US 11,707,913 B2
Semi-rigid display board
Donald R. Dressler, Glastonbury, CT (US); Evan Gilman, Gilman, CT (US); Cyrus Gilman, Gilman, CT (US); and Vincent Postemski, Lebanon, CT (US)
Assigned to The Gilman Brothers Company, Gilman, CT (US)
Filed by The Gilman Brothers Company, Gilman, CT (US)
Filed on Jan. 12, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/146,551.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/962,544, filed on Jan. 17, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0221095 A1, Jul. 22, 2021
Int. Cl. B32B 5/18 (2006.01); B32B 7/12 (2006.01)
CPC B32B 5/18 (2013.01) [B32B 7/12 (2013.01); B32B 2250/03 (2013.01); B32B 2250/40 (2013.01); B32B 2266/0221 (2013.01); B32B 2266/08 (2013.01); B32B 2307/536 (2013.01); B32B 2307/54 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A semi-rigid flat display board comprising:
a flat relatively soft elastomeric foam core substrate defining a first side and an opposite second side;
a first outer film layer laminated to and in direct contact with the first side of the elastomeric foam core substrate and a second outer film layer laminated to and in direct contact with the second side of the elastomeric foam layer, wherein
the first and second outer film layers are not adhesive layers;
each of the first and second outer film layers is selected from the group consisting of acrylic, polyester, polyvinylchloride, polystyrene, and polypropylene;
the outer and inner film layers intimately confine the core substrate, thereby producing a relatively harder semi-rigid display board characterized by compression and tension rebound;
the foam core substrate is a closed cell cross-linked EVA foam with the closed cells having diameters within an approximate range of 0.1-0.5 mm, a durometer hardness within an approximate range of 20-100 measured on the Shore 00 scale, a tensile strength value within an approximate range of 550-850 kPA, and a tensile elongation value within an approximate range of 100-200%,
the semi-rigid display board is self-supporting and inherently remains flat when configured in a free-standing upright position,
the first outer film layer has a finished appearance without a textured and mottled appearance, and
the first outer film layer has a smooth, flat, exposed surface with a flat display graphic printed or mounted thereon.