This technology generally relates to display stands, easels, or lecterns and, more particularly, to pop-up display apparatuses (e.g., boxes) that more efficiently facilitate display of objects stored therein and/or integral therewith.
Display stands, lecterns, and easels, collectively referred to herein as “easels,” are often used to display objects, such as books, paint canvases, and other artwork, for example. Many objects are difficult to both store and present, such as rare and/or antique books. In particular, such objects may appear better in certain display angles based on ambient lighting. However, current easels often only have one display angle or are difficult to operably enable different angles of display.
Additionally, current easels either do not facilitate storage of any objects, are incapable of storing the objects intended to be displayed by the easels, and/or do not store such objects in an effective manner to facilitate protection or preservation. Moreover, contact with the objects to be displayed is generally required for presentation by current easels, which may be harmful to the objects. Other current easels are difficult to operate, setup, and/or assemble (e.g., from parts maintained in a box or other container).
A pop-up display apparatus 100A that may implement one or more aspects of the technology described and illustrated herein is shown in
In this example, the display apparatus 100A has a generally rectangular shape, although the display apparatus can have any other shape in other examples. The shape, size, and construction materials for the display apparatus 100A can be selected to accommodate the size and weight of the contents of the display apparatus, including any object(s) optionally stored therein that are to be displayed upon operation of the display apparatus. In addition to such object(s), the display apparatus 100A can include other compartments or pockets, for example, for storing other object(s) (e.g., art supplies when the easel is intended to facilitate creation and display of works of art) that are not intended for display themselves. In yet other examples, the display apparatus 100A can function as a lectern without object storage, the easel itself can be embellished as a work of art, and/or the display apparatus 100A can be used to store and display books, electronic devices with display screens, and/or other types of objects, and other configurations and uses are also contemplated.
The display apparatus 100A in this particular example includes a top 102 that is coupled to a bottom 104 via a top hinge 119, which in this example is a spine extending along the length of a rear portion of the display apparatus 100A. The top hinge 119 allows rotation of the top 102 relative to the bottom 104 in order to operably open the display apparatus 100A, as described and illustrated in more detail below. Each of the top 102 and the bottom 104 includes a plurality of sides in this example. In particular, the top 102 includes a top rear side 108 and a top left side 110 extending from a front cover 112 that has an exterior surface 114 and the bottom 104 includes a bottom rear side and a bottom left side with a lower portion 121 extending from a back cover 101. The top hinge 119 in this example is disposed at an intersection of a lower portion 109 of the bottom rear side and the top rear side 108, although the top hinge 119 can be located elsewhere in other examples.
Additionally, the front cover 112 is coupled to the top rear side 108 via a front cover hinge 106 in this particular example in which the display apparatus 100A is a box with sides including the top rear side 108 and bottom rear side lower portion 109. However, in other examples, the display apparatus 100A is not a box or other container with sides and only one rear hinge is provided. In these examples, the top effectively comprises the front cover and the front cover hinge 106, which is a single rear hinge disposed at an intersection of the top and bottom portions. Also optionally, the display structure can be integral with and/or fixedly coupled to the object to be displayed. For example, the display structure can be coupled to a phone or tablet device and/or can be a screen or other computing device itself, and other configurations and uses are also contemplated.
Referring to
For example, the easel ledge 204 can be coupled at one or more points along the interior surface of the bottom front side (not shown in
Alternatively, the easel 200 may not have a ledge in other examples. In one particular example, the easel 200 is coupled to the back cover interior surface 208 via the easel hinge 206, which is spaced from the bottom front side. In this example, a compartment could be disposed between the easel hinge 206 and the front side wherein a rear side of the compartment forms a ledge and the compartment provides storage (e.g., for paints, brushes, a magnifying glass, a tablet stylus, and/or other art supplies). Other configurations for the easel hinge 206 can also be used in other examples.
Accordingly, the easel 200 and a strut 201 are disposed within or contained by a chamber or compartment defined by the back cover 101 and the plurality of sides of the bottom 104, which in the example described and illustrated herein with reference to
The top 102 also includes a plurality of sides that, in addition to the top rear side 108 and the top left side 110, includes a front side 214 and a right side 216, each of which is disposed toward a perimeter of the front cover 112. Each of the top front side 214, top left side 110, and top right side 216 extends substantially perpendicularly from an interior surface 218 of the front cover 112. Additionally, the top front side 214 is coupled to the top left side 110 and the top right side 216 in this particular example, although one or more of the top sides can be located elsewhere and/or coupled in other manners in other examples. However, the top rear side 108 is coupled to the front cover 112 at the front cover hinge 106 and is detached from the top left side 110 and the top right side 216 to facilitate a full opening of the display apparatus 100A, as described and illustrated in more detail below with reference to
Additionally, each of the bottom sides has optional upper and lower portions in this example, and the top sides are spaced accordingly. More specifically and by way of example, the bottom left side 211 includes an upper portion 220 and a lower portion 121, the bottom rear side 209 includes an upper portion 224 and the lower portion 109, and the bottom right side includes the upper portion 228 and a lower portion (not shown in
Further the top hinge 119 is disposed at an intersection of the bottom rear side lower portion 109 and the top rear side 108. In other examples, one or more of the bottom sides can have a single surface without upper and lower portions, one or more of the top sides can be spaced so as to be disposed external to a corresponding one or more of the bottom sides, the top and/or bottom sides can be excluded altogether, and other configurations can also be used in yet other examples.
Upon opening the display apparatus 100A via rotation of the top 102 about the top hinge 119, a strut tether 230 is also presented, a first end 232 of which is coupled to the front cover interior surface 218 in this example. A second end (not shown in
As tension is applied to the strut tether 230 as a result of the rotation of the top 102 about the top hinge 119, the strut 201 is rotated about a strut hinge 233 causing the strut 201 to interface with and raise the easel 200. The strut hinge 233 in this particular example is disposed proximate an intersection of the bottom rear side 209 and the back cover interior surface 208, although the easel hinge 233 can be located elsewhere on the back cover interior surface, bottom rear side, or bottom 104. One or more of the top, front cover, easel, and/or strut hinges 119, 106, 206, and 233 can be paper, cloth, plastic, another flexible material, metal, or mechanical hinges, for example, and other types of hinges can also be used.
Additionally, an optional right side support 234 is provided in this example, which is coupled to the easel 200 and disposed between the easel and the bottom right side (only the upper portion 228 of which is illustrated in
Referring to
Accordingly, as the front cover 112 is rotated about the front cover hinge 106, the strut 201 is rotated about the strut hinge 233 via tension placed on the strut tether 230. In other words, the strut 201 is configured to rotate about the strut hinge 233, to cause the easel 201 to rotate about the easel hinge 206, when the front cover 112 is rotated about the front cover hinge 106 (after the top 102 is rotated about the top hinge 119) as a result of the tension placed on the strut tether 230. The tension is placed on the strut tether 230 as a result of the rotation of the front cover 112 about the front cover hinge 106 to thereby bias the strut 201 against a back surface 304 of the easel 200.
Optionally, the front cover exterior surface 114 is disposed adjacent (e.g., in contact with) and substantially parallel to an exterior surface (not shown) of the back cover 101 when the front cover 112 is fully rotated about the front cover hinge 106, the top rear side 108 is rotated about the top hinge 119, and the display apparatus 100A is in a fully open configuration. In the fully open configuration in this example, the display apparatus 100A can be supported by the top front side 214, top left side 110, and top right side 216.
Additionally, the easel back surface 304 is disposed toward the back cover interior surface 208 with the strut 201 disposed between the easel back surface and the back cover interior surface 208 in this example. Accordingly, the length of the strut tether 230 and dimensions of the strut 201 can define the display angle of the easel 200. For example, a shorter strut tether 230 may result in a more acute display angle defined based on the easel back surface 304 and the back cover interior surface 208.
An optional easel tether 308 is also provided in the example display apparatus 100A illustrated in
Referring to
Accordingly, as the display apparatus 100A is opened, and the front cover 112 is rotated about the front cover hinge 106, tension is placed on the strut tether 230, which rotates the strut 201 about the strut hinge 233 biasing the strut 201 against, and thereby raising and supporting, the easel 200, which is rotated about the easel hinge 206. As explained above, and illustrated in
Referring to
Accordingly, in this example, the strut tether 506 is a continuous material that extends through a first slot in the first strut 502 and a second slot in the second strut 504. While the first and/or second struts 502 and 504 may be fixed in position in some examples, in this particular example the strut stop 507 prevents the strut 508 from pulling through the first slot in the first strut 502 when tension is applied by rotation the front cover 101. Accordingly, the strut stop 507 may be fixed in position or adjustable to control the angle of the easel 200. While only strut stop 507 is illustrated in
As a result of the tension supplied to the first strut tether 506, the first strut 502 is rotated about a first portion of the strut hinge 233. Additionally, as a result of the tension supplied to the second strut tether 508, the second strut 504 is rotated about a second portion of the strut hinge 233. In some examples the first and second portions of the strut hinge 233 are separate hinges sharing a same long axis, although other configurations for facilitating rotation of the first strut 502 and/or the second strut 504 can employ hinge(s) in different locations. When the second strut 504 is rotated about the second portion of the strut hinge 233, it is biased against the easel back surface 304 to thereby raise the easel 200 as it rotates about the easel hinge 206. The end 509 of the second strut tether 508 limits the motion of the second strut 504 and can be attached in any of the ways described above with reference to the strut tether 230.
Referring to
With this technology, a pop-up display apparatus is provided that advantageously stores object(s) that can be displayed by an easel contained by the display apparatus as a result of opening the display apparatus by rotating the top relative to a bottom and about a hinge. Accordingly, object(s) stored in the display apparatus can be displayed via the easel without any direct contact with the object(s). Additionally, any number of display angles for the easel can be facilitated automatically or manually based on the support of the easel by a strut of the display apparatus. Moreover, object storage and transport is improved, and object display is facilitated more efficiently and effectively with this technology, without requiring any assembly of parts into an easel or other display device.
Having thus described the basic concept of the invention, it will be rather apparent to those skilled in the art that the foregoing detailed disclosure is intended to be presented by way of example only, and is not limiting. Various alterations, improvements, and modifications will occur and are intended to those skilled in the art, though not expressly stated herein. These alterations, improvements, and modifications are intended to be suggested hereby, and are within the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, the recited order of processing elements or sequences, or the use of numbers, letters, or other designations therefore, is not intended to limit the claimed processes to any order except as may be specified in the claims. Accordingly, the invention is limited only by the following claims and equivalents thereto.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/704,250, filed Apr. 30, 2020, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62704250 | Apr 2020 | US |