Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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AIR INFLATED PORTABLE BILLBOARD
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In business, it is desirable to be able to communicate messages,
advertisements or both in inexpensive ways that attract attention but are also
flexible
enough to allow for ready transportation of the sign to a near location and/or
modification of the message being communicated.
The prior art teaches many devices which attempt to provide these
benefits. For example, US Patent 4,372,071 teaches a fabric faced billboard
comprising a sheet of fabric having the advertising message thereon pulled
across a
rigid billboard panel, wherein air is blown into the billboard, thereby
causing the sheet
of fabric to remain a smooth, continuous surface.
US Patent 4,369,591 teaches an inflatable display structure which uses
an elongated inflated bag for its principal structural support. A display
facing is
releasably mounted directly onto the inflated bag by snaps or the like. The
bag also
includes a plurality of gussets within the bag, thereby providing a
substantially flat
surface for mounting the display facing thereto.
US Patent 4,776,121 teaches a self-contained inflatable sign which
comprises a translucent envelope with a series of lights therein and a banner
mounted onto the envelope.
US Patent 3,892,081 teaches an inflatable portable sign which
comprises a support post and a balloon having printed matter thereon. In use,
the
post is inserted into the ground and the balloon is inflated.
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US Patent 5,588,236 teaches a device for stretching a flexible sheet
over a support frame for using the flexible sheet as a visual panel.
US Patent 4,$81,916 teaches a two-piece display balloon holder.
US Design Patents 413,933 teaches an inflated, endosed support to
which a sign is mounted.
US Design Patent 337,129 teaches an inflated sign wherein the sign is
enclosed within an envelope which is in tum inflated and sealed.
US Design Patent 334,031 teaches an inflatable sign which is effectively
a flat balloon having indicia printed on a front face thereof.
US Design Patent 306,746 teaches a blimp-shaped sign onto which a
banner or facing is directly attached.
However, these devices are subject to damage from even moderate
winds. As will be apparent to one knowledgeable in the art, damage to the
inflatable
sign results in lost advertising time and therefore lost revenue. Clearly, an
improved
inflated sign which incurs minimal damage from moderate to high winds is
needed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, there is provided an inflatable billboard
comprising:
an inflatable frame having a top portion, a base portion and sides
defining an opening therebetween; and
an advertising face mounted within the opening, said advertising face
being mounted to the frame by two types of connectors:
manual release connectors being arranged so as to secure a
portion of the advertising face to the frame such that the advertising face is
fastened
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to the frame, said manual release connectors being manually releasable for
replacing
the advertising face; and
wind release connectors being arranged so that winds above a
threshold level cause a portion of the advertising face to release from the
frame,
wherein in response to winds above said threshold level, the portion of
the advertising face secured to the frame by the manual release connectors
remains
connected to the frame while the portion of the advertising faoe connected to
the
frame by the wind release connectors is released from the frame by the wind
release
connectors, thereby reducing wind-associated strain on the inflatable
billboard by
reducing surface area of the inflatable billboard.
One embodiment of the invention will now be described in conjunction
with the accompanying drawings in which:
BRIEF DESGRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a side view in perspective of the inflatable sign in use with
the wind pressure release means disengaged,
Figure 2 shows the release strap.
Figure 3 shows the wind pressure release strap in the closed position.
Figure 4 shows the wind pressure release strap in the open position.
Figure 5 shows some alternate configurations of the inflatable sign.
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In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts
in the different figures.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
As used herein, "releasable" refers to connectors which must be
manually released.
As used herein, "detachable" refers to connectors which release in
response to wind pressure.
As discussed above, the problem with any outdoor cold air inflated
billboard system is the effect of wind on that system. It is known from the
outset that a
billboard system of this nature will sustain damage in moderate to high winds.
When
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dealing with winds of hurricane strength it is only possible to attempt to
stop as much
of the ripped apart system as possible from becoming airborne and causing
damage
to surrounding objects. In the case of a tornado obviously if trees can be
uprooted so
can a portable billboard system. Hurricanes and tornadoes occur rarely enough
to
have any significant effect on portable billboard systems in use. Moderate to
high
winds, however, do cause frequent damage to portable billboard systems. This
damage results in advertising down time and lost revenues for everyone
involved.
While minor damage can be resolved on site by trained installers with little
lost
advertising time and therefore little lost revenue, major damage often
involves
removing the portable billboard system from the site for repair at substantial
cost with
possible loss of revenue for several days unless a replacement system is
readily
available.
Described herein is a device which incurs minimal damage from
moderate to high winds, thereby reducing lost revenue. The device is designed
so
that the majority of the total surface area of the combined frame and
advertising face
is in the advertising face itself, as described below. The frame is designed
with
aerodynamic principles in mind with smooth curved surfaces. Similarly, the
advertising
face is also designed with aerodynamic principles in mind by cutting wind
vents into
its surface to allow wind to pass through in small but evenly distributed
areas, as
described below. Furthermore, the device includes a pressure release system
which
is arranged so that when the advertising face is hit with a gust of wind, the
pressure
release system causes the advertising face to break free of a portion of the
frame,
thereby relieving wind pressure on approximately 1/3 of its surface area. The
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advertising face blows in the wind until a trained installer can respond to
the situation
by quickly reattaching the pressure release system. It is of note that the
advertising
face would only be reattached when it is judged that the winds will remain at
a lower
level for a significant amount of time. As will be appreciated by one
knowledgeable in
5 the art, the above scenario could have resulted in major damage to the air
inflated
portable billboard system if the advertising face had remained completely
fastened to
the frame and permitted to act as a sail in the wind.
As discussed herein, the device comprises a cold air inflated fabric
structural frame which supports a large flat interchangeable fabric surface
upon which
graphics are applied thereby creating a lightweight inflated portable
billboard system
with an advertising face. The structural frame is a simple tubular structure
which
eliminates the need for interior baffles or gussets. The tubular structure
curves
smoothly around corners as much as possible to eliminate stress points and to
provide a continuous rigid frame. The air inflated horizontal tubes supported
above
the ground cannot span long distances without resulting in deflection of the
tube
causing structural weakness and poor aesthetics. The smooth gently curving
structures of the structural frame contribute to positive aerodynamic
performance.
Constructing the structural frame in this manner provides a large advertising
surface
with a proportionally lower amount of fabric, making the system as light as
possible.
Referring to the drawings, an inflatable billboard 1 comprises a frame
10, an advertising face 12, releasable mounting means 14, detachable mounting
means 16 and tethering means 18.
As shown in Figure 1, the frame 10 has a base 20, a first side 21, a
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second side 22 and an arched top 24 defining an opening 26 for mounting the
advertising face 12 therein, as described below. As can be seen in Figures 1
and 5, in
this embodiment, the base 20, the first side 21, the second side 22 and the
arched top
24 are substantially tubular in shape, having smooth corners. As a result of
this
arrangement, stress points are eliminated and the frame 10 is a continuous,
rigid
frame. The frame 10 also includes a deflation zipper 27 for deflating the
inflatable
billboard and an adapter sleeve 28 for inflating the inflatable billboard 1 by
connecting
a blower 2 thereto, as described below. The frame also includes the releasable
mounting means 14, the detachable mounting means 16 and the tethering means
18,
as described below.
The advertising frame 12 comprises a substantially flat sheet 30 having
a first side 31 and a second side 33. The sheet 30 includes printed matter
and/or
graphics on at least one face thereof. Specifically, the sheet 30 is arranged
such that
graphics and the like are printed directly onto the sheet 30. The advertising
face 12
further includes a plurality of wind vents 32 extending through the sheet 30.
Specifically, the vents 32 allow wind to pass through in small but evenly
distributed
areas, as shown in Figure 1. The advertising face 12 also includes releasable
mounting means 14 and detachable mounting means 16, as described below.
In some embodiments, the advertising face 12 is made of a vinyl
material, a vinyl coated nylon material or other suitable material. It is of
note that
these materials accept regular printing inks and digital imaging inks. The
graphics are
applied to the advertising face using means known in the art, for example,
direct
digital imaging, screen printing, painting or airbrushing.
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The tethering means 18 anchors the inflatable billboard 1 to a support
surface. In one embodiment, shown in Figure 1, the tethering means 18
comprises a
plurality of D-rings 34 sewn onto the outer surface of the frame 10. As can be
seen in
Figure 1, in this embodiment, the D-rings 34 are distributed at various
positions on the
front and back of the frame 10 for stabilizing the inflatable billboard 1, as
described
below. In use, straps 36 connect the D-rings 34 to eyebolts mounted on the
support
surface, as described below.
The releasable mounting means 14 connects the advertising frame 12 to
the frame 10. Specifically, the releasable mounting means 14 secure the
advertising
frame 12 within the opening 26 of the frame 10 such that the advertising frame
12 and
the frame 10 are not separated during even strong winds but are releasable so
that
the advertising face 12 can be replaced. In this embodiment, the releasable
mounting
means 14 include a first zipper 38 on the arched top 24 of the frame 10 and a
second
zipper 40 on the sheet 30. Connecting first zipper 38 to second zipper 40
forms
sealing zipper 41 which reversibly secures the frame 10 and the advertising
face 12
together, as described below. The releasable mounting means 14 also includes
release straps 42. Specifically, in one embodiment, the release strap 42,
shown in
Figure 2, comprises D-rings 44 stitched to or otherwise mounted onto the first
side 21
and the second side 22 of the frame 10 and corresponding hooks 46 stitched
onto the
first side 31 and second side 33 of the sheet 30. For use, the hooks 46 are
fitted onto
the respective D-rings 44, thereby securing the advertising face 12 to the
frame 10, as
described below.
The detachable mounting means 16 detachably mounts the advertising
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face 12 to the frame 10 such that winds above a threshold level cause the
advertising
face 12 to partially release from the frame 10, thereby reducing wind-
associated strain
on the inflatable billboard 1 and minimizing damage therefrom. In one
embodiment,
the detachable mounting means 16 comprises straps 50 made of fabric, for
example,
nylon webbing, which is sewn permanently onto the back of the advertising face
12,
adjacent to the second side 33 of the sheet 30. A portion 51 of the strap 50
extends
beyond the advertising face 12 and has hook fastening tape 52 permanently
stitched
to it. The extended portion of the strap 50 is passed through the retaining
loop of a
snap hook 56, which is manually hooked onto D-ring 48 on the second side 22 of
the
frame 10. The strap 50 then folds back onto the front surface of the
advertising face
12 onto a piece of loop fastening tape 54 and thus is held in place in a non-
permanent
fashion.
In alternative embodiments, the advertising face 12 is mounted to the
frame 10 by a bungee cord system, a spring system or a mechanical spring
release
system.
For use, the inflatable billboard 1 is assembled and inflated on a rooftop
or on the ground. The frame 10 is laid out in the intended display area and is
secured
by connecting D-rings 34 to corresponding eyebolt screws or the like mounted
on
either a ground stake or the fascia of a building with the straps 36, as shown
in Figure
1. The advertising face 12 is then aligned with the opening 26 of the frame
10. The
advertising face 12 is mounted to the frame 10 by positioning the advertising
face 12
such that first zipper 38 on the frame 10 and second zipper 40 on the sheet 30
combine to form sealing zipper 41. As will be apparent to one knowledgeable in
the
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art, the sealing zipper 41 provides near permanent fastening of the
advertising face
12 to the frame 10 and provides stable hanging support over the full width of
the sheet
30 as shown in Figure 1. Next, each one of the hooks 46 are engaged with the
corresponding D-ring 44. As discussed above, the hooks are stitched onto the
first
side 31 and the second side 33 of the sheet 30. Next, the detachable mounting
means 16 are connected by passing the port hook fastening tape 52 through the
retaining loop of the snap hook 56 and folding the strap 50 back onto the loop
fastening tape 54. The hook 56 is then hooked onto D-ring 48 on the second
side 22
of the frame 10. The blower 2 is then connected to the adapter sleeve 28 and
the
inflatable billboard 1 is inflated. The cold air blower 2 is powered by a 110
Volt circuit
is attached with hook and loop fastening tape to the fabric frame. The cold
air blower
is turned on and left on to inflate the fabric frame, which will then support
the
advertising face in a taut manner. The frame 10 is then plumbed/ and/or
levelled.
Lighting may then be optionally installed as required.
As discussed above, the advertising face 12 is mounted to the frame 10
using the sealing zipper 41 to ensure near permanent fastening of the
advertising face
to the frame and a stable hanging support over the full width of the
advertising face
12. As discussed above, the remaining edges of the advertising face, sides and
bottom, are held in place by hook fastening tape on the advertising face and
loop
fastening tape on the cold air inflated fabric structural frame. In the
embodiment
shown in Figure 1, at four points the advertising face is near permanently
fastened to
the fabric frame with a manual release snap hook sewn permanently to the
advertising face with an anchor strap, hooked to a 'd' ring on the fabric
frame. At two
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points the advertising face is fastened with a detachable wind pressure
release strap,
as discussed above.
In other embodiments, the inflatable billboard 1 may be arranged such
that the four lower attachment points (two on either side) are mounted with
the wind
5 pressure release straps. In these embodiments, the top of the advertising
face 12 is
still held by the sealing zipper 41, leaving the bottom portion of the
advertising face 12
(in some embodiments, approximately 2/3 of the area) to detach as a result of
a gust
of wind. In some embodiments, these four detachable wind pressure release
straps
could be engineered to detach at four different peak load levels to provide a
more
10 controlled system. As will be appreciated by one knowledgeable in the art,
this could
be done in any embodiment of the inflatable billboard 1 having two or more
detachable wind pressure release straps. For example, one bottom corner may
detach first, followed by the opposite bottom corner, followed by the next
adjacent
point and so on. Each succeeding release would require a larger gust of wind.
In this
manner, control over release would be maximized while damage to the inflatable
billboard 1 would still be minimized.
In use, the inflatable billboard 1 provides a highly visible means of
communicating an advertisement or an announcement to the public. When the
inflatable billboard 1 encounters light to moderate winds, the wind contacts
the
advertising face 12 and passes through the vents 32. As wind strength
increases,
wind load on the advertising face places the hook fastening tape 52 and the
loop
fastening tape 54 interface of the detachable mounting means 16 in shear
tension.
When the wind load reaches a critical value, the fastening tapes 52, 54 shear
from
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each other allowing the wind to push the advertising face aside and hence
relieving
the pressure on the advertising face.
In one embodiment, the inflatable billboard is an arch shaped structure
18 feet wide x 20 feet tall x 3 feet deep and supports a graphic area that is
12 feet
wide x 15 feet tall. The fabric frame is made of 210 denier nylon coated both
sides
with poly vinyl chloride. Other suitable arrangements are shown in Figure 5.
The system is a lightweight portable billboard with wind pressure release
system, which can be handled and installed by one person. The flat graphic
area
makes application of extremely high quality graphics possible.
The idea fulfills the need for businesses to communicate a message, an
advertisement or both in a temporary, easily changeable and readily
transportable
manner. The air inflated portable billboard with wind pressure release system
allows
businesses to respond immediately to their on site communication requirements
whether it be retail promotion, emergency signage or event support and signage
with
more confidence in the reliability of the system.
Possible variations include use of external or internal lighting systems
and application of graphics directly to the fabric frame itself. Different
designs could
be developed using the same tubular fabric structural frame with no interior
baffles
required.
In another embodiment, the inflatable billboard 1 as described above is
modified for indoor use, for example, at tradeshows, in showrooms and the
like.
Because interior systems are not subject to wind, in these embodiments, the
base of
the frame is omitted, there are no tethering points, no detachable points and
no
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external fan. In some embodiments, the indoor billboard is 10 feet wide, nine
feet tall
and has a two foot depth. The unit is weighted at the bottom of the two
columns with a
wood or other suitable base and internal sand bags or similar ballast is used
to anchor
the indoor billboard. The advertising face is held in place with two zippers
started at
the top center of the arch and continued to the ground. The indoor billboard
also
includes an internal fan powered by a 110 volt circuit.
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.
