Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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PRODUCT DISPLAY CASE
FIELD OF THE lNV~;N'l'lON
The present invention relates to a novel product display
case which has the dual utility of providing a means for
displaying a selection of diverse items in a securely mounted
arrangement and a convenient means for maint~ining a supply of
displayed items in registered storage conveniently accessible
to the salesperson or purchaser.
BACKGROUND OF THE lNV~:N-llON
There is a continuing need for a device suitable for
displaying a plurality of diverse items for the convenient
viewing of the purchasing public, yet secure the items from
mishandling or theft while providing a convenient method to
maintain storage of the displayed items for quick and easy
retrieval.
In the retail sale of items, such as small, expensive or
injurious items, there has been a continuing conflict between
the necessity for adequately securing the items from theft or
mish~n~l;ng and the desire to provide an attractive marketing
environment so as to maximize potential customer interest in
purchasing the items.
In the time honored retail marketing tradition, potential
customers generally prefer to handle the item being presented
for sale so they may inspect and compare various of a selection
of similar items before their selection for purchase is made.
In the sales of small packaged items, this generally means
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opening the package and removing protective wrappings for the
customer to handle and view the item. Upon making a selection,
the customer generally prefers that the item be rewrapped or
that a new originally wrapped package cont~;ning the item be
provided for the actual sale. Such sales environment can
require close supervision by retail clerks and if storage
quantities of the item are not easily and conveniently
available, usually requires the sales personnel to leave their
customer in search of a stored unit.
In other retail environments, it has become common for
store owners to provide limited shelf space for company
representatives who provide a display and replenishing stock of
items being sold through the display. The customer is thus
left to his own means to inspect and compare the items and to
then select the appropriate package from the stock provided at
the shelf space for which payment at an appropriate cashier
station in the store is then made. Such means of display and
stock of items is generally problematic in that samples of
small items, amongst a diverse selection of similar items,
which may be provided for display become lost, stolen or
scattered about the store and many packages become strewn about
in the frenzy of determining which package contains which of
the many displayed items.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a
product display case with enhanced viewing of the product for
inspection and comparison by the customer.
It is another object to provide a product display case
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which can secure items for display in such manner as to
restrain mishandling thereof.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a
display case for the registered identification of items for
convenient retrieval from storage.
It is a still further object to provide a display case
having a convenient means for storing quantities of the items
in registered alignment with the objects being displayed.
These and other objects of the invention will become
apparent from the following description of the invention.
SUMMARY OF THE lNV~NllON
The present invention is a display case having upper and
lower, separately functional, display and storage units.
The lower unit constitutes a generally rectilinear case
comprised of a generally horizontally disposed flat base panel,
opposing generally vertically disposed side panels, a generally
vertically disposed rear panel, a top, a front panel and a
front display box. The base panel, opposing side panels, rear
panel, top and front panel are arranged so as to form a case
having a forward facing display opening angled from the
vertical for access to the interior of the case. A front
display box is hingedly mounted in the display opening such
that in the closed position the interior of the case is closed
to entry and in the open position the box pivots away from the
opening allowing access to the interior of the case.
The interior of the case comprising the lower unit
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comprises a plurality of shelves for storage of items displayed
in the display box. Generally such shelves are adjustably
mounted.
The front display box comprises a generally rectilinear
case having a generally transparent front panel and means for
mounting items on the interior of the rear panel facing the
front panel. In one embodiment the transparent front panel is
movably mounted, preferably slidably mounted, to the front
display box. It should be understood, by the term generally
transparent is meant that an item mounted to the interior wall
of the rear panel is visible therethrough and does not mean
that the entire front panel must be transparent or that
transparency must be complete.
In another embodiment the front display box is hingedly
connected at about its lower border to a front panel of the
lower unit. In a preferred embodiment, the transparent front
panel is hingedly connected at its lower border to the display
box and the display box is hingedly connected at its upper
border to the top of the lower unit.
In one embodiment of the invention, the rear panel of the
display box is perforated and the means for mounting items on
the interior of the panel comprises a fastening means
engageable through a perforation. In a preferred embodiment a
mounting means comprises a strap means or the like which
extends through a hole in the rear panel, around an item
positioned against the interior side of the panel and back
through another hole in the rear panel. In a most preferred
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embodiment such strap means comprises plastic tie means.
In another embodiment of the invention the interior side
of the rear panel comprises means for identifying items mounted
to said rear panel. In a still further embodiment said means
for identifying correspond to identifying means on packaged
items contained within said lower unit. In a preferred
embodiment the position of the mounted item on the rear panel
of the display box is in registered alignment with packaged
items contained on shelves within said lower unit.
The lower and upper units can stand alone or be mounted
together. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the upper
unit is mounted to the top of the lower unit forming a combined
product display case.
The upper unit constitutes a generally rectilinear case
comprised of a generally horizontally disposed base wall,
opposing generally vertically disposed side walls, a generally
vertically disposed rear wall and a top.
The rear wall comprises a plurality of shelves which are
horizontally mounted thereto, preferably adjustably mounted.
The front of the upper unit comprises an opening, preferably
having a transparent door mounted therein.
In a preferred embodiment a door is mounted in the front
opening as a barrier to entry to the interior of the case. In
a further embodiment, glass doors are slidably mounted in an
arrangement to traverse the front opening on about parallel
paths so that in a closed position the doors provide a barrier
to entry through the front opening. In a first open position
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the doors are in opposing alignment and present a barrier to
entry through one side or portion of the front opening. In a
second open position the doors are in opposing alignment and
present a barrier to entry through another side or portion of
the front opening.
In one embodiment of the invention, sliding glass doors
are roller mounted along parallel tracks mounted to the
interior of the base wall of the upper unit. In another
embodiment the interior of the base wall comprises parallel
slots and a bottom edge of glass doors are mounted to said
parallel slots. In a preferred embodiment the bottom edge of
a glass door comprises a plastic glide mount.
The doors can comprise a locking means to secure them from
unauthorized opening or closing and/or can comprise means for
gripping the doors, such as a handle, indentation, hole or the
like to enable convenient opening or closing of the doors.
Positioned between the rear wall and the front opening of
the case are one or more, preferably a plurality such as two or
more, slidable display panels. In a preferred embodiment the
display panels are generally vertically arranged, are slidably
mounted along about parallel paths, and comprise means for
fastening an item to be displayed thereon.
In a preferred embodiment a plurality of generally flat
display panels, having a forward facing display surface, are
slidably mounted to traverse a width of the case on parallel
paths spaced from the front opening toward the rear wall. In
a first position two display panels are in opposing
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juxtaposition such that the display surface of a first display
panel nearest the front opening of the case is visible from the
front opening and obstructs viewing the display surface of an
opposing second display panel juxtaposed behind it. In a
second position the two display panels are arranged in adjacent
alignment such that the display surface of the two display
panels are both visible and appear in a side by side
arrangement when observed through the front opening.
In such arrangement it is envisioned that a plurality of
display panels are slidable arranged along spaced about
parallel paths for alternate viewing of displayed items and
obstruction of viewing by arrangement behind other display
panels.
The display panels can comprise means for mounting items
for display on the viewing surface and/or literature or the
like. In one embodiment of the invention, a display panel is
perforated and the means for mounting items on the display
surface of the panel comprises a fastening means engageable
through a perforation. In a preferred embodiment a mounting
means comprises a strap means or the like which extends from
the rear of the panel through a hole, around an item positioned
against the display surface of the panel and back through
another hole to the rear of the panel. In a most preferred
embodiment such strap means comprises plastic tie means.
In another embodiment of the invention the display surface
of the display panel comprises means for identifying items
mounted to said panel. In a still further embodiment said
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means for identifying correspond to identifying means on
packaged items contained on shelves within said upper unit
rearward of said display panels. In a preferred embodiment the
position of the mounted item on a display panel of the upper
unit is in registered alignment with packaged items contained
on shelves within said upper unit.
In one embodiment of the invention, the display panels are
roller mounted along parallel tracks mounted to a top and/or
base wall of the upper unit. In a preferred embodiment the
interior of the base wall comprises parallel tracks and a
bottom edge of the display panels are roller mounted to said
parallel tracks.
The panels can comprise a locking means to secure them
from unauthorized opening or closing and/or egress to the rear
shelves and/or can comprise means for gripping the panels, such
as a handle, indentation, hole or the like to enable convenient
sliding of the panels from one position to another.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded perspective`view of upper
and lower units of a display case of the invention.
FIG. 2 illustrates a top elevational, sectional view of
the upper unit of FIG. 1 taken along about line 2-2.
FIG. 3 illustrates a side elevational, sectional view of
the upper unit of FIG. 1 taken along about line 3-3.
FIG. 4 illustrates a side elevational, sectional view of
a further lower unit of the invention.
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DETATT~n DESCRIPTION OF T~E lNv~NllON
FIG 1 illustrates upper and lower units in a preferred
arrangement, while FIGS 2 and 3 illustrate upper unit 1 alone
and FIG 4 illustrates a further lower unit alone.
Referring to upper unit 1, the embodiment illustrated
depicts upper unit 1 as comprising top 10, side walls 11 and
lla, bottom wall 12 and rear wall 13. Front opening 14
comprises glass doors 15 and 15a, which are slidably mounted in
generally parallel slots 16 and 16a of bottom wall 12 on glides
8, and comprise handles 17 and 17a and lock arrangement 18. In
the depicted embodiment, light 8 illuminates display panels 19,
20 and 21, are illustrated having front display surfaces l9a,
20a and 21a respectively and rear surfaces l9b, 20b and 21b
respectively. The display panels are illustrated as being
slidable mounted through lower rollers 22a, 22b and 22c and
upper rollers 23a, 23b and 23c in the case. Display panel 21
is depicted as a generally flat panel, while display panels 19
and 20 are shown with end caps l9c and 20c.
Spaced along the interior surface of rear wall 13 are a
plurality of shelves 24, which are adjustably mounted to side
mounts 25a and 25b through shelf supports 26. The front
surfaces of the display panels may comprise a decorative
covering or the like and constitutes the surface to which items
27 are mounted. Display panel 21 illustrated in FIG. 1 is
shown as comprising holes 28 to enable mounting of items
through mounting straps 29, which are fastened 30 at rear
surface 21b. Generally the preferred mounting straps are
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plastic straps of the type which comprise a locking means at
one end, through which the other end of the strap is passed,
the locking means which generally comprises an edge which
lockingly engages a groove in the other end of the strap.
Register tabs 31 are shown as being attached along shelves
24 and generally corresponding in adjacent location to item
identification tags 32 positioned below display items 27. It
should be understood that it is contemplated that the register
tabs comprise a model identification or the like recited on
boxed items and the presence of register tabs, identification
tabs or the like is not required and/or may not correspond in
adjacent position.
Lower units 2 and 2A, are depicted as comprising top 40,
side walls 41 and 41a, and a front panel having a removable
glass viewing portion 50 and handle 51. Lower unit 2A is
illustrated as comprising top 40a, side wall 41b, bottom wall
42 and rear wall 43. Front opening 44 comprises display box 45
which is hingedly attached 46 to top 40a and comprises a front
glass panel 47, side walls 48a-d rear display wall 49 and
illuminating source 7. Display items are held to display
surface 49a of display panel 49 by mounting straps 29, which
are illustrated as fastened 30 at a rear surface of the display
wall. Lower unit 2A is also shown as comprising a plurality of
shelves 52a-b, which are adjustably mounted to side mounts 53a
and 53b through shelf supports 54.
Units can be used alone or in any combination. For
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example two upper and/or two lower units, of the same or
different size can be stacked to form a combination unit. When
two upper units are stacked it is preferred that the bottom
unit comprise a front kick plate and/or false base.
