Card – picture – or sign exhibiting – Signs – Hanging
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-28
2003-05-06
Dayoan, D. Glenn (Department: 3612)
Card, picture, or sign exhibiting
Signs
Hanging
C040S601000, C040S757000, C248S328000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06557285
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to suspended display signs, and more particularly to a hanging sign and support wherein the support can suspend a sign at a selected height and can retract out of the way when not supporting a sign.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Signs are utilized virtually everywhere to display information useful in a particular environment. In one example, signs are utilized in stores and shopping centers to display information such as product location within a store, sale price information, product price and technical information and the like. Signs such as retail store signs are often needed only periodically and are taken down when not needed. Also, the location of many signs within a store environment will change as product displays are moved, altered or changed over for a new product.
Signs that are suspended from a mounting surface such as a wall or a ceiling typically require permanent bracketry to support the sign or require significant labor to install such bracketry when necessary. When not in use, the bracketry either remains intact and visible or is manually removed and dismantled. Sometimes these signs are mounted on ceilings that are quite high and that require specialized personnel and/or equipment in order remove the sign or dismantle the bracketry. If the sign is simply removed and the bracketry left visible, the aesthetic appearance within the store may be negatively affected.
There is therefore a need for a hanging sign and support wherein the support can suspend a sign from a wall or ceiling and, when not supporting a sign, will simply retract and “disappear” or blend in with the surrounding environment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon a review of the detailed description of the examples of the invention and the accompanying drawing figures. In accordance with the invention, a hanging sign support has at least one housing supported by a mounting surface. Each housing has an interior portion and a cord opening into the interior portion. A corresponding recoil mechanism cooperates with the interior portion of each housing. Each recoil mechanism has a cord with a distal end that is extendable through the cord opening and away from the corresponding housing. The distal end of the cord is retractably biased by the recoil mechanism toward the interior of the housing. A connecting device is carried on the distal end of each cord for removably coupling the cord to a portion of a sign. Each cord, the distal end of each cord, and each connecting device are retracted into a portion of the corresponding housing when not supporting a sign.
In one embodiment, the hanging sign support also has a sign removably coupled to each connecting device and supported by each cord.
As for other features of the invention, the hanging sign support may be mounted to a ceiling surface, or alternatively, it may be mounted to a wall surface. Also, each recoil mechanism may be mounted behind the mounting surface so that only a portion of the cord passes through the interior portion and cord opening of the housing. In an alternative embodiment, each recoil mechanism may be housed within the interior portion of the corresponding housing.
In other respects, a recess may surround the cord opening in each of the housings and be of a size and contour sufficient to receive the connecting device and distal end of the corresponding cord completely within the recess when the cord is retracted into the respective housing. The housing may also be dome shaped. In an alternative embodiment, the housing may be designed to have an aesthetic exterior shape that coordinates with a decor of a surrounding environment.
In still another respect, the connecting device of each cord may be adapted to connect with a corresponding fitting carried on a top structure of a sign.
In further accord with the invention, a hanging sign and support has at least one housing mounted to a surface. Each housing has an interior portion and a cord opening into the interior portion. A corresponding recoil mechanism cooperates with the interior portion of each housing. A cord is associated with each recoil mechanism wherein each cord has a distal end that is extendable through the cord opening and away from the corresponding housing. The distal end of the cord is retractably biased by the recoil mechanism toward the interior portion of the housing. A connecting device is carried on the distal end of each cord and a sign is coupled to each connecting device and supported by each cord. A spacer is removably received over each cord between the corresponding housing and the sign. Each spacer has a length that defines a distance between the corresponding housing and the sign to position the sign as desired.
In one embodiment, each spacer may be selected from a plurality of the spacers of various length.
As for still other features of the invention, each spacer may be an elongate tube having a diameter that is large enough to pass the connecting device and the distal end of the respective cord through the tube when installing the tube on the respective cord. In an alternative example, each spacer is an elongate tube having a slit extending the length of the tube for installing the spacer on the corresponding cord by passing the cord through the slit.
In other respects, each spacer may have a first end that bears against the corresponding housing near the cord opening, and the first end of the spacer may be contoured to match a housing contour where it bears against the housing. Further, each spacer may have a second end that bears against a portion of the sign, and the second end is contoured to match a contour of the portion of the sign where it bears against the sign.
In still another respect, each spacer may be molded from a plastic material.
In another embodiment, the hanging sign and support may have a plurality of the housings mounted spaced apart on a surface. A plurality of the recoil mechanisms may then be provided, each cooperating with a corresponding one of the plurality of housings and each having a separate retractable cord. In this embodiment, a plurality of fittings may be carried so as to be spaced apart along a top structure of the sign such that each fitting may be removably attached to the connecting device of a corresponding one of the cords.
In still further accord with the invention, a hanging sign and support has at least one housing mounted to a surface. Each housing has an interior portion and a cord opening into the interior portion. A corresponding recoil mechanism cooperates with the interior portion of each housing. A cord is associated with each recoil mechanism wherein each cord has a distal end that is extendable through the cord opening and away from the corresponding housing. Each distal end is retractably biased by the recoil mechanism toward the interior portion of the corresponding housing. A connecting device is carried on the distal end of each cord and, each cord, the distal end of each cord, and each connecting device are retractable completely into a recess of the corresponding housing when not supporting a sign. A sign is coupled to each connecting device and supported by each cord. A spacer is removably received over each cord between the corresponding housing and the sign. Each spacer has a length that defines a distance between the corresponding housing and the sign.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention are inherent in the hanging sign and support as claimed and disclosed herein. These and other objects, features and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1706606 (1929-03-01), Harkness
patent: 2762598 (1956-09-01), Runge
patent: 3512743 (1970-05-01), Lipscomb
patent: 4187996 (1980-02-01), Ehrlich
patent: 4411084 (1983-10-01), Kraus
patent: 4434570 (1984-03-01), Roos
patent: 5090145 (1992-02-01), Chiang et al.
pa
Blankenship Greg
Dayoan D. Glenn
Michael & Best & Friedrich LLP
Sears Roebuck & Company
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