Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE OF THE INVENTION
DISPLAY ASSEMBLY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a display
assembly. More specifically, the present invention is
concerned with a shelving display assembly for
displaying items.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Display assemblies for shelving and
displaying merchandise and other such articles are well
known. There are many variations of such display
assemblies used in supermarkets, grocery stores,
drugstores and the like.
[0003] Prior art improvements include display
assemblies with a pair of top and bottom runners, and a
vertical elongate or post member being mountable
therebetween, This post includes apertures for
receiving bracket members that can carry a variety of
shelves for displaying items. The posts may have pegs,
pins, inserts or other protrusions that are configured
to be inserted within corresponding apertures formed
within the top and bottom runners.
[0004] Drawbacks with the prior art assemblies
include that it is inconvenient to assemble and
disassemble an elongate member from the runners and
that the elongate member is not mounted to the runners
with sufficient stability.
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[0005] There thus remains a need for an improved
display assembly.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0006] An object of the present invention is
therefore to provide an improved display assembly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] More specifically, in accordance with the
present invention, there is provided a display assembly
for displaying items and being mountable to a vertical
surface, the display assembly comprising:
[0008] at least two longitudinal runners being
mountable to the vertical surface, each of the runners
including elongate-member-mounting elements, the
elongate-member-mounting elements of at least one of
the runners including a protrusion-receiving element;
and
[0009] an elongate member including one end
mountable to one of the runners and an opposite end
mountable to the other of the runners, the one end
having a moveable protrusion assembly for releasably
engaging the protrusion-receiving element, the
opposite end being so configured as to mountable to the
elongate-member-mounting elements, the elongate member
including display-member-engaging elements;
[0010] whereby the moveable protrusion assembly
is moveable between a runner-engaging position for
engaging the protrusion-receiving element and a runner-
disengaging position for disengaging the protrusion-
receiving element.
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[0011] The terms "first" and "second" are used
herein for indicative purposes only and hence are
interchangeable.
5[0012] An advantage of the present invention is
that it provides an improved display assembly that can
be assembled and disassembled and that includes a
safety locking mechanism.
[0013] Another advantage of the present invention
is that the elongate-member is securely mounted between
two runners.
[0014] Other objects, advantages and features of
the present invention will become more apparent upon
reading of the following non restrictive description of
embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] In the appended drawings, in which like
reference numerals indicate like elements throughout
and in which:
[0016] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the
display assembly in accordance with an embodiment of
the invention;
[0017] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the
display assembly in accordance with another embodiment
of the present;
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[0018] Figure 3 is a perspective exploded view of
the moveable protrusion assembly of Figure 1;
[0019] Figure 4 is a perspective exploded view of
the moveable protrusion assembly of Figure 2;
[0020] Figure 5 is a side sectional view of a an
elongate member engaging a runner in accordance with
the embodiment of Figure 1;
[0021] Figure 6 is a top plan view of the
elongate member of Figure 1;
[0022] Figure 7 is a perspective view of a runner
cover in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0023] Figure 8 is a perspective view of a
display element in accordance with an embodiment of the
present invention;
[0024] Figure 9 is a perspective exploded view of
the moveable protrusion assembly in accordance with a
further embodiment of the invention;
[0025] Figure 10 is a side sectional view of a an
elongate member engaging a runner with the moveable
protrusion assembly of Figure 9; and
[0026] Figure 11 is a top plan view of the
elongate member of Figure 1.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT
[0027] With reference to the accompanying
drawings, the present invention will be herein
described by way of embodiments for the purposes of
5 exemplifying the invention only and not limitation.
(0028] Figures 1 and 2 show display assemblies 10
and 12 respectively in accordance with two respective
embodiments of the present invention.
[0029] Display assembly 10 includes two runners
14 and elongate-members 16 therebetween; display
assembly 12 includes two runners 14 and elongate-
members 18 therebetween.
[0030] The runners 14 are longitudinal
structures. In the present illustrated non-limiting
example runners 12 are open or c-shaped rectangular
structures defining a channel formed by first and
second side structures 20 and 22 respectively and a
vertical surface engaging portion 24 therebetween.
[0031] Side structures 20 and 22 run generally
parallel to each other. Side structure 20 includes
elongate-member-mounting elements such as protrusions
26. Side structure 22 includes elongate-member-
mounting elements that are protrusion-receiving
elements 28 in the form of apertures.
[0032] The surface-engaging portion 24 includes
apertures such as screw holes 30 for being mounted to a
vertical surface such as a wall 32.
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[0033] Each elongate member 16 and 18 includes a
main body 34 with opposite first and second ends 36 and
38 respectively. It should be noted that the terms
"first end" and "second end" are used herein for
indicative purposes only and hence, are
interchangeable.
[0034] With reference to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4,
the respective first end 36 of elongate members 16 and
18 includes a respective moveable protrusion assembly
40 and 42.
[0035] Turning back to Figures 1 and 2, the
second end 38 of each elongate member 16 and 18 is
mountable to a side structure 20 of a runner 14. In
this respect, the second end 38 includes an aperture 49
for receiving a protrusion 26 therein.
[0036] With reference again to Figures 1, 2, 3
and 4, the main body 34 includes a lever-slot 46, side
slits 48 near its first end 36 and display-member
engaging elements in the form of slots 50.
[0037] In the present non-limiting illustrated
example, the elongate members 16 and 18 are hollow
tubes having a generally rectangular configuration.
[0038] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the moveable
protrusion assemblies 40 and 42 include respective
protrusion members 52 and 54. Protrusion members 52
and 54 include respective runner-engaging portions 56
and 58 and respective base portions 60. In this
example the runner-engaging portions 56 and 58 are tab
portions and the base portions 60 are tail portions.
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The tab portions 56 and 58 have respective apertures 62
and 64 to receive a respective threaded screw 66 which
acts as a lever and a stopper as will be explained
below. Tab portion 56 also includes an extending
member 68 that acts as a stabiliser or support and as a
lever member as will be explained below.
[0039] Each moveable protrusion assembly 40 and
42 also includes a biasing assembly 70. The biasing
assembly 70 includes a spring 72 and a pad member 74.
The pad member 74 is a flat member with a central
aperture 76 and side fins 78.
(0040] With particular reference to Figure 5 and
general reference to Figure 6, when the protrusion
assembly 40 is assembled and engages a given aperture
28 of a runner 14, the moveable protruding member 52 is
biased to a runner-engaging position. In this way, the
tab portion 56 protrudes outwardly through a protrusion
aperture 80 at the first end 36 of the elongate member
18 by way of the biasing tension of spring 72.
[0041] As aforementioned, the protrusion member
52 includes a lever 66. This lever 66 includes a head
82 and a threaded fastening portion 84 fixedly mounted
to the protrusion member's tab portion 56 through its
aperture 62 via a bolt 86. The lever head 82 outwardly
protrudes through the lever slot 46.
[0042] The pad member 74 is housed within the
main body 34 of the elongate member 18 with its fins 78
engaging the elongate member side slits 48 and its
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central aperture 76 receiving the tail portion 60
therethrough.
[0043] The biasing spring 72 is mounted to the
protruding member 52 about its tail portion 60. The
spring 72 abuts at one end 88 thereof a first stopper
structure 90, formed by the bolted lever 66; the spring
abuts at another end 92 thereof a second stopper 94,
defined by the body of pad member 74.
[0044] In this way, the spring 72 is sandwiched
between a shoulder formed by the lever's threaded
portion 84 and bolt 86 and the pad member 74, which
respectively define first and second stoppers 90 and
94. Consequently, the spring biases both the lever 66
and the tab portion 56 towards the runner engaging
position.
[0045] The lever 66 also acts as a protrusion
member stopper, providing for the protrusion member 52
not to be disassembled from the protrusion assembly 40,
since it abuts an edge 96 (see Figures 3 and 4) of slot
46 which is near the elongate member's protrusion
aperture 80.
[0046] The protrusion assembly 42 is assembled in
a similar fashion, which will not be described herein
for concision purposes only.
[0047] In this way and as will be further
explained when the invention is described in operation,
the moveable protrusion assemblies 40 and 42 are
moveable between runner engaging and runner disengaging
positions.
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[0048] As stated above and with respect to
figures 2 and 4, the protrusion assembly 42 includes an
extension 68, which has a hook like form. The
extension 68 functions as a lever providing the user to
push the protruding member 58 against the spring 72
bias. Extension 68 also functions as a stabiliser by
defining a runner-abutting portion such as the hook tip
69 which abuts the runner side 22 when the protrusion
assembly 42 is in the runner engaging position.
[0049] With reference to Figures 5 and 7, the
display assembly 10 also includes covers 98 for
covering the open front side 100 of runners 14. Covers
98 include apertures 102 configured to receive
protrusions 26 therein when the cover is mounted to a
runner 14. The covers 98 also include an extension 104
and flange 106. The extension 104 covers any jagged
edges on the runner formed by the protrusions 26. The
flange is wedged between the side 22 of a runner 14 and
the first end 36 of an elongate member 16 or 18 mounted
to that runner 14.
[0050] With reference to Figure 8, the display
assembly 10 also includes display members 108 for
displaying the items being mountable to the display-
member-engaging elements in the form of slots 50. The
display members 108 include mounting elements 110
configured to engage display member-engaging elements
52. Display elements 108 also include a display
portion 112 configured to hang items therefrom to mount
a shelf member (not shown) thereon as is known in the
art.
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[0051] Keeping the above description in mind and
with reference again to the accompanying drawings, the
invention will now be described in operation.
[0052] The runners 14 are mounted to a vertical
5 surface 32 such as a wall via fasteners (not shown)
such as screws screwed into the wall 32 through screw-
holes 30.
[0053] In this non-limiting example, the runners
14 are mounted generally horizontally on the wall. At
10 least two runners 14 are mounted to the wall 32 and run
generally parallel to each other at a distance that
provides for the elongate members 16 and 18 to be
generally vertically mounted therebetween as will be
explained hereinbelow. In this way, there is provided
top and bottom runners 14.
[0054] As explained above the elongate members 16
and 18 are configured to be mounted between two runners
14.
[0055] As shown, by arrows A and A' in Figures 1
and 2 respectively, the second end aperture 49 of
elongate members 16 and 18 engage protrusions 26 of the
bottom runner 14. As shown by arrows B and B' in
Figure 1 and 2 respectively, the first end 36 of a
given elongate member 16 and 18 is moved toward a
respective top runner aperture 28. In each case, a
moveable protrusion assembly 40 and 42 is positioned
directly beneath respective and corresponding
protrusion receiving elements 28 by pressing down a
lever 66 as show by arrows C and C' respectively.
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Again in each case, upon the user's release of the
respective levers 66, the tab members 56 and 58, being
spring-biased toward the runner-engaging position,
outwardly protrude, engaging a respective aperture 28
therethrough, beyond a given top runner side 22.
[0056] The foregoing ensures that elongate
members 16 and 18 do not unintentionally disengage
their respective runners when interlocked therewith.
[0057] In order to disengage the elongate member
16 and 18 from their respective top and bottom runners
12, the user lowers their respective tab portions 56
and 58 by downwardly pushing their respective levers
66, as shown by arrows C and C', along slot 46 towards
a bottom edge 114 thereof (see Figures 3 and 4),
against the biasing tension of spring 72, moving the
moveable protrusion assemblies 40 and 42 to the runner
disengaging position and hence, freeing top ends 36.
[0058] With reference to Figures 9 through 11, a
further embodiment of the post or elongate member of
the present invention will be herein described.
[0059] Figure 9 shows an elongate member 114.
Elongate member 114 is an alternative to elongate
members 16 and 18 and hence can replace them in display
assemblies 10 and 12 respectively. The elongate member
114 includes a main body 116 with opposite first and
second ends. Only the first and 118 is shown here. The
first end defines a protrusion aperture 119. The second
end (not shown) is similar to the second end 38 of both
members 16 and 18 previously described.
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[0060] The first end 118 includes a moveable
protrusion assembly 120.
[0061] The main body 116 includes a lever slot
122 near its first end 118, opposite side slits 124,
and a display engaging elements in the form of slots
126.
[0062] The lever slot 122 includes a central
lever aperture 121 and upper and lower slot portions
123 and 125 respectively. Top shoulders 127 are
defined between the central aperture 121 and the top
slot portion 123, bottom shoulders 129 are defined
between the bottom slot portion 125 and the central
aperture.
[0063] Again, in the present non-limiting
illustrated example, the elongate member 114 is a
hollow tube having a generally rectangular
configuration.
[0064] The moveable protrusion assembly 120
includes a protruding member 128, which includes a
runner engaging portion 130 and base portion 132. The
runner-engaging portion 130 is in the form of a tab.
The base portion 132 includes a main body 134 and a
tail portion 136 downwardly extending therefrom and
ending off with an aperture 137. The main body 134 also
includes side flanges 138 (only one flange is shown
here) and an aperture 140 near the tab portion 130.
[0065] The moveable protrusion assembly 128 also
includes a lever assembly 141.
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[0066] The lever assembly 141 includes a pushable
lever-biasing member 142 which is mounted to the base
portion main body 134 at its lower end 144, and which
carries a lever 146 at its top end 148. The lever 146
includes a head 150 and a threaded fastening portion
151 fixedly mounted to the lever-biasing member 142 via
a bolt 152.
[0067] The protrusion assembly 128 also includes
a biasing assembly 70 that is similarly constructed to
the previously described biasing assemblies and hence
will not be described in greater detail for concision
purposes only. It should be noted that the flat pad
member 74 also includes fins 78, which engage the side
slots 124. It should also be noted that the central
aperture 76 is configured to receive the tail portion
136 therethrough.
[0068] Turning to Figure 10, when the protrusion
assembly 120 is assembled and housed in the first end
118 of the elongate member 114 and engages a given
aperture 28 of a runner 14, the moveable protruding
member 132 is biased to a runner-engaging position. In
this way, the tab portion 130 protrudes outwardly
through the protrusion aperture 119 at the first end
118 of the elongate member 114 by way of the biasing
tension of spring 72.
[0069] The lever head 150 forwardly protrudes
from the central aperture 121 by way of the biasing
member 142. The bolt 152 on the threaded portion 152
partially outwardly protrudes from the central aperture
121 and engages the upper and bottom shoulder 127 and
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129 respectively. In this way, the lever bolt 152 acts
as a stopper disallowing the lever member 146 from
sliding up the slot portion 123 by way of the tension
spring force. The stopper bolt 152 further avoids the
lever member 146 from being easily pushed down along
the bottom slot portion 125 and to disengage the tab
130 from a runner aperture 28. Hence, the configuration
of the stopper 152 is such that it cannot be moved
along the upper and lower slot portions 123 and 125.
[0070] The pad member 74 is housed within the
main body 116 of the elongate member 118 with its fins
78 engaging the elongate member side slits 124 and its
central aperture 76 receiving the tail portion 136
therethrough.
[0071] The biasing spring 72 is mounted to the
tail portion 136. The spring 72 abuts at one end 88
thereof a first stopper structure 190 formed by the
protruding member main body; the spring abuts at
another end 92 thereof a second stopper 194, defined by
the body of pad member 74.
[0072] In this way, the spring 72 is sandwiched
between a shoulder formed by the protruding member main
body 134 and the pad member 74, which respectively
define first and second stoppers 190 and 194.
Consequently, the spring biases both the protruding
member 128 including the tab portion and the lever
assembly 141 towards the runner engaging position.
[0073] The lever 141 also acts as a protrusion
member stopper, providing for the protrusion member 128
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not to be disassembled from the protrusion assembly 120
since it abuts the upper shoulders 127 of slot 122 when
in the runner-engaging position.
[0074] In operation, the elongate member 114 is
5 mounted to runners 14 similarly to the mounting of
elongate members 16 and 18 to runners 14 described
above and hence, only the different features of
elongate member 114 will be pointed out for concision
purposes only.
10 [0075] In order for the first end 118 of the
elongate member 114 to engage an aperture 28 of a
runner 14, the user presses or pushes the lever head
150 inwardly against the biasing force of biasing
member 142 as shown by arrow D in Figure 10. This
15 causes the bolt stopper 152 to disengage the shoulder
127 and 129 and to be pushed into the elongate member
hollow main body 116 hence, aligning the threaded
portion 151 with slot portion 125. Then, the user
pushes the lever downwardly against the biasing force
of spring 72 moving the threaded portion along the
lower slot 125 simultaneously lowering the protruding
member 120 and the tab 130.
[0076] As for elongate members 16 and 18, once
the second end (not shown) has engaged one runner (not
shown) the first end 118 will be brought under the
other runner. The moveable protrusion assembly 120 is
positioned directly beneath a corresponding protrusion
receiving elements 28. Upon the user's release of the
lever 146, the tab members 139 being spring-biased
toward the runner-engaging position, outwardly
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protrudes from aperture 119 engaging a corresponding
aperture 28 beyond a given top runner side 22. As the
lever 146 is released the threaded portion 151 slides
up the lower slot portion 125 to the central aperture
121, at this moment the bolt stopper 152 is pushed
outwardly of aperture 121 by way of the biasing force
of biasing member.
[0077] In order to disengage the elongate member
114 the user simply pushes the lever 46 in the
direction shown by D and downwardly slides the threaded
portion 151 along the lower slot 125 as shown by arrow
E thereby, lowering the protruding member 128 and
hence, disengaging the tab 130 from aperture 28.
[0078] Having described embodiments of the
invention as well as the operation of these
embodiments, a variety of alternative embodiments will
be described hereinbelow so as only further exemplify
the invention and not limit its scope.
[0079] The display assembly 10 described herein
may be mounted to a variety of vertical surfaces such
as a wall 32 or any other shelving or display surface
for commercial or non-commercial uses as is commonly
known in the art. Accordingly, the display assembly 10
may be used to display a variety of items.
[0080] Each longitudinal runner 14 may be
provided in a variety of suitable sizes and
configurations and be made of a variety of suitable
materials. In the non-limiting example shown herein,
the runners 14 are generally rectangular members; of
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course the skilled artisan may contemplate a semi-
circular or arc-like configuration or flat like
structures having top and bottom sides for example. The
various runners 14 that can be contemplated within the
scope of the present invention may be mounted to a
vertical surface in a variety of ways known in the art,
for example, via adhesive material. Furthermore,
runners 14 may include a varying number of elongate-
member-mounting elements and/or protrusion receiving
elements.
[0081] The elongate members 16, 18 and 114 may be
provided in a variety of suitable configurations, sizes
and materials depending on the ultimate use of the
present display assembly 10. Hence, the elongate
members 16, 18 and 114 may be longer or shorter post
members of wider panel members. Furthermore, elongate
members 16, 18 and 114 may be provided in any form of
metal or wood panel or tube, be it for decoration of
for hanging other elements therefrom. Such panels may
include for example, puck walls, slat walls, perforated
panels and the like, as can be contemplated by the
skilled artisan. Accordingly, the person having
skilled in the art may also contemplate various
conventional types of display elements 108 such as
shelving assemblies and the like as is known in the
art. Furthermore, the size and configuration of the
second end 38 may vary in order to engagibly correspond
with other types of elongate-member-mounting elements
26 as can be contemplated by the skilled artisan.
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[0082] The side structures 20 and 22 of runners
14 may be reversed and as such the first end 36 of a
given elongate member 16 and 18 may be a bottom end
including a respective protrusion assembly 40 and 42
and the second end 38 may be a top end mountable to a
top runner elongate-member-mounting element.
[0083] The moveable assemblies 40, 42 and 120 may
also be provided in a variety of configurations which
provide a safety locking mechanism in order to securely
mount an elongate member 16 or 18 between two runners.
[0084] The protruding members 52, 54 and 120 may
be designed in a variety of ways that can be
contemplated by the skilled artisan without departing
from the scope of the invention. Instead of tab
portions 56, 58 and 130 the protruding members may
include without limitation spherical, cylindrical,
rectangular, triangular protrusions or other peg or
key-like members or pin members or short protuberances
and the like that can be contemplated by the skilled
artisan. Correspondingly, the protrusion-receiving
elements 28 may be also provided in a variety of
configurations and sizes for receiving a given
protrusion member such as without limitation slots, a
group of small apertures for receiving pins, various
indents for receiving any suitable protruding
structures and the like.
[0085] Furthermore, the biasing member 142 may be
provided in a variety of suitable designs. In another
embodiment the biasing member is a spring member. A
variety of tension and biasing elements, members and
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means can be used to bias a lever member 146 out of
lever slot 122.
[0086] It will also be easily understood by the
skilled artisan, that a variety of biasing assemblies
70 may be used to bias a variety of differently sized
and configured protrusion members 52 and 54 to
interlock with suitably sized and configured
protrusion-receiving elements 28. For example, the
biasing member 72 may not necessitate the use of a pad
member 74 and may be directly mounted to a suitably
constructed elongate member 16 or 18.
[0087] Moreover, levers 66, 68 146 may include
any type of manual control switch that can disengage a
protrusion member from its corresponding protrusion
receiving element.
[0088] It should also be noted that the extension
68 might also be provided in a variety of shapes, sizes
and materials for stabilising as explained above.
[0089] The display assembly 10 may include a
greater number of runners 14 mounted to a surface 32
with at least one or more elongate-members 16 or 18
being mounted therebetween.
[0090] Furthermore, runners 14 may be vertically
mounted to a surface 32 and elongate members 16 and 18
may be horizontally mounted therebetween with display
elements extending therefrom in another non-limiting
example.
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[0091] The ordinarily skilled artisan, within the
scope of the present invention, may also contemplate
various covers and display elements such as and without
limitation shelving assemblies, hanging-assemblies and
5 the like.
[0092] It is to be understood that the invention
is not limited in its application to the details of
construction and parts illustrated in the accompanying
drawings and described hereinabove. The invention is
10 capable of other embodiments and of being practised in
various ways. It is also to be understood that the
phraseology or terminology used herein is for the
purpose of description and not limitation. Hence,
although the present invention has been described
15 hereinabove by way of embodiments thereof; it can be
modified, without departing from the spirit, scope and
nature of the subject invention as defined in the
appended claims.
