GB2240419A - Display device - Google Patents

Abstract

A display device comprising a substantially sheet-form member 10, formed from a drapable fabric, and means 28, 32 associated with a portion 18a, 20a thereof for suspending said display device from a support structure, the portion 18a, 20a of the display device being semi-rigid. The fabric is preferably moisture absorbent and may be made of a cloth such as cotton. The semi-rigid portion may be formed by treatment with a stiffening compound such as starch or a solution thereof. Alternatively a semi-rigid member e.g. of plastics material, may be attached to an edge of the fabric to form the semi-rigid portion. <IMAGE>

Description

A DISPLAY DEVICE This invention relates to a display device which may be used to display information or advertising indicia located upon the surfaces thereof.

Display cards comprised of cardboard sheets, on the surfaces of which advertising, instructional or other information is printed, are in common use. In the motor vehicle hire industry, for example, it is known for some motor vehicle hire companies to provide cardboard display cards with instructional information printed thereon, whereby a display card is suspended from the rear-view mirror of a motor vehicle on offer for hire such that the hirer of said motor vehicle is encouraged to remove the display card, and examine the information printed thereon, before making use of the hired motor vehicle.

However, common experience has shown that in many instances hirers of motor vehicles provided with such display cards simply remove the cards from their suspended position and discard then without referring to the information printed thereon.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive alternative to the cardboard display cards in common use and which obviates the aforesaid disadvantage.

According to the present invention there is provided a display device comprising a substantially sheet-form member, formed from a drapable fabric, and means associated with a portion thereof for suspending said display device from a support structure, the portion of the display device being semi-rigid.

Preferably, the drapable fabric is moisture absorbent.

Preferably, the drapable fabric is a cloth material.

Preferably further, the drapable fabric is a cotton material.

The portion of the sheet-form member may be made semi-rigid by treating the drapable fabric, from which the device is formed, with a stiffening compound.

The stiffening compound may be starch or a starch solution.

Alternatively, the portion of the sheet-form member may be made semi-rigid by attachment thereto of a semirigid member spanning said portion.

The semi-rigid member may be formed from a suitable plastics material.

The means for suspending the display device may simply comprise a hole formed through the portion of the sheet-form member.

The hole formed through the portion of the sheetform member may have a channel associated therewith, said channel extending from a point on the circumference of the hole to an edge of the sheet-form member.

More than one portion of the sheet-form member of the display device may be semi-rigid and each such portion may have means for suspending the display device associated therewith.

Preferably, the sheet-form member has two semi-rigid portions, one located adjacent each opposing end thereof, whereby when the sheet-form member is folded upon itself about a fold line located parallel to said opposing edges and generally equidistant therefrom, the means for suspending the display device associated with each of said semi-rigid portions align adjacent one another and can thus be commonly used to suspend said device from a support structure.

The foregoing and further features of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment, by way of example, and with references to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of the display device 10 in open form; and Figure 2 is a perspective view of the display device 10 of figure 1 in suspended form.

Referring to the drawings there is provided a display device 10 formed from a substantially rectangular sheet 12 of cotton fabric on inner and outer surfaces 14,16 thereof advertising, instructional or any other desired information can be dye-printed for future display.

The sheet 12 is divided into two substantially equal regions 18,20 by a fold line 22 which lies parallel to outer edges 24,26 of the regions 18,20 respectively and equidistant therefrom.

An outer portion 18a of region 18(bounded by dotted line A in figure 1) adjacent the outer edge 24 thereof is pretreated with a stiffening compound, for example starch, to render such portion 18a semi-rigid.

Similarly, an outer portion 20a (bounded by dotted line B in figure 1) of region 20 adjacent the outer edge 26 thereof is pretreated with the stiffening compound to also render it semi-rigid.

A hole 28 and a slit 30 are cut from the portion 18a such that the slit 30 extends from the hole 28 to the outer edge 24 of region 18. Similarly, a hole 32 and slit 34 are cut from the portion 20a, the slit 34 extending from the hole 32 to the outer edge 26 of region 20, whereby when the sheet 12 is folded upon itself about the fold line 22 to form the display device 10, the semi-rigid portions 18a,20a lie adjacent one another and the holes 28,32 and slits 30,34 are coincidentally aligned.

The display device 10 can be suspended from a suitable support structure, for example, a motor vehicle rear-view mirror, by prising open the slits 30,34 cut in the semi-rigid portions 18a,20a to allow a barrel of the rear-view mirror to pass along the length thereof until the barrel is located through the holes 28,32 of the device 10. The semi rigid portions 18a, 20a act to maintain the display device 10 thus suspended in a non-collapsed manner such that information printed on the outer surface 16 of the device 10 is readily viewable.

The device 10 can be easily removed from its suspended location and opened in order to view further information printed on the inner surface 14 thereof.

The device 10 can additionally be used as a demisting cloth for wiping moisture from windows, and this would be particularly useful to a motor vehicle user when he/she first enters the car, more particularly in damp or cold weather conditions, due to the tendency of the motor vehicle windows to mist over.

The semi-rigid portions 18a,20a may substantially lose their rigidity when the fabric of the display device 10 becomes moisturised through use when the device 10 is used as a cloth.

It is envisaged that the secondary use of the display device 10 as a cloth would encourage users thereof to retain the device 10 for future use and accordingly observe the information printed thereon.

Although, the display device 10 of the preferred embodiment is formed of a cotton material the display device 10 could be formed from any suitable moisture absorbent material. Hence, by the term "drapable fabric" it is intended to include plastics, foamed plastics, paper products and towelling in addition to those materials already stated.

Claims (14)

1. A display device comprising a substantially sheet-form member, formed from a drdpable fabric, and means associated with a portion thereof for suspending said display device from a support structure, the portion of the display device being semi-rigid.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the drapable fabric is moisture absorbent.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the fabric is a cloth material.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the fabric is a cotton material.

5. A device as claimed in any proceeding claim wherein at least said semi-rigid portion is formed by treatment with a stiffening compound.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5 wherein the stiffening compound comprises starch or a starch solution.

7. A device as claimed in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 wherein said semi-rigid portion comprises a semi-rigid member spanning said portion and attached thereto.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7 wherein said semi-rigid member is formed of synthetic plastics material.

9. A device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the means suspending the device comprises an aperture formed through the semi-rigid portion.

10. A device as claimed in claim 9 wherein a slot is formed to extend from the aperture to an adjacent edge of the sheet form member.

11. A device as claimed in any preceding claim having a plurality of semi-rigid portions each having suspension means associated therewith.

12. A device as claimed in claim 11 wherein the sheet-form member has two semi-rigid portions, one located adjacent each of two opposing ends thereof, whereby when the sheet-form member is folded upon itself the means for suspending the display device associated with each of said semi-rigid portions align adjacent one another and can thus be commonly used to suspend said device from a support structure.

13. A device as claimed in claim 12 wherein the sheet-form member is rectangular.

14. A display device substantially as hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawing.