WO1987007744A1

WO1987007744A1 - Display device for advertising

Info

Publication number: WO1987007744A1
Application number: PCT/SE1987/000260
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bo Lennart Henningsson; Hasse Olsson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-06-05
Filing date: 1987-05-26
Publication date: 1987-12-17
Anticipated expiration: 1988-12-05
Also published as: AU7519187A; SE8701418D0

Abstract

A device for showing visual messages, known as advertising display, has the form of a stand which can be rotated around a vertical central axis (3) and which has a horizontal section in the form of an equilateral polygon. At least some of the display surfaces (60, 60') are constituted by surfaces on essentially two-dimensional wall elements, which can be alternated between two display positions, and the alternating wall elements have such a width that one of their vertical side edges, depending on the display position, is essentially connected to one side edge of alternately one or the other of the two adjacent alternating wall elements, so that the said stand in horizontal section in both the display positions has the same geometric form consisting of an equilateral polygon.

Description

DISPLAY DEVICE FOR ADVERTISING

TECHNICAL FIELD The invention relates to a device for showing visual messages, known as an advertising display device, in the form of a stand which can rotate around a vertical central axis and which has a horizontal section in the form of an equilateral polygon.

BACKGROUND ART

US-A-3 755 936 describes a device of the type that is mentioned in the introduction. In this already known device the display surfaces are constituted by surfaces on cylinders with a non-circular horizontal section. More precisely the cylinders have a horizontal section in the form of a polygon with straight and/or curved sides. The cylinders can each be rotated in the same direction around a vertical axis of rotation in one angle of the cylinder. Together one of the sides of each of the cylinders form the outside of the integrated device. Through simultaneously rotating the cylinders around their respective axes of rotation the device can be made to change both shape and advertising surface, which gives a desired spectacular effect. The number of cylinders can be four or more, which gives great possibi¬ lities for conveying different advertising messages. However, the device also has certain disadvantages and limitations. Thus it requires a large space for the individual cylinders to be able to rotate about their respective axes of rotation. Therefore it can be difficult to place the device in a shop-window.

BRIEF DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The aim of the invention is to offer a device for showing advertising messages, which device does not have the above mentioned disadvantages or limitations. This and other objectives can be achieved by the device being characterised by what is given in the following claims.

Further advantages and objectives of the invention and also aspects of the invention will become clear from the following description of some preferred embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following description of preferred embodiments reference will be made to the enclosed drawings, of which

Fig. 1 constitutes a perspective view of a device according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 shows the same device during change between two display positions;

Fig. 3A-C shows schematically the principle of the shift;

Fig. 4 and

Fig. 5 show details in the lower and upper parts of the device respectively in order to achieve the shift in this first embodiment;

Fig. 6 constitutes a perspective view, partly schematic, of a device according to a second preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 7A-C show schematically the principle of the shift according to the second embodiment;

Fig. 8 shows schematically a device according to a third embodiment of the device according to the invention;

Fig. 9A-C show the principle of how the shift takes place according to this third embodiment;^"

Fig. 10 constitutes a perspective view of a device according to a fourth preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 11 shows schematically a horizontal view of only the message-bearing wall elements of this fourth embodiment; and Fig. 12 constitutes a vertical section through a message-bearing wall element according to the fourth embodiment, in which the relative thickness of the element has been exaggerated.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference first to Fig. 1-Fig. 5 a device according to the first embodiment of the invention is generally designated 1. It consists of an advertising pillar with a movable part 2 which can rotate in both directions around a vertical central axis 3. A motor for its rota¬ tional movements along with a gearbox belonging to it for reducing the rpm is fitted in a base 4 on a baseplate 5. A cover which covers the upper part of the device has been designated 6.

The central part of the advertising pillar 1 is constituted by a cylindrical body 7 with hexagonal horizontal section. Three of the sides of the hexagonal cylinder 7 (every second side) have been designated 8, and the remaining three sides, which are. fitted between the sides 8, have been designated 9. The sides 8 are called herein- after the first sides of the hexagonal cylinder 7, while the sides 9 are called second sides. Three first angles (every second angle) have been designated 10, while the remaning three angles have been called second angles 11. In the first angles 10 are first wings 12 and in the second angles 11 second wings 13 connected with the hexagonal cylinder 7 by hinged members 14 with vertical axes of rotation. The wings 12 and 13 are constituted by rectangular fields with the same height and width as the hexagonal cylinder's sides 8 and 9. When adjacent first and second wings 12 and 13 are moved towards each other so that the free edges 15 and 16 respectively meet, a prismatic body 17 is thus formed with the shape of a "large" equilateral triangle in each horizontal section, and this triangle can in its turn be divided up into a hexagon and in each angle a small "equilateral" triangle whose sides are a third as long as those of the large triangle.

For manoeuvring the wings 12 and 13 there are a lower and an upper rotating disc 18 and 19 respectively. A drive shaft 20 extends up through the hexagonal cylinder 7 from the gearbox and motor in the base 4 and is rigidly connected with the upper roυaτmg dit>c xa, πg. 5, which is normally covered by the cover 6, which rests on three supports 21. The three first wings 12 are arranged so as to be able to rotate around their hinged members 14 in the angles 10 with the aid of the lower rotating disc 18. For this purpose first cut-outs are provided, which extend radially from the periphery of the lower rotation disc 18, besides which vertically downward pointing first pins are provided in the underside of the first wings 12, said first pins 24 extending down into the first cut-outs 22 in the lower rotation disc 18. In a corresponding manner second cut-outs 23 are provided in the upper rotating disc 19 to work in conjunction with vertically upwards pointing second pins 25 on the aforesaid second wings 13. The depth of the cut-outs 22 and 23 can be regulated with the aid of stop screws/nuts 26.

All sides 8, 9 and wings 12, 13 are covered by advertising messages or the like. Thus the surfaces which are shown in Fig. 1, i.e. from the left a first wing 12, a first side 8 and a second wing 13, form an integrated display surface, which is covered by a large common picture or similar, which need not be divided in the areas for the angles 10 and 11 if the picture is made of a pliable material. In total the device 1 can be equipped with six such pictures or advertising messages, of which three can be shown simultaneously. How the change takes place will now be explained.

It is assumed that the device initally has the position shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3A. It is further assumed that a cycle has been completed and that a new cycle is to be initiated by the movable part 2 beginning to rotate clockwise after having previously rotated anti-clockwise. When the motor in the base 4 thus begins to rotate the drive shaft 20 clockwise, the upper rotating disc 19 also rotates clockwise. The lower rotating disc 18 on the other hand is braked by means of a slip brake provided for this purpose. The rotational movement of the upper rotating disc is transmitted to the said second wings 13 via the said second pins 25 and accompanying second cut-outs 23 in the upper rotating disc 19. While the hexagonal cylinder 7 stands still, the cycle is thus intitiated with the said second wings 13 rotating clockwise around their hinged members 14 in the angle 11. When the pins 25 have reached the stop screws/nuts 26, the wings 13 can rotate no further. They have then rotated 120°. The hexagonal cylinder therefore now begins to rotate clockwise, through the wings 13 pulling the hexagonal cylinder 7 with them when the upper rotating disc 19 continues to rotate. The lower rotating disc 18 continues to stand still with the aid of the slip brake. Through the moment force of the hexagonal cylinder 7 on the said first wings 12 in the angle

10, the said first wings 12 also come to rotate owing to the fact that the lower first pins 24, through working in conjunction with the cut-outs 22 in the lower rotating disc 18, fold the wings 12 through anti-clockwise rotation about the hinged members 14 in the angle 10. In this case too there is a stop in the cut-outs 22 which limits the rotation of the wings 12 to 120° . This means that the free edges 15 and 16 of the wings 12 and 13 will meet so that a new display position has been reached on all display fields. If the drive shaft 20 continues to rotate, the friction of the slip brake is eventually overcome, so that the lower rotating disc 18 joins in the rotation. The whole advertising pillar, i.e. the movable parts 2, now comes to rotate around the vertical axis 3 for a certain period of time, for example a half to one minute according to the present programme. After that, the motor stops and goes into reverse. When the shaft 20 and with it the upper rotating disc 19 again begins to rotate, always anti-clockwise, (the lower rotating disc 18 is braked) first the second wings 13 rotate back to their initial position through 120° anti-clockwise rotation in the angles 11. After that the first wings rotate back 120° through clockwise rotation in the angle 10, and finally the lower rotating disc 18 also joins in the movement.

The second embodiment of the invention will now be explained with reference to Fig. 6 and Fig. 7A-Fig. 7C. The basic principle is the same as in the first embodiment. The difference lies mainly in the fact that there is no hexagonal cylinder or other core that is provided with display surfaces. Each side of τhe rismaπc ooαy wxcn triangular horizontal section in the stand is formed by two rectangular fields of the same size 30 and 31 and not by three rectangular fields of the same size, as in the previous embodiment. Each of the display surfaces or fields 30 and 31 is clamped between two U-shaped arms 32 and 33, or between two arms 34 and 35, or between two arms 36 and 37. The U-shaped arms can also be characterised as wings with negligible thickness, said wings being arranged in the vertical plane and rotatable aorund vertical axes of rotation in the interior of the stand but at a radial distance from the vertical centre axis of the stand. The wings/arms have a somewhat greater height, i.e. extension in a vertical direction, than the wall elements, so that the latter can go free from contact with the upper or lower members of the arms in the rotational movements. The fields 30 and 31 are linked with each other along a vertical centre axis 38. When the three pairs of fields 30 and 31 are clamped by their respective arms 32 and 33, or 34 and 35, or 36 and 37, the arms 32 and 35, or the arms 33 and 36, or the arms 34 and 37 are at the same time brought towards each other. Between the latter pairs of arms there is a pair of further display fields, designated 30' and 31', which are bent inwards towards the centre of the device.

For manoeuvring the device according to Fig. 6 there are, as in the previous embodiment, a motor which is not shown, a drive shaft 39, a lower rotating disc 40, an upper rotating disc 41, first cut-outs 42 in the lower rotating disc 40 and first pins 44 on the arms 33, 35 and 37 cooperating with said first cut-outs, and also second cut-outs 43 in the upper rotating disc 41 and upright pins 45 on the arms 32, 34 and 36 cooperating with said second cut-outs. A central tube has been designated 47. In its lower end there is a lower mounting plate 48 and in the upper end a similar mounting plate 49 fixedly mounted to the central tube 47 for journalling the arms 32-37.

Drive of the upper rotating disc 41 with the aid of the drive shaft 39, which is connected to the upper rotating disc via an upper sliding (friction) clutch which is not shown, and connected to the lower rotating disc 40 via a slip brake, follows the same principles as in the previous embodiment. With the initiation of a cycle, Fig. 6, the axle 39 begins to rotate anti-clockwise from a stationary position. The movement is transmitted via the upper sliding clutch to the upper rotating disc 41, which begins to rotate. The arms 32, 34 and 36 rotate about 60° with the aid of the upper rotating disc 41 via the pins 45. In this position the pins 45 have reached the bottom of the slot or cut-out 43 in the upper rotating disc 41. When the rotating disc 41 then continues its movement, the arms 32, 34, 36 can therefore not continue to move and therefore cannot rotate any further relative to the upper rotating disc. The arms 32, 34 and 36 therefore instead drive the central tube 47 via the upper and lower mounting plates 48 and 49, so that the central tube 47 rotates synchronously with the drive shaft 39. Through the fact that the lower mounting plate 48 rotates anti-clockwise relative to the lower rotating plate, which is braked, the arms 33, 35 and 37 instead via the pins 44 will rotate clockwise around their axis of rotation in their bearings in the mounting plates 48, 49 until its pins 44 have reached the bottom of the slot 42, at which the arms 32 and 33, 34 and 35, and 36 and 37 respectively have met and a pair of new display su faces 30' , 31' are exposed. When the arms 32 and 33, the arms 34 and 35 and the arms 36 and 37 are thus rotated towards each other, at the same time as the arms 32 and 35, the arms 34 and 37 and the arms 33 and 36 are removed from each other, the fields 30 and 31 will be folded inwards in the folding line 38, so that the fields 30 and 31 are turned towards each other and concealed, at the same time as the fields 30' and 31' are moved outwards till the two fields form a smooth wall, so that the device again receives the form of a prism with horizontal section in the form of an equilateral triangle. So that the fields 30 and 31 will really be folded inwards and not outwards a spring 46 can be provided, which gives the fields a tendency to fold inwards instead of outwards. During the changes between the two prismatic shapes, the advertising pillar assumes the form of a body whose horizontal section is constituted by a six-pointed star with continuously variable shape, which gives a desired spectacular effect. When the device nas rotated a certain number oi rt oiαciuno d uoiαmg to a preset programme, the drive shaft 39 stops and rotates in the opposite direction, at which a change occurs back to the^" initial position in a way that is similar to that described above. The method of working is therefore in principle the same as in the previous embodiment, though the central tube 47 in this case has taken over the driving function of the hexagonal cylinder 7.

An illumination unit can be installed in the central tube 47. The fields 30 and 31, or 30' and 31', can in this way be trans-illuminated if they are made of transparent material. Alternatively lamps can be provided, preferably on the upper rotating disc, which illuminate the display surfaces downwards from above.

The third embodiment of the invention is shown in Fig. 8 and its principle of movement becomes clear also from Fig. 9A-Fig. 9C. The display surfaces are defined according to this embodiment by the two sides of six similar wall elements 50, Fig. 9B. These flat wall elements 50 can be rotated 120° anti-clockwise and clockwise around vertical axes of rotation 51. In this case too, upper and lower rotating discs can be used for the rotations, and these cen be manoeuvred in the same way as in earlier embodiments. Only the upper rotating disc has been shown in Fig. 8 and has been designated 52. The centres of rotation 51 for the wall elements are asymmetrically placed on the wall elements, so that a third of the width of the wall element is arranged on one side of the axes of rotation 51, while two thirds are on the other side of the aforesaid axis. The narrower field has been designated 53 and the wide one has been designated 54. The vertical edges of the narrower field have been designated 55 on every second one of the elements^' 50 and have been designated 56 on the remaining wall elements. The opposite edges have in a corresponding manner been designated 57 and 58 respectively. By moving the edges 55 and 56, and the edges 57 and 58 respectively to abut each other, one can form two equilateral triangles, Fig. 9A and Fig. 9C respectively, through rotating the wall elements 50 through 120° alternately clockwise or anti-clockwise. It is envisaged that the invention can be varied within the framework of the idea of the invention, and that it is not limited to the embodiments which are described above. For example it is not necessary that the advertising stand in cross section should have the form of a polygon designed as an equilateral triangle. For example one can imagine that it has the form of an equilateral quadrilateral, pentagon, hexagon, etc. and that it is not necessary either that the sides in horizontal section are constituted by straight lines. Curved sides can also be imagined. The embodiment according to Fig. 10-12 shows a preferred embodiment where the display surfaces are defined by surfaces which bend concavely inwards.

In Fig. 10 two exposed wall elements are designated 60. On the opposite side of the device there are two similar wall elements 60. Therefore in total four wall elements 60 are exposed simultaneously, which together for a quadrilateral with concave sides 60, Fig. 11. The wall elements 60 are according to this embodiment not provided with any pronounced folds or hinged members, nor with any supplementary spring for folding inwards of the surfaces at the change, like spring 46, Fig. 6. Instead the wall elements 60 consist of pliable springing material or include a layer which is comparatively stiff but at the same time pliable and flexible. In Fig. 12 a vertical section of a wall element 60 is shown, in which the thickness has been strongly exaggerated. Furthest to the outside there is a transparent plastic sheet 61, which is responsible for the elasticity of the element 60. At the inmost there is a cloth 62 of transparent material. Alterna¬ tively the inner layer 62 can consist of another plastic layer. Between the layers 61 and 62 the advertising message is arranged, which can for example have the form of a poster 63. The wall elements 60 are mounted, with their vertical edges 78, 79, on rotatable U- or wing shaped arms in the same manner as the wall elements 30, 31 are mounted on the arms 32-36 according to the embodiment shown in Fig. 6 and clamped with the aid of vertical metal strips 64. In total there are eight such metal strips 64, of which four strips are visible in Fig. 10. These arms visible in Fig. 10 have been designated 68, 69, 70 and 71 and have a somewhat greater extension than the wall elements 60. The arm 69 is provided with a pin 72 cooperating with a slot 73 in a lower rotating disc 74, and in a corresponding manner the arm 70 is provided with a pin 75 cooperating with a slot 76 in the rotating disc 74. The drive machinery is encased in a base 77.

Between the four inward-bending exposed wall elements 60 there are four similar wall elements 60', Fig. 11, which are not exposed. These non-exposed wall elements 60' extend essentially in a hairpin shape inwards towards the centre of the device, i.e. without any marked fold in the centre of the respective elements 60' . The vertical side edges on the respective wall elements 60' are moved towards each other by means of the U-shaped arms with said strips 64 as said arms are brought together.

The mechanisms of movement for the embodiments shown in Fig. 10-12 are analogous to those which are shown in connection with Fig. 6, with the total of eight arms being distributed symmetrically in order to give the desired form of an equilateral quadrilaterial. As far as the machinery of movement and its mode of operation are concerned reference is made to the above description of the device in accordance with Fig. 6. At change of display surfaces, with the arms 70 and 71 and 68 and 69 respectively and the two other pairs of arms respec¬ tively being removed from each other, the wall elements 60 become spontaneously folded in a hairpin shape inwards towards the centre of the device in the same way as the wall elements 60' in Fig. 11, without touching the upper or lower extensions of the arms but instead the wall elements 60' are stretched out to the concave shape which the wall elements 60 earlier assumed. As with the previously described embodiments, the change of the display positions takes place according to the same cyclic pattern as described previously.

It is envisaged that the shapes of the visible parts of the device can be given other embodiments than those described above, and that likewise for example mechanisms of movement and other elements in the device can be made differently from what is descnoed above. Among such alternative mechanisms of movement, chains and sprockets (or V-belts and pulleys) may be mentioned, where every second chain is crossed in order to obtain opposite rotational movements in every second wall element.

Claims

1. Device for showing visual messages, known as advertising display device, in the form of a stand which can be rotated around a vertical central axis (3) and which has a horizontal section in the form of an equilateral polygon, c h a r a c t e r i s e d by the fact that at least some of the display surfaces (60, 60') are constituted by surfaces on essentially two-dimensional wall elements, which can alternate between two display positions, and that the alternating wall elements have such a width that one vertical side edge of them, depending on the display position, is substantially connected with one side edge of alternately one or the other of the two adjacent alternating wall elements, so that the said stand in horizontal section in both the display positions has the same geometric form consisting of an equilaterial polygon.

2. Device as per claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i s e d by the fact that at least some of the display surfaces are constituted by surfaces on essentially two-dimensional wall elements which can be rotated between the said display positions around hinged members (14) with vertical axes of rotation.

3. Device as per claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i s e d by the fact that the radius of rotation of the rotatable wall elements is less than the width of each side of the polygon.

4. Device as per claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i s e d by the fact that the stand has the shape of a cylinder with equilateral polygonal horizontal section.

5. Device as per claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i s e d by the fact that the stand has the shape of a cylinder with concavely inward-bending walls (50).

6. Device as per claim 4, c h a r a c t e r i s e d by the fact that the stand in both the display positions has the form of an equi¬ laterial prism, i.e. has a horizontal section in the form of an equilateral triangle.

7. Device as per claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i s e d by the fact that the stand in both the display positions has an horizontal section the form of a polygon with three, four, five, six, seven ^'or more straight or concave walls.

8. Device as per claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i s e d by the fact that the wall elements are mounted on arms or wings with negligible thickness, said arms or wings being vertically mounted and rotatable around vertical axes of rotation in the interior of the stand but at a radial distance from the vertical centre of rotation of the stand.

9. Device as per claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i s e d by the fact that the stand has a core consisting of a cylinder (7) with hexagonal horizontal section, that in each angle (10, 11) of this core there is a flat wall element rotatably connected to the core, that each such wall element (12, 13) has the same width as a side of the hexagon, and that the rotatable wall elements are arranged so as to meet in pairs in order to form thereby the said equilateral prisms, with every second side of the hexagonal cylinder being exposed between the rotatable wall elements.

10. Device as per claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i s e d by the fact that each side of the said cylinder consists of two rotatable wall elements of the same size (30, 31) with a member (38) between them in the middle of the said side, that the cylinder is thus formed of a number of wall elements amounting to twice the number of sides in the polygon in each one of the two display positions, while as many further wall elements (30', 31') in the said display positions are folded inwards in pairs so that these elements which are foled inwards extend towards the centre of the cylinder with their concealed display surfaces turned towards each other and that the stand has, at the change between the two positions, a horizontal section in the form of a star with twice as many points as angles in the polygon.

11. Device as per claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i s e d by the fact that each rotatable wall element (50) is half as wide as a side of the polygonal cylinder, and that each such equilateral wall element is rotatable through 180° around its vertical hinge axis (51). "

12. Device as per claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i s e d by the fact that the hinged member is placed eccentrically further from the angle of the polygon than from the vertical centre line of the sides.

13. Device as per claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i s e d by the fact that the hinged member is positioned on the said wall element at a distance from one of its vertical sides, amounting to a third of the total width of the wall element.

14. Device as per claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i s e d by the fact that the wall elements (60, 60') are flexible, so that the side edges, through bending of the material in the elements on rotation of the device, can essentially be connected to respective side edges on the adjacent wall elements.

15. Device as per claim 14, c h a r a c t e r i s e d by the fact that the elements (60'), which temporarily are not visible in display position, extend essentially in hairpin form inwards towards the centre of the device, i.e. without marked folds in the centre of the element.

16. Device as per claim 15, c h a r a c t e r i s e d by the fact that the said elements (60' ) when not in the display position spontaneously assume the said essentially hairpin-shaped form owing to the elasticity in the material of the wall elements.

17. Device as per any of the claims 14-16, c h a r a c t e r i s e d by the fact that the pliable wall elements (60, 60') are connected through their vertical edges to the said rotatable arms or wings (68-71).