Telescoping support bars for portable display systems

Abstract

A portable display frame includes a support frame and improved telescoping support bars. Each of the improved telescoping support bars includes a pass-through engaging slot on a first telescoping support bar section and an easily replaceable attachment projection member on a last telescoping support bar section. Known support bars require flexing the support bar to pass a closed end engaging slot on the first telescoping support bar section past a middle engaging hub, often resulting in damage to the telescoping support bar. The pass-through engaging slot of the present invention passes over the middle engaging hub without requiring flexing. Further, attachment projections on known support bars have broken and required time consuming repair or replacement of the support bar, often at an inconvenient time and location. The replaceable attachment projection member allows simple and easy repair when the attachment projections break.

1 . A portable display frame comprising:
 a support frame having a two dimensional array of spaced apart engaging hubs on a support frame front;   support bars having a front face and a rear face, each support bar including:
 a first support bar section having a first front face and a first rear face; and 
 a last support bar section having a last front face and a last rear face, the last support bar section cooperating with the first support bar sections to form the support bar; 
   longitudinally spaced apart engaging slots on the first and last rear face of each corresponding first and last support bar section, the engaging slots shaped to receive the engaging hubs to attach the support bars to the support frame, the engaging slots including:
 an open end pass-through engaging slot residing on each first support bar section; and 
 a closed end engaging slot residing on each last support bar section; and 
   attachment projections residing on the front face of the support bars for attaching panel boards to the display frame.   
   
   
       2 . The portable display frame of  claim 1 , wherein one of the pass-through engaging slots resides on each first support bar section proximal to an end opposite the last support bar section. 
   
   
       3 . The portable display frame of  claim 2 , wherein one of the pass-through engaging slots is molded into each first support bar section. 
   
   
       4 . The portable display frame of  claim 2 , wherein the pass-through engaging slot includes a longitudinally narrowing tapered portion to guide the pass-through engaging slots into the engaging hubs and a narrow straight portion for engaging the engaging hubs to position each support bar laterally on the support frame. 
   
   
       5 . The portable display frame of  claim 2 , wherein two of the closed end engaging slots reside proximal to opposite ends on each last support bar section. 
   
   
       6 . The portable display frame of  claim 1 , wherein the support bars include a removable and replaceable attachment projection member and the attachment projections reside on the attachment projection member. 
   
   
       7 . The portable display frame of  claim 6 , wherein the support bars are vertical support bars and the attachment projection member resides on the last support bar section proximal to a top end of the last support bar section. 
   
   
       8 . The portable display frame of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the support bars are telescoping support bars;   the first support bar section is a first telescoping support bar section; and   the last support bar section is a last telescoping support bar section.   
   
   
       9 . The portable display frame of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the telescoping support bars are vertical telescoping support bars;   the first telescoping support bar sections are bottom vertical telescoping support bar sections; and   the last telescoping support bar sections are top telescoping support bar sections.   
   
   
       10 . The portable display frame of  claim 9 , wherein each top telescoping support bar section includes a removable and replaceable attachment projection member proximal to the top of each top telescoping support bar section and the attachment projections reside on each attachment projection member. 
   
   
       11 . The portable display frame of  claim 9 , further including middle telescoping support bar sections telescopingly residing between the bottom telescoping support bar sections and the top telescoping support bar sections. 
   
   
       12 . The portable display frame of  claim 11 , wherein:
 one of the pass through engaging slots resides proximal to the bottom of each bottom telescoping support bar section;   one of the closed end engaging slots resides proximal to the bottom of each middle telescoping support bar section;   one of the closed end engaging slots resides proximal to the bottom of each top telescoping support bar section; and   one of the closed end engaging slots resides proximal to the top of each top telescoping support bar section.   
   
   
       13 . A portable display frame comprising:
 a support frame having horizontally spaced apart sets of vertically spaced apart engaging hubs on a support frame front;   telescoping vertical support bars having a rear face and a front face;   bottom telescoping vertical support bar sections of the telescoping vertical support bars;   top telescoping vertical support bar sections of the telescoping vertical support bars telescopingly cooperating with the bottom telescoping vertical support bar sections;   vertically spaced apart engaging slots on the rear face of the telescoping vertical support bars, the engaging slots shaped to receive the engaging hubs to attach the support bars to the support frame, the engaging slots including:
 open ended bottom engaging slots residing proximal to the bottoms of the bottom telescoping vertical support bar sections of the telescoping vertical support bars, the bottom engaging slots comprising pass-through engaging slots allowing the hubs to pass vertically through the bottom engaging slots and horizontally capturing the hubs residing in the bottom engaging slots; and 
 two closed end engaging slots residing on opposite ends of the top telescoping vertical support bar sections, the closed ends horizontally and vertically capturing the hubs which enter the closed end engaging slots; and 
   a removable and replaceable attachment projection member residing on the front face of the support bars for attaching panel boards to the front faces of the support bars.   
   
   
       14 . The portable display frame of  claim 13 , wherein attachment projections are attached to the attachment projection member for attaching the panel boards. 
   
   
       15 . A portable display frame comprising:
 a support frame having horizontally spaced apart sets of vertically spaced apart engaging hubs on a support frame front;   telescoping vertical support bars, each telescoping vertical support bar including:
 a bottom telescoping support bar section; 
 a middle telescoping support section; and 
 a top telescoping support bar section, 
 each support bar section having a rear face and a front face; 
   vertically spaced apart engaging slots on the rear faces of the support bar sections, the engaging slots shaped to receive the engaging hubs to attach the support bars to the support frame, the engaging slots comprising:
 an open end pass-through engaging slot residing proximal to the bottom on each bottom telescoping support bar section; and 
 a closed end engaging slot residing proximal to the bottom on each middle telescoping support bar section; 
 a closed end engaging slots residing proximal to the bottom of each top telescoping support bar section; 
 a closed end engaging slots residing proximal to the top of each top telescoping support bar section; and 
   a removable and replaceable attachment projection section including attachment projections and residing on the front face of each top telescoping support bar section, the attachment projections for attaching panel boards to the display frame.