Flexible Adjustable Sign Support and Method of Using Same

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a support for a sign, and more particularly to a flexible support which is adjustable in length and a method for using the same.

2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97-1.99

In the sale of merchandise through retail outlets, it is desirable to advertise an item offered for sale to attract customers attention to the item in order to sell more of that item. Thus, when advertising products, it is of advantage to display descriptive information to indicate the item being sold in order to attract the customers attention.

Since items for purchase are located on shelves and in bins of various configurations, a variety of advertising apparatuses have been developed to attract customers attention to the items being sold. Advertising apparatuses of the type having a flexible member and ways of securing the flexible member to a sign member are well known. However, none of the advertising apparatuses provide means for adjustably engaging the flexible member to position a sign member to a desired distance from the base. This can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,352,461, to Orta et el. issued Oct. 5, 1982; U.S. Pat. No. 2,895,246, to Mengee issued Jul. 21, 1959; U.S. Pat. No. 2,133,824, to Meisel issued Oct. 18, 1938; U.S. Pat. No. 1,224,582, to Vandergrift issued May 1, 1917; and U.S. Pat. No. 233,958 to Wetmore issued Nov. 2, 1880.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,774,328, to Tanney issued Nov. 27, 1973; U.S. Pat. No. 2,981,018 to Hoppet el. issued Apr. 15, 1961; U.S. Pat. No. 1,772,126 to Kelsea issued Jul. 22, 1930; and British Patent No. 1,220,674 to Pegg issued Jan. 27, 1968, provide for a flexible member and means for securing the flexible member to the sign member and a support member secured to the base. However, the support member in each of the above stated patents does not adjustably engage the flexible member to position the sign member to a desired distance from the base. In other words, the sign member is not adjustable in distance relative to the base.

Additionally, none of the above stated patents provide a method for engaging at least a portion of the flexible member to an adjustable engagement secured to the base at a desired position along the flexible member to position the sign member to a desired distance from the base. In other words, no method is provided for engaging the sign member in adjustable positions from the base.

Furthermore, none of the advertising apparatuses provide for means of supporting the flexible member at a location spaced apart from the securing means in which the sign member and a portion of the flexible member between the supporting means and the sign member are rotatable relative to the supporting means. This can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 2,981,018 to Ropp et al. issued Apr. 15, 1961; U.S. Pat. No. 2,895,246, to Menges issued Jul. 21, 1959; U.S. Pat. No. 2,133,824, to Meisel issued Oct. 18, 1938; U.S. Pat. No. 1,224,582, to Vandergrift issued May 1, 1917; U.S. Pat. No. 233,958 to Wetmore issued Nov. 2, 1880; U.S. Pat. No. 3,774,328 to Tanney issued Nov. 27, 1973; U.S. Pat. No. 4,352,461, to Orta et al. issued Oct. 5, 1982; and British Pat. No. 1,220,674 to Pegg issued Jan. 27, 1968.

In U.S. Pat. No. 1,772,126 to Kelsea issued Jul. 22, 1930, does not provide for supporting means of the flexible member at a location spaced apart from the securing means, in which the sign member and a portion of the flexible member between the supporting means and the sign member are rotatable relative to the supporting means.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a support apparatus having a base from which a sign member is suspended having a flexible member in which the sign member is secured to the flexible member and in which an adjustable engagement is secured to the base and spaced apart from the securement of the sign member to the flexible member to adjustably engage the flexible member to position the sign member to a desired distance from the base.

It is a further objective of this invention to provide a support apparatus having a base from which a sign member is suspended having a flexible member and securing the sign member to the flexible member and supporting the flexible member at a location spaced apart from the securement of the sign member to the flexible member in which the sign member and a portion of the flexible member between supporting the flexible member and the sign member are displaceable relative to supporting the flexible member.

It is a further objective of this invention to provide a method for suspending a sign member from a base with a flexible member having the steps of securing the sign member to the flexible member and adjustably engaging the flexible member at a desired position along the flexible member for adjustably engaging the flexible member in which the adjustable engagement is secured to the base, to position the sign member to a desired distance from the base.

It is a further objective of this invention to provide a method for suspending a sign member from a base with a flexible member having the steps of securing the sign member to the flexible member and supporting the flexible member at a location on the flexible member spaced apart from the sign member permitting the flexible member from the location to the sign member to be displaceable relative to the location.

The foregoing objects and advantageous features of the invention will be explained in greater detail and others will be made apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention which is given reference to the several figures of the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the support apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view along line 2--2 seen in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of securing means; and

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of adjustably engaging means.

Referring now to the drawings, support apparatus 10 can be seen in FIG. 1, installed in a typical store where items are sold. This apparatus will typically be a point of sale advertisement to attract the customer's attention to the item being sold. As seen in FIG. 1, a typical structure may find a stand 12 supporting base 14 from which sign member 16 is suspended. The support apparatus also includes flexible member 18, and means for securing 20 sign member 16 to flexible member 18. Securing means 20 can come in many configurations, shapes and forms. A mere sample of such configurations is seen in FIG. 2.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, securing means 20 typically includes flexible member 18 having hook member 22 disposed on flexible member 18 and sign member 16 having cross member 24 secured to sign member 16 in which hook member 22 and cross member 24 releasably engage.

In keeping with the object of the invention, flexible member 18 is elongate, or any suitable shape known in the art. Flexible member 18 is plastic, metal or any suitable material known in the art that will provide flexibility. More desirable materials will provide oscillatory movement of sign member 16 caused by the movement of ambient air against sign member 16.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 4, support apparatus 10 includes means for adjustably engaging 26 flexible member 18 secured to base 14 and spaced apart from securing means 20 which will position sign member 16 to a desired distance from base 14. As flexible member 18 is secured in different locations with engaging means 26 the length of flexible member 18 extending from base 14 to sign member 16 will vary accordingly. Further, typically sign member 16 will rise as the length of the flexible member 18 extending from base 14 shortens, and typically lowers as the length increases. In addition, for a flexible member 18 the frequency of the movement of sign member 14 will increase as the length of flexible member 18 decreases and decrease as the length increases. As can be seen from the present invention the position of sign member 16 and the movement of sign member 16 can be changed by altering the length of flexible member 18 extending from base 14. The adjustably engaging means 26 can come in many configurations, shapes and forms. A mere sample of such configurations is seen in FIGS. 2 and 4.

In keeping the object of the invention, adjustably engaging means 26 includes wall member 30 spaced apart from base 14 in which wall member 30 is secured to base 14 to maintain at least a portion of flexible member 18 between wall member 30 and base 14. In numerous common ways of securing wall member 30 to base 14, an example has been shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 of wall 32 being transverse and secured to base 14 and wall member 30, thereby providing spacing between base 14 and wall member 30 through which flexible member 18 snugly fits through. Another of such numerous ways of providing spaced wall member 30 from base 14 would be to provide a cross member similarly shown in FIG. 3. This type of structure is one of many ways of engaging flexible member 18 in various locations and thereby adjusting the length of flexible member 18 extending beyond base 14. Keep in mind adjustably engaging means is secured typically to base 14 anywhere including the front section 44, back portion 46 or edge thereof, etc.

In keeping the object of the invention, support apparatus 10 includes means for supporting 40 flexible member 18 at a location between adjustably engaging means 26 and securing means 20 in which sign member 16 and portion 42 of the flexible member 18 between the supporting means 40 and the sign member 16 are displaceable relative to supporting means 40. Flexible member 18 will typically oscillate based on ambient air movement imparting forces on sign member 16.

Supporting means 40 can include an opening, such as slot 34, or openings of other configurations, in base 14. Flexible member 18 passes through the opening 34 in which at least a portion 36 of base 14 that defines opening 34 engages flexible member 18 as it rests upon portion 36.

In keeping the object of the invention, supporting means 40 does not have to include an opening 34 in base 14. Rather, the flexible member 18 can pass over top of the base 14 and in which at least a portion of the top of base 14 engages the flexible member 18 or any other similar support.

In keeping the object of the invention, supporting means 40 could also include a support that is not secured to base 14 which would engage flexible member 18.

In keeping with this invention a method for suspending sign member 16 from base 14 with flexible member 18 is provided comprising the steps of securing sign member 16 to flexible member 18 and adjustably engaging flexible member 18 at a desired position along flexible member 18 with adjustably engaging means 26 in which adjustably engaging means 26 is secured to base 14 to position sign member 14 to a desired distance from base 14. Further, this method includes the step of supporting flexible member 18 at a location, such as opening 34 and portion 36 of base 14, between adjustably engaging means 26 and sign member 16 permitting flexible member 18 from the location to sign member 16 to displace relative to the location. Such displacement, as may be appreciated, will vary depending on the composition of flexible member 18, the length of flexible member 18 extending from the location to sign member 16 as well as the forces imparted upon sign member 16.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a method for suspending sign member 16 from base 14 with flexible member 18 comprising the steps of securing sign member 16 to flexible member 18 and supporting flexible member 18 at a location, such as described above, on flexible member 18 spaced from sign member 16 permitting flexible member 18 from the location to sign member 16 to displace relative to the location. Similarly, this method includes the step of adjustably engaging flexible member 18 at a desired position along flexible member 18 with adjustably engaging means 26 in which engaging means 26 is secured to base 14 to position sign member 16 to a desired distance from base 14.

While a preferred embodiment has been disclosed, it should be appreciated that the scope of the invention is defined in the appended claims.