Patent US4977696A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4977696A
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Display rack
Assignee: MARK BRIC DISPLAY CORP
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Filing: 1987-04-08
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Granted: 1990-12-18
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Expires: 2007-04-08
Abstract
Abstract A display rack consists of flat pane display frames to be interconnected by coupling members. The frames comprise corner pieces and side frame members of extruded profiled tubes with two parallel tube portions and two longitudinal grooves in the plane of the display frame. The corner pieces have at least two pairs of parallel legs to be inserted and adopted by the tube portions. Of the longitudinal grooves at least one externally located groove of each display frame has an external opening narrower than the rest of the groove to prevent a dowel member introduced into the groove from passing out transversely. The corner pieces have cavities in the extension of the recessed grooves to permit the dowel members to be passed through the corner piece and into said recessed groove. Each coupling member has at least two dowels each of which is adapted for introduction through one of the cavities of a corner piece and further into the corresponding recessed groove in a frame side for interconnecting two or more adjacent display frames at nearby corners.
Inventors
- 👤 Gert A. Johansson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 17:50
CPC Classifications
E; E04; E04H; E04H1/00; E04H1/12; E04H1/1272; G; G09; G09F; G09F15/00; G09F15/0068; A; A47; A47B; A47B2230/00; A47B2230/01
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
287 words
Display rack comprising a plurality of display frames enclosing flat panes and interconnected by coupling members, each display frame comprising frame side members and corner pieces interconnecting adjacent ends of said side members, said frame members being extruded profiles having a constant cross-section over the entire length thereof including two parallel tube portions interconnected by a bridge portion and having between said tube portions two longitudinal grooves, said grooves having openings in opposite directions and the bridge portion being located mainly in the plane of the completed display rack, said corner pieces having at least two pairs of mutually perpendicular legs, the legs of each pair being mutually parallel and inserted into said tube portions of the frame side members under friction, the improvement wherein at least one externally located longitudinal groove of each display frame has a longitudinal axis, is recessed having said outwardly facing opening along the entire length of the groove and being narrower than the rest of the groove, a dowel member of each of said coupling member positioned within the groove and including a portion preventing said dowel member from being forced out of the groove transversely to the longitudinal axis thereof, said corner pieces being formed with cavities constituting extensions of the recessed grooves of the frame side members with the dowel members passing without any obstacle through the corner pieces and into said recessed grooves, and wherein each coupling member comprises at least two said dowel members, each of which is introduced through one of the cavities of a corner piece and projected further into the corresponding recessed groove in a frame side member to interconnect at least two adjacent display frames at a given corner of said display rack.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
287 words
Display rack comprising a plurality of display frames enclosing flat panes and interconnected by coupling members, each display frame comprising frame side members and corner pieces interconnecting adjacent ends of said side members, said frame members being extruded profiles having a constant cross-section over the entire length thereof including two parallel tube portions interconnected by a bridge portion and having between said tube portions two longitudinal grooves, said grooves having openings in opposite directions and the bridge portion being located mainly in the plane of the completed display rack, said corner pieces having at least two pairs of mutually perpendicular legs, the legs of each pair being mutually parallel and inserted into said tube portions of the frame side members under friction, the improvement wherein at least one externally located longitudinal groove of each display frame has a longitudinal axis, is recessed having said outwardly facing opening along the entire length of the groove and being narrower than the rest of the groove, a dowel member of each of said coupling member positioned within the groove and including a portion preventing said dowel member from being forced out of the groove transversely to the longitudinal axis thereof, said corner pieces being formed with cavities constituting extensions of the recessed grooves of the frame side members with the dowel members passing without any obstacle through the corner pieces and into said recessed grooves, and wherein each coupling member comprises at least two said dowel members, each of which is introduced through one of the cavities of a corner piece and projected further into the corresponding recessed groove in a frame side member to interconnect at least two adjacent display frames at a given corner of said display rack.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
47 words
Display rack according to claim 1, wherein at least one dowel member of a coupling member has at least one nib projecting through the opening of the recessed groove for the purpose of preventing the dowel member from rotating about its longitudinal axis relative to the groove.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
64 words
Display rack according to claim 1. wherein at least one dowel member has a cross portion such that said cross portion projects outside the dowel member such that the cross portion cannot enter into the cavity a corner piece to limit the distance that the dowel member can be inserted through the corner piece and into the recessed groove of the frame side member.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
Display rack according to claim 3, wherein the cross portion si constituted by a ball applied to the dowel member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
Display rack according to claim 1, wherein the dowel member is connected with a transversal foot for supporting the display frame in upright position at some distance from a base thereof.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
32 words
Display rack according to claim 1, wherein the coupling member consists of two dowel members arranged in axial alignment to each other and interconnecting two display frames located one above the other.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
Display rack according to claim 1, wherein the coupling member is U-shaped with two mutually parallel dowel members interconnecting two display frames located side by side.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
Display rack according to claim 1, wherein the coupling member has four dowel members interconnected in the form of an H interconnecting four display frames at adjacent corners of the frames in both lateral and vertical directions.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
37 words
Display rack according to claim 1, wherein the dowel member is dimensioned such that is passes through the cavity of the corner piece and into the longitudinal recessed groove of the frame side under a frictional restraint.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
78 words
Display rack according to claim 1, wherein the coupling member comprises two dowel members arranged in axial alignment with one another and a tongue projects roughly from the middle portion of the coupling member and perpendicularly from the dowel members so as to interconnect two display frames, positioned above each other, with the dowel members received by the recessed grooves of the frame side members and with the tongue received in two cavities respectively of adjacent corner pieces.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
73 words
Display rack according to claim 1, wherein the coupling member is composed of at least two coupling units, each of which consists of two aligned dowel members and one tongue perpendicularly projecting therefrom, which tongue is interconnected at their eges remote from the dowel members in such a manner that the tongues around their connection point are disposed with equal angles between them, and all dowel members are situated in mutually parallel relationship.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
86 words
Display rack according to claim 1, wherein the coupling member T-shaped coupling units, each of which is formed of a stem portion in the shape of a dowel member and a cross portion is fixed to the end of each stem portion, with said cross portions interconnected at their one end in a common connection point in such a manner that the cross portions are disposed around their connection point with equal angles between them, and wherein all dowel members are situated in mutually parallel relationship.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-12-17 | 1994-06-18 | 1994-12-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-12-17 | 1998-06-18 | 1998-12-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-12-17 | 2002-06-18 | 2002-12-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |