MODULAR DISPLAY DEVICE
A display device including a display frame, a first mounting member that displays a first object, and a second mounting member that displays a second object, each of the first and second mounting members being disposed within the display frame in one of at least two different configurations.
This application is a non-provisional of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 61/229,621, filed Jan. 29, 2010, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe present invention relates to display devices, and in particular to display devices that can be releaseably attached to one another to provide a modular display system.
BACKGROUNDDisplay devices, such as, for example, photo frames, compact disc holders, and other such devices for holding and displaying various items such as stamps, advertising products, coins, a clock, or LCD temperature displays are usually stand-alone items, and if available in modular form, often requires a number of mechanical steps to engage or disengage the display device from an adjacent display device. For example, in the case of adding a photo to a photo album, one must either insert the photo into a sleeve of a photo album page, or add another page to the album that will hold the photo. This task is often more time-consuming than expected, since the photo must be aligned with other photos on the album page or the added page must be mechanically fastened to the other pages.
Accordingly, there is a need for a modular display device system that allows for quick and easy addition or removal of objects for display and individual display devices.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA display device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprises: a display frame; a first mounting member that displays a first object; and a second mounting member that displays a second object, each of the first and second mounting members being disposed within the display frame in one of at least two different configurations.
In at least one embodiment, each of the first and second mounting members comprises a display window.
In at least one embodiment, the display window is rectangular so that the at least two different configurations comprise a landscape configuration and a portrait configuration.
In at least one embodiment, the display frame comprises a door that allows for insertion of the first and second mounting members into the display frame and removal of the first and second mounting members from the display frame.
In at least one embodiment, the first and second mounting members overlap one another within the display frame so that the first mounting member display the first object from one side of the display device and the second mounting member displays the second object from an opposite side of the display device.
In at least one embodiment, the display frame comprises at least one groove, and the first and second mounting members are disposed within the at least one groove.
In at least one embodiment, each of the first and second mounting members comprises magnets so that the first mounting member and the second mounting member are attached to one another within the display frame by the magnetic attraction between the magnets.
In at least one embodiment, the display frame comprises a magnetizable element that is magnetically attracted to the magnets of the first and second mounting members.
In at least one embodiment, the display frame comprises one or more magnetic elements so that any number of identical display frames may be releasably attached together in a variety of configurations by the magnetic attraction between the magnetic elements to form a modular display device.
In at least one embodiment, the first and second mounting members differ from one another in terms of at least one of color, texture and material.
In at least one embodiment, each of the first and second mounting members comprises a raised portion for displaying the first and second objects, respectively.
Various exemplary embodiments of this invention will be described in detail, with reference to the following figures, wherein:
The present invention relates to a modular display including a display frame and one or more mounting members disposed within the display frame. The mounting members may be removed from the display frame and replaced back into the display frame in various configurations so as to display objects of varying shapes and orientations. The display frame may include one or more magnets, so that a plurality of such display frames may be pivotally attached to one another to form a modular system. The display may be suitable for displaying a variety of objects, such as, for example, photographs, baseball cards, stamps, etc.
The first and second mounting members 20, 22 may be held within the display frame 10 by any suitable fixing mechanism. For example, as shown in
Alternatively, or in addition to the grooves 12, the first and second mounting members 20, 22 may be held within the display frame 10 using magnetic elements. For example, as shown in
Rather than including planar windows as in the previously described embodiments, the first and second mounting members 20, 22 may include raised portions for mounting of an object for display. The raised portions may be rectangular shaped, so that the mounting members may be appropriately configured to selectively display the object in either a portrait view or a landscape view.
Now that the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described in detail, various modifications and improvements thereon will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the spirit and scope of the present invention is to be construed broadly and not limited by the foregoing specification.
Claims
1. A display device, comprising:
- a display frame;
- a first mounting member that displays a first object; and
- a second mounting member that displays a second object, each of the first and second mounting members being disposed within the display frame in one of at least two different configurations.
2. The display device of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second mounting members comprises a display window.
3. The display device of claim 2, wherein the display window is rectangular so that the at least two different configurations comprise a landscape configuration and a portrait configuration.
4. The display device of claim 1, wherein the display frame comprises a door that allows for insertion of the first and second mounting members into the display frame and removal of the first and second mounting members from the display frame.
5. The display device of claim 1, wherein the first and second mounting members overlap one another within the display frame so that the first mounting member display the first object from one side of the display device and the second mounting member displays the second object from an opposite side of the display device.
6. The display device of claim 1, wherein the display frame comprises at least one groove, and the first and second mounting members are disposed within the at least one groove.
7. The display device of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second mounting members comprise magnets so that the first mounting member and the second mounting member are attached to one another within the display frame by the magnetic attraction between the magnets.
8. The display device of claim 7, wherein the display frame comprises a magnetizable element that is magnetically attracted to the magnets of the first and second mounting members.
9. The display device of claim 1, wherein the display frame comprises one or more magnetic elements so that any number of identical display frames may be releasably attached together in a variety of configurations by the magnetic attraction between the magnetic elements to form a modular display device.
10. The display device of claim 1, wherein the first and second mounting members differ from one another in terms of at least one of color, texture and material.
11. The display device of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second mounting members comprises a raised portion for displaying the first and second objects, respectively.
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 28, 2011
Publication Date: Feb 2, 2012
Inventor: Stewart Seidler (Hong Kong)
Application Number: 13/016,789
International Classification: A47G 1/06 (20060101);