Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02334084 2001-02-02
This invention relates to an easel adaptable to the rear surface of a
relatively large
display image board to support the latter in an upstanding position on a
floor. The display image
board and the easel are foldable at a plurality of scored transverse fold
tines to form a compact
and relatively small package for ease in shipping and storage. It may also be
self-erecting.
Large image display planar boards are used for exhibiting advertisement signs,
or for
exhibiting life images of movie actors, fashion models, popular musicians,
scientific or similar
novelty objects for decorative purposes. The large image planar board may be
over five feet by
two feet in size, and they are commonly made of corrugated board material. In
order to support
such large image planar board in an upstanding position on a floor, an easel
is adapted to its rear
surface to form an integral composite device. The easel is commonly also made
of corrugated
board material which has component parts for forming a rigid support stand.
The composite
device may be double folded into a collapsed condition for shipping or
storage. However, a
common drawback in such device is that after it has been double folded into
the collapsed
condition, it still has a relatively large size. For a life size planar
display, the composite device,
in the collapsed condition may be over two feet by two feet by two inches in
size which would
be regarded as an oversize by postal and shipping services, and it is
particularly not conducive
for shipping through the postal service due to the high postal surcharge
imposed on an
"oversize" package. The main difficulty with such known display devices is
that thick
corrugated board material must also be used for making the easel in order to
provide the
necessary strength for supporting the image board in the upstanding position.
Furthermore, the
dimensions of the easel must be compatibly large in order to provide the
requisite support for
the large image comegated board. Commonly, the easel has one or more vertical
support panels
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CA 02334084 2001-02-02
having a vertically tapering shape, narrow at the top and tapering to a large
bottom base portion.
Folding such thick material in more than a double folded manner to a collapsed
condition would
inherently destroy its strength such that it would lose the necessary strength
when it is later
unfolded to the erected position from the collapsed condition.
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a combined planar
large image
board and easel device which is foldable in a plurality of transverse lines to
a compact size.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an easel which does
not lose its
strength after subjected to multiple folds along predetermined transverse
scored lines.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an image and easel
composite
device in which the easel may be fabricated with any planar board material and
yet would
provide a strong support for the display image board in a secure upright
erected position.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a combined easel
and image
board composite device which is self erecting.
The composite device of the present invention has an easel attached to rear
surface of an
image board and operative to support the latter in an upstanding manner on a
floor, the easel
comprises a planar board having a design pattern of the easel stamped therein.
The design
pattern has component parts which are unfoldable to form the easel in an
erected condition. The
component parts include two elongated substantially rectangular side panels
extending the entire
longitudinal length of the planar board. A middle body portion extends between
the side panels.
The middle body portion is attached to the rear surface of the image board.
Two parallel vertical
scored lines are located between the middle body portion and the side panels
such that these side
panels are unfoldable along these vertical scored lines to form the right side
panel and the left
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CA 02334084 2001-02-02
side panel of the easel positioned substantially perpendicular to the image
board. A plurality of
horizontal brace members are formed in the middle body portion and are located
between the
side panels. Each brace member is unfoldable along a transverse scored line to
a substantially
horizontal position extending between the side panels. The brace members are
cooperative with
the side panels to maintain the easel in an erected condition. A plurality of
transverse fold lines
are formed in the planar board and are located between the brace members
whereby the
composite device is foldable at these transverse fold lines to a compact
collapsed condition.
Figure 1 is a rear elevation view of the easel design stamped on a planar
cardboard
material. The easel is attached to the rear surface of an image board.
Figure 2 is a rear perspective elevation view of the composite easel and image
baard in
the erected position.
Figure 3 is a rear elevation view of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a side elevation view of that of Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a rear perspective view of the composite easel and image board in
a partially
folded condition.
Figure 6 is a rear elevation view of a alternative embodiment of the composite
easel and
image board adapted for manual erection.
Figure 7 is a rear elevation of the embodiment shown in Figure 6, in the
erected
condition.
Figure 8 is a top sectional view along line VIII-VLII of Figure 7.
Figure 9 is a side elevation of that of Figure 8.
CA 02334084 2001-02-02
With reference to the drawings wherein like reference numerals designate
corresponding
parts in the several views, the easel 10 of the present invention is formed by
a designed pattern
stamped in an easel board made of cardboard, corrugated board or similar
planar board material.
The easel 10 is attached to the rear surface 11 of a planar display image
board 12. The image
board 12 is commonly a large corrugated board having a life size image
provided on its front
surface. The image board 12 may also have the actual shape of the image. A
rectangular board is
shown for ease of illustration. The easel design has a generally rectangular
shape with two
truncated triangular side extensions 13 and 14 formed at its lower portion.
The bottom edges IS
and 16 of the side extensions 13 and 14 respectively preferably slope slightly
upwardly and
outwardly for about 5 degrees relative to the horizontal plane as best shown
in Figure 1. A
vertical rectangular pattern is formed at the center of the easel design. The
pattern is formed by
two mutually parallel vertical scored lines 1? and 18 extending throughout its
entire longitudinal
vertical length, thus forming two generally L-shaped side panels 19 and 20
with the side
extensions 13 and 14 respectively located at their lower portion.
The side panels l9 and 20 are not affxed to the rear surface 11 of the image
board 10,
and they may be folded or flipped outwards relative to the rear surface 11 of
the image board 12
at the vertical scored lines 1? and 18 respectively to a position
substantially perpendicular to the
rear surface of the image board to provide the required vertical supporting
side panels of the
easel. The easel 10 is divided into three equal length portions, namely a
lower portion 21, a
lower middle portion 22, an upper middle portion 23 , and an equal or smaller
upper portion 24.
The upper portion 24 is smaller because the image to be supported by this
portion of the easel
normally has a smaller size than the main middle portion of the image. A
horizontal scored fold
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CA 02334084 2001-02-02
line 25 separates the lower portion 21 and the lower middle portion 22; a
second horizontal
scored fold line 26 separates the lower middle portion 22 and the upper middle
portion 23; and a
third horizontal scored fold line 27 separates the upper middle portion 23 and
the upper portion
24. The horizontal scored fold lines 25, 26, and 27 are aligned with
horizontal scored associated
fold lines 28, 29 and 30 respectively formed in the image board 12 such that
the composite
display device comprising both the easel 10 and the image board 12 together
may be folded into
a collapsed condition along these horizontal scored fold lines and associated
fold lines. Double
scored fold lines 25 and 27 may be provided to enhance the foldability of the
easel.
The rectangular center body portion 31 of the easel 10 is attached to the rear
surface of
the image board by glue or other conventional means. A horizontal slot 32
extending over the
entire width of the center portion 31 is formed along the scored fold line 25;
a second horizontal
slot 33 extending over the entire width of the center portion 31 is formed
along the scored fold
line 26; and a third horizontal slot 34 extending over the entire width of the
center portion 31 is
formed along the scored fold line 27. The horizontal slots 32, 33, and 34
enhance the foldability
of the easel along the horizontal scored fold lines due to the reduction of
material to be Trent.
A generally rectangular shaped horizontal cross brace 35 is formed in the
upper middle
portion 23 of the center body portion 31. The cross brace 35 has a horizontal
scored line 36 such
that it can be flipped outwards relative to the center portion 31 at the
scored line 36 to farm a
brace extending in a horizontal position between the vertical side panels 19
and 20 and
perpendicular to the rear surface of the image board. A second similar
generally rectangular
horizontal cross brace 37 is formed in the lower middle portion 22. The cross
brace 37 has a
horizontal scored line 38 such that it can be flipped outwards relative to the
center body portion
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CA 02334084 2001-02-02
31 at the scored line 38 to form a second brace extending in a horizontal
position between the
vertical side panels 19 and 20 and perpendicular to the rear surface of the
image board. Two
similar rectangular cross braces 40 and 41 are foamed in the lower portion of
the center body
portion 31. The cross braces 40 and 41 have horizontal scored lines 42 and 43
such that they can
be flipped outwards relative to the center body portion 31 to form cross
braces extending in a
horizontal position between the vertical side panels 19 and 20 and
perpendicular to the rear
surface of the image board. It can be appreciated by those skilled in the art
that although two
cross braces are preferably formed in the lower portion 21 to provide a strong
base support for
the easel, one cross brace may suffice for the purpose.
Two openings 44 and 45 are formed in the vertical side panel 19 and located
one above
and the other below the horizontal scored line 36 of the cross brace 35.
Similarly two openings
46 and 47 are formed in the vertical side panel 20 and located one above and
the other below the
horizontal scored line 36. Similarly, two openings 48 and 49 are formed in the
vertical side panel
19 and located one above and the other below the horiwntal scored line 38 of
the cross brace 37;
and two openings 50 and 5 I are formed in the vertical side panel 20 and
located one above and
the other below the horizontal scored line 38. Two openings 52 and 53 are
formed in the vertical
side panel 19 and located one above and the other below the horizontal scored
line 42 of the
cross brace 40; and also similarly two openings 54 and 55 are formed in the
vertical side panel
and located one above and the other below the horizontal scored line 42. Two
openings 56
20 and 57 are formed in the horizontal manner adjacent to the lower edge of
the vertical side panel
19; and similarly two openings 58 and 59 are formed in the horizontal manner
adjacent to the
lower edge of the vertical side panel 20.
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CA 02334084 2001-02-02
Two openings 60 and 61 are formed adjacent to the free edge of the cross brace
35.
Similarly two openings 62 and 63 are formed adjacent to the free edge of the
cross brace 37; two
openings 64 and 65 are formed adjacent to the free edge of the cross brace 40;
and two openings
66 and 67 are formed adjacent to the free edge of the cross brace 41. The
easel 10 may be
erected by first unfolding the vertical side panels 19 and 20 at the vertical
scored lines 17 and 18
until they are positioned generally perpendicular to the rear surface 11 of
the image board 12.
The cross braces 35, 37, 40 and 41 are then flipped outwards to a horizontal
position extending
between the vertical panels 19 and 20. Elongated tie members 68, 69, 70, 71,
72, 73, 74 and 75
are then threaded through the openings 44 through 67 to retain the cross
braces in the unfolded
horizontal position to maintain the easel in the erected condition. The tie
members are strings of
a predetermined length with a cross abutment bar 76 provided at their two ends
such that they
may be easily threaded through the various openings in the vertical panels 19
and 20 and the
cross braces 35, 37, 40 and 41. After threaded through the openings, the cross
abutment bars 76
will position crosswise abutting the openings of the vertical side panels 19
and 20 to retain the
easel in the erected condition. The composite easel and image board display
device may be
folded into a collapse condition by removing the tie members , returning the
side panels and
cross braces to the flat fold down condition and folding the four portions of
the composite
display device along the horizontal scored lines.
Elastic tie members may be provided such that the resilient force of the
elasticity of the
tie members would normally maintain the cross braces and the vertical panels
in a securely
erected condition. The composite easel and image board display device would
lean rearward at
the top due to the sloping lower edges 15 and 16 of the vertical panels
resting on the floor to
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CA 02334084 2001-02-02
provide a more stable upstanding manner. The composite easel and image board
display device
may be folded to the collapse condition without removing the elastic tie
members. This may be
achieved by first depressing the middle portion of side panels 19 and 20 in
the vicinity of the
scored fold line 26 to a fold down position, against the resilient force of
the tie members, to lie
flat against the rear surface 11 of the image board 10 , and while holding
them in such
depressed fold down position, fold the lower middle portion 22 and upper
middle portion 23
towards each other along the scored fold lines 26 and 29 as shown by the
arrows 77, 77A, 78 and
79 in Figure 5. The upper portion 24 may than fold towards the upper middle
portion 23 along
the scored fold lines 27 and 30 as shown by the arrows 80 and 81, and
similarly the lower
portion 21 may be folded towards the Lower middle portion 22 along the scored
fold lines 25 and
28 as shown by arrows 82 and 83. The entire composite display device may thus
be folded into a
compact collapsed condition having an acceptable size for shipping through
regular postal or
delivery services. The composite display device in the collapsed condition is
self erectable by
merely holding the top edge of the image board 10 and raising it upwards; the
elasticity of the tie
members would automatically pull the side panels and the cross braces to flip
to the position
perpendicular to the rear surface of the image board to place the easel in the
erected condition.
Due to the unique construction, the easel of the present invention may be made
with any
planar board or sheet material and yet it provides a strong support for the
image board.
An alternative manually operative embodiment of the present invention is shown
in
Figures 6 through 9. In this embodiment, the cross braces 84, 85 and 86 are
longer than the width
of the center body portion 31 of the easel. Thus, when the cross braces 84, 85
and 86 are flipped
to the erected position, openings 87 having a quarter circular shaped are
formed in the side
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panels 19 and 20. Two opened slots 88 and 89 are formed in the free outer edge
90 of the crass
braces. The opened slots 88 and 89 are in alignment with scored lines 17 and
18 respectively.
These opened slots 88 and 89 will engage with the inner edge of the quarter
circular shaped
opening 87 of the vertical panels 19 and 20 to retain the cross braces and the
vertical side panels
19 and 20 in the erected position. The easel may be easily cailapsed by
flipping the cross braces
back to the flat fold down position flat against the rear surface of the image
board, and the entire
composite easel and image board display device may be folded along the
horizontal scored fold
lines in the same manner as above.
While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described above. It
will be
recognized and understood that various modifications may be made therein and
the appended
claims are intended to cover all such modifications which may fall within the
spirit and scope of
the invention.
IS
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