DISPLAY KIOSK AND METHOD FOR MAKING AND DEPLOYING THE SAME
The invention provides an apparatus for and method of making and using portable display kiosks. The invention is designed and fabricated to be highly collapsible for transport yet readily deployable for use. The invention is substantially preassembled in transport requiring only unfolding and the attachment of a backplate and counter top, none of which requires tools or any other ancillary items.
The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalty thereon.
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates generally to portable display kiosks and methods for making and using them.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe need for the present invention was motivated by a user's requirement for professional displays at technology trade fairs and the like on standard 2×8 folding plastic tables which were rented and covered with black table cloths. All of the technology to be displayed and demonstrated was setup on these tables. The tables were typically weak, not stable or sturdy on carpeting, and very expensive.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIt is therefore a primary object of the present invention to an apparatus for and method of making and using portable display kiosks
It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for and method of making and using portable display kiosks that are readily and compactly stowed for transport.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for and method of making and using portable display kiosks that are readily deployed for use in a minimum amount of time and without the use of tools or ancillary items.
It is yet still another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for and method of making and using portable display kiosks that are substantially preassembled for use.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for and method of making and using portable display kiosks that require insubstantial disassembly for stowage and transport.
In a preferred or primary embodiment of the present invention, a front panel having a front side, a rear side, a first edge and a second edge; a rear panel having a front side, a rear side, a first edge and a second edge; a first bifolding having a front side, a rear side, a first edge, a second edge, and a bifold hinge; a second bifolding side panel having a front side, a rear side, a first edge, a second edge, and a bifold hinge; where the first edge of the front panel is hingedly joined to the first edge of the first bifolding panel; the first edge of the rear panel is hingedly joined to the second edge of the first bifolding panel; the second edge of the front panel is hingedly joined to the first edge of the second bifolding panel; and the second edge of the rear panel is hingedly joined to the second edge of the second bifolding panel.
Also in a preferred or primary embodiment of the present invention, a method for constructing, deploying, and stowing a display kiosk, comprises the steps of fabricating a front panel having a front side, a rear side, a first edge and a second edge; fabricating a rear panel having a front side, a rear side, a first edge and a second edge; fabricating a first bifolding side panel having a front side, a rear side, a first edge, a second edge, and disposing a hinge within the first bifolding panel along a line approximately equidistant from the first edge and the second edge of first bifolding panel; fabricating a second bifolding side panel having a front side, a rear side, a first edge, a second edge, and disposing a hinge within the second bifolding panel along a line approximately equidistant from the first edge and the second edge of the second bifolding panel; hingedly joining the first edge of the front panel to the first edge of the first bifolding panel; hingedly joining the first edge of the rear panel to the second edge of the first bifolding panel; hingedly joining the second edge of the front panel to the first edge of the second bifolding panel; and hingedly joining the second edge of the rear panel to the second edge of the second bifolding panel.
Briefly stated, the invention provides an apparatus for and method of making and using portable display kiosks. The invention is designed and fabricated to be highly collapsible for transport yet readily deployable for use. The invention is substantially preassembled in transport requiring only unfolding and the attachment of a backplate and counter top, none of which requires tools or any other ancillary items.
The purpose and goal of the present invention was to design a collapsible convention kiosk that is durable, resilient, clean and stylish, and that embodies the image and ingenuity of the user. The secondary goal was to reduce the rental expense at trade conventions where user sets up a trade show booth.
In the end, the effort to design and refine the collapsible kiosk concept led to a highly successful end result that was recently deployed at its first convention. The kiosks were met with rave reviews by both staff (who had to assemble them), as well as guests to the booth.
The dollars-and-cents perspective is quite telling. Each convention traditionally costs in excess of $4000 in both equipment rentals (tables, table cloths, etc.). The one-time expense to create this first batch of kiosks has already been paid off in the savings from just one convention. This was a huge hit with the user's organization.
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Having described preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
Claims
1. A display kiosk, comprising:
- a front panel, said front panel having a front side, a rear side, a first edge and a second edge;
- a rear panel, said rear panel having a front side, a rear side, a first edge and a second edge;
- a first bifolding side panel, said first bifolding side panel having a front side, a rear side, a first edge, a second edge, and a bifold hinge;
- a second bifolding side panel, said second bifolding side panel having a front side, a rear side, a first edge, a second edge, and a bifold hinge;
- wherein
- said first edge of said front panel is hingedly joined to said first edge of said first bifolding panel;
- said first edge of said rear panel is hingedly joined to said second edge of said first bifolding panel;
- said second edge of said front panel is hingedly joined to said first edge of said second bifolding panel; and
- said second edge of said rear panel is hingedly joined to said second edge of said second bifolding panel.
2. The display kiosk of claim 1, wherein
- said front panel and said rear panel form opposing front and rear sides of a rectangular-shaped expanded display kiosk; and
- said first bifolding side panel and said second bifolding side panel form opposing lateral sides of a rectangular-shaped expanded display kiosk.
3. The display kiosk of claim 1, wherein
- said front panel and said rear panel form opposing front and rear sides of a substantially planar-shaped collapsed display kiosk; and
- said first bifolding side panel and said second bifolding side panel form opposing collapsed sides of a substantially planar-shaped collapsed display kiosk.
4. The display kiosk of claim 1, wherein said front panel further comprises a door hingedly joined to said front panel.
5. The display kiosk of claim 1, further comprising a top surface detachably supported by a top edge of said front panel, a top edge of said first bifolding side panel and a top edge of said second bifolding side panel.
6. The display kiosk of claim 1, further comprising a backplate detachably mounted to said rear panel.
7. The display kiosk of claim 5, wherein said top surface further comprises stops on its underside which engage said top edge of said front panel, a top edge of said first bifolding side panel and a top edge of said second bifolding side panel so as to prevent collapse of said deployed kiosk.
8. A display stand, comprising:
- four connected sides, said four connected sides being substantially rectangularly arranged;
- each side being hingedly connected to two other sides at the corners of said rectangular arrangement;
- each side of one pair of two opposing sides being hinged lengthwise approximately about its centerline; and
- stops located coincident with said centerline so as to prevent over rotation of said lengthwise hinges past a fully deployed position.
9. The display stand of claim 8, wherein said substantially rectangularly-arranged sides further comprise a substantially planar arrangement of collapsed sides having said each side of one pair of two opposing sides being folded lengthwise approximately about its centerline.
10. The display stand of claim 8, further comprising a door disposed within and hingedly attached to at least one of said four connected sides.
11. The display stand of claim 8, further comprising top surface detachably supported by a top edge of said rectangularly-arranged sides, wherein said top surface further comprises underside stops that engage said top edges of said rectangularly-arranged sides so as to prevent inward collapse of said rectangularly-arranged sides.
12. The display stand of claim 8, further comprising a backplate detachably mounted to one of said rectangularly-arranged sides.
13. A method for constructing, deploying, and stowing a display kiosk, comprising the steps of:
- fabricating a front panel, said front panel having a front side, a rear side, a first edge and a second edge;
- fabricating a rear panel, said rear panel having a front side, a rear side, a first edge and a second edge;
- fabricating a first bifolding side panel, said first bifolding side panel having a front side, a rear side, a first edge, a second edge, and disposing a hinge within said first bifolding panel along a line approximately equidistant from said first edge and said second edge of said first bifolding panel;
- fabricating a second bifolding side panel, said second bifolding side panel having a front side, a rear side, a first edge, a second edge, and disposing a hinge within said second bifolding panel along a line approximately equidistant from said first edge and said second edge of said second bifolding panel;
- hingedly joining said first edge of said front panel to said first edge of said first bifolding panel;
- hingedly joining said first edge of said rear panel to said second edge of said first bifolding panel;
- hingedly joining said second edge of said front panel to said first edge of said second bifolding panel; and
- hingedly joining said second edge of said rear panel to said second edge of said second bifolding panel.
14. The method of constructing, deploying, and stowing a display kiosk of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:
- folding outward said first bifolding side panel and said second bifolding side panel along said disposed hinges to form opposing lateral sides of a rectangular-shaped expanded display kiosk; and
- expanding said front panel and said rear panel to form opposing front and rear sides of a rectangular-shaped expanded display kiosk.
15. The method of constructing, deploying, and stowing a display kiosk of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:
- folding inward said first bifolding side panel and said second bifolding side panel along said disposed hinges; and
- collapsing said front panel and said rear panel to form opposing front and rear sides of a substantially planar-shaped collapsed display kiosk.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 5, 2019
Publication Date: Sep 10, 2020
Inventors: DAVID J. DEPROSPERO (Rome, NY), MARK L. ADAMS (Rome, NY), BRIAN L. WHITMAN (Rome, NY), EDWARD J. WEEKS (Westmoreland, NY), GREGORY A. BECKMAN (Whitesboro, NY), ROBERT V. JONES (Holland Patent, NY), ERIC T. YAPLE (Stittville, NY), ROBERT T. HOOVER (Camillus, NY), MATTHEW BENOIT (Oriskany Falls, NY), CARL RICKARD (Cold Brook, NY), HAROLD KIRCH (Camden, NY), MARK LAWSON (Syracuse, NY)
Application Number: 16/292,475