Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
  • G09F—DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS
  • G09F3/00—Labels, tag tickets, or similar identification or indication means; Seals; Postage or like stamps
  • G09F3/08—Fastening or securing by means not forming part of the material of the label itself
  • G09F3/18—Casings, frames or enclosures for labels
  • G09F3/20—Casings, frames or enclosures for labels for adjustable, removable, or interchangeable labels
  • G09F3/204—Casings, frames or enclosures for labels for adjustable, removable, or interchangeable labels specially adapted to be attached to a shelf or the like

Definitions

• the present invention concerns a system for holding electronic information displays at a shelf, including a profile moulding that in the assembled mode extends along the entire length of the shelf or a shelf section and that has an mounting part adapted to allow mounting of the profile moulding at the shelf's front edge.
• the invention also concerns a display holder for such a system.
• Electronic information displays are used to a greater and greater extent in for instance grocery stores, department stores and the like where products are displayed on shelves.
• the displays usually consist of separate units that are placed in display holders on the shelf's front edge near the product that the information concerns.
• the information shown is usually statements about price, cost-per-unit price, product number and possibly product name.
• the electronic displays have the advantage that it is easy to change and keep the information about the respective product type updated. For instance this can be made centrally via a store computer, whereby the displays are arranged to communicate with the computer.
• the displays often include an electronic character screen of LCD or LED type.
• the electronic information displays to be an advantage compared with paper labels the information shown must be easily visible and readable for customers and personnel.
• the character screen has a certain smallest size.
• the screen be arranged at a certain angle to the vertical. In general terms this angle decreases as the height of the shelf that carries the display increases and it increases when the shelf is lower.
• the optimal readability angle can vary along one and the same shelf. It is therefore desirable to be able to adjust the angles of different displays along one and the same shelf independent of the angles of nearby and other displays along the shelf.
• the total space in a shop is determined by the size of the premises and usually represents a limited resource that must be used optimally. This means among other things that one always tries to reduce the shelves' thickness and to place them at smaller and smaller vertical distances in order to increase the useful product display space. This puts even more difficult requirements on the system for attachment of the electronic information displays used. Narrow displays with a height corresponding to the shelf's thickness often do not have the requisite quantity of information if they are to be easily readable. Displays and holders with greater heights and that extend down under the shelf interfere with the shelf space below and make it difficult to put in and take out products.
• Previously known art 093/19448 with the same applicant as the present application, describes a device for attachment of information carriers, such as electronic LCD displays, on a shelf.
• the device consists of a long profile moulding that, in the assembled mode, extends along the shelf.
• a back part of the profile moulding ' s cross- section forms a mounting part with which the profile moulding is attached to the shelf's front edge.
• the profile moulding 's front part includes a generally u- shaped holder section that is intended to receive several electronic information displays arranged one after the other.
• the front part is also connected to a hinged lid that can be folded down over the holder section in order to cover the displays mounted therein.
• the front part is connected to the back part by a hinge that allows the angle of the holder section to be varied.
• a hinged leg is arranged on the assembly. The leg can cooperate with a number of support elements arranged at the back of the u-shaped holder section. When the holder section is rotated to the desired angle the leg is folded out so that its free end is placed against a suitable support element, whereby the holder section is held firmly at the thus adjusted angle.
• An advantage of the construction described in W093/19448 is that several displays can be attached to the shelf with one and the same profile moulding that extends along the entire length of a shelf or a shelf section. This facilities mounting of the device since the assembly can be easily snapped onto or attached to the shelf with double-stick tape.
• the construction also provides simple angle adjustment for all the displays mounted in the holder section.
• a serious problem of said construction is that the angles of the individual displays arranged along the shelf cannot be adjusted independently of each other.
• the construction does not allow displays with different dimensions or shapes to be held by the profile moulding beside each other along the shelf. Further, the construction entails that along the profile moulding 's full length the display holder part hangs down in front of the shelf edge and the shelf space below.
• the known device consists of a single extruded or pressed profile moulding. In order to allow angle adjustment a relatively complicated profile is needed, which entails high mould costs and complicated production.
• An object of the present invention is therefore to achieve a system for holding electronic information displays to a shelf with which the above-described problems are reduced or entirely eliminated. Another object is to achieve such a system, with which several displays can be attached to the shelf with one and the same long profile moulding and that allows great flexibility concerning the design and placement of the different individual displays, independent of each other .
• a further object is to achieve such a system that allows several displays with different dimensions to be attached to the shelf with one and the same profile moulding.
• each display holder includes an attachment part for attaching the display holder at optional positions along the profile moulding and a holder part for holding an electronic information display and that the profile moulding ' s support part and the display holder's attachment part have cooperating organs for attachment by snapping the attachment part to the support part.
• the system is further equipped with an angle adjustment organ in order to allow simple configuration of the angle of individually held displays in the system and/or means that counteract larceny or manipulation of the displays by making it difficult to remove the displays from the shelf.
• a very flexible system is achieved in that the system has individual short display holders that by simple snapping can be placed at optional positions along the profile moulding, where each separate display holder can be shaped and adjusted in order to fit the respective display independent of the other display holders .
• Another object of the invention is to achieve a display holder for use with the system. This object is achieved by a display holder of the type given in the independent patent claims 5 and 19.
• Fig. 1 is a perspective view of part of a system and a display holder according to an embodiment of the inventio .
• Fig. 1A is a view from the side of the perspective view shown in fig . 1 .
• Fig. 2 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention equipped with means for angle adjustment.
• Fig. 2A is a view from the side of the perspective view shown in fig. 2.
• Fig. 3 is a perspective view of part of a system and of a display holder according to a third embodiment of the invention.
• Fig. 3A is a view from the side of the perspective view shown in fig. 3.
• Fig. 3B is a perspective view like that in fig. 3 with the electronic information display removed.
• Fig. 4 is an exploded view in perspective of part of a system and of a display holder according to a fourth embodiment of the invention that also shows a tool for use with the system.
• Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the embodiment shown in fig. 4 in the assembled mode that also shows one of the tool's functions.
• Fig. 6 is a perspective view obliquely from below of the embodiment shown in fig. 4 that also shows a different tool function than that shown in fig. 5.
• the system • includes a long profile moulding 1 that is intended to be attached at the front edge of a shelf (not shown) .
• the profile moulding 1 consists of a pressed or extruded plastic material such as PVC.
• Its back part has a mounting part 2 that can be shaped in a number of different ways in order to be attached to different types of shelfs and - shelf geometries, for instance by snapping, gluing or screwing.
• the mounting part 2 includes two surfaces 2a, 2b arranged essentially at right angles and intended to be attached to the shelf's front edge with two-sided tape.
• the profile moulding 's front part has a support part 3 that carries a display holder 4.
• the support part 3 includes a forward arched front 5, a rounded lower part 6 and an upper screenlike extension 7 with a bent-down hook 7'.
• the display holder 4 includes an attachment part 4' that is attached to the profile moulding 's 1 support part 3 and a holder part 4 ' ' that holds the electronic information display 8.
• the display holder's attachment part 4' has an upper part 9 with a bent-up hook 9 f that extends in under the screen-like extension 7 of the support part 3 and is hooked onto the bent-down hook 1 ' .
• the attachment part 4 ' also has a forward arched front 10 that closely adjoins the support part's arched front 5 and a rounded lower part 11 that is snapped on over the rounded lower part 6 of the load bearing part 3.
• the profile moulding 's 1 support part 3 and the display holder's 4 attachment part are thus specially designed in order to allow simple snapping on/of the display holder 4 at optional positions along the profile moulding.
• the display holder is fixed in position by the attachment part's rounded lower part 11 snapping firmly around the support part's 3 rounded lower part ⁇ .
• the profile moulding 's support part 3 and the display holder's 4 attachment part 4 ' are specially designed to prevent the display holder being separated from the profile moulding without tools being used.
• the two hooks' 7' and 9' stable grip on each other contributes to this as well as that the support part's 3 and the attachment part's 4' arched fronts 5, 10 and rounded lower parts 6, 11 join each other closely in order not to allow a finger or the like to be inserted in between the parts.
• the free end 11' of the attachment part's lower rounded part 11 is designed so that it does not significantly extend out from the support part's 3 lower rounded part 6.
• This end 11 ' is cut off abruptly so that only the material thickness of the attachment part's 4 ' lower rounded part 11 defines the surface against which a finger or the like can be used in order to pull the display holder 4 loose from the profile moulding 1.
• the edge that is formed by the free end 11' is only about 1-2 mm thick.
• the display holder's attachment part is furthermore made of a PVC material with a relatively high modulus of elasticity so that a relatively large force is needed in order to pull off the display holder's lower rounded part 11 from the load bearing part's 3 lower rounded part 6. This means that in practice it is very difficult, if not impossible, for a person without tools to separate the display holder from the profile moulding.
• a special tool 100 is shown that is intended to be used when loosening a display holder 4 that is snapped according to the above to a profile moulding 1.
• the tool includes a long handle 101 functioning as a lever.
• a first tool part 102 is arranged at one end of the handle.
• the tool part 102 has a generally J-shaped profile whose shape joins closely to the form of the lower rounded part 11 of the display holder's 4 attachment part 4'.
• An edge part of the J profile has an inwards projecting hook flange 104 that extends essentially along the J profile's entire length.
• the tool part 102 is inserted against the lower rounded part 11 of the display holder's 4 attachment part 4 ' and angled so that the hook flange 104 comes into contact against the lower rounded part's 11 free end 11' .
• the handle is turned anticlockwise in the figure so that the rest of the J profile's interior comes into contact against the attachment part's 4 ' lower rounded part 11 and part of the forward arched front 10.
• the hook flange 104 thus comes into secure contact with the free end 11' and continued anticlockwise twisting with the help of the lever handle 101 produces a sufficiently large force on the attachment part's lower rounded part 11 and its free end 11' to break this part loose from the load bearing part's 3 lower rounded part 6.
• the display holder is angled up to the right so that the attachment part's bent-up hook 9' can be taken out from its grip on the load bearing part's 3 screen-like extension 7 and its bent-down hook 7' .
• the lower rounded part 11 or the bent-up hook 9' of the display holder's 4 attachment part 4'' can be provided with a coating of a material with high friction, for instance softened PVC.
• a friction-increasing coating can also be arranged on corresponding parts 5, 6, 7' of the profile moulding 's 1 support part.
• At least one of these parts can be entirely or partly made of a high friction material.
• FIGs. 2, 2A and 4 it is shown how the angle of a display holder that is attached to a profile moulding can be varied and adjusted, independent of the adjustment of other display holders that are attached to the same profile moulding.
• the display holder's 4 support part 4' and attachment part 4'' are attached to each other by a bridge 12.
• the bridge 12 has a part with a smaller material thickness, which part constitutes a hinge 13.
• the joint extends parallel to the profile moulding' s 1 and the display holder's 4 longitudinal direction and allows the display holder's 4 holder part 4'' to rotate around hinge 13 relative to the attachment part 4' and thereby the profile moulding 1 and the shelf.
• This hinge serves mainly two purposes. Partly it enables the holder part 4 ' ' to be turned up in front of the shelf in order to make putting in and taking out products from a shelf below easier. This is especially advantageous if the display 8 and thereby the holder part 4 ' ' have a large height compared to the shelf's thickness and to the distance between the shelves.
• each angle adjustment organ 20 comprises a separate, preferably extruded plastic part that cooperates with a display holder 4 for adjustment of the readability angle of a display 8 received in the display holder.
• the angle adjustment organ 20 is inserted between the display holder's holder part 4'' and the arched front 5 of the profile moulding 's 1 support part 3.
• the organ 20 includes a long arched support portion 21 that extends in the profile moulding 's longitudinal direction and at both ends is terminated by a gable 22.
• the two gables 22 each have an arched edge turned away from the support portion 21 that is supported against the front arched front 5 of the profile moulding ' s 1 support part 3.
• An attachment flange 24 extends down from the support portion 21 and has a hook organ 25 at its downward extending end. There is a central depression 26 in the side of the support part 21 opposite the downward extending attachment flange 24.
• an angle adjustment organ for the appropriate angle is selected and inserted in between the holder part 4 ' ' and the profile moulding. It is the angle between the gables' 22 arched edges 23 and the support portion 21 that defines the adjusted angle and the angle adjustment organs can be designed with different such angles in order to be appropriate for use for different shelf heights and for displays with different optimum readability angles.
• the angle adjustment organ is inserted in position by first folding up the display holder's 4 holder part 4'' to the right in figs. 2 and 2A.
• the attachment flange 24 is inserted into a pocket 14 arranged on the holder part's 4'' backside for this purpose.
• the attachment flange's 24 hook organ 25 cooperates with the corresponding hook organ 15 on the pocket 14 in order to fix the angle adjustment organ 21 at the holder part 4'' so that the support portion 21 contacts the holder part's 4 ' ' backside.
• the holder part 4'' is once again folded down whereby the arched front 10 of the display holder's 4 attachment part 4' is received in the angle adjustment organ's 21 depression 26.
• the gables' 22 arched edges 23 can then pass axially outside the display holder's attachment part and come into contact with the arched front 5 of the profile moulding 's 1 support part 3.
• the smallest angle between the display holder's 4 holder part 4 ' ' and a vertical plane that gravitation or other forces can move the holder part 4 ' ' to is defined when the angle adjustment organ 20 is mounted.
• the angle adjustment organ 21 also allows the holder part 4 ' ' to fold up in front of the profile moulding 1 and the shelf in order to facilitate putting in and taking out products as described above.
• 3A, 3B and 4 part of a system with means that prevents removal of the display from the display holder is shown.
• the display holder's 4 holder part 4'' has a general U profile 30 that is connected to the attachment part 4' by the bridge 12. In the assembled mode the U profile 30 extends essentially parallel to the profile moulding 1.
• the ⁇ profile 30 has two elastic legs 31, 32 that are equipped with snap hooks 31a and 32a, respectively, at their free ends.
• the information display 8 has a groove 8a that extends around the display's sides.
• the display can be attached to the U profile 30 by pressing it in from the front whereby the legs 31, 32 spring outwards so that the snap hooks 31a, 32a can snap into the groove 8a.
• the legs are relatively stiff so that the snapped display cannot be lifted out forward in the direction perpendicular to the U profile's bottom without using a tool in order to force the snap hooks out of the groove .
• 3A, 3B an embodiment of means that prevents the display from being taken out of the U profile by being displaced axially in the U profile is shown.
• An insert 40 that has a plate 41 is placed in the ⁇ profile 30 between the ⁇ profile's 30 bottom and the display 8.
• the insert 40 extends in the U profile's longitudinal direction past both ends 33 of the U profile's bottom.
• the insert 40 has a pair of first lock flanges 42 that, axially outside the respective end 33 of the ⁇ profile's bottom, extend from the plate 41 in the direction toward the U profile's bottom so that they can be supported by the respective end surface 33 of the U profile's bottom.
• These first lock flanges 42 prevent axial displacement of the insert 40 relative to the U profile 40.
• the insert also has a pair of second lock flanges 43 that, axially outside the respective end of the display 8, extend essentially at right angles from the plate 41 in the direction toward the display 8 so that they can bear against the respective end surface of the display in order to prevent axial displacement of the display relative to the insert and thereby the ⁇ profile.
• the display 8 can be snapped firmly to the U profile 30 using the snap hooks 31a, 32a and the display's groove 8a, as described above.
• the display then firmly locks the insert that prevents axial movement whereby it is not possible to extract the display 8 from the holder part 4'' either axially or at right angles to the U profile's bottom without using a tool to force the snap hooks 31a, 32a.
• this means consists of a cover 50.
• the cover has an upper side that, in the assembled mode, extends over the display's 8 upper side and that is provided with a window 51 through which the display's 8 numerical display is visible.
• end walls 52 and side walls 53 generally perpendicularly to the upper side's plane, in the direction toward the U profile's 30 bottom and past the end surfaces 33 of this bottom.
• the cover 50 On the inside of both its end walls 52 the cover 50 has snap hooks 54 with relatively high stiffness that are intended to cooperate with the groove 8a on the display 8 in order to lock the cover to the display.
• the cover 50 When the display is snapped onto the U profile using the snap hooks 31a, 32b, as described above, the cover 50 is snapped to the display 8, whereby the snap hooks 54 grip the groove 8a on the display's 8 short sides. Because the end walls 52 at the cover's two ends extend past the U end surfaces 33 of the U profile's bottom, the cover and thus the display are prevented from being moved axially out of the U profile 30.
• a penetrating opening in the form of a slit 55 is arranged in the cover above the snap hook 54 on at least one end wall 52.
• the slit allows a tool to be inserted through the slit 55 and abut the snap hook 52 in order to free it from the groove 8a in the display through bending.
• a tool can be designed for instance as another tool part 105 on the tool 101.
• the opening 55 can have a more complicated shape, whereby a corresponding shape is needed on the tool part 105 in order to allow insertion of the tool.
• the opening can be double or multiple, whereby the tool part 105 has a corresponding number of projecting parts.
• the cover 50 thus comprises effective protection against larceny and manipulation of the display. Furthermore, the cover protects the display from damage by impacts from for instance customer trolleys and shopping baskets. Furthermore the cover comprises effective protection against penetration of dirt and dust into the display at the same time as with its smooth covering surfaces it prevents dust and dirt from sticking to the display, the display holder and the profile moulding.
• a further advantage of the cover is that it can be designed freely with aesthetically attractive shape and colour in order to contribute to the whole aesthetic impression in the shop or the like where the system and the display holder are used.
• the above described embodiments are given as examples and can be varied within the limits of the following claims. For instance the angle adjustment organ, with its arched edge 23, in the assembled mode, can bear against the front arched front 10 of the display holder's 4 attachment part 4' instead of against the arched front 5 of the profile moulding 's 1 support part
• the insert 41 shown in fig. 3B can be formed so that it also comprises an angle adjustment organ, whereby the angle adjustment organ 20 shown in fig. 2 can be deleted.
• At least one of the first lock flanges 42 can then be shaped so that it extends out longer from the plate 41 in the direction toward and past the U profile's 30 bottom.
• the lock flange's 42 free end can be given an arched shape that joins the shape of the arched front 5 of the profile moulding 's 1 support part or the arched front 10 of the display holder's attachment part 4' .
• the distance from the plate to the lock flange's arched free end then defines the smallest angle between the display holder's holder part and the attachment part, or the profile moulding 's support part.
• the cover shown in figs. 4 and 5 can be shaped so that it comprises an angle adjustment organ, whereby at least the cover's one end wall extends out longer from the cover's upper side in the direction toward and past the display.
• This end wall's free end can be given an arched shape that corresponds to the shape of the arched front of the profile moulding 's support part or the arched front of the profile moulding ' s attachment part. The arched free end can then be supported by one of these fronts in order to define a smallest angle between the respective arched front and the cover and thereby the display.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
• Devices For Indicating Variable Information By Combining Individual Elements (AREA)
• Display Racks (AREA)
• Casings For Electric Apparatus (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

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• 2003
  • 2003-03-13 SE SE0300682A patent/SE524793C2/sv not_active IP Right Cessation
• 2004
  • 2004-03-12 WO PCT/SE2004/000366 patent/WO2004080247A1/fr active IP Right Grant
  • 2004-03-12 EP EP04720309A patent/EP1601271B1/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2004-03-12 ES ES04720309T patent/ES2285448T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2004-03-12 AT AT04720309T patent/ATE360385T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2004-03-12 DE DE602004006092T patent/DE602004006092D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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