GB1593831A - Display and sales unit for containing fabric tape - Google Patents

Abstract

Between the side walls (1), the device has a rear wall and a bottom (2) which are constructed integrally with an upper part and a lower part of the front wall (3). The compartments which are separated from the adjacent compartments on both sides by partitions (6) are inclined downwards. The bottoms of the lowest compartments are connected to the lower part of the front wall. Attached to the bottoms of the upper compartments at the front edge in each case is a strip (7) which covers one part of the compartments located directly below them. The compartments of the uppermost row are shielded at their upper edge by the upper part of the front wall. In these compartments, textile strip sales units (9) in the form of coils with fixed cores (8) are displayed. Since the compartments are inclined downwards, an individual coil can be removed safely from the pile. <IMAGE>

Description

(54) DISPLAY AND SALES UNIT FOR CONTAINING FABRIC TAPE (71) We, FORTUIN B.V., a Dutch Body Corporate, of Rielerweg 14--16, Deventer, The Netherlands, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The invention relates to a display and sales device filled with fabric or textile tapes, suitably of different colours.

Special problems arise when fabric tape, such as so-called trimming tape or ribbon, is displayed for sale. The tape has to be displayed in a large number of colours, e.g.

sixty, and various possibilities are known for this purpose. For thread there are known cabinets having horizontal drawers or shelves, each of which accommodates reels of one thread colour disposed axially parallel and adjacent one another, the reels being pressed forwards by a sprung pressure arrangement. After the frontmost reel has been removed, the following reels are automatically urged forward thereafter. As known for other articles, it is also possible to use shelves or drawers sloping downwards towards the delivery aperture, the force of gravity replacing the spring action.However, these solutions are unsuitable for flat tape, this being due to the limited rolling and sliding potential of the tape in folded, rolled or wound form, and because of the elevated costs of sprung pressure arrangements, which are incurred when these arrangements have to be so adapted that they are suitable for such tape. Normally, this tape is wound on to cardboard or plastics cards which can be suspended from a rod-like holder in a stand, or the tape is wound on cardboard and packed in a modern slide packaging in which a thin, transparent front wall of plastics slidingly embraces the edges of a rear wall made of cardboard, and superimposed holes in both walls make it possible for these packagings to be suspended in a stand.A stand of this type takes up a great deal of space, since each colour requires its own rodlike holder; additionally, a direct view of all the available colours cannot be had in particular when such a stand is of symmetrically circular and rotatable design.

The present invention provides a display and sales unit for holding fabric tapes and comprising a plurality of open fronted closed backed box-shaped compartments each substantially taller than its width in side by side array mounted on a base or frame so that their floors slope downwardly from their open fronts and their backs are rearwardly inclined from the vertical, and containing in each compartment a plurality of flat elongate coils of fabric tape, arranged one on top of another, the width of the tape or of a core on which the tape is wound being substantially the same width as the compartment.

In preferred embodiments, the coils are stored in the shelves stacked horizontally one on top of the other (in relation to the crosssection through the tape) and protruding slightly but uniformly in relation to the front wall.

It is thus readily possible for anyone to select the correct tape from the clearly presented range and to grip with the fingers an item of tape at the bottom of the stack, then pull said item forwards and remove it, whereupon the remaining items filling the same shelf stay reliably in their place and replenish the void left by the removed tape.

Since the tape lies with its cross-section horizontally in the shelves, it is more readily apparent to the customer that it is a matter of individual wound items of tape, whereby these latter can be gripped more easily, without simultaneously withdrawing other items of tape, and these items of tape slide more easily over one another.

The invention also relates to the display and sales unit as defined, without tape, for use in the combination proposed.

Preferably, the unit is so designed that the shelves are, moreover, arranged one above the other in tiers. When displaying and selling tapes of differing width, preferably several of the units such as described are used, in which case each of these display and sales units of one set have different widths to one another but the same height and same shape transversely to the width. The purpose of this is to bring about a pleasant appearance of the displayed goods, taking into consideration the fact that the normal trimming or edging tape, which is 12mm in width, has to be available in a large number of colours, but that it suffices to offer a smaller number of colours for the wider tape.

A unit in accordance with the invention will be illustrated in more detail on the basis of the accompaning drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a diagrammatical view in perspective of two adjacent devices according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one of the devices according to Fig. 1, partly filled; and Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of a trimming-tape item, as used in the device.

The display and sales device may be produced from a plurality of materials, however, it is preferably built by gluing or bonding individual wall parts, for example made of plastics such as impact-resistant polyvinyl chloride, with a wall thickness of 3mm for example. Between plane side walls 1 there is arranged a rear and bottom wall 2 which may be made in one piece with an upper and lower portion of the front wall, designated 3. In this space are fitted the bottoms 4, the rear walls 5 and the intermediate walls 6 which, together, form a series of shelves for accommodating the tape, i.e. in four tiers in the example of embodiment illustrated.The lowermost bottom 4 is connected to the upper rim of the lower portion, while the bottoms 4 of the three upper tiers have at the front a downwardly projecting edge 7, whereas for the top shelf a downwardly projecting edge 7, whereas for the top shelf a downwardly projecting edge of this type is formed by the upper portion of the front wall 3, at the top of the device.

According to Fig. 3, a long trimming tape 9 is wound around a flat cardboard strip 8 to form a flat coil. The end of the tape can be fastened to the coil by an adhesive strip 10 and this adhesive strip can carry details regarding the length, width, quality and/or manufacturer.

As shown in Fig. 2, these tape coils are then stacked one on top of the other with horizontally disposed tape cross-section. In this way, tape of one colour can be stocked and displayed in each shelf.

Fig. 1 shows that the device positioned on the right has the same side elevation as that on the left, but that it has wider shelves for accommodating wider tape, for which it is satisfactory to offer fewer colours, so that this device despite the wider shelves is narrower than the device shown on the left in Fig. 1, this latter being intended for normal tape with a width of 12mm.

The cardboard strip 8 at the core of each tape item is preferably, the same width as the tape. In the case of a tape 12mm wide, this cardboard strip is preferably 12mm wide.

Each shelf thus has between the walls a clear width of 14.7 to 15.3 mm, for example.

Therefore, any customer can comfortably grip with his/her fingers, optionally in a vertical or horizontal plane, the lowermost tape item of each stack, or else without difficulty a tape item situated higher up, so as to remove said item from the respective shelf, in which case the remaining tape items are left one on top of the other, which shows that these latter hardly have to be removed therewith from the shelf. Since the rounded front edges of the tape items have their curvature in a vertical plane, the individual tape items are quite distinct from one another and can be removed individually.

Of course, the wall portions 3 can be provided with written information regarding the contents, quality, trade name etc.

The illustrated device or unit occupies little space and is of simple design, displays the tape systematically but in a distinctive and attractive manner. Tape can be readily removed and the unit can be quickly and easily inspected and refilled.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A display and sales unit for holding fabric tapes and comprising a plurality of open fronted closed backed box-shaped compartments each substantially taller than its width in side by side array mounted on a base or frame so that their floors slope downwardly from their open fronts and their backs are rearwardly inclined from the vertical, and containing in each compartment a plurality of flat elongate coils of fabric tape, arranged one on top of another, the width of the tape or of a core on which the tape is wound being substantially the same width as the compartment.

2. A unit as claimed in claim 1, comprising a plurality of tiers of the said side by side open fronted compartments.

3. A unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein the floors of the compartments of each upper tier form the roofs of the compartments of the tier below.

4. A set of units as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 for fabric tapes of differing width, wherein the compartments of each unit of the set are all of the same width, and differ in width from the compartments of other units but are of the same height.

5. A unit as claimed in any one of claims I to 3 wherein the tape in each compartment is all of the same colour and differs in colour from the tape in other compartments.

6. A unit as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the fabric tapes protrude from the front of their respective compartments.

7. A display and sales unit containing fabric tapes substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 1 and

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (9)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. of this is to bring about a pleasant appearance of the displayed goods, taking into consideration the fact that the normal trimming or edging tape, which is 12mm in width, has to be available in a large number of colours, but that it suffices to offer a smaller number of colours for the wider tape. A unit in accordance with the invention will be illustrated in more detail on the basis of the accompaning drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a diagrammatical view in perspective of two adjacent devices according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one of the devices according to Fig. 1, partly filled; and Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of a trimming-tape item, as used in the device. The display and sales device may be produced from a plurality of materials, however, it is preferably built by gluing or bonding individual wall parts, for example made of plastics such as impact-resistant polyvinyl chloride, with a wall thickness of 3mm for example. Between plane side walls 1 there is arranged a rear and bottom wall 2 which may be made in one piece with an upper and lower portion of the front wall, designated 3. In this space are fitted the bottoms 4, the rear walls 5 and the intermediate walls 6 which, together, form a series of shelves for accommodating the tape, i.e. in four tiers in the example of embodiment illustrated.The lowermost bottom 4 is connected to the upper rim of the lower portion, while the bottoms 4 of the three upper tiers have at the front a downwardly projecting edge 7, whereas for the top shelf a downwardly projecting edge 7, whereas for the top shelf a downwardly projecting edge of this type is formed by the upper portion of the front wall 3, at the top of the device. According to Fig. 3, a long trimming tape 9 is wound around a flat cardboard strip 8 to form a flat coil. The end of the tape can be fastened to the coil by an adhesive strip 10 and this adhesive strip can carry details regarding the length, width, quality and/or manufacturer. As shown in Fig. 2, these tape coils are then stacked one on top of the other with horizontally disposed tape cross-section. In this way, tape of one colour can be stocked and displayed in each shelf. Fig. 1 shows that the device positioned on the right has the same side elevation as that on the left, but that it has wider shelves for accommodating wider tape, for which it is satisfactory to offer fewer colours, so that this device despite the wider shelves is narrower than the device shown on the left in Fig. 1, this latter being intended for normal tape with a width of 12mm. The cardboard strip 8 at the core of each tape item is preferably, the same width as the tape. In the case of a tape 12mm wide, this cardboard strip is preferably 12mm wide. Each shelf thus has between the walls a clear width of 14.7 to 15.3 mm, for example. Therefore, any customer can comfortably grip with his/her fingers, optionally in a vertical or horizontal plane, the lowermost tape item of each stack, or else without difficulty a tape item situated higher up, so as to remove said item from the respective shelf, in which case the remaining tape items are left one on top of the other, which shows that these latter hardly have to be removed therewith from the shelf. Since the rounded front edges of the tape items have their curvature in a vertical plane, the individual tape items are quite distinct from one another and can be removed individually. Of course, the wall portions 3 can be provided with written information regarding the contents, quality, trade name etc. The illustrated device or unit occupies little space and is of simple design, displays the tape systematically but in a distinctive and attractive manner. Tape can be readily removed and the unit can be quickly and easily inspected and refilled. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A display and sales unit for holding fabric tapes and comprising a plurality of open fronted closed backed box-shaped compartments each substantially taller than its width in side by side array mounted on a base or frame so that their floors slope downwardly from their open fronts and their backs are rearwardly inclined from the vertical, and containing in each compartment a plurality of flat elongate coils of fabric tape, arranged one on top of another, the width of the tape or of a core on which the tape is wound being substantially the same width as the compartment.

2. A unit as claimed in claim 1, comprising a plurality of tiers of the said side by side open fronted compartments.

3. A unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein the floors of the compartments of each upper tier form the roofs of the compartments of the tier below.

4. A set of units as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 for fabric tapes of differing width, wherein the compartments of each unit of the set are all of the same width, and differ in width from the compartments of other units but are of the same height.

5. A unit as claimed in any one of claims I to 3 wherein the tape in each compartment is all of the same colour and differs in colour from the tape in other compartments.

6. A unit as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the fabric tapes protrude from the front of their respective compartments.

7. A display and sales unit containing fabric tapes substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 1 and

Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.

8. A display and sales unit for holding fabric tapes and comprising a plurality of open fronted closed backed box-shaped compartments each substantially taller than its width in side by side array mounted on a base or frame so that their floors slope downwardly from their open fronts and their backs are rearwardly inclined from the vertical.

9. A display and sales unit substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 1 and Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.