Supports: racks – Special article – Platelike
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-15
2001-01-09
Gibson, Jr., Robert W. (Department: 3634)
Supports: racks
Special article
Platelike
C211S041150, C211S045000, C211S055000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06170674
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to product and sample display devices and more particularly to a simple and cost effective means of displaying products or material in a locked or unlocked positions. Examples of products or material that may be displayed in the device include rigid planar objects such as wood flooring samples.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is well known to present objects for display, as in retail stores, including products or samples of products. It is desirable to allow products or samples to be well-presented and readily removable from the display for inspection. For example, display of relatively rigid materials such as samples of floor covering material such as woods or wood laminates, these are typically marketed to customers via sample boards displayed in a rack in some fashion so as to give the customer an opportunity to look at all the varieties of flooring available. Frequently, customers wish to remove the sample boards and look at them as installed on the floor or in coordination with other home furnishings. Also often times customers wish to take home certain samples to see how they would look and match with existing home furnishings. Stores will usually allow the customers to take one or more samples to view in their homes provided they bring them back.
A common consequence of presenting items that can be readily removed from their display is that when they are removed they become misplaced or are not returned. As this relates generally to wood floor sample displays, a display will often have missing samples. This may well lead to lost sales and, at least, the necessity of the display being regularly inspected and restocked. In this regard, prior art display systems do not incorporate a simple, cost effective device for locking items to the display to prevent the removal and/or loss of items.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an improved display system for displaying relatively rigid and generally planar products or samples of products in a viewable array, wherein tier or row of the array can support at least one product or sample in a locked condition which cannot be removed from the display, and at least one additional product or sample which can be removed from the display for inspection.
In accordance with one general aspect of the invention, there is provided a product holding structure configured to hold a rigid product in a display orientation and wherein the product is securely held within the structure, the structure includes a first channel adapted to engage an edge of a product to be displayed, the first channel having a rear wall connected to a top wall and a front wall connected to the top wall, a second channel adapted to engage another edge of a product to be displayed, the second channel having a rear wall connected to a bottom wall and a front wall connected to the bottom wall, the first channel being generally parallel to and spaced from the second panel, the first and second channels being connected together by a wire frame, the wire frame having a first leg attached to the rear walls of the first and second channels, and a second leg attached to the rear walls of the first and second channels and spaced from the first leg, the first and second legs of the wire frame each having an angularly disposed bracket mounting section which extends from a point proximate to a point of connection of the legs to the first channel, the bracket mounting sections adapted for connection to a mounting bracket operative to mount the structure in a display orientation, the structure adapted for attachment of mounting brackets connected to the wire frame to a support panel of a product display, wherein the product display has laterally opposed walls located at opposite ends at least one of the channels whereby a product engaged by the channels of the structure cannot be removed.
In accordance with another general aspect of the invention, there is provided a product display for holding a plurality of products in a display orientation in a non-removable state, the display having a product frame having a first channel adapted for engagement with an edge of a product, and a second channel adapted for engagement with another edge of a product, the first and second frames being connected together in a generally parallel arrangement by at least two hanger elements, the hanger elements attached to backs of the channels, and bent near a point of attachment to the first channel to angularly dispose the channels with the hanger elements connected to a generally vertically oriented support panel, and side panels which traverse at least one of the first or second channels of each of the product frame, whereby product within the product frame cannot be removed from the display.
And in accordance with still another aspect of the invention, there is provided a product display system for holding and displaying product in both locked and unlocked condition, the display system having a plurality of product support devices, each product support device having a first channel adapted to support an edge of an object to be displayed, the first channel defined by a back wall, a side wall and an end wall, and a flange which is parallel to and spaced from the back wall; a second channel adjacent to the first channel, the second channel defined by the flange, the side wall and end wall, a mirror image product support device positioned laterally spaced relative to an opposing product support device, whereby lateral edges of a product are supported by the corresponding product support devices, and wherein each pair of product support devices can support a first product in a locked condition in the first channel, and support a second product in an unlocked condition in the second channel.
These and other representative aspects of the invention are herein described in particular detail with reference to the accompanying Figures.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2271346 (1942-01-01), Rosenberger
patent: 2317867 (1943-04-01), Taylor et al.
patent: 2745556 (1956-05-01), Lakin
patent: 3243047 (1966-03-01), Witteborg
patent: 3534863 (1970-10-01), Howard
patent: 3570679 (1971-03-01), Edson
patent: 3965583 (1976-06-01), Price
patent: 4119207 (1978-10-01), Fuller et al.
patent: 4179033 (1979-12-01), Mitchell
patent: 4197950 (1980-04-01), Orvitz, III
patent: 4336888 (1982-06-01), Fuller et al.
patent: 4475659 (1984-10-01), Wells et al.
patent: 4606061 (1986-08-01), Willcocks et al.
patent: 4925038 (1990-05-01), Gajewski
patent: 4930640 (1990-06-01), Edwards
patent: 5029715 (1991-07-01), Strada
patent: 5031781 (1991-07-01), Price et al.
patent: 5169008 (1992-12-01), Loew
patent: 5172815 (1992-12-01), Schock et al.
patent: 5702011 (1997-12-01), Carroll
American Greetings Corporation
Arter & Hadden LLP
Gibson , Jr. Robert W.
LandOfFree
Product display system with support structures for holding... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Product display system with support structures for holding..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Product display system with support structures for holding... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2541257