Patent Application
20240420602
Not Applicable
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The disclosure relates to sign holders and more particularly pertains to a new sign holder for holding large yard signs over a ground surface.
The prior art describes myriad sign holders which receive a sign into a groove formed in a three-sided frame to hold the sign. However, the prior art fails to disclose such an apparatus which includes projections within the groove which grip the sign to retain the sign in the groove and which has multiple stakes extending downwardly to secure the frame to a ground surface. Such an apparatus is advantageous in providing an alternative to the prior art to secure a sign within the groove.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a frame which has a U-shape and which comprises a bottom member and a pair of lateral members. The bottom member is coupled to and extends between the pair of lateral members. A receiver is coupled to the frame. The receiver is positioned on an inner edge of the frame and extends along the bottom member and each one of the pair of lateral members. The receiver comprises a pair of rails. The rails of the pair of rails are spaced from each other to define a groove therebetween. The groove has a size such that the receiver is configured for slidably receiving the yard sign into the groove from a top end of the frame.
A plurality of retainers is coupled to the receiver and is positioned in the groove. Each retainer of the plurality of retainers comprises a pair of protrusions. Each protrusion of the pair of protrusions is coupled to an associated one of the pair of rails of the receiver and extends into the groove. The pair of protrusions is configured to grip the yard sign with a force fit to retain the yard sign in the groove. A plurality of stakes is coupled to and extends downwardly from the frame. Each stake of the plurality of stakes has a pointed end such that the stake is configured for is driven into a ground surface.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A plurality of retainers 28 is coupled to the receiver 18 and is positioned in the groove 24. Each retainer 28 of the plurality of retainers 28 comprises a pair of protrusions 30. Each protrusion 30 of the pair of protrusions 30 is coupled to an associated one of the pair of rails 22 of the receiver 18 and extends into the groove 24. The pair of protrusions 30 is configured to grip the yard sign 62 with a force fit to retain the yard sign 62 in the groove 24. The protrusions 30 of the pair of protrusions 30 are laterally spaced from each other with respect to the frame 12.
The plurality of retainers 28 includes a pair of lateral retainers 32 and a plurality of bottom retainers 34. Each lateral retainer 32 of the pair of lateral retainers 32 is positioned in an associated one of a pair of lateral portions 36 of the groove 24. Each protrusion 30 of the pair of protrusions 30 of each lateral retainer 32 of the pair of lateral retainers 32 is oriented vertically and extends a full length of the associated lateral portion 36 of the groove 24. The plurality of bottom retainers 34 is distributed along a bottom portion of the groove 24. Each protrusion 30 of the pair of protrusions 30 of each bottom retainer 34 of the plurality of bottom retainers 34 extends upwardly from the bottom member 14 of the frame 12.
A plurality of stakes 38 is coupled to and extends downwardly from the frame 12. Each stake 38 of the plurality of stakes 38 has a pointed end 40 such that the stake 38 is configured for being driven into a ground surface 64. A reinforcement member 42 is embedded in and extends through the frame 12 and each one of the plurality of stakes 38. The reinforcement member 42 comprises a wire.
The reinforcement member 42 comprises a plurality of stake segments 44, a cross segment 46, and a pair of lateral segments 48. Each stake segment 44 of the plurality of stake segments 44 extends vertically through an associated one of the plurality of stakes 38. Each stake segment 44 of the plurality of stake segments 44 has a distal end 50 relative to the frame 12. The distal end 50 of each stake segment 44 of the plurality of stake segments 44 is positioned at the pointed end 40 of the associated stake 38. A top portion 52 of each stake segment 44 of the plurality of stake segments 44 extends upwardly into the frame 12, and each stake segment 44 of the plurality of stake segments 44 is centered in the associated stake 38.
The cross segment 46 extends horizontally through the bottom member 14 of the frame 12 and is coupled to each one of the plurality of stake segments 44. The cross segment 46 is elongated and is aligned with a central longitudinal axis of the bottom member 14 of the frame 12. Each lateral segment 48 of the pair of lateral segments 48 extends vertically through an associated one of the pair of lateral members 16 of the frame 12. Each lateral segment 48 of the pair of lateral segments 48 is coupled to the cross segment 46. Each lateral segment 48 of the pair of lateral segments 48 is centered in the associated lateral member 16 of the frame 12. A lower portion 54 of each lateral segment 48 of the pair of lateral segments 48 extends into the bottom member 14 of the frame 12 to the cross segment 46, and an upper end 56 of each lateral segment 48 of the pair of lateral segments 48 is spaced below a topmost end 58 of the associated lateral member 16 of the frame 12.
A pair of shields 60 is coupled to the frame 12. Each shield 60 of the pair of shields 60 extends between the pair of lateral members 16 and along the bottom member 14 of the frame 12. The shields 60 of the pair of shields 60 are spaced from each other at a distance such that the pair of shields 60 are configured for receiving the yard sign 62 therebetween when the yard sign 62 is received into the receiver 18. Each shield 60 of the pair of shields 60 is translucent such that the shield 60 is configured for facilitating viewing of the yard sign 62 through the shield 60.
The frame 12, the receiver 18, and the plurality of stakes 38 are integrally formed and may comprise a molded plastic or similar material. The wire of the reinforcement member 42 may comprise a metal or like material. The shield 60 may comprise an acrylic, a polycarbonate, or the like. The sign holder apparatus 10 may be adapted to several different sizes of yard sign 62. For example, in a first embodiment, a distance between the pair of lateral members 16 of the frame 12 is between 42.0 inches and 54.0 inches and a distance between the topmost end 58 of each lateral member 16 of the pair of lateral members 16 and the bottom member 14 is equal to or greater than 24.0 inches. In a second embodiment, the distance between the pair of the lateral members 16 of the frame 12 is between is between 90.0 inches and 112.0 inches and the distance between the topmost end 58 of each lateral member 16 of the pair of lateral members 16 and the bottom member 14 is equal to or greater than 48.0 inches.
In use, the frame 12 is attached to the ground surface 64 via the plurality of stakes 38 and the yard sign 62 is positioned in the receiver 18 such that the plurality of retainers 28 grip the yard sign 62 to retain the yard sign 62 in the groove 24 of the receiver 18.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
