Supports: cabinet structure – With card or sheet retainers
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-09
2001-05-01
Cuomo, Peter M. (Department: 3624)
Supports: cabinet structure
With card or sheet retainers
C040S373000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06224174
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to the field of displays. More specifically, the invention relates to a device for displaying a plurality of posters in an upright display position that allows the user to easily view the posters, remove and replace the posters, and that reduces potential damage to the posters.
2. Related Art
Presently, when posters are sold, one manner in which they are typically displayed is by placing them in holders designed to hold two posters back to back and that are pivotally mounted at their back end to allow a potential purchaser to flip through the selections. These devices are relatively expensive and bulky limiting the selection of available posters. Further, use of the devices at conventions is impractical, difficult, and costly because transporting the bulky device requires a relatively large truck and reduces the space available for transporting product.
Another manner of displaying posters is to simply stack the posters on a table and allow the patrons to sort through the posters. However, this method is inconvenient and often results in damage to the posters and lost inventory.
Yet another method of displaying posters is to mount each of the posters to a piece of stiff cardboard, or other backing, designed to keep the poster straight and protected. The posters with the backing are then placed in a box-like structure with the posters and backing resting on a bottom edge. The potential purchaser may then flip through the available selections. Although this method of displaying posters is relatively space efficient, the backing does significantly increase the space required for the display and transport of the posters. Additionally, the cost of the backing material makes its use for less expensive posters impractical; and the labor required to attach each of the posters to the backing increases the cost of the posters and decreases the usefulness of the display method.
Displaying the posters vertically in a box-like structure without a backing material has been impractical to date primarily because the posters bend and their weight exerts a force against the bottoms of the posters pushing the bottoms together. Thus, the posters are difficult to pull from the display resulting tearing of the posters and the pulling of a plurality of posters (either fully or partially) from the device at one time. Further, replacement of the posters into the display is difficult, or impossible, due to the bunching of the poster bottoms. Accordingly, the posters pulled from such a display are often simply set aside resulting in a disorderly display area and damage to the posters. Therefore, displaying posters in this manner is not practical, effective, or cost efficient.
A seldom used technique for displaying posters is to simply mount the posters to the walls and provide the posters to the customer from inventory when purchased. However, this method requires substantial wall space, limits the available selection, and is impractical for conventions.
Thus, there remains a need for a cost effective, space efficient manner of displaying posters for sale.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To achieve such improvements, the present invention generally provides a poster display apparatus adapted to hold a plurality of posters in a substantially upright display position that reduces bunching of the bottom portions of the posters allowing a customer to easily browse through the posters, remove posters from the apparatus, and replace posters in the apparatus. The poster display apparatus also provides a lowered, preferably curved front that facilitates browsing of the posters and reduces damage to the posters. The posters are placed in the apparatus without backing material so that the device can easily hold a substantial number of posters without requiring substantial space.
One aspect of the present invention provides an apparatus for displaying posters that provides a body having a front, a back, opposing sides, and a bottom, the body defining an interior space and an upper opening. The body is adapted to hold and display a plurality of posters in a substantially upright display position.
Preferably, the front of the body is adapted to maintain a bottom portion of the plurality of posters at an angle to the bottom of the body. The angle between the abutment surface and the bottom of the body is preferably less than about ninety degrees, but in an alternative embodiment is approximately equal to about ninety degrees. Thus, the abutment surface is adapted to maintain a bottom portion of the plurality of posters proximal the bottom of the body at a nonperpendicular angle to the bottom of the body with the bottom portion slanting toward the back of the body.
Additionally, the front of the body defines a curved abutment surface having a bottom end proximal the bottom of the body and an opposite apogee end that is convex with respect to the interior space and that is adapted to support the plurality of posters in a forward position. The length of the abutment surface is approximately equal to the height of the plurality of posters. The apogee end of the abutment surface, in alternative embodiments, curves downward or is at least about horizontal. A portion of the abutment surface intermediate the apogee end and the bottom end is preferably about horizontal to maintain the posters in a forward position.
Preferably the abutment surface provides a nonslip coating adapted to reduce the slippage between the abutment surface and the plurality of posters. In one embodiment, the nonslip coating is rubber.
In another preferred embodiment, the back of the body is adapted to maintain a bottom portion of the plurality of posters at an angle to the bottom of the body. Typically, the back of the body and the bottom of the body form an angle that is greater than about ninety degrees. In alternative embodiments the back of the body is substantially flat or arcuate. In the curved back embodiment, the back of the body is preferably convex with respect to the interior space.
Preferably, the apparatus also provides an antislip member attached to the body that is adapted to reduce the relative motion of the plurality of posters to one another and to the body. The antislip member is attached to the bottom and/or the sides of the body. Therefore, in one embodiment, the bottom of the body has an upper surface adapted to provide increased friction between the upper surface and a bottom of the plurality of posters. This increased friction is accomplished using grooved defined by the upper surface, a roughened upper surface, or an antislip member such as, inter alia, sandpaper, rubber, or a mild adhesive.
An alternative embodiment employs opposing sides of the body that each have an inner surface adapted to provide increased friction between the inner surface and opposing sides of the posters. For example, the sides may have a brush attached to the inner surface of each of the opposing sides of the body with the brushes adapted to provide increased friction between the inner surface and the opposing sides of the plurality of posters. In another embodiment, the sides have springs attached thereto that are adapted to bias at least a portion of the opposing sides inward against the opposing sides of the plurality of posters.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention provides a body that is adapted to maintain a predetermined relative distance between the front of the body and the plurality of posters, the back of the body and the plurality of posters, and the plurality of posters themselves. Thus, the body is adapted to maintain a predetermined force between the plurality of posters, the front, and the back. Accordingly, to provide the desired adjustability, the front of the body is adjustably positionable and/or the back of the body is adjustably positionable. In alternative embodiments, the front of the body is adapted to move vertically, to selectively rotate about a pivot point, and to move forward and rearward. Likewise, in alternative embodiments, the back o
Cuomo Peter M.
Tran Hanh V.
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