US3721413A - Display stand - Google Patents

Abstract

A display is provided which may be folded into a generally flat form and which will automatically fold into erected form when means holding the display folded is released. The display includes a display body, a standard, and a display card. The display body is expandable and contractable. The standard is secured to extend upwardly from the display body, and is channelshaped when erected. The display card is secured to the upper end of the standard. The standard is vertically elongated and is creased to provide an intermediate panel and two side panels. The standard is transversely foldable to enclose the display body in collapsed form. Resilient means are provided for expanding the display body and for folding the side pannels in right angular relation to said intermediate panel when means holding the display collapsed and folded is released.

Description

Robinson l 1March 20, 1973 [54] DISPLAY STAND [75] Inventor: William J. Robinson, Saint Paul,

Minn.

[73] Assignee: Reynolds Guyer Agency of Design,

Ramsey County, Minn.

[22] Filed: Jan. 18, 1971 211 Appl. No.: 143,590

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 761,934, Sept. 24, 1968,

UNITED STATES PATENTS Thomas ..248/l74 \Vojclechowski ..248/l74 Primary Examiner-Edward C. Allen A!t0rney-R0bert M. Dunning 57 ABSTRACT A display is provided which may be folded into a generally flat form and which will automatically fold into erected form when means holding the display folded is released. The display includes a display body, a standard, and a display card. The display body is expandable and contractable. The standard is secured to extend upwardly from the display body, and is channel-shaped when erected. The display card is secured to the upper end of the standard. The standard is vertically elongated and is creased to provide an intermediate panel and two side panels. The standard is transversely foldable toenclose the display body in collapsed form. Resilient means are provided for expanding the display body and for folding the s ide pannels in right angular relation to said intermediate panel when means holding the display collapsed and folded is released.

3 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATUlTEDmzmm sum 2 [IF 2 INVENTOR MAM/VI JRoBwso/v A'FTORNEY DISPLAY STAND This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 761,934, filed Sept. 24, 1968, and now abandoned.

This invention relates to an improvement in display stands, and deals particularly with a display including a base portion and a display card supported by a vertical standard above the base portion, and which may be set up almost automatically.

Displays have been produced which include a base portion upon which the goods to be displayed may be stacked, the standard portion extending upwardly from the base, and a display sign secured to the upper end of the standard. Displays of this type are usually erected by a representative of the firm producing the product being displayed. For example, the base portion usually comprises some sort of container which must be folded from its flat folded form to a rectangular erected form. Secondly, the standard must be secured in some manner to the base portion to extend upwardly therefrom. Finally, the display card must be secured to the upper end of the standard so as to extend above the goods piled upon the base portion of the display.

As will be evident, the cost of erecting displays of the type in question is very high, and the cost is not warranted unless the resulting sales are substantially increased. The sales representative of the producer of the items to be displayed must contact the proper parties at the store, obtain permission to erect the display, must erect the display, and must usually pile a quantity of product upon the base portion thereof, and must then travel to the next prospect. If the price of the items displayed is low, the cost of such operation cannot warrant the cost of the display.

It is a well known fact that displays will not, for the most part, be erected by the personnel of a supermarket. Aside from the personnel at the checkout counters, most of the persons working in a supermarket are either hired to apply price marks on the goods and to stack the goods upon shelves, or else to carry the merchandise sold to the cars of the purchasers. This type of help might often have difficulty in following directions in setting up a display. Even though the directions are relatively simple, it is necessary that the base portion of the display be set up in a particular manner, following directions furnished with the display. It is also necessary to form the standard which normally is supplied in the flat condition and which must be folded into channel-shaped form, and to attach the display is often a very simple matter for one familiar with the display, it is usually not a simple matter for a common laborer who is completely unfamiliar with the display and who would often rather do routine tasks than to go to the bother of learning how to set up the display. For this reason, displays which are sent to the supermarket rather than delivered by a sales represen tative are often thrown away.

An object of the present invention resides in the provision of a display which almost automatically sets itself up. The display includes a simple base portion which may be set up by merely moving a pair of panels apart so as to swing a product supporting platform into place. A standard is secured to the rear of the base, and a display poster is secured to the upper end of the standard. The standard is usually provided in three hingedly connected portions which are normally flat. The sides of the channel-shaped standard are connected by resilient bands which are normally under tension when the display is folded in its flat condition. The arrangement is such that the display base, supporting standard and poster may be normally folded into a flat form, and held in this form by suitable means such as by a strip of gummed tape. When the display is to be used, the strip of tape holding the display in folded form is slit, and the display may be merely dropped upon the floor. The resilient members connecting opposite sides of the channel-shaped standards acts to unfold the standard and to fold the standard and to fold the standard into channel-shaped form. Other resilient means expand the base into display position, and it is only necessary to stand the display up and stack the product on the base. As this operation requires no more labor than stacking similar products upon shelves, the display may well be used where a similar display which requires erection and assembly would not be used.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a display which is actually entertaining to erect, and which therefor will be used where displays which must be assembled would not. When the tape or other means holding the display in flat folded condition is parted, and the display is released, such as by dropping the display on a floor or table, the resilient bands unfold the display automatically. This operation is somewhat spectacular to watch, and as a result, dis plays of the type in question are almost universally used once the display has been seen. As a matter of fact, it has been found that there is a tendency for the persons erecting the display to attempt to refold the displays into their original condition just so that the folding of the display into open position may be observed once again.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a display which is not materially more expensive than the displays previously used. Previous displays include the same general type of base portion, standard and poster. In the past, the standard was usually formed of corrugated paperboard with the flutes of the corrugated board extending horizontally, and with ductile wires included in certain of the flutes of the corrugations so that the standard may be bent into channel-shaped form, and held in this form by the wires. In the present arrangement, resilient bands are substituted for the wires, the bands connecting opposite sides of the channel-shaped standard. These resilient bands are under tension when the standard is in flat folded condition, and are relaxed in tension when the standard is in channel-shaped form. The end portions of the standard are connected to the supporting base and the display poster, respectively. The arrangement is such that when the resilient bands are released and the parts of the display are free to move, the resilience of the stretched band will not only unfold the complete structure, but will also unfold the standard into channel-shaped form. By merely standing the display upright and folding the display portion into expanded form, the display is complete and in readiness to receive the product which is to be stacked thereupon.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the front side of the erected display, showing the general arrangement thereof.

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the display illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the base portion of the standard, the position of the section being indicated by the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view through the standard, the position of the section being indicated at right angles to FIG. 3 and the position of the section being indicated by the line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the standard at the start of the opening operation.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the display and an intermediate point of the setting up operation.

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic view of the blank from which the base portion of the display is formed.

The display is indicated in its entirety by the letter A. The display includes a base portion which is indicated in general by the numeral 10, a standard portion which is indicated in general by the numeral 1 l, and a display poster which is indicated in general by numeral 12. The standard 11 is secured to a vertical wall of the base 10, and the display poster 12 is secured to the upper end of the standard 11 so as to be visible above a stack of product resting upon the base portion of the display.

As indicated in FIG. 7 of the drawings, the base portion 10 includes a front panel 13, a side wall panel 14, a rear wall panel 15, and a second side wall panel 16. These panels are connected along parallel fold lines 17, 19, and 20. A stitch flap or glue flap 21 is hinged to the front wall 13 along a fold line 22 which is parallel to the previously described lines of fold. As will be evident from FIG. 7, the side walls 14 and 16 are separately foldable along a center fold line, the center fold line of the side wall 14 being indicated by the numeral 23, and the center fold line in the side wall 16 being indicated at 24. Rounded notches 25 and 26 are provided in the upper edges of the side walls 14 and 16 to accommodate the center strut of the product supporting platform, as will be described.

As is also indicated, the walls 13, 14, 15, and 16 may also be connected along their lower edges by a fold line 27 to bottom flange's 29, 30, 31, and 32. The flanges 30 and 32 which are connected to the side walls 14 and 16 are normally transversely slit as indicated at 33 and 34 so that the flange portion on opposite sides of the center fold lines may fold individually. The upper edges of the front wall 13 and rear wall are connected along alined fold lines 35 to platform panels 36. Fold lines 37, which are parallel to fold lines 35, connect to the platform panels 36 to a central strut forming flange 39.

In forming the base portion of the device, the flap 21 is overlapped with the marginal edge of the side wall 16 and secured in face contact therewith to form a tubular structure. The side walls 14 and 16 are folded inwardly between the front and rear walls 13 and 15 so that the portions of the side walls on opposite sides of the center fold line 23 and 24 fold into face contact. The strut forming flanges 39 on the two platform forming panels 36 are folded into face contact and are adhered together to provide a central strut connecting the top panels.

The standard portion 11 of the device includes a fromt panel 40 which is hingedly connected along parallel fold lines 41 and 42 to side flanges 43 and 44. One end of the center portion 40 of the standard is adhered in face contact with the rear panel 15 of the base portion 10 of the display. The other end of the standard 11 is designed to support the display porter 12, the front surface of the panel 40 being adhered'in face contact with the rear surface of the poster 12.

As will be noted in FIG. 2 of the drawings, transverse double score lines 45 and 46 extend entirely across the standard portion 11 including the center panel 40 and the side panels 43 and 44. These score lines divide the height of the display into three substantially equal sections, the upper section being adhered to the poster 12 and the lower section being adhered to the base portion 10. Resilient elastic bands 47 and 49 are secured to the sides 43 and 44 of the standard portion 11. The elastic band 47 is positioned slightly below the double fold lines 45. The upper resilient band 49 is preferably located just below the upper double fold lines 46.

In the particular arrangement illustrated, the front and rear panels 13 and 15 of the base portion 10 are substantially equal in width to the standard 1 1 when the side panels 43 and 44 of the standard are folded into a common plane with the center portion 40 thereof. The poster 12 is preferably of equal width to the base panels 13 and 15 so that the entire display may be of substantially equal width when in its folded condition. As is indicated in FIG. 3 of the drawings, an elastic band 50 is secured to the center portion of the strut formed by the adhered strut forming flanges 39. The elastic member 50 is anchored at its lower end to the rear wall 15 of the base portion of the display, as indicated at 51. The elastic member 50 is designed to fold the platform forming panels 36 into a common plane.

FIG. 5 of the drawings shows the display in slightly unfolded form. In usual practice, the base portion of the display is collapsed by folding the side panels 14 and 16 into flat form between the front panel 13 and rear panel 15. The standard 11 is also flat, and the base portion 10 is folded to overlie the center portion of the standard which is between the fold lines 45 and 46. The poster 12 is folded down to overlie the base portion 10, and the display is held in this folded form by gummed tape or by string or twine encircling the display. When the means binding the display in its completely folded condition is released, the display starts to unfold as indicated in FIG. 5 of the drawings. This is caused by the elastic band 50 which tends to fold the platform forming panels 36 into a common plane, thus swinging the base portion of the device upwardly into the position indicated in FIG. 6 of the drawings. The pull of the band 50 swings the elements through the position indicated in FIG. 6, and the display continues to unfold as indicated by the arrows 52 in FIG. 6 of the drawings.

When the standard unfolds along the fold lines 45 and 46 until the standard unfolds into a single plane, the elastic bands 47 and 49 swing the side panels 43 and 44 of the standard into right angular relation to the center panel 40 thereof. As a result, the display is completely assembled into operable form by the three elastic bands 47, 49, and. 50, and it is only necessary to stand the display erect into the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Because of the somewhat spectacular operation of erecting the display from its flat folded form to its completely assembled form, no difficulty has been experienced in obtaining the cooperation of supermarket personnel in erecting the displays. Either the tape which holds the display in its folded form is slit, or the cord or other means holding the display is collapsed form is removed while the display is being held in its folded form. Once the binding material has been severed or removed, the display is merely dropped upon the floor or another flat surface with the center portion of the standard lowermost. When this is done, the base portion of the display expands into channel shaped form to completely assemble the display with virtually no effort on the part of the operator.

In accordance with the Patent Statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my improvement in DISPLAY STANDS, and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof I desire to have it understood that changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing form the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A folded display including:

base section including a front wall panel, a rear wall panel, and side wall members connecting the edges of said front and rear wall panels,

said side wall members each including a pair of foldably connected side wall panels foldably connected together in face contact between said front and rear wall panels,

platform panels hingedly connected to the upper edges of said front and rear panels and extending upwardly therefrom in generally parallel relation and adapted to fold into substantially coplanar relation,

resilient means connecting said platform panels to one of said front and rear wall panels near the lower end thereof for urging said platform panels into substantially coplanar relation,

a vertically elongated standard having an upper section, a center section, and a lower section foldably connected along parallel transverse fold lines,

said standard being divided along parallel longitudinal fold lines into an intermediate panel and a pair of side panels,

resilient means under stress on one side only of said intermediate panel and urging said side panels into angular relation with said intermediate panel when said side panels and intermediate panel are folded into coplanar relation throughout the upper, center and lower sections thereof,

means securing the intermediate panel of said lower section of said standard to the rear surface of said rear panel of said base section and adapted to extend upwardly therefrom when said display is unfolded,

said center section of said standard lying outwardly of said front wall panel of said base section, and said upper section lying outwardly of said rear wall panel of said base section, and

means releasably holding said display folded,

whereby when said releasably holding means is released, the

said front and rear wall panels of said base section will expand apart, automatically folding the sections of said standard into coplanar relation, whereupon said side panels of said standard may automatically swing into angular relation to the intermediate panels thereof.

2. The structure of claim 1 and including strut forming flanges hingedly connected to said platform panels and folded into face contact therebetween, and forming a means of connection with said first named resilient means.

3. The structure of claim 2 and in which strut forming flanges are adapted to fold into engagement with said side wall members of said base section when in substantially coplanar relation.

Claims (3)

1. A folded display including: base section including a front wall panel, a rear wall panel, and side wall members connecting the edges of said front and rear wall panels, said side wall members each including a pair of foldably connected side wall panels foldably connected together in face contact between said front and rear wall panels, platform panels hingedly connected to the upper edges of said front and rear panels and extending upwardly therefrom in generally parallel relation and adapted to fold into substantially coplanar relation, resilient means connecting said platform panels to one of said front and rear wall panels near the lower end thereof for urging said platform panels into substantially coplanar relation, a vertically elongated standard having an upper section, a center section, and a lower section foldably connected along parallel transverse fold lines, said standard being divided along parallel longitudinal fold lines into an intermediate panel and a pair of side panels, resilient means under stress on one side only of said intermediate panel and urging said side panels into angular relation with said intermediate panel when said side panels and intermediate panel are folded into coplanar relation throughout the upper, center and lower sections thereof, means securing the intermediate panel of said lower section of said standard to the rear surface of said rear panel of said base section and adapted to extend upwardly therefrom when said display is unfolded, said center section of said standard lying outwardly of said front wall panel of said base section, and said upper section lying outwardly of said rear wall panel of said base section, and means releasably holding said display folded, whereby when said releasably holding means is released, the said front and rear wall panels of said base section will expand apart, automatically folding the sections of said standard into coplanar relation, whereupon said side panels of said standard may automatically swing into angular relation to the intermediate panels thereof.

2. The structure of claim 1 and including strut forming flanges hingedly connected to said platform panels and folded into face contact therebetween, and forming a means of connection with said first named resilient means.

3. The structure of claim 2 and in which strut forming flanges are adapted to fold into engagement with said side wall members of said base section when in substantially coplanar relation.

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