Media wall

Abstract

According to the present invention there is provided a media wall comprising a vertical frame arranged to be anchored to one or more of a floor, wall or ceiling, one or more display panels and a plurality of decorative panels, wherein the frame comprises a plurality of uprights and a plurality of display panel cross members suspended by the uprights, by which the one or more display panels are supported and a plurality of decorative panel cross members suspended form the uprights, by which the plurality of display panels are supported, wherein the decorative panel cross members are of a different type to the display panel cross members. The invention provides a media wall which can be relatively easily and inexpensively tailored and assembled to a customer's specific requirements and permits the media wall to be easily disassembled, possibly reconfigured and reassembled either at the same or a different location.

Claims

1. A media wall comprising: a vertical frame arranged to be anchored to one or more of a floor, wall or ceiling, the vertical frame comprising a plurality of uprights; a plurality of display panel cross members fixed to the plurality of uprights; one or more display panels supported by the plurality of display panel cross members; a plurality of decorative panel cross members fixed to the plurality of uprights; and a plurality of decorative panels supported by the plurality of decorative panel cross members; wherein the plurality of decorative panel cross members are different in type to the plurality of display panel cross members; each decorative panel of the plurality of decorative panels comprises a ferromagnetic rear face and decorative front face; each decorative panel cross member of the plurality of decorative panel cross members is extruded, and has a first end, a second end, and a number of channels each extending from the first end to the second end; the media wall further comprising a plurality of fixings arranged to engage in appropriate ones of the number of channels and to slide along the respective channels to a desired location; and each fixing of the plurality of fixings comprises a magnet arranged to engage with a respective ferromagnetic rear face of one decorative panel of the plurality of decorative panels.

2. The media wall of claim 1, wherein each and every upright of the plurality of uprights is arranged in a single linear array of uprights.

3. The media wall of claim 2, wherein the uprights of the plurality of uprights are all equally spaced within the single linear array.

4. The media wall of claim 1, wherein the plurality of uprights alone support all of the one of more display panels and the plurality of decorative panels.

5. The media wall of claim 1, wherein each decorative panel has at least one first location device and each fixing has at least one second location device arranged to engage with the at least one first location device to correctly locate the decorative panel associated with the at least one first location device.

6. The media wall of claim 1, wherein each decorative panel of the plurality of decorative panels comprises a rear ferromagnetic tray-like backing member comprising a forward planar section with three or more edges extending rearward to increase the rigidity of the forward planar section, each decorative panel further comprising a decorative facing member bonded or adhered to a front face of the forward planar section.

7. The media wall of claim 6, wherein each decorative panel of the plurality of decorative panels is rectangular and each rear ferromagnetic tray-like backing member has no more than three edges extending rearward from the forward planar section, with a first rearward extending edge joining both a second rearward extending edge and a third rearward extending edge and extending rearwards to a maximum extent along its length, with the second and third rearward extending edges extending rearward to a maximum extent where the second and third rearward extending edges join with the first rearward extending edge, the second and third rearward extending edges tapering off towards an edge of the rear ferromagnetic tray-like backing member opposite to the first rearward extending edge.

8. The media wall of claim 6, wherein the decorative facing members are non-ferromagnetic.

9. The media wall as claimed in of claim 8, wherein each decorative facing member embodies a planar aluminum panel that extends over an entirety of a respective forward planar section of a respective rear ferromagnetic tray-like backing member.

10. The media wall of claim 6, wherein the decorative facing members are of a lighter color than the rear ferromagnetic tray-like backing members.

11. The media wall of claim 6, wherein the one or more display panels and the plurality of decorative panels cover an entire external face or entire external faces of the media wall.

12. The media wall of claim 11, wherein each decorative panel of the plurality of decorative panels is secured in place by magnets and is configured to be removed without the use of tools.

13. The media wall of claim 1, wherein the plurality of decorative panels comprises a plurality of identical decorative panels that are interchangeable on the vertical frame.

14. The media wall of claim 13, wherein each decorative panel of the plurality of decorative panels has a width and height, each display panel of the one or more display panels has a width and a height, and the width of each display panel is an integer multiple of the width of each decorative panel of the plurality of decorative panels.

15. The media wall of claim 1, wherein the plurality of decorative panels comprises a plurality of planar decorative panels and a plurality of decorative corner panels, each decorative corner panel of the plurality of decorative corner panels forms both part of a front face of the media wall and a return edge of the media wall, and the return edge encloses a side of the media wall.

16. A method of constructing a media wall as claimed in claim 1, the method comprising, in no particular order, the steps of: selecting the one or more display panels; selecting the plurality of decorative panels; selecting or cutting the plurality of display panel cross members of an appropriate length for the selected one or more display panels; selecting or cutting the plurality of uprights of an appropriate length; selecting or cutting the plurality of decorative panel cross members of an appropriate length; securing the plurality of uprights in position in a building as a single linear array; mounting the plurality of display panel cross members to the plurality of uprights to form a frame supported entirely by the plurality of uprights; mounting the one or more display panels centrally in the frame on the plurality of display panel cross members; securing the plurality of decorative panel cross members to the plurality of uprights; selecting an appropriate number of magnetic fixings of a plurality of magnetic fixings and fixing the number of magnetic fixings in the number of channels in the plurality of decorative panel cross members; and securing the plurality of decorative panels to one or more magnetic fixings of the plurality of the magnetic fixings.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising securing a plurality of identical decorative panels on a front face of the media wall by means of a plurality of identical magnetic fixings of the plurality of magnetic fixings, and securing a plurality of identical corner decorative panels by means of other magnetic fixings of the plurality of magnetic fixings identical to the plurality of identical magnetic fixings securing the plurality of identical decorative panels on the front face.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a front view of a media wall in accordance with the present invention;

(2) FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the media wall of FIG. 1;

(3) FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of a frame of the media wall of FIGS. 1 and 2;

(4) FIG. 4 shows to an enlarged scale the section A of FIG. 3;

(5) FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of the frame of FIG. 3 with a number of fixings and four display panels attached thereto;

(6) FIG. 6 shows to an enlarged scale the section B of FIG. 5;

(7) FIG. 7 is a rear perspective view of one of the planar decorative panel of the media wall of FIGS. 1 and 2;

(8) FIG. 8 is a front perspective view of the decorative panel of FIG. 7;

(9) FIG. 9 is a front perspective view of the decorative panel of FIGS. 7 and 8, but showing the two components of the decorative panel separated;

(10) FIG. 10 is a view similar to that of FIG. 9, but showing an alternative planar decorative panel with a different backing member;

(11) FIG. 11 is a rear perspective view of a corner decorative panel of the media wall of FIGS. 1 and 2; and

(12) FIG. 12 corresponds to FIG. 11, but shows separately the components of the corner decorative panel of FIG. 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(13) One embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(14) Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, these show a media wall, indicated generally as 1, in accordance with the present invention. This comprises a frame, indicated generally as 2 (which is described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4) and, in this embodiment, four flat screen display panels 3a to 3d, which may for example be commercially available off the shelf flat screen plasma or LCD display panels. The media wall 1 further comprises four corner decorative panels 4a, 4b, 5a and 5b and six planar decorative panels 6a, 6b and 7a to 7d.

(15) The media wall of FIGS. 1 and 2 is arranged to be supported entirely by the frame 2 and is arranged to be secured to a wall of a building by means of brackets 8, wherein the height of the main body of the display (ignoring the frame) extends to the height of a suspended ceiling, with the frame 2 (shown here) arranged to be anchored to the wall above the height of the suspended ceiling by means of the brackets 8. However, where a suspended ceiling is not present, the frame need only extend to the same height as the main body of the media wall. In either case the frame could be attached at its upper end to a ceiling (or structure above a suspended ceiling) instead of to a wall, enabling it to be freestanding away from any wall, if this should be desired.

(16) As can be most clearly seen from FIG. 2 the corner decorative panels 4a, 4b, 5a and 5b form returns down the side of the media wall, which returns will abut the wall of the building and thereby enclose the media wall, providing a particularly aesthetically pleasing appearance.

(17) As will be appreciated from FIGS. 1 and 2, with an appropriately sized frame any number of display panels may be incorporated into the media wall, with an appropriate number of additional planar decorative panels 6a, 6b and 7a to 7d. Certain ones of the decorative panels, such as 4a to 7d, may all be standard sizes. However, selected ones of the decorative panels, such as the upper corner decorative panels 4a and 4b and upper planar decorative panels 6a and 6b, may be tailor made to specific requirements, if for example it is required that the media wall 1 extend precisely from the floor to an existing ceiling. Similarly additional planar decorative panels may be used if a wider media wall is required, for example if it is to extend between two existing walls. Here the width of the corner decorative panels 4a to 5b may need to be tailored to a specific requirement, or the corner panels may be omitted and the planar panels extend to the adjacent walls of a room instead. However, a particularly advantage of the present invention is that the use of corner decorative panels enables the media wall to be fitted to the wall of a building without requiring it to extend right across the width of a room, thus minimising the cost for a given area of display panels and reducing or eliminating the requirement for tailor made decorative panels.

(18) Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, these show the frame 2, seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. The frame 2 comprises four uprights 9a to 9d equidistantly spaced from each other in a linear array by end plates 10 and 11. The uprights are formed from identical length of extruded aluminum, each having a number of channels on each side. Into the end of the channels fixings (not shown) may be secured through holes 12 in the end plates 10 and 11 (see FIG. 4) to ensure the uprights 9a to 9d are equally spaced and parallel to each other. The end plates 11 and 12 may be cut to length depending on the number of uprights 9a to 9d required, which in turn will be dependent on the number and width of the display units 3a to 3d. The end plates 10 and 11 have further holes 13 midway between the upright positions, through which holes 13 further fixings (not shown) may be used to secure the base of the frame to a floor and if appropriate to a ceiling of a building, instead of, or in addition to, the brackets 8 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

(19) To the uprights 9a to 9d there are secured by fixings (not shown) display panel cross members 14a to 14d, for supporting the display panels 3a to 3d. Again these may be cut to any desired length depending on the width and number of display panels 3a to 3d. Also attached to the uprights 9a to 9d are decorative panel cross members 15a to 15e, to which the decorative panels 4a to 7d are to be attached by fixings, described below with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

(20) Each of the decorative panel cross members 5a to 15e may again be cut or selected to be an appropriate length and these are also formed from extruded aluminum and have a number of channels extending along their length.

(21) Referring now to FIG. 5, this is a front perspective view of the frame of FIGS. 3 and 4, but with the decorative panels 3a to 3d attached to the display panel cross members 14a to 14d in a conventional manner. Additionally, a number of magnetic fixings 16 have been secured at appropriate locations on the decorative panel cross members 15a to 15e and four of these are shown in greater detail in FIG. 6, which is an enlargement of the inset B of FIG. 5.

(22) From FIG. 6 it is seen that each of the magnetic fixings 16 is secured to the channels 32a-32c extruded in the decorative panel cross member 15e. Each magnetic fixing 16 comprises a right angled plate, as shown, with a pair of slots 17 therein which, together with the extruded channels 32a-32c in the decorative panel cross member 15e, permit the position of the magnetic fixing 16 to be both set to a required front to back depth and also in the correct lateral position along the decorative panel cross member 15e.

(23) On a front face of each magnetic fixing 16 is a magnet 18, arranged to engage with a respective decorative panel, as will be described below with reference to FIGS. 7 to 11. Additionally, each magnetic fixing 16 also comprises location holes 19 and 20 to receive respective location pins 21 (described below) mounted on the back of the decorative panels 4a to 7d.

(24) Referring now to the FIGS. 7 and 8, these are respectively rear and front perspective views of the planar decorative panel 7a of FIG. 1, identical to planar decorative panels 7b to 7d of FIG. 1. As shown most clearly in FIG. 9, the decorative panel 7a comprises a flat decorative facing member 22, which may for example be an aluminum sheet with machined edges and which may be anodised or painted to provide a particularly crisp appearance. The facing member 22 is bonded or adhered to a pressed steel tray like backing member 23, which is shaped to provide lateral rigidity by having a rearwardly extending top edge 24 and to provide vertical rigidity by having two rearwardly extending side edges 25 and 26. As shown, the side edges 25 and 26 taper away and there is no rearwardly extending bottom edge. This is because, in this embodiment, the top edge 24 and two tapered side edges 25 and 26 provide sufficient rigidity for this particular application. The side edges are tapered as shown and the bottom edge omitted to reduce the weight of the backing member 23 and thus the weight of the decorative panel 7a. However, an alternative backing member 29 is illustrated in FIG. 10, with four complete edges to provide a more rigid decorative panel 28, should this be desired.

(25) Referring again now to FIG. 7, on the back of each steel backing member 23 are two location pins 21, which engage with location holes 19 in respective magnetic fixings 16. As will be appreciated from FIG. 4, each planar decorative panel 6a to 7b will be secured in place by the action of the magnets 18 of four respective magnetic fixings 16, attaching to the steel backing members 23 of the planar decorative panels 6a to 7d.

(26) FIG. 11 illustrates one of the corner decorative panels 5a of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 12 this again comprises a steel backing member 29, to the outward faces of which are secured appropriate aluminum panels 30 and 31. The backing member again has location pins 21 which engage in location holes 19 in respective magnetic fixings 16.

(27) A media wall, (together with a method by which that media wall is constructed), has been described above by way of example only with reference to the embodiment disclosed in the drawings. It will be appreciated that the components in that embodiment may be combined with identical components or similar components to provide a media wall of any desired size and having a desired size of display. It will also be appreciated that many modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention, as recited in the following claims.