Panel display system

• US 6,543,164 B1
• Filed: 04/24/2000
• Issued: 04/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Skyline Displays Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Skyline Displays Incorporated
• Inventors: Gimpel, Dixon, Funk, William, Cota, Timothy, Sperl, Paul N.
• Primary Examiner(s): GREEN, BRIAN
• Application Number:
  US09/556,382
• Time in Patent Office: 1,079 Days
• Field of Search: 406/05, 406/06, 405/59, 407/82, 407/83, 407/84, 407/85, 522/201, 522/207, 522/39, 160/135
• US Class Current: 40/605
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 15/0068 Modular articulated structures, e.g. stands, and articulation means therefor

Abstract

In a preferred embodiment, a portable display is formed of a plurality of assembleable panels, each of panels having a plurality of edge portions secured together with corner connectors to form a rectangular framework. Panelar sheet material extends over two side of the framework and polyurethane foam in injected into the interior space. Panel connector portions, either of the sliding type, or the peg or plug-in type secure the panels together to form the display. In a preferred embodiment, each panel has four corners each with corner components that engage with the edge portions, preferably by insertion into receiving openings in said edge portions. Said corner components having a receptacle exposed at each corner to permit either connection with plug-in components, for example, panel connectors for vertical stacking of panels or accessory brackets.

Claims

1. A display system comprised of a plurality of rectangular display panels joinable together in rows and columns, each display panel having a front side, a back side, four corners, a perimeter with a top horizontal edge, a bottom horizontal edge, a left vertical edge, and a right vertical edge, each panel comprising:

a) a pair of vertical channeled edge portions positioned at the left vertical edge and the right vertical edge, each vertical channeled edge portion having an outwardly facing channel, an inwardly facing channel, and a pair of edge portion ends, each edge portion end having an end surface,

b) a pair of horizontal channeled edge portions positioned at the top horizontal edge and bottom horizontal edge, each channeled edge portion having an outwardly facing channel, an inwardly facing channel, and a pair of edge portion ends, each edge portion end having an end surface,

c) a plurality of T-shaped corner components, each positioned at a corner and having three legs, one leg of each T-shaped corner component inserted into an inwardly facing channel of one of the horizontal channeled edge portions and another leg inserted into an inwardly facing channel of one of the vertical channeled edge portions, whereby the pair of horizontal channeled edge portions, the pair of vertical channeled edge portions, and the T-shaped corner components, form a rectangular framework for the display panel, and

d) a pair of exterior panelar sheets traversing the rectangular framework, and

e) a fill material in the space defined by the rectangular framework and the exterior panelar sheets, said fill material adhering to the rectangular framework and the exterior panelar sheets.

2. The display system of claim 1, wherein a third leg of each of the T-shaped corner components has a receptacle for receiving plug-in components.

3. The display system of claim 2 wherein the pair of horizontal channeled edge portions are placed intermediate the pair of vertical channeled edge portions whereby end surfaces of the edge portion ends of the horizontal channeled edge portions confront the inwardly facing channels of the vertical channel edge portions.

4. The display system of claim 1, wherein each of the horizontal channeled edge portions and each of the vertical channeled edge portions is configured as an I-beam.

5. The display system of claim 1, wherein one of the legs of each of the corner components has a tapered portion that is adhered to the fill material.

6. The display system of claim 1, wherein the third leg of each corner component is exposed at the respective corner of the respective panel, has an opening defining a wire conduit, and wherein each corner component defines a tortuous vent for facilitating the insertion of the fill material.

7. The display system of claim 6, wherein each display system further comprises a plurality of panel stacking connectors for placement between vertically adjacent display panels, each stacking connector having a first stacking connector end and a second stacking connector end, each of said connectors configured to plug into the corner component receptacles without blocking the wire conduit.

8. The display system of claim 7 wherein at least one connector end of each panel stacking connector display system further comprises a U-shaped portion to provide a wire conduit at the corner portion where the stacking connector is used.

9. A display system comprised of a plurality of rectangular shaped panels coupled together at their edges by a plurality of connectors for forming a display, each panel having a top edge, a bottom edge, a left edge, a right edge, a front side, and a back side, each panel comprising a pair of vertical edge portions at the left edge and right edge respectively, the vertical edge portions each having an H-shape in cross-section with an outwardly facing channel and an inwardly facing channel, and having two exposed end portions, the top edge of each panel having two corner components with vertically aligned receptacle portions positioned within the inwardly facing channel of the vertical channeled edge portions at the exposed end portions, the receptacle portions for connecting together vertically stacked panels, each panel further comprising at least one panelar sheet on the front side, the vertical edge portions, the corner components and the panelar sheet adhered together by a fill material.

10. The display system of claim 9, wherein each panel couples with another panel at the vertical edge portions by way of a plurality of sliding connectors extending between said panels, and wherein said sliding connectors extend within said recess, whereby when said vertical edge portion of panel is coupled with another panel, said connectors are concealed from the front side and the back side.

11. The display system of claim 9 wherein the outwardly facing channel defines a wire conduit and the plurality of connectors each have an opening for receiving wire.

12. A display system comprising a plurality of panels removably connected together, each panel comprising:

a framework with a pair of vertical portions and a pair of horizontal portions joined with four corner portions;

at least one panelar sheet adhered to the framework and extending between the vertical portions and horizontal portions;

a plurality of vertical connector portions for providing stacking of vertically adjacent panels, the vertical connector portions each having a opening therein for receiving wiring;

a plurality of horizontal connector portions for connecting horizontally adjacent panels, the horizontal connector portions each having an opening therein for receiving wiring; and

wherein each corner portion has three legs, with a first leg engaged with one of the horizontal portions, a second leg engaged with one of the vertical portions, and a third leg having a receptacle sized for receiving vertical connector portions.

13. A display system comprising a plurality of panels removably connected together, each panel comprising:

a framework with a pair of vertical portions and a pair of horizontal portions joined with four corner portions;

at least one panelar sheet adhered to the framework and extending between the vertical portions and horizontal portions;

a plurality of vertical connector portions for providing stacking of vertically adjacent panels, the vertical connector portions each having a opening therein for receiving wiring;

a plurality of horizontal connector portions for connecting horizontally adjacent panels, the horizontal connector portions each having an opening therein for receiving wiring; and

a fill material adhering together the four corner portions the pair of horizontal portions, the pair of vertical portions, and the at least one panelar sheet, wherein each corner portion has three legs, with a first leg engaged with one of the horizontal portions, a second leg engaged with one of the vertical portions, and a third leg having a receptacle sized for receiving vertical connector portions, and wherein each horizontal connector portion is configured to slidingly engage in a vertical direction with a like connector on a horizontally adjacent panel.