Supports – Stand – Of sheet material
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-25
2001-05-22
Ramirez, Ramon O. (Department: 3632)
Supports
Stand
Of sheet material
C248S152000, C248S135000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06234433
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to supports for article display stands, more particularly to supports for paperboard peg type displays for supporting the display in a display orientation.
Of interest are commonly owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,762,207 and 5,620,104 incorporated by reference herein.
Display stands employing corrugated paperboard are in wide use. The stands have numerous configurations established for particular point of sale display of articles. Generally, such stands have a display portion and a support for retaining the display portion upright or inclined in a display orientation. See for example the aforementioned US patents. Stands may have shelves or they may have a display panel from which pegs extend for hanging articles for display. For example, see the aforementioned patents and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,871,608, 4,671,417 and 3,433,365 for peg type displays all incorporated by reference herein.
These displays are counter type units which are relatively small, light and easy to assemble. Other displays are floor mounted and typically have large boxes and the like for supporting a display member. Many are collapsible type displays and require, in some cases, relatively complex assembly of the various components. Because they are generally paperboard, the interconnections of the components tend to be difficult at times and sometimes the connections may become damaged during assembly affecting the connection of the various components. Typically such displays need to be first assembled prior to placement into use at the point of sale location This can be time consuming for the personnel involved and is not always conducive to proper assembly and thus can lead to an unattractive display.
The present inventor recognizes a need for a point of sale display that can be readily assembled quickly and without possible damage to the interrelated connections. In particular, a need is recognized for a display support that is readily adaptable to conventional displays but needs no mechanical assembly of the components. The support can be readily deployed from a portable configuration to a display configuration with no or a minimum of such component assembly.
A collapsible display stand according to the present invention comprises an article display tray for receiving articles to be displayed; the tray having a bottom wall, a pair of opposing side walls and an end wall extending from the bottom wall, the tray having spaced slots in the bottom wall adjacent to the opposing side walls. A collapsible display member support has at least one rear wall with opposing first edges, opposing spaced first and second side walls each hinged to the rear wall at a different one of the rear wall opposing first edges, the first and second side walls each having a medial first hinge and a second edge distal the first hinge and distal the at least one rear wall such that the first and second side walls can each selectively collapse against the at least one rear wall. At least one tab extends from each of the first and second side walls at the second edge thereof the at least one tab being received in a different slot in the tray to releasably secure the support to the tray whereby in the collapsed state the at least one rear wall and first and second side walls are juxtaposed with at least a portion of the tray bottom wall and in the extended state the tray cooperates with the support to form a four wall support structure with the bottom wall to thereby form a self supporting display stand.
In one aspect, a brace is included having a collapsed state and a deployed state, the brace being hinged to the at least one rear wall and shaped and sized to abut the opposing first and second support side walls and tray bottom wall in the deployed state to stiffen the deployed side walls, the medial first hinge forming each of the first and second side walls into first and second sections, the collapsed sections of the first and second side walls each folding relative to each other at the respective medial first hinge, the collapsed sections of a side wall and the brace being juxtaposed with the at least one rear wall and tray bottom wall in the collapsed state.
In a further aspect, the support first and second side walls, tabs, at least one rear wall and brace are one piece paperboard.
In a further aspect, the at least one rear wall has a finger receiving opening for permitting the support to be manually deployed from the collapsed state.
In a further aspect, biasmeans are secured to the brace and tray bottom wall for biasing the brace to the deployed state.
In a still further aspect, the at least one rear wall comprises two spaced rear walls and wherein the brace is secured to one of the two rear walls, the brace in the collapse state being positioned between and coplanar with the two spaced rear walls, the brace, rear walls, first and second side walls and tabs being one piece paper board.
In a further aspect, the tray side walls and tray bottom wall each have a support edge, the support first and second side walls and at least one rear wall each having a further edge that is coplanar with the tray support edges and define a support plane for the tray and support.
In a further embodiment, the at least one rear wall has a finger receiving opening for permitting the support to be manually deployed from the collapsed state.
In a further embodiment, the support comprises sheet material with at least one rear wall and two opposing side walls, each side wall including a first hinge for dividing the corresponding side wall into first and second sections which fold in overlying relation in table collapsed state, a brace member hinged to the at least one rear wall with a second hinge, the brace member having a collapsed state juxtaposed with the at least one rear wall and a deployed state transverse the rear wall abutting the tray display unit for locking the side walls in an extended unfolded condition, and bias means for causing the brace member and side walls to automatically extend to the deployed state upon partial displacement of the rear wall from the collapsed state to the deployed state.
In a further embodiment, the at least one rear wall comprises two spaced rear walls with the brace member hinged to one of the rear walls.
Preferably, the support side walls and brace are one piece with the rear wall, the side walls each having a medial fold line forming the first hinge, a fold line between the brace member and at least one rear wall normal to the side walls and forming the second hinge.
The bias means preferably includes an elastic member having a bias force insufficient to deploy a fully collapsed support and sufficient to automatically fully deploy the support when the support is partially manually deployed.
The deployment means preferably includes elastomeric bias means for resiliently biasing the support into the deployed state.
In a further embodiment, the support side walls are mirror image triangular members one piece with the rear wall and having a medial fold line forming the first hinge, the brace member comprising a sheet material integral and one piece with the rear wall, a fold line between the brace member and support normal to the side walls and forming the second hinge.
The bias means preferably comprises an elongated elastomeric member.
The display stand in a further embodiment includes means for retaining the support collapsed such that removal of the retaining means permits the support to deploy automatically.
The retaining means may comprise a clip, a cord wrapped about the collapsed support or an elastic band about the collapsed support.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3433365 (1969-03-01), Hodson
patent: 3836104 (1974-09-01), Miller et al.
patent: 3871608 (1975-03-01), Ogden
patent: 4253777 (1981-03-01), Pillifant, Jr.
patent: 4671417 (1987-06-01), O'Brien
patent: 4773173 (1988-09-01), Christian
patent: 5542551 (1996-08-01), Smith
patent: 5558921 (1996-09-01), Pavlik
patent: 5620104 (1997-04-01), Maglione
patent: 5868367 (1999-02-01), Smith
DeLuca J
Ramirez Ramon O.
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