Apparatus and method for displaying room wall and floor covering arrangments for selection by a purchaser

Abstract

A device for displaying room wall and floor covering arrangements for selection by a purchaser includes a frame assembly having display panel support members for supporting at least one display panel in a display condition, the frame assembly being configured to resemble, along with at least one supported display panel positioned in the display condition, at least one room; and at least two surface covering display panels being mutually different in at least one appearance or composition characteristic, such at least one appearance or composition characteristic including at least one of color, pattern, material, texture, and geometrical composition.

1 . A device for displaying wall and floor covering arrangements for selection by a purchaser comprising: 
 a frame assembly having a bottom, a plurality of upstanding walls secured to said bottom, said walls having a top and being interconnected and sized to define rooms such that said assembly substantially simulates a scaled-down house;    a plurality of interchangeable wall covering display panels, each of said wall covering display panels having a pair of opposite side edges joined by a top edge, and having wall covering secured thereto; and,    a plurality of interchangeable floor covering display panels; and,    wherein the bottom of said frame assembly is transparent and wherein said frame assembly defines a cavity subjacent to the transparent bottom, the cavity being sized and configured to receive at least one of said floor covering display panels for viewing through the transparent bottom.    
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of exterior facade display panels for displaying an exterior facade.  
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of roofing display panels.  
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the walls are transparent.  
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1  wherein said rooms having channel members secured adjacent said walls, said channel members defining slots sized to receive the edges of said wall covering display panels therein.  
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5  wherein each of said wall covering display panels comprise on at least one side one of paint, paper, vinyl, plastic and wood.  
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the bottom of said frame assembly is transparent and wherein said frame assembly defines a cavity subjacent to the transparent bottom, the cavity being sized and configured to receive at least one of said floor covering display panels for viewing through the transparent bottom and as the floor of one of the rooms.  
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1  wherein said frame assembly defines a cavity superjacent the bottom, the cavity being sized and configured to receive at least one of said floor covering display panels for viewing as a floor of one of the rooms.  
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8  wherein said floor covering display panels comprise at least one of carpeting, linoleum, refractory, cork and wood.  
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1  further including data processing means for processing data corresponding to any one of the wall covering panels paired with any one of the floor covering panels to define wall and floor covering matching arrangements.  
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 5  further comprising data processing means for processing data corresponding to any one of the wall covering panels paired with any one of the floor covering panels to define wall and floor covering matching arrangements.  
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 11  wherein said wall covering is selected from the group consisting of paint, paper, or wood.  
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 11  wherein the floor covering display panels comprise floor coverings selected from the group consisting of carpeting, linoleum, refractory, cork and wood.  
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 1  wherein said lighting means includes a fluorescent light source, an incandescent light source, a natural light source, and switch means for selectively activating the light sources.  
     
     
         15 . A device for displaying room wall and floor covering arrangements for selection by a purchaser, comprising: 
 a frame assembly having display panel support means for slidably receiving and supporting at least one display panel in a display condition, the frame assembly being configured to resemble, along with at least one supported display panel positioned in the display condition, at least one room; and    at least two surface covering display panels being mutually different in at least one appearance or composition characteristic, such at least one appearance or composition characteristic including at least one of color, pattern, material, texture, and geometrical composition.    
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 15  wherein said at least two surface covering display panels each comprise one of a wall covering and a floor covering.  
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 15  wherein said at least two surface covering display panels each comprise one of a wall covering, a floor covering and a roof covering.  
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 15  wherein said frame assembly includes transparent floor and wall panels through which can be seen a surface covering display panel in the display condition, the transparent floor and wall panels simulating unadorned floor and wall surfaces of the at least one room.