COUNTER

Abstract

A counter which, in use, includes a mainly horizontal top plate and bottom plate arranged with a mutual spacing and a mainly vertical support plate extending between the top and bottom plates and following the rims of these plates at least a distance of their extent. The support plate is made up of a relatively thin, elastic material with a non-stressed initial condition and a clamped mounted condition. The counter has a simple, light and inexpensive structure, and it allows light from a light source in the counter to penetrate the support plate and illuminate an information on this plate. The counter takes up very little space during transportation and storage, and it can be mounted quickly and easily upon use.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of International application PCT/IB2006/050713 filed Mar. 8, 2006, the entire content of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference thereto.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The invention relates to a counter of the kind comprising a, in use, mainly horizontal top plate and bottom plate arranged with a mutual spacing and a mainly vertical support plate extending between the top and bottom plates.

BACKGROUND ART

U.S. Pat. No. 5,405,192 discloses modular display booth units comprising an upright portion of rigid plastics sheet material having at least one front panel, side panels and at least one back panel hinged together through coined hinged lines.

GB Patent application 2113989 A discloses a display stand with identical top and bottom panels, and hinged wall panels, where the hinges between adjacent walls enabling the wall panels to be bent and also folded flat.

Such a counter is known. The support plate of this known counter is flexible in the horizontal direction and is therefore not subjected to stresses in mounted state. The support plate is made with a close packed row of vertical bars or ribs to absorb the load on the top plate which functions as the table top of the counter. Therefore, the support plate has a relatively large thickness and will therefore be comparatively heavy and expensive. Another disadvantage is that it does not, or only to an insufficient extent allows light from a light source in the counter to penetrate to illuminate a message on the support plate, for example an advertisement for a product.

Thus, improvements in such counters are desirable and necessary, and these are now provided by the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention now provides a counter that has a simple, light and inexpensive structure and that allows light from a light source in the counter to penetrate the support plate and illuminate a message on this plate. The novel and unique feature according to the invention, whereby this is achieved, is the fact that the support plate is made up of a relatively thin, elastic material with a non-stressed initial condition and a stressed mounted condition. If the support plate is stressed in this way, it will be able to absorb relatively large loads on the top plate even if it has a relatively small thickness.

According to the invention, the thin support plate can be transparent so that it allows light from a light source in the counter to penetrate and illuminate a message on the plate, for example an advertisement.

According to the invention, the different components of the counter can be arranged to be detachably joined to a complete counter and be mounted quickly and easily upon use. In demounted state, the counter takes up very little space. Thereby, a significant saving in storage and transportation costs is advantageously obtained.

The top and bottom plates can preferably have curved rims and upright edges that extend along these rims for at least a distance. According to the invention, the thin support plate can be clamped by these edges.

According to the invention, the upright edges and thereby the support plate can have a center part having a relatively large, first radius of curvature and two end parts having a relatively small, second radius of curvature at least along a portion. Having this shape, the end parts of the support plate will be able to function as hollow legs that can absorb even large loads on the top plate of the counter.

The free vertical rim areas of the support plate are not clamped as the rest of the plate and therefore tend to bend outwards. According to the invention, this problem is solved by stiffening each of these rim areas with a vertical bar bearing against the upright edges of the bottom plate and the top plate at the ends.

According to the invention, the end parts of the support plate can furthermore support each other by means of at least one brace rod or at least one shelf extending between the two parts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be explained in greater details below, describing only exemplary embodiments and giving further advantageous characteristics and technical effects according to the invention with reference to the drawing, in which

FIG. 1 is a perspective view obliquely from above of a part of a counter according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view from above of a first embodiment of the counter in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view from above of a second embodiment of the counter in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a view from above of a third embodiment of the counter in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In FIG. 1 it is seen that the counter 1 according to the invention has a bottom plate 2 with an upright edge 3 and a support plate 4 of a relatively thin, elastic material. The counter furthermore has a top plate which for clarity reasons is not shown in the figure. The top and bottom plates are substantially identical, and their upright edges are facing each other.

Prior to mounting the support plate is relieved of stresses. For example, it can assume a two-dimensional state. Mounting of the support plate takes place by placing its upper and lower rim areas 5 and 6 between the upright edges 3 of the top and bottom plates. Thereby, the support plate is placed in a clamped state, in which it will be able to absorb large loads that might be resting on the top plate even with a modest thickness.

The upright edges on the top and bottom plates have a curved center part 7 having a large radius and two curved end parts 8 each having a small radius of curvature and extending over a relatively large arch angle, for example 275° or more. The end parts will thereby form solid legs to the counter.

An advantageous embodiment of the counter is obtained if the large radius of curvature is between three and fifteen time larger than the small radius of curvature, preferably between five and ten times larger.

The support plate is single curvatured. The internal stresses in the support plate force its rim areas out towards the inside of the upright edges on the top and bottom plates. Seen in a horizontal section, the support plate therefore assumes the same radii of curvature as these edges.

The vertical rim areas 9 of the support plate are free and therefore not clamped. Therefore they tend to bend outwards as columns.

As shown in FIG. 2, this problem is eliminated according to the invention by stiffening each of them with a vertical stiffening bar 10. The end parts 11 of the vertical bars are forced in towards the inside of the upright edges on the top and bottom plates whereby the vertical rim areas of the support plate are stabilized and positioned effectively in the counter.

Within the scope of the invention the end parts of the vertical bars can however be fixed in any other appropriate way, for example by being fitted into complementarily made recesses in the top and bottom plates, respectively (not shown).

In FIG. 3, a brace rod is extending between the two end parts of the support plate for further ensuring that the end parts maintain their curved state. Only one brace rod is shown in the figure. However, the support plate can be provided with several brace rods located vertically offset relative to each other.

In FIG. 4, the brace rod is replaced by a shelf 13 resting on a bracket 14 fastened on the vertical bars on either side by means of a hook.

Claims

1. A counter comprising, in use, a mainly horizontal top plate and bottom plate arranged with a mutual spacing and a mainly vertical support plate extending between the top and bottom plates, wherein the support plate is made up of a relatively thin, elastic material having a non-stressed initial condition and a stressed mounted condition where the counter in a mounted state is detachably joinable to a complete counter.

2. The counter according to claim 1, wherein the top and bottom plates include rims having upright edges facing in opposite directions, and the support plate has upper and lower rims located between the upright edges of the top and bottom plates in the mounted state.

3. The counter according to claim 2, wherein the upright edges have a center part having a relatively large, first radius of curvature and two end parts having a relatively small, second radius of curvature at least along a portion thereof.

4. The counter according to claim 2, wherein the first radius of curvature is between three and fifteen times larger than the second radius of curvature.

5. The counter according to claim 2, wherein the first radius of curvature is between five and ten times larger than the second radius of curvature.

6. The counter according to claim 2, wherein the support plate, seen in horizontal section, is single curvatured in the mounted state with a center part having a first radius of curvature corresponding to the first radius of curvature of the upright edges and two end parts having a second radius of curvature corresponding to the second radius of curvature of the upright edges.

7. The counter according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the vertical rims of the support plate is stiffened by a stiffening rod, the two ends of which are supported by support means on the top and bottom plates.

8. The counter according to claim 7, wherein the support means are the upright edges of the top and bottom plates.

9. The counter according to claim 1, wherein the top and bottom plates include rims having upright edges facing in opposite directions, the support plate has first and second vertical end parts and upper and lower rims located respectively on the end parts between the upright edges of the top and bottom plates in the mounted state, with the upright edges of the support plates having a center part with a relatively large, first radius of curvature and two end parts with a relatively small, second radius of curvature at least along a portion thereof, wherein the first radius of curvature is between three and fifteen times larger than the second radius of curvature, and with the support plate, as seen in horizontal section, being single curvatured in the mounted state with a center part having a first radius of curvature corresponding to the first radius of curvature of the upright edges and the two end parts having a second radius of curvature corresponding to the second radius of curvature of the upright edges such that the end parts of the support plate function as hollow legs to support the top plate.

10. The counter according to claim 1, wherein the support structure is transparent and includes a message thereon.

11. The counter according to claim 1, which further comprises a support structure extending between the two end parts of the support plate.

12. The counter according to claim 11, wherein the support structure comprises at least one brace rod.

13. The counter according to claim 11, wherein the support structure comprises of at least one shelf.