first set of display elements 8 can have a predetermined width and predetermined height in which n1=n2=2; a second set of display elements 8 can have a predetermined width and predetermined height in which n1=2 and n2=1; a third set of display elements 8 can have a predetermined width and predetermined height in which n1=n2=3; a fourth set of display elements 8 can have a predetermined width and predetermined height in which n1=3 and n2=4; etc. Alternately, the display elements 8 could include two rows of two magnetic elements 10, where (i) a horizontal distance between magnetic elements 10 in adjacent columns is a multiple of the first horizontal distance greater than one, (ii) a vertical distance between magnetic elements 10 in adjacent rows is a multiple of the first vertical distance greater than one, or (iii) both option (i) and (ii). As would be evident from the relationship between the grid of magnetic elements 6 having magnetic elements spaced apart at a vertical distance 9 and magnetic elements spaced apart at a horizontal distance 11, various sizes and combinations of sizes of display elements 8 can be used in the display system 2.
In some embodiments, the display system 2 includes a plurality of display materials. The plurality of display materials can optionally include a number of magnetic elements. Magnetic elements include ferromagnetic materials, magnets, etc. In some embodiments, display material is a ferromagnetic material or magnetic. Such a display material would not need a magnetic element. For example, a ferromagnetic display material may not need an additional magnetic element. In some embodiments, display material is not a ferromagnetic material or magnetic. Such a display material would include at least two magnetic elements spaced apart at a distance corresponding to at least two magnets of the grid of magnets 6.
As shown in
As would be evident from the description and figures, the display system 2 will generally be used for displaying a plurality of display elements, each having a display feature and optionally having a graphic, text, or both that are related to the display feature. Using the display system described herein, a plurality of display elements can be attached to the support surface of the display system such that the display elements are configured with a specified amount of space between any adjacent display elements. In accordance with the display system described herein, a display element can be removed from the support surface of the display system and subsequently reattached in the identical position from which it was removed or in another position. In accordance with the display system described herein, the support surface having a grid of magnetic elements can be covered with a cover sheet that provides a seamless surface. The display system as described herein provides a museum quality display, and the interchangeability of the display elements and cover sheet provides a sustainable display system.
The foregoing is provided for purposes of illustrating, explaining, and describing embodiments of this invention. Modifications and adaptations to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of this invention.
Although the subject matter has been described in terms of exemplary embodiments, it is not limited thereto. Rather, the appended claims should be construed broadly, to include other variants and embodiments, which may be made by those skilled in the art.
The present application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/454,535, filed Feb. 3, 2017, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62454535 | Feb 2017 | US |