The present invention relates to a device to allow quick and simple mounting as weil as dismounting of a sheet-shaped or panel-shaped information medium, such as posters or the like, at a supporting, substantially vertical surface, preferably a wall surface.

Within many fields of activity, there is a great need of being able to put up posters or larger information sheets adjacent to a wall surface in a fast and easy way, as weli as also being able to carry out replacement of such objects in a fast and easy way. it is of course important that such an object obtains a requisite stretching in the mounted state. A previously known solution is disclosed in SE 517 555 C2, and consists of two supporting beams, the upper beam of which, via a cord system including appurtenant pulleys, is arranged to allow raising/lowering in relation to the lower and fixedly applied beam. In this way, the distance between the beams can be reduced when dismounting and/or mounting a panel-shaped object, which after mounting can be stretched by withdrawing the upper beam in the direction from the lower beam via the cord system.

A considerable disadvantage of the known solution is that three sets of pulleys or return wheels are required to ensure a parallel motion of the upper beam in relation to the lower beam, as well as that the same have to be located above the supported object when this is in the mounted and stretched state. From an aesthetic point of view, this is of course not desirable, and the embodiment with pulleys over which the cord runs is also a complicated and less desired solution.

The object of the present invention is to demonstrate a device that entirely obviates the disadvantages mentioned above and meets the high demands made on aesthetic design, and that also is of a simple and reliable character. The device according to the invention allows a fast and simple replacement of information medium, as weli as also ensures that the same after mounting obtains a requisite stretching.

The device according to the present invention is intended to allow quick and simple mounting/dismounting of a sheet-shaped or panel-shaped information medium, such as posters or the like, at a supporting, substantially vertical surface, preferably a wail surface, and comprises two elongate sections formed to allow engagement with an upper and lower, respectively, edge portion of said information medium, one of the sections being attached to the supporting surface by means of a screw joint, as weil as is essentially characterized in that at least two attachable members are arranged to allow attachment to the wall surface at a distance from the fixedly attached section, that

\ said attachable members comprise a surrounded and projecting piate-shaped part that, in the unaffected state as we!! as via the action of one or more spring members, is arranged to project a maximum distance from said attachable members, as wei! as, adjacent to the free end portion thereof, to having members to ailow joining together with the second section, application of a manua! force against the second section being adapted to move the same toward the first section and aϋow mounting/dismounting of the information medium in question, as wei! as, upon remova! of the appϋed manua! force under spring-actuation, to move the second section into a position where said information medium is supported in a stretched state.

A non~iimiting embodiment example of a device according to the present invention, as we!! as modifications, wii! be described in more detai! be!ow, reference being made to the appended drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of an example of a device according to the present invention, intended to be mounted to a supporting, preferably substantially vertical surface;

Fig. 2 is a side view on an enlarged sca!e of an upper supporting section having a

Fig. 3 is a pianar view of an exampie of the embodiment of a member attachable to a supporting waϋ surface, and including side views and a view in cross section (shown in

Figs. 4A and 4B are a planar view and a side view, respectively, of an example of a p!ate-shaped part, intended to be mounted in a displaceable state in relation to the attachable member shown in Fig. 3.

in order to facilitate the understanding regarding the function of the device according to the present invention, initially, a principal embodiment wii! be described, reference being

2.

The example shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of a principal embodiment according to the present invention comprises a member, as a whole designated 2, that is attachable to a wal! surface 1 and that will be described in more detaii below, in Fig. 1 , there are also shown an upper section 3 and a Sower section 4, as wei! as an information-carrying member 5

extended between the sections 3, 4. An example of such a section 3 is shown in Fig. 2 together with an information-carrying member 5, aiso known as a hanging, attached

As is seen in Fig. 1 , the lower section 4 is fixedly attached to the wall surface 1 , preferably by means of a screw joint. However, the upper section 3 is attached to at least two of the previousiy mentioned attachable members 2, which in turn are attached to the wall surface 1. Said attachable members 2 comprise an upwardly extended, pSate-shaped part 6 formed to allow attachment of the upper section 3 adjacent to the free end portion thereof.

Sn addition, the attachable member 2 comprises a spring member 7, 7' in the form of two helical springs, which co-operate with the piate-shaped part 8. An example of an attachable member 2 is shown in Fig. 3, in which figure also views in third-angle projection are shown of the end portions as well as also with a side view in cross section. For the attachment against a wail surface 1 , there is utilized an countersunk through slot 8 extended in the iongitudinai direction of the attachable member 2 and intended for a screw having a countersunk screw head (indicated in Fig. 1). in the iongitudinal direction of the attachable member 2, two slots 9, 9' are running in which the springs 7, T are located. Over the siots 9, 9', two parts 10, 10" directed toward each other are formed, toward which two edge portions 11 , 11' of the siots 9, 9' are extended. The distance between the outer surfaces of the edge portions 11 , 11' and the internal surface of the parts 10, 10' directed toward each other is chosen to correspond to, or somewhat exceed, the thickness of the piate-shaped part 6. At the lower end portion of the attachable member, a pane-shaped part 12 is arranged, which is formed to close the adjacent end portion of the siots 9, 9', but simultaneously allow a displacement motion of the plate-shaped part 6 past the pane-shaped part 12.

An example of a pSate-shaped part 6 adapted to the attachable member 2 described above is shown in Figs.4A and 4B. Fig. 4A shows the same in the form of an extension, i.e., having two tongue-shaped parts 13, 13' before the bending of the same into the operative state shown in Fig. 4B. Adjacent to a first end portion, there is a through hole 14, which is utilized to unite the pSate-shaped part 6 with the appurtenant section 3, wherein the joining together can be effected by means of a screw/nut joint, blind riveting

4

The wider (iower) part of the plate-shaped part 6 is located between the parts 10, 10' directed toward each other and the two edge portions 11 , 11', as well as in the unaffected state with the tongue-shaped parts 13, 13' closing the open portions of the slots 9, 9 ^! . in order to avoid that action of the springs 7, T results in the tongue-shaped parts 13, 13' leaving the closing position thereof, the wider end portion is formed with a stop member 15, which in Fig. 4A, as an example, is shown in the form of a through hole, and which can be utilized for a rivet, pop rivet, or another member (not shown) that is attachable to the hole and can serve as stop member 15.

Finally, he plate-shaped part 6 has also a through slot 16 extended in the Songitudinai direction with a location and extension substantially corresponding to the slot 8 in the attachable member 2 when the unit is in an unaffected state. The slot 16 in the plate- shaped part 2 is intended to allow access to the mounting screw utilized for the mounting of the unit to a wa!l surface 1.

According to the present invention, there are utilized at least two elements having the design described above and that are attached to a supporting and preferably substantially vertical supporting surface 1 , such as, for instance, a wall surface. Sn doing so, said elements are attached by means of a screw insertabie through the hole, or slot 16, present in the plate-shaped part 6. Said hole/slot 18 also allows insertion of a screwdriver or the like to tighten the screw inserted when mounting to the supporting surface 1. Such as shown, the hole/slot 8 present in the attachable member 2 is provided with a countersink, so that utilized mounting screws do not prevent motion of the piate-shaped part 6 in relation to the attachable member 2.

After the intended number of elements thus have been mounted to the supporting surface, the free portions of the plate-shaped parts 6 are united by means of an elongate section 3, which by means of a screw joint or rivet joint is united with the through hole 14 formed in the plate-shaped parts 6. in this connection, the section 3 has, in the shown embodiment example, a substantialiy V-shaped groove upwardly open from the attachable member 2.

At a distance adapted to the height extension of a poster or a similar other information- carrying member 5, a second section 4 is mounted to the supporting surface 1 , e.g., by means of screw joint. Such a second section 4 may advantageously consist of a section substantialiy identical to the first section 3, but mounted inversely in relation to the

5 same, i.e., with the substantially V-shaped groove open in the downward direction. !n this connection, it should be emphasized that the second section 4 of course may be of another type, the only important is that it allows attachment of the Sower edge portion at the object 5 intended to be shown.

in this connection, it may aiso be mentioned that it of course also is possible to carry out the mounting inversely to what has been described, i.e., with the fixedly mounted second section 4 as an upper section, as well as with the section 3 as a Sower section supported by the attachable members 2. Sn addition, the sections 3, 4 may aiso be formed in order to, in another way than by substantiaNy V-shaped grooves (in combination with an appurtenant plastic border), allow dismountable engagement with the upper and lower, respectively, edge portion of the object 5 intended to be

Regarding the example described above of an embodiment according to the invention, the slots 8 and 16, respectively, allow a certain possibility of additional prestressing adapted to the information carrier 5 to be supported. Even if this is considered to be a preferred example of embodiment, the slots 8, 16 may alternatively be made with a substantially cross-directed extension, i.e., substantially perpendicular to what has been shown, which implies that the distance between pre-drilled holes in the wail surface 1 is not critical. It is of course also within the scope of the invention to utilize substantially cylindrical holes as replacement for the siots 8 and 16, respectively.

Furthermore, the pane-shaped part 12 may be formed integrated with the attachable member 2, e.g., by the fact that the slots 9, 9' are formed so that they are terminated before the end portion of the attachable member 2. However, in view of the attachable member 2 preferably being manufactured by an injection-moulding process of a suitable plastic material, such an embodiment involves higher too! and manufacturing costs.

it is also advantageous to reduce the contact surface between the plate-shaped part 6 and the attachable member 2, with the purpose of reducing the frictional resistance between said parts. Such a reduction of the contact surfaces is shown in Fig. 3 (in the upper view), as well as consists of a centra! groove-shaped recess between the edge portions 11 , 11'. A corresponding centra! recess may also be formed at the surface of the attachable member 2 that is intended to abut against the wall surface 1 , as well as may aiso be formed as two crosswise extended recesses, which oniy leave contact

ϊ> points at the corner portions.

The embodiment example described and shown, together with the examples of modifications indicated, are oniy intended to be examples of embodiments within the scope of the idea of the invention and subsequent claims, iη view of further minor modifications being obvious for one skiϋed in the art without deviating from the scope of protection of the invention.