Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
: W093/085;6 PCT/US92/01089
1 2099288
ROLLED UP MESSAGE DISPLAY
BACK~ROUND OF T~E I~IVE~TIO~I
The present invention relates generally to
improvements in display devices and it relates
particularly to an improved device for supporting and
exhibiting an article and for providing information
relating to the article.
In point of sales article display devices, it is a
common practice to locate the article on a counter or
shelf where it often occupies considerable space and to
present information in connection with the article,
describing and explaining the article and its
application and its various parameters. The space
available for such information is generally limited,
accordingly limiting not only the amount of information -
which can be presented but also the space available for ;
properly exhibiting the article. The arrangements and
expedients heretofore proposed or employed for
overcoming the aforesaid drawbacks are of limited
application, dif~icult and inconvenient to use, of
unattractive appearance and of little versatility and
~ adaptability and otherwise leave much to be desired.
;~ UMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A principal object of the present invention is to
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provide an improved display device.
Another object of the present invention is to
provide an improved device for displaying an article or
product and provide extensive information in connection
therewith.
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Still another object of the present invention is
to provide an improved point of sale article display
and information furnishing device which is compact and ~-
- occupies a minimum of space.
A further object of the present invention is to
provide an article support and information providing
device which may be separably mounted in many positions
and on many support structures. -
Still a further obj~ct of the present invention is
to provide a device of the above-nature characterized
by its low cost, ease of operation, attractive ~;
- appearance and great versatility and adaptability.
~ The above and other objects of the presPnt
" , . - . .
invention will become apparent from a reading of the ~ -
1 following description taken in conjunction with the
; accompanying drawings which iilustrate preferred
embodiments thereof,
A display device in accordance with the present
invention includes a bracket for supporting an article
. . ...
~!' ' to be displayed, means for separably mounting the
bracket on a support, for example, a peg board, a shelf
. . ,~ . .-
member or the like and an information display member
carried by the bracket and including a longitudinally
extending casing housing a spool rotatable about a
longitudinal axis in opposite wind and unwind
directions, an information carrying web secured to the
spool and being vertically extendable with the
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~ ~ unwinding of the spool and being withdrawn and wound on
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W093/08~6 3 2 0 9 9 2 8 8 PcTtUS92/01089
the spool with its rotation in a wind direction, and
spring means biasing the spool to rotate in a wind
direction.
In its preferred form, the bracket includes a pair
of longitudinally spaced transversely extending
parallel coplanar arms having a pair of depending
parallel legs intermediate the ends thereof. The
casing extends between the lower portions of the leg
and includes a bottom wall with a longitudinal slot. A
stationary shaft extends longitudinally in the casing
and coaxially rotatably supports a tubular spindle or
spool which is biased in a wind direct by a helical
spring located in the spool and encircling the shaft
with one end of the spring being affixed to the spool
and the other end being affixed to the shaft. The
information carrying web passes from the spool through
the slot and terminates at its free end in a stop
defining pull having a dimension greater than a
¦ corresponding dimension of the slot. A mounting or
mounting members are separably secured to the rear
faces of the bracket side arms and may include eye
members for engaging hooks or the like for attachment
, to a peg board or a vertical wall, vertical fingers for
engaging a horizontal slot, clip members, a self-
fastening hook and loop pile fabric and the like.
The improved display device is highly versatile
; and adaptable and is easily adjusted and operated. It
may conveniently be mounted on many support structures
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W093t08~6 2 0 g ~2 8 & 4 PCT/US92/01089
and may separably support or carry one or more articles
for display. The observer, to obtain an extensive
description or explanation of the supported article,
merely pulls the information web downwardly by means of
the pull and is presented with explanatory material,
diagrams and pictures and other information. Upon
release of the pull, the web is withdrawn and wound on
the spool under the influence of the loaded biasing
' spring.
BRIEF DE8CRIPTION OF ~E DRA~ING8
Figure l is a front perspective view of a
preferred embodiment of the present invention showing a -
support to which the device may be mounted.
Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2
in Figure l but showing the information web in
withdrawn position and partially broken away;
~, Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 -~
in Figure 2;
Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view,
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partially foreshortened, of the web rewind assembly;
Figure 5 is a fragmentary exploded perspective
view of the bracket rear portion showing a modified
~, bracket mounting assembly;
Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5, showing a
modified bracket mounting assembly;
Figure 6A is a fragmentary perspective view
showing the mounting assembly shown in Figure 6 but
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~ with a different support:
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- W093/08S~6 5 2 0 9 9 2 8 8 PCT/US92/01089
Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view of another
mounting assembly showing the bracket coupled to a
vertical peg board:
Figures 8 and 9 are views similar to Figure 6,
showing further modifications of the bracket mounting;
and
Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 7 but
,' showing a still further mounting modification;
~, Figure 11 is a fragmentary perspective view of
another embodiment of the present;
Figure 12 is a fragmented side elevational view of
a modified structure of the embodiments shown in Figure
'
1 1;
:~ Figure 13 is a perspective view of a further
~j embodiment of the present invention;
I Figure 14 is an enlarged sectional view taken
along line 14-14 in Figure 13: and
Figure 15 is a view similar to Figure 14 but
showing a modified mounting of the improved device.
DE8CRIPTION OF T~E PREFERRED EM~ODIN~NTB
:?~ Referring now to the drawings, particularly
Figures 1 to 7 thereof which illustrate a preferred
~; ~ embodiment of the present invention, the improved
display device is designated by the reference numeral
10 and is shown for mounting on an rear vertical
support panel 11. The device 10 includes and article
'; support or bracket 12, a casing 13 housing a
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W093/085s6 6 PCT/US92/01089
retracta~9e9x~endable web 14 and a bracket mounting ::
member 15.
The bracket 12 comprises a pair of longitudinally
spaced transversely extending coplanar hollow arms 16
of square longitudinal cross section closed at their
front ends by end walls 17. Depending from each arm 16 . ~:
intermediate its ends is a hollow leg 17 with outer and :
inner vertical side walls 18 and 19 respectively, .
integral and coplanar with respective outer and inner
side walls 20 and 21 of arms 16, the legs 17 being
parallel. The casing 13 is of U-shape, extending :
longitudinally between leg inside walls 19 and includes "
a vertical relatively high rear wall 22, a relatively
shallow vertical front wall 23, and a curved
cylindrical bottom wall 24 extending between the bottom , .
edges of walls 22 and 23. A longitudinal slot 26 is
formed in the bottom of bottom wall 24. Formed on the
inside face of each inside wall 19 along its bottom ,.
border and intermediate its front and rear-edge is a .
vertically extending shelf support projection, one of
which has a wide vertical slot 28 and the other of
.
which has a narrow vertical slot 29.
The top of casing 13 is closed by a removable
rectangular panel or lid 30 having depending ... .
longitudinally extending lips 32 which engage the upper , ,
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j4 :~ borders of the confronting faces of casing walls 22 and
23. An article A to be exhibited is attached to the :
top face of lid 30 by a pair of longitudinally spaced
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W093/08S56 7 PCT/US92/01089
209g~88
straps 34 which encircle article A resting on lid 30
and traverse slots formed in lid 30 and lips 32.
Mating projections and recesses are formed in lips 32
and the inside upper borders of walls 22 and 23 to
releasable lock lid 30 in closed position. It should
be noted that another article to be exhibited may rest
on and be supported by bracket arms 16.
~ The bracket mounting member 15 extends between the
rear faces 37 of bracket arms 16 and includes a front
vertical web 38, having along its top edge a
:'~ coextensive rearwardly projecting horizontal web 39 .
' terminating along its rear edge in an upwardly
projecting flange 40. Web 38 is secured to arm rear
-:', end walls 37 in any suitable manner, preferably by
.~ screws to permit the detachment and replacement by
other mounting members.
Support panel 11 has formed thereon a horizontal
channel 41 communicating with the front face 42 thereof -
by way of a medially located horizontal slot 43. In
mounting bracket member 12 to panel 11, the bracket .
member 12 is tilted.upwardly and flange 40 is inserted
through slot 42 and the bracket member is then swung to
its horizontal position to swing flange 40 to a .
vertical condition engaging the upper front face of
channel 41 thereby retaining bracket member 12 in a
; horizontal position to panel 11.
Housed in casing 13 is a retractable web assembly
44 which includes a longitudinally extending rod or
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W093/08556 2 0 5 ~ 2 8 8 8 PCT/US92/01089
axle 46 which is flatted at one end as at 47 and is
provided with a diametric bore 48 proximate its other
end. Axle 46 extends longitudinally in casing 13 with -~
flattened end 47 engaging slot 29 to prevent to . .
rotation of axle 46 about its axes and the axle
opposite end resting on the base of slot 28.
A tubular cylindrical spool or spindle 49 is
coaxial with and extends along the length of axle 46 . ;
and a stepped hub 50 tightly telescopes each end of
spool 49 to be rotatable therewith, each hub 50 having
an axial bore and being rotatable on axle 46. Each hub - - -
50 includes a main body portion 51 firmly engaging the
spool inside face and terminating at its outer end in a
peripheral flange S2 abutting an end face of spool 49 . .
and also includes an inner cylindrical section 53 of
outside diameter less than the inside diameter of spool
46. ~.
A helical rewind biasing spring S5 extends along ':.
and encircles axle 46 and terminates at one end in a . .
radially extending arm 54 which engages axle bore 48
and at its opposite end encircles and tightly engages a .-.:
hub section 53 to be rotatable therewith. A flexible
web 56 of fabric or other suitable material and having
information imprinted or otherwise applied to a face ~.
thereof has its inner end border extending along the
length of and affixed to spool 49. Web 56 extends
through slot 26 and has secured to its outer end a pull
member 57 of greater length than slot 26 to function as
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W093/08S~6 9 2 0 9 9 2 8 8 PCT/US92/01089
a stop to prevent the complete withdrawal of web 56
into casing 13.
In the application and use of the device 10, it is
mounted on vertical panel ll in the manner earlier
described so that bracket 12 is horizontal and projects
forwardly. An article A is secured to lid 30 and
another article to be displayed rests on bracket arms
16. To obtain information relative to t~e displayed
articles, one merely pulls pull 57 downwardly to
withdraw it through slot 24 and load spring 55. Upon
release of pull 57, the spool 49 is rotated by spring
55 in a rewind direction to rewind and spool web 56.
The other illustrated embodiments of the present
invention differ from,that described above primarily in
the construction of the mounting means. Thus, in the
structure shown in Figure 5, the mounting includes a
longitudinally extending flat vertical bar 58
terminating at its opposite ends in forwardly offset ~,,
depending square plates 59 having central openings 60 ''
and bottom rearwardly projecting flanges. Adhered to
. .
the rear fa¢e of bar 58 is a Velcro band 60 of self- ','
adherent loop and hook pile fabric. The bar 58 is
secured to bracket 12 by abutting plates 59 t~ the rear
faces of bracket arms 16 and securing them to the
bracket arms by screws 61 engaging holes 60 and nut
members supported within arms 16, for example, in the ~'-'
manner shown in Figures 7 and 10. A band 63 similar to
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~ confronting band 60 is secured to a vertical support
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W093/08~56 10 PCT/US92/01089
20992~
and the bracket is secured thereto by pressing band 60 -~
to band 63.
In the embodiment shown in Figure 6, the support :
panel is a vertical peg board 65 having regularly
. spaced holes 66. A mount member 67 includes a vertical
square coupling plate 68 contiguous and screw fastened
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to the rear face of each bracket arm 16 in the manner
earlier described. Projecting rearwardly from the top ~ . .
edge of each plate 68 is a pair of laterally spaced
parallel arms 69 terminating in upwardly projecting
. .
.~ fingers 70. The fingers 70 engage corresponding pairs .:
of holes 66 and the bracket swings to a horizontal
~l position as limited by the flange along the bottom of
,, plate 68 abutting peg board 65. ` .
~ The mounting arrangement shown in Figure 6A
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differs from that last described only in that for the ~ .
peg board 65 there is substituted a suitably supported ~ .
horizontal rearwardly flanged bar 71 having ~
longitudinally spaced aligned longitudinally extending -.
slots which are releasable engaged by the vertical
l fingers 72 of the mount member of the construction of :
3 mount member 67.
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~ Referring to Figure ? which shows an alternative `~
.~ structure for mounting the bracket on a peg board, the :~
. mounting member 73 is secured to the rear face of each
bracket arm 16 and includes a square vertical coupling
.~ ~ plate 74 abutting the rear end face of each arm 16 and
~ ~ secured thereto by a screw 76 engaging aligned holes in
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W093/085~6 ll 2 0~9~2 8,8 PCT/US92/01089
plate 74 and the rear end wall of respective bracket
arms 16 and threaded into aligned openings in a U-
shaped clip nut 77 clamped onto the elevated base
section of a vertical panel 78 formed in each bracket
arm 16. Projecting upwardly from the front face of
plate 74 is suspension arm 79 having a coupling hole 80
and terminating at its top in an upwardly forwardly -
inclined finger 83. Plate 74 terminates at its bottom
in a rearwardly projecting flange. The bracket is
suspended from a peg board by means of conventional peg
board hooks 81 having upper portions engaging
respective peg board holes and bottom hook portions ~-
engaging holes 80 and having upwardly extending legs 82
bearing on fingers 83.
The mounting structure shown in Figure 8 is
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similar to that last described except that the : .
sùspension arm 84 is a modification of suspension arm
79 in that it is provided with a vertical keyhole slot
86 with an enlarged bottom portion. A suction cup 87
for separable attachment to a vertical support face is --
provided and has a forwardly projecting axial shank 88 . .. .
having an enlarged head for releasable engagement with
keyhole slot 86 in the known manner.
In the mounting illustrated in figure 9, a clip
mount member formed of a resilient metal includes a
.. . . .
-~ square medial plate 90 screw connected to each bracket
arm rear end face in the manner described above and
~; extending from its top and bottom edges are upwardly
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~ W093t08556 2 0 9 9 2 8 8 12 PCT/US92/01089
rearwardly inclined arm 91 and downwardly rearwardly
inclined arm 92 terminating in outwardly projecting
vertical flanges 94. The bracket support includes a
suitably positioned longitudinally extending channel :
member 96 having a cross web 97 and longitudinal side
wall 98 terminating in inwardly projecting flanges 99,
delineating vertically spaced longitudinal tracks 100.
The bracket member is coupled to channel member 96 by
snap inserting flanges 94 into engagement with
respective tracks 100.
In Figure 10, there is shown a mounting member 101 :.
for supporting the display bracket on the front of a
shelf or counter 105. The mount member 101 and its
attachment to the bracket arms is similar to that shown
-' '' .
in Figure 7 except that the flange 102 along the bottom ~.
of coupling plate 103 is narrower than the plate bottom
flange of the Figure 7 embodiment and the suspension
arm 73 is replaced by rearwardly projecting horizontal . .
plates 104 connected to plates 103 by depending walls
106 with rear faces coplanar with the rear faces of
flanges 102. The confronting horizontal faces of
plates 104 and counter 105 are mutually cemented by a
preferably pressure sensitive separable adhesive.
The embodiments of the present invention
illustrated in Figures 11 to 15 include mounting means
which may be employed in the embodiments earlier
described and include retractable information carrying
web assemblies broadly similar in construction to the
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W093/08556 13 2 0 9 9 2 8 8 PCT/USg2/01089
web retractable assembly 44 earlier described. Thus,
the device llO shown in Figure ll of the drawings
includes a longitudinally extending casing lll formed
of top and bottom complementary separable shells 112
and having a bottom wall with a longitudinal slot and a ~:
rear vertical flat rear wall 113 with parallel
longitudinal top and bottom edges. ~-
Formed on the rear face of rear wall 113 and
coextensive with the top and bottom edges thereof are
.:
top and bottom longitudinal track defining grooves 114
delineated by rear wall 113 and rearwardly projecting
L-shaped flanges 116. A support member defining -
vertical peg board 117 is located rearwardly ~f casing
111 and has coupled thereto a coupling horizontal loop
member 118.
A wire formed transverse coupling arm 119 includes -
a horizontal upper leg 120, a lower leq 121 parallel
to, below and shorter than upper leg 120 and a vertical
cross leg 122 traversing loop member 118 and joining
and integral with the rear ends of legs 120 and 121. A
vertical square coupling plate 123 is suitably affixed
to the front of upper leg 119 and is embraced between
flanges 116 with its upper and lower borders slidably
engaging track grooves 114 and its front face engaging
casing rear wall 113. The junction of bottom leg 121
and cross leg 122 bears on the front face of peg board
117. A web retraction assembly similar to assembly 44
is housed in casing 111 and is spring biased to retract
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W093/085~6 2 0 9 9 2 8 8 14 PCT/~IS92/~1089
and rewind an information carry web traversing the
casing bottom slot and terminating in a pull member :
125. .~-
The embodiment illustrated in Figure 12 differs
from that shown in Figure 11 only in the construction ,~
of the support member and the attachment of the
coupling arm thereto. Specifically, the coupling arm
126 is similar to coupling arm 119 except that a .
vertical rear square coupling plate 127 is affixed to
the rear cross leg of coupling arm 126 and is parallel
to front coupling plate 129.
The support member 130 which may be a wall, shelf
or the like includes a vertical front face 131 to which :~.
is affixed a label track 132 including a rear cross web ~-
133 affixed to front face 131 and having upper and
lower longitudinal tracks 134. The top and bottom
longitudinal border of coupling plate 127 slidably
engage respective tracks 134.
The improved device 136 illustrated in Figures 13
and 14 of the drawings comprises a longitudinal
circular cylindrical casing 137 including a
semicircular upper shell section 138 and a semicircular
bottom shell section 139, the upper section terminating
in circular end walls 140, the bottom halves of which -
nest in the inside end borders of bottom shell section
.~,;
:~ . 139. A retractable web assembly of the nature of
assembly 44 is housed in casing 137 and is biased to
: retract and rewind and permit the withdrawal of an
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wO93/08556 15 2 0 9 9 2 8 ~
information carrying web 141 terminating in a pull ~
member 142 and traversing a longitudinal bottom slot in .
casing bottom section 139.
The support for device 136 includes a horizontal
shelf 143 having a flat top face 144 and terminating
proximate its front in a depending label track 146.
Integrally formed with and projecting rearwardly from
the upper rear border of casing bottom section 139 is a
longitudinal rectangular coupling plate 145 divided :
into front and rear sections 147 and 148 respectively .: .
by a medially located hinge forming longitudinal groove
149. Plate 145 is separably secured to shelf top face
144 by a layer 150 of a pressure sensitive adhesive. .
Casing 137 extends along the front edge of shelf 143
with pull 142 being forward of track 146. A plurality
of longitudinally spaced projections 151 are formed
along the bottom rear face of casing 137 and bear on a
front ridge on shelf 143.
As shown in Figure lS, the casing 137 may be
alternatively mounted to the underface of shelf 143 by
folding coupling plate front section 147 downwardly
about hinge groove 149 to a depending position at a
right angle to rear plate section 148. Plate rear ~- `
section 148 is secured to the underface of shelf 143 by `.
a pressure sensitive adhesive layer 156 and plate front
section 147 is secured to the depending vertical
section 157 of label track 146 by a pressure sensitive
adhesive layer 158. In the above mounted position, -:
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w093/085~6 2 0 9 9;2 8 8 16 PCT/US92/01089 ~.
casing 137 is below track 146 and the web passage slot
in casing section 139 is above the lowermost point of
the casing. ~ . -
While there have been described and illustrated
preferred embodiments of the present invention, it is
. apparent that numerous alterations, omissions and :
additions may be made without departing from the spirit
thereof.
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