AU617718B2 - Merchandise information tag with adaptable mounting portion - Google Patents

Description

I_

PCT

INTERNATIONAL APPLICA OPI DATE 23/05/89 AOJP DATE 29/06/89 APPLN- ID 26134 88 PCT NUMBER PCT/US88/03150 I .i I (r 1 (51) International Patent Classification 4 International Publication Number: WO 89/ 04034 G09F 3/18 Al (43) International Publication Date: 5 May 1989 (05.05.89) (21) International Application Number: PCT/US88/03150 I E (j rope n patint).

(22) International Filing Date: 13 September 1988 (13.09.88) Published With international search report.

(31) Priority Application Number: 109,330 (32) Priority Date: 19 October 1987 (19.10.87) (33) Priority Country: US (71X72) Applicant and Inventor: FAST, Jacob [US/US]; 7561 N.W. 9th Street, Plantation, FL 33317 (US).

(74) Agents: STERN, Marvin, R. et al.; Holman Stern, 2401 Fifteenth Street, Washington, DC 20009

(US).

(81) Designated States: AT (European patent), AU, BE (European patent), CH (European patent), DE (European patent), FR (European patent), GB (European patent), iT (European patent), JP, LU (European patent), NL (European patent), (54) Title: MERCHANDISE INFORMATION TAG WITH ADAPTABLE MOUNTING PORTION vlk 6B (57) Abstract A product information display tag structure (10) is disclosed for presenting product information at the distal end (62) of an elongate product display hook (60) having a proximal end bracket (64) for attaching the hook (60) to a horizontal elongate support bar The tag (10) has a proximal end mounting portion (12) for securing same to the bar over the bracket and the mounting portion (12) is adaptable to accommodate a variety of such brackets. The tag (10) is made from die-cut plastic sheet material.

WO 89/04034 PCT/US88/03150 1 MERCHANDISE INFORMATION TAG WITH 2 ADAPTABLE MOUNTING PORTION 3 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 4 This invention relates to product identification and information tags for merchandise suspended from 6 elongate horizontally orientated support hooks and the 7 like. More particularly, the invention relates to such 8 tags which may be readily attached to and removed from 9 the support hooks without being subject to inadvertent removal, and which display product information forwardly 11 of merchandise supported on a hook.

12 My prio. U.S. Patent No. 4,525,944 issued July 2, 13 1985 discloses, inter alia, elongate product information 14 and identification tags made of plastic sheet which display the product information forwardly of items 16 suspended from horizontal hooks which may extend, for 17 example, from an apertured support boad or the like. The 18 tags include a mounting portion for attachment to and 19 removal from the hook at a location adjacent the board, an intermediate portion extending forwardly from the 21 mounting portion along the length of the hook and the 22 merchandise suspended therefrom, and a display portion 23 integrally formed at the distal end of the intermediate 24 portion and which is bent downwardly in front of the hook for the display of required product identification and/or WO 89/04034 PCT/US88/03150' 2 1 information data. Further, the tags may have an aperture 2 adjacent the distal end of the intermediate portion for 3 an end portion of the hook to project upwardly through, 4 thereby providing lateral stabilization of the tag. When a product is removed from the hook over the front end, 6 the tag flexes upwardly to free the end of the hook, and 7 the tag drops back over the end of the hook after the 8 product has been removed.

gS 1e; Se Lnorso 9 Further,y -p g patent ppliction a ne. 06/710,16 f-ild April 2, 1985, discloses a similar 11 product information tag which has a removaole and 12 replaceable display portion at the forward end enabling 13 the product labeling readily tc be changed, if required.

14 The disclosures of both my patent and co-pending application noted above are expressly incorporated herein 16 by reference.

17 The tags as disclosed in both the patent and the 18 pending application are provided with mounting portions 19 particularly adapted for use with horizontally oriented elongate support hooks, generally formed of metal rods, 21 which fit into an apertured board. However, frequently 22 in merchandising displays, the support hooks may be 23 particularly adapted to attach to supports other than 24 apertured boards. For example, there are in existence elongate product support hooks having mounting brackets 26 at their proximal ends which are particularly adapted for 27 attachment to a flat transversely extending bar. It is 28 an object of the present invention to provide a 4 29 merchandise information and display tag structure of the gener.:l type discussed above, but which has a mounting 31 portion which is adaptable so that it can be used with 32 any one of a variety of such flat bar-attached hooks.

WO 89/04034 PCT/US88/03!50 -3- 1 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 2 Generally stated, the invention provides an 3 elongate product information and display tag of the 4 overall type discussed, preferably being die-cut or the like from sheet plastic of the kind commonly used for 6 such tags and including a proximal end mounting portion 7 for attaching the tag to any one of the variety of hooks 8 discussed above, and an elongate intermediate portion 9 extending from the mounting portion to extend over the hook and display product information at the distal end 11 thereof. The mounting portion conveniently may be of 12 rectangular form with a large size central rectangular 13 cutout and a pair of lengthwise extending elongate 14 cutouts disposed respectively on opposite sides of the central cutout. The mounting portion further includes 16 transverse slits extending respectively from opposite 17 longitudinal edges thereof into the elongate cutouts 18 approximately midway along their length, so as to provide 19 a pair of flaps or flexible fingers on each side of the mounting portion. Further, the mounting portion is 21 separated from the intermediate portion by a central 22 transverse bend line and further slits extending from 23 opposite edges of the tag toward the bend line.

24 In use, the mounting portion is folded down from the intermediate portion substantially at right angles 26 and opposite edge sections defining the aforementioned 27 fingers are folded forwardly substantially at right 28 angles to the central body of the mounting portion. For 29 attaching the tag to a flat bar-supported elongate product display hook, the mounting portion is placed 31 behind the bar so that rear portions of the hook bracket 32 extend through the enlarged central cutout, and then the WO 89/04034 PCT/US88/03150 -4- 1 flexible fingers are manipulated over the front of the 2 bar, top and bottom, so as to grip the bar on each side 3 of the hook bracket.

4 The enlarged central cutout is sufficient to accommodate a variety of different design hook brackets 6 and the mounting portion may also include a bottom flap 7 for certain types of hook bracket which have a bottom 8 flange projecting behind the bar.

9 Additional features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the ensuing 11 description and claims read in conjunction with the 12 attached drawings.

13 BRTEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 14 Figure 1 is a plan view of a product information display tag structure in accordance with the invention; 16 Figure 2 is a perspective view, from the back, of 17 a first form of flat bar-supported product display hook 18 with which the tag may be used; 19 Figure 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 or Figure 2; 21 Figvre 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 with the 22 tag attached; 23 Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the 24 structure shown in Figure 4; Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing 26 a second form of flat bar-supported product display hook 27 with which the tag can be used; 28 Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the 29 second form of hook; Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing the 31 second form of hook; WO 89/04034 PCT/US88/03150 1 Figure 9 is a side elevational view of a third 2 form of flat bar-support product information display hook 3 with which the tag maybe used; 4 Figure 10 is a view on line 10-10 of Figure 9; Figure 11 is a view similar to Figures 4 and 8 6 showing the third form of hook; and 7 Figure 12 is a part elevational view of the tag 8 and flat bar showing how the mounting portion of the tag 9 may be flexed into engagement with the bar.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 11 Figure 1 shows an elongate product identification 12 and display tag 10 of the general type disclosed in the 13 above noted patent and patent application, the tag being 14 die cut in a plastic sheet material and including a proximal end mounting portion 12 an elongate intermediate 16 portion 14, and a distal end information display portion 17 16. The tag is particularly adapted for use with a 18 variety of elongate product display hooks, as shown in 19 the subsequent figures, the hooks being of a type which attach to an elongate flat metal bar 18, as will be 21 described. In use, the mounting portion 12 of tag 22 effectively secures the tag to the bar 18, the elongate 23 intermediate portion extends over the length of the 24 display hook, and the distal end portion 16 displays product information (relating to products which may be 26 suspended from the hook) at the distal end of the hook.

27 Reverting to Figure 1, it will be noted that 28 intermediate portion 14 has a narrow elongate central 29 section 20 and wider distal and proximal e:nd sections 22 and 24 respectively. Further, the intermediate portion 31 14 is reinforced by longitudinally extending creases 26 -6or the like. This form of intermediate portion for a tag structure of the type under discussion is disclosed in detail in US patent No 4715135 the contents of which is also expressly incorporated herein by reference. As noted in this patent application the narrowing and reinforcing of the central section 20 reduces the amount of material required in this section of the tag while the creases reinforce the tag against transverse flexure. Also, by reducing the tag width, a smaller area is available for dust collection.

*.The distal end section 24 of the tag is provided with an elongate slot 28 for the forward end of a display hook to project upwardly through in known manner. Also, this section of the tag may be provided with a transverse slit 30 for attachment of a separate display element in the manner disclosed in the above noted US patent No 4703570.

In this regard, while the tag 10 as illustrated has an integral display portion 16, in alternative constructions according to the invention, section 16 may be eliminated 20 if the tag is to be used with a separate display element and conversely, if section 16 is present, the transverse attachment slit 30 can be eliminated. In the illustrated structure, display portion 16 is connected to the intermediate portion 14 by a transverse bend line 32.

The mounting portion 12 of the tag is connected to proximal section 22 by a central transverse bend line 34 and transverse slits 36 which extend from opposite longitudinal edges 38 and 40 of the tag up to the opposite edges of the bend line 34. Extending from the respective junctions of bend line 34 and slits 36 are longitudinally extending bend lines 42 and these longitudinal bend lines 42 are interrupted by respective WO 89/04034 PCT/US88/03150 -7- 1 relatively narrow elongate cutouts 44. Extending into 2 the cutouts 44 from the opposite longitudinal edges 38 3 and 40 of the blank are respective transverse slits 46.

4 The above described structure of the mounting portion 12 allows the mounting portion as a whole to be 6 folded down at a right angle with respect to portion 14 7 of the tag about the bend line 34 and further allows 8 outer sections of the mounting portion to be folded 9 inwardly at right angles about the bend lines 42. Due to the provision of the cutouts 44 and the slits 46, these 11 outer sections of the mounting portion provide respective 12 upper flaps or fingers 48 and lower flaps or fingers 13 which, in use, can be flexed around the flat bar 18 from 14 behind, in order to attach the tag to the bar as seen, for example in Figures 4, 5, 8, 11 and 12, which latter 16 figure shows the manner in which the lower fingers 50 are 17 flexed around the bar. In this connection it will be 18 evident that the outline of the respective cutouts 44 19 effectively conforms with the outline of bar 18.

Mounting portion 12 further includes a large 21 rectangular central cutout 52 and longitudinal slits 54 22 extending from a proximal edge 56 of the tag, the slits 23 54 defining a central flap 58.

24 As indicated above, the tag 10 is specifically adapted for use with a variety of product display hooks 26 which may be attached to the support bar 18. In this 27 regard, Figures 2 through 5 show a first form of such 28 elongate hook 60 which has an up-turned distal end 62 to 29 fit through slot 28 of the tag as previously referred to and a metal mounting bracket 64 to which the proximal end 31 of the hook 60 is attached by welding or the like. The 32 mounting bracket 64 is bent to provide an upper securing 33 prong 66 and a lower narrower securing prong 68 whereby I I WO 89/04034 PCT/US88/03150 8 1 the hook may be snap fitted onto the bar 18 and retained 2 thereon by friction as shown for example in Figures 2 and 3 3.

4 In attaching the tag 10 to the bar-hook combination shown in Figures 2 and 3, mounting portion 12 6 of the tag is folded down about bend line 34 and the 7 transverse outer edges of the tag defininy the fingers 48 8 and 50 are folded inwardly at right angles. The mounting 9 portion is located behind the bar 18 so that the central cutout 52 embraces the upper prong 66 of the hook, the 11 cutout being sized to accommodate this prong. Then, the 12 fingers 48 and 50 are flexed around the bar 18 froil.

13 behind respectively above and below the bar to bring the 14 tag into gripping engagement around the bar. It will be noted that in the attached position of the tag shown in 16 Figure 4, the flap 58 is flexed somewhat outwardly by the 17 lower prong 68 of the hook. It will evident that the 18 disclosed structure provides a simple and effective way 19 in -hich the tag may be attached to the bar-hook combination.

21 Figures 6 to 8 show a second form of product 22 display hook 70 which also has an upwardly bent distal 23 portion 72 as in the previously described hook and a 24 different form of metal bracket 74 at its proximal end for attaching the hook to bar 18 In this case, metal 26 bracket 74 again has an upper prong 76 extending 27 substantially the entire width of bracket 74 and a lower 28 prong 78 formed on a central finger 79 of the bracket.

29 It will be evident that tag 10 may be attached to the bar-hook combination shown in Figures 6 and 7 in similar 31 manner to the previously described embodiment with the 32 cutout 52 in this case embracing prong 76 of the hook and 33 '-he flap 58 again being flexed somewhat outwardly by I: WO 89/04034 PCT/US88/03150 9 1 prong 78. It will be self-evident that where the 2 alternative hook bracket structures such as brackets 64 3 and 74 are of respectively somewhat different width, the 4 central cutout 52 of the tag will be sized to accommodate the larger of these.

6 Figures 9 through 11 show a third form of elongate 7 product display hook 90 again having an up turned distal 8 end 92 but in this case the hook has a plastic mounting 9 bracket 94 at its distal end. In this structure, hook may have a down turned proximal end section 96 for 11 example which is force fitted into a receiving socket 98 12 of the bracket 94. Bracket 94 is formed with a prong 13 structure 98 to fit over the top of bar 18 and a lower 14 retaining lip 100, whereby bracket 94 is frictionally retained on the bar 18. It will be evident that the tag 16 10 may again be attached to the bar-hook combination 17 shown in Figures 9 and 10 in similar manner to the 18 previously described embodiments with cutout 52 again 19 being sized to receive prong 98 of the hook mounting bracket.

21 It is evident from the foregoing that the 22 invention provides a tag structure which is adapted to be 23 attached to a hook-bar combination wherein the hook may 24 have any one of a variety of mounting brackets and the tag may be conveniently secured thereto irrespective of 26 the particular mounting bracket provided on the hook.

27 While only preferred embodiments of the invention 28 have been described herein in detail, the invention is 29 not limited thereby and modifications can be made within the scope of the attached claims.

31 While the tag of the instant invention is 32 primarily designed for use on a bar-supported elongate 33 product display hook, the tag is self-supporting on the PCT/US88/03150 PCT/US88/03150 wo 89/ 1 2 3 4 04034 10 bar due to its nature and does not require the hook for support. Thus, it can used in the absence of a hook to display information at its distal end in space relation to the bar.

Claims (4)

1. 5. The invention of Claim 1 wherein the mounting 11 portion still further includes transverse slits extending from 12 opposite longitudinal edges thereof into the respective elongate 13 cutouts substantially at a mid-point of the length of the cutout 14 and separating the respective upper and lower fingers.
2. 6. The invention of Claim 1 wherein the tag further 16 includes an integral fold down display portion at a distal end of 17 the elongate portion.
3. 7. The invention of Claim 6 wherein the tag further 19 includes a mounting means for a separate display element at a distal end of the elongate portion. 21 8. The invention of Claim 1 wherein the elongate 22 portion of the tag includes an elongate reduced-width central 23 section and a lengthwise reinforcing ribbing. 24 9. In combination with a bar-supported elongate product display hook having a proximal end bracket SUSTITUTE SHEt IPEAUS WO 89/04034 PCT/US88/03150 13 1 attaching the hook to the bar, the bracket having at 2 least an upper bar-embracing prong element; a product 3 information display tag of sheet material for providing 4 product information at a distal end of the hook, the tag comprising a proximal end mounting portion securing the 6 tag to the bar over said bracket and an elongate portion 7 extending from the mounting portion over the hook for 8 displaying the product information at a distal end 9 thereof, the mounting portion being folded down from the elongate portion substantially at right angles behind the 11 bar, the mounting portion having forwardly folded edge 12 sections each defining an upper flexible finger and a 13 lower flexible finger which are flexed over and under the 14 bar respectively from behind whereby the tag is secured to the bar, the mounting portion still further including 16 elongate bar-receding cutouts adjacent the fingers, and a 17 central cutout receiving said prong element. 18 10. The invention of Claim 9 wherein the bracket 19 further includes a lower bar-embracing prong element and the mounting portion of the tag includes means defining a 21 flap flexed rearwardly by said lower prong element for 22 accommodating same. 23 11. The invention of Claim 9 wherein said bracket 24 is a metal bracket attached to a proximal end of the bar by welding or the like. 26 12. The invention of Claim 9 wherein said bracket 27 is a plastic bracket having a socket which receives a 28 downwardly bent proximal end section of the hook for 29 attaching the hook to the bracket. 14
4. 13. A sheet material product information display tag structure as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in the accompanying drawings. DATED this 10 day of September 1991 JACOB FAST Patent Attorneys for the Applicant: F.B. RICE CO. o•* o•"