EXHIBITOR FOR FLATTENABLE OBJECTS Technical Field

The present invention is useful in furniture/decoration and exhibition industries, but also in any other industry which requires the exhibition of flattenable items.

Summary of ^* the Invention

The present invention provides for a fast, easy and effective means for exhibiting books, magazines, DVDs, CDs and other flat shaped or flatennable objects, which are fixed and s stained by the pressure exerted by m lleable bodies with variable shapes, preferably malleable spheres (2) , most preferably foam spheres, fixed between two diametrically opposed transparent surfaces (5), preferably two plane transparent surfaces (5).

It' s main advantages result from the fact that it is manufactured in a single piece of raw material, by moulding it, using preferably acrylic and similar thermoplastics, into the intended shape, without the need for gluing separately manufactured sections, which significantly decreases the costs of production in terms of raw materials, due to the absence of glue or other adherence agents, and also reducing production time because moulding instead of gluing significantly decreases the resting time before packaging and expedition, without breaking or dissociate the exhibitor of the present invention into more than one piece. Furthermore the production method of the present invention reduces the produced collateral environmental residues. In addition.^ the final product has an increased durability, when compared to the closest state of the art, as disclosed in PT 105913, because the risk of breaking due to the degradation and drying of the glue with time was significantly decreased, by eliminating the need for assembling and glui g the pieces together. The present invention, is also safer to the user, even when used by children and other non-trained users, due to the absence of sharp edges and points of intersection.

Background of the Invention

PT 105913 is a granted Portuguese Patent from the same inventor as the one from the present invention. It discloses a transparent exhibitor bo for books, magazines and newspapers, using fixation means made of flexible materials, such as rubber, foam or other suitable materials. These fixation materials, preferably spheres, exert pressure and fix the exhibited item against the transparent front surface of the box.

The present invention is more than a simple improvement of the box as disclosed in PT 1059013 because it solves the problems of transparency vs. glue dependency and resistance.

This problem mainly consists on the following: The box as disclosed in P 11059013 was manufactured by gluing sections of transparent material to each other in order to obtain the desired box. Nevertheless, the preferred glue for this purpose has to be both resistant to environmental agents, such as temperature oscillations, water, impact, among others, and also has to maintain transparency through the structures it brings together, otherwise not all the sections of the exhibited item will be visible through the exhibitor, because some sections will be opaque.

Glues kno as OV glues provide such transparency once they have dried, but have two main drawbacks: (i) long drying periods before the product is ready for packing and distributing; and (iij low resistance to environmental agents and impact, causing the box to brake.

Technical Aspects regarding Acrylic Sheets

Acrylic sheets are easil glued to each other or to other acrylic surfaces, using special glues, commercially available, namely known as glues for acrylic.

The area meant for adherence should be cleaned and free of contaminants or any kind of particle. In case there is any roughening, this should be eliminated by buffing said surface, although if the surface is not properly buffed there is a risk that it may not adhere to other surface due to non- even lining.

Capillarity gluing is the most common procedure used to glue acrylic items. This is a very thin textured glue which penetrates into the joints to be glued by capillarity. In this procedure, glue is applied with a hyp©thermal syringe and respective needle, or using an oiler. Care should be taken not to spread the glue on other sections of the item.

It takes at least 30 minutes (20° C) drying. Depending on the completion of the sections and produced sheets, the assembly should rest during the drying period and sometimes more time, before handling items. However, acrylic glue is not adequate for items exposed to weather or to mechanical efforts, liquid pressure or sealing. Recommended only for those c ses where the items re light in weight. To adhere items requiring pressure resistance, mechanical efforts, perfect sealing and weathering resistance, thick glue would be the most indicated.

Thick glue, although more resistant, has also more opacity, which means it provides less or no transparency through the adhered areas of acrylic.

The present invention solved the problem by manufacturing an exhibitor out of moulding one single piece of raw material, obtaining a fully transparent final product and highly resistant to both environmental agents and impact.

Furthermore, acrylic glues are toxic to inhalation and ingestion. They should be stored in a well ventilated environment, protected from heat and light exposure, and also from humidity. When handling this kind of products, users should make use of individual safety equipments.

The use of glue produces a large amount of residues, which are detrimental to the environment, either for the atmosphere, or to the water where they dissolve.

Description

The present invention therefore results from moulding a transparent material, preferably glass and acrylic, by heating and bending a single piece into the final intended shape of the exhibitor of the invention. Acrylic may be heated inside a heating tunnel or an oven and heat should be evenly distributed over the surface to mould. When heated, acrylic assumes a rubber-like texture, which allows it to be moulded in whatever shape as intended. When acrylic is used, heat is supplied locally and particularly on the bending sections and, for a better accuracy, these bending sections may be grooved on their inner surface so that the acrylic sheet bends until angles with appro imately 90° form, in the case of polygonal exhibitors (1), for example with square or rectangular transparent surfaces {5}.

Recommended moulding temperature for acrylic is between 165° and 190° C. After cooling, it becomes rigid and. maintains the shape as provided during moulding. If the moulding procedure takes place at less than 140 °C, acrylic could suffer too much strain and split or break:. With temperatures over 190 °C the risk of material's degradation becomes highe and it could tear during or after moulding.

Acrylic may be moulded by heat or cheraically or by any other applicable means which is suitable for providing the exhibitor of the present invention with the intended shape. It may also be applied suction or air pressure to obtain the desired shape and size.

The present invention refers to an exhibitor for books, magazines nd other flat and fIa11enabIe obj ects . Sa i.d exhibitor is the outcome of joining at least two components: at least one transparent box (1,2) with at least one fixation means (7), preferably malleable fixation means which may be spherical or assume any other suitable shape for fixing and sustaining the item to exhibit against, at least one, transparent surface (5) . Both compon nts are shown In Fi.gure 1.

The preferred embodiment is the world' s first display designed for books and magazines and is preferably square, although it may also assume other shapes for different embodiments. Some embodiments of the present invention are to be ma keted under the name Boox™ and represe t a brand new category in the universe of interior goods providing a wide range of display possibilities for books and magazines, aimed not only for domestic use but also for other environments such as offices, shops, libraries, museums, galleries, hotels, restaurants or bars. Its revolutionary suspension system, through rubber balls can also be used to display other kind of flat objects such as vinyl albums, fabrics, drawings or printed photos.

Boox Square is a remarkable design evolution from the original rectangular BOOK .

This eye-catching new format with thicker acrylic and open sides brings new amazing features that enhance the possibilities of this unique display system.

A fiattenable object according to the present invention comprises fiat objects and objects which are possible to flatten (flattenable) such as a book, a magazine, a disk such as a vinyl disk, a compact disk (CD) , a digital versatile disk (DVD) , a textile item, a dress, o a table cloth, or a rug.

In a preferred embodiment fixation means (7) are malleable rubber or foam balls which fix and sustain by compression, the exhibited flattenable items, against one of the transparent surfaces (5) of the box (1), allowing not only for these to be static, as well as to adjust their position (Figures 4, 5 and 6).

Figure 1 shows a side and frontal view of the exhibitor (1) of the present invention, comprising a book, wherein the book is pressed against the frontal transparent surface (5) through spherical malleable bodies, fixing and sustaining its position. These malleable spherical bodies, which contract when pressea and then expand when released, could be regular anti-stress spheres or ball, commercially available, and ate least one is necessary for fixing and sustaining the desired exhibited item.

The box (1). may have different sizes and shapes and can be made out of any transparent material, with or without colour, preferably acrylic, polycarbonate or glass.

Both fixatio means (7} and flattenable items to be exhibited are inserted, adjusted and removed from the box (1) through the lateral openings (3) and back openings (4).

Front and back sides of the exhibitor of the present invention are transparent surfaces (5) and may be square, rectangular or have any other polygonal shape. Transparent surface (5) may also be circular, elliptical or assume any other compatible curved shape.

Lateral openings (3) are wide enough to allow/ the insertion, which can be manual or automated, adjustment and removal of the exhibited items and of the fixation means (7) . The profile of the bended sheet is characterized by having a preferred rectangular shape, the extremities of which do not meet .

The back opening (4) should be wide enough to allow the insertion, adjustment and removal of the fixation means (7) through it and also to allow the p ssage of the any sustaining means applicable to hang the exhibitor on a vertical plane, such as a wall, or to place it on a horizontal plane surface,, such as a table, in a way similar to a picture frame. The shape and size of the back opening {4} should be configured such that it serves the purpose of adjusting the position of the whole box (1) when hanging on a wail, depending on the location of its gravity centre, because the weight of the box (1) plus fixation means (7} plus exhibited object is not always evenly distributed along the surface of the box (1) .

In another preferred embodiment at least one transparent box (1) is attached to at least one other transparent box (2) - Figure 3»· The lateral opening of the boxes llows for the insertion of wider arid/or longer objects along the set of the attached boxes.

Description of Drawings

List of Reference Signs

1 - transparent box

2 -- transparent box

3 - lateral opening

A - back opening

5 - front /b ck trarisparent surface

6 - upper/lower_ transpare t surface 7 - fixation means

8_ - depth of the upper transparent surface (6)

? ~ depth of the lower transparent surface (6)

10 - width _of_ box (1]

11 - length of box (1)

12 - width of back opening (4)

13 - length of back opening ( 4 }

Figure 1 - Perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the exhibitor of the present invention: a transparent box (1) with two lateral openings (3) and one back opening (4), the box comprising two square or rectangular shaped transparent surfaces (5) and two rectangular shaped transparent surfaces (6), wherein the objects to exhibit are previously inserted in. the box (1) through lateral opening (s) (3) and then compressed against one of transparent surfaces (5) with the aid of fixation means which may be, as shown, malleable spheres ( 7 ) .

Figure 2 - Orthographic views, front view and side view, of a preferred embodiment of the exhibitor of the present invention: the box comprising two square shaped transparent surfaces (5) , and one back opening (4) , with the aid of malleable spheres (7; as fixation means. The external depth of the upper transparent surface (8), the external depth of the lower transparent surface (9), the with (10) of the box, the length (11) of the box, the width (12) of the back opening (4), and the length (13) of the back opening (4).

Figure 3 - Orthographic views of a preferred embodiment of the exhibitor box of the present invention in a sequential scheme shows attachment of a transparent box (1) to other transparent box(es) (2). The lateral opening of the box (1,2) allows the insertion of wider and/or longer objects along the set of attached boxes (1,2}.

Figure 4 - Orthographic views, front view and side view, of the exhibitor of the present invention: the box comprising two rectangular shaped with landscape orientation transparent surfaces (5), and one back opening (4), and the aid of malleable spheres {7} as fixation means.

Figure 5 - Orthographic views, front view and side view, o.f the exhibitor of the present invention: the box comprising two rectangular shaped with vertical orientation transparent surfaces (5), and one back opening ( } ., and the aid of malleable spheres (7) as fixation means. This box is aimed to objects which ends are displayed outside the limits of the box through the lateral openings.

Figure 6 - Orthographic views, front view and side view, of the exhibitor of the present invention: the box comprising two circular shaped transparent surfaces (5), and one back opening (4), and the aid of malleable spheres (7) as fixation means .

Detailed Description of the Invention

Flattenable objects are any objects which are capable of being flattened, such as books, magazines, clothing, posters, vinyl records, CDs, DVDs and any kind of disk.

Pressable objects are any objects capable of being pressed, in this particular case, against at least one of transparent surfaces (5), through which they are visible. Transp rent surfaces (5) are obt inable from any moulciable mate ial, of any colour, which in its fin l form has enough transparency for allowing the exhibition of a given object.

Preferable materials are acrylic, polycarbonate, glass, thermoplastics or any other coloured or colourless transparent material ,

The transparent surface may also have a rounded shape (10} , such as a circle, an ellipse, a balloon, a heart or any other .

Bird Shape

The front surface is a narrow vertical rectangle along which the balls press behind, the spine of the book or magazine and their pages are displayed outside the piece. This model is specially aimed for low cost.

Landscape Shape

The front surface is rectanguiar with horizontal orientation. This shape is especially suitable for landscape images.

The front surface is rectangular with vertical orientation. This shape is especially suitable for portrait images.

Circle Shape

The front surface is especially suitable for circular content or it simply works as a decorative alternative.

Colours: Any model made totally or partially in transparent coloured acr lic, glass or other, which works as a filter over the displayed content changing our visual perception over it .

The disclosed embodiments are merely illustrative of t e present invention, not being limitative to the scope of same .

Example 1 :

Exhibitor wherein the length of the side of the square transparent surfaces (5) is 72,6 em, the length of the side of a square opening (4) is 11,5 cm and the depth of the lateral opening (3) on. the upper end (8) is 7 cm and on the lower end (9) is about 8,6 cm.

Example 2 :

Exhibitor wherein the length of the side of the square transparent surfaces {5} is 50,5 cm, the length of the side of a square opening (4) is 8,6 cm and the depth of the lateral opening (3) on the upper end (8) is 7 cm and on the lower: end (9) is 8,6 cm.

Example 3 :

Exhibitor wherein the length of the side of the square transparent surfaces (5) is 40 cm, the length of the side of a square opening (4) is 7,5 cm and the depth of the lateral, opening {3} on the upper end (8) is 7 cm and on the lower end (9) is 8,6 cm.