Structure for mounting advertising elements on vehicles

Abstract

 Display apparatus for mounting advertising elements on vehicles, comprising a support fitted with means of attachment to the roof of the vehicle, on which support is mounted a horizontal circular plate which is free to rotate, the said plate being equipped with an eccentric mass which causes rotation of the plate while the vehicle is travelling, due to accelerations, decelerations, swaying movements etc.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to display apparatus for mounting advertisements and the like on vehicles, by which it is possible, due to its special characteristics, to achieve wide diffusion of the message and object which constitute the advertising element.

[0002] It is traditional to advertise on public roads using advertising hoardings, which has the disadvantage that the advertisement is static so achieving only a limited audience.

[0003] It is also known to mount advertisements on vehicles although the apparatus used is designed solely to fix or mount an object or advertising boarding of the vehicle, generally on the roof or on one side of the bodywork of the vehicle. However, although there is much wider exposure to the public, as compared with stationary hoardings, there is no greater appeal to attract the attention of the public.

[0004] One object of the present invention is to provide display apparatus that has a greater impact than vehicle mounted conventional displays. To this end we now propose display apparatus that is designed such that when the vehicle on which the apparatus is mounted moves, the display will also move relative to the vehicle without the need for any external drive mechanism.

[0005] According to the present invention, display apparatus for mounting on vehicles comprises a support for attachment to the roof of a vehicle, and a plate rotatably mounted on the support and carrying an eccentric mass, the plate also comprising means for attachment of a display or a mounting therefor.

[0006] Another advantage of the structure according to the invention, lies in its simple constitution and operation, with no need for connection to any motive means in order to achieve movement of the advertising support.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus comprising a support which can be fixed to the roof of the vehicle, a horizontal circular tray mounted on the support and a circular plate mounted on the tray and capable of rotating freely.

[0008] The support comprises means for attachment to the roof of the vehicle consisting, for example, of clamps which can be fixed to the gutters, suction cups, screws etc. The top of the support defines a flat horizontal platform on which the tray bears and is fixed. The platform should preferably be circular in shape, and supported by an encircling generally frustoconical wall, terminated in four salient portions angularly spaced from one another by an angle of 90° in order to define legs on which are disposed the clamps or means for attachment to the roof of the vehicle. In addition, this support may be reinforced underneath by diagonal bars extending between the aforesaid four arms.

[0009] With regard to the rotating plate, this is mounted by bearing means on a central axle which is rigid with the s support and passes through the bottom of the tray. This circular rotating plate carries the eccentric mass which acts as a counterweight by means of which, due to the acceleration of decelerations of the vehicle while it is travelling, or due to bumping or swaying due to irregularities in the road surface, a rotary movement is imparted to the plate in one direction or the other and varying in amplitude.

[0010] The aforesaid plate is, in addition, provided with means for attachment of one or more advertisements or the like which thus moves with the plate.

[0011] The apparatus of the invention enables wide exposure depending on the distance over which the vehicle travels, and in addition considerable appeal to members of the public by virtue of the constant movement of the advertising support while the vehicle is travelling.

[0012] The tray which is mounted on the support acts as a protective element, having a peripheral wall inside which the rotating plate is accommodated.

[0013] The axle on which the plate is mounted is integral with the support, passing through the bottom of the tray.

[0014] Between the bottom of the tray and the rotating plate, it is possible to provide a disc fixed to the bottom of the tray and having a surface which presents reduced friction to the rotating plate, the reduced friction feature being assured by the nature of the disc or by the provision of a lubricant.

[0015] If the platform of the support is made sufficiently deep, the tray may be formed in the support. For example, a cylindrical cavity may be formed therein to accommodate the plate and disc.

[0016] The shaft on which the tray is mounted can be fixed to the support in any manner. The rotating plate is mounted on the shaft by means of a ball or other type of bearing and secured by a top nut or in any other convenient manner.

[0017] One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an exploded side view of vehicle mounted advertising apparatus;

Figure 2 is a plan view of a support shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of a rotatable plate shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a side view of a shaft or axle by which the rotating plate of Figure 3 is mounted.

[0018] As can be seen in Figure 1, the apparatus comprises a support 1, provided with means 2 for its attachment to the roof of a vehicle such that the top of the support 1 defines a flat horizontal platform 3 on which is mounted a circular tray 4, fixed to the support 1. Inside the tray 4 is housed a thin disc 5 and above the disc 5 a rotatable plate 6. A locating boss 7 fits through coaxial apertures in the disc 5 and the bottom of the tray 4 to seat in a recess 8 formed in the support 1. The boss 7 has a peripheral flange 8 which engages the upper side of the disc 5 to hold it in position. Projecting upwardly from the boss 7, above the peripheral flange 8 is an axle 9 on which the rotatable plate 6 is mounted by means of a bearing 10, the whole assembly being secured by a nut 11 which is screwed into the end 21 of the axle 9.

[0019] The tray 4 may be secured to the support 1 to prevent relative rotation, for example by nuts, by an external projection 12 formed in the bottom of the tray 4 and engaging in a recess 13 in the platform 3 of the support 1, or in any convenient manner.

[0020] Relative rotation of the disc 5 and the tray 4 may be prevented in a similar manner. In the illustrated embodiment, the disc 5 has on its underside a projection 14 that fits into a recess in the bottom of the tray 4.

[0021] Figure 2 shows more clearly the platform 3 of the support, the central cylindrical housing 8 and the recess 13 for receiving the projection 12 of the tray 4. Around the platform 3 is a frustoconical wall which defines four projecting arms 15 angularly spaced at 90° from one another, on which are provided the means 2 for attachment of the assembly to the roof of a vehicle. The support 1 may in addition comprise diagonal rods 16 which extend underneath the platform 3, beneath the arms 15 and serve as strengthening and reinforcing elements.

[0022] Figure 3 shows to a larger scale, a plan view of the rotatable plate 6 which is hollow and may be formed by uppper and lower discs connected together by spacing elements. An eccentric mass 17 disposed in the hollow plate, serves as a counterweight. The magnitude of this mass and the angular amplitude occupied thereby may vary. The rotatable plate 6 also has on its upper side screw threaded holes 18 or other means by which an advertising display or displays can be attached.

[0023] As can be seen in Figure 4, the locating boss 7 comprises also an extension piece 19 which is cube-shaped and which can be coupled to the cylindrical housing 8 of the support 1. This cube 19 may have a diametral screwthread 20 matching orifices formed in the wall of the cylindrical housing 8 in such a way as to receive a retaining pin which serves as a locking element. Also the fixing of the shaft 7 to the support 1 can be achieved by means of nuts, welds, etc.

[0024] When the apparatus described above is mounted on the roof of a vehicle, then while the vehicle is moving, whenever it undergoes acceleration or deceleration and whenever it sways or bounces due to irregularities in the carriageway over which the vehicle is travelling, the eccentric mass 17 on the plate 6 causes the plate to rotate in one direction or another, the angular amplitude of the movement being variable.

[0025] The advertisement or support therefor, which is mounted on the rotating plate 6 will be propelled by the same movement, thus achieving greater attraction and therefore greater advertising impact.

[0026] The tray 4 which acts as a protective carcase for the disc 5 and the rotatable plate 6 may be eliminated, but in such a case it is preferable to form in the platform 3 of the support a circular depression which is sufficiently large to accommodate the plate 6.

[0027] Also between the rotatable plate 6 and the fixed surface situated immediately underneath it, whether it is the disc 5 or the bottom of the tray 4, friction-reducing elements for example, balls, may be interposed to avoid possible pitching of the plate and in order to facilitate its rotation. The same effect can be achieved if the disc 5 is made from a material with a low coefficient of friction in respect of the said plate or by disposing a lubricant on the upper surface of the disc 5.

Claims

1. Display apparatus for mounting on vehicles, comprising a support for attachment to the roof of a vehicle, and a plate rotatably mounted on the support and carrying an eccentric mass, and plate also comprising means for attachment of a display or a mounting therefor.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support defines a platform supported by a generally frustoconical wall terminating in four equally angularly spaced projections or legs on which are mounted clamps or other means for attachment to the roof of a vehicle.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the rotatable plate is mounted on a tray formed in or fixed to the platform of the support.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein between the bottom of the tray and the rotatable plate is a disc which is fixed to the bottom of the tray.

5. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the disc and bottom of the tray have co-axial apertures through which passes an axle carrying the rotatable plate and rigid with the support, the tray comprising a wall surrounding the periphery of the disc and plate.

Drawing