Display Device

Abstract

A user-configurable photo and planar media display device is provided with adjustable pockets to hold the photos, art, or media. A transparent front wall is removably engageable to a support surface to allow user configuration and redimensioning of the formed pockets, to match their photos or media for insertion therein.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/450,091 filed on Mar. 7, 2011, and is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to display devices for photographs, printed images, postcards, and other media which a user wishes to protect, transport, and display. More particularly, it relates to a windowed display assembly with receiving pockets having transparent walls which protect the underlying printed media and which can be adjusted to different sizes and dimensions to accommodate a plurality of sizes of planar media.

[0004] 2. Prior Art

[0005] The display of photographs and planar media such as photographs, postcards and artwork is conventionally positioned in a singular framed component such as a picture frame. Such frames may or may not have a transparent covering over the displayed media. Frequently, it is desirable to display photographs in a group or collage with the grouped photos having some common relation. However, when employing conventional frames for such an endeavor, the task of assembling the various photos and artwork into a single displayed component and surrounding them with frames, and accommodating different sized photos, is at best a cumbersome task and may even involve framing and at least matting of each individual photo or item to be grouped in the display. Further, once such a framed display is assembled, be it with matting and registered cut outs or individual framed photos, the display is fixed and not subject to adjustment for new additions or removal of individual members of the grouped photos and the like.

[0006] With the advent of digital photography, this problem has been enhanced. Digital photos are now being printed by the photographers themselves, using home or business printers engaged to computers with digital editing programs. As a result, instead of being limited to sending film to a lab, and settling upon very few sizes of available photo prints, digital photographers may use software to resize and reformat photos, and print them in virtually an infinite number of dimensions. Consequently, finding frames and photo display holders or matting to accommodate a plurality of sizes of printed digital photos of infinite size variance, has become a major problem.

[0007] Prior art attempts to provide a means to display media such as photos and artwork are shown for instance in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,553,472 to Pevovarchuk, 4,779,368 to Thede, 5,305,537 to Pascarelli, and 5,375,352 to Morris. The prior art teaches display assemblies in which discrete transparent pocketed or framed elements are engaged to a support element. Photographs or other such artistic media for display, configured only to the same dimensions as provided pockets, are inserted within the pocket or frame such that the image on the media can be displayed. However, as mentioned, the pockets or framed display components are of fixed dimensions and only allow for insertion of media of the same or smaller dimension, such as photographs printed to standard photograph dimensions or baseball cards in standard card sizes. This restricts the type of photos or artistic media which may be displayed in prior art devices and is undesirable for large photographs, custom formatted and printed photographs, and artistic media desired for display which is of nonconventional sizes such as panoramic photographs.

[0008] As such, there is a continuing and unmet need for a display device which provides the ability to easily engage and accommodate a grouped display of photos and artistic media and the like. Such a device should provide a means to maintain the displayed media or photos in registered positions to each other, to provide the user artistic license to group and arrange many different photos or artistic media in a grouping. With the photos or artistic media so engaged, such a device should allow for easy transport as well as ongoing protection of the assembled photos and other artistic media grouped with the device. Further, such a device should be fluid in storage ability and allow for easy adjustment of the size and shape of individual storage and display pockets or other photo and media receiving and display means, to thereby accommodate the wide variety of photo and printed artistic media available in a digital age without the need for users to purchase new or customized display and protection devices when they change dimensions of their photos or art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The device herein disclosed and described provides a means to display photographs and other planar or flat media through the provision of a device having at least one sidewall formed to provide a transparent panel or plurality of panels engaged on a back support panel. Each formed transparent panel provides individual discrete receiving cavities or pockets in which photos or artwork or planar media is insertable through slot openings oriented along either the transverse or longitudinal direction of the panel. The openings communicating with a display cavity behind the transparent panel will thereby accommodate and protect the surfaces of photographs, artwork, or other such media to be displayed by a user.

[0010] The formed discrete pockets forming the receiving cavities can be easily lengthened or shortened by the user to allow for the accommodation of varying dimensions and shapes of photos and other media for engagement therein. Resizing is provided through the employment of removably engageable adhesives or other such removable engagement means which engage the transparent wall to an underlying rear surface to define the perimeter edges which define the pocket or display cavity for the photos or artwork. For example, in the disclosed device, two pockets side by side which each share an abutting edge on one side of their respective defined storage cavities may be adjusted for size by disengaging the common edge and either creating two new pockets of differing dimensions, creating a single pocket of a new dimension. Additionally, the planar back support panel to which the transparent sidewall is engaged, may be transparent as well if it is desired to display both sides of the displayed media. The planar back is best formed of a polymeric material such as polyethylene or polypropylene as is the front transparent wall.

[0011] The device may be provided with a plurality of differently sized pockets, each having a side access to prevent the photo inserted from falling out. Or in the preferred mode, the formed pockets are configured so that the user may change the pocket size, and/or the holding in position of photos and art. This may be accomplished by the employment of pressure sensitive adhesive such as the well known adhesive employed on POST IT notes, which is an adhesive which forms a bond when pressure is applied to marry the adhesive with the adhered material. No solvent, water, or heat is needed to activate the adhesive. It is used in pressure sensitive tapes, labels, note pads, automobile trim, and a wide variety of other products and 3M company is just once source for such pressure sensitive adhesives which are well known in the art.

[0012] The pressure sensitive adhesive is best applied to the substantially more rigid rear support panel, rather than the transparent wall which is the adherent. The adhesive may be applied to the entire rear wall surface and thereby provide a pressure sensitive mount for the photos or media, or it may selectively be placed, to allow certain, or all the formed pockets, to change or move at least one perimeter edge and change the size of the formed pockets.

[0013] The rear wall is preferably formed of a planar material, more rigid than the transparent wall. If the display is to be transported, forming the rear wall from a polymeric sheet which may be rolled, but not easily folded is desired to allow for rolling and transport of the device while protecting the underlying photos. Once at a destination, it may be unrolled and pinned to a wall or otherwise displayed.

[0014] With respect to the above description, before explaining at least one preferred embodiment of the herein disclosed invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangement of the components in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention herein described is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways which will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

[0015] As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present disclosed device. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent construction and methodology insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0016] It is an object of the invention to provide a display assembly consisting of a planar rear panel and transparent front panel.

[0017] It is a further object of the invention to provide discrete sized pockets or similar receiving cavities defined by engagements of the transparent front panel to the rear panel in perimeter sizes adapted for engagement of photos or other such flat media.

[0018] It is yet another object of the current invention to provide a means to selectively adjust the size and shape of some or all the receiving cavities through the provision of removable engagement of selected common edges of the cavities to the support panel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURES

[0019] FIG. 1 shows a front perspective view of the device in one preferred embodiment showing the plurality of pocket portions having moveable common edges between adjacent pockets.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a side view of the device showing the relative thickness of the panel components with the rear panel being stiffer than the transparent wall.

[0021] FIG. 3 depicts a view of the device of FIG. 1 showing common perimeter edges of adjacent pockets moved to accommodate new sizes of inserted photos or art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Now referring to drawings in FIGS. 1-3, wherein similar components are identified by like reference numerals, there is seen in FIG. 1 a depiction typical of a preferred embodiment of the display device 10. One, or as depicted, a plurality of thin transparent plastic panels 12 formed of polymeric material, are engaged about at least two perimeter edges 16, to a support panel 14. The support panel 14 may be cardboard, posterboard, or preferably lightweight polymeric material of the like.

[0023] Polymeric material such as polyethylene or polypropolone sheet for example is a preferred material as it allows a rolling of the support panel 14 with the plastic panel 12 engaged, to provide a means to transport the device 10 with photos or art in the cavities 22 and prevent creasing or wrinkling of the contained photo or artwork in the cavity 22. The support panel 14 may also be substantially transparent in nature, so as to allow viewing of the rear of photos, art, or other planar media contained in cavities 22.

[0024] As depicted in the typical preferred mode of the device 10 in FIGS. 1-3, the transparent panels 12 of the individual pocketed containers 17 such as shown in FIG. 1, are engaged to the support panel 14 at least two sides of the perimeter edge 16 by a substantially permanent engagement means such as adhesive or heated adhesion or other means. This is true whether there are multiple pocketed containers 17, or a single pocketed container 17 across the entire front surface 15 of the support panel 14.

[0025] A removably engaged common edge 20 between adjacent pockets or cavities 22 is also engaged to the support panel 12 by an engagement means such as removable adhesive 21 such as the earlier noted pressure sensitive adhesive 21. Thus as shown, three perimeter edges 16 are engaged and one or a plurality of dividing common edges 20 are adjustable to change the size of the adjacent cavities 22. The positioning and change of the placement of the common edge 20 as provided by using removable adhesive 21 positioned on the front surface 15 of the support panel 12, in positions sandwiched between the support panel 12 and the transparent panel 12 making up the transparent protective cover and front wall of the device 10.

[0026] The entire front surface 15 of the support panel 12 where is mates with an adjacent transparent panel 12, to form the cavities 22, may be covered with the pressure sensitive or removably engageable adhesive 21, or horizontal strips 25 of adhesive 21 may placed on the front surface 15 at positions in the cavities 22 so as to allow reconfiguration of the cavities 22 adjacent to each other into different dimensions which would be determined by the placement of the adhesive 21 in the strips 25 such as shown in FIG. 3. If the entire front surface 15 underneath the transparent panel 12 is covered, it may also be employed to hold photos and planar media against the front surface 15 of the support panel 14.

[0027] In each pocketed container 17, one edge is left open to define a slit 18 which forms an aperture through which display media can be inserted to a position within the cavity 22 and sandwiched between the front surface 15 of the support panel 14 and the transparent panel 12 material which also serves to protect the surface of the photo or planar media. Any two adjacent pockets formed by cavities 22, that share a common removably engaged edge 20, when desired, can move the edge 20 by repositioning the engagement between the adhesive on the front surface 15 and the transparent panel 12, and redimension the cavities 22 and the slit 18 defining aperture for insertion of photos or planar media. It must be noted however, that the transparent panels 12 and the pocketed containers 17 and therefor the cavities 22 forming the individual pockets, can be arranged in an almost infinite number of arrangements. Consequently, the orientation and quantity of the cavities 22 and pocketed containers 17 displayed in the figures are merely for demonstrative purposes showing only one preferred embodiment and therefor should not be considered limiting. A side view of the device 10 can be seen in FIG. 2 depicting the support panel 14 and transparent front panel(s) 12 defining the pocketed container 17.

[0028] The removable nature of the removably engaged common edge 20, whether the entire front surface 15 is adhesive covered or strips 25, allows the user to selectively lengthen or shorten or otherwise redimension any desired pocket formed by a cavity 22.

[0029] FIG. 3 shows one such possible arrangement of selectively lengthened cavities 22 from their configuration of FIG. 1. When a removably engaged common edge 20 shared between two pockets 22 is disengaged, a larger pocket 24 is created and can accommodate varying sized display media. Furthermore, a new, equally larger slit opening 19 is also created to receive the larger display media. It must again be noted that a multitude of combinations of selectively engaged and disengaged edges 20 exists and would take a near infinite number of figures to convey, therefor the arrangement shown in the figure is there merely for the demonstrative purpose of portraying the nature of the removable edge 20 provided by either strips 25 of pressure sensitive or other adhesive on the front surface 15 sandwiched between the front surface 15 and the transparent panel 14 forming the pocketed container 17 be it one or a plurality of pocketed containers 17 formed on the support panel 14.

[0030] Further, while all of the fundamental characteristics and features of the invention have been shown and described herein, with reference to particular embodiments thereof, a latitude of modification, various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure and it will be apparent that in some instances, some features of the invention may be employed without a corresponding use of other features without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth. It should also be understood that various substitutions, modifications, and variations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Consequently, all such modifications and variations and substitutions are included within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A user-configurable photo and planar media display apparatus, comprising: a support panel having a front surface; at least one pocketed container positioned on said front surface; said pocketed container having a transparent wall having an engagement of a perimeter edge to said front surface of said support wall; said display cavity defined by said engagement of said perimeter edge, said front surface within said perimeter edge, and an adjacent surface of said transparent wall, abutting said front surface within said perimeter edge; a gap in said engagement of said perimeter edge providing an aperture for insertion of photos or planar media into a display cavity; means for a removable engagement of at least one linear portion of said adjacent portion of said transparent wall positioned within said display cavity, to said front surface in a removable attachment thereto; said engagement of said linear portion forming a common border dividing said display cavity into a plurality of display cavities; and said engagement of said linear portion repositionable to thereby form said border dividing said display cavity to a different position, whereby said display cavity is user configurable to one or a plurality of individual adjacent said display cavities by forming or moving said engagement of said linear portion of said transparent wall upon said front surface.

2. The user-configurable photo and planar media display apparatus of claim 1 additionally comprising: said entire front surface of said support panel within said perimeter edge having removably engageable pressure sensitive adhesive therein; and said removable engagement of said at least one linear portion of said adjacent portion of said transparent wall, engageable to an infinite number of positions to said front surface within said perimeter edge; and engagement of said linear portion bifurcating said display cavity into two adjacent said display cavities.

3. The user-configurable photo and planar media display apparatus of claim 2 additionally comprising: a plurality of said removable engagements of said linear portions to said front surface; said plurality defining at least three said display cavities; and said pressure sensitive adhesive within said display cavity providing means to removably hold said photo or planar media thereto.

4. The user-configurable photo and planar media display apparatus of claim 1 additionally comprising: said support panel formed of polymeric material configured for a rolling thereof; said rolling providing means to roll said support panel, said transparent wall, and any photos or planar media within any said display cavity to a curved position following an arc of said rolling; and whereby said display apparatus provides means to transport said photos or planar media and prevent folding or abrasion thereto.

5. The user-configurable photo and planar media display apparatus of claim 2 additionally comprising: said support panel formed of polymeric material configured for a rolling thereof; said rolling providing means to roll said support panel, said transparent wall, and any photos or planar media within any said display cavity to a curved position following an arc of said rolling; and whereby said display apparatus provides means to transport said photos or planar media and prevent folding or abrasion thereto.

6. The user-configurable photo and planar media display apparatus of claim 3 additionally comprising: said support panel formed of polymeric material configured for a rolling thereof; said rolling providing means to roll said support panel, said transparent wall, and any photos or planar media within any said display cavity to a curved position following an arc of said rolling; and whereby said display apparatus provides means to transport said photos or planar media and prevent folding or abrasion thereto.

7. The user-configurable photo and planar media display apparatus of claim 1 additionally comprising: at least one linear strip of said front surface of said support panel within said perimeter edge, having removably engageable pressure sensitive adhesive thereon; said removable engagement of said at least one linear portion of said adjacent portion of said transparent wall, positionable along said linear strips; engagement of said linear portion of said adjacent portion of said transparent wall to a said linear strip, bifurcating said display cavity into two adjacent said display cavities.

8. The user-configurable photo and planar media display apparatus of claim 7 additionally comprising: a plurality of linear strips of said front surface of said support panel within said perimeter edge, having removably engageable pressure sensitive adhesive thereon; said removable engagement of said adjacent portion of said transparent wall, positionable at one or a plurality of said linear strips upon said front surface; and engagement of said adjacent portions of said transparent wall to a said linear strips, dividing said display cavity into multiple adjacent said display cavities.

Images