Card – picture – or sign exhibiting – Check – label – or tag – For use with horizontal merchandise support hook
Reexamination Certificate
2002-06-12
2004-02-24
Hoge, Gary (Department: 3611)
Card, picture, or sign exhibiting
Check, label, or tag
For use with horizontal merchandise support hook
C040S657000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06694654
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to a display tag holder for merchandise suspended from a horizontally extending support hook, or the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to a display tag holder that is easily attached to and removed from a product support hook without being subject to inadvertent removal.
2. Background Art
Display tag holders are well known in the merchandising field. They are conventionally formed from a urethane or polyvinyl plastic sheet that is preferably die cut into the appropriate shape. The display tag holders normally display product information forwardly of items that are suspended from a hook extending horizontally from a vertical pegboard.
The display tag holder includes a mounting portion arranged to be temporarily deformed while being attached to and removed from the hook at a location adjacent to the pegboard, an intermediate portion which projects forwardly from the pegboard and extends over the support hook and the merchandise supported thereon, and a display portion which bends downwardly from the distal end of the intermediate portion in front of the hook so as to display the desired product information.
Known label holders are prone to lateral bending or flexing of the holder along its intermediate portion as a result of customers contacting the holder. This results in the display portion of the holder being positioned beside the suspended merchandise and not in front of it. Thus, the label holder may be displayed not in direct view of customers. Such bending or flexing can occur when a merchandise item is being removed from an adjacent hook by a customer who accidentally brushes against the holder.
In order to deal with this problem, longitudinally extending ribs or longitudinal rows of perforations along the intermediate portion have been suggested. The intent is to promote transverse flexure of the intermediate portion of the holder into a bowed configuration to reinforce the holder against longitudinal and lateral flexure. Another known product employs side wings, which are integral with and extend downwardly from the side edges or margins of the intermediate portion to impart longitudinal stiffness to the intermediate portion. The side wings are folded downwardly from the intermediate portion along longitudinally extending preformed fold lines so that the wings are located substantially perpendicular to the plane of the intermediate portion and are co-extensive in length with the intermediate portion. Other manufacturers simply use thicker sheet material for the intermediate portion in order to provide more stability and resistance to lateral bending. Use of such thicker plastic sheet material adds to the manufacturing costs and reduces the ability to deform the display tag holders to assume the desired shape.
Still another known product uses scalloping on downwardly turned edges of the intermediate portion to provide rigidity to the intermediate portion. This structure also prevents packages supported on the hook from sliding forward or backward along the hook. Another way of stabilizing the intermediate portion of the label holder on the hook, while at the same time preventing movement of articles on the hook, is by means of a tab which folds downwardly out of the intermediate portion and around the hook via at least one aperture in the tab to accommodate the hook.
It is also known to provide a slot near the forwardly distal end of the intermediate portion in order to accommodate a tip of the hook. This is to prevent both a drooping of the intermediate portion and lateral movement of the label holder in relation to the hook.
All of these devices for preventing longitudinal or lateral flexure of the intermediate portion and a drooping of the distal display end of the intermediate portion have drawbacks, or do not operate optimally.
Perforations or creases which promote transverse flexure of this strip into a bowed configuration when the strip is squeezed laterally necessitate a means for perforating or creasing the intermediate portion and an additional means for squeezing the strip laterally to produce the bowed configuration. Such perforations or creases also require additional forming steps because they cannot be injected in the initial forming step. Employing wings along the sides of the intermediate portion necessitates the use of additional material for the intermediate portion. It also necessitates a means for folding down the wings before use of the label holder so that the wings can perform their stiffening function. The provision of an aperture near the distal end of the intermediate portion to accommodate a tip of the hook does not prevent a lateral motion of the intermediate portion and only prevents further sagging of the intermediate portion.
Further, it is known to provide a hanger guard that has a series of spaced ribs extending along an intermediate portion of the guard at a location rearwardly of a bubble that enshrouds the top and sides of the tip. This guard is a one piece member molded of resiliently flexible plastic. However, such a design would need to be modified to be used as a label holder. In addition, the provision of multiple spaced ribs means that the part requires a complex mold to manufacture, or additional and unnecessary steps in the manufacturing process.
It is known to provide an intermediate portion with a raised “plateau” above a border region, which adds longitudinal stiffness to the intermediate portion. While this may improve the stiffness of the intermediate portion, the use of the plateau produces sharp edges at the corners of the different planes. While these sharp edges provide stiffness and rigidity to the structure, the rigidity of the plastic cannot accommodate transverse bending forces when these are exerted onto the front tab or on the intermediate portion. The tab portion is desirably free from any contact with the immediately adjacent hook that extends immediately below the cantilevered intermediate portion and tab of the display tag holder. Such a structure is on occasion, inadvertently jostled or depressed by customers. Although a force that causes the pivoting of the tab portion about a rear fold line does not normally damage the tag display, if that force is exerted in a lateral direction, that is in a direction parallel to the axis of the fold, or if any action causes the tab to twist about a longitudinal axis extending along the intermediate member, a stress is placed on the sharp edges of the “plateau” region, causing the plateau to warp or otherwise distend.
The above-described construction can accommodate some allowance or give without causing an irreversible change in the condition of the edges or corners. However, beyond a certain threshold point, the exertion of a force may cause the corner of the “plateau” region to buckle, and because there are no countervailing forces to bring the corners back into alignment, the display tag loses its shape and the position of the forward display tab becomes skewed from its desired position. Moreover, even if the deformed plastic is again brought into shape, because it lacks flexibility, the plastic becomes distended, and a weak point results at the distended area, whereby the weak point can again become easily deformed with a much lighter application of force. In other words, it is not possible to overcome the memory of the distention if the plastic becomes deformed. Thus, further improvements are needed to add flexibility to the intermediate section and to prevent the holder from bending and slipping from its mounting.
Accordingly, it is considered desirable to develop a new and improved label holder which would overcome these and other problems while providing better and more flexible and durable display tag holders capable of accommodating inadvertent twists and deformations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A display tag holder for use with a forwardly extending merchandise display hook hanging from a wall removably attaches to the hook and is further held in place b
Economou Vangelis
Kalouris Nicholas
Poulokefalos Dimitris
American Gasket Technologies, Inc.
Economou Vangelis
Hoge Gary
Ladas & Parry
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