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A sign assembly having a support surface including a first side frame portion, a second side frame portion and a back plate. The first side frame portion includes a longitudinal first recess having a bottom and a top, and the second side frame portion includes a longitudinal second recess having a b

A sign assembly having a support surface including a first side frame portion, a second side frame portion and a back plate. The first side frame portion includes a longitudinal first recess having a bottom and a top, and the second side frame portion includes a longitudinal second recess having a bottom and a top. The sign assembly also includes a third side frame portion, a fourth side frame portion, a front panel and a locking pin. At least one of the third side frame portion and the fourth side frame portion includes at least one protuberance. The front panel includes a first side, a second side, a third side and a fourth side. The locking pin is adapted to be inserted into the longitudinal second recess. The side frame portions, the front panel, and the locking pin are arranged so that when the second side of the front panel and the locking pin are in the longitudinal second recess, the first side of the front panel will extend into the longitudinal first recess; and when the locking pin is not in the longitudinal second recess, the front panel may be moved so that its second side is toward the bottom of the second recess and its first side is out of the first recess so that the front panel may be pivoted about the second recess to remove the front panel from the sign frame.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A sign assembly comprising: (A) a support surface including: (i) a first side frame portion having a longitudinal first recess along the length thereof, said first recess having a bottom and a top; and (ii) a second side frame portion having a longitudinal second recess along

What is claimed is: 1. A sign assembly comprising: (A) a support surface including: (i) a first side frame portion having a longitudinal first recess along the length thereof, said first recess having a bottom and a top; and (ii) a second side frame portion having a longitudinal second recess along the length thereof, said second recess having a bottom and a top; (iii) a back plate; wherein the second side frame portion is disposed opposite the first side frame portion and the back plate is disposed between the first side frame portion and the second side frame portion; (B) a third side frame portion; (C) a fourth side frame portion; wherein the third side frame portion is disposed generally opposite the fourth side frame portion and wherein at least one of the third side frame portion and the fourth side frame portion includes at least one protuberance; (D) a front panel having: (i) a first side; (ii) a second side that is disposed generally opposite the first side; (iii) a third side; (iv) a fourth side that is disposed generally opposite the third side; wherein the distance between the first side and the second side is no greater than the distance between the bottom of the first recess and the top of the second recess; wherein the distance between the third side and the fourth side is no greater than the distance between the third side frame portion and the fourth side frame portion; and wherein said at least one protuberance is adapted to directly contact the front panel so as to removably retain the front panel within the sign assembly; (E) a locking pin that is adapted to extend into and generally align with the second recess; wherein the first side frame portion, the second side frame portion, the third side frame portion, the fourth side frame portion, the front panel and the locking pin are arranged so that: (F) when the second side of the front panel is in the second recess and the locking pin is in the second recess, the first side of the front panel extends into the first recess; (G) when the locking pin is not in the second recess, the front panel may be moved so that the second side of the front panel is disposed toward the bottom of the second recess and the first side of the front panel is disposed out of the first recess so that said panel may be pivoted about the second recess to remove the front panel from the sign assembly. 2. The sign assembly of claim 1 wherein the first side frame portion is disposed generally parallel to the second side frame portion. 3. The sign assembly of claim 1 which includes a pulling tool that is adapted to engage the front panel to facilitate the removal of the front panel from the sign assembly. 4. The sign assembly of claim 1: (A) wherein the locking pin is made of a ferromagnetic material; and (B) wherein the second side frame portion is made from a material other than a ferromagnetic material; and (C) which includes a magnet that is adapted to magnetically attract the locking pin to facilitate its removal from the second recess. 5. The sign assembly of claim 1: (A) wherein the locking pin includes a shaft and a head that is larger than the shaft; and (B) wherein the second recess is chamfered so as to receive the head of the locking pin. 6. The sign assembly of claim 1 wherein: (A) the locking pin is adapted to extend through a hole in at least one end cap; and (B) the hole in the at least one end cap is chamfered so as to receive the head of the locking pin. 7. The sign assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one protuberance in at least one of the third side frame portion and the fourth side frame portion is located and configured such that it is adapted to urge the front panel toward the back plate. 8. The sign assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one protuberance in at least one of the third side frame portion and the fourth side frame portion is located and configured such that it is adapted to removably retain the front panel against the back plate. 9. The sign assembly of claim 1 wherein the third side frame portion includes a plurality of protuberances. 10. The sign assembly of claim 1 wherein the fourth side frame portion includes a plurality of protuberances. 11. The sign assembly of claim 1 wherein the third side frame portion and the fourth side frame portion each include a plurality of protuberances. 12. A sign assembly comprising: (A) a generally rectangular back plate; (B) a generally rectangular sign frame that is attached to and positioned in front of the back plate, which sign frame includes: (i) a first side frame portion which includes a longitudinal first recess along the length thereof, said recess having a bottom and a top; and (ii) a second side frame portion which includes a longitudinal second recess along the length thereof, said recess having a bottom and a top; wherein said first side frame portion and said second side frame portion are disposed on opposite sides of the sign frame with the first recess and the second recess facing and being parallel to each other; (iii) a third side frame portion; (iv) a fourth side frame portion; wherein said third side frame portion and said fourth side frame portion are disposed on opposite sides of the sign frame and wherein at least one of the third side frame portion and the fourth side frame portion includes at least one protuberance; and wherein either the third side frame portion or the fourth side frame portion includes a hole that is generally aligned with the second recess; (C) a generally rectangular front panel having: (i) a first side; and (ii) a second side that is opposite the first side; and (iii) a third side; and (iv) a fourth side that is opposite the third side; wherein the distance between the first side and the second side is no greater than the distance between the bottom of the first recess and the top of the second recess; wherein the distance between the third side and the fourth side is no greater than the distance between the third side frame portion and the fourth side frame portion of the sign frame; and wherein said at least one protuberance is adapted to directly contact the front panel so as to removably retain the front panel within the sign assembly; (D) a locking pin that is adapted to extend through the hole in either the third side frame portion or the fourth side frame portion and into the second recess; wherein said first side frame portion, second side frame portion, third side frame portion, fourth side frame portion, front panel and locking pin are arranged so that: (E) when the second side of the front panel is in the second recess and the locking pin is in the second recess, the first side of the front panel extends into the first recess; (F) when the locking pin is not in the second recess, the front panel may be moved so that the second side of the front panel is toward the bottom of the second recess and the first side of the front panel is out of the first recess so that said panel may be pivoted about the second recess to remove the front panel from the sign frame. 13. The sign assembly of claim 12: (A) wherein the locking pin is made of a ferromagnetic material; and (B) wherein the side frame portion which includes the hole for the locking pin is made from a material other than a ferromagnetic material; and (C) which includes a magnet that is adapted to magnetically attract the locking pin to facilitate its removal from the hole. 14. The sign assembly of claim 12: (A) wherein the locking pin includes a shaft and a head that is larger than the shaft; and (B) wherein the hole for the locking pin through either the third side frame portion or the fourth side frame portion is chamfered so as to receive the head of the locking pin. 15. The sign assembly of claim 12 wherein: (A) the locking pin is adapted to extend through a hole in at least one end cap; and (B) the hole in the at least one end cap is chamfered so as to receive the head of the locking pin. 16. The sign assembly of claim 12 wherein the at least one protuberance in at least one of the third side frame portion and the fourth side frame portion is located and configured such that it is adapted to urge the front panel toward the back plate. 17. The sign assembly of claim 12 wherein the at least one protuberance in at least one of the third side frame portion and the fourth side frame portion is located and configured such that it is adapted to removably retain the front panel against the back plate. 18. The sign assembly of claim 12 wherein the third side frame portion includes a plurality of protuberances. 19. The sign assembly of claim 12 wherein the fourth side frame portion includes a plurality of protuberances. 20. The sign assembly of claim 12 wherein the third side frame portion and the fourth side frame portion each include a plurality of protuberances.