Supports: racks – Special article – Stacked articles
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-07
2001-01-16
Chin-Shue, Alvin (Department: 3634)
Supports: racks
Special article
Stacked articles
Reexamination Certificate
active
06173844
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Systems for displaying merchandise in retail stores are well known. In one type of display system, a rod projecting from a support has a “hook” at the free end of the rod. The rod is angled downward from the support towards the aisle of the store Typically, the merchandise is contained in a package which has a hole in it near its top end. The merchandise is stocked on the rod by passing the hole in the packaging over the hook and then pushing the merchandise up the rod. When a consumer desires to purchase the merchandise, they grasp the front-most piece of merchandise and remove it from the rod by pulling the packaging off of the hook. Other pieces of merchandise will then gravity-feed down the rod towards the hook. The hook prevents these other pieces of merchandise from falling off of the rod.
A problem with such gravity feed rod and hook merchandise display systems is that there is no provision for preventing the merchandise from swinging about the rod from side to side or front to back. This swinging of the merchandise about the rod can occur when a piece of merchandise is removed from the hook. Such merchandise swinging does not provide a very professional and attractive presentation of the merchandise in the eyes of the consumer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the invention, a merchandise display system includes a support from which merchandise can be suspended and means for restricting movement of the merchandise about the support. By restricting movement of the merchandise about the support, a more professional presentation of the merchandise is made to the consumer.
According to further refinements of the invention the support includes a rod with a hook at its free end. The rod is angled down towards its free end. A member on one side of the merchandise restricts movement of the merchandise about a first axis of the support. An additional member on another side of the merchandise restricts movement of the merchandise about the first axis of the support. The system further includes a pair of stoppers, one stopper being attached to the member near a free end of the member and the other stopper being attached to the additional member near a free end of the additional member. The stoppers restrict movement of the merchandise about a second axis of the support. The stoppers each include a pair of flexible flaps which enable merchandise to be inserted onto a support and removed from a support.
The flaps on the stopper serve the function of restricting movement of the merchandise about a second axis of the support while still enabling merchandise to be loaded onto the support and removed from the support.
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Chin-Shue Alvin
Gillette Canada Inc
Howley David A.
Purol Sarah
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