CONFIGURABLE LARGE-DEPTH PANEL DISPLAY

• US 20100236116A1
• Filed: 03/18/2010
• Published: 09/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Skyline Displays, LLC
• Original Assignee: Skyline Displays Incorporated
• Inventors: Fritsche, Mark, Parizek, Scott, Gimpel, Dixon, Elliott, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,365,449 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 40/606.30
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/04 Signs, boards or panels, illuminated from behind the insignia
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 15/00 Boards, hoardings, pillars, or like structures for notices, placards, posters, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 15/0012 frames therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 15/0068 Modular articulated structures, e.g. stands, and articulation means therefor

Abstract

A configurable large-depth panel display uses a number of frame members and a number of corner brackets coupled to one another to create an flexible and easily customized display device. The frame members relatively uniform, having a substantially constant cross-sectional configuration which is easily coupled to the frame members. The corner brackets can be configured in a number of different ways to produce a display product with a desired configuration. More specifically, the corner brackets can be configured to attach to frame members in a manner which produce an overall framework having multiple shapes and orientations, depending upon the desired design of the overall display. Various panels, brackets and supports can be easily attached to the frame members using integral portions of the constant cross-sectional configuration. Further, more complex displays can be easily created by simply attaching different framework components to one another thus creating a single structure with multiple panel members.

Claims

1. A large depth panel display, comprising:

a frame having adjoining frame members secured with a corner assembly, the corner assembly comprising a corner bracket having tongues extending outwardly at a predetermined angle, the tongues removably secured to the adjoining frame members;

at least one floor support attached to a bottom portion of the frame to provide lateral support; and

a face panel removably secured to said frame, the face panel providing a display surface and enclosing the frame.

2. The large depth panel display of claim 1 wherein the corner assembly comprises a first tongue and a second tongue each disposed at a ninety degree angle with respect to one another.

3. The large depth panel display of claim 2 wherein the corner assembly further comprises a curved transition portion between the first tongue and the second tongue.

4. The large depth panel display of claim 2 wherein the corner assembly further comprises a substantially square transition portion between the first tongue and the second tongue.

5. The large depth panel display of claim 1 wherein the at least one floor support is removably connected to a bottom frame member and is substantially transverse to a main axis of the bottom frame member.

6. The large depth panel display of claim 1 wherein the adjoining frame members have a substantially smooth outer surface and an inner surface having a plurality of grooves, wherein the face panel is removably secured to the frame members using a surface facing groove, and wherein the tongues of the corner assembly removably secured to the frame members using a tongue receiving groove.

7. The large depth panel display of claim 6 wherein the frame further has a plurality of backing plates which are removably attachable to the tongues of the corner assemblies, wherein the backing plates are configured for insertion into a void in the frame members created by opposing internally projecting L-shaped flanges, thereby causing a portion of the L-shaped flanges to be sandwiched between the tongues and the backing plates.

8. The large depth panel display of claim 7 wherein the backing plates and the tongues are attached to one another via a removable fastener.

9. The large depth panel display of claim 7 wherein the frame members further comprise a centrally located C-shaped slot for receiving a bar therein, the bar having an aperture therein for receiving a fastener, wherein additionally accessories can be attached to the frame members using the fastener to produce a force which will sandwich portions of the C-shaped slot between the bar and the accessory.

10. The large depth panel display of claim 9 wherein the accessory is an internal frame member used to support an additional element.

11. The large depth panel display of claim 9 wherein the accessory is a framework used to support a pass-through shelf box.

12. The large depth panel display of claim 10 wherein the additional element is selected from the group consisting of a support for a display monitor, a shelf, a pass-through shelf box, a light fixture, a shelf box, a supporting truss and a spacer.

13. The large depth panel display of claim 2 further comprising a second frame having adjoining frame members secured with a plurality of corner assemblies, the corner assemblies each comprising a corner bracket having tongues disposed at a predetermined angles, where the tongues are removably secured to said frame members, the second frame further having a second face panel removably secured to the second frame, wherein the frame and the second frame are attached to one another using a plurality of fasteners and a spacer attached to the corresponding frame members.

14. The large depth panel display of claim 1 wherein the panel is at least four inches thick.

15. A configurable large-depth panel display, comprising:

a plurality of frame members, wherein each frame member is substantially linear and has a substantially constant cross-sectional configuration;

a plurality of corner brackets configured to be removably attached to an adjacent pair of frame members, the corner brackets each having a pair of tongues extending in predetermined directions configured for attachment to the frame members, wherein the plurality of frame members and the plurality of corner brackets create a continuous frame having a predetermined configuration;

a floor support attached to a bottom portion of the continuous frame to allow the continuous frame to stand in a predefined orientation; and

a face panel removably secured to the continuous frame by interacting with an attachment portion of the frame members.

16. The configurable large-depth panel display of claim 15 wherein the substantially constant cross-sectional configuration of the frame members has a facing channel for receiving a flange extending from the face panel.

17. The configurable large-depth panel display of claim 16 wherein the flange extending from the face panel is held within the facing channel via a compression fit.

18. The configurable large-depth panel display of claim 16 wherein the flange extending from the face panel is held within the facing channel via an interference fit.

19. The configurable large-depth panel display of claim 18 wherein the facing channel has an internal cylindrical recess, and the flange extending from the face panel has a ridge configured to be closely contained within the internal cylindrical recess, thereby creating the interference fit.

20. The configurable large-depth panel display of claim 15 wherein the substantially constant cross-sectional configuration of the frame members has a flange supporting an attachment material, and the face panel has a corresponding attachment material, wherein the coupling of the attachment material and the corresponding attachment material causes the secure coupling of the face panel.

21. The configurable large-depth panel display of claim 20 wherein the attachment material and the corresponding attachment material are hook-and-loop fasteners.

22. The configurable large-depth panel display of claim 15 wherein corner brackets further comprise a backing plate removably coupled to the tongues, and wherein the constant cross-sectional configuration of the frame members has a pair of L-shaped flanges extending from an inner side thereof creating void, the backing plates being insertable into the void, wherein tightly coupling the tongues to the backing plates causes portions of the L-shaped flanges to be sandwiched therebetween.

23. The configurable large-depth panel display of claim 22 wherein the constant cross-sectional configuration of the frame members further has a centrally located C-shaped slot for receiving a bar therein, the bar having an aperture therein for receiving a fastener, wherein an accessory can be attached to the frame members using the fastener to produce a force which will sandwich portions of the C-shaped slot between the bar and the accessory.

24. The configurable large-depth panel display of claim 23 wherein the accessory is selected from the group consisting of a support for a display monitor, a shelf, a pass-through shelf box, a light fixture, a shelf box, a supporting truss and a spacer.

25. The configurable large-depth panel display of claim 23 wherein the C-shaped slot and the void are substantially parallel with one another and aligned such that the C-shaped slot does not interfere with the backing plate when inserted into the void.

26. The configurable large-depth panel display of claim 15 wherein the constant cross-sectional configuration of the frame members further has a bracket channel at an edge thereof for receiving a notched plate.

27. The configurable large-depth panel display of claim 15 wherein the frame members further comprise a plurality of mounting holes receiving connectors capable of attaching additional frame members.

28. The configurable large-depth panel display of claim 15 wherein the plurality of corner brackets include four corner brackets each having the respective tongues oriented in planes arranged substantially normal to one another thereby creating a predetermined configuration which is substantially rectangular.

29. The configurable large-depth panel display of claim 28 wherein the plurality of corner brackets further include two corner brackets having the respective tongues oriented in a single plane and extending at an angle with respect to one another thereby creating a predetermined configuration which supports additional face panels oriented in multiple planes.

30. A supporting frame having a predetermined configuration for use in creating a large-depth panel display capable of supporting display panels and various accessories, comprising:

a plurality of substantially linear frame members, each having a planar outer surface of a predetermined depth and similar cross-sectional configuration, wherein the cross-sectional configuration includes a pair of L-shaped flanges extending from an inner side creating void therebetween, a centrally located C-shaped slot aligned within and substantially parallel with the void but having a height smaller than the void, the C-shaped slot capable of receiving a bar therein for supporting the attachment of an accessory, the frame member further having a bracket channel at an edge thereof opening in a direction normal to the planar outer surface capable of receiving a notched bracket therein, a facing channel adjacent the bracket channel configured to receive a flange extending from a face panel, and a flange with a supporting surface normal to the planar outer surface, the supporting surface capable of supporting a display panel;

a plurality of corner brackets each having a pair of tongues and removably coupled backing plates, wherein the backing plates are configured to be received with the void of frame members such that the backing plates and the tongues sandwich a portion of the L-shaped flanges therebetween when the backing plates and tongues are coupled at a sufficient tightness, wherein the plurality of corner brackets and the plurality of substantially linear frame members form the supporting frame of predetermined configuration when coupled to one another; and

a floor support attached to a bottom frame member to allow the framework to stand in a predefined orientation.

31. The supporting frame of claim 30 further comprising a plurality of coupling members attached to at least one frame member, and a second framework attached to the coupling members, wherein the second framework is formed from a second plurality of linear frame members and a second plurality of corner brackets, thereby creating a framework capable of supporting two separate panels.

32. The supporting frame of claim 30 wherein the plurality of corner brackets include four corner brackets each having the respective tongues oriented in planes arranged substantially normal to one another thereby creating a predetermined configuration which is substantially rectangular.

33. The supporting frame of claim 32 wherein the plurality of corner brackets further include two corner brackets having the respective tongues oriented in a single plane and extending at an angle with respect to one another thereby creating a predetermined configuration which supports additional face panels oriented in multiple planes.

34. The supporting frame of claim 30 wherein the plurality of frame members each have a facing channel opening in a direction parallel to the planar outer surface for receiving a flange extending from the face panel.

35. The supporting frame of claim 34 wherein the flange extending from the face panel is held within the facing channel via a compression fit.

36. The supporting frame of claim 34 wherein the flange extending from the face panel is held within the facing channel via an interference fit.

37. The supporting frame of claim 36 wherein the facing channel has an internal cylindrical recess, and the flange extending from the face panel has a ridge configured to be closely contained within the internal cylindrical recess, thereby creating the interference fit.