HEDELL, Niclas (Markärrsvägen 18, Höviksnäs, S-471 62, SE)
KARLSSON, Bo (Änghagsvägen 30B, Torslanda, S-423 49, SE)
HEDELL, Niclas (Markärrsvägen 18, Höviksnäs, S-471 62, SE)
| CLAIMS 1. A suspension device (101) for hanging signs, comprising at least one suspending member (102, 103) and a locking device (104) having a slit or internal through-channel for inserting and positionally fixing a suspension line (105) therein, wherein said locking device (104) is fixed to or integrated with said suspending member (102, 103) so that said suspension line (105), after the insertion, will exit an opening (106) of said channel or slit in a direction (A) extending toward said suspending member (102, 103) and/or toward other portions of the suspension device (101), ch a ra cte ri zed i n that the suspension device (101) comprises at least one deflecting means (107) disposed in front of said opening (106) for directing the suspension line (105') to the side in a direction (B) extending away from said suspending member (102, 103) and from said other portions of the suspension device (101). 2. The suspension device (101) according to claim 1, ch a ra cte ri zed i n that the deflecting means (107) is adapted to direct the suspension line (105') to the side into a position (C) where said suspension line is freely accessible for cutting or trimming by means of a hand tool. 3. The suspension device (101) according to claim 1 or 2, ch a ra cte ri zed i n that the deflecting means (107) is adapted to direct the suspension line (105') to the side by an angle (a) that is greater than 15° and smaller than 75° relative to the feed-out direction (A) of the line from said opening (106). 4. The suspension device (101) according to any one of the preceding claims, ch a ra cte ri zed i n that the deflecting means (107) has a cupped shape about its longitudinal direction. 5. The suspension device (101) according to any one of the preceding claims, c h a ra cte ri zed i n that two of said suspending members (102, 103) are connected at a pivot (108), for enabling manual opening movement against a biasing force produced by a spring means and automatic closing movement driven by this biasing force, wherein the deflecting means (107) is arranged so that it clears said suspending members (102, 103) during said movements. 6. The suspension device (101) according to any one of the preceding claims, ch a ra cte ri zed i n that said deflecting means (107) is attached to or integrated with at least one of said suspending members (103). 7. The suspension device (101) according to any one of the preceding claims, c h a ra cte ri zed i n that said deflecting means (107) is formed by an end of one of said suspending members (103). 8. The suspension device (101) according to any one of the preceding claims, ch a ra cte ri zed i n that said suspending members consist of two spring-biased, toothed gripping jaws (102, 103) of metal, preferably steel sheet metal, which are connected at a pivot (108) and form a crocodile clamp. 9. The suspension device (101) according to any one of the preceding claims, ch a ra cte ri zed i n that the suspension line is a wire, which is preferably a steel wire (105), wherein the locking device is a wire lock (104) of metal, preferably steel, which has preferably been fixed by riveting to one (103) of said suspending members and which preferably has on its outside a manually operable clamping device (109) acting on said suspension line (105) in said slit or channel inside the wire lock (104). 10. A suspension system (110) for hanging signs (111), comprising at least one suspension device (101), a flexible suspension line (105, 105') and a rod member (112), having at least one magnetic fastener (113, 113') for suspension from a ceiling (114) and a longitudinal channel (115) for slidable suspension (Zl) of an upper portion of the suspension line (105"') relative to the longitudinal direction of the rod member, wherein said suspension device (101) comprises at least one suspending member (102) and a locking device (104) having a slit or an internal through channel for inserting and positionally fixing the suspension line (105) therein, wherein said locking device (104) is fixed to or integrated with said suspending member so that said suspension line (105) , after the insertion, will exit an opening of said channel or slit in a direction extending toward said suspending member (102) and/or toward other portions of the suspension device (101), ch a ra cte ri zed i n that the suspension device (101) comprises at least one deflecting means disposed in front of said opening for directing the suspension line (105') to the side in a direction extending away from said suspending member (102) and from said other portions of the suspension device (101). |
The present invention relates to a suspension device for hanging signs, such as advertising or information signs. The invention also relates to a suspension system comprising such a suspension device. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Different types of advertising and information signs are commonly occurring, for example in food stores, department stores and in building material stores. In addition to advertising, the signs may, for example, display way descriptions, information about the assortment of products, or price information in order to make purchases easier for the customers. It often happens that signs of this type have to be moved or replaced, and thereby have to be adjusted in height with respect to the size of the sign and the information displayed on the sign. It is desirable to be able to hang the signs at an optional distance from the floor and in a desired alignment relative to the plane of the floor, preferably in parallel therewith. The signs are therefore normally hung by means of one or several flexible suspension lines with suitable suspension devices, such as clamps or hooks. The suspension lines and/or the suspension devices can be provided with adjustment devices for the line length. One previously known type of such length adjustment devices are different types of wire locks, by means of which a suspension wire can be fixed in a desired position after the adjustment. Since the type of signs in question are often replaced or moved, it is important that the suspension devices of the signs are so designed that it goes quickly and easily to remove an old sign and then to attach a new sign to the suspension device. Different types of hook members, intended to interact with suitably shaped holes or edges of the signs, are one previously known type of suspension device enabling a quick change of signs. Clamps having spring- biased, toothed jaws ("crocodile clamps"), which are clamped around the top edge of the sign, are another previously known type of suspension device enabling a quick change of signs. Suspension devices which, in addition to a hook or clamp, also have a line or wire lock adjacent to or integrated with the hook or clamp are also previously known. This type of locking devices can have different designs, but are usually based on inserting the line or wire into a slit or channel, where the line or wire can be fixed by means of a suitable clamping device, e.g. by tightening one or several screws or by rotating a ring or sleeve that clamps the line or wire in the slit or channel, either directly or via clamping jaws or the like. Such a line or wire lock is thus designed to be capable of locking a suspension line or wire in a desired position or at a desired length of line, so that the suspended sign will hang in the desired position. Suspension devices with integrated line or wire locks are advantageous since they reduce the number of individual components in the suspension system and make the sign hanging easier for the staff. Suspension devices with integrated line or wire locks can, however, cause some problems. The reason for this is that the end of the line or wire, in connection with the length adjustment thereof, is to be inserted into the clamping slit or channel of the line or wire lock, and that the line or wire, after exiting the opening of the channel or slit, easily may end up getting tangled with, or even get stuck inside the hook or clamp of the suspension device. This is not desirable and means that the staff working with the signs will have to use important working time trying to untangle the end of the suspension line or wire that is tangled with, or stuck inside the hook or clamp, so that it can be pulled further through the wire or line lock and be fixed in the desired position, to then be cut to remove unnecessary line material, should this be necessary, in order to achieve a neat and safe sign installation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a first object of the invention to provide a suspension device which eliminates the risk that a suspension line or wire, which is passed through a line or wire lock integrated in the suspension device, gets tangled with, or gets stuck inside the hook or clamp of the suspension device in connection with hanging signs, in order to enable adjustment and fixing of the length of the wire or line, and any cutting to length thereof, to take place in a problem-free, quick and thereby cost-effective way.
This first object is achieved by means of a suspension device according to claim 1, which comprises at least one suspending member and a locking device having a slit or internal through channel for inserting and positionally fixing a suspension line therein, wherein said locking device is fixed to or integrated with said suspending member so that said suspension line, after the insertion, will exit an opening of said channel or slit in a direction extending toward said suspending member and/or toward other portions of the suspension device, and wherein the suspension device comprises at least one deflecting means disposed in front of said opening for directing the suspension line to the side in a direction extending away from said suspending member and from said other portions of the suspension device.
A second object of the invention is to provide a suspension system which comprises a suspension device according to the invention, and which thereby enables a problem-free, quick and effective hanging of signs in a height and position-adjustable way.
This object is achieved by means of a suspension system for hanging signs according to claim 10, which comprises at least one suspension device, a flexible suspension line and a rod member, having at least one magnetic fastener for suspension from a ceiling and a longitudinal channel for slidable suspension of an upper portion of the suspension line relative to the longitudinal direction of the rod member, wherein said suspension device comprises at least one suspending member and a locking device having a slit or an internal through channel for inserting and positionally fixing the suspension line therein, wherein said locking device is fixed to or integrated with said suspending member so that said suspension line, after the insertion, will exit an opening of said channel or slit in a direction extending toward said suspending member and/or toward other portions of the suspension device and wherein the suspension device comprises at least one deflecting means disposed in front of said opening for directing the suspension line to the side in a direction extending away from said suspending member and from said other portions of the suspension device.
Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, claims and the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the following, a number of embodiments of the invention will be described more closely, only as examples and with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, in which :
Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a suspension device according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;
Figure 2 shows a schematic view, seen from above, of the suspension device according to Figure 1, when a suspension wire has been passed through the integrated wire lock of the suspension device; and
Figure 3 is a schematic illustration of s suspension system according to the invention, where a suspension device according to the invention is used for hanging a sign.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
Figures 1 and 2 show a side view, and a view seen from above, respectively, of a suspension device according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. The following description will be given with simultaneous reference to Figs. 1 and 2.
The suspension device 101 is intended for hanging signs and comprises at least one suspending member 102, 103, and a locking device 104 having a slit or an internal through channel for inserting and positionally fixing a suspension line 105 therein. The actual slit or channel is not visible in the figures.
The locking device 104 is fixed to or integrated with the above-mentioned suspending member 102, 103 so that the suspension line 105, after the insertion, will exit an opening 106 of the channel or slit in a direction A (see Figure 2) extending toward the above-mentioned suspending member 102, 103 and/or toward other portions of the suspension device 101. At the opening 106, the suspension line thus has a direction that, in case of continued feeding out of the suspension line in this direction, would cause it to come into contact with the above-mentioned suspending member 102, 103.
According to the invention, the suspension device 101 comprises at least one deflecting means 107 disposed in front of the opening 106 for directing the suspension line 105' to the side in a direction B (see Figure 2) extending away from the above-mentioned suspending member 102, 103 and from the above- mentioned other portions of the suspension device 101. Thanks to the provision of this deflecting means 107 in the suspension device according to the present invention, the risk that the suspension line gets tangled with or gets stuck inside the suspending member 102, 103, after having been fed into and out of the locking device in connection with hanging signs, is eliminated almost completely, so that the suspension line can be cut off in order to remove unnecessary material, if this is necessary, to thereby be able to achieve a neat and safe sign installation as quickly as possible.
In a preferred embodiment of the suspension device according to the invention, the deflecting means 107 is thus adapted to direct the suspension line 105' to the side into a position where the suspension line is freely accessible for cutting or trimming by means of a hand tool. Such an ideal cutting position is indicated by the line C in Figure 2. By adapting the design of the deflecting means to the type of tool that the sign installer is expected to use for the cutting of the end of the line, the hanging of signs can be made as effective as possible.
The deflecting means 107 is preferably adapted to direct the suspension line 105' to the side by an angle a (see Figure 2) that is greater than 15° and smaller than 75° relative to the feed-out direction A of the line from the opening 106. By designing the deflecting means 107 so that the angle a is greater than 15°, it is ensured that suspension line does not get into contact with the suspending members 102, 103 or other portions of the suspension device. Furthermore, an angle greater than 15°, i.e. a sufficiently large deflection of the suspension line, enables the suspension device to be made shorter in the longitudinal direction than would be possible with a smaller angle and thus a smaller deflection, since the smaller deflection of the line would make it necessary to increase the distance between the opening 106 from the locking device and the suspending members 102, 103, to ensure that the suspension line clears them in spite of such a small deflection. By keeping the angle a smaller than 75°, it is ensured that the force that the installer has to apply on the suspension line, when it is to be passed through the locking device 104, does not become excessively large.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, the deflecting means 107 has, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, a cupped shape about its longitudinal direction, i.e. the deflecting means has a spoon-like shape that forms a trough, which ensures that the suspension line does not "slip out of" the deflecting means and starts to run in an undesired direction.
In a preferred embodiment of the suspension device 101 according to the present invention, two suspending members 102, 103 are connected at a pivot 108, for enabling manual opening movement against a biasing force produced by a spring means (not shown in the figures) and automatic closing movement driven by this biasing force, wherein the deflecting means 107 is arranged so that it clears said suspending members 102, 103 during these movements. As a result of this design, unnecessary difficulties, which could arise if the suspending members could hit the deflecting means and disturb the opening and /or closing movement, are avoided for the installer, and furthermore, the risk that the installer hurts his/her fingers on the deflecting means during the manual opening movement is reduced. In Figure 1, the upper suspending member 102 is thus adapted to be pivotable about the pivot pin 108, relative to the lower suspending member 103, during the opening and closing movement, respectively. Even if it is not visible in the figures, the spring means in the preferred embodiment is constituted by a helical spring that is wound around the pivot pin 108, but many other types of spring means (e.g. a blade spring) are conceivable within the scope of the invention.
The deflecting means 107 is particularly advantageously attached to or integrated with at least one of said suspending members 103. Such a design enables a simple manufacture, for example by punching out and bending a suspending member with an attached deflecting means. Such a design also enables a quick assembly of the parts included in the suspension device, for example by riveting together two suspending members, one of which comprising an attached deflecting means, by means of a pivot through-pin. However, it is also conceivable with embodiments, where the deflecting means is attached to or integrated with the locking device, or attached to a component connecting the suspending members, such as a pivot pin, hinge device, or the like.
In a preferred embodiment, the deflecting means 107 is formed by an end of a suspending member 103, as is shown in Figure 1, where the deflecting means 107 is formed by a bent end portion of the lower suspending member 103. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the suspending members consist of two spring-biased, toothed gripping jaws 102, 103 of metal, preferably steel sheet metal, which are connected at a pivot 108 and form a crocodile clamp. However, it is also conceivable with other embodiments of the invention, where the suspension device has a suspending member of a completely different type, e.g. a hook member with an integrated wire lock, but where there still might be a similar risk of tangling of the suspension line as with a crocodile clamp.
In a particularly preferred embodiment of the suspension device according to the invention, the suspension line is a wire, which is preferably a steel wire 105, while the locking device is a wire lock 104 of metal, preferably steel, which has preferably been fixed by riveting to one 103 of the suspending members and which preferably has on its outside a manually operable clamping device 109 acting on the suspension line 105 in the slit or channel inside the wire lock 104.
In the specific, preferred embodiment shown in Figure 1, the two suspending members or gripping jaws 102 and 103 have been manufactured from sheet metal blanks by punching, drilling and bending, wherein the (in Figure 1) lower gripping jaw 103, during the punching, has also been provided with an end portion that, after the bending, forms the deflecting means 107. The substantially sleeve or tube-shaped parts included in the wire lock 104 have been manufactured from steel in machining operations, which are intended for this purpose and well known per se. After assembling the different parts of the wire lock 104, the wire lock has been fixed to the lower gripping jaw 103 by riveting. After this, the two gripping jaws 102, 103 have been articulately connected by riveting by means of the pivot pin 108, wherein a helical spring (which is not visible in the figures) has been slipped onto the pivot pin 108 before the riveting to achieve the spring-biasing of the gripping jaws 102, 103 toward a closed position, in a way which is known per se. However, many other possible designs and methods for manufacturing the suspension device according to the present invention, than the ones which has been described above, are conceivable. Figure 3 shows a schematic illustration of a suspension system according to the invention, where a suspension device according to the invention is used for hanging a sign. In the following, a preferred embodiment of the suspension system will be described with reference to Figure 3. The suspension system 110 comprises at least one suspension device 101, a flexible suspension line 105, 105' and a rod member 112. The rod member has at least one magnetic fastener 113, 113' for suspension from a ceiling 114, and a longitudinal channel 115 for slidable suspension Zl of an upper portion of the suspension line 105"' relative to the longitudinal direction of the rod member. The suspension device 101 comprises at least one suspending member 102 and a locking device 104 having a slit or an internal through channel for inserting and positionally fixing the suspension line 105 therein. The locking device 104 is fixed to or integrated with said suspending member so that the suspension line 105, after the insertion, will exit an opening of the channel or slit in a direction extending toward said suspending member 102 and/or toward other portions of the suspension device 101. In the preferred embodiment of the suspension system for signs according to the invention, the suspension device 101 comprises at least one deflecting means 107 disposed in front of the opening for directing the suspension line 105' to the side in a direction extending away from said suspending member 102 and from said other portions of the suspension device 101. The suspension system 110 according to the present invention enables a problem-free, quick and effective hanging of signs in a height and position- adjustable way. Thanks to the slidable insertion of the suspension line through the channel 115 in the rod member 112 and through the locking device 104 of the suspension device 101, it becomes possible for an installer to suspend, height-adjust and horizontally adjust a sign while standing in one and the same position on the floor and by means of a single suspension line, by executing the following steps in an order convenient to the installer:
- passing one end of the suspension line 105 through the channel 115 in the rod member 112 until an appropriate protruding length of line is obtained at both ends of the channel;
- thereupon suspending the rod member 112 below a metal surface in the ceiling 114 by means of the magnetic fasteners 113, 113' integrated in the rod member and while using a pole (not shown here) provided with a holder (not shown here) suitable for the rod member;
- attaching one end 105" of the suspension line to one end of the sign 111 in a suitable way, e.g. by means of a crocodile clamp 116, or suspending hook, attached to this end of the line; - attaching the suspending member 102 of the suspension device 101 to the other end of the sign 111;
- loosening the clamping device of the locking device 104 integrated in the suspension device 101 and passing the second end 105' of the suspension line through the locking device 104;
- adjusting the suspension height LI of the sign by sliding adjustment of the point where the suspension line 105 passes into the locking device 104;
- positionally fixing the suspension line 105 inside the locking device 104 when the desired length of line has been found;
- adjusting the horizontal position of the sign 111 by sliding adjustment Zl of the upper portion 105"' of the suspension line passing through the channel 115 in the rod member 113; and
- removing any unnecessary length of line, while using a hand tool such as a pair of cutting pliers, by cutting the end of the suspension line exiting from the locking device 104 at the line portion 105' that the integrated deflecting means of the suspension device 101 has directed to extend in a direction away from the suspension device 101.
In the foregoing, a number of embodiments of the invention have been described with reference to the figures in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the described embodiments and the details in the figures should only be regarded as examples, and that many other embodiments of the invention are possible within the scope of the following claims.