One-piece reversible flex holder with calibrated retention, for flexible face signs and tarp buidings

Abstract

The one-piece reversible flex holder is affixed to the edge of a flexible face material by a latch, and retains the flexible face material to a sign frame. The latch is selectively openable to release the flexible face material upon a pre-determined tension being applied to the flexible face material. A hinge on the latch blade has a S-shape and a bendable segment capable of deformation under a determined load. An excessive force on the flexible face material such as a strong gust of wind causes the hinge to collapse on itself, thereby releasing the latch blade from the latch block, and letting the flex face material slip out of the flex holder. Excessive wind forces causes the face of the sign to open, to let wind pass through the sign face to release stresses on the sign structure.

Claims

1. In combination, a one-piece reversible flex holder, a flexible face material and a sign frame; said one-piece reversible flex holder being affixed to said flexible face material by a latch, and retaining said flexible face material to said sign frame, said latch being selectively openable to release said flexible face material upon a pre-determined tension being applied to said flexible face material.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one-piece reversible flex holder also comprising: a latch blade connected to said latch, a first and second mountings thereof to said flexible face material relative to said face of said flexible face material; and said one-piece flex holder being configured for transmitting said tension in said flexible face material to said latch blade in said first mounting, and for avoiding said tension being transmitted to said latch blade in said second mounting.

3. The combination as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a plurality of said one-piece reversible flex holders, and said flexible face material has an upper edge and a lower edge, and some of said one-piece reversible flex holders being mounted to said upper edge in said second mounting, and others of said one-piece reversible flex holders being mounted to said lower edge in said first mounting.

4. A one-piece reversible flex holder for retaining a flexible face material to sign frames and tarp buildings, comprising: a latch block; a latch blade mounted to said latch block by a hinge; said latch blade being configured to bend about said hinge over a flexible face material and to engage said latch blade to said latch block for retaining said flexible material between said latch blade and said latch block; said hinge being mounted along a plan of said latch blade; said hinge having a bendable segment therein and said bendable segment being calibrated to deform under a pre-determined loading in said flexible face material along a plane of said latch blade, for releasing an engagement of the latch blade and said latch block, and releasing said flexible face material therefrom.

5. The one-piece reversible flex holder as claimed in claim 4, wherein said hinge has a S-shape and said bendable segment is part of said S-shape.

6. The one-piece reversible flex holder as claimed in claim 5, wherein said bendable segment forms a diagonal of said S-shape.

7. The one-piece reversible flex holder as claimed in claim 6, wherein said bendable segment forms a diagonal relative to said plane of said latch blade.

8. The one-piece reversible flex holder as claimed in claim 7, wherein said bendable segment is bendable from said diagonal position relative to said plane of said latch blade toward a perpendicular position relative to said plane of said latch blade.

9. The one-piece reversible flex holder as claimed in claim 4, wherein said bendable segment is made of malleable material, and has a calibration that is relative to the thickness thereof and a tensile strength of said malleable material.

10. The one-piece reversible flex holder as claimed in claim 9, wherein said malleable material is aluminium.

11. The one-piece reversible flex holder as claimed in claim 4, further comprising: a first and second mountings thereof to a flexible face material relative to a face of said flexible face material; and said one-piece flex holder being configured for transmitting a tension in said flexible face material to said bendable segment in said first mounting, and for avoiding said tension being transmitted to said bendable segment in said second mounting.

12. The one-piece reversible flex holder as claimed in claim 9, wherein said calibration corresponds to a strength of said malleable material between a yield strength and a tensile strength of said malleable material.

13. The one-piece reversible flex holder as claimed in claim 6, wherein said S-shape hinge being configured to deform and displace said latch blade along a plane of said latch blade relative to said latch block, and to disengage said engagement of said latch blade to said latch block.

14. The one-piece reversible flex holder as claimed in claim 4, wherein said flexible material is a tarp.

15. A sign-like structure comprising a frame; a flexible face material and a one-piece reversible flex holder as claimed in claim 4, latched to said flexible face material, and retaining said flexible face material to said frame; and further comprising a plurality of said one-piece reversible flex holders spaced apart along said frame and detachably retaining said flexible face material to said frame.

16. The sign-like structure as claimed in claim 15, wherein said one-piece reversible flex holders being equally spaced apart along said frame.

17. The sign-like structure as claimed in claim 15, wherein each of said one-piece reversible flex holders also comprising: a first and second mountings thereof to said flexible face material relative to a face of said flexible face material; and said one-piece flex holder being configured for transmitting a tension in said flexible face material to said latch blade in said first mounting, and for avoiding said tension being transmitted to said latch blade in said second mounting.

18. The sign-like structure as claimed in claim 17, wherein said frame is a portion of a tarp building and said flexible face material extends over a side of said tarp building.

19. The sign-like structure as claimed in claim 17, wherein said frame is a portion of a tarp building and said flexible face material extends over a roof of said tarp building.

20. The sign-like structure as claimed in claim 19, wherein said frame has un upper side and a lower side, and said one-piece flex holders along said upper side being mounted to said frame in said second mounting, and said flex holders along said lower side being mounted to said frame in said first mounting.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0051] Drawings of the new reversible flex holder with calibrated retention according to the preferred embodiments are provided in which:

[0052] FIG. 1 illustrates a front face of a common sign having the new calibrated flex holders installed therein, and wherein the face of the sign has been blown open by excessive wind forces;

[0053] FIG. 2 illustrates a back face of the sign having the new calibrated flex holders installed therein and wherein the face of the sign has been blown open by excessive wind forces;

[0054] FIG. 3 shows, for reference, a cross section of a first reversible flex holder patented in U.S. Pat. No. 6,637,080;

[0055] FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-section of the new one-piece calibrated reversible flex holder with the S-shape hinge and with the latch blade in the open position;

[0056] FIG. 5 illustrates a cross-section of the new one-piece calibrated, reversible flex holder with the latch blade in the closed position;

[0057] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the compressible hinge as shown in detail circle 6 in FIG. 5;

[0058] FIG. 7 illustrates a cross-section of the new one-piece calibrated reversible flex holder mounted in a backward position with the calibrated retention feature inactive;

[0059] FIG. 8 illustrates a cross section of the new reversible flex holder mounted in an active mode and with the S-shape hinge in a deformed mode and the latch blade ready to open;

[0060] FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of the S-shape hinge in the deformed mode as seen in detail circle 9 in FIG. 8;

[0061] FIG. 10 illustrates the calibrated flex holder mounted inside a common framing extrusion, with the calibrated retention active.

[0062] FIG. 11 illustrates the calibrated flex holder mounted inside a common framing extrusion, with the calibrated retention inactive.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0063] Referring simultaneously to FIGS. 1 to 11, the new flex holder with its features and advantages will be explained while referring to one or several drawings at the time.

[0064] Referring firstly to FIG. 3, a cross-section view of the one-piece reversible flex holder 20 described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,637,080 is illustrated. This flex holder 20 comprises a latch block 22, and a latch blade 24 hinged to the latch block 22 by a hinge 26.

[0065] The new flex holder 120 as shown in FIG. 4 is identical to the reversible flex holder 20, except for the hinge 126 on the latch blade. The hinge 126 in the new flex holder 120 has a S-shape, as opposed to a U-shape in the original flex holder 20. Because of the S-shape, the hinge 126 is compressible.

[0066] The new flex holder 120 is made of a malleable material having a certain elasticity such as aluminium. The desired degree of elasticity can be expressed as the hinge 126 being capable of bending about the bending axis thereof without reaching the tensile strength of the material. Similarly, the hinge 126 is capable of compression and deformation in a direction perpendicular to the bending axis thereof without reaching the tensile strength of the material.

[0067] The new S-shape hinge 126 has a bendable segment 130 along its bending axis 132. The bendable segment 130 is subject to more bending than compression, as both ends of this segment 130 touches the plane 134 of the latch blade 124. The bendable segment 130 is subjected to bending stresses when a force F is applied along a plane 134 of the latch blade 122. This bendable segment 130 forms a diagonal of the S-shape hinge 126. This bendable segment 130 also forms a diagonal along the plane 134 of the latch blade, and it is deformable from this diagonal position toward a perpendicular alignment relative to the plane of the latch blade 124. This bendable segment 130 is calibrated to compress or deform when a one-in-thirty-years wind storm occurs, or to compress or deform under a loading according to a designer's choice. A deformation of the hinge 126 causes the latch blade 124 to disengage from the latch block 122 as shown in FIG. 8, to release the flexible material of the sign face, and to open the sign face as shown in FIGS. 1 & 2.

[0068] It will be appreciated that the thickness as well as the tensile strength of the material of the bendable segment 130, can be selected to calibrate the force F that is require to deform the segment 130 and open the flex holder 120. Preferable the calibration is effected between the yield strength and the tensile strength of the material used.

[0069] Referring now to FIGS. 5, 6, 8 and 9, it will be appreciated that the tension F in the flexible face material 42 is transmitted directly along the plane 134 of the latch blade 120, perpendicular to the bending axis 132 of the hinge 126. This force F is transmitted to the bendable segment 130 as compressive and bending stresses. This force F on the bendable segment 130 is present when the new flex holder 120 is mounted as illustrated in FIGS. 5, 8, 9 and 10.

[0070] When the new flex holder 120 is mounted in the reverse mode, as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 11, the calibrated feature is inactive as the tension in the flexible face material is no longer applied to the new S-shape hinge 126.

[0071] It will be appreciated that the calibrated flex holder 120 retains all the features in the flex holder 20 described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,637,080, and offers the option of using the calibrated-retention feature or not.

[0072] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 and FIGS. 10 and 11, one-piece reversible flex holders 120 are preferably mounted, in equally spaced-apart mode around the sign. Preferably, the reversible flex holders 120 in the lower portion of the sign, as illustrated in FIG. 10, have the calibrated retention active, and can be used the other way as in FIG. 11 along the upper portion of the sign. A sign that has been blown opened during a storm is thereby easier to repair after the storm.