Structure for supporting sign board

• US 6,880,279 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2002
• Issued: 04/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hanyang Frame Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Hanyang Frame Company Limited
• Inventors: Kim, Yong Soo
• Primary Examiner(s): DAVIS, CASSANDRA HOPE
• Application Number:
  US10/271,846
• Publication Number:
  US 20030070336A1
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 406/071, 406/071.1, 406/071.2, 406/110.1, 406/110.5, 406/12, 406/071.4
• US Class Current: 40/607.12
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 7/22 for rotatably or swingably mounting, e.g. for boards adapted to be rotated by the wind

Abstract

A structure for supporting a sign board is disclosed. The structure includes: a post clamp having a pair of arched clamping bands which are hingedly coupled and joined to each other by a fastening element, at least one clamping band having a pillar; a hanger having a socket pipe joined to the pillar of the post clamp, a support bar inserted into the socket pipe and joined by a fastening element, the support bar having an axial coupling groove; at least one connector having a first coupling plate with a coupling bulge adapted to be fitted into the coupling groove of the support bar and with a first arched hinge holder, and a second coupling plate coupled to the first coupling plate having a second arched hinge holder; and a sign board having a coupling bulge and a guide slot through which the hinge holders of the connector pass.

Claims

1. A structure for supporting a swiveling sign board;

comprising;

a post clamp including at least a first and second arched clamping bands assembled substantially into a circle which are hingedly coupled to each other at their adjacent end portions and joined to each other by a fastening element at their free ends to be assembled around a periphery of a post, at least one arched clamping band being provided at its outer surface with a pillar protruded therefrom that includes a vertically formed groove on a front surface;

a hanger including a socket pipe perpendicularly joined to the pillar of the post clamp, and a support bar inserted into the socket pipe and joined thereto by a fastening element, the support bar being axially provided at its lower side with a coupling groove;

at least one connector including a first coupling plate, which is provided at its upper side with a coupling bulge adapted to be fitted into the coupling groove of the support bar and is provided at its lower side with a first arched hinge holder, and a second coupling plate which is coupled to the first coupling plate and is provided at its lower side with a second arched hinge holder; and

a sign board which is provided at its upper side with a coupling bulge and is provided adjacent to the coupling bulge of the sign board with a guide slot through which the hinge holders of the connector pass.

2. The structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein the at least first and second arched clamping bands include a hinge groove and hinged bulge at a first end and a flange at a second end such that the hinge grooves and the hinges bulges may be mated to each other and the flanges to be jointed to each other by a bolt and a nut.

3. The structure as set forth in claim 2, wherein the post clamp further includes at least one auxiliary clamping band coupled between the first and second clamping bands, the auxiliary clamping band being provided at opposite ends thereof with a hinge groove and a hinge bulge corresponding to each other, and has a circumference smaller than that of any of the first and second clamping bands, whereby the auxiliary clamping band is selectively coupled between the first and second clamping bands according to a size of the post.

4. The structure as set forth in claim 2, wherein the at least first and second arched clamping bands are provided, adjacent to the hinge groove with at least one retaining screw, which is embedded into the hinge groove to prevent the hinge bulge from being separated from the hinge groove.

5. The structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein the post clamp comprises a pair of third clamping bands, one of which is provided at one end with a hinge groove and is provided at its other end with a flange, and the other of which is provided at its one end with a hinge bulge and is provided at its other end with a flange, and a plurality of fourth arched clamping bands, each of which is provided at its opposite ends with a hinge groove and a hinge bulge so that the fourth clamping bands are hingedly coupled to the third clamping bands, and each of which is provided at its outer surface with the pillar for supporting the hanger.

6. The structure as set forth in claim 5, wherein the post clamp further includes at least one auxiliary clamping band coupled between the first and second clamping bands, said auxiliary clamping band is provided at its opposite ends with a hinge groove and a hinge bulge corresponding to each other and has a circumference smaller than that of any of the first and second clamping bands, whereby the auxiliary clamping band is selectively coupled between the first and second clamping bands according to a size of the post.

7. The structure as set forth in claim 6, wherein the auxiliary clamping band is provided at both ends adjacent to the hinge groove with at least one retaining screw, which are embedded into the hinge groove to prevent the hinge bulge from being separated from the hinge groove.

8. The stricture as set forth in claim 1, wherein the socket pipe of the hanger is axially provided with a key channel, and wherein the support bar of the hanger is axially provided with a key ridge which is engaged with the key channel of the socket pipe.

9. The structures as set forth in claim 8, wherein the coupling groove of the support bar is formed along the key ridge.

10. The structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first and second coupling plates of the at least one connector are provided at their facing surfaces with a positioning groove and a positioning protrusion mating each other.

11. The structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein the pillar is provided at an outer surface with a coupling groove, and the socket pipe is provided at an upper and lower side thereof with support grooves, and further comprising a pair of reinforced ribs fitted into and joined to the coupling groove of the pillar and the support grooves of the socket pipe.

12. The structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein the post clamp, the hanger and the at least one connector are made of nonferrous metal excellent in corrosion resistance.

13. The structure as set forth in claim 12, wherein the nonferrous metal is aluminum.