Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This invention relates to a device for displaying infor-
mation wherein the information displayed can be changed without
removing the display panels of the device. A common application
of the invention is the display of pricing information on a retail- ~ - -
er's shelf.
Price display devices that comprise a body formed with
channels to receive and hold the edges of flexi~le price cards are ~ -
commonly used in grocery and other retailing. The store operator
has a supply of price cards that he slides in and out of the channels
to dispiay any price he requires. The devices have been extensively
used at least for the extent of the memory of most persons in the
retail trade.
The changing of the price cards is a tedious and cumber-
som procedure especially in cases where prices fluctuate continuously
as they do in the grocery business to accommodate specials, weekly
fluctuations in supply prices and other factors.
This invention takes an entirely different approach to
the problem of changing prices and provides a structure with which
it is possible to vary prices by the simple manipulation of a stack
of price panels in the housing. It is not necessary to take out
and replace cards to change price.
A display device according to this invention comprises
a series of panels of equal size, the panels being hinged and
arranged in two stacks, the top panel of each stack being adjacent
panels joined at the hinge line between them; a housing for said
panels having two retainers, one fox the outside edge of each of
said stacks; said housing having a support between said retainers
underlying said hinge line between the top panel of each of said
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stacks; said retainers being spaced to hold the top panels of each
stack with said hinge line between the top panel of each of said
stacks against said support; said support having a height greater
than the edge thickness of the stack of panels beneath it whereby
one can move the top panel in one stack to carry said fold line
between the top panel of both stacks over said support a distance
to pull the top panel of the other stack from a retainer, said top
panel so removed from one retainer being insertable in the other
retainer to display two different panels of said strip as top
panels; said panels having display materials thereon, the display
materials being visible when they are top panels in said stacks in
said housing. The invention will be clearly understood after
reference to the following detailed specification read in con-
junction with the drawings.
In the drawings:
Figure 1 is a perspective illustration of a display device
according to this invention showing two stacks of panels mounted
therein to form a two-digit display;
Figure 2 is an illustration of a series of panels;
Figure 3 is an illustration from the end showing the dis-
position of the stacks of panels in the holder; and
Figures 4 and 5 are illustrations showing the manner in
which the stacks are manipulated to change the display materials.
The drawings illustrate a display device commonly used
on grocery and retail store shelves for indicating the price of
articles on the shelf. The device has a housing generally indicated
; by the numeral 10 that is made from an extruded plastics material
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and that slides or clips into a bracket 12 on the shelf 14. In
use a display strip showing a price is mounted into the housing
as will be explained and serves to inform the public of the price
of the articles on the shelf at the location of the device.
The display strip generally indicated by numeral 16 is
made of a light weight cardboard or sheet ma~erial and is formed
with a series of transverse folds as at 18 to form it into a
series of panels 20.
In use and when mounted in the housing the panels 20 are
stacked in two piles generally indicated by the numerals 22 and
24 on each side of a fold line 18 between the two panels 20 that
are open and which together carry the display material to be read
by a user of the display device.
The display housing 10 has a bar 26 that supports the
fold line 18 as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3.
As shown in Figure 3 the free edges of the stacks 22 and
24 are retained in channels 28 and 30 respectively.- The plane of
the upper edge of the bar 26 is lower than the plane containing
the outer extremities of the retaining channels 28 and 30 ~hen the
upper display panels 20 are retained in the retaining channels.
As shown it is the reading matter of two adjacent panels
20 that constitute the full display and when it is desired to
change the display in the device one merely manipulates the strip
wlthin the housing to change the panels that are visible. This
is done by depressing one of the panels 20 to push its fold down-
wardly of the upper edge of the bar 26 to pull the top panel of
the upper stack from the channel 30 as illustrated in Figure 5 and
then tucking the free edge of the panels so released under retain-
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ing channel 28 to display a different number as illustrated in
Figure 5. In the illustration of these figures the display has ,~
been changed from numeral 6 to numeral 5. In a similar way any
numeral can be displayed.
One can provide a plastics cover for the display strip
to protect the display strip and also to discourage unauthorized
tampering with the displayed information. This strip merely com-
prises a strip of flexible plastics transparent material 32 hinged
in the casing as at 34 and resilient so that the free edge thereof
can be snapped into the retaining channel 36.
In use the display device is mounted on a grocery or like
retailing shelf as illustrated in Figure 1 and the stacks of panels
are inserted into the housing as illustrated in Figure 3. The
retailer manipulates the panels of the two stacks into which the
panels 20 are formed by depressing one of the top panels 20 to carry
the fold line between it and its adjacent panel downwardly of one
side of'the support bar 26 as illustrated in Figure 4 and to pull '~
the opposite panel from the retainer 30 as illustrated in Figure 4.
In this case the top panel of each of the stacks combines to display
the numeral 6 as illustrated in Figure 4. To achieve the numeral
5 one takes the top panel with its underlying panel that has been
released,from the retainer 30 and-inserts it into _etainer 28 as
illustrated in Figure 5 to dis,play two panels which show the num-
eral 5. If the device is to be used for pricing the strip has
panels with each of the digits from ~ to 9 whereby to permit full
flexibility in respect,of pricing. Any other information could
be contained on the panels. The idea is to provide for changing
information by displaying information on any two adjacent;:panels
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at will. This is done by supporting them as indicated and manipu- ~:
lating the edges from one retaining means and flexing it into the
other retaining means whereby to display two different panels.
It will be noted that the edges of the panels opposite the ones
that are in the retaining means have sufficient space to separate
so that there is a distance below the support means 26 into which
one can project the top panel of one or other stack to change the
display. There is room to pull one of the stacks from its retaining
means as the top panel is depressed over the edge of the support
bar 26.
Embodiments of the invention other than the one illustrat-
ed will be apparent to those skilled in the art and it is not :
intended that the invention should be restricted to the specific
embodiment illustrated.
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