Display panel and assembly

• US 3,931,894 A
• Filed: 01/16/1974
• Issued: 01/13/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomas V. Murphy
• Original Assignee: Thomas V. Murphy
• Inventors: Murphy, Thomas V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Frazier, Roy D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gibson, Jr., Robert W.
• Application Number:
  US05/433,743
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• Field of Search: 248/DIG. 3, 211/177, 211/163, 211/169, 211/183, 16/DIG. 13, 16/171, 312/107, 312/108, 312/262, 312/263, 312/257 A, 220/4 F, 220/60, 160/135, 160/235, 160/229
• US Class Current: 211/189
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/00 Show stands, hangers, or shelves characterised by their constructional features
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/04 Stands with a central pillar, e.g. tree type A47F5/02 takes precedence

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a novel display panel, and to assembled display structures incorporating the new panel. More particularly, the disclosure relates to perforated display panels, and to display assemblies constructed therewith. Commonly, perforated board panels are formed of compressed, fibrous material. To a somewhat lesser degree, perforated panel boards are available commercially, formed of sheet metal and of molded plastic material. The present invention provides a novel and highly advantageous form of molded plastic perforated panel structure which, because of novel and advantageous features of construction, has extensive utility in the merchandise display field, as well as in the other fields of use.

The perforated display panel of the invention desirably is of rectangular configuration and incorporates along its side and end edges, unique snap-together hinge elements, enabling the panels to be connected easily and quickly to similar, adjacent panels. The structure of the invention, while being capable of mass production at reasonable cost by injection molding techniques, provides an extremely versatile, universal form of structural element, which can be combined in various ways, and easily set up or taken down for display purposes.

The invention is also directed to the provision of novel display assemblies, utilizing the new panels in conjunction with specially designed and constructed end caps. The end caps are provided in various geometric configurations and are applied to the ends of an assembled series of display panels to form a rigid structure.

Claims

1. A display assembly comprising

a a plurality of closed display assemblies arranged in vertically stacked relation,

b a plurality of display panels disposed in a predetermined closed geometric configuration;

each of said display panels comprising

1 a flat panel provided with apertures for the reception of display fixtures,

2at least one male hinge element of generally cylindrical configuration being provided along at least one side edge of said panel,

3 said male hinge element being integrally molded with said panel and connected thereto at one or more spaced areas,

4 said panel being recessed from said hinge element between said areas, and

5 at least one female hinge element of generally semicylindrical configuration provided along at least an opposite side edge of said panel and embracing an arc of at least slightly more than 180° and

accepted for snap-together attachment to a male hinge element of an adjacent display panel,

6 the axes of said hinge elements being substantially coincident with the outer back edge extremities of said panel to accommodate 180°

hinged folding of a pair of connected adjacent display panels between abutted back-to-back and abutted edge-to-edge positions,

c a plurality of end cap members,

d said end cap members being formed to provide socket means having a geometric configuration corresponding to that of said plurality of panels and adapted for the end-wise reception of said connected panels to receive said panels in said geometric configuration, and

e at least certain of said end cap members including means for maintaining alignment of corresponding panels of vertically adjacent display structures.

2. The display assembly of claim 1, further characterized by

a said certain end cap members including axially projecting locating lugs whereby, when assemblies are placed in vertically stacked relationship, the lugs of one end cap member are engaged by the vertically adjacent end cap member.

3. The display assembly of claim 1, further characterized by

a said certain end cap members having socket means facing vertically upward and downward and receiving panels of a pair of vertically stacked display assemblies.

4. A display assembly of a plurality of display panels disposed in a predetermined configuration, each said display panel comprising

a a flat perforated panel of molded plastic provided with apertures for the reception of display figures,

b at least one male hinge element of generally cylindrical configuration being provided along at least one side edge of said panel,

c said male hinge element being integrally molded with said panel connected thereto at one or more spaced areas,

d at least one female hinge element of generally cylindrical configuration provided along at least an opposite side edge of said panel and embracing an arc of at least slightly more than 180°

and adapted for snap-together attachment to a male hinge element of an adjacent display panel,

e the axes of said hinge elements being substantially coincident with the outer back edge extremities of said panel to accommodate 180°

hinged folding of a pair of connected adjacent display panels between a juxtaposed non-offset abutted back-to-back position and an abutted edge-to-edge position with no spacing therebetween,

f said assembly including

1 at least one end cap member,

2 said end cap member being formed to provide socket means having a geometric configuration corresponding to that of said plurality of panels and adapted for the end-wise reception of said connected panels to receive said panels in said geometric configuration,

3. said panels being disposed in a vertical perpendicular relationship to each other,

4. said panels abutting each other at points spaced from the side edges thereof,

5. said end cap members being applied to the opposite ends of said panels to form said display assembly.

5. The display assembly of claim 4, further characterized by

a a plurality of such display structures being arranged in vertically stacked relation, and

b at least certain of said end cap members including means for maintaining alignment of corresponding vertically adjacent panels.

6. The display assembly of claim 5, further characterized by

a said certain end cap members having socket means facing vertically upward and downward and receiving panels of a pair of vertically stacked display assemblies.

7. A perforated display panel of molded plastic construction, which comprises

a a flat panel portion provided with a plurality of apertures for the reception of display fixtures,

b integral peripheral edge flanges extending about the side and end edges of the flat panel and projecting rearwardly therefrom to define the edges of the display panel,

c at least one male hinge element of generally cylindrical configuration provided along at least one side edge flange of said display panel,

d said male hinge element being integrally molded with said one side edge and connected thereto at one or more spaced areas,

e at least one female hinge element of generally semicylindrical configuration provided along at least an opposite side edge flange of said display panel and adapted for snap-together attachment to a male hinge element of an adjacent display panel,

f the axes of said hinge elements being substantially coincident with the outer back edge extremities of said side edge flanges to accommodate 180°

hinged folding of a pair of connected adjacent display panels between a juxtaposed non-offset abutted back-to-back position, and an abutted edge-to-edge position with no spacing therebetween,

g the upper and lower peripheral end flanges including integrally molded locking wedge means,

h end cap means for cooperative association with said display panel and including spaced panel receiving flanges,

i one of said panel receiving flanges being recessed in a region opposite the locking wedge means of a panel edge to effect mechanical interlock of a panel and end cap.