Patent Application
20170154550
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. Trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
A restaurant experience may be enhanced by the service and advertising encountered at the table by patrons. Servers introduce themselves by name to patrons when they arrive at the table in an attempt to make the visit more relaxed and the service more personal. Additionally, advertising and special offers are displayed to patrons through the use of various placards, chalkboards, brochures, menus, and other materials placed at the table. Servers may use some of these materials to display the specials and additional advertising to patrons at the table. When a server is not at the table, patrons may review or handle the advertising materials to learn about the specials and deals available.
Advertising materials used at the table top, including such materials as specials lists and special menu items, must be durable. These items are handled multiple times each evening and thus benefit from being made of strong, tear-resist paper, plastic, and other print materials. However, print materials are not capable of being reprinted and once torn or worn out must be discarded. Additionally, professionally printed materials can be very expensive to create and a restaurant often must purchase bulk quantities of the printed advertising cards, brochures, menus or other items to make the purchase cost effective.
Certain illustrative embodiments illustrating organization and method of operation, together with objects and advantages may be best understood by reference detailed description that follows taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail, specific embodiments, with the understanding that the present disclosure of such embodiments is to be considered as an example of the principles and not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments shown and described. In the description below, like reference numerals are used to describe the same, similar, or corresponding parts in the several views of the drawings.
The terms “a” or “an,” as used herein, are defined as one or more than one. The term “plurality,” as used herein, is defined as two or more than two. The term “another,” as used herein, is defined as at least a second or more. The terms “including” and/or “having,” as used herein, are defined as comprising (i.e., open language). The term “coupled,” as used herein, is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly, and not necessarily mechanically.
Reference throughout this document to “one embodiment,” “certain embodiments,” “an exemplary embodiment,” or similar terms means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearances of such phrases or in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments without limitation.
A placard display device is a table top to floor model sized communication assistance device. The placard display device has one or more placard retainer elements that are manufactured of any alloy or material, such as any number of steel or iron alloys for example, to which a magnetic material will adhere through magnetic attraction. The placard retainer elements also have a bottom retainer portion that permits a user to align a placard properly with the placard retainer such that a placard placed on the placard retainer is in alignment with the surface direction of the placard retainer. The placard retainer(s) are physically connected to a vertical bar at sufficient heights to be readily visible to patrons sitting at a table, or entering a retail establishment such as a restaurant. Additionally, the placard display device may have a base having one or more retention structures that may hold condiments, sauces, bowls, mints, ad gifts, or any other promotional or useful item the owner of the retail establishment may wish to provide to patrons while at a table. Retention structures may include recesses, railings attached at the perimeter of the base, vertical edges, or any other structure positioned to contain condiments or any other item provided by the owner of the retail establishment. The base may have a flat surface and perimeter shape that is rectangular, square, circular, triangular, or any other geometric shape that is of sufficient size to affix the vertical bar and onto which an owner may place a plurality of items such as condiments, sauces, bowls, mints, ad gifts or other items provided for use to the patron. In this embodiment, the base may have additional structural features for the acceptance and retention of items such as napkins or specialty promotional items created and presented as gifts, takeaway items, advertising items, promotional items, or any other item that may require a customized structural retention structure to which the item may be inserted.
The placards to be utilized with the placard display device are manufactured of any material that may be magnetized, although, in one embodiment, a plasticized or polymerized magnetic material is preferred. The surface of the placard that is placed in contact with the placard retainer may be blank with the surface of the placard that is presented to patrons when the placard is affixed to the placard retainer being printed. The printed surface may have advertising, menu, specialty items, instructions, or any other communication that the retail establishment owner may wish to share with patrons. The printing may be custom ordered by a retail establishment owner to create placards in specific sizes and with specific messages for the retail owner. The placards are manufactured of a durable magnetic material that may be affixed to and removed from the placard retainer numerous times before the placard is no longer usable. Placards may also be stacked back to front as they are attached to the placard retainer, the magnetic attractive force maintaining the placards in position as they are affixed to the placard display device.
The placard retainers are easily attached to the vertical bar of the placard display device through the use of a two-part attachment brace. The first part of the attachment brace is permanently attached to the side of the placard retainer that faces away from a patron when the unit is in use. The second portion of the attachment brace consists of one or more clamp portions. Each portion of the attachment brace has a middle section that is configured to be the same shape and size as the cross-section shape and size of the vertical bar. When the two portions of the attachment brace are placed around the vertical bar and secured in place with two or more attachment screws, the attachment brace holds the placard retainer in a vise-like grip and maintains the vertical position of the placard retainer on the vertical bar. The placard retainer may be repositioned on the vertical bar by releasing the attachment screws, moving the placard retainer to a new position, and retightening the attachment screws.
The placard retainer element may consist of a single placard retainer, a dual placard retainer in which two single placard retainer elements are affixed back-to-back in a 180 degree configuration, or in other configurations as required by a user. Multiple placard retainer elements may also be affixed to a single vertical bar, presenting a configurable number of placard retainers to which placards, and, thus, ads and messages, may be attached.
It should be understood that additional configurations of placard retainer elements may be created, such as a triple configuration where the placard retainer elements may be connected so as to form a triangle affixed to a vertical bar. Other geometric orientations may also be contemplated, as well as manners in which the placard retainer elements may be physically affixed to the vertical bar. Alternate geometric orientations may be created, such as, by way of example and not of limitation, connecting placard retainer elements so that they are not parallel but in an orientation that forms an angle between the proximate and distal ends of the placard retainer elements. Such orientations for the placard retainer elements are only limited by the size of the placard and the need for a flat surface to which one or more placards may be affixed.
To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the following description and annexed drawings set forth certain illustrative aspects and implementations. Other aspects, advantages, and novel features of the disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the associated drawings.
Turning now to
In an embodiment, the base 104 may be configured such that the base may rotate in a circular manner around the centroid of the base 104. A gimbal, ball bearings, wheels or any other mechanism such as is known in the art may permit the rotation of the base 104 about the centroid of the base 104.
Inserted into the base 104 may be a vertical bar 112 that is oriented in a vertical direction perpendicular to the base 104. The vertical bar 112 may be secured to the base 104 through the use of glue, a threaded bolt with a screw, or any other means for securely affixing the vertical bar 112 into the base 104 so as to hold the vertical bar 112 in a perpendicular orientation to the base 104. In an alternative embodiment, the vertical bar 112 and the base 104 may be created as a single unit such as through the use of a flow molding process, through the use of a three dimensional printing process, or any other process that may create the base 104 and vertical bar 112 in the proper orientation to one another.
In this embodiment, one or more placard retainers 116 may be affixed to the vertical bar 112. Each placard retainer 116 is affixed through an attachment brace 118 that is affixed to the reverse side of each placard retainer 116. The attachment brace 118 is also configured to attach to the vertical bar 112 so as to keep each placard retainer 116 in a desired position on the vertical bar 112. Each placard retainer 116 is of the proper size to permit a placard (not shown) having a pre-defined size to be affixed to the placard retainer 116 in such a manner that the placard may be affixed and removed repeatedly, and reliably, from the placard retainer 116 without damage to the placard. Each placard retainer 116 is composed of a material that permits a magnetic placard to be attached and held to the placard retainer 116. In a non-limiting example, each placard retainer 116 is composed of an iron alloy to which a magnetic material is attracted and to which a magnetic material will remain affixed when placed in contact with the placard retainer 116. This example should not be considered limiting, however, as any material to which a magnetic material, such as a magnetic placard, may remain affixed through magnetic attraction may also be used to construct each placard retainer 116.
In this embodiment, each placard retainer 116 may have one or more holes 120 that penetrate through the entirety of the placard retainer 116. These holes 120 serve a dual purpose. When attaching or affixing a placard to the placard retainer 116, the holes 120 prevent air which may interfere with a secure attachment of a placard from being trapped between the placard and the surface of the placard retainer 116. The holes 120 may also be positioned so as to permit access to screws 122 that when tightened secure the attachment brace 118 to the vertical bar 112.
In this embodiment, each placard retainer 116 may also be configured with a horizontal rail 124. The horizontal rail 124 may be constructed of the same magnetic material as the placard retainer 116 and may be affixed at the bottom of the placard retainer 116 in a perpendicular orientation to the surface of the placard retainer 116. In this orientation, the horizontal rail 124 is properly positioned to provide guidance to users in the placement of one or more placards on the placard retainer 116, and to server as a bottom edge retaining structure for all placards affixed to the placard retainer 116.
Turning now to
In this exemplary embodiment, it can be seen that the placard retainers 204 are affixed to the vertical bar 204 through the use of an attachment brace 210. The attachment brace 210 is permanently attached to the placard retainer 204. A central portion of the attachment brace 210 is manufactured in the same shape and size as the physical cross section of the vertical bar 208. This shape permits the attachment brace 210 to conform to the shape and size of the vertical bar 208, permitting the attachment brace 210 to be affixed to the vertical bar 208 through the use of two or more screws 212. Tightening the screws 212, in combination with the conforming shape of the attachment brace, provides sufficient clamping force to retain the placard retainer 204 in the physical position on the vertical bar 208 desired by a user of the placard display device 200.
Turning now to
In this embodiment, the attachment brace 308 may be composed of a backing portion 310 that is permanently affixed to one side of the placard retainer 306, and one or more clamp portions 312 that are removably attached to the attachment brace 308 through the connection of two or more screws 314. The backing portion 310 and the clamp portion 312 may each be manufactured with a central portion that conforms to the shape and size of the vertical bar 302. The vertical bar 302 may be manufactured in any shape, such as cylindrical, square, triangular or any other shape that may be considered most convenient or useful for affixing the one or more placard retainers 306 to the vertical bar 302. Regardless of the shape and size of the vertical bar 302, the central portion of the backing portion 310 and the clamp portion 312 of the attachment brace 308 are each formed to the same shape and cross-section size of the vertical bar 302 to form a clamp attachment to the vertical bar 302. To attach the placard retainer 306 the backing portion 310 may be positioned in contact with the vertical bar 302, the clamp portion 312 is positioned on the opposing side of the vertical bar 302 with the screw holes in alignment to permit the insertion of the screws 314 into the screw holes. Tightening the screws 314 may create a vice-like grip for the attachment brace 308 that secures the placard retainer 306 in the position desired.
In this embodiment, to reposition the placard retainer 306, the user simply loosens the screws 314 to release the vice-like grip, repositions the placard retainer 306 to an alternative position on the vertical bar 302, and retightens the screws 314 to hold the placard retainer in the updated position.
Turning now to
Turning now to
The placards 502 may have a magnetic side (not shown) and a printed side 504. The magnetic, non-printed side may be placed in contact with the placard retainer surface (not shown), using a horizontal rail 506 to assist with placard alignment. Once in contact, the placard 502 is retained by the magnetic force interaction between the placard 502 and the placard retainer material. Each placard 502 may be removed and replaced with a different placard, or placards may be stacked one on top of another with the entire stack remaining on the placard retainer through magnetic attraction.
The printed side 504 of the placard 502 may be imprinted with any diagram, photo, picture, message, advertisement, or any other communication the owner or manager of the commercial space wishes to convey to patrons. Messages, information or communications may be customized for each retail or commercial space. The information may be communicated to the producer of the placards and the placards custom printed onto the magnetic material of which the placards are manufactured. These custom placards may then be shipped to the entity that ordered the custom placards in a timely manner.
By way of example, and not of limitation, a restaurant owner may order a placard for each of the wait staff that presents the name and a photo of the wait staff. Each table that is assigned to the individual wait staff member may have a placard 502 attached to the placard retainer of the placard display device 500. Each patron seated at the table during the wait staff member's shift will have the name and photo of the wait staff assigned to assist them. As wait staff members change shifts, the placard 502 of the newly assigned wait staff person will replace the placard 502 of the previous wait staff member assigned to the table. In an additional non-limiting example, the daily specials, newly advertised items, advertising messages, or other special messages may also be printed onto placards. These message placards 502 may then be placed on the placard display device 500 to present the patron with the desired information in a durable and reusable manner.
Turning now to
In this exemplary embodiment, each dual placard element 604 may be affixed to the vertical bar 606 through the use of two or more screws 612. As described previously, the screws 612 may be accessed through one or more holes 614 drilled through the flat surface of each placard retainer 602 that forms a portion of the dual placard element 604. In this configuration, the attachment braces 616 affixed to each of the placard elements 602 are placed in contact, as well as in contact with the vertical bar 606, and the screws 612 are inserted into holes drilled for that purpose. Tightening the screws 612 attaches the two placard retainers 602 together and affixes the dual placard element created to the vertical bar 606 at the same time.
It should be understood that additional configurations of placard retainer elements may be created, such as a triple configuration where the placard retainer elements may be connected so as to form a triangle affixed to a vertical bar. Other geometric orientations may also be contemplated, as well as manners in which the placard retainer elements may be affixed to the vertical bar. Alternate geometric orientations may be created, such as, by way of example and not of limitation, connecting placard retainer elements so that they are not parallel but in an orientation that forms an angle between the proximate and distal ends of the placard retainer elements. Such orientations for the placard retainer elements are only limited by the size of the placard and the need for a flat surface to which one or more placards may be affixed.
Turning now to
While certain illustrative embodiments have been described, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, permutations, and variations will become apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description.
