AU2009101086A4

AU2009101086A4 - Product display unit

Info

Publication number: AU2009101086A4
Application number: AU2009101086A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Martin Hardinge; Kay Jimenez
Original assignee: McPhersons Ltd
Current assignee: McPhersons Ltd
Priority date: 2009-10-26
Filing date: 2009-10-26
Publication date: 2009-11-26
Anticipated expiration: 2017-10-26

Description

P/00/009A Section 29 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 INNOVATION PATENT SPECIFICATION Invention Title: PRODUCT DISPLAY UNIT Applicant: McPherson's Limited The invention is described in the following statement: 7019 2 PRODUCT DISPLAY UNIT FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to product displays and, in particular, to a display 5 unit for the display of cosmetics, make up, make up and personal care tools and other personal care related products for sale to consumers. Whilst the present invention will be described with reference to its preferred use in respect of the presentation for sale of cosmetics, make up, make up and personal care tools and personal care related products it is to be appreciated that the present invention may have broader 0 application in relation to the presentation for sale to consumers of other classes of goods. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Articles such as cosmetics, make up and personal care tools are typically 5 displayed for sale in a display unit. Such units may present such articles in a variety of ways to consumers. Some units include an upstanding wall display comprising a plurality of horizontal shelves. Make up, cosmetics, make up and personal care tools may be placed on such shelves either laid flat or standing upright so that consumers may browse and select the products they require. 20 Existing product display units for displaying make up, make up and personal care tools, cosmetics and personal care related products often contain a number of different products. There is often a plurality of each type of product contained in a single shelf, bin or the like for grouping that particular type of product together and separating different types of products from each other. Often the products within 25 each shelf or bin are loosely contained in a manner which is haphazard such that each of the products can lean or slant or be arranged in a way such that the products are not aligned and presented in a neat manner. Furthermore, such products often include at least one product that is designated as a 'tester' that enable a consumer to touch and feel the product before using it. The tester product is usually mixed 30 haphazardly amongst the other items designated for sale. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention seeks to provide a product display unit that ameliorates the above problems with existing product display units. Accordingly, the present 3 invention provides a product display unit including one or more horizontal shelves; a plurality of tubs each for receiving a product, the tubs being placed side by side upon at least one of the horizontal shelves; each of the tubs having a base, a pair of side walls upstanding from the base and spaced apart and opposing each other, front and 5 rear walls upstanding from the base and spaced apart and opposing each other, wherein the base, the side, the front and rear walls define a space within the tub for containing a product; and a means for biasing the product contained in the space towards the front wall of the tub. In one form, the means for biasing the product towards the front wall of the tub 0 includes a resiliently expandable member that is resiliently expandable in a longitudinal axis extending from a rear end to a front end of the expandable member, the rear end of the expandable member being positioned adjacent to the rear wall of the tub and the front end of the expandable member being movable in opposite directions along the longitudinal axis in a direction from the rear wall to the front wall 15 of the tub. In one form, the expandable member is a folded member that is compressible to cause the front end and the rear end of the expandable member to move towards each other by an external force in the direction of the longitudinal axis and is expandable to cause the front end and the rear end of the expandable member to 20 move away from each other. In one form, the front end of the expandable member includes a facing surface for facing towards and supporting a product contained in the space within the tub against the front wall of the tub. In another form, at least one of the tubs includes a product holder connected to 25 the front wall of the tub for containing a single one of the products, the product holder includes a cavity having an opening at one end, an opposite closed end and a side wall extending between the open and closed ends for supporting the single one of the products in an upright position, the product holder is configured to enable user contact with a portion of the product contained therein and to releasably lock the product 30 therein. In one form, the facing surface extends substantially perpendicularly to the side walls of the tub.

4 In one form, the tub includes two of the expandable members arranged side by side and separated by a divider member extending from the rear wall to the front wall of the tub. In one form, the divider member is a planar member including opposite planar 5 surfaces extending substantially parallel to the side walls of the tub and substantially perpendicularly to the front and rear walls of the tub. In one form, the product holder includes a window portion for containing and displaying product information. In one form, the product holder is configured to enable user contact with a 0 portion of the product contained therein and to releasably lock the product therein. In one form, each of the tubs is removably attachable to the horizontal shelves of the product display unit. In one form, the unit further includes a base, a pair of side members opposing each other and upstanding from the base and a rear member upstanding from the 15 base and extending between the side members, wherein each of the horizontal shelves extends from each of the opposite side members. In one form, successive horizontal shelves ascending from the base are arranged closer towards the rear member relative to the preceding horizontal shelf below. 20 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, embodiments of the invention are illustrated, which together with the general description of the invention given above, and the detailed description 25 below serve to exemplify embodiments of the invention. Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of a product display unit in accordance with a form of the invention including a plurality of horizontal shelves and a plurality of tubs upon each shelf. Figure 2 illustrates a front view of the product display unit of Figure 1. 30 Figure 3 illustrates a side view of the product display unit of Figure 1. Figure 4 illustrates a plan view of the product display unit of Figure 1. Figure 5 illustrates a perspective view of one of the tubs that is removably attachable to the shelves of the product display unit of Figure 1. Figure 6 illustrates an exploded perspective view of the tub of Figure 5.

5 Figure 7 illustrates a side view of the tub of Figure 5 including a fastening means extending from a rear wall upstanding from the base for fastening the tub to the display unit. Figure 8 illustrates a perspective view of the tub of Figure 5 and a plurality of 5 products contained within the tub and a product contained within a product holder portion of the tub of Figure 5. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to Figures 1 to 4, there is shown a product display unit 10 which 0 includes a substantially planar base 12, a pair of opposite side members 14, 16 which are spaced apart from each other and which are upstanding from the base 12. The display unit 10 also includes a substantially planar rear member 18 which is upstanding from the base 12 and which extends between and to each of the side members 14, 16. The side members 14, 16 have a generally triangular profile. Each 15 of the side members 14, 16 connects to the base 12 along a substantially straight edge and also connects to the rear member 18 along a substantially straight edge whereby the edges of connection between the side members 14, 16 and the base 12 and the rear member 18 are substantially perpendicular to each other. Thus, when the base 12 is rested on a floor surface the side members 14, 16 and the rear 20 member 18 upstand substantially perpendicularly from the floor. Each of the side members 14, 16 includes a respective free edge 15, 17 which extends from a front 11 of the base 12 to a top 19 of the rear member 18 at a sloping angle relative to the base 12. In other words, the free edges 15, 17 slope rearwardly from the front 11 of the base 12 towards the top 19 of the rear member 18 at an incline. Thus, the overall 25 profile of the product display unit 10 is of an inclined unit 10. The product display unit 10 includes a plurality of horizontal shelves 20 which are connected to and extend between and to each of the side members 14, 16. Consecutive shelves 20 from the base 12 to the top 19 of the rear member 18 of the product display unit 10 are arranged substantially rearwardly or set back from the 30 preceding shelf 20 below such that the shelves 20 form an inclined series of steps from the base 12 to the top 19 of the rear member 18 of the display unit 10. Each of the shelves 20 may be permanently or releasably attached to the side members 14, 16 in any suitable manner such as by fasteners or the like.

6 As can be seen in Figures 1, 2 and 4, upon each of the horizontal shelves 20 is a plurality of tubs 30 arranged side by side between the side members 14, 16. Accordingly, the entire length of each of the horizontal shelves 20 is covered by a series of adjacent tubs 30. 5 Referring to Figures 5 to 8, there is shown one of the tubs 30 in more detail and the components thereof. Each one of the tubs 30 includes a planar rectangle shaped base 32. Upstanding from the base 32 is a pair of opposite side walls 34, 36 which are upstanding from opposite side edges of the base 32. Also upstanding from the 0 base 32 is a front wall 33 upstanding from a front edge of the base 32 and a rear wall 35 upstanding from an opposite rear edge of the base 32. Each of the front wall 33 and the rear wall 35 extend between and to each of the side walls 34, 36. Thus, the base 32, the side walls 34, 36 and the front and rear walls 33, 35 form a box member defining a space 37 therein to receive a plurality of products for display. Top edges of 15 each of the side walls 34, 36, the front wall 33 and the rear wall 35 define an opening to the space 37 into which other components of the tub 30 are inserted and into which products are inserted for display. An inverted U-shaped member 31 is positioned within the space 37 supported on the base 32. Each tub 30 also includes an expandable member 40, or in the case of the 20 embodiments illustrated in the figures, two expandable members 40 arranged side by side. Each expandable member 40 is in the form of a folded member made up of an elongate rectangular shaped member formed of resilient material such as plastic or the like including a plurality of folds 46 along the length of the expandable member 40. Because the expandable member 40 is made out of a resilient material folds 46 25 are resilient and tend, or are biased, to open from a closed position which serves to cause the expandable member 40 to be biased towards an expanded condition from a compressed condition. The expandable member 40 includes a front end 44 and a rear end 42. A longitudinal axis X extends in a direction from the front end 44 to the rear end 42. 30 The expandable member 40 is resiliently compressible by the application of an external force to the front end 44 in the direction of the axis X to cause the front end 44 and the rear end 42 to come closer to each other to thereby close the folds 46 and to bring the expandable member 40 into the compressed condition. The expandable member 40 is arranged to be positioned within the space 37 within the tub 30 with the 7 rear end 42 adjacent to and optionally coupled to the rear wall 35 of the tub 30. The front end 44 is arranged to freely move within the space 37 of the tub 30 in the direction of the axis X and also is in a direction from the front wall 33 to the rear wall 35 of the tub 30. When the external force applied to the front end 44 of the 5 expandable member 40 in the direction of the axis X towards the rear end 42 is reduced or removed the resiliently expanding folds 46 open to cause the front end 44 to move in the direction of the axis X away from the rear end 42 of the expandable member 40 and away from the rear wall 35 of the tub 30 and towards the front wall 33 of the tub 30. 0 The front end 44 of the expandable member 40 is a substantially planar member and extends substantially perpendicularly to the side walls 34, 36 and the base 32 of the tub 30 so as to provide a supporting surface for a product positioned within the space 37 of the tub 30. As can be seen in the embodiment of the tub 30 illustrated in Figures 5 and 8, two expandable members 40 are positioned side by 15 side and are separated by a divider member 50. The divider member 50 is a planar member having a pair of opposite planar surfaces 52, 54 that each respectively face towards an expandable member 50 on opposite sides of the divider member 50. The planar surfaces 52, 54 of the divider member 50 are upstanding from the base 32 along a mid point between the side walls 34, 36. The planar surfaces 52, 54 are also 20 arranged substantially perpendicularly to the front wall 33 and the rear wall 35 of the tub 30. In use, each of the tubs 30 are positioned on a respective horizontal shelf 20 of the display unit 10 as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4 and are configured to receive a plurality of products 70 within the space 37 in the manner described herein below. An 25 external force is applied to the front end 44 of the expandable member 40 in the direction of the axis X towards the rear end 42 to cause the expandable member 40 to be compressed to bring the front end 44 towards the rear end 42 to provide room between the front end 44 of the expandable member 40 and the front wall 33 of the tub to contain a desired number of the products 70 therewithin. The front end 44 of 30 the expandable member 40 in conjunction with an adjacent one of the planar surfaces 52, 54 of the divider member 50 and an adjacent one of the side walls 34, 36 and the front wall 33 define a product containing space for containing a plurality of the products and serve to maintain the products 70 in a substantially upright position therewithin. Once a desired number of products is positioned within the product 8 containing space the external force is removed from the front end 44 of the expandable member 40 to enable the expandable member to expand to cause the front end 44 thereof to urge the products 70 towards the front wall 33 of the tub to thereby maintain the products 70 in an upright condition as shown in Figure 8. When 5 a consumer removes one of the products from within the product containing space the resiliently expandable properties of the expandable member 40 which cause the front end 44 to move towards the front wall 33 of the tub 30 serve to move the remaining products 70 towards the front wall 33 to fill the void left by the product 70 which has been removed from the product containing space. Thus, the volume of the product 0 containing space is thereby reduced by substantially an amount equivalent to the volume previously occupied by the product 70 contained therewithin and removed therefrom. Thus, as successive products 70 are removed from the product containing space the expandable member 40 expands to cause the front end 44 to move in the direction of the axis X away from the rear end 42 and towards the front wall 33 to 15 reduce the volume of the product containing space by substantially an amount equivalent to the volume occupied by each successively removed product 70. Thus, the products 70 within the product containing space are maintained in a substantially upright condition regardless of how many products 70 have been removed from the product containing space and regardless of how many products remain within the 20 product containing space. The tub 30 further includes a product holder 60 that is connected to the front wall 33 of the tub 30 by any suitable means. The product holder 60 includes a cavity 64 for containing a single one of the products in an upright condition and a window portion 67 for displaying product information. The product holder 60 includes a base 25 portion 61, a top portion 62 and a fascia 63 which extends between the base portion 61 and the top portion 62. The fascia 63 has a pair of opposite side edges 63a, 63b which when the product holder 60 is coupled to the front wall 33 of the tub 30 are immediately adjacent to the edge at which the side walls 34, 36 meet the front wall 33 of the tub 30. In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 5 to 8, the means of 30 connecting the product holder 60 to the front wall 33 of the tub 30 involves a pair of interlocking tabs 69 that project from each of the edges 63a, 63b of the product holder 60 and a pair of interlocking recesses 38 within each of the side walls 34, 36. The tabs 69 and the recesses 38 are configured to interlock to thereby lock the product holder 60 to the front wall 33 and the side walls 34, 36 of the tub 30.

9 The cavity 64 of the product holder 60 includes an opening 66 at a top end of the cavity 64 and a closed end 68 at an opposite bottom end of the cavity 64. A side wall 65 extends between the opening 66 and the closed end 68 of the cavity 64 to provide support for a product positioned within the opening 66 to maintain the product 5 in an upright condition therewithin. The purpose of the product holder 60 is to contain a single one of the products 70, in the form of a 'tester' or sample version 75 of the product 70, with at least a portion thereof protruding from the opening 66 as shown in Figure 8. This enables a purchaser to test and feel the sample product 75 before selecting one of the products contained within the space 37 of the tub 30 for 0 purchase. In a preferred form, the product holder 60 includes a means releasably for fixing or locking the sample product 75 within the cavity 64 to prevent removal of the sample product 75 therefrom. By including the interlocking tabs 69 and recesses 38 the product holder 60 can be removed from the front wall 33 of the tub 30 to enable the sample product 75 to be placed within the cavity 64 and then the product holder 15 60 subsequently locked to the front wall 33 of the tub by inter-engagement of the tabs 69 and recesses 38 to thereby lock the sample product 75 within the cavity 64 of the product holder 60. Referring to Figure 7, each of the tubs 30 includes a fastening means 70 for fastening the tub 30 to a riser 21 upstanding from each of the horizontal shelves 20. 20 The fastening means 70 includes an L-shaped tab projecting rearwardly and downwardly from the rear wall 35 of the tub 30. The L-shaped member is configured to be received and removed from within a slot 22 within the riser 21 when the tub is raised from the horizontal shelf 21. After lowering the tub 30 on to the horizontal shelf 20 such that the base 32 of the tub 30 rests on the horizontal shelf 20 the downward 25 extending portion of the L-shaped member of the fastening means 70 engages a rear surface of the riser adjacent to the slot to prevent relative forward or lateral movement of the tub 30 relative to the riser and the horizontal shelf 20. As can be appreciated, the fastening means 70 operates with the slot to facilitate attachment and removal of the tubs 30 from the horizontal shelves 20 to facilitate rearrangement of the overall 30 product display unit 10. The window portion 67 of the product holder 60 is configured to receive product information (not shown) behind the window portion 67. The product information may be contained on a flexible sheet of material such as paper, plastic or the like. When the product information material is positioned behind the window 10 portion 67 transparent material from which the window portion 67 is formed enables a user to see the product information contained on the product information sheet positioned behind the window portion 67 to enable the consumer to read the product information material associated with the product contained within the tub 30. The 5 window portion 67 of the product holder 60 is configured to enable product information material to be removed and replaced from behind the window portion 67 so that product information material corresponding to the product contained within the tub 30 can be inserted and removed as required. The invention has been described herein with reference to preferred 0 embodiments. Modifications and/or alterations may occur to persons skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the specification. It is intended to include all such modifications and alterations insofar as they fall within the scope of the following claims or equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A product display unit including: one or more horizontal shelves; a plurality of tubs each for receiving a product, 5 the tubs being placed side by side upon at least one of the horizontal shelves; each of the tubs having a base, a pair of side walls upstanding from the base and spaced apart and opposing each other, a front and rear walls upstanding from the base and spaced apart and opposing each other, wherein the base, the side, the front and rear walls define a space within the tub for containing a product; and a means for biasing 0 the product contained in the space towards the front wall of the tub.

2. The product display unit of claim 1, wherein the means for biasing the product towards the front wall of the tub includes a resiliently expandable member that is resiliently expandable in a longitudinal axis extending from a rear end to a front end 15 of the expandable member, the rear end of the expandable member being positioned adjacent to the rear wall of the tub and the front end of the expandable member being movable in opposite directions along the longitudinal axis in a direction from the rear wall to the front wall of the tub. 20

3. The product display unit of claim 2, wherein the expandable member is a folded member that is compressible to cause the front end and the rear end of the expandable member to move towards each other by an external force in the direction of the longitudinal axis and is expandable to cause the front end and the rear end of the expandable member to move away from each other. 25

4. The product display unit of claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the front end of the expandable member includes a facing surface for facing towards and supporting a product contained in the space within the tub against the front wall of the tub. 30

5. The product display unit of any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the tubs includes a product holder connected to the front wall of the tub for containing a single one of the products, the product holder includes a cavity having an opening at one end, an opposite closed end and a side wall extending between the open and closed ends for supporting the single one of the products in an upright 12 position, the product holder is configured to enable user contact with a portion of the product contained therein and to releasably lock the product therein.