Collapsible exhibit panel

Claim 1

A collapsible lightweight exhibit panel comprising a plurality of square units, each unit formed as a box-like frame having two opposed vertical unit surfaces extending in mainly parallel flat relationship and having horizontal and vertical side faces, each of said side faces being defined by two side rods pivotally connected in a scissor-like manner, each of said vertical unit surfaces being defined by four corner joints with the ends of said side rods being pivotally connected with the respective corner joints, each unit including a central joint and two sets of four substantially diagonally extending rods wherein the rods of one set of the sets diagonally extending rods are pivotally connected at one ends thereof to the respective corner joints defining one of the opposed vertical unit surfaces and are pivotally connected at the opposite ends thereof to the central joint of the unit and wherein the rods of the other set of diagonally extending rods are pivotally connected at one ends thereof to the respective corner joints defining the other of the opposed vertical unit surface and are pivotally connected to the respective rods of the one set of diagonally extending rods between the central joint and the associated corner joints of the one set of diagonally extending rods, each unit having corner joints of the four corner joints at one of the unit faces thereof pivotally connected with respective diagonally extending rods of the diagonally extending rods of one or more adjacent units, each unit having a substantially trapezoidal horizontal cross-sectional form in the erected condition with a smaller horizontal distance between the corner joints of one unit surface thereof relative to the other unit surface thereof, each corner joint being detachably connected with all of its associated rods, all rods and joints in each unit being located entirely between the unit surfaces thereof in the erected condition of the panel with the pivotal connections between the side rods in the horizontal and vertical side faces as well as the pivoted connections between the diagonally extending rods being positioned substantially in a vertical central plane parallel to the unit surfaces, a snap locking device for releasably being secured between opposite corner joints of one pair of opposed joints to hold the panel in an erected condition, a plurality of pairs of threaded pins secured to respective pairs of opposed joints distant from the pair of joints supporting the snap locking device, a plurality of tubular members, corresponding to the respective pairs of threaded pins, wherein each tubular member has a pair of coupling nuts at opposite ends for connection with the respective threaded pins of each pair of threaded pins to provide stable connections between a plurality of pairs of opposed joints after provision of the connection provided by the snap locking device.