Magnetic menu board

#The present invention relates to the field of signage. In particular the present invention provides an improved pricing or menu board for use in restaurants, or other small businesses. For exemplary purposes, the term menu board is used herein, but it will be understood that the present invention is equally applicable to any pricing or product information board used in business for presenting product information to customers.

#Businesses such as restaurants in the fast food and beverage business, particularly coffee shops, are not often able to hand out their menu or other pricing materials to their clientele. The alternative is a menu board which is usually hung behind a counter and on which a complete listing of all the products are advertised for the clientele to see. These menu boards come in various form from chalk on a blackboard to interior-illuminated plastic boards. It is important that the prices and products be easily interchangeable as items on a menu and their prices can vary greatly and frequently can change. Another important aspect is the aesthetics of the menu board. By hanging a menu behind the counter, it becomes an integral part of a restaurant's interior decor and as such requires features that are pleasing to the eye. Simplicity in the design renders the menu board more appealing. A flat and continuous surface makes the menu board appear neat and uncluttered, making it easier for the clientele to identify the products and their price, without taking away from the attractiveness of the decor.

#There are various methods of obtaining a flat and continuous menu board: blackboard with chalk, white board with marker, flat plastic front panel with interior-illumination, magnetized strips, etc. The prices on the black and white boards can easily be changed by erasing the previous price or product and rewriting the new information. This requires someone with neat and artistic hand-writing to maintain a professional and pleasant look. It is difficult to maintain the same lettering if more than one person is to execute the changes. Furthermore, it takes a long of time to complete the board and then to modify it every time a price or product would change. The illuminated signs are permanent and cannot be changed without replacing the entire facade of the menu, a costly and time consuming affair.

#The present invention will be further understood from the following description with reference to the drawings in which:

#FIG. 1 illustrates a frontal view of a dollar price indicia piece and a cent price indicia piece according to the present invention;

#FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of a price indicia element showing the magnetic element placed on the top portion of the price indicia element;

#Referring to FIG. 6, there is illustrated a menu board 1 which is attachable to a wall behind a counter in a restaurant or coffee shop. The menu board 1 comprises a support portion 5 and menu name 7. The front surface 9 of menu board 1 comprises various magnetic strips 11 and magnetic price elements 13 that indicate products 21 and prices 23 for said products respectively. Other magnetic pieces 31, 33, 35 of various sizes also form part of and fill in front surface 9.

#Referring to FIG. 5, there is illustrated support portion 5 comprising a magnetically attractable uniform surface 40 completely surrounded by a margin 42. Margin 42 which extends past surface 40 a distance equal to the total thickness of the magnetic strips 11 and magnetic price elements 13 described below. Margin 42 allows the magnetic pieces to be properly aligned and parallel to the horizontal edges of the board 1. A magnetic strip 11, magnetic price element 13, or any other magnetic piece that are used with the board, when attached to the magnetically attractable surface 40 of support portion 5, is properly aligned by placing a top edge 50 of a magnetic strip 11, magnetic price element 13 or any other magnetic piece along the inside top edge 44 of margin 42.

#Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, there are illustrated magnetic price elements 13 which are made of formica or any like material and, for the most part, are of the same height H. Prices 23 of the products sold in the store are printed onto a front surface 24 of the magnetic price elements 13 with paint or any other substance. A magnet 27 is fixed to a back surface 28 of the magnetic price element, leaving uncovered a lower portion of back surface 28. In a preferred embodiment, the magnet 27 covers only approximately the top two-thirds (⅔) of the back surface 28. This is done to allow the bottom edge 29 of the magnet 27 to act as a fulcrum point about which the bottom portion of the magnetic price element 13 pivots when a force is exerted on the bottom of front surface 24. FIG. 4 demonstrates how a magnetic price element is removed by pressing a finger on the bottom portion of the price element 13 thereby causing its bottom edge 51 to touch the support portion 5 and its top edge 50 to lift off the support portion 5 in a position where it can be grasped and taken off the support portion 5. However, magnet 27 could be as narrow to cover only about one-half (½) of the back surface 28 and as wide as to cover five-sixths (⅚). More force will be required with a wider magnet 27 since the moment arm (distance between the bottom edge 29 of the magnet 27 and the bottom edge 51 of the price element 13) is fairly short. However, with a shorter moment arm, the element 13 will lift further off the support portion than with a longer moment arm making it easier to grasp price element 13. A longer moment arm (narrower magnet i.e. substantially less than one-half of the back surface 28) will generally not cause the price element 13 to lift far enough off the support portion 5 to allow a person to grasp the element in order to remove it.