Patent Application
20170116893
The present disclosure generally relates to a freestanding display, and more specifically to a freestanding tradeshow display with a weighted base.
Conventional tradeshow displays include a base engaged to one or more display panels, where the base includes protrusions for stability, e.g., disk-shaped stands, feet that protrude from the front and back of the display, and so forth. The remains a need for an improved freestanding tradeshow display system.
A freestanding display system includes a weighted base removably and replaceably coupled to a relatively lightweight top portion bearing display surfaces. Because of the shape of the freestanding display and the significant weight differential between the weighted base and the top display portion, the center of mass for the freestanding display may be disposed within its volume such that the freestanding display resists tipping over when subjected to substantial tilt angles, while advantageously facilitating easy disassembly and transportation for deployment at tradeshows or similar temporary venues.
The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the devices, systems, and methods described herein will be apparent from the following description of particular embodiments thereof, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the devices, systems, and methods described herein.
The embodiments will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying figures, in which preferred embodiments are shown. The foregoing may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the illustrated embodiments set forth herein.
All documents mentioned herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. References to items in the singular should be understood to include items in the plural, and vice versa, unless explicitly stated otherwise or clear from the text. Grammatical conjunctions are intended to express any and all disjunctive and conjunctive combinations of conjoined clauses, sentences, words, and the like, unless otherwise stated or clear from the context. Thus, the term “or” should generally be understood to mean “and/or” and so forth.
Recitation of ranges of values herein are not intended to be limiting, referring instead individually to any and all values falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value within such a range is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. The words “about,” “approximately,” or the like, when accompanying a numerical value, are to be construed as indicating a deviation as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art to operate satisfactorily for an intended purpose. Ranges of values and/or numeric values are provided herein as examples only, and do not constitute a limitation on the scope of the described embodiments. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (“e.g.,” “such as,” or the like) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the embodiments and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the embodiments. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any unclaimed element as essential to the practice of the embodiments.
In the following description, it is understood that terms such as “first,” “second,” “top,” “bottom,” “up,” “down,” “front,” “back,” and the like, are words of convenience and are not to be construed as limiting terms.
Described herein are devices, systems, and methods for a freestanding display. The “display,” “system,” “exhibit,” or “display system,” as described herein shall refer to a system for exhibiting or presenting one or more displays, which may include a base, one or more display panels, and associated structural frames. As used herein, a freestanding display exhibit refers generally to any of the display systems described herein where a base and display are in their assembled form for use as a display. The “display,” “display panel,” “display surface” or “panel” may be any item for presentation at, e.g., a tradeshow, convention, corporate event, sporting event, conference, exhibition, general event, retail store, restaurant, bar, or any other setting in which one might want to provide information or aesthetic content in a temporary or mobile physical form. The display may include, without limitation, a sign, graphic, advertisement, identification, poster, billboard, and so on. The display may further include, without limitation, lettering, designs, numbers, colors, graphics and the like.
The one or more display surfaces 108 may be rectangular as illustrated, or the display surfaces may have any other shape including any regular or irregular polygon or other shape suitable for a desired presentation. The display 104 may completely covers the base 102 to hide the base 102 from view when the display 104 is placed for use over the base 102 to form a freestanding exhibit. In general the display 104 may be coupled to the base 102 by a sliding engagement where the display 104 slides on top of the base 102 as described above. The display 104 may fully enclose the base 102, e.g., slide all the way down to the bottom of the base 102. The display 104 may also or instead sit fully or partially above the base 102. The coupling of the display 104 to the base 102 may rely on a friction fit between the two. The coupling may also or instead include the use of one or more of a ferromagnetic material, an adhesive, a mechanical coupling (e.g., hook and loop, latches, pins, screws, nails, etc.), and so forth. In an aspect, at least one of the base 102 and the display 104 includes a flange for the engagement of the display 104 to the base 102.
The display 104 may include a printed sheet 112 adhered to one of the display surfaces 108. The display may also or instead include digital or other dynamic signage of any suitable form including, without limitation, a computer screen, an LED screen, an OLED screen, a plasma screen, an LCD screen, and so on. The display may also or instead include electrical components including, without limitation, light fixtures, clocks, LEDs, tickers, and the like. The display may also include interactive or moving elements. The display may be made from any material known in the art or that will become known in the art, including, without limitation, paper, wood, foam, plastic (e.g., corrugated plastic), cardboard, honeycomb cardboard, metal, and so on. The display, display panels, base, or structural components may also be magnetic or nonmagnetic. The displays may include temporary displays such as temporary booths, exhibits, showcases, partitions, and the like. The displays may also be interchangeable, movable, and/or adaptable (e.g., able to change size, shape, setting, appearance, etc.).
The display 104 may also or instead include ridges, flanges or the like for aligning display materials that are magnetically attached or otherwise removably positioned on the display surface 108.
The base 202 may generally include a bottom shelf 206, a top 208, a vertical interior shelf 210 below the top 208, and one or more sidewalls 212. The one or more sidewalls 212 may be arranged into an exterior vertical cross-sectional shape of any desired form, as discussed in greater detail with reference to
There may be a weighted material 216 within the closed void 214 to provide stability to the display structure 200, such as a sand, a concrete, a dense foam, rocks, or the like. In another aspect, the closed void may be watertight, and the weighted material may include a fluid such as water. The base 202 may also include a hatch 218 or similar sealable closure for accessing the void space so that sand, water, or other weighted material can be added to or removed from the void space as desired.
The base 202 may include at least one handle 220 for convenient handling and transportation thereof. The handle 220 may, for example, be formed by an opening in one of the sidewalls 212 and may be positioned below the top 208 and above the vertical interior shelf 210 to permit convenient gripping from a position above the center of gravity of the base 202.
In general, the maximum stable tilt angle may be controlled by the geometry of the base, the amount of weighted material, and so forth. For example, the base 402 may have a first weight at least four time greater than a second weight of the display 404, e.g., to lower the center of gravity toward the bottom surface 410 of the base 402 for improved stability. Similarly as noted above, the display 404 may be substantially taller than the base 402, e.g., four times taller or more.
More generally, the interior vertical cross-sectional shape 605 of the display 604 and the exterior vertical cross-sectional shape 603 of the base 602 may have any suitable shape for use with the display systems contemplated herein. In one aspect, at least one of the base 602 and the display 604 include a polyhedron shape, e.g., a rectangular hexahedron (i.e., rectangular box where each face is a rectangle), a rectangular prism, a cube, or a cuboid. One skilled in the art will recognize that an infinite number of shapes are possible for the display surfaces and vertical cross-sections of the base 602 and the display 604, including without limitation, a hexahedron (i.e., a polyhedron with six faces), a cylinder, a prism having a polygonal cross-section, a pyramid (e.g., with a polygonal base such as a square, rectangle, triangle, and so forth), a cone, a sphere, a barrel shape, a wedge shape, a truncated shape, an ellipsoid, a symmetrical shape, an asymmetrical shape, and so forth. The shape of at least one of the base 602 and the display 604 may also or instead include a combination of any of the foregoing shapes or other shapes known in the art, e.g., the freestanding display may have an I-shaped cross-section.
It will be appreciated that the methods and systems described above are set forth by way of example and not of limitation. Numerous variations, additions, omissions, and other modifications will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. In addition, the order or presentation of method steps in the description and drawings above is not intended to require this order of performing the recited steps unless a particular order is expressly required or otherwise clear from the context. Thus, while particular embodiments have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure and are intended to form a part of the invention as defined by the following claims, which are to be interpreted in the broadest sense allowable by law.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Prov. App. No. 62/245,425 filed on Oct. 23, 2015, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62245425 | Oct 2015 | US |
