AU2019204920A1

AU2019204920A1 - Display strip

Info

Publication number: AU2019204920A1
Application number: AU2019204920A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Peter Ronald Fuller
Original assignee: FULLER FAMILY HOLDINGS Pty Ltd
Current assignee: FULLER FAMILY HOLDINGS Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2017-06-22
Filing date: 2019-07-09
Publication date: 2020-01-23
Also published as: AU2019100660A4; AU2019100606B4; AU2018204559A1; AU2019100660B4; AU2019100606A4

Abstract

Abstract (Figure 2) An extruded data or display strip 10 has a front see through face 11, a rear wall 12 and a clip arrangement afforded by top clip section or hook 13 and bottom clip section 14. The front face 11 is biased toward wall 12 by a living hinge 15 and display labels may be inserted between the face 11 and wall 12 in sandwich fashion. Another option is to slide thin signage material into the mouth 16 where a top edge of the sign is gripped between gripping ribs or tabs 17 and 18. This feature may be omitted with the front face terminating in a simple edge. ,; 52 55 56 52 54 49 29 59 51 58 47 FIG. 5A 62 63

Description

DISPLAY STRIP

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] THIS INVENTION relates to a display strip of the type described in Applicant’s Australian Patent Application No. 2018204559 and in particular but not limited to an improved mounting for this type of strip to enable it to be fitted to a rail or the like.

BACKGROUND [0002] Strips of the present kind are used in point of sale shop fittings and displays adjacent goods to be sold. Customers in store like to be able to see what products cost. Products are often stacked on shelves or hung together on a rack or hook. Shop owners like to display the unit price near the product stack. It is usual to use a plastic strip of the type where a printed card displaying unit prices is inserted into the strip. In addition to price a shop owner might want to display other information, for example, the shop owner might want to provide a SALE sign nearby or some other offer to attract customers to that particular product.

[0003] Australian Design Registration No. 314822 (“the ‘822 Design”) registered in 2007 is an example of such a strip. In this strip there is a back panel and a front panel joined along a bottom edge by a living hinge. The back panel is secured to a surface using an adhesive strip. There is a small outward flange at the top of the back panel. The living hinge is biased so that the front panel sits hard up against the back panel over mating surfaces of the panels with this mating of the panels terminating at an outward bend of the front panel just below the outward flange on the back panel. The outward bend of the front panel extends to a downward flange which is inwardly inclined toward the front panel and forming between the flange and the front panel a downward facing channel with a narrow entrance. This channel has a back wall and an inside wall facing the front panel. This wall has two spaced flexible gripping ribs facing back into the channel and they extend along the same side of the channel. These ribs have edges that are close to the front wall and are used to grip a sheet pushed upward along the front wall and into the channel. The sheet displaces the ribs backward and the ribs grip the sheet to resist its

2019204920 09 Jul 2019 removal. In addition to this, the front panel is transparent and by a user pulling the top of the front panel, it may be pulled forward so the panels may be separated and a display strip inserted between the panels. Upon release of the front panel the living hinge acts to sandwich the display strip between the panels.

[0004] US Patent Application Publication No. US2005/01666438 (“the ‘438 Patent Application”) of 4 August 2005 describes a similar strip in Figures 5 through 11 but having a back panel that falls short of the outward bend in the front panel such that the front panel overlays the whole of the back panel. The bend in the front panel also extends to a return which with the front wall forms a channel with a downward opening but in this case the return is not inwardly inclined toward the front wall as in the ‘822 Design but rather is parallel to it. The channel also employs a back wall and a wall facing the front wall. Backwardly directed gripping ribs are in the channel but unlike the ‘822 Design these are on opposite sides, one projecting from the front wall and the other projecting from the wall facing the front wall. These ribs are offset within the channel with the rib on the front wall being further into the channel than the other rib. The ribs overlap but due to them being offset a sheet may pass between them and push them apart which in turn causes them to resist removal of the sheet. Unlike the ‘822 Design which uses the front wall to guide a sheet to the gap between the front wall and the ribs, the ‘438 Patent Application use a ramp in the front wall to direct a sheet to the gap between the ribs. Since the back wall is completely covered by the front wall, the disposition of the channel, the ribs and the arrangement of the bend and the return means that the bend serves as a tab used manually to enable a user to easily pull the front wall away for insertion of a label between the two walls.

[0005] The strip of the ‘822 Design uses an adhesive strip to fix it to a surface. It may thus be fitted to any surface. The strip of the ‘438 Patent Application uses clip near the living hinge so it may be pushed onto a rail from below to clip it into position. The clip has a first part starting from just above the living hinge, this part extends up, outside and above a second part, each part has a lead-in for a lower edge of a rail so that it slides on the rail, the lower edge of the rail slides between the parts and is locked between them. Thus in the ‘438 Patent Application the strip is only secured at the bottom.

[0006] While these types of arrangement have been around for many years and they do work

2019204920 09 Jul 2019 quite well and there is nothing really wrong with them, the present invention arises with the object of providing a useful alternative to the prior art by having a clip on strip which may be securely fitted top and bottom with the back and front faces overlaying a vertical rail.

OUTLINE [0007] In one aspect there is a provided a display strip having a display face and a rear mounting clip arrangement, the clip arrangement having at least one rail clip adapted to engaging a rail to secure the data strip to the rail. Preferably the strip includes a top clip section and a bottom clip section, the top clip section being positionable atop a rail and the bottom clip section extending under the rail. Preferably, the sections are resiliently biased to a closed position about the rail. Typically, the bottom clip section has a manually operable release so that the strip may be unclipped from the rail.

[0008] In one preferred from the strip has more than one rail position settable to alter the relative inclination of the strip to the rail. The rail position may be provided by one or more channels extending along the strip adjacent to the bottom clip section. The channels may be formed as a W-shape in profile.

[0009] In another aspect there is provided a display strip having a display face and a rear mounting clip arrangement, the clip arrangement having at least one rail clip adapted to engage a rail to secure the data strip to the rail. Preferably the strip includes a top clip section and a bottom clip section, the top clip section being positionable atop a rail and the bottom clip section extending under the rail. Preferably, the sections are resiliently biased to a closed position about the rail. Typically, the bottom clip section has a manually operable release so that the strip may be unclipped from the rail.

[0010] In one aspect therefore the present invention resides in a strip for supporting a display sheet, the strip having an axially extending sheet lead-in and at least two axially extending gripping projections aligned with the lead-in so that a sheet may be directed between the projections and gripped thereby. The gripping projections may include a gripping surface. They may be formed from a rubberised or similar material while the rest of the strip is extruded from a

2019204920 09 Jul 2019 plastic, typically a clear plastic, so that the gripping projections are both flexible but also have a surface gripping characteristic so that they do provide a frictional grip with a sheet to resist its removal. The grip is sufficient so that the sheet can be removed but will not fall out. In profile the gripping projections may appear as teeth, the teeth may be offset and inwardly directed or reverse directed or barb-like but rounded or elliptical. Thus ease of insertion and resistance to removal also arises from the reverse direction of the teeth.

[0011] Preferably, the strip is integrally formed as an axially extending top section of an axially extending display window panel. In a preferred form the display window panel is a front panel of a strip also having a back panel. The front panel may be hinged to the back panel by an axially extending hinge. The hinge may be a living hinge. The panels may be biased together and having an axially extending opening opposite the hinge. The hinge may be configured to provide the bias. In this regard the hinge may have an axially extending forward projecting bulge. There may be a gap between the panels. The front panel may be manually movable to widen the gap for insertion of a price ticket or the like between the panels, the ticket being viewable through the front panel.

[0012] Preferably, the front panel includes an axially extending projection adjacent the opening to facilitate a user applying a digit, typically a finger, to the projection in order to widen the gap between the strips.

[0013] Preferably, the top section comprises an upper part of the front panel, an outwardly projecting main flange and a return flange projecting downwardly from the main flange, the top section, main flange and return flange together forming a downwardly open channel, the channel having inside walls comprising an inner side wall of the return flange, an underside wall of the main flange and an inner side wall of the upper section of the front panel, the gripping projections being located in the channel on each of the inner side walls, the lead-in being located just below the channel on the front panel. Preferably, the lead-in comprises an axially extending ramp adapted to guide a sheet into the channel and between the teeth. The teeth may be offset with one tooth nearer the ramp. There may be more than two teeth.

[0014] Preferably, the axially extending projection used to facilitate a user applying a digit,

2019204920 09 Jul 2019 projects from or adjacent a juncture between the main flange and the return flange. Typically, the axially extending projection projects above a terminal upper edge of the back panel. More preferably, it projects just above the upper edge of the back panel.

[0015] The back panel may comprise any suitable mounting so that the strip may be used. In one form the mounting is a simple adhesive strip. In another form the mounting is an axially extending hand insertable clip that may be clipped over a rail or onto an edge support such as a panel. In this regard the clip is usually biased to a closed position and may include a clip lead-in or mouth. The lead-in or mouth may be resiliency expandable.

[0016] In another form the mount may include a deformable panel or a panel resiliently coupled or hinged to the back panel that may deform into a connector bracket. The connector bracket may be a rigid mounting used as an intermediate fitting. The bracket may be an axially extending channel-like rail. In one form it may have a curved mounting channel that the mounting panel may be clipped into. The mounting channel may have parallel spaced grooves or opposed parallel cutbacks or undercuts that may receive opposite parallel edges of the back panel mount. In one example the back panel comprises a mounting being an axially extending deformable panel or a panel resiliently coupled or hinged to the back panel that may deform into a connector bracket. In this case the the mount may include an axially extending deformable panel or a panel resiliently coupled or hinged to the back panel that may deform into a connector bracket, the bracket comprising an axially extending channel-like rail. Typically, the axially extending panel comprises an axially extending flange projecting from the back panel on its side opposite the front panel and having an angled terminal flange section.

[0017] The back panel may be rotatably coupled to the mounting panel by a flexible coupling. There may be one or more stops to block or set the rotation to a limit in order to set the front panel at a predetermined position relative to the mount. The stop may be an axially extending flange projecting from the back panel on its side opposite the front panel. The flange may have an angled terminal flange section. The stop flange may be near to a midpoint on the back panel. Preferably, it is between about a midpoint of the back panel and a level near the upper section of the front panel.

2019204920 09 Jul 2019 [0018] In one preferred embodiment of the present invention to a clip-on vertical display strip there is provided in shelving having a substantially straight front rail, the front rail having a top edge and a front vertical face in a plane of the rail, the strip being a narrow display strip clipped to the rail, the strip having top and bottom edges, a front panel and a back panel, the panels being joined along a living hinge running along the strip at or adjacent the bottom edge of the strip, the front panel overlaying the back panel and there being a sheet insertion gap between the panels running along the strip at or adjacent the top edge of the strip, the strip being clipped onto the rail to, in use, hold a replaceable sheet sandwiched between the panels, the display strip overlaying the front vertical face of the rail and being removably clipped into position to cover the front vertical face of the rail, the display strip having a top clip section at or adjacent the top edge of the strip and a bottom clip section at or adjacent the bottom edge of the strip, the top clip section being in register with the top edge of the rail and the bottom clip section being in register with the rail at a location behind the front vertical face. In one example of this embodiment the strip may further include gripping projections provided adjacent the top edge of the strip to hold a sheet hanging down in front of the front panel of the strip. In another example of this embodiment the front panel may have a projection extending along an upper edge of the front panel and spaced forward of the back panel to facilitate a user locating a finger on or behind the projection and pulling the front panel in a direction away from the back panel, thus the gap between panels may be widened so that a ticket or card may be fitted between them. In a still further example of this embodiment the bottom clip section may extend from the strip below the rail, in contact with the rail and behind the rail. In still another example of this embodiment the bottom clip section may have a flange to aid release of the bottom clip section by finger action.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0019] In order that the present improvements may be more readily understood and put into practical effect reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention and wherein:Figure 1 is a perspective view of a typical display strip;

2019204920 09 Jul 2019

Figure 2 is an enlarged profile of the strip of Figure 1; and

Figures 3, 4, 5A and 5B are sections showing the display strip secured to rails.

METHOD OF PERFORMANCE [0020] Referring to the drawings and initially to Figures 1 and 2 there is illustrated an extruded data or display strip 10 having a front see through face 11, a rear wall 12 and a clip arrangement afforded by top clip section or hook 13 and bottom clip section 14. The front face 11 is biased toward wall 12 by a living hinge 15 and display labels may be inserted between the face 11 and wall 12 in sandwich fashion. Another option is to slide thin signage material into the mouth 16 where a top edge of the sign is gripped between gripping ribs or tabs 17 and 18. This feature may be omitted with the front face terminating in simple edge.

[0021] The lower clip section in this embodiment has a finger tab 19 which may be used to push down to expand the space between the hook 13 and the lower clip section 14 to engage or release the strip from a rail. The W-shaped section 20 represents two possible positions of the strip as shown in Figures 3 and 4 for the same rail. This enables the face 11 to be set at two angles for the rail as shown.

[0022] In Figure 5A and 5B there is illustrated the same strip applied to a right angle rail. As can be seen the hook goes over an upper part of the rail and the two clip section clips behind a corresponding lower section of the rail. The rail in each case would typically be part of a display of products for sale.

[0023] Figures 5A and 5B illustrates a clip-on strip 47 for L-shaped vertical faced rails in wire shelving and like numerals are used to illustrate like features, in these embodiments a wire shelf arrangement 48 has a front rail 49 including a vertical front face 50 which lays up against the back of panel 15 when the strip 47 is clipped in place. In this case the rail 49 has rear edge 51 located behind the front face 50. The strip 47 has a clip structure comprising a top clip section 52 and a bottom clip section 53, the top clip section 52 comprises an upper flange 54 and return flange 55 forming a channel 56 which locates over an upper marginal edge section 57 of the rail 49. The bottom clip section 53 comprises a flange, in this case a curved flange 58 which clips

2019204920 09 Jul 2019 over edge 51, the bottom clip section has an upturn 59 and terminates in a return flange 60 used to aid capture of the rail edge and to aid release by finger action. In this case there is also an outward flange 61 provided so that the termination is T-shaped in order to further aid in unclipping. The curved flange has two curved sections 62 and 63 and provides for two clip on locations so that the strip is dual purpose but the inner curve 63 is not used in this example and of this particular shelving.

[0024] It will be appreciated from the foregoing that the invention makes provision for applying the strip to a vertical surface including a vertical front surface in shelving. It will also be appreciated that the clip on embodiments may vary according to the shelving front rail and may employ a single or two part clips.

[00025] Whilst the above has been given by way of illustrative example many variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the broad ambit and scope of the invention as set out in the appended claims. Note that the claims are directed to a clip-on strip so the adhesive backed strips are disclaimed apart from those features that are claimed which are held in common. Please note the words comprising, having, including, and the like are all used in the non-exhaustive sense insofar as these words are used, the invention as described and claimed requires at least the integer or integers claimed but could include additional features.

Claims

1. Ina display strip having a display face and a rear mounting clip arrangement, the clip arrangement having at least one rail clip adapted to engaging a rail to secure the data strip to the rail.

2. In a display strip according to claim 1, the strip further includes a top clip section and a bottom clip section, the top clip section being positionable atop a rail and the bottom clip section extending under the rail.

3. In a display strip according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the sections are resiliently biased to a closed position about the rail.

4. In a display strip according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the bottom clip section has a manually operable release so that the strip may be unclipped from the rail.

5. In a display strip according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the strip has more than one rail position settable to alter the relative inclination of the strip to the rail.

6. In a display strip according to any one of the preceding claims wherein strip has different rail positions provided by one or more channels extending along the strip.

7. In a display strip according to any one of the preceding claims wherein strip has different rail positions provided by a lower clip having W-shape in profile.

8. In a display strip according to any one of the preceding claims having a display face and a rear mounting clip arrangement, the clip arrangement having at least one rail clip adapted to engage a rail to secure the data strip to the rail, the strip including a top clip section and a bottom clip section, the top clip section being positionable atop a rail and the bottom clip section extending under the rail.

9.

In a display strip according to any one of the preceding claims for supporting a display

2019204920 09 Jul 2019 sheet, the strip having an axially extending sheet lead-in and at least two axially extending gripping projections aligned with the lead-in so that a sheet may be held by the projections and gripped thereby.

10. Ina display strip according to any one of the preceding claims for supporting a display sheet, the strip having an axially extending sheet lead-in and at least two axially extending gripping projections aligned with the lead-in so that a sheet may be held by the projections and gripped thereby, the projections being formed from a rubberised or similar material while the rest of the strip is extruded from a plastic so that the gripping projections are both flexible but also have a surface gripping characteristic so that they do provide a frictional grip with a sheet to resist its removal.

11. Ina display strip according to any one of the preceding claims for supporting a display sheet, the strip having an axially extending sheet lead-in and at least two axially extending gripping projections aligned with the lead-in so that a sheet may be held by the projections and gripped thereby, the projections being formed from a rubberised or similar material while the rest of the strip is extruded from a plastic so that the gripping projections are both flexible but also have a surface gripping characteristic so that they do provide a frictional grip with a sheet to resist its removal, in profile the gripping projections may appear as teeth, the teeth may be offset and inwardly directed or reverse directed or barb-like but rounded or elliptical.

12. In a display strip according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the strip is integrally formed as an axially extending top section of an axially extending display window panel.

13. In a display strip according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the strip is integrally formed as an axially extending top section of an axially extending display window panel, the display window panel is a front panel of a strip also having a back panel, the front panel being hinged to the back panel by an axially extending hinge.

14. In a display strip according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the strip is integrally formed as an axially extending top section of an axially extending display window

2019204920 09 Jul 2019 panel.

15. In a display strip according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the strip is integrally formed as an axially extending top section of an axially extending display window panel in front of a back panel, the panels being biased together and having an axially extending opening opposite a hinge, the hinge may be configured to provide the bias and having an axially extending forward projecting bulge such that the front panel may be manually movable to widen a gap between the panels for insertion of a price ticket or the like between the panels, the ticket being viewable through the front panel.

16. In a display strip according to any one of the preceding claims including a front panel set against a back panel, there being a gap between the panels wherein the front panel includes an axially extending projection to facilitate a user applying a digit, typically a finger, to the projection in order to manually move the front panel to open the gap.

17. In a display strip according to any one of the preceding claims having a top section which comprises an upper part of a front panel, and having an outwardly projecting main flange and a return flange projecting downwardly from the main flange, the top section, main flange and return flange together forming a downwardly open channel, the channel having inside walls comprising an inner side wall of the return flange, an underside wall of the main flange and an inner side wall of the upper section of the front panel, gripping projections being located in the channel on each of the inner side walls, a lead-in being located just below the channel on the front panel, the lead-in comprises an axially extending ramp adapted to guide a sheet into the channel and between the projections.

18. In a display strip according to any one of the preceding claims including an axially extending projection used to facilitate a user applying a digit, projects from or adjacent a juncture between the main flange and the return flange.

19. In a display strip according to claim 18 including the axially extending projection used to facilitate a user applying a digit, projects from or adjacent a juncture between the main flange and the return flange.

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20. In a display strip according to claim 18 or claim 19 wherein the axially extending projection projects above a terminal upper edge of the back panel.

21. Ina display strip according to any one of the preceding claims having a back panel comprising a mounting being an axially extending hand insertable clip that may be clipped over a rail or onto an edge support such as a panel, the clip being biased to a closed position and being resiliently expandable.

22. In a display strip according to any one of the preceding claims having a back panel comprising a mounting being an axially extending deformable panel or a panel resiliently coupled or hinged to the back panel that may deform into a connector bracket.

23. In a display strip according to any one of the preceding claims having a back panel comprising a mounting being an axially extending deformable panel or a panel resiliently coupled or hinged to the back panel that may deform into a connector bracket, the bracket comprising an axially extending channel-like rail.

24. In a display strip according to any one of the preceding claims having a back panel comprising a mounting being an axially extending resilient panel.

25. In a display strip according to claim 24 wherein the axially extending panel is a curved mounting channel.

26. In a display strip according to claim 24 wherein the axially extending panel comprises an axially extending flange projecting from the back panel on its side opposite the front panel and having an angled terminal flange section.

27. A clip-on vertical display strip there is provided in shelving having a substantially straight front rail, the front rail having a top edge and a front vertical face in a plane of the rail, the strip being a narrow display strip clipped to the rail, the strip having top and bottom edges, a front panel and a back panel, the panels being joined along a living hinge running along the strip at or

2019204920 09 Jul 2019 adjacent the bottom edge of the strip, the front panel overlaying the back panel and there being a sheet insertion gap between the panels running along the strip at or adjacent the top edge of the strip, the strip being clipped onto the rail to, in use, hold a replaceable sheet sandwiched between the panels, the display strip overlaying the front vertical face of the rail and being removably clipped into position to cover the front vertical face of the rail, the display strip having a top clip section at or adjacent the top edge of the strip and a bottom clip section at or adjacent the bottom edge of the strip, the top clip section being in register with the top edge of the rail and the bottom clip section being in register with the rail at a location behind the front vertical face.

28. A clip-on vertical display strip according to claim 27 wherein the strip further includes gripping projections provided adjacent the top edge of the strip to hold a sheet hanging down in front of the front panel of the strip.

29. A clip-on vertical display strip according to claim 27 or claim 28 wherein the front panel has a projection extending along an upper edge of the front panel and spaced forward of the back panel to facilitate a user locating a finger on or behind the projection and pulling the front panel in a direction away from the back panel, thus the gap between panels may be widened so that a ticket or card may be fitted between them.

30. A clip-on vertical display strip according to any one of claims 27 to 29 wherein the bottom clip section extends from the strip below the rail, in contact with the rail and behind the rail.

31. A clip-on vertical display strip according to any one of claims 27 to 30 wherein the bottom clip section has a flange to aid release of the bottom clip section by finger action.