Flexible or portable closure – partition – or panel – With mounting – fastening – or supporting means
Patent
1988-11-18
1990-05-08
Johnson, Blair M.
Flexible or portable closure, partition, or panel
With mounting, fastening, or supporting means
160378, 381021, 40603, B44D 318
Patent
active
049229885
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
Background of the Invention
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tension mounting system and assembly whereby a flexible sheet material may be suspended in a taut condition from a generally planar support surface. The mounting system and assembly of the present invention is particularly suitable for use in signs displaying advertising material, such as billboards, signboards, and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Display signs have been used for a variety of purposes and in a variety of applications, typically for promoting a business or a product. Conventional billboards generally comprise a planar rigid support surface, or a plurality of such surfaces mounted adjacent one another, upon which the advertising message is painted. Alternatively, the advertising material may be painted or printed on paper or another sheet-like material which is then affixed to the planar rigid support surface, typically by means of adhesives. In many cases, the billboard comprises a freestanding structure mounted on the ground or on a building or the like, and it may be illuminated by spotlights, or the like, to provide visibility during the night. In some cases, advertising material is applied directly to the surfaces of a building structure itself because the building structure cannot support the weight of a billboard support structure. These types of conventional billboards are very expensive to erect and maintain because preparation and maintenance, in particular, are labor intensive operations. The appearance of conventional billboards is also apt to deteriorate rapidly due to weather conditions such as sun, precipitation, changes in temperature, and the like.
Signs comprising a substantially rigid sheet of transparent or translucent material upon which an advertising message has been applied have also been utilized, generally by mounting them in a cabinet and illuminating the sheet material bearing the advertising message from inside the cabinet. These types of display signs generally exhibit less deterioration due to weather conditions, but the size of the display signs is quite limited, since transport and installation of a large, substantially rigid sheet is impracticable. In addition, these materials exhibit at least some resiliency, which limits the practical dimensions of the sign, and tends to result in distortion or bowing of the sign due to the weight of the material and due to adverse weather conditions, such as high winds.
Recent innovations in the advertising industry include the use of a flexible, fabric-like sheet material which is light, relatively impervious to weather, and may be illuminated from behind to provide an attractive and effective display. This material is preferably suspended in a taut condition to provide a planar display surface. The costs associated with installation and maintenance of display signs comprising a flexible sheet material are generally less than those associated with conventional signboards and billboards, since the advertising message may be applied at a central location, and the sheet material may be rolled or folded for convenient transport to the display location. The flexible fabric-like sheet material may be applied over or suspended from a conventional billboard support surface or a building support structure.
Means for mounting and/or framing flexible paper and synthetic sheet-like materials are known to the art. U.S. Pat. No. 2,212,313 teaches a display panel wherein a flexible, replaceable cover is mounted to a rigid rail at each longitudinal edge, and the longitudinal edges are wrapped around upright tubular structures and anchored to cross members by means of springs. U.S. Pat. No. 2,533,565 teaches a display frame for retaining a flexible display panel in a taut condition generally parallel to a backing board by means of spring clips along one edge and rigid clips along the opposite edge. U.S. Pat. No. 3,591,940 teaches a supporting frame for releasably clamping flexible sheet materials, such as posters, to the frame means. The p
REFERENCES:
patent: 3126332 (1964-03-01), Salete
patent: 3485165 (1969-12-01), Hughes
patent: 3553862 (1971-01-01), Hamu
patent: 4041861 (1977-08-01), Alter
patent: 4265039 (1981-05-01), Brooks
patent: 4372071 (1983-02-01), Vicino
patent: 4450000 (1984-06-01), Gandy
Aero Wabash, Inc.
Johnson Blair M.
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