Device for Displaying Objects
An object display device comprising a leg (2) and a display panel (1) presenting a mean plane and carrying objects (6, 7) to be displayed on its top face. The display panel (1) can pivot relative to the leg about a pivot axis (y) that is normal to said mean plane, between at least first and second angular positions. The display panel can also be hinged relative to an axis lying between the top and bottom faces of the display panel.
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The present invention relates to devices for displaying objects.
More particularly, the invention relates to a device for presenting objects, said device comprising:
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- a leg;
- a display panel presenting a mean plane and having a top face adapted to carry objects to be displayed, and a bottom face;
- said device further comprising coupling means adapted to hinge the display panel to the leg so that said display panel can take up at least one inclined position in which it is inclined relative to the horizontal;
- the display panel further being adapted to pivot relative to the leg about a pivot axis that is normal to said mean plane, between at least first and second angular positions; and
- a locking mechanism adapted to lock said display panel at least in said first and second angular positions.
Document FR 2 809 943 describes an example of such a device. Unfortunately, in that device, the display panel is hinged by means of separate elements mounted behind the surface of the display panel, which induces considerable stresses in those elements, in particular when large weights are placed on the surface of the display panel, in the vicinity of its edges.
A particular object of the present invention is to mitigate that drawback.
To this end, in accordance with the invention, a device of the type in question is characterized in that the coupling means are disposed at least in part between said top face and said bottom face of the display panel.
By means of these provisions, the moment of force induced at the coupling by any type of object at the surface of the display panel is small. The display panel is thus more robust and more stable.
In various embodiments of the invention, it is also optionally possible to use one or more of the following provisions:
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- the coupling means comprise an inclination adjustment mechanism adapted to lock or to release the display panel selectively in rotation about a horizontal axis;
- the leg has a longitudinal axis and said longitudinal axis, the pivot axis, and the horizontal axis meet at a point of intersection lying between the top face and the bottom face of the display panel;
- said coupling means are disposed at the center of said bottom face of the display panel;
- the first and second angular positions form an angle θ between them, and object support modules adapted to carry the objects to be displayed are fastened removably to the top face of the display panel by fastening means adapted to make it possible to fasten each support module in first and second positions relative to the display panel, said first and second positions forming said angle θ relative to each other (the objects to be displayed can thus be displayed in ordered manner for any inclination of the display panel, and the support modules can be positioned so that they are always the same way up for an external observer, the display panel being either in its first or second angular position, thereby making it possible to adapt the position of the display panel to the external environment, while also complying with a predefined layout for the objects to be displayed);
- said top face is provided with square storage spaces, each of which receives at least one object support module, said first and second angular positions are mutually perpendicular, and said first and second positions of the support modules are mutually perpendicular;
- the top face of the display panel is provided with patterns that co-operate by interfitting with complementary patterns belonging to each object support module;
- the top face of the display panel and each of the object support modules are fastened to each other in removable manner by magnetic means;
- at least some of the object support modules are provided with wells adapted to receive, by interfitting, the objects to be displayed;
- the modules are of rectangular block shape of length a and of width b, where a is an integer multiple of b, and the top face of the display panel is of rectangular shape of length H and of width W, where W is an integer multiple of a and H is an integer multiple of b; and
- the modules are of rectangular block shape of length a and of width b, and the top face of the display panel is of rectangular shape of length and of width that are both integer multiples both of a and of b; and
- said modules are of length a substantially equal to twice their width b.
Other characteristics and advantages of the invention appear from the following description of an embodiment thereof, given by way of non-limiting example and with reference to the accompanying drawings.
In the drawings:
In the various figures, like references designate elements that are identical or similar.
The display panel of the example is in the shape of a rectangular block with thickness that is small compared with its width W and with its height H. It thus has a mean geometric plane (x; z) that is substantially parallel to its top and bottom main faces. The invention could however be applied to display panels whose top or bottom faces have other shapes, e.g. undulating or convex shapes. The display panel described herein comprises, in particular, a plate 22 (
Thus, the board 4 can have a regular ordered array of fastening patterns 8 disposed, for example, at a density of two per module. These fastening patterns are, for example, in the form of hollow cylinders provided in the board 4, each cylinder being provided in its center with a fastening guide 10 in the form of a spike fastened to the end wall of the cylinder and extending, for example, towards the top face 4a of the board 4. Depending on the embodiments, the fastening patterns do not necessarily have fastening guides 10 and are not necessarily cylindrical.
The fastening patterns are disposed in uniform and ordered manner on the board 4. For example, if the same module is held by means of first and second fastening patterns disposed in line along the length of the module, it is possible, in particular, to make provision so that, within the same storage space containing two such modules whose lengths are contiguous, the longitudinal distance between the fastening patterns of the same module is equal to the distance between the first fastening patterns of each of the modules. A support module can thus be fastened in two positions relative to the display panel: by being aligned either with the length of the display panel or with the width thereof.
The fastening face 52 of the object support module 5 is provided with two fastening patterns 12 as described above. Fastening can be achieved simultaneously or in alternation by co-operation between magnetic elements disposed as shown in
The display panel is mounted on the leg via a plate 22 shown in perspective in
Once the plate 22 is positioned on the leg 2 at the desired inclination, the teeth 21 on the shaft 18 co-operating with the complementary teeth 25 of the inner portions 24 of the two bearings, outer portions 30 of the bearings also having matching teeth 31 are fastened to the inner portions 24 so as to surround the shaft 18 at least in part. For example, fastening can be achieved by tightening screws (not shown) into tapped bores 32 in the bearings.
The balls 29 are adapted to engage in the holes 26 of the plate when said plate is mounted in the central zone 27 and thus to prevent the board 4 from pivoting relative to the plate 22. When the balls are brought into the retracted position, the board is free to turn relative to the plate 22 until the balls 29 engage in other holes 26 corresponding to the board being in another angular position. For example, the board can be caused to turn through θ=90° relative to plate, which is mounted stationary relative to the leg, between a first angular position shown in
For the same inclination, the board is adapted to be suitable for turning about a pivot axis (y) that is normal to the mean plane (x; z) of the display panel, and to be suitable for being locked in a certain number of positions such as those shown in
Each storage space can thus be disposed identically relative to an external observer, by causing the module to pivot relative to the display panel through an angle equal to the pivot angle through which the board is pivoted relative to the leg, in the opposite direction.
The display panel can also be inclined relative to the vertical over a broad range of inclinations. For this purpose, the plate 22 must be mounted at the desired inclination on the shaft 18, the teeth 25, 31 of the bearings co-operating with the teeth 21 of the shaft 18. The toothed angular sectors of the shaft 18 and of the bearings define the available range of inclinations.
Claims
1. An object display device comprising:
- a leg;
- a display panel presenting a mean plane and having a top face adapted to carry objects to be displayed, and a bottom face;
- coupling means adapted to hinge the display panel to the leg so that said display panel can take up at least one inclined position in which it is inclined relative to the horizontal the display panel further being adapted to pivot relative to the leg about a pivot axis that is normal to said mean plane, between at least first and second angular positions; and
- a locking mechanism (26, 29) adapted to lock said display panel at least in said first and second angular positions, the coupling means being disposed at least in part between said top face and said bottom face of the display panel
2. A device according to claim 1, in which wherein the coupling means comprise an inclination adjustment mechanism adapted to lock or to release the display panel selectively in rotation about a horizontal axis.
3. A device according to claim 2, in which wherein the leg has a longitudinal axis, and in which said longitudinal axis, the pivot axis, and the horizontal axis meet at a point of intersection lying between the top face and the bottom face of the display panel.
4. A device according to claim 1, wherein said coupling means are disposed at the center of said bottom face (4b) of the display panel
5. A device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second angular positions form an angle θ between them, and wherein object support modules adapted to carry the objects to be displayed are fastened removably to the top face of the display panel by fastening means adapted to make it possible to fasten each support module in first and second positions relative to the display panel, said first and second positions forming said angle θ relative to each other.
6. A device according to claim 5, wherein said top face is provided with square storage spaces, each of which receives at least one object support module, in which said first and second angular positions are mutually perpendicular, and in which said first and second positions of the support modules are mutually perpendicular.
7. A device according to claim 5 wherein the top face of the display panel is provided with patterns (8) that co-operate by interfitting with complementary patterns belonging to each object support module.
8. A device according to claim 5, wherein the top face of the display panel and each of the object support modules are fastened to each other in removable manner by magnetic means.
9. A device according to claim 5, wherein at least some of the object support modules are provided with wells adapted to receive, by interfitting, the objects to be displayed
10. A device according to claim 5, wherein the modules are of rectangular block shape of length a and of width b, where a is an integer multiple of b, and in which the top face (4a) of the display panel is of rectangular shape of length H and of width W, where W is an integer multiple of a and H is an integer multiple of b
11. A device according to claim 5, wherein the modules are of rectangular block shape of length a and of width b, and in which the top face of the display panel is of rectangular shape of length and of width that are both integer multiples both of a and of b.
12. A device according to claim 10, wherein said modules are of length a substantially equal to twice their width b.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 17, 2004
Publication Date: Dec 18, 2008
Applicant: Parfums Christian Dior (Paris)
Inventors: Eric Stievenard (Anet), Francois-Agathange Hallopeau (Vanves)
Application Number: 10/596,449
International Classification: A47F 3/14 (20060101);