DE20100868U1 - Information display device - Google Patents

Abstract

The arrangement includes a mounting arrangement for arranging an especially large format display unit at a carrier structure in a display area, at least partially outside an operation area of an operating person. An adjustable positioning arrangement (17) is provided for moving the display unit (12) in the operating area (15), and respectively in the display area (14). The positioning arrangement comprises preferably at least one supporting element (18) adjustable from the operation area, which engages with a first end of the display unit.

Description

GleissS Size"'

Patent Attorneys Lawyers
Munich Stuttgart

Dr. jur. Alf-Olav Gleiss, Dipl.-Ing. PA Rainer Große, Dipl.-Ing. PA Dr. Andreas Schrell, Dipl.-Biol. PA Torsten Annin Krüger, RA Nils Heide, RA

Armin Eugen Stockinger, Attorney Georg Brisch, Dipl.-Ing. P.A

PA: Patent Attorney European Patent Attorney European Trademark Attorney

RA: Attorney-at-law D-70469 STUTTGART MAYBACHSTRASSE 6A Telephone: +49(0)7118145 55 Fax: +49(0)7118130 32 e-mail: office@gleiss-grosse.com

D-80469 MUNICH MORASSISTRASSE 20 Telephone: +49(0)89 21578080 Fax: +49(0)89 21578090 e-mail: office-m@gleiss-grosse.com

In cooperation with

Shanghai Hua Dong Patent Agency Shanghai, China Utility model application Information display device

Rainer Tewes Seyfferstrasse 56

70197 STUTTGART

16591t:docGR-mh-bf
17 January 2001

Track & Large

Patent Attorneys Lawyers
Munich Stuttgart

Description

The invention relates to an information display device, with a fastening device for arranging a particularly large-area display unit on a support structure in a display area at least partially outside a handling area of an operator, according to the preamble of claim 1.

Devices of the type mentioned here are known. They are used in particular for advertising purposes and can be designed as large format displays. Replaceable, printed tarpaulins, which may be pre-tensioned in the display position, as well as rigid, possibly programmable display panels are used for this purpose. Furthermore, the tarpaulins or display panels can be illuminated or backlit in order to enable, for example, advertising-effective display effects and/or effective display even in the dark. Such known information display devices have the disadvantage that they can only be installed or maintained with relatively great effort.

It is an object of the invention to provide an information display device of the type mentioned at the outset, which is designed to be easy to install and maintain.

16581 b.doc GR-mh-bl
17 January 2001

To solve the problem, an information display device with the features of claim 1 is proposed, which is characterized in that an adjustable positioning device is provided for moving the display unit into the handling area or into the display area. By means of the adjustable positioning device, it is thus possible to move the display unit into the handling area of an operator or into the display area, so that a handling-friendly assembly and maintenance of the display unit, which is arranged or arranged at least partially outside the handling area, is possible. In particular, this makes it possible to assemble or maintain large-area display units with a single operator. The operator advantageously does not have to go into the display area of the display unit, for example by means of an automated lifting device, but the display unit is moved into the operator's handling area for maintenance, for example, and positioned back in the display area after the maintenance work has been completed. The movement of the display unit required for this is carried out by means of a positioning device that can preferably be adjusted by the operator himself and is optionally automated.

0 Advantageously, the positioning device has at least one holding element whose effective length can be adjusted from the handling region and which can be operatively connected to a first end region of the display unit.

Such a length adjustment of a correspondingly designed holding element can be carried out in a relatively simple manner using a mechanical, electrical or electro-mechanical adjustment device. In this case, it may be sufficient to operatively connect a first end region of the display unit to the holding element so that the display unit can be moved, for example pivoted, from the display area into the handling area and back into the display area by means of a suitable effective length adjustment of the holding element. Such a holding element can be a rope, belt or similar.

According to a possible embodiment, the positioning device additionally has at least one holding element whose effective length can be adjusted from the handling area and which can be operatively connected to a second end area of the display unit, the second end area being opposite the first end area. In this way, two opposite end areas of the display unit can be moved, for example, from a display area into a handling area of the operator by means of the holding elements, so that the display unit can be maintained in a handling-friendly manner even by a single operator. In this way, relatively fast, reliable maintenance and precise positioning of even a large-area display unit is possible.

According to a possible embodiment, the display unit in display position is substantially

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arranged vertically and the first end region is formed by an upper support rod and the second end region by a lower support rod of the display unit. Such support rods are particularly advantageous in the case of a large-area display unit designed as a tarpaulin, since they enable an active connection with one or more support elements that stabilizes the position in relation to the tarpaulin.

According to an alternative embodiment, the upper support rod is operatively connected to the holding element and the lower support rod is separably fixed to an associated stationary fastening unit of the fastening device, wherein in the display position of the display unit the upper support rod is arranged outside the handling area and the lower support rod is arranged within the handling area. In this embodiment, for example, for maintenance of the display unit, the fixation of the lower support rod to the stationary fastening unit is manually separated, so that the display unit is now held in the display position only by means of the holding element on the upper support rod. The display unit can now be moved from the display area to the handling area by the operator by means of a corresponding effective length adjustment of the holding element. The operative connection between the holding element and the upper support rod is also preferably separable, so that a user-friendly replacement of the display unit is possible if necessary.

According to a further alternative embodiment, the display unit is in display position

arranged essentially horizontally and the end areas are formed by corresponding support rods. Two or more support rods can be provided in corresponding end areas or side areas of the display unit, wherein the support rods can each be fixed with associated holding elements, the effective length of which is adjustable, to a fastening device arranged, for example, on the ceiling of a room, so that a controlled movement of the essentially horizontally arranged display unit from the display area into the handling area and back into the display area is possible by adjusting the effective length of the holding elements.

Preferably, the holding element is a rope or a belt and can be wound up or unwound on a rotatably adjustable roller unit to adjust the effective length. Such a holding element allows a quick, safe and, if necessary, automated movement of the display unit from a display area to a handling area and back to the display area.

The roller unit can advantageously be rotated manually using a mechanical awning drive and/or automatically using an electric motor drive that can be controlled via a remote control if necessary. This enables a controlled and safe movement of the display unit into a desired area (display area, handling area) by a single operator.

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Advantageously, a respective rope or belt guide is provided, which is designed as a spring-loaded, self-tensioning rope or belt tensioning element. By means of such a guide, a correct rope or belt arrangement is ensured at all times and in every operating position of the display unit, so that a safe movement of the display unit is possible by adjusting the effective length of the holding element (rope or belt). Furthermore, due to the design as a spring-loaded, self-tensioning tensioning element, a pre-tensioned arrangement of a display unit, for example designed as a tarpaulin, is ensured in the display area, so that the display unit always assumes a correct display position in the display area.

Preferably, an electrical limit switch device is provided that can be triggered automatically when the stop is reached. Using such a limit switch device, an automated movement of the display unit into a correct operating position at all times is possible in a reproducible manner.

Advantageously, an adjusting device for changing the display position of the display unit is provided for an associated holding element. The adjusting device of a respective holding element serves in particular to enable the operating length of the same to be finely adjusted in such a way that when the display unit assumes a desired display position, the corresponding holding element is pre-tensioned and thus a desired positionally stable arrangement

the display unit in the display area is guaranteed.

According to one possible embodiment, the display unit has a display element in the form of a flexible tarpaulin, which is separably attached to an associated support rod by means of carabiner-shaped fastening elements. When using carabiner-shaped fastening elements, a relatively quick and simple replacement of the display element (tarpaulin) on the display unit is possible by a single operator.

According to a further, alternative embodiment, the roller unit is arranged in the handling area and the holding element in the display position of the display unit is operatively connected to the upper holding rod outside the handling area with the interposition of at least one deflection roller. This not only enables easy-to-use assembly or maintenance of the display unit, preferably by a single operator, but also ensures easy-to-use maintenance of the same as a relatively complex functional unit of the information display device due to the arrangement of the roller unit in the handling area.

Further advantageous embodiments of the invention emerge from the description.

The invention is explained in more detail below in several embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. They show:

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Figure 1 is a schematic front view of an information display device according to the invention in a vertical display position;

Figure 2A shows the information display device of Figure 1 in a schematic side view

with the display unit in the display area;

Figure 2B shows the information display device of Figure 2A with the display unit in the handling area of an operator;

Figure 3 shows the information display device of Figure 2A on an enlarged scale;

Figure 4 is a schematic representation of a detail of the information display device of Figure 1 on an enlarged scale;

Figure 5A is a schematic side view of an information display device according to the invention according to a second embodiment with the display unit in the display position;

0 Figure 5B shows the information display device of Figure 5A with the display unit in the handling area of an operator;

Figure 6 shows the information display device of Figure 5A on an enlarged scale;

Figure 7 is a schematic front view of the sectioned information display device.

lation of Figure 5A on an enlarged scale;

Figure 8A is a schematic side view of an information display device according to the invention according to a third, alternative

ven embodiment with the display unit in display position;

Figure 8B shows the information display device of Figure 8A with the display unit in the handling area of an operator;

Figure 9 shows the information display device of Figure 8A on an enlarged scale;

Figure 10 is a schematic side view of an information display device according to the invention according to a fourth, alternative

ven embodiment with two separate display units in a vertical display position;

Figure 11 is a schematic front view of a device according to the invention, which is laterally mounted on a vertical

wall mounted information display device and

Figure 12 is a schematic side view of an information display according to the invention arranged horizontally on a ceiling.

Contraption.

Figure 1 shows a schematic front view of an information display device generally designated 10.

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Device which has a fastening device 11 for arranging a particularly large-area display unit 12 on a support structure 13 in a display area 14. The display area 14 lies outside a handling area 15 of an operator 16. The information display device 10 contains an adjustable positioning device 17 for moving the display unit 12 into the handling area 15 of the operator 16 or into the display area 14 in which the display unit 12 assumes its display position. For this purpose, the positioning device 17 has a plurality of holding elements 18, in the present embodiment four holding elements

18. The two upper holding elements 18 are adjustable in their effective length and are each operatively connected at one end to an upper support structure 13, for example designed as a rail, and at their other end to an upper holding rod 21 forming a first end region 19 of the display unit 12, while the two lower holding elements 18 are not adjustable in their effective length and are operatively connected to a lower support structure 13, also designed as a rail, for example, and to a lower holding rod 22 forming a second end region 20. The embodiment shown in Figure 1 is a large-area display unit 12 designed as a flexible tarpaulin, which is arranged or attached in an interchangeable manner to a wall (not shown), for example a substantially vertical wall, in particular for advertising purposes.

Figure 2A shows the information display device 10 of Figure 1 in a schematic side view. The support structure 13, which in this embodiment is designed as an upper and lower rail, is fixed in place on a vertical wall 33 and serves to securely and correctly position the display unit 12 in the display area 14 by means of the holding elements 18, which can be designed as ropes and/or belts, for example, whereby in such a display position the display unit 12 cannot be reached by the operator 16 without complex aids (e.g. lifting equipment) or a greater effort. Due to the possible adjustability of the effective length of the upper holding elements 18 (ropes, belts), it is possible to move the display unit 12 from the display area 14 (Figure 2A) into the handling area 15 of the operator 16 (Figure 2B), as shown in Figure 2B. In this additional operating position, the display unit (for example a flexible tarpaulin) can be maintained and/or dismantled or replaced by the operator 16 in a handling-friendly manner. This enables quick, safe and correct assembly and/or maintenance of the display unit 12 in the handling area 15 of the operator 16. The operator 16 can, if necessary, use standard tools such as a small ladder.

As Figures 3 and 4 further show, the upper holding elements 18 (ropes, belts) can be wound up or unwound on a rotatably adjustable roller unit 24 in order to adjust their effective length.

The effective length adjustment of the upper holding elements 18 can be carried out by the person 16 in their handling area 15 manually by means of a mechanical adjustment device, for example a mechanical awning drive 26 (see also Figure 4), or automatically by means of an electric motor drive 27 that can be controlled via a remote control if necessary. Furthermore, for each effective length-adjustable holding element 18 (according to the first embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4, the upper holding elements 18) a cable or belt guide 25 is provided, which is designed as a spring-loaded, self-tensioning cable or belt tensioner element. In addition, the cable or belt guide 25 has an electrical limit switch 28 that can be triggered automatically when it hits a stop. Each holding element 18 is also operatively connected to an adjusting device 29, by means of which a fine adjustment of the display position of the display unit 12 can be carried out. The cable or belt guide 25, the limit switch device 28 and the adjustment device 29 serve to enable easy and correct positioning of the display unit 12 in the display area 14, if necessary by just one operator 16. The support structure 13 designed as an upper and lower rail can, if necessary, allow an additional, preferably automated displacement movement of the display unit 12 as shown by the double arrow 38 in Figure 4 along a T-guide within the support structure 13. According to Figure 3, the information display device 10 has a lighting unit 34 for external lighting of the display unit 12.

Alternatively, an internal lighting unit can be provided for backlighting the display unit 12. Furthermore, the lower holding elements 18 can also be operatively connected to the support structure 13 in an adjustable manner.

Figures 5A, 5B, 6 and 7 show a schematic representation of a second, alternative embodiment of an information display device 10 according to the invention, wherein in relation to the first embodiment (Figures 1, 2A, 2B, 3, 4) corresponding units are provided with the same reference numerals. In the second embodiment according to Figure 5A, the display unit 12 in the display area 14, after assuming its display position, is arranged with its upper and lower support rods 21, 22 flush with the associated rail of the support structure 13. Only the upper support rod 21 is operatively connected to the upper rail of the support structure 13 by means of preferably several support elements 18 (ropes, belts), while the lower support rod 22 is operatively connected to the associated lower rail, for example by means of a manually operable clamping device. The holding elements 18 are adjustable in terms of their effective length, as in the first embodiment, for example by means of a roller unit 24 (see also Figure 6), which can be manually adjusted by means of a suitable mechanical adjustment unit (awning drive) and/or automatically by means of an electrical drive (electric motor drive) that can be controlled via a remote control if necessary. As shown in Figure 5B, the upper holding rod 21 of the first end

area 19 of the display unit 12 from the display area 14 into the handling area 15 of the operator 16 by means of effective length adjustment of the holding element 18, while the lower holding rod 22 in the second end area 20 of the display unit 12 is also arranged in the display position in the handling area 15 of the operator 16. It is therefore not necessary in this second embodiment to actively connect the lower holding rod 22 with at least one holding element 18, which may have an effective length adjustable, to the lower rail of the support structure 13, since it can possibly be reached directly by the operator 16 with the aid of standard tools (small ladder).

In the second embodiment, the display unit 12 is also designed as a flexible tarpaulin, so that in order to maintain or replace it, the operator 16 only has to separate the operative connection (for example clamp connection) between the lower support rod 22 and the lower rail of the support structure 13 and the upper support rod 21 and the holding element(s) 18. As shown in Figure 7, the display unit 12 designed as a tarpaulin can be laterally stabilized in the display position (display area 14) by means of a tensioning cable 35 and an associated tensioning element 36.

Figures 8A, 8B and 9 show a schematic representation of a third, alternative embodiment of an information display device 10 according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the display unit 12 is rigid (dimensionally stable). Only the upper support rod 21 of the display unit 12 is fixed by means of effective

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length-adjustable holding elements 18 (ropes, belts) with the interposition of a deflection roller 32 in the upper rail of the support structure 13 are operatively connected to a roller unit 24 which is arranged in the area of the lower rail in the support structure 13. The lower rail of the support structure 13 forms a fastening unit 31 which is advantageously located in the handling area 15 of the operator 16. In this exemplary embodiment, according to Figure 8B, the display unit 12 is moved, for example, from the display area 14 after releasing the operative connection (for example clamp connection) between the lower holding rod 22 and the lower rail of the support structure 13, in a dimensionally stable manner by increasing the effective length of the holding elements 18 into the handling area 15 of the operator 16, in order to then be serviced or replaced.

Figure 10 shows a fourth, alternative embodiment of an information display device 10 according to the invention, which contains two similarly designed individual devices corresponding to the third embodiment (Figures 8A, 8B, 9), wherein the individual devices are arranged parallel to one another and facing away from one another in a free-standing advertising or information wall. The further structural design and the functioning of the information display device 10 according to Figure 10 correspond to those of the third, alternative embodiment.

Figure 11 shows a fifth, alternative embodiment of an information display according to the invention.

display device 10, which is designed as a wall bracket of a vertical wall 33. Here too, the mode of operation is like that of the third embodiment.

Figure 12 shows a schematic side view of a sixth, alternative embodiment of an information display device 10 according to the invention, the display unit 12 of which is arranged essentially horizontally and is held by a support structure 13 fastened to a ceiling 33 with the interposition of a plurality of holding elements 18 (ropes, belts). In this embodiment, all holding elements 18 are preferably adjustable in terms of their effective length by means of associated drive units that can optionally be activated independently of one another. The holding elements 18 are guided by means of fixed guide elements 37. The guide elements 37 can also serve as a positioning aid for arranging the display unit 12 in the display area 14.

The rails of the support structure 13 of all embodiments are preferably designed as support profiles made of aluminum, which can be adjusted to the mounting surfaces (for example, walls). The display unit 12 can be formed by sheet materials, foils, textiles, tarpaulins or similar. Transparent, self-illuminating display units can be realized by optional light box elements. In all embodiments, both rigid and flexible display units 12 can be used.

Claims (13)

1. Information display device, with a fastening device for arranging a particularly large-area display unit on a support structure in a display area at least partially outside a handling area of an operator, characterized by an adjustable positioning device ( 17 ) for moving the display unit ( 12 ) into the handling area ( 15 ) or into the display area ( 14 ). 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the positioning device ( 17 ) has at least one holding element ( 18 ) whose effective length is adjustable from the handling region ( 15 ) and which can be operatively connected to a first end region ( 19 ) of the display unit ( 12 ). 3. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the positioning device ( 17 ) additionally has at least one holding element ( 18 ) whose effective length is adjustable from the handling region ( 15 ) and which can be operatively connected to a second end region ( 20 ) of the display unit ( 12 ), wherein the second end region ( 20 ) is located opposite the first end region ( 19 ). 4. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the display unit ( 12 ) is arranged substantially vertically in the display position and the first end region ( 19 ) is formed by an upper support rod ( 21 ) and the second end region ( 20 ) is formed by a lower support rod ( 22 ) of the display unit ( 12 ). 5. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the upper holding rod ( 21 ) is operatively connected to the holding element ( 18 ) and the lower holding rod ( 22 ) is separably fixed to an associated stationary fastening unit ( 31 ) of the fastening device ( 11 ), wherein in the display position of the display unit ( 12 ) the upper holding rod ( 19 ) is arranged outside the handling area ( 15 ) and the lower holding rod ( 22 ) is arranged within the handling area ( 15 ). 6. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the display unit ( 12 ) is arranged substantially horizontally in the display position and the end regions ( 19 , 20 ) are formed by corresponding holding rods ( 23 ). 7. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the holding element ( 18 ) is a rope or a belt and can be wound up or unwound on a rotatably adjustable roller unit ( 24 ) for adjusting the effective length. 8. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the roller unit ( 24 ) is rotationally adjustable manually by means of a mechanical awning drive ( 26 ) and/or automatically by means of an electric motor drive ( 27 ) which can optionally be controlled via a remote control. 9. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a respective cable or belt guide ( 25 ) is provided, which is designed as a spring-loaded, self-tensioning cable or belt tensioner element. 10. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an electrical limit switch device ( 28 ) which can be triggered automatically upon stop is provided. 11. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an adjusting device ( 29 ) changing the display position of the display unit ( 12 ) is provided for an associated holding element ( 18 ). 12. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the display unit ( 12 ) has a display element ( 30 ) in the form of a flexible tarpaulin which is separably fastened to an associated support rod ( 21 , 22 ; 23 ) by means of carabiner-shaped fastening elements. 13. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the roller unit ( 24 ) is arranged in the handling area ( 15 ) and the holding element ( 18 ) in the display position of the display unit ( 12 ) is operatively connected to the upper holding rod ( 19 ) outside the handling area ( 15 ) with the interposition of at least one deflection roller ( 32 ).