Display apparatus

• US 6,505,427 B1
• Filed: 04/14/2000
• Issued: 01/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Media Communication Investment Limited
• Original Assignee: Media Communication Investment Limited
• Inventors: Van Goethem, Ignace M G J, Sterling, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Browne, Lynne H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): THOMPSON, KENNETH L
• Application Number:
  US09/529,689
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 404/46, 404/66, 404/67, 404/70, 405/08, 405/09, 405/12, 405/11
• US Class Current: 40/508
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 11/32 the feeding means comprising belts or chains, e.g. endless belts or chains

Abstract

A display apparatus includes a chassis frame and a housing. The housing defines a storage compartment with an inlet and an outlet for storing a plurality of display envelopes in a substantially parallel configuration. Two endless drive belts are located over corresponding pairs of roller spaced away from each other at opposing ends of the chassis frame. The endless belts each have a silicon-coated bearings face and a corresponding undulating wave spring secured to the chassis frame for urging the bearing faces of the drive belt against the surface of a display envelope while located in the presentation area. The drive belts are operable to draw the display envelope along a predetermined trajectory through the presentation area and into the inlet of the storage compartment. Fluorescent lighting is mounted on the chassis for back-lighting a display envelope while positioned in the presentation area, and each envelope is fitted with leading and trailing hook formation to enable successive display envelopes to be drawn through the outlet of the storage compartment.

Claims

1. A display apparatus (100), including:

a chassis frame (17) and a housing defining a storage compartment (101) for storing a plurality of display envelopes in a substantially parallel configuration, the storage compartment having an inlet (104) and an outlet (103);

drive means for drawing a display envelope (102) along a predetermined trajectory through a presentation area (15) and into the inlet of the storage compartment;

lighting means (5) for back-lighting the display envelope whilst positioned in the presentation area; and

engagement means (40,41) for sequentially drawing successive display envelopes through the outlet of the storage compartment characterised in that

the drive means includes at least one endless drive belt (18) locatable over a pair of rollers spaced away from each other at opposing ends of the chassis frame, the endless belt having a bearing face (25), and at least one undulating leaf spring (26) secured to the chassis frame for urging the bearing face of the endless drive belt against the surface of the display envelope whilst located at least partially in the presentation area.

2. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 1 which includes two endless drive belts (18) in a parallel configuration arranged to bear on opposing ends of the display envelopes (102) in a direction parallel to an intended direction of travel of the display envelope.

3. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the bearing faces (25) of the endless drive belts are silicon-coated.

4. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 2 which includes a pressure equalisafion assembly (60) for equalising the pressure applied by the bearing faces (25) of the drive belts (18) on the opposing ends of the display envelope (102).

5. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 4 in which the pressure equalisation assembly is a cable (60) securable to the chassis frame (17), the cable being connected at either end (61a,61b) to a corresponding one of the undulating leaf springs (26).

6. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 5 in which the cable (60) is co-operable with a tensioner (63).

7. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the engagement means are hook formations (40,41) located on operatively leading and trailing edges, respectively, of the display envelopes (102) relative to the intended direction of travel.

8. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 7 in which the trailing hook (41) of a display envelope (102) engages the leading hook (40) of an adjacent display envelope as it passes through the outlet (103) of the storage compartment (101).

9. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 8 which includes disengagement means (21) for disengaging the leading and trailing hooks (40,41) of successive display envelopes (102) upon entry to the storage compartment (101) through the inlet (104) thereof.

10. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 9 in which the disengagement means (21) is an elongate spring member (21) of substantially arcuate cross section locatable at the inlet (104) to the storage compartment (101), the spring member being adapted to deflect the display envelopes (102) and to cause disengagement of the engaged leading and trailing hooks (40,41) of successive display envelopes.

11. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the storage compartment (101) is curved in the vicinity of the outlet (103) to cause the leading edges of a plurality of display envelopes (102) in the storage compartment to be held in a fanned-out configuration.

12. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 1 which one of the rollers is driven by a motor (14).

13. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 12 in which the motor (14) is an electric motor.

14. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the lighting means is a plurality of fluorescent tubes (5) located on an operatively front wall of the storage compartment (101).

15. A display envelope (101) for use with a display apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, including two rectangular sheets (30,31) of a flexible transparent antistatic material ultrasonically welded together at opposing ends (33), and having a leading and a trailing hook (40,41) secured, respectively, to the welded ends of the envelope.

16. A system for displaying advertising material, comprising:

at least one display apparatus (100) adapted to sequentially position a plurality of display envelopes (102) containing the advertising material in a presentation area (15) for a predetermined period of time, each display envelope bearing a unique identification code (34);

a reader (22) for reading the unique identification code on a display envelope when it is positioned in the presentation area;

a real time clock (110); and

storage means for storing the unique identification code of each display envelope when it is positioned in the presentation area, and the length of time for which it is present in the presentation area.

17. A system as claimed in claim 16 in which the unique identification code (34) indicates the identity of an advertiser whose advertising material is contained in the display envelope (102).

18. A system as claimed in claim 16 in which the identification code (34) represents the time period for which the display envelope is to be displayed in the presentation area.

19. A system as claimed in claim 17 in which the identification code (34) is a bar code.

20. A system as claimed in claim 19 in which the reader (22) is a bar code scanner.

21. A system as claimed in claim 16 which includes a sound facility.

22. A system as claimed in claim 21 in which the unique identification code (34) selectively initiates the playing of an advertising jingle through the sound facility when the display envelope (102) is positioned in the presentation area.

23. A system as claimed in claim 21 in which the sound facility is a speaker.

24. A system as claimed in claim 16 in which the display apparatus (100) includes a communication bus (29) for downloading the stored information to a billing facility for preparing itemised bills for advertisers whose advertising material is displayed in the display apparatus.

25. A system as claimed in claim 24 which includes a portable storage facility connectable to the communication bus (29) for storing downloaded information.

26. A system as claimed in claim 25 in which the storage facility is connectable to the billing facility (110) for transferring the downloaded information thereto.

27. A system as claimed in claim 24 in which the billing facility (110) is a computer.