Card – picture – or sign exhibiting – Display with special effects – Electromotor operated
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-03
2003-01-07
Davis, Cassandra H. (Department: 3611)
Card, picture, or sign exhibiting
Display with special effects
Electromotor operated
C040S456000, C040S465000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06502338
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a motorized point-of-purchase (POP) display for corrugated displays, figurine displays, display poles, ceiling fixtures, shelf fixtures, brochure holders and mobile displays to display items that would benefit from movement in advertising. More particularly, this invention relates to a display using piezoelectricity supplied by a quartz motor powered by a small battery to rotate a drive shaft which supports an item holder or the item itself.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
POP displays are commonly used in department stores, supermarket stores, convenience stores or just about any retail store displaying goods for sale to enhance the products being sold. The store owner and manufacturer of the product benefits from having a POP display done in an attractive fashion to catch the eyes of potential customers. POP displays are typically displayed stationary with no motion.
In the past, objects which rotate on a stand have been devised for various reasons. U.S. Pat. No. 1,945,072 to Quigley discloses a display apparatus for displaying and rotating packaged goods, which are exteriorly decorated with advertising. The apparatus requires an electrical outlet for operation, a set of mirrors, and a flashlight apparatus. U.S. Pat. No. 4,764,850 to Albanese discloses a solar-powered display device for displaying a multi-faceted crystal. U.S. Pat. No. 4,970,810 to Liou discloses an electronic flower set with intermittent movement. The apparatus must be turned on and off and movement of the flower requires the receipt of a sound signal. U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,364 to Sengstaken discloses a miniature airplane and curved banner for spinning about the top of a housing. U.S. Pat. No. 5,367,808 to Liebman et al discloses a sign turner with a low power consumption controller. The devices disclosed in these patents are either too large, complex, costly, and/or unattractive for use as a point of purchase display. Furthermore, none of the disclosed devices take advantage of piezoelectric motors, which eliminates many of the undesirable qualities of the prior art displays.
Thus, there is a need for an improved POP display, which can better capture the attention of potential customers. There is further a need for a rotating display capable of displaying motion in or on a POP display. There is further a need for a POP display with motion which can be manufactured and utilized at a low cost in order to employ a multiplicity of such displays in various types of POP displays. There is further a need for a rotating display, which is small enough to be adapted for use in a POP display. There is further a need for a rotating display which takes advantage of piezoelectricity and which can be aesthetically pleasing in POP displays. There is further a need for a rotating POP display, which can accommodate various display items. There is further a need for a rotating display, which can rotate a variety of POP items economically and efficiently.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, it is a primary object of this invention to improve the quality and attractiveness of POP displays by imparting motion to the POP display or a portion thereof in which a sign or merchandise item is displayed.
It is further an object of this invention to provide a rotating motion to POP displays at a low cost to the store owner or manufacturer of the product being sold.
It is further an object of this invention to provide a motion to POP displays motorized by piezoelectricity.
It is further an object of this invention to provide a rotating display, which may incorporate a photosensitive switch for permitting operation of the rotating display in response to an ambient light. A small hole may also be provided on the side of the motor housing to allow the mounting of a photocell. A photocell may be attached to a 3 piece sandwich shaped like a penny. The outer 2 pieces are conductive with the center piece being non conductive. This “penny” is placed between one end of the battery terminal and one end of the battery. As light is detected the display turns. In addition, and advantageously, when the lights go out in the room, such as at closing, the display stops rotating.
It is further an object of this invention to provide a piezoelectric rotating display for displaying items of merchandise such as a grocery item, a sporting good item, a toy, a jewelry item, and replicas thereof.
The foregoing objectives of the present invention are accomplished by a motorized POP display used in corrugated displays, figurine displays, display poles, ceiling fixtures, shelf fixtures, brochure holders and mobile displays or other items that would benefit from movement in trade. Piezoelectricity is preferably used to create the movement. When certain crystals, such as quartz, are compressed in certain directions, an electric polarization (and a corresponding voltage called piezoelectricity) is induced due to the displacement of charged atoms along the same axis. The piezoelectric effect is used in many applications around the world such as the quartz oscillator for timepieces. In a quartz oscillator, the extremely regular mechanical vibrations of a quartz crystal control corresponding electrical oscillations in a coupled electronic circuit, in a way analogous to the regulation of a mechanical clock by the oscillation of its pendulum.
The main benefit of piezoelectricity is the very low power requirement needed to create movement. Small batteries such as one “AA” battery can power a movement 24 hours a day for over a year depending on the weight of the display being turned. In one embodiment, the design may incorporate a photocell to detect light, which allows the movement to shut-off if no light is detected in the environment. For example, if the motorized POP display was in a place of business where the hours of operation were 12 hours a day (lights in the room turned on) and 12 hours a day closed (lights in the room turned off) then the life of the battery could effectively double.
Another benefit of using piezoelectricity is low cost. Using inexpensive quartz movements allows the cost structure of the motorized point-of-purchase displays to be very competitive against other displays that use movement. The main demand of using quartz as the material to create piezoelectricity is keeping time accurately and inexpensively because quartz has a property of generating extremely regular mechanical vibrations. This demand has allowed the cost structure of quartz movements to drop. Motorized POP displays may not always require the accuracy of movement that timepieces require but the present invention may effectively and economically use quartz movements because of the low cost structure. It is possible to substitute quartz for another crystal or ceramic material once the market for motorized POP displays becomes big enough. In addition to the low cost structure, the accuracy of movement created by the quartz oscillators may be taken advantage of in motorized point-of-purchase displays by synchronizing displays which are placed in the same vicinity as one another for creating a dramatic effect.
In a preferred embodiment, the display starts with a quartz movement that requires a battery such as a “AA” size. If the display is intended to rotate heavier items, a larger quartz motor powered by, for example, a “C” size battery may be required.
This invention provides a merchandise display comprising a rotating display device, wherein the rotating display device comprises a piezoelectric motor, a drive train connected to the piezoelectric motor, the drive train extending to the exterior of a housing of the motor, and a holder connected to the drive train exterior to the housing, the holder adapted to securely hold a sign or merchandise item. The holder may be removably attached to the drive train. The merchandise display may include multiple items of merchandise.
According to certain embodiments, the piezoelectric motor is adhered to a rear side of a section of the merchandise display, for example, with an adhesive,
Davis Cassandra H.
Harter Secrest & Emery LLP
Salai Esq. Stephen B.
Shaw Esq. Brian B.
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