Patent Application
20050097796
The present invention relates to a sign holder, and more particularly to a sign holder that may be moved between a first prominently displayed position and a second retracted position.
Signs are commonly posted on walls, cabinets, or other surfaces in ready view of users or passersby to relay information such as text or pictures. The information may be printed, painted, etched, embossed, or otherwise placed onto a medium such as paper, plastic, or the like. Paper stock is desirable in many applications because it can be easily and cheaply manufactured. Signs are commonplace and used in almost any environment where it is desirable to relay information to individuals.
Signs may be adhered via tape, glue or paste to a support surface or may be mechanically attached, for example, by mechanical fasteners like staples, tacks, rivets, screws or nails, to the support surface. Although affixing signs using adhesive or mechanical fasteners is common, these means also have several drawbacks. For instance, adhesives are unreliable. In some cases the adhesive may work too well and become difficult to remove. When trying to remove the adhesive, damage to the sign and/or support surface may result. In other cases, the adhesive may prove to be inadequate and result in premature failure of the bond. Mechanical attachment for signs often require the use of a support surface that can be pierced, which limits the potential surfaces that may be used to display these signs. All too frequently, a suitable support surface which may be pierced is located in a less than optimal location having reduced visibility. Even if such a support surface is available, many times it is not desirable to repeatedly remove the mechanical fastener. Doing so results in holes and other similar damage to the sign and/or support surface.
One environment in which signs have proven to be particularly useful is in restaurant kitchens to display work instructions for employees. In a pizza restaurant, for example, signs may be used to show and remind workers of the appropriate crust color, and the proper ingredients. These signs have been found to be particularly helpful in training new employees, who are often instructed during slower shifts. It also is common for many restaurants to experience almost constant employee turnover. Therefore, it is necessary to be able to quickly and efficiently train new employees in order to produce a consistent product.
In restaurants such as those described, it is common to have a food preparation table with an upwardly extending splashguard along the rear table edge. Many times signs are displayed on the splashguard in ready view of employees as they work. As described above, when the sign is attached via adhesive, it is undesirable to remove the signs repeatedly due to potential damage to the sign and/or splashguard. This becomes particularly problematic when it is desirable to switch signs to educate the employees regarding new products, highlight problem areas, or display special announcements. During busy shifts, the sign may also become soiled or damaged as the employees work since it is located on the splashguard of the table where food is prepared. Further, signs mounted on the splashguard often become obscured behind other objects placed on the table while the employees are working, thereby reducing the visibility of the sign. Still further if the means for attaching the sign to the splash guard fail, the sign may fall into the food preparation area.
One known device for mounting a sign is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,969,838 to Moore and includes a generally flat surface that is bounded at opposite ends by a pair of elongate channels. The sign holder is supported via a cantilevered arm or a bottom standard secured to a wall or support by a screw. The Moore Patent suggests that this device has particular applicability for displaying information regarding merchandise in stores and markets, because the elongate channels permit many different signs to be inserted and removed at the option of the user.
Although the sign holder disclosed in the Moore Patent overcomes some of the disadvantages noted above, several drawbacks remain. For example, the sign holder may only be conveniently secured in a single location. To reposition that sign holder, the user would need to remove the mounting screws, relocate the sign holder, and then retap the screws at the new location. Although signs may be easily inserted and removed, the device described in the Moore Patent merely transfers the problems highlighted above with respect to the sign to the sign holder.
Moreover, in the restaurants such as the pizza restaurant discussed above, it is undesirable for employees to expend the time and effort necessary to remove a sign holder made in accordance with the Moore Patent in order to provide additional workspace for food preparation. Due to the time involved, it is unlikely that such a device would be moved. Accordingly, the sign holder described in the Moore Patent is likely to become soiled or damaged during busy shifts. Alternatively, the sign holder could be mounted a distance from the food preparation table. However, doing so would diminish the visibility of the sign. This overall lack of mobility substantially limits the desirability of using the device described in the Moore Patent in restaurants or in other similar applications.
In light of the above points, it is desirable to have a sign holder that can easily accept different signs. It is be desirable to have a sign holder that can be mounted near the employee's workspace without being obscured by other objects, thereby increasing the visibility of the sign. It is further desirable to have a sign holder that may be moved between two positions: one position which provides easy reference to the sign and a second position which maximizes the available workspace while maintaining visibility of the sign.
In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a sign holder for displaying a sign is constructed so it can be secured to a support member, such as a pole or post, in a desired location. In particular, the sign holder includes a mounting bracket that is coupled to the post or pole. The bracket may be coupled through a variety of means such as by a weld, adhesive, bolt, screw, nail, or other mechanical attachment device designed to secure objects together.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment, an arm is pivotably connected to the mounting bracket through a first pivot coupling. The pivot coupling may be a pin, rivet, screw, bolt, or boss on either the bracket or the arm which engages a hole or cylindrical coupling sleeve on the other of the support and arm. The pivot coupling may also include a bearing assembly such as a magnetic bearing, ball bearing, or hydraulic bearing assembly fitted between the bracket and arm to reduce friction. The arm in turn is pivotably connected to a signboard by a second pivot coupling to permit pivoted movement between the signboard and the arm. The signboard is configured to removably receive different signs. In use, the arm may be pivoted between a first position wherein the sign holder and any mounted sign are supported more closely to a worker in front of the table thereby to enhance visibility of the sign, and a second position wherein the sign holder and sign are pivoted away from the worker to maximize the available workspace.
Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only.
The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The following description of certain preferred embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.
More particularly as shown in
As can be seen in
More particularly, as seen in
The intermediate web 52 of the extension 46 has a hole 56 which corresponds to a hole 58 formed in the arm 42 as shown in
Turning now to
As seen in
The signboard 38 is connected to the central portion 64 of the arm 42 via at least one cylindrical cuff 76. With particular reference to
The signboard 38 also includes a pair of rails 80 each defining a channel 82, both opening toward the centerline 71, for receipt of the sign 40. Preferably, the rails 80 are formed integrally with the planar portion 70 and extend horizontally and in parallel to one another. The top and bottom edges of a sign 40 may be inserted into the channels 82 by sliding the sign 40 laterally into the channels 82. In an alterative embodiment, the signboard 38 can have information printed, adhered, or painted directly on it, thus dispensing with the need for the rails 80 to provide many of the advantages of the present invention while further reducing cost.
In an alternative embodiment shown in
The sign holder in accordance with the present invention as described above can be operated as follows: The user may move the signboard 38 to the first position closer to the front of the workstation 12 by pivoting the arm 42 about the pins 60 such that the signboard 38 is in front of the forward-most posts 20′, as shown in
Alternatively, the user may rotate the arm 42 backwardly away from the front of the workstation until the side portions 60 engage the restraints 54 as shown in
In either the first position or the second position the sign holder 10 and the sign 40 attached thereto are located above the work workstation 12 to reduce the likelihood that the sign 40 will become soiled or damaged. In addition, supporting the sign 40 above the tabletop 18 prevents the sign 40 from being hidden behind other objects located on the tabletop 18 thereby increasing the sign's visibility.
The sign 40 can be removably retained by the signboard 38 within the channels 82, thus eliminating the need for glue, magnets, hook-and-eye fasteners, adhesive or similar means to achieve sign mounting. In fast food establishments, this allows the display of different signs as needed to convey different messages.
Those skilled in the art can now appreciate from the foregoing description that the broad teachings of the present invention can be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, while this invention has been described in connection with particular examples thereof, the true scope of the invention should not be so limited because other modifications will become apparent to the skilled practitioner upon a study of the drawings, the specification and the following claims.
