Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE: REVERSIBLE FLEX HOLDER
FOR FLEXIBLE FACE SIGN
The flexible face sign of interest herein has its face material
stretched across an opening in a sign frame and is anchored to the
periphery of the sign's opening. Holding devices are attached at intervals
along the flexible sign face and are generally made to engage into a slot
along the sign frame to retain the face material to the sign casing The
holding devices and the slot are covered with a cap or molding that
enhances the general appearance of the sign. These holding devices are
referred to in the industry as flex holders.
Examples of flex holders ofthe prior art are disclosed in several US
Patents granted to Normand Verret, the inventor of the present invention.
These US Patents are:
US Patent S,Z55,459 issued on October 26,1993;
US Patent 5,669,166 issued on September 23, 1997;
US Patent 5,791,034 issued on August 11, 1998;
US Patent 6,061,941 issued on May 16, 2000;
US Patent 6,0'10,351 issued on Juae 6, 2000; and
US Patent 6,073,36 issued on June 13, 2000.
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Other flex holders of the prior art are disclosed in the following US
Patents:
US Patent 4,955,928 issued on Sep. 11, 1990 to James A. Tanner;
US Patent 5,033,216 issued on Jul. 23, 1991 to James Gandy et al.;
US Patent 5,398,388 issued on Mar. 21, 1995 to Kelly R. Coleman; and
US Patent 5,467,546 issued on Nov. 21, 1995 to Judson L. Kovalak, Jr.
The flex holder described in the US Patent 6,061,941 in particular,
is made of aluminum and has a longitudinal tongue and groove
arrangement which is pressed over the sign face to clamp and to grip the
sign face material between the tongue and the groove. Several flex holders
are installed along the edge of the flexible sign face, and are inserted into
a serrated slot along the sign casing for adjustably stretching the face
material over the sign's opening and for retaining the face material in a taut
condition.
During the installation of the flexible sign face, each flex holder is
clamped in a specific orientation to the edge of the flexible sign face and
is rolled over the flexible sign face material in a determined direction. It
is then inserted in the rolled up mode into the serrated slot of the sign
frame. This rotation is effected to wrap the flexible sign face material
around the flex holder half a turn such that a tension in the flexible sign
face causes the flex holder to rotate back inside the slot and to latch into
the serrations inside the slot.
It will be appreciated that the orientation of the flex holder is
different whether it is installed on a top margin or on a bottom margin, or
on a right side margin or on a left side margin. T'he rotation of the flex
holder on the margin of the flexible sign face is also different on all sides
of the sign frame.
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For a newly hired worker or a newly appointed contractor, the
proper orientation of the flex holder can be ambiguous. These flex holders
are normally installed in the field on a partly deployed flexible sign face,
while standing in ladders or in boom-mounted buckets where the work
posture is not always ideal. Consequently, some of the flex holders are
often installed the wrong way and must be removed and replaced before
a sign can be commissioned. The re-opening of a flex holder tends to
break its hinge and destroy it. These installation errors add substantial
amounts to the labor and material costs of a sign.
l0 Although one flex holder of the prior art has been selected as an
example herein above, it is believed that none of the flex holders of the
prior art can be used interchangeably in one orientation or the other along
the edge of a flexible sign face. It is also believed that the prior art is
short
of suggestion with regard to making a flex holder reversible. As such, it
is believed that there continues to be a need in the sign industry for a
reversible flex holder which can be installed one way or the other without
limitation as to which side thereof is adjacent the front surface of a
flexible
sign face.
In the present invention, however, there is provided a single-piece
flex holder which has symmetrical pivot lips and symmetrical torque
bulges on both sides thereof such that is can be mounted interchangeably
one way or the other on the edge of a flexible sign face.
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According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a flex
holder for
retaining a flexible sign face to a sign frame, comprising: a single-piece
elongated body
having two sides; latch means between said two sides for attachment thereof
onto a margin of
a flexible sign face; said latch means defining a clamping axis thereof; a
pair of pivot lips on
said elongated body, having means for engagement to a sign frame; said pivot
lips being
symmetrical to each other relative to said clamping axis; a pair of torque
bulges on said
elongated body, having means to cooperate with a margin of a flexible sign
face to apply a
torque thereon; said torque bulges being symmetrical to each other relative to
said clamping
axis; such that an interchangeable positioning thereof on a margin of a
flexible sign face
relative to said clamping axis is available.
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a
flex holder
for retaining a flexible sign face to a sign frame, comprising: an elongated
body having a
generally rectangular cross-section, a clamping axis, a vertical axis, a latch
block and a latch
blade extending there along, and a hinge joining said latch blade to said
latch block; latch
means on said latch block and said latch blade for selectively clamping a
margin of a flexible
sign face therein; a pair of pivot lips on the said elongated body, having
means for
engagement into a sign frame; said pivot lips being symmetrical to each other
relative to same
clamping axis; and a pair of torque bulges on said elongated body, having
means to cooperate
with a margin of a flexible sign face to apply a torque thereon; said torque
bulges being
symmetrical to each other relative to said clamping axis; said pivot lips and
said torque bulges
defining four corners of said rectangular cross-section; such that an
interchangeable
positioning thereof on a margin of a flexible sign face is available.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a flex
holder for
retaining a flexible sign face to a sign frame, comprising: an elongated body
having a
generally rectangular cross-section, a clamping axis, a vertical axis, a latch
block and a latch
blade extending there along, and a hinge joining said latch blade to said
latch block; latch
means on said latch block and said latch blade for selectively clamping a
margin of a flexible
sign face therein; a pair of pivot lips on said elongated body, having means
for engagement to
a sign frame; said pivot lips being symmetrical to each other relative to said
clamping axis; a
pair of torque bulges on said elongated body, having means to cooperate with a
margin of a
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flexible sign face to apply torque thereon; said torque bulges being
symmetrical to each other
relative to said clamping axis; said pivot lips and said torque bulges
defining four corners of
said rectangular cross-section; and a plurality of engagement lips between one
of said pivot
lips and one of said torque bulges; such that an interchangeable positioning
thereof on a
margin of a flexible sign face and a mounting thereof in different sign frames
are available.
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In a broad aspect of the present invention, there is provided, a flex
holder for retaining a flexible sign face to a sign frame, comprising a
single-piece elongated body having a latch block and a latch blade hinged
to the latch block for clamping the margin of a flexible sign face. A pair of
pivot lips are provided on the outside of the flex holder for engagement
into a slot in a sign frame. These pivot lips are symmetrical to each other
relative to a clamping axis defined by the latch block and the latch blade.
The flex holder according to the present invention is advantageous
for being interchangeably mountable, relative to the clamping axis, to a
margin of a flexible sign face.
In accordance with another feature of the present invention, there
is provided a pair of torque bulges on the elongated body, for co-operating
with the margin of a flexible sign face to apply a torque on the flex holder
to promote the engagement of the pivot lip into a sign frame. The torque
bulges are also symmetrical to each other relative to the clamping axis
In accordance with yet another feature of the present invention, each
of the latch block and the latch blade has a pair of latch teeth thereon. Each
pair engages with the other to clamp the flex holder to the edge of the
flexible sign face. The teeth in each pair are spaced apart along and
perpendicularly from the clamping axis. The engagement of these two
pairs of latch teeth has been found to be particularly efficient in securely
retaining the flex holder to the edge of a flexible sign face longitudinally
and transversely relative to this edge.
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In yet another feature of the present invention, there is provided a
stopper lip extending from the latch block and along the latch blade, and
a stopper bulge on the latch blade. The lip and the bulge are positioned to
interfere with each other when the latch blade is opened to a certain extent.
The stopper lip and the stopper bulge prevent over-stressing the hinge
during the reopening of the flex holder such that a maximum number of re-
uses of the flex holder is possible.
In a further feature of the present invention there is provided a flex
holder having a plurality of engagement lips between one of the pivot lips
and one of the torque bulges. The flex holder is thereby mountable in a
plurality of different types of sign frames.
Other advantages and novel features of the present invention will
become apparent from the following detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The preferred embodiment of the invention will be further
understood from the following description, with reference to the drawings
in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective end and side view of the reversible flex holder
according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an end view thereof in an open mode;
FIG. 3 is another end view thereof in a closed mode;
FIG. 4 is yet another end view thereof in a re-opened mode;
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FIG. 5 is an end view of a reversible flex holder according to the second
preferred embodiment of the present invention in which one side
has a plurality of engagement lips thereon;
FIG. 6 illustrates a preferred method for clamping the reversible flex
holder to the margin of a flexible sign face using pliers;
FIG. 7 is a cross-section view of the reversible flex holder according to
the first preferred embodiment mounted in a first orientation inside
a serrated slot along a sign frame;
FIG. 8 shows the reversible flex holder in a second orientation inside the
serrated slot;
FIG. 9 shows the reversible flex holder according to the second preferred
embodiment mounted in a first orientation in a first type of frame
slot having protruding ledges therein; and
FIG.10 shows the reversible flex holder according to the second preferred
embodiment mounted in a second orientation in a second type of
frame slot having protruding ledges therein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In this detailed description, two embodiments are described. These
two embodiments do not differ substantially from each other and are
therefore considered to belong to the same inventive concept. Both
embodiments are referred to hereinafter as the reversible flex holder when
common features are described.
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Referring to FIGS. 1-4, the reversible flex holder 20 has a single
piece elongated extruded body with a length of about 2 inches ( 50 mm).
The reversible flex holder is preferably made of aluminum, but can also be
made of other malleable metals or plastics.
The reversible flex holder 20 has a generally rectangular cross-
section, and comprises three main elements. It comprises a latch block 22,
a latch blade 24 and a hinge 26 made of a thin malleable segment
extending between the latch blade 24 and the latch block 22.
A first pair of latch teeth 28 on the latch block 22 coincides with a
second pair of latch teeth 30 on the latch blade 24 when the latch blade 24
is bent about the hinge 26 toward the latch block 22. Each tooth in any
one of each pair is spaced apart laterally and vertically from the other in
the
same pair relative to the reference transverse axis 32 and reference vertical
axis 34 of the flex holder respectively. The transverse axis 32 is also
referred to herein as the clamping axis 32 along which the latch blade 24
engages with the latch block 22.
Each tooth 28, 30 has a hook formation on its tip to engage with the
hook formation of the opposite tooth in the other pair. In the closed mode,
as illustrated in FIG. 3, the first pair of teeth 28 engages with the second
pair of teeth 30 with an interference fit. When the flex holder is clamped
to the edge of the flexible sign face, it is thereby securely held to the
edge.
In the open mode, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a space 36 is
defined between the latch blade 24 and the latch block 22. In use, this
space 36 is guided over the edge of a flexible sign face and the latch blade
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24 is closed over the latch block 22, enclosing and gripping the flexible
face material between the two pairs of teeth 28, 30.
The closing of the latch blade 24 over the latch block 22 is effected
by pressing these two elements together and bending the hinge 26. This
is preferably effected manually with pliers 40 as illustrated in FIG. 6. In
this illustration, the label 42 represents the edge of the flexible sign face.
The pressing of the latch blade 24 against the latch block 22 is facilitated
by the provision of a first press notch 50 on the outside surface of the latch
blade 24 relative to the axis 32, and a second press notch 52 on the outside
surface of the latch block 22.
It has been found that the presence of the two pairs of engaging
teeth 28, 30 is effective in retaining the flex holder to the edge of a
flexible
sign face against transverse slippage. Furthermore, it has been found that
the presence of these two pairs of teeth prevents any longitudinal slippage
of the flex holder along the edge of a flexible sign face, when the sign face
is pulled longitudinally on its frame to remove any wrinkle therein for
example.
The reversible flex holder 20 can be re-opened for the purpose of
replacing a sign face for example, by pressing the latch blade 24 away from
its engagement with the latch block 22, using the pliers 40. For this
purpose, the pliers 40 are engaged into a first opening notch 54 on the tip
of the latch blade 24 and a second opening notch 56 on the base of the
latch block 22. When the flex holder is closed, the first and second
opening notches 54, 56 align with each other and with a plane which is
substantially parallel to the clamping axis 32 of the reversible flex holder
20.
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A stopper lip 60 is affixed to the latch base 22 adjacent the hinge
26, on the outside of the latch blade 24 relative to the clamping axis 32.
This stopper lip 60 has a V-shaped notch 62 along its tip. This lip 60 is
retained to the base of the latch block 22 by a bendable segment 64 which
also constitutes a hinge.
The stopper lip 60 on a new flex holder is aligned generally along
the vertical axis 34 for ease of extruding the flex holder. During the
installation of the flex holder 20 on the edge of a flexible sign face 42, the
stopper lip 60 is preferably bent toward the latch blade 24, to align
substantially parallel to the clamping axis 32. This is effected by prying
the lip down with the pliers 40 engaged in the V-shaped notch 62 and
against the transverse wall 66 of the latch block 22.
A stopper bulge 68 along the outside surface of the latch blade 24
is positioned at a radius from the hinge 26 which corresponds to the
position of the V-shaped notch 62 when the lip is aligned with the
clamping axis 32. Therefore, the stopper bulge 68 engages with the stopper
lip 60 when the latch blade 24 is re-opened, as illustrated in FIG. 4, to
prevent the bending of the hinge 26 beyond a yield point of the material
with which the flex holder is made. It will be appreciated that the relative
positions of the stopper lip 60 and the stopper bulge 68 can be defined to
limit the stress in different materials with which the reversible flex holder
is made, or to allow a certain number of re-openings of the flex holder
before failure of the hinge 26 occurs. It has been found that a reversible
flex holder 20 made of aluminum 6063-TS can be closed and re-opened
about 5 or 8 times before the hinge 26 fails.
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It is to be noted also, that in the event of a failure of the hinge 26,
the stopper lip 60 and the side wall 66 of the latch block 22 define a cavity
into which the latch blade 24 is retained, such that the flex holder can still
be re-closed and re-used reliably, when a new flex holder is not available
of course.
Referring now simultaneously to FIGS. l- 4 and FIGS. 7 and 8, the
reversible flex holder 20 is mountable in a slot 70 along a sign frame. The
slot 70 is wider than the thickness of the flex holder 20 such that the flex
holder can rotate a few degrees inside the slot. The flex holder 20 is
mounted in the slot with the space 36 oriented toward the bottom of the
slot 70. The flexible sign face 42 is wrapped half a turn around the flex
holder 20 to cause the flex holder to rotate back inside the slot and to grab
into the serrations 72 inside the slot 70 when tension is applied to the
flexible sign face.
For convenience of this description, the side of the reversible flex
holder 20 closest to the hinge 26 is referred to herein as the hinge side, and
the side of the flex holder closest to the opening 36 is referred to as the
opening side. The hinge and opening sides of the flex holder are the right
and left sides respectively in FIGS. 2-4. Similarly, the upper side of the
flex holder as illustrated, is referred to as the blade side and the lower
side
is referred to as the base side.
The reversible flex holder 20 has a pair of opposite pivot lips 74, 76,
on the hinge side thereof. These pivot lips 74, 76 are shaped to engage
with the serrations 72 in a sign frame for retaining the flex holder 20 at
various positions inside the slot 70, for applying more or less tension in the
flexible sign face 42.
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The reversible flex holder 20 also has a pair of opposite torque
bulges 78, 80 on the opening side thereof. In use, the flexible sign face 42
is wrapped over one of these torque bulges 78, 80 to apply a torque on the
flex holder and cause one of the pivot lips 74, 76 to engage into one of the
serrations 72.
As it can be appreciated, the torque bulges 78, 80 and the pivot lips
74, 76 are substantially symmetrical relative to the clamping axis 32 of the
flex holder 20, when the flex holder is closed on the edge of a flexible sign
face 42. The reversible flex holder 20 has a generally rectangular cross-
section in which the corners are defined by the pivot lips 74, 76 and the
torque bulges 78, 80. The flex holder 20 can thereby be installed one way
or the other inside the frame slot 70 as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, with the
same engagement efficiency. This is particularly advantageous for
allowing an installer to clamp the flex holder in the most convenient way
along the flexible sign face without having to ponder at which way the
flexible face should be wrapped around the flex holder.
The flex holder 20 also has a tool engagement groove 82 on the
hinge side thereof for receiving the blade of a screwdriver for example for
pushing the flex holder into a sign frame or for releasing it from the sign
frame.
Referring now to Fig.S, the reversible flex holder 86 according to
the second preferred embodiment is illustrated therein. In this embodiment,
the flex holder 86 has a series of engagement lips 88 on the base side
thereof between one of the pivot lips 76 and one of the torque bulges 80.
This flex holder 86 can be used one way or another in a sign frame 90
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having the serrations 72 or one way or another in a sign frame 92, 94
having one or more spaced ledges 96. The series of engagement lips 88
provides a fine adjustment means, to precisely position the flex holder 86
along the slot 98 of the sign frame.
The slots 70 or 98 are covered by a molding 100 or 102 after the
installation of the flexible sign face 42 to the sign frame, for aesthetical
purposes and to protect the flex holder from the weather.
As to other manner of usage and operation of the instant invention,
the same should be apparent from the above description and accompanying
drawings, and accordingly further discussion relative to the manner of
usage and operation would be considered repetitious and is not provided.
While the above description provides a full and complete disclosure
of the preferred embodiment of this invention, various modifications,
alternate constructions and equivalent may be employed without departing
from the true spirit and scope of the invention. Such changes might
involve alternate components, structural arrangements, operable features
or the like. Therefore, the above description and accompanying
illustrations should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention
which is defined by the appended claims.
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