The present invention relates to an exhibiting device, hereafter also referred to as an exhibitor, for supporting informative material particularly for containers, urban furnishing elements and the like.
Many techniques are known which allow the walls of refuse containers to be used to convey information and advertising.
In fact, according to the Italian Highway Code, refuse containers, if positioned on the road bed, must necessarily have portions with high refraction.
Moreover they must have a "no stopping" sign in order to ensure the space necessary for the refuse collection vehicle to carry out the operations of emptying the refuse container.
To this must be added the need to also bear a series of items of information that assist the user in using the container correctly, such as for example the type of refuse to be discarded in the container.
For this reason, the walls of containers are generally provided with heterogeneous supports, such as plastic stickers, riveted aluminum panels, or indications written by means of spray paint.
Such techniques however have the drawback that the images and the wordings tend to lose their original coloring quickly, effectively resulting in illegibility of the information on them.
In particular, urban pollution, atmospheric agents, the shapes and ribbing of the walls of the containers, and the materials of which the containers are made are among the main causes of the rapid deterioration of indications, which must thus be frequently replaced.
Moreover, the containers presently on the market differ enormously among each other, in particular in terms of the material of which they are made (iron, stainless steel, aluminum, plastic with injection molding, plastic with rotational molding, fiberglass), as well as the geometric shape, the capacity (from 80 liters up to 10 cubic meters) and the system of hooking for emptying (side loading, rear loading, front loading, with ring-shaped or mushroom-shaped upper hooks for cranes).
For this reason, if panels are used as the support for informative or advertising material, they will have a different size and shape depending on the type of box on which they will be applied, with consequent increase in costs for their production and installation.
The aim of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks, by providing an exhibitor for supporting informative material particularly for containers, urban furnishing elements and the like which is highly versatile.
Within this aim, an object of the invention is to provide an exhibitor for supporting informative material particularly for containers, urban furnishing elements and the like which ensures an easy replacement of the informative material exhibited therein.
Another object of the invention is to provide an exhibitor for supporting informative material particularly for containers, urban furnishing elements and the like which preserves the informative material exhibited therein from degradation.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an exhibitor for supporting informative material particularly for containers, urban furnishing elements and the like which is easy and safe to install.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an exhibitor for supporting informative material particularly for containers, urban furnishing elements and the like which is low-cost, easily and practically implemented and safe in application.
This aim and these objects are achieved by an exhibition device according to claim 1. Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the detailed description that follows of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of the exhibitor for supporting informative material particularly for containers, urban furnishing elements and the like, according to the invention, which is illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
With particular reference to the figures, the reference numeral 1 generally designates an exhibitor for supporting informative material particularly for containers, urban furnishing elements and the like.
According to the invention, the exhibitor 1 comprises at least one plate 2 which is provided with drainage holes (which will be described and illustrated below) and with at least one contoured perimetric edge 3.
Such plate 2 is intended to accommodate stably at least one panel 4.
The panel 4 is a rigid or semirigid support which bears the informative or advertising content to be exhibited. It can be made of plastic material, cardboard, plastic-coated card, aluminum or a combination of these materials.
The exhibitor 1, according to the invention, also comprises a closure element 5 which is provided with means 6 for detachable coupling with the contoured perimetric edge 3.
The closure element 5 couples the panel 4 to the plate 2.
The coupling means 6 and the contoured perimetric edge 3 comprise respective mated and complementary profiles.
The exhibitor 1 comprises at least two plates 2a and 2b, which are mutually connected by way of the mutual juxtaposition of the mated and complementary profiles of the contoured perimetric edges 3a and 3b thereof.
Advantageously the contoured perimetric edge 3 and the coupling means 6 are constituted respectively by two mutually offset series of protrusions 7 and recesses 8.
Both of these protrusions 7 and recesses 8 are substantially trapezoidal.
According to a particular embodiment, the two series of protrusions 7 and recesses 8 are respectively arranged on two different planes which are parallel to the plane defined by the plate 2.
The staggered arrangement of the two series of protrusions 7 and recesses 8 is such that each protrusion 7 of the first series is positioned at a recess of the second series, and vice versa.
In particular, the protrusions 7 of the closure element 5 and of the contoured perimetric edge 3 respectively have through cavities 9 and openings 10 (specifically these through cavities 9 and openings 10 constitute part of the drainage holes).
In the coupling configuration of the closure element 5 with the contoured perimetric edge 3 the cavities 9 are aligned with the respective openings 10 for the optional accommodation of corresponding locking means 11, which allow the mutual stable locking in this configuration.
Alternatively, a permanent locking can be envisaged, by way of adhesive bonding, on one side of the exhibitor 1, and a temporary locking on the other side, in order to enable a quick replacement of the panel 4.
In order to prevent unauthorized persons from removing the closure element 5 from the plate 2, one or more antitheft elements are moreover provided, such as for example a padlock or a screw with self-locking nut.
According to an embodiment of undoubted practical and applicative interest, the exhibitor 1 comprises two plates 2, (2a and 2b), and the protrusions 7 (in particular the protrusions designed to mutually connect 7a and 7b) of a contoured perimetric edge 4 (specifically the mutually opposite edges 3a and 3b) of a first and of a second plate 2a and 2b have a plurality of openings 10 (in detail, the openings 10a and 10b respectively).
In the coupling configuration of the first and the second edge 3 (3a and 3b), the openings 10a of the first plate 2a are aligned with the openings 11b of the second plate 2b, for the optional accommodation of corresponding locking means 11, which allow stable coupling in this configuration.
Alternatively, the mutual locking between the plates 2a and 2b can be performed by adhesive bonding.
For this reason adapted recesses are provided in order to accommodate the adhesive or the silicone used for the locking.
Conveniently the plate 2 has at least one guiding portion 12 in order to facilitate the slideable insertion of at least one panel 4 on the plate 2 itself.
Such guiding portion 12 has a first part 13 which is integral with and perpendicular to the plate 2, and a second part 14, which is integral with the first part 13 and arranged substantially parallel to the plate 2.
The different length of the first part 13 of each guiding portion 12 determines the distance of the respective panel 4, accommodated thereon, from the plate 2.
At the area of the plate 2 which is subtended by the second part 14 an outflow passage 15 is arranged, so as to allow efficient draining of liquids (such passages 15 constitute part of the drainage holes) and the simultaneous outflow of dust and residues in general.
The guiding portion 12 can be preferably U-shaped or V-shaped, but other embodiments are not ruled out.
In fact, according to a further embodiment of particular simplicity and effectiveness, the guiding portion 12 can be a single, double or multiple track, for example E-shaped.
Such shape structure enables the simultaneous insertion of two or more panels 4, arranging them on different planes which are parallel to the plate 2.
Such possibility makes it possible, for example, to insert a panel 4 with an advertising image and above this another two informative panels 4, smaller than the first, indicating the no-stopping sign and the type of refuse to discard in the container.
The advertising panel 4, even if positioned below the two informative panels 4, is visible as well, since, the latter two being smaller in size, they only partially cover the surface of the advertising panel 4, which thus remains visible to the user.
More specifically, at least one of the drainage holes, the through cavities 9, the openings 10 and the passages 15 has respective identification markings for the selective accommodation of fixing elements 16 which make it possible to firmly couple the exhibitor 1 to the respective wall 17 of a container 18, urban furnishing element and the like.
Such identification markings make it possible for the operator to immediately and safely identify the best fixing points for each determined model of container 18.
The possibility is not ruled out that the drainage holes, the through cavities 9, the openings 10 and the passages 15 have different diameters so as to allow the use of different fixing elements 16 according to requirements.
Alternatively, the exhibitor 1 can be firmly coupled to the respective wall 17 of a container 18, urban furnishing element and the like by adhesive bonding.
The characteristics of the locking means 11 and the fixing elements 16 are such that they do not protrude forward, so as not to interfere with the sliding of the panel 4, or rearward, so as not to obstruct the correct positioning on the wall.
The exhibitor 1 can comprise at least one component selected from a loudspeaker, at least one light source and at least one display screen, for the distribution of informative and/or advertising messages.
The light source can for example be used to notify the user of the status of the container 18 i.e. a green light indicates that the container 18 is operational and has space available to contain the refuse, whereas a red light indicates that the container 18 is out of service because it is full.
The exhibitor 1 also makes it possible to accommodate small loudspeakers for the aural diffusion of acoustic signals or synthesized voice.
The apparatuses for controlling and powering such components can be installed behind the plate 2 by arrangement along a plane parallel thereto, or inside the container 18 in a suitable portion thereof.
A graduated scale is arranged on the plate 2 so as to facilitate the correct positioning and alignment of the exhibitor 1 on the wall 17.
Such scale is a sequence of equidistant lines, with distance graduation given in mm or cm and/or given in inches.
The lines are distributed along a straight line and are numbered with increasing numerals.
Such scale is generally positioned at the bottom on the left and it enables correct positioning by the operator with respect to the ground and/or with respect to a specific reference point arranged on the container 18.
The possibility is not excluded of arranging the graduated scale in the closure element 5 as well.
It must moreover be considered that the walls of the containers can have ribbing or reinforcement supports thus creating surfaces that are extremely uneven.
For this reason, adapted shims can moreover be provided to be interposed between the exhibitor 1 and the wall 17 of the container 18.
The plate 2 has a plurality of through eyelets 19 for optimum draining and the lightening thereof.
One or more exhibitors 1 can be applied side by side, overlaid or with any other arrangement, to the wall 17 of a container 18, so that the black centering line remains visible.
Such line, which characterizes side-loading containers, is the line that enables the automatic emptying of the containers.
In fact, by means of an adapted centering video camera, such line is read and codified by automatic robots, arranged on the collection vehicles, so as to identify the correct positioning, during the emptying step, of the collection vehicles with respect to the container.
The exhibitor 1 can be positioned with any orientation (horizontal, vertical, diagonal, inclined) along the walls 17 or the cover of the container 18.
The possibility is not excluded of also applying the exhibitor 1 to other urban furnishing elements such as a post, or a wall.
Use of the exhibitor 1 for supporting informative material particularly for containers, urban furnishing elements and the like according to the invention is as follows.
First, the shape and size of the exhibitor 1 required are determined.
After this, one or more plates 2 are assembled, until the final desired size is obtained.
The plates 2, if there is more than one, are fixed to each other by adhesive bonding or by locking means 11.
Then the operator proceeds by identifying the position of the exhibitor 1 on the wall 17, optionally by using the graduated scale provided, and the exhibitor 1, without the closure element, is coupled, by means of the fixing elements 16 or adhesive bonding, to the wall 17 of the container 18.
In this step the operator can thus choose the most suitable fixing points for that specific container 18 using the respective identification markings without the need to make holes in the plate 2 or the exhibitor 1.
At this point the operator proceeds by inserting one or more panels 4, according to requirements, into the guiding portions 12, after which the closure element 5 is coupled to the contoured perimetric edge 3 by the locking means 11 or by adhesive bonding.
Thus it can be seen, from the foregoing description, that the exhibitor 1, according to the invention, enables an easy and safe installation.
Effectively, the exhibitor 1 for supporting informative material particularly for containers, urban furnishing elements and the like, according to the invention, also attains the high versatility required in that the modularity of the plates 2 makes it possible to freely compose it thus obtaining the desired final size, in relation to the size and to the shape structure of the container 18.
Conveniently, the exhibitor 1, according to the invention, is such as to enable a quick replacement of the informative material exhibited therein.
In fact it is sufficient to remove the closure element 5 and take out the panel 4 to be replaced, insert the new panel 4 and reposition the closure element 5.
Positively, the exhibitor according to the invention makes it possible to preserve the informative material exhibited therein from degradation.
In particular the presence of the drainage holes, the through cavities 9, the openings 10, the passages 15 and the eyelets 19 enables the expulsion of water, both rainwater and the water used to clean the container 18.
It must also be considered that the plurality of through eyelets 19 make it possible to reduce the weight of the exhibitor 1, thus facilitating the transport and installation thereof, as well as the quantity of material necessary to produce it with simultaneous reduction of costs.
The lower weight of the exhibitor also implies a lower weight of the container 18, which is thus easier to shift and move both manually and by means of a mechanized lifting apparatus.
Moreover, the presence of guiding portions 12, in particular the presence of the passages 15, enable the expulsion of the dust deposited on the exhibitor 1.
Profitably, during the step of extracting a panel 4 and subsequently introducing another panel 4, the dust is shifted until it naturally exits from the passages 15 arranged at the rear of the guiding portions 12.
In practice it has been found that the exhibitor 1 for supporting informative material particularly for containers, urban furnishing elements and the like fully achieves the set aim in that it ensures considerable versatility of use, thanks to the modularity that distinguishes it.
The invention, thus conceived, is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, all the details may be substituted by other, technically equivalent elements.
In the embodiments illustrated, individual characteristics shown in relation to specific examples may in reality be interchanged with other, different characteristics, existing in other embodiments.
In practice, the materials employed, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to requirements and to the state of the art.
The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No.
Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.
This list of references cited by the applicant is for the reader's convenience only. It does not form part of the European patent document. Even though great care has been taken in compiling the references, errors or omissions cannot be excluded and the EPO disclaims all liability in this regard.