BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION THIS invention relates to a holder. More specifically, and although the invention may be applied to a wide range of applications, the invention relates to a display holder, extruded from a polymeric material, for holding a display panel in a snap-lock fashion.

Snap-lock frames are well known, with the most common being manufactured from an aluminum material. One major advantage of aluminum type snap-lock frames, at least in the advertising industry, is the aesthetics thereof.

The disadvantages however of such frames are two-fold. Firstly, the construction thereof is cumbersome requiring spring clips to be carefully positioned within the structure of the frames to provide it with its snap-lock characteristics. The spring clips tend to have sharp edges, forcing assemblers to use gloves making assembly unnecessarily time consuming. Secondly, theft of such frames is becoming prominent, particularly in underdeveloped economies where scrap metal trading is not properly regulated and policed.

The advent of foiling has allowed the manufacture of parts previously made from metallic materials to now be made from plastics material, but still having the surface finish and aesthetics of the metallic parts. This to a large extent solves the theft problem, associated with the aluminum snap-lock frames or otherwise

Plastic type snap-lock frames have also become reasonably well known, and certainly address the disadvantages of their aluminum counterparts. Examples of plastic type snap-lock frames are described in US patent documents 6880280, 7076899 and 4523400. All of these frames make use of a resiliently deformable member that is forced to remain in a deformed state with the frame in its closed "in use" condition. It envisaged that over time, the resilience of this member would fade, ultimate leaving the frame with little snap-lock ability. It is an object of this invention to provide a holder and/or frame that addresses the shortcoming of the known prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention there is provided a holder including: a primary jaw having: a primary gripping formation nearer a first side of the primary jaw; a primary hinge formation nearer a second side of the primary jaw; and a primary locking formation located intermediate the primary gripping and the primary hinge formations, the primary locking formation comprising at least first and second catch formattions therealong; a secondary jaw having: a secondary gripping formation nearer a first side of the secondary jaw; a secondary hinge formation nearer a second side of the secondary jaw, wherein the primary and secondary hinge formations are engageabie to co-operatively form a hinge about which the primary and secondary jaws are angularly displaceable relative to one another between an open condition, wherein the primary and the secondary gripping formations are spaced apart from one another, and a closed condition, wherein the primary and the secondary gripping formations snap into contact or close proximity with one another thereby to secure an object therebetween; and a secondary locking formation located intermediate the secondary gripping and the secondary hinge formations, wherein the secondary locking formation operatively rides along the primary locking formation and is engageable with the first and/or second catch formations thereby to releasably lock the primary and secondary jaws in the open and the dosed conditions respectively.

Generally, the primary jaw is a single elongate primary jaw extrusion with the primary hinge and primary locking formations defined on substantially opposing surfaces of a first protrusion protruding from a base of the primary jaw, and further wherein the primary gripping formation is a gripping surface on the base.

Typically, a second protrusion protrudes from the base in a similar direction in which the first protrusion protrudes therefrom such that the elongate primary jaw extrusion has a substantially F-shaped cross-section across an elongate length dimension thereof, and further wherein the object securable between the primary and the secondary gripping formations is abuttable with the second protrusion.

In one embodiment of the invention, an object retaining overhang protrusion protrudes from a free end of the second protrusion and in a direction towards the first side of the primary jaw thereby to define an object receiving groove co-operatively between the base, the second protrusion and the object retaining overhang formation.

Preferably, the secondary jaw is a single elongate secondary jaw extrusion having a spine from which each of the secondary gripping, the secondary hinge and the secondary locking formations protrude in substantially a similar direction such that the elongate secondary jaw extrusion has a substantially E-shaped cross-section across an elongate length dimension thereof.

More preferably, the secondary hinge formation is a curved protrusion such that the secondary locking formation, the secondary hinge formation and that portion of the spine located therebetween has a substantially G-shaped cross-section across the elongate length dimension of the elongate secondary jaw extrusion.

Generally, one of the primary hinge formation or the secondary hinge formation comprises a bulbous head and the other of the primary hinge formation or the secondary hinge formation is a hinge groove sized and shaped for at least partially receiving the bulbous head therein, the hinge groove being substantially rounded thereby to enable the bulbous head to rotate therewithin. Typically, the bulbous head is located at a free end of the secondary hinge formation and the primary hinge formation is the hinge groove defined on the first protrusion protruding from the base of the primary jaw.

Preferably, the first and the second catch formations are first and second overhang formations protruding from the first protrusion of the primary jaw in a direction towards the first side thereof, and further wherein the first catch formation is located further from the base and the first side of the primary jaw as compared to the location of the second catch formation relative thereto, such that a riding surface of the primary locking formation located between the first and second catch formations slopes from the first catch formation towards the second catch formation in the direction of the first side of the primary jaw.

More preferably, the operatively squeezing together of the primary and the secondary jaws from the open condition towards the closed condition causes the secondary locking formation to ride along the riding surface of the primary locking formation thereby to deform the secondary locking formation and/or other sections of the secondary jaw, such that as the secondary locking formation rides up and over the second catch formation, the secondary locking formation and/or other sections of the secondary jaw resiliently snap the primary and secondary jaws into the closed condition.

The primary and the secondary jaws are generally extruded from a polymeric material. Typically, the holder includes a formation to secure it to a support structure, such as a wall.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a display holder for holding an object in the form of a display panel, comprising a plurality of holders according to any one of claims 1 to 11 , and configured to lie end-to-end thereby to frame the display panel and from which the display panel is releasable by operatively displacing the holders from a closed condition to an open condition.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a first perspective view of a holder in accordance with the present invention in an assembled and closed condition;

Figure 2 is a second perspective view of the holder of figure 1 in an exploded condition;

Figure 3 is a third perspective view of the holder of figure 1 in an exploded condition;

Figure 4 is a fourth perspective view of the holder of figure 1 in an assembled and open condition;

Figure 5A is a first front view of the holder of figure 1 in the assembled and open condition;

Figure 5B is a second front view of the holder of figure 1 in the assembled and closed condition; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of display holder constructed from a plurality of holder according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A holder according to a preferred embodiment of the invention is designated generally with reference numeral 10 in the accompanying figures. The holder 10 comprises a primary jaw 12 and a secondary jaw 40, each respectively being in the form of elongate primary and secondary jaw extrusions.

With reference to figures 1 to 3, the primary jaw 12 comprises: a primary gripping formation 14 nearer a first side 16A thereof; a primary hinge formation 18 nearer a second side 18B thereof; and a primary locking formation 20 located intermediate the primary gripping and the primary hinge formations 14, 18.

The primary gripping formation 14 is a planar surface on a base 22 of the primary jaw 12. The primary hinge formation 18 and the primary locking formation 20 are defined on substantially opposing surfaces of a first protrusion 24 protruding from the base 22 near the second side 16B thereof.

The primary hinge formation 18 is in the form of a substantially rounded hinge groove. The primary locking formation 20 defines first and second catch formations 28, 28 in the form of respective first and second overhang formations protruding from the first protrusion 24 in a direction towards the first side 16A of the primary jaw 12.

The first catch formation 26 is located further from the base 22 and the first side 16A of the primary jaw 12 as compared to the location of the second catch formation 28 relative thereto, such that a riding surface 30 of the primary locking formation 20 located between the first and second catch formations 26, 28 slopes from the first catch formation 26 towards the second catch formation 28 in the direction of the first side 16A of the primary jaw 12. A second protrusion 32 protrudes from the base 22 in a similar direction in which the first protrusion 24 protrudes therefrom such that the elongate primary jaw extrusion 12 has a substantially F-shaped cross-section across an elongate length dimension thereof. It will be appreciated that the primary jaw 12 is a single extruded polymeric part with all formations 14, 18, 20, 26, 28, portions 22, protrusions 24, 32 and surfaces 30 thereof being integral within one another. The secondary jaw 40 comprises: a secondary gripping formation 42 nearer a first side 44A thereof; a secondary hinge formation 46 nearer a second side 44B thereof; and a secondary locking formation 48 located intermediate the primary gripping and the primary hinge formations 42, 46. The secondary jaw 40 comprises a spine 50 from which each of the secondary gripping, the secondary hinge and the secondary locking formations 42, 46, 48 protrude in substantially a similar direction such that the elongate secondary jaw extrusion 40 has a substantially E-shaped cross-section across an elongate length dimension thereof.

The secondary hinge formation 46 is a curved protrusion such that the secondary locking formation 48, the secondary hinge formation 46 and that portion of the spine 50A located therebetween has a substantially G-shaped cross-section across the elongate length dimension of the elongate secondary jaw extrusion 40.

Located at the free end of the secondary hinge formation is a bulbous head 52, being engageable within the hinge groove 18 to co-operatively form a hinge about which the primary and secondary jaws 12, 40 are angularly displaceabie relative to one another between open and dosed conditions as the bulbous head 52 is allowed to operatively rotate within the hinge groove 18.

It will be appreciated that the secondary jaw 40 is a single extruded polymeric part with all formations 42, 46, 48 and portions 50, 52 thereof being integral within one another. The open condition refers to a condition in which the primary and the secondary gripping formations 14, 42 are spaced apart from one another to form a mouth for receiving an object 100, preferably in the form of a display panel or poster as illutsrated in figure 4 and 5A. The closed condition refers to a condition in which the primary and the secondary gripping formations 14, 42 snap into contact or close proximity with one another thereby to secure the object 100 therebetween as illustrated in figure 5B. With the bulbous head 52 engaged within the hinge groove 18, it will be appreciated that the secondary locking formation 48, and particularly a free end 48A thereof, is configured to operative!y ride along the primary locking formation 20 so as to engage with the first and/or second catch formations 26, 28 thereby to releasably lock the primary and secondary jaws 12, 40 in the open and the closed conditions respectively.

In use and with the primary and secondary jaws 12, 40 in the open condition and the secondar locking formation 48 engaged with the first catch formation 26 as illustrated in figure 4 and 5A, the operatively squeezing together of the primary and the secondary jaws 12, 40 towards the closed condition causes the secondary locking formation 48 to ride along the riding surface 30 of the primary locking formation 20 thereby to deform the secondary locking formation 48, and/or other sections of the secondary jaw 40.

As the secondary locking formation 48 rides up and over the second catch formation 28 and into engagement with the second catch formation 28, the secondary locking formation 48 and/or other sections of the secondary jaw 40 resiliently snap the primary and secondary jaws into the closed condition, thereby to bite into and clamp the object 100 between the primary and the secondary gripping formations 14, 42.

One major advantage of the holder 10 is that whether releasably locked in the open or closed condition, the primary and the secondary jaws 12, 40 are substantially in their natural, non-deformed state, which should have the effect of increasing the longevity of the holder 10.

It is envisaged that the holder 10 may be applied to many different applications, for example, clipping mechanisms for clip boards or like, or even as latches for plastic containers to name but a few.

The main application however is envisaged in the application of a display holder 200 as illustrated in figure 6, formed by a plurality of holders 10 configured and connected end- to-end, thereby to frame the display panel 100. In essence, the holder 10 create a snap-lock type display frame from which the display panel 100 is interchangeable, which is particularly advantageous in the advertising industry. It is envisaged further that the exposed surfaces of the holder 10 will be foiled so as to provide any number of different aesthetic finishes, for example, to resemble the finish of aluminium.

Although the invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many modifications or variations of the invention are possible without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. For example, the locations of the bulbous head 52 and the hinge groove 18 may be interchanged to lay on the primary jaw 12 and the secondary jaw 40 respectively. Furthermore, an object retaining overhang protrusion may protrude from a free end of the second protrusion 32 and in a direction towards the first side 16A of the primary jaw 12 thereby to define an object-receiving groove co-operatively between the base 22, the second protrusion 32 and the object retaining overhang formation.