FR2946852A1 - Display i.e. point-of-purchase advertising type electric display, for displaying articles in shop, has permanent magnets to fix separator on conductive strips, and electric rails respectively connected to supply terminals of light source - Google Patents

Abstract

The display (1) has removable separators (3) arranged between articles placed on a length adjustable support (2). Electrically conductive metal strips (4, 5) are arranged on the support for circulating low voltage current. Electric connection units (10, 11) connect the strips to a current source. Each separator has two permanent magnets for fixing the separator on the strips, and electric rails respectively arranged on the magnets. The rails are respectively connected to supply terminals of a light source e.g. LED or halogen lamp, in a casing of the separator.

Description

Exhibit rack

The present invention relates to a display of articles. More particularly, the invention relates to the presentation and promotion of articles through a display (usually called POS advertising for the Point of Sale) electrical allowing the lighting and display of visuals, slogans and / or messages.

PLVs allow the distributor to animate its surface by staging novelties and special visuals on a shelving or store furniture.

At present, we know dynamic PLVs such as educational videos projected loop on one or more screens present at the point of sale. We also know occasional sound animations, events or permanent type radio, interactive terminals with screens attached to the barcode decoding present on the products.

The client is often placed in an aggressive environment from a sound or visual point of view so that at best, it is saturated with images and sounds and is no longer willing to buy preferentially such or such products.

In addition, it is necessary to offer displays quickly deployable and editable, depending on products for sale and promotional offers. In this perspective, in order to be able to separate the different products on a rack but also to highlight one or another product compared to others, we use light separators and / or displaying such message or messages between the products.

At present, there is no electric display on the market, that is to say using an electric current in particular to illuminate one or more surfaces, a panel and / or a poster, which can be connected quickly and simply to the power grid, while allowing the rapid deployment of separators, the modification of their respective locations as well as their displays / messages. 1

The invention aims to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art systems by providing a display in which the electrical separators can be removed and set up quickly, without any particular connectivity.

For this purpose, the present invention relates to a display of articles, characterized in that it comprises: - a support, extending longitudinally, able to support a plurality of articles, - two separate electrically conductive metal strips present on the support, these two strips being intended for the electrical supply for the circulation of a very low voltage current, - an electrical connection means adapted to connect the two electrically conductive strips to a source of electric current, - at least one separator removable article to be disposed between the aforesaid articles, said separator comprising: - a housing containing at least one light source and at least one transparent or semi-transparent portion, and - at least two permanent magnets for fixing the separator on each of the strips of said support and at least two electrical rails arranged on each magnet connected respectively to the two terminals supply of the light source.

The term "very low voltage" is used to describe the class of electrical voltages that can not produce dangerous electric current in humans, as defined by the legislation in force (European legislation), namely: - current alternative: a voltage lower than 50 volts (U 50 volts); - DC: a voltage of less than 120 volts (U 120 volts).

The source of very low voltage electrical current is typically a voltage of 12 volts. Given the current nature of electrical networks of buildings, in most cases, but not exclusively, the display of articles according to the invention will advantageously include a transformer to transform the voltage usually delivered by the electrical source at very low voltage. Thus, according to a possibility offered by the invention, the connection means will then be connected to a transformer for the transformation of an electrical voltage from the aforesaid current source into a very

low tension. In this way, the display of the invention can be used with any current source, whether 110 volts, 220 volts or even 380 volts.

In direct current, the light source of the display unit according to the invention may consist of at least one light-emitting diode (LED) while in alternating current, the light source according to the invention may consist of a halogen lamp, that is to say to say that produces light by incandescent a filament of tungsten; only high pressure iodine or bromine halogenated gases having been introduced into a quartz ampoule.

Thanks to this invention, it is now possible to easily and quickly connect a display forming at least one entire row, with a single socket. Furthermore, the article separators being particularly easy to handle, an operator can arrange them as he wishes and change this provision very simply and quickly.

Other characteristics will appear in the description of a non-limiting embodiment of the invention: according to one embodiment of the invention, the two metal strips and the two rails have a determined polarity, negative or positive, for the transmission of a direct current; in this case, the light source advantageously consists of at least one electroluminescent diode; according to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the light source, for example a halogen lamp, operates as an alternating current; preferably, the two metal strips extend parallel on two opposite sides of the support; - Preferably, the light source is fixed in the housing on a wall located opposite the transparent or semi-transparent portion; advantageously, the support is modifiable in length; each of the two rails is arranged so as to respectively surround each of the magnets; - The display of the invention comprises a fixed housing, located at one end of the support, housing the transformer and the ends of the two strips and the electrical connection means.

The invention is described below in more detail using non-limiting figures representing only a preferred embodiment of the invention. - Figure 1 schematically illustrates in perspective a display according to the invention with two separators; - Figure 2 is a sectional view of a separator present on a support of a display of the invention.

In the example chosen to illustrate the invention in FIGS. 1 and 2, the display rack 1 is designed to be placed on a shelf, shelving or any flat surface. Of course, the display 1 can adapt to virtually all forms and types of surface by adapting the support 2 to the form on which it rests. In particular, the display 1 according to the invention may be fixed on a vertically extending surface. In this case, it is advantageously provided that the support 2 or any other parts / components of the display unit 1 can be fixed by conventional means, such as gluing, screwing, etc.

The display unit 1 comprises first of all a support 2 on which the separators 3 and the various articles, not shown in the appended figures, are arranged. The support 2 consists of a coating having substantially the shape of the piece of furniture on which it rests, usually a shelf or shelving. In the present case, conventionally, the support 2 has the shape of a rectangle with two long longitudinal sides and two short sides, as shown in FIG. 1. This support 2 comprises two metal or ferromagnetic strips 4, 5 (Iron, Nickel, Chrome ...), for example sheet metal, intended on the one hand to allow fixing with magnets and on the other hand to circulate an electric current by providing a minimum resistivity. These two strips 4, 5 are preferably arranged near the edges of the two large parallel sides. The coating of the support 2 may be of plastic or fabric, for example with a contact surface having an anti-slip function or improved adhesion so that the articles placed on the support 2 do not slip. Furthermore, it can be provided that the support 2 resting on a rack or furniture, is fixed removably, for example by gluing or through conventional mechanical means (screws, nuts etc ...). The support 2 has a movable end portion 6 which can be stretched or retracted so that the support5

has a variable length to fit all surfaces and presentation spaces.

The primary function of this support 2 is to fix the separators 3, while allowing them to transmit an electric current. This is made possible by the use of a metal sheet 4, 5 fixed to the coating of the support 2. The two sheets forming these metal strips 4, 5 extend preferably parallel and are located here in the immediate vicinity of each edge of the two long sides of the support 2. The metal strips 4, 5 may be glued or fixed by mechanical means on the coating of the support 2.

The electrical connection means 10 are fixed to the support 2 and electrically connected to the two metal strips 4, 5 for the passage and circulation of an electric current. These electrical connection means 10 may consist simply of a conventional electrical wire of variable length at the end of which a plug is present to connect to the electrical network of a building. The electrical connection means 10 may also consist of a connection ensuring the conduction between the two metal strips 4, 5 of the support 2 and one or more batteries. An essential characteristic of the display unit 1 according to the invention lies in the fact that a current of very low voltage is circulated therein. Thus, advantageously, when the connection means 10 are intended to connect to the conventional electrical network, it is necessary that the display 1 comprises a transformer 12 capable of transforming a voltage greater than 50 volts (higher than the maximum value of a very low voltage) at a voltage of less than 50 volts, for example of the order of 12 volts. Indeed, the display 1 of the invention should not risk the electrification of a human being likely to touch the two metal strips 4, 5 of the support 2. Of course, in all cases where the voltage delivered by the source electrical is a very low voltage, the display 1 according to the invention does not require a voltage transformer.

The display 1 may comprise a fixed housing, not shown in the accompanying figures, ideally located at one end of the support 2, to accommodate in particular all the electrical / electronic components of the connection means 10 to the metal strips 4, 5 and the transformer 12. The fixed housing disposed at one of the ends of the support 2 can easily wedge the

display 1 on a surface of a rack, in particular at the end thereof. This fixed housing may also have autonomous fastening means allowing its attachment against a surface, for example by means of screws, of one or more adhesive or sticky tapes.

The separators 3 are here in the form of a parallelepipedal casing which, when placed on the support, has a height of between 5 and 25 centimeters (cm), a width substantially equal to that of the support 2 (of the order of about ten or twenty centimeters) and a thickness of a few centimeters, between substantially 1 centimeter and about ten centimeters. These dimensions and shapes are those of a conventional separator 3, but it will of course be possible to provide other more complex shapes, as long as it is possible for this separator 3 to allow a magnetic connection as well as an electrical connection on each of the metal strips 4, 5. In the embodiment of the accompanying figures, only the front face 20 of the housing, here consisting of one of the slices of the display 1 visible to a customer when the latter is disposed with a plurality of articles, has a transparent or semi-transparent portion 21. This transparent or semi-transparent portion 21 may consist of a ceramic glass or a plastic, colored or not. Of course, each separator 3, or only some of them, may have several transparent or semi-transparent portions 21 disposed on one or more faces of the housing. The separator 3 may consist of a showcase, all the faces of which are transparent or semi-transparent, within which one or more demonstration or sample articles may be arranged.

The term semi-transparent expression means that the portion allows the passage of light while not allowing, or minimally (vision blurred or diffuse through the portion), the clear visibility of the space or the volume present behind said portion.

The separator 3 comprises at least two magnets 30, 31, located on the same face of the housing at a distance from one another corresponding substantially to the distance between the two metal strips 4, 5 so that by placing the face equipped with said magnets 30, 31 on the support 2, the magnets 30, 31 are each in contact with one of the metal strips 4 or 5. These magnets may have a particular shape and dimensions and their contact surfaces may be provided with at least partly a thin layer

anti-slip, for example of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or rubber, particularly when the support extends vertically or with a large inclination. Here, these two magnets 30, 31 are in the form of cylinders. Advantageously, the electrical conductor rails, respectively connected to the two supply terminals of the light source 32 present in the housing, surround each magnet 30, 31. Therefore, if the shape of the magnets 30, 31 is a shape cylindrical, each rail preferably has the shape of a tube or sleeve whose diameter is adapted to the outer diameter of each magnet 30, 31. The rails can be attached to the magnets 30, 31, simply by punching or crimping, but also by gluing.

In the case of a light source 32 requiring a DC power supply, each of the rails is respectively connected to the positive terminal and to the negative terminal of this electric dipole 32. Since in this case the metal strips 4, 5 each constitute a positive or negative power supply terminal, the face equipped with magnets 30, 31 of the housing can be positioned only uniquely, so as to match each of the polarities of the metal strips 4, 5 with that corresponding of a rail. Thus, in direct current, the display 1 has an intrinsic polarizer, that is to say that the light source 32 will only turn on if the housing of the separator 3 is placed on the support 2 in a particular configuration.

The light source 32 is ideally located in the housing, attached to a wall opposite to a transparent or semi-transparent portion 21. In the example chosen to represent the invention in the figures, the separator 3 has a single transparent or semi-transparent portion -Transparent 21 has on one of the faces of the housing so that the light source 32 is fixed on the face or wall 33 opposite that carrying said portion 32. In Figure 1, the light source 32 consists of a plurality of diodes electroluminescent, but it can of course be provided that this light source 32 consists of a halogen lamp operating at very low voltage, typically 12 volts, alternating current.

The transparent or semi-transparent portion or portions 21 may preferably allow the gluing of a logo, slogan and / or a message. It can also be provided that this portion 21 has at least one slot,

whose opening may for example be at the top of this face 20, for the introduction of a placard, the latter being specific to the products and articles presented and can be removed and replaced easily.

It should be noted that with the exception of the elements 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 30, 31, 32 concurrent with the passage of electric current, no other element / component of the display unit 1 according to the invention is a electrical conductor. Preferably, the conductive elements 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 30, 31, 32 carry the electric current via metal wires or strips of metal sheet while the other elements, electrical insulators, are made of plastic, fabric or ceramic. Thus, the entire display 1 has a low weight which contributes to its ease of handling and implementation.

Claims (10)

Revendications1. Display stand (1) of articles, characterized in that it comprises: - a support (2), extending longitudinally, capable of supporting a plurality of articles, - two separate electrically conductive metal strips (4, 5) present on the support (2), these two strips (4, 5) being intended for the electrical supply for the circulation of a very low voltage current, - an electrical connection means (10, 11) able to connect the two electrically conductive strips (4, 5) to a source of electric current, - at least one removable article separator (3) to be arranged between the articles, said separator (3) comprising: - a housing containing at least one light source ( 32) and at least one transparent or semi-transparent portion (21), as well as - at least two permanent magnets (30, 31) for fixing the separator (3) on each of the strips (4, 5) of said support ( 2) and at least two electrical rails arranged on each magnet (30, 31) respectively connected to the two power supply terminals of the light source (32). 2. Display unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the connecting means (10, 11) are connected to a transformer (12) for the transformation of an electrical voltage from the aforesaid current source into a very low voltage. 3. Display unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the two metal strips (4, 5) and the two rails have a specific polarity, negative or positive, for the transmission of a direct current. 4. Display according to claim 3, characterized in that the light source (32) consists of at least one light emitting diode. 5. Display stand according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the light source (32), for example a halogen lamp, operates in alternating current. 6. Display unit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the two metal strips (4, 5) extend parallel on two opposite sides of the support (2). 7. Display unit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the light source (32) is fixed in the housing on a wall (33) located opposite the transparent or semi-transparent portion (21). 8. Display unit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support (2) is changeable in length. 9. Display unit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each of the two rails is arranged to respectively surround each of the magnets (30, 31). 10. Display unit according to any one of claims 2 to 9, characterized in that it comprises a fixed housing, located at one end of the support (2), housing the transformer (12) and the ends of the two strips (4, 5) and electrical connection means (IO).