Door edge attachment adapter

Details Door edge attachment adapter Door edge attachment adapter

1997-02-19

2001-09-11

Knight, Anthony (Department: 3629)

Joints and connections

Rod end to transverse side of member

Utilizing opposite sides of member

C040S658000, C248S226110

Reexamination Certificate

active

06287041

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an adapter for the edge of a door. More particularly, the invention relates to an adapter for attaching a display and/or dispensing device to the edge of a door.
Point of sale promotional advertisements are becoming more prevalent, particularly in supermarkets and grocery stores. Many advertisers now place promotional material on grocery shelves in the vicinity of their products in order to draw shoppers' attention to their products. One method of advertising that has become very popular over the last 10 years or so is to distribute coupons to shoppers by providing coupon dispensers that attach directly to grocery shelves. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,083,765 and 5,207,349 disclose coupon dispensers intended for this purpose. Other coupon dispensers are also available, such as those manufactured for the assignee of the present invention.
Retailers that agree to allow such dispensers to be attached to their grocery shelves generally require that they be low maintenance, durable, and easy to use. In addition, it is important to provide a means for attaching such dispensers that allows for simple attachment and removal as the dispensers typically are moved from one shelf to another. Furthermore, it is also important that the dispensers are securely mounted to prevent tampering and theft.
To achieve these goals, several mounting arrangements for attaching coupon dispensers and other display devices to grocery shelves have been developed. These mounting arrangements utilize the rail attached to the edge of grocery shelves where price tags are placed to identify the items on the shelf, commonly referred to as the “price rail.” The price rail is an obvious place to mount coupon dispensers and other display devices as it is generally available on all grocery shelves. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,289,652, 5,344,250, and 5,472,289 disclose a mounting device specifically designed to mount promotional displays, dispensers and the like to the price rail of a grocery shelf.
The use of coupon dispensers is growing rapidly as these devices have proven to be highly successful advertising mechanisms. Coupons dispensed from such dispensers have a much higher redemption rate than coupons distributed through standard channels such as newspaper inserts.
As the use of such dispensers has become widespread, manufacturers have expressed a desire to use them for other items besides those sold on grocery shelves. For example, manufacturers of refrigerated and frozen food products are also using such dispensers to increase sales of their products. Such cases include glass doors so that shoppers can see the products inside. A problem arises, however, when such dispensers are used for items sold in refrigerated and freezer cases. These cases do not allow for easy mounting of coupon dispensers. First, some cases do not include the price rails found on the grocery shelves. Second, because the dispensers are designed to protrude out from the shelf for visibility, there is not sufficient space to mount the dispenser. Third, the coupon dispensers may not be designed for continuous exposure to the extremely low temperatures of a freezer case.
There is thus a need for an improved means for mounting coupon dispensers and other display devices to refrigerated and freezer cases.
There is also a need for a mounting scheme for mounting coupon dispensers and other display devices to refrigerated and freezer cases that allows for use of existing dispensers and mounting brackets.
There is also a need for a mounting scheme for mounting coupon dispensers and other display devices to refrigerated and freezer cases that provides a theft and tamper proof attachment.
There is also a need for a mounting scheme for easy and low cost mounting of coupon dispensers and other display devices to refrigerated and freezer cases.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These and other objects are achieved by the door edge mounting adapter of the present invention. The adapter of the present invention is an inexpensive device that attaches to the edge of, for example, a freezer door, and is secured to the handle of the door with a clamp. The adapter includes a mounting plate perpendicular to the door so that a coupon dispenser or other display device can be mounted parallel to the door. The mounting plate includes a portion of a price rail so that the same coupon dispensers and mounting brackets used with grocery shelves may also be used with the present invention. Thus, the adapter of the present invention provides a low cost, easy to use means for mounting coupon dispensers and other display devices to refrigerated and freezer case doors and provides for full interchangeability with the coupon dispensers and mounting brackets of dispensers used with grocery shelves.
The invention also comprises a method for mounting a display or dispensing device to the edge of a door having a handle which comprises providing a bracket with two arms extending around the door edge and spaced apart to permit the door handle to protrude from the door edge between said arms, wherein the arms protrude from a mounting plate for mounting the display or dispensing device, providing a clamp attached to the bracket and slidably movable in relation thereto in a direction substantially perpendicular to the mounting plate, biasing the clamp against the door handle to maintain the bracket in place on the door edge, and mounting a display or dispensing device to the mounting plate.


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Poptimes, Dec. 1999, “Southern Imperial, Inc.”, pp. 27, vol. 12, No. 12, Hoyt Publishing Company, Skokie, IL, USA.

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