AU602804B2

AU602804B2 - Improvements in and relating to display systems

Info

Publication number: AU602804B2
Application number: AU26970/88A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Gerald David Hancock
Original assignee: GERRY HANCOCK LIMI Pty
Current assignee: GERRY HANCOCK Ltd Pty
Priority date: 1987-12-18
Filing date: 1988-12-16
Publication date: 1990-10-25
Anticipated expiration: 2008-12-16
Also published as: AU2697088A

Description

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1 -:i 8; I uQ Form COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952-62 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (ORIGINAL) A FOR OFFICE USE: Application Number: Lodged: Class Int. Class Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Prifi Re11 A at eC Related Art: a 6i a 6 6 a e e Naer, of Applicant: Address of Applicant:

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6C6 Actual Inventor: 6 r a t Address for Service: TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT GERRY HANCOCK PROPRIETARY LIMITED 35 Carrington Street, Adelaide, State of South Australia, Commonwealth of Australia Gerald David HANCOCK care of R.K. MADDERN ASSOCIATES, 345 King William Street, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000 Complete Specification for the invention entitled: "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO DISPLAY SYSTEMS" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to r¥tx us.

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This present invention relates to improvements in display systems for use in displaying merchandise in shops, and in particular to an improved display system employing a wall assembly to which support brackets are mounted for supporting goods for display purposes, and to a method of assembly of such display system.

The applicant is aware of a number of merchandise display systems which provide a display wall or panel with horizontally extending grooves for receiving support brackets upon which goods to be sold are supported for display purposes. In this regard, reference is made

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to Australian Patent Specification Nos. 63038/86,

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25618/84, 43225/85 and 58077/86. Whilst the majority of these systems are generally satisfactory in use, the 915 design constructipn of such systems has proven expensive to manufacture and, in the situation where a double-sided S display stand is required, separate wall assemblies and S bracket support runners or tracks are required for each side of the display panel.

It is the main object of the present invention to proide an improved display system which is aesthetically attractive, which is simple to assemble, which is inexpensive to produce and which is far more versatile in its design in comparison with prior art systems.

According to one aspect of this invention therefore, there is provided an elongate extrusion for use in a display wall assembly to receive and support a plurality of support brackets upon which goods are mounted for a ec a ao o C a ai a C B Br OcC

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display, the extrusion having a constant cross-sectional shape throughout its length and comprising a central vertical web, walls projecting laterally from and connected to said vertical web and defining, together with said web, a pair of oppositely facing, horizontally aligned, approximately C-shaped channels extending longitudinally of the extrusion and co-extensive therewith, one on each side of the vertical web, said channel forming walls terminating in inturned flange portions which define therebetween a pair of elongate 0B. openings spaced from the vertical web, each said opening 0 0 o o 0* being dimensioned so as to permit an engagement portion *e0 of a support bracket to be inserted thereinto, on either 00 0 0 oo side of the display wall, so as to releasably engage a 0 o15 said inturned flange portion, and interengaging means between said extrusion and the opposed end walls of 0 00 0 adjacent slats or panels between which the extrusion 0 0OB o0 is located, for preventing lateral movement of the o0, extrusion along its length with respect to the slats or panels.

Preferably, the interengaging means comprises a first locating flange extending upwardly from the upper oCrr e marginal surface of the extrusion, and a second locating flange extendng downwardly from the lower marginal surface of the extrusion, said locating flanges extending longitudinally of the extrusion and being co-extensive therewith, the locating flanges being receivable with a snug fit within longitudinally extending grooves or 3 recesses formed in opposed end walls of respective slats or panels.

Preferably the locating flanges are vertically aligned, each forming a linear extension of the vertical web. Preferably, the extrusion is formed of aluminium or rigid plastics material.

In another preferred embodiment, the extrusion is symmetrical about its central vertical plane which coincides with the plane of the vertical web.

Preferably, the end walls of the slats or panels oa0 are formed with inwardly extending channel shaped 0 0 0000 00o recesses for locating with a snug fit respective upper 0 0&0 0 n and lower longitudinal portions of the extrusion whereby 0 o0O the extrusion is virtually concealed from view, when a' the display assembly is in its assembled condition.

In another aspect of this invention, there is o|o, provided an improved display system comprising a plurality of vertically aligned slat or panel members of c r generally rectangular cross-sectional shape and a C 11 t 20 plurality of elongate extrusions arranged alternately C I Swith the slat or panel members in longitudinal abutting relationship, each said extrusion comprising a central vertical web and a pair of oppositely facing, approximately C-shaped channels extending longitudinally of the extrusion and coextensive therewith, one on each side of the web, and a pair of locating flanges projecting respectively from the upper and lower marginal surfaces of the extrusion and coextensive therewith, each 4 *J said slat or panel member having a longitudinally inwardly extending groove or recess formed along an end wall surface thereof for receiving a respective said locating flange in a tongue and groove relationship.

Preferably, the display system comprises a peripheral support frame comprising a pair of transversely spaced vertical frame members each having a channel cross-sectional shape, the alternately arranged slat or panel members and said extrusions extending between said vertical members and having their ends 0s slidably engaged within the channels thereof.

0000 9o With this invention, an "island" display system ona, can be very quickly and readily assembled by alternately 0a o S0 o locating the slat or panel members and the extrusions, 00 0 Q L5 one on top of the other, between the pair of transversely aligned vertical frame members, with each extrusion haing 0°°0 0 its oppositely facing channels extending horizontally Q 00 0 oo S0,0 across opposite faces of the display stand one on oO C each side thereof), whereby support brackets 0 4 can be readily removably attached on either side )f the a C C display stand.

S Preferably each support bracket has an upwardly extending mounting flange portion which is arranged to engage within a channel formation of one said extrusion, and a downwardly extending mounting flange portion arranged to engage in the channel formation of an adjacent said extrusion, such an arrangement ensuring the bracket is firmly retained in position and capable 5 of supporting significant loads applied thereto.

In order to more fully explain the applicant's invention, an embodiment is described hereunder in some further detail and with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a display stand of the "island" type, Fig. 2 is an end elevational view, Fig. 3 is a fragmentary "exploded" perspective view of the stand, and fig.- 4 is a perspective view (partly sectioned) of a support hanger supported from the stand in a cantilever manner.

0000 In this embodiment, a display stand 10 of the 0000 o0 "island" type comprises a plurality of vertic-ally aligned 0 000 0 0 0 slat members 11, adjacent ones of which are separated 0 00 0 0 0 a by elongate extrusions 12, the slat members 11 and *goo 00 0 0 45 extrusions 12 being supported in a rectangular support frame 13 which itself comprises a oair of vertical P 0 C M uprights 14 of channel section and interconnected by 0 a pair of upper and lower horizontal frame members 0C 16 respectively also of channel section. The display C C.

a aV C1 20 stand 10 also comprises a base frame 17 which extends to opposite sides of -the stand 10 and provides a stable qf C tc cc support therefor.

Referring to Fig. 3 of the COrawings, each of the slat members 11 is of rectangular cross-sectional shape and is formed to have a rectangular section channel 18 extending inwardly along its upper and lower end walls, the channel 18 having formed in its base wail 19 a central longitudinally extending groove 20 co'-extensive -6 *iWI- therewith. The slats 11 are preferably formed of laminated fibreboard.

Each of the elongate extrusions 12 is formed with a central vertical web 22 to each side of which projects a pair of vertically aligned L-shaped flanges 23 at the upper and lower ends of the w:eb 22, the flanges 23 along with the vertical web 22 defining a pair of oppositely facing C-shaped channel formations, having an elongate opening or mouth 24 spaced from the web 22 and facing horizontally outwards. Each extrusion 12 is also formed ao with an upwardly extending flange 25 which, in this o a 000g 00 embodiment, is formed as a linear extension of the o OOb 0 000 vertical web 22, and alo a downwardly extending flange o I 26 which is also similarly formed. The gap or opening 00 C 0 ,15 24 formed between the opposed depending lips 27 of the flanges 23 may be varied but should be sufficient to i enable the inner end portion of a mounting bracket 29 Ce to pass therebetween and frictionally engage itself t against the inner surface of the lip 27. Preferably I ccr,20 the spacing between the extrusions 12 is such that each S mounting bracket 29 has an upper flange portion i 0c supported by one extrusion 12 and its lower mounting flange portion 31 supported by the next lower extrusion 12.

In order to assemble the display stand, the slat members 11 and extrusions 12 are mounted alternately one on top of the other with the flanges 25, 26 projecting from the upper and lower ends of the extrusion 7 i

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84 oa qg O 4I oe o 9 4~ 12 being snugly received in respective grooves 20 and the pairs of horizontally aligned flanges 23 being snugly received in respective channels 18. The snug fit ensures that the extrusions are firmly located so as to avoid any undesirable "play" or lateral moveeiant which might result when the mounting brackets, when supported by the extrusion,, are loaded with display merchandise.

It will of course be appreciated that the flanges 26 may be omitted, so that the upper and lower portions of the extrusion (defining the L-shaped flanges) simply engage in complementary shaped respective channels 18. Of course where significant loads are to be suspended from the support brackets, it is preferred Sto include the flanges 25, 26.

|15 In another variation, the extrusion may be formed with longitudinally extending outwardly opening channel formations along its upper and lower ends for snugly receiving and locating end portions of the slats or panels which could therefore be formed without the groove 20 formations 18, 20. Of course, this would mean that the extrusions remain "exposed" in the assembled condition of the display stand.

A brief consideration of the above-described embodiment will indicate that the invention provides an extremely simple and inexpensive double-sided display stand assembly which employs far fewer component parts in comparison with known display stands of the double-sided type.

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Claims

1. An improved display stand assembly comprising a plurality of vertically aligned elongate slat or panel members of generally rectangular cross-sectional shape and a plurality of elongate extrusions arranged alternately with and in interengaging relationship with the slat or panel members, each said extrusion having a constant cross-sectional shape throughout its length and comprising a vertical web, walls projecting laterally tcEc from and connected to said web and defining, together 10 with said web, a pair of oppositely facing approximately let,r C-shaped channels extending longitudinally of the C r extrusion and co-extensive therewith, one on each side of S; l the vertical web, said channel forming walls terminating in inturned flange portions so as to define a pair of elongate support bracket receiving openings extending r across opposite faces of the stand, and interengaging C, r means between the abutting ends of the extrusion and Sf tcf the panel or slat members for preventing lateral t C Smovement of the extrusion relative to the adjacent panel ,20 or slat members between which the extrusion is located. C r c C(

2. An improved 'isplay stand assembly according to claim 1 wherein said interengaging means comprises a first locating flange extending upwardly from the upper marginal surface of the extrusion, and a second locating flange extending downwardly from the lower marginal 9 ~_1 -i L ii i: I i surface of the extrusion, said flanges extending longitudinally of the extrusion and being co-extensive therewith, the locating flanges engaging with a snug fit in longitudinally extending grooves formed in the opposed end walls of the slats or panels. 000 5 0 000) 00 0 0 40 0 0 0 0P 00 00 0 00 0 00 0 0 0 00 0 9 0a 3 t I Cc 4 C i t C ,1 t<

3. An improved display stand assembly according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said interengaging means comprises U-shaped recess or groove formations extending inwardly along the end walls of said slat or panel members for snugly locating respective end portions of the slat or panel members.

4. An improved display stand assembly according to claim 3 when appended to claim 2, wherein each said longitudinally extending groove communicates with a respective base wall of said U-shaped recess or groove and located centrally thereof.

5. An improved display stand assembly according to any preceding claim wherein said locating flanges are vertically aligned, each forming a linear extension of the vertical web.

6. An improved display stand assembly according to any preceding claim wherein said extrusion is symmetrical about its central vertical plane which coincides with the plane of the vertical web. 10 ic,. -1 -YI L I- 1..

7. An improved display stand assembly according to any preceding claim wherein said extrusion is formed of aluminium or rigid plastics material.

8. An improved display stand assembly according to any preceding claim further comprising a mounting bracket having an upper flange portion releasably supported within the channel of one said extrusion, and a lower mounting flange portion releasably supported within the channel of the next lower said extrusion. 0060 Qo 0

9. A method of assembling a display staA fcomprising a o 0,19 plurality of elongate slat or panel members of generally 0 0 0 rectangular cross-sectional shape and a plurality of elongate 0 0* extrusions, each said extrusion having a constant cross- sectional shape throughout its length and being symmetrical with respect to a central vertical plane, and comprising a pair so00 of oppositely facing horizontally aligned approximately 00oo0 oOO C-shaped channels extending longitudinally of the extrusion and 20 co-extensive therewith, one on each side of said central 0o 0 000 vertical plane, said method comprising; 1 alternately locating the slat or panel members and said 0 elongate extrusions, vertically one on top of the other in longitudinal abutting relationship, so' as to extend between a pair of transversely aligned vertical frame members, each said extrusion having its oppositely facing channels each extending horizontally across, a respective side of the display stand, there being, interengaging means between the abutting ends of Si 11 L 1' 4 each extrusion and the slat or panel members for preventing lateral movement of said extrusion along its length.

A method according to claim 9 wherein each said extrusion is pr tided with locating flanges projecting centrally from its upper and lower marginal surfaces and extending longitudinally thereof, said locating f.anges being snugly received in respective longitudinally extending grooves formed in the end walls of the panel or slat members.

11. An improved display stand assembly substantially :.s hereinbefore described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

12. A method of assembling a display stand substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. DATED this 9th day of July 1990 GERRY HANCOCK PROPRIETARY LIMITED By its Patent Attorneys R K MADDERN ASSOCIATES 12