Supports: racks – Specially mounted – Suspended type
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-20
2001-09-04
Gisbon, Jr., Robert W. (Department: 3634)
Supports: racks
Specially mounted
Suspended type
C211S118000, C211S085290, C024S0160PB, C024S03050S
Reexamination Certificate
active
06283312
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the practice of hanging blister packaged or skin packaged products by means of a plastic strip with integral cutouts to suspend these products. This invention being; a strap that is attached to a product and then said strap is attached to a point-of-purchase dispaly strip using one of the through cut slots in the strip as an attachment point for one of the strap ends.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There are a variety of products being sold in stores that are sealed by means of a clear plastic generally called a Skin or a Blister. The difference between the two is found in the word describing the process. A blister is a clear plastic cover that has actually been heated and then formed using a special mold and a vacuum. The heated plastic takes the shape of the mold after the vacuum is applied. Once the formed blisters cool they can be used. Blisters are placed over the product and glued to the board the product has been placed on. Skin packaging is another way to seal product to a printed board. Multiple products are placed on a special skin packaging (porous) board then a plastic film with a special glue is used to seal the product to the board by using heat and a vacuum. The board with its products attached is placed on a cutting die that is used to cut out the familiar sealed product cards we see in stores.
Goods that have been sealed in plastic skins or bubbles are getting heavier and hanging strips that are being used today just do not have a visible lock or the strength needed to safely support some of them. Locks and batteries as well as other items being sealed to cards can fall off strips such as the CLIP STRIP FOR SUPPORTING MULTIPLE PACKAGES AND DISPLAY ASSEMBLY USING SAME U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,578 Pendergraph et al. This flexible plastic hanging strip has a number of tab shapes cut into it that face up these are to receive the holes that are cut into the board of the blister packaged product. Other products can fall from the strip as a single item is being taken or if the strip is turned or inverted products can fall then as well. Looking at another hanging strip called the ADJUSTABLE STRIP MERCHANDISER U.S. Pat. No. 5,386,916 Valiulis we see the hanging strip made of flexible plastic with interlocking fingers spaced at intervals down the strip to accept the hole in the packaged goods. This particular strip had perforations which looked good but were to weak to support the load of goods intended to hang on it. In addition the fingers of the strip do not work well with some of the cutouts in the blister packs meant to hang on them. One of the later attempts of hanging strip construction is the INVERTED T TAB MEMBER HANGING STRIP U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,403 Crysdale.
The Crysdale strip has T-Shaped cutout portions for holding blister packaged items. According to the abstract it is made from a transparent non stretchable material and it has an inverted T that engages the article. We need to note here that the material the strip is made from has to be light enough to allow the T to be jammed into the hole in the product package. Also some products such as electronic calculators, or batteries or locks are too heavy a load for this strip and product could fall from it. Also the stiff nature of the material the strip is made from can act like a knife to cut away at the cutout in the product package causing a rip or tear there.
It is important for store owners and department managers to know that when goods are accessed by the customer only what is needed is released from the hanging strip unfortunately that is not always the case with the previously discussed inventions.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The purpose of this invention is to provide the manufacturers of packaged product a versatile, secure method to attach goods to a hanging display strip. Using this invention will help to prevent accidents caused by packages falling from a hanging strip. When products attached to a strap are acessed a “T” shaped end of the strap must be unlocked from the product hanging strip by disengaging a notch in the link used to connect the goods to the hanging strip.
The purpose of this invention is to provide a safe way to hang or display merchandise in stores. This invention not only provides a secure connection of goods to strip but allows easy accessibility by the customer as well.
The key to this invention is its ability to accommodate a number of different products that need to be displayed giving merchandisers a safe secure way to display their products. Straps can be attached to packaged goods using the T and locking notch found on either end of the strap.The straps can be cinched around a coiled, bundled or folded extension cord and then the strap with its product load can be hung on the hanging strip of the invention or on a pegboard hook. Craft or hobby stores will be able to secure product to a strap with staples or nails this will allow them to hang wooden items. Multiple products can be loaded on a strap and be removed one at a time or sold as a unit.
The present invention can be used to keep box flaps open for loading or closed until such time access to goods inside the box is required. One cuts a slit in each of the box flaps an end of the strap is secured in each of the slits. The strap when attached to slits in the top box flaps acts as a bridge forcing the flaps closed. Slits cut vertically in each of the open corner flaps of a carton are used to secure each end of a strap, the strap secures both connected flaps in an open position until it is removed. The origin of the T and locking notch design began with the box closer provisional patent application No. 60/108,022 Dated Nov. 12, 1998 John Robert Edgerton San Jose, Calif. *small entity*
REFERENCES:
patent: 2128723 (1938-08-01), Zettler
patent: 3874034 (1975-04-01), Clayton
patent: 3997943 (1976-12-01), Jones et al.
patent: 4112988 (1978-09-01), Nelson
patent: 4176423 (1979-12-01), Wigemark
patent: 4466159 (1984-08-01), Burrage
patent: 4483502 (1984-11-01), Fast
patent: 4942644 (1990-07-01), Rowley
patent: 5743403 (1998-04-01), Crysdale
patent: 5762212 (1998-06-01), Pomerantz
patent: 5832568 (1998-11-01), Higuchi
Edgerton John
Gisbon, Jr. Robert W.
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