Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6508023
-
Patent Number
6,508,023
-
Date Filed
Tuesday, February 6, 200124 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, January 21, 200322 years ago
-
Inventors
-
-
Examiners
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 248 174
- 248 459
- 040 610
- 040 750
- 040 754
- 040 755
- 040 787
- 040 539
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
An easel is attachable to the rear surface of an image board to form a composite device. The easel maintains the latter in an upstanding position when erected. It is made of a single board material having a designed pattern stamped therein and having all the components which may be unfolded to form the easel. The erected easel has two mutually parallel vertical side panels and a plurality of horizontal transverse brace members which may be manually unfolded to support the easel in the erected position or tie members may be provided to retained the side panels and the transverse brace members in the unfolded position. The easel and the image board may be folded along a plurality of transverse lines to a compact package for ease in shipping and storage. The image board and the easel are self-erecting when elastic tie members are provided.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an easel adaptable to the rear surface of a relatively large display image board to support the latter in an upstanding position on a floor. The display image board and the easel are foldable at a plurality of scored transverse fold lines to form a compact and relatively small package for ease in shipping and storage. It may also be self-erecting.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Large image display planar boards are used for exhibiting advertisement signs, or for exhibiting life images of movie actors, fashion models, popular musicians, scientific or similar novelty objects for decorative purposes. The large image planar board may be over five feet by two feet in size, and they are commonly made of corrugated board material. In order to support such large image planar board in an upstanding position on a floor, an easel is adapted to its rear surface to form an integral composite device. The easel is commonly also made of corrugated board material which has component parts for forming a rigid support stand. The composite device may be double folded into a collapsed condition for shipping or storage. However, a common drawback in such device is that after it has been double folded into the collapsed condition, it still has a relatively large size. For a life size planar display, the composite device, in the collapsed condition may be over two feet by two feet by two inches in size which would be regarded as an oversize by postal and shipping services, and it is particularly not conducive for shipping through the postal service due to the high postal surcharge imposed on an “oversize” package. The main difficulty with such known display devices is that thick corrugated board material must also be used for making the easel in order to provide the necessary strength for supporting the image board in the upstanding position. Furthermore, the dimensions of the easel must be compatibly large in order to provide the requisite support for the large image corrugated board. Commonly, the easel has one or more vertical support panels having a vertically tapering shape, narrow at the top and tapering to a large bottom base portion. Folding such thick material in more than a double folded manner to a collapsed condition would inherently destroy its strength such that it would lose the necessary strength when it is later unfolded to the erected position from the collapsed condition.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a combined planar large image board and easel device which is foldable in a plurality of transverse lines to a compact size.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an easel which does not lose its strength after subjected to multiple folds along predetermined transverse scored lines.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an image and easel composite device in which the easel may be fabricated with any planar board material and yet would provide a strong support for the display image board in a secure upright erected position.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a combined easel and image board composite device which is self-erecting.
The composite device of the present invention has an easel attached to rear surface of an image board and operative to support the latter in an upstanding manner on a floor, the easel comprises a planar board having a design pattern of the easel stamped therein. The design pattern has component parts which are unfoldable to form the easel in an erected condition. The component parts include two elongated substantially rectangular side panels extending the entire longitudinal length of the planar board. A middle body portion extends between the side panels. The middle body portion is attached to the rear surface of the image board. Two parallel vertical scored lines are located between the middle body portion and the side panels such that these side panels are unfoldable along these vertical scored lines to form the right side panel and the left side panel of the easel positioned substantially perpendicular to the image board. A plurality of horizontal brace members are formed in the middle body portion and are located between the side panels. Each brace member is unfoldable along a transverse scored line to a substantially horizontal position extending between the side panels. The brace members are cooperative with the side panels to maintain the easel in an erected condition. A plurality of transverse fold lines are formed in the planar board and are located between the brace members whereby the composite device is foldable at these transverse fold lines to a compact collapsed condition.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a rear elevation view of the easel design stamped on a planar cardboard material. The easel is attached to the rear surface of an image board.
FIG. 2
is a rear perspective elevation view of the composite easel and image board in the erected position.
FIG. 3
is a rear elevation view of FIG.
2
.
FIG. 4
is a side elevation view of that of FIG.
3
.
FIG. 5
is a rear perspective view of the composite easel and image board in a partially folded condition.
FIG. 6
is a rear elevation view of a alternative embodiment of the composite easel and image board adapted for manual erection.
FIG. 7
is a rear elevation of the embodiment shown in
FIG. 6
, in the erected condition.
FIG. 8
is a top sectional view along line VIII—VIII of FIG.
7
.
FIG. 9
is a side elevation of that of FIG.
8
.
DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
With reference to the drawings wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts in the several views, the easel
10
of the present invention is formed by a designed pattern stamped in an easel board made of cardboard, corrugated board or similar planar board material. The easel
10
is attached to the rear surface
11
of a planar display image board
12
. The image board
12
is commonly a large corrugated board having a life size image provided on its front surface. The image board
12
may also have the actual shape of the image. A rectangular board is shown for ease of illustration. The easel design has a generally rectangular shape with two truncated triangular side extensions
13
and
14
formed at its lower portion. The bottom edges
15
and
16
of the side extensions
13
and
14
respectively preferably slope slightly upwardly and outwardly for about 5 degrees relative to the horizontal plane as best shown in
FIG. 1. A
vertical rectangular pattern is formed at the center of the easel design. The pattern is formed by two mutually parallel vertical scored lines
17
and
18
extending throughout its entire longitudinal vertical length, thus forming two generally L-shaped side panels
19
and
20
with the side extensions
13
and
14
respectively located at their lower portion.
The side panels
19
and
20
are not affixed to the rear surface
11
of the image board
10
, and they may be folded or flipped outwards relative to the rear surface
11
of the image board
12
at the vertical scored lines
17
and
18
respectively to a position substantially perpendicular to the rear surface of the image board to provide the required vertical supporting side panels of the easel. The easel
10
is divided into three equal length portions, namely a lower portion
21
, a lower middle portion
22
, an upper middle portion
23
, and an equal or smaller upper portion
24
. The upper portion
24
is smaller because the image to be supported by this portion of the easel normally has a smaller size than the main middle portion of the image. A horizontal scored fold line
25
separates the lower portion
21
and the lower middle portion
22
; a second horizontal scored fold line
26
separates the lower middle portion
22
and the upper middle portion
23
; and a third horizontal scored fold line
27
separates the upper middle portion
23
and the upper portion
24
. The horizontal scored fold lines
25
,
26
, and
27
are aligned with horizontal scored associated fold lines
28
,
29
and
30
respectively formed in the image board
12
such that the composite display device comprising both the easel
10
and the image board
12
together may be folded into a collapsed condition along these horizontal scored fold lines and associated fold lines. Double scored fold lines
25
and
27
may be provided to enhance the foldability of the easel.
The rectangular center body portion
31
of the easel
10
is attached to the rear surface of the image board by glue or other conventional means. A horizontal slot
32
extending over the entire width of the center portion
31
is formed along the scored fold line
25
; a second horizontal slot
33
extending over the entire width of the center portion
31
is formed along the scored fold line
26
; and a third horizontal slot
34
extending over the entire width of the center portion
31
is formed along the scored fold line
27
. The horizontal slots
32
,
33
, and
34
enhance the foldability of the easel along the horizontal scored fold lines due to the reduction of material to be bent.
A generally rectangular shaped horizontal cross brace
35
is formed in the upper middle portion
23
of the center body portion
31
. The cross brace
35
has a horizontal scored line
36
such that it can be flipped outwards relative to the center portion
31
at the scored line
36
to form a brace extending in a horizontal position between the vertical side panels
19
and
20
and perpendicular to the rear surface of the image board. A second similar generally rectangular horizontal cross brace
37
is formed in the lower middle portion
22
. The cross brace
37
has a horizontal scored line
38
such that it can be flipped outwards relative to the center body portion
31
at the scored line
38
to form a second brace extending in a horizontal position between the vertical side panels
19
and
20
and perpendicular to the rear surface of the image board. Two similar rectangular cross braces
40
and
41
are formed in the lower portion of the center body portion
31
. The cross braces
40
and
41
have horizontal scored lines
42
and
43
such that they can be flipped outwards relative to the center body portion
31
to form cross braces extending in a horizontal position between the vertical side panels
19
and
20
and perpendicular to the rear surface of the image board. It can be appreciated by those skilled in the art that although two cross braces are preferably formed in the lower portion
21
to provide a strong base support for the easel, one cross brace may suffice for the purpose.
Two openings
44
and
45
are formed in the vertical side panel
19
and located one above and the other below the horizontal scored line
36
of the cross brace
35
. Similarly two openings
46
and
47
are formed in the vertical side panel
20
and located one above and the other below the horizontal scored line
36
. Similarly, two openings
48
and
49
are formed in the vertical side panel
19
and located one above and the other below the horizontal scored line
38
of the cross brace
37
; and two openings
50
and
51
are formed in the vertical side panel
20
and located one above and the other below the horizontal scored line
38
. Two openings
52
and
53
are formed in the vertical side panel
19
and located one above and the other below the horizontal scored line
42
of the cross brace
40
; and also similarly two openings
54
and
55
are formed in the vertical side panel
20
and located one above and the other below the horizontal scored line
42
. Two openings
56
and
57
are formed in the horizontal manner adjacent to the lower edge of the vertical side panel
19
; and similarly two openings
58
and
59
are formed in the horizontal manner adjacent to the lower edge of the vertical side panel
20
.
Two openings
60
and
61
are formed adjacent to the free edge of the cross brace
35
. Similarly two openings
62
and
63
are formed adjacent to the free edge of the cross brace
37
; two openings
64
and
65
are formed adjacent to the free edge of the cross brace
40
; and two openings
66
and
67
are formed adjacent to the free edge of the cross brace
41
. The easel
10
may be erected by first unfolding the vertical side panels
19
and
20
at the vertical scored lines
17
and
18
until they are positioned generally perpendicular to the rear surface
11
of the image board
12
. The cross braces
35
,
37
,
40
and
41
are then flipped outwards to a horizontal position extending between the vertical panels
19
and
20
. Elongated tie members
68
,
69
,
70
,
71
,
72
,
73
,
74
and
75
are then threaded through the openings
44
through
67
to retain the cross braces in the unfolded horizontal position to maintain the easel in the erected condition. The tie members are strings of a predetermined length with a cross abutment bar
76
provided at their two ends such that they may be easily threaded through the various openings in the vertical panels
19
and
20
and the cross braces
35
,
37
,
40
and
41
. After threaded through the openings, the cross abutment bars
76
will position crosswise abutting the openings of the vertical side panels
19
and
20
to retain the easel in the erected condition. The composite easel and image board display device may be folded into a collapse condition by removing the tie members, returning the side panels and cross braces to the flat fold down condition and folding the four portions of the composite display device along the horizontal scored lines.
Elastic tie members may be provided such that the resilient force of the elasticity of the tie members would normally maintain the cross braces and the vertical panels in a securely erected condition. The composite easel and image board display device would lean rearward at the top due to the sloping lower edges
15
and
16
of the vertical panels resting on the floor to provide a more stable upstanding manner. The composite easel and image board display device may be folded to the collapse condition without removing the elastic tie members. This may be achieved by first depressing the middle portion of side panels
19
and
20
in the vicinity of the scored fold line
26
to a fold down position, against the resilient force of the tie members, to lie flat against the rear surface
11
of the image board
10
, and while holding them in such depressed fold down position, fold the lower middle portion
22
and upper middle portion
23
towards each other along the scored fold lines
26
and
29
as shown by the arrows
77
,
77
A,
78
and
79
in FIG.
5
. The upper portion
24
may then fold towards the upper middle portion
23
along the scored fold lines
27
and
30
as shown by the arrows
80
and
81
, and similarly the lower portion
21
may be folded towards the lower middle portion
22
along the scored fold lines
25
and
28
as shown by arrows
82
and
83
. The entire composite display device may thus be folded into a compact collapsed condition having an acceptable size for shipping through regular postal or delivery services. The composite display device in the collapsed condition is self erectable by merely holding the top edge of the image board
10
and raising it upwards; the elasticity of the tie members would automatically pull the side panels and the cross braces to flip to the position perpendicular to the rear surface of the image board to place the easel in the erected condition.
Due to the unique construction, the easel of the present invention may be made with any planar board or sheet material and yet it provides a strong support for the image board.
An alternative manually operative embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS.
6
through
9
. In this embodiment, the cross braces
84
,
85
and
86
are longer than the width of the center body portion
31
of the easel. Thus, when the cross braces
84
,
85
and
86
are flipped to the erected position, openings
87
having a quarter circular shaped are formed in the side panels
19
and
20
. Two opened slots
88
and
89
are formed in the free outer edge
90
of the cross braces. The opened slots
88
and
89
are in alignment with scored lines
17
and
18
respectively. These opened slots
88
and
89
will engage with the inner edge of the quarter circular shaped opening
87
of the vertical panels
19
and
20
to retain the cross braces and the vertical side panels
19
and
20
in the erected position. The easel may be easily collapsed by flipping the cross braces back to the flat fold down position flat against the rear surface of the image board, and the entire composite easel and image board display device may be folded along the horizontal scored fold lines in the same manner as above.
While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described above. It will be recognized and understood that various modifications may be made therein and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications which may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims
- 1. In a planar board and easel composite display having said easel attached to a rear surface of said image board and operative to support said image board in an upstanding manner on a floor, said easel comprising,a planar board having a design pattern of an easel formed therein, said design pattern having component parts unfoldable to form said easel in an erected condition, said component parts including two elongated substantially rectangular side panels extending the entire longitudinal length of said planar board, a middle body portion extending between said side panels, said middle body portion being attached to said rear surface of said image board, two parallel vertical scored lines located between said middle body portion and said side panels, and said side panels being unfoldable along said vertical scored lines to form a right side panel and left side panel positioned substantially perpendicular to said image board, a plurality of horizontal brace members formed in said middle body portion and located between said side panels, each brace member being unfoldable along a transverse scored line to a substantially horizontal position extending between said side panels, said brace members being cooperative with said side panels to maintain said easel in an erected condition, a plurality of transverse fold lines formed in said planar board and located between said brace members whereby said composite display device is foldable at said transverse fold lines to a compact collapsed condition, said right side panel and left side panel having a substantially triangular bottom portion having a bottom edge therein sloping slightly upwardly and outwardly away from said middle body portion, each one of said brace members having a free edge located distal from said transverse scored line, and two mounting openings formed adjacent to said free edge wherein a left mounting opening is located left of a mid point of said free edge and a right mounting opening is located right of said mid point, a plurality of pairs of associated mounting opening is located right of said mid point, a plurality of pairs of associated mounting openings formed in said right side panel and said left side panel and located adjacent to a neighboring brace member wherein an upper associated mounting opening is located above said neighboring brace member and a lower associated mounting opening is located below said neighboring brace member when said neighboring brace member is in the substantially horizontal erected position, a plurality of elongated tie members having a cross bar member mounted at both ends therein, one of said tie members being operative selectively to thread through said upper associated mounting opening in said right side panel, said right mounting opening of a neighboring brace member and said lower associated mounting opening of said right side panel, another one of said tie members being operative selectively to thread through said upper associated mounting opening of said left side panel, said left mounting opening of said neighboring brace member and said lower associated mounting opening of said left side panel, for retaining said side panels and said brace members in the erected position.
- 2. An easel according to claim 1 wherein said tie members have a predetermined length, and said cross bar members therein being positioned crosswise abutting said associated mounting openings after threading for retaining said side panels and said brace members in the erected position.
- 3. An easel according to claim 2 wherein said tie members are elastic bands, and said composite device is foldable to said compact collapsed condition against resilient force of said elastic bands, and said composite device is self erecting from said collapsed condition to the erected position by said resilient force of said elastic bands.
- 4. An easel according to claim 3 including a plurality of elongated horizontal openings formed in said middle portion, said horizontal openings being aligned with said plurality of transverse fold lines.
- 5. An easel according to claim 3 wherein said easel is made of a sheet material chosen from the group of cardboard, corrugated board, and pliable sheet material.
- 6. An easel according to claim 1 wherein said brace members are longer in length than the width of said middle portion, and two arcuate openings are formed in said side panels when said brace members are unfolded to a substantially horizontal erected position, two opened slots formed in a free edge of said brace members, said free edge being located distal from said transverse scored line of each of said brace members, said opened slots being operative to engage with an inner edge of said arcuate openings of said side panels for retaining said easel in the erected position.
- 7. A self erecting display device comprising,a large planar image board foldable in a plurality of horizontal fold lines, a vertical easel having a middle body portion therein attached to a rear surface of said image board, and having two substantially rectangular side panels extending over the entire longitudinal length of two opposite vertical sides of said middle body portion, said side panels being selectively pivotable relative to said middle body portion to a position substantially perpendicular to said rear surface of said image board, said easel having a plurality of associated horizontal fold lines aligned with said horizontal fold lines of said image board, a plurality of cross brace members formed in said middle body portion of said easel and located between said associated fold lines and being operative to position selectively in a collapsed position abutting said rear surface of said image board and in an erected horizontal position substantially perpendicular to said rear surface of said image board, said cross brace members having a free outer edge located distal from said image board when said brace members are in said erected position, a pair of openings formed adjacent to said outer edge of each one of said cross brace members, a plurality of pairs of associated openings formed in said side panels, said associated openings being located adjacent to cross brace members, a plurality of elongated elastic tie members having an abutment bar provided at two ends therein, said tie members being mounted between said side panels and said cross brace members by threading through said openings and associated openings whereby said abutment bars are positioned crosswise to said associated openings to retain said tie members in a mounted position, said display device being self erecting to an erected position by a resilient force of said elastic tie members, and being selectively foldable along said fold lines and associated fold lines against said resilient force to a collapsed condition.
- 8. A self erecting display device according to claim 7 including a triangular portion formed at a bottom portion of said side panels, each one of said side panels having a sloping bottom edge sloping upwardly and outwardly relative to said rear surface of said image board.
- 9. A self erecting display device according to claim 8 wherein said bottom edge slopes at substantially 5 degrees relative to the horizontal plane.
- 10. A self erecting display device according to claim 9 wherein three horizontal fold lines are formed in said image board and three aligned associated fold lines are formed in said easel.
- 11. A self erecting display device according to claim 10 including elongated slot openings formed in said middle body portion at said associated fold lines.
- 12. A self erecting display device according to claim 11 wherein said easel is made of a cardboard material.
US Referenced Citations (5)
