Display device
[ Apr. 1,1975  
 United States Patent [191 Muta 40/142 A UX Hoeve et 40/10 D 2,333 302 11/1943 Erik 2,677,910 11/1954 Morgan... 3,456,373 7/1969 Epton 3,596,387 8/1971 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [22] Filed:  
 3/1967 United Kingdom.............. 40/10 C Appl. No.: 361,896  
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 [56] References Cited a sheet of visual material for display therebetween and a transparent bubble member enclosing the back UNITED STATES PATENTS panel, the sheet of visual material and the magnetic N S b m m u e b m F g h .m .W w t a r. r. m D m 7 e i w m a .l 6 h M C V XRX U U RMA Booker.......................  
  mn a h 66 de WK C r FM 259 33 999 111 5 0 0 5 20 767 287 11 DISPLAY DEVICE This invention relates to a display device, and more particularly to a display device of simple construction which is impervious to the elements for outdoor use.  
  A wide variety of display devices are in widespread use, with only a limited number being suitable for outdoor use. Most display devices for outdoor use are formed of a receptacle in which the visual material for display is mounted. To facilitate changing the display material, the receptacle is provided with a hinged door or the like and various sealing members in an effort to protect the visual material from the adverse effects of wind, rain, snow, etc. Because of the necessity for a hinged door or other closure, such display devices are cumbersome and inexpensive to manufacture. In addition, to insure maximum protection of the display material from the elements, use must be made of complex gaskets and like sealing members to provide a weathertight seal about the door or closure, thereby further contributing to the high cost of such systems.  
  It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a display device which overcomes the foregoing disadvantages.  
 It is a more specific object of the invention to provide a display device which is suitable for outdoor use, which is of simple construction and which provides maximum protection of the visual material for display at minimum cost.  
  These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter, and, for purposes of illustration but not of limitation, an embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:  
  FIG. I is a perspective view showing the front of the display device of the invention;  
  FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the rear of the display device in FIG. 1;  
  FIG. 3 is a side view in elevation of the display device of FIGS. I and 2;  
  FIG. 4 is a detailed view of the display device shown in FIGS. 1 to 3;  
  FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the lines 55 in FIG. 41  
  FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the transparent bubble employed with the display device of the invention; and  
  FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the magnetic means for securing visual material with the display device of the invention.  
  The concepts of this invention reside in a display de vice formed of a back panel mounted in a support, with the visual material for display adapted to lie flat in face to face contact with the panel. The visual material is maintained in position by means of strips of rubberized magnetic material magnetically attracted to the back panel whereby the visual material is sandwiched between the back panel and the magnetic material. The assembly of the back panel, the magnetic material and the visual material is protected from the elements by a transparent bubble member or casing which surrounds the back panel with the visual material mounted thereon.  
  Referring now to the drawings for a more detailed description of the invention, there is shown in FIGS. 1 to 7 a display device embodying the features of the invention. The display device includes a vertically disposed upstanding back panel 10 in the form ofa substantially flat plate member having any desired configuration; in the embodiment illustrated, the configuration of the back panel 10 is generally rectangular having an areuate upper edge, although it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the configuration of the back panel 10 may be square, triangular, polygonal or the like.  
  The back panel 10 is mounted on a support 12, preferably in the form of a hollow tubular support which in turn can be, if desired, mounted on a base plate 14 for mounting on a generally horizontal surface. The lower edge of the back panel 10 is formed with a flange member 16 extending across the entire width of the back panel 10 and projecting away from the face thereof to define a ledge.  
  The back panel 10 is mounted on the support 12 but is spaced therefrom. As is perhaps best illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the back panel 10 is mounted on the support 12 by means of bolt means 18 and spacing means 19 to define a slot between the support 12 and the rear face of the back panel 10. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, use can be made of other means, such as a spotweld for example, to fix the back panel to the support means in a spaced relation. The spring means can simply be a flat plate or a washer secured between the support 12 and the rear face ofthe back panel 10.  
  As is also illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the visual material for display 20, which is in the form of substantially flat sheet stock having printed matter on one face thereof, is placed in surface contact with the forward face of the back panel 10 opposite the support 12, with the printed matter opposite the back panel I0. The visual material 20 is secured in position on the back panel 10 preferably by magnetic holding means 22, positoned along one or more sides about the periphery of the visual material 20. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the magnetic holding means 22 are in the form of strips of rubberized magnets which are commercially available. Thus, the magnetic strips 22 serve to clamp the visual material 20 to the back panel 10 which is consequently formed of a magnetic material such as steel.  
  To protect the assembly ofthe back panel 10 with visual material 20 clamped onto the face thereof by the strips 22, the display device of the invention is provided with a transparent bubble member 24 which is adapted to enclose the back panel 10 with the printed material 20 mounted thereon. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the bubble member 24 can be formed of any of a variety of transparent materials, including glass as well as high impact, transparent plastics.  
  The bubble member, which serves to protect the visual material 20 from the elements is dimensioned to correspond to the back panel 10 whereby the bubble member can simply be slid down over the back panel 10 with the visual or printed material thereon to enclose the back panel. For this purpose, the bubble member 24 is provided with a slot 28 in the rear face 26; the slot 28 is dimensionedto receive the spacing member 19 which has a width less than the width of the support 12 to form a seal about the spacing member. In position on the display device, the leading edge of the slot rests upon the spacing member to thereby at least in part support the bubble member 24 on the display device. To secure the bubble member 24 in position, the display device is preferably provided with locking means 32, which can conveniently be in the form of a bolt member which extends through the support above the uppermost spacing member and into a threaded opening 34 or the like.  
  Once the bubble member is secured in position, the bubble member, which is open only along the bottom edge. serves to protect the visual material from the elements. The bottom opening of the bubble is substantially closed by means of the flange 16 which is preferably dimensioned to correspond to size of the bottom opening in the bubble member.  
  It will be understood that various changes and modifications can be made in the details of construction and use without departing from the spirit of the invention. especially as defined in the following claims.  
 I claim:  
  1. A display device for printed material in sheet form comprising upstanding support means, a back panel mounted on but spaced from the support means to define a space therebetween spacing means in said space having a width less than the width of the support means adapted to support the back panel on the support means in a spaced relation, said back panel being adapted to receive a sheet of printed material in surface contact therewith, at least one magnetized bar adapted to engage the printed material to secure the printed material thereto, and a continuous transparent bubble member open along its bottom encasing the back panel, the printed material and the bar to protect the printed material from the elements. said bubble member including a vertical slot therein. said slot being adapted to receive the spacing means with the leading edge of the slot resting on the spacing means.  
  2. A display device according to claim 1 which includes locking means to secure the bubble member on the back panel.