Background Art The support of the present invention is particularly but not exclusively for use in the field of accessories for display structures in commercial businesses, for example, for the display of informative sales boards.

Known supports comprise a frame structure which in turn includes a plurality of bar-like elements connected to one another so as to define the peripheral outline of the area that is dedicated to the board being displayed, the board being fitted in and connected to the frame structure.

Given its particular configuration, the frame structure may have considerable overall dimensions so as to be unnecessarily bulky when not in use, particularly during movement, storage, or transportation operations.

To overcome this problem, a known solution provides for the bar-like elements of the frame structure to be connected to one another releasably, for example, by means of push-fit joints. The frame structure can thus be dismantled when not in use and reassembled when required.

However this known solution leads to some problems, amongst which is the fact that, once the bar-like elements have been dismantled, they can easily be lost.

Disclosure of the invention The problem underlying the present invention is that of providing a support for display boards which is designed structurally and functionally to overcome the limitations discussed above with reference to the prior art mentioned.

Within the scope of this problem, a further object of the invention is to make the frame structure easier to assemble and dismantle.

This problem is solved and this object is achieved by the present invention by means of a support for display boards formed in accordance with the appended claims.

Brief description of the drawings The characteristics and the advantages of the invention will become clearer from the detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof which is described by way of non-limiting example with reference to the appended drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front view of a support for display boards formed in accordance with the present invention, in the operative condition, and Figure 2 is an exploded and partially-sectioned view of the support of Figure 1.

In the drawings, a support for display boards formed in accordance with the present invention is generally indicated 1.

Best mode of carrying out the invention The support 1 comprises a frame structure 2 and engagement means, generally indicated 3, for fixing the frame structure to one or more support rods. In the embodiment described herein, the frame structure 2 is fixed, in the region of two opposed sides, to a pair of rods 3a extending vertically from the ceiling but the support 1 may similarly be provided with engagement means configured suitably for fixing to brackets or pillars, in accordance with methods known per se in the technical field in question.

The frame structure 2 comprises four bar-like elements 4,5, 6, and 7 and can undergo a transition from an operative condition in which the frame 2 is arranged for peripherally supporting a display board, not shown in the

drawings, to a non-operative condition in which the frame 2 is folded up, as explained further below.

In the operative condition shown in Figure 1, the frame structure 2 is square, each of the bar-like elements 4-7 defining a respective side of the square. The frame structure 2 may, however, similarly be formed with other geometrical shapes, possibly even curved or ornamental shapes.

Each bar-like element is preferably made of metal alloy and has a tubular structure defining a respective internal axial cavity 4a, 5a, 6a, or 7a and opposite ends 4b, c, 5b, c, 6b, c, or 7b, c which are chamfered at 45? in the same direction.

The frame structure 2 comprises coupling means for releasably connecting the bar-like elements 4-7 to one another and thus permitting the transition from and to the above-mentioned operative condition. The connection between the bar-like elements is made in the region of their ends in the following manner.

The coupling means comprises L-shaped connection devices, all indicated 10, in each of which a pin 11 and an appendage 12 extending substantially perpendicularly from the pin 11 are defined. The pin and the appendage have an axial through-hole 11a, 12a and are separated by a flange 13 which is arranged diagonally between them and can abut one of the ends of the bar- like elements 4-7.

The connection devices 10 are preferably made of plastics material and are fixed to the bar-like elements by fitting the pins 11 in the respective internal axial cavities through the corresponding ends. The pins 11 are secured, for example, by gluing.

A preferred arrangement of the connection devices 10 provides for a pair of them to be fixed to the ends 7b and 7c of the bar-like element 7 in the

manner indicated above and for the remaining pair to be fixed to the adjacent bar-like elements 4 and 6 at the ends remote from the element 7.

The connection devices 10 are inserted in the bar-like elements 4,6 and 7 in a manner such that the flanges 13 abut the respective ends 7b, 7c, 4c and 6c.

The appendages 12 can also be housed in the internal axial cavities of the bar- like elements 4-7 at the ends of which respective recesses 14 are defined, but in this case, the coupling engagement is releasable.

The appendages 12 and the respective recesses 14 advantageously have complementary polygonal, for example rectangular, cross-sections. The coupling is thus an anti-rotation coupling since the bar-like elements 5 and 7 are prevented from rotating about the appendages 12 and rotation relative to the bar-like elements 4 and 6 is consequently not possible.

Naturally, couplings with complementary cross-sections of other shapes may be used to achieve the same object, provided that they are not circular.

According to a principal characteristic of the invention, the connection means comprises resilient means acting between the bar-like elements 4-7 to hold them in the operative condition.

The resilient means comprises a resilient string 15 extending inside the frame structure 2, through the internal cavities of the bar-like elements 4,5 and 6 and the axial holes 11a, 12a in the connection devices 10.

The ends 15a and 15b of the resilient string 15 are preferably anchored to the two connection devices that are mounted on the bar-like element 7 with the use of respective string clamps 16 of a type known per se.

The frame structure 2 also has means for the fixing of a display board; this means comprises, for example, grooves which are formed on the inner sides of the bar-like elements but which are not shown in the appended drawings since they are not the subject of the present invention.

In order to dismantle the frame structure 2 to bring about its transition from the operative condition to the non-operative condition, it suffices to remove the bar-like element 7 in the direction of the arrow A of Figure 2 so as to remove the appendages 12 from the respective recesses 14, against the returning action exerted by the resilient string 15, and to repeat this operation for the bar-like elements 4 and 6 by moving them in the directions of the arrows B and C of Figure 2.

Once the bar-like elements have been disconnected, they can easily be placed on top of one another in adjacent and parallel positions so that the folded frame structure takes up a minimal amount of space.

It should be noted that all of the individual bar-like elements are nevertheless connected to one another by the resilient string 15, thus preventing individual components from being lost and allowing the frame structure to retain a unitary construction.

The frame structure 2 is assembled simply by arranging the bar-like elements in the initial position and reinserting the appendages 12 in the recesses 14. It should be noted that this operation is advantageously facilitated by the action of the resilient string 15 which prevents the bar-like elements from being arranged in positions other than the starting position and which resiliently biases the insertion of the appendages into the respective recesses.

It should also be noted that the resilient string 15 acts as an automatic locating element during the assembly of the frame structure and opposes the removal of the appendages from the recesses in the operative condition.

The present invention thus solves the problem discussed above with reference to the prior art mentioned, at the same time offering many further advantages, amongst which an easier handling of the frame structure during assembly and dismantling operations.