GB2122877A - Prong device - Google Patents

Abstract

A device for use in the display of merchandise, comprising a generally L-shaped prong having an elongate cross-section which extends transversely of the "L", and a fastening clip (18). The latter has a transverse portion (20), which engages the prong at the corner of the "L", and two hooks (22 and 24) at respective ends of the transverse portion (20) for engaging pegboard (40) so as to fasten the prong thereto. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Prong device The present invention relates to a prong device for use in the display of merchandise. The prong is cantilevered from a proximal end thereof, and various goods may be suspended from the prong, especially packs which are formed with slots through which the prong can extend.

One such prong which has already been proposed comprises a flat tongue-like portion with a resilient C-shaped clip portion at a proximal end thereof. This construction affords the advantage that the prong can be mounted on a horizontal elongate support member by means of its C-shaped clip portion and thereafter slid along the support member to the desired position. One disadvantage of this previously proposed clip, which it will be understood has an elongate crosssection which extends transversely of the prong, is that it cannot easily be attached to pegboard, for example.

It is an aim of the present invention to overcome this problem, and it will be appreciated that the invention is not restricted to a prong device incorporating the particular construction just described. It is applicable to any construction where the prong is flat, having an elongate crosssection which extends transversely of the prong.

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a prong device having a tongue-like prong and a clip with means for engaging pegboard or other sheet material having holes in it, for fastening the prong to the pegboard or other material.

In one form of the present invention, the prong device for use in the display of merchandise comprises a generally L-shaped prong having an elongate cross-section which extends transversely of the "L", and a clip having a transverse portion which engages the prong at the corner of the "L" and two hooks at respective ends of the transverse portion. The clip and the prong may be made separately, in which case the device may be attached to pegboard or other sheet material having holes in it, by arranging one arm of the "L" of the prong against the material with the other arm of the "L" extending horizontally from an upper end of the said one arm positioning the transverse portion of the clip under the corner of the "L", and inserting the hooks in respective holes of the pegboard or other material.

Alternatively, the clip may be moulded into the prong, so that the transverse portion extends through the material of the prong at the corner of the "L", in which case the whole device can be attached to pegboard or other perforated sheet material in one action simply by inserting the hooks into respective holes of the perforated material.

The prong may have an upturned end on the underside of which may be attached graphics or a product name logo by being printed or foil-blocked onto that end.

The whole prong may be given the house colour or colours of a particular company whose products are being suspended from the prong, to further personalise the device.

The proximal end of the prong, being that end which is fastened to pegboard, for example, when the device is in use, may be resilient and C-shaped, the opening of the "C" being directed towards the intended free end of the prong. If the clip and the prong were made separately, this allows a block to be inserted into the "C", underneath the clip, to inhibit removal of the prong from the clip when the device is attached to pegboard or other sheet material having holes in it.

The block also provides a face directed towards the free end of the prong onto which further graphics, such as the product re-order code name or number or other reference, can be printed or supported.

An example of a prong device made in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view from one side of a prong of the device; Figure 2 is a cross-section through the prong along line Il-Il shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view from one side of a clip for fastening the prong to pegboard for example; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a block for insertion into part of the prong shown in Figure 1 to inhibit removal of the prong from the clip, and also a graphics card which can be mounted on the block; Figure 5 shows a side view of the block shown in Figure 4; Figure 6 shows an elevational cross-sectional view of a prong as shown in Figure 1 fastened to pegboard by means of a clip and a block as shown in Figures 3 and 4;; Figure 7 shows a side view of part of a modified prong; and Figure 8 shows a front view of a card with a slot which enables the card to be suspended from a prong as shown in Figure 1.

The flat tongue-like prong shown in Figure 1 is made of A.B.S., glass-filled nylon, or other synthetic plastics material. It may be about 1 inch (25 mm) wide and roughly 4 inch (102 mm), 6 inch (153 mm) or 8 inch (204 mm) long, although it will be appreciated that many different sizes for the prong may be found useful in different applications.

The prong has a resilient generally C-shaped proximal end 10, the opening of the "C" facing the free end of the prong, a long horizontal portion 1 2 extending from an upper end of the "C" and an upturned D-shaped free end 1 4. The upper side of the horizontal portion has a central horizontally extending reinforcing rib 1 6. Thus it will be seen that the prong is generally L-shaped, albeit turned through 900 so that what is usually the long arm of the "L" is horizontal and what is usually the shorter arm of the "L" extends downwardly from one end of the longer arm. The angle between the two arms of the "L", labelled a in Figure 6, is 4 or 5 degrees greater than a right angle, to allow for a small degree of bending of the prong when loaded with goods.

From Figure 2 it may be seen that the prong is generally flat, its cross-section being elongate and extending transversely of the "L", and that the long horizontal portion of the prong has a reinforcing rib 1 6 which broadens towards the main flat part of the prong.

The whole prong may be made of one integral piece of injection moulded synthetic plastics material.

The clip 18 shown in Figure 3 comprises a length of 1/8 inch (3 mm) or 5/32 inch (4 mm) diameter pre-tinned wire bent or otherwise shaped into the form of a pair of inverted bicycle drop-handlebars. Thus the clip 1 8 has a transverse portion 20 and two hooks 22 and 24 at respective ends of the transverse portion 20.

The width of the clip is such as to make the spacings between the hooks the same as the spacing between adjacent horizontally spaced holes in the pegboard to which the prong is to be fastened, and a number of clips having different widths may be made to enable the same prong to be fastened to different pieces of pegboard having different horizontal spacings between its holes.

The block 26 shown in Figure 4 is a generally square-shaped thick plate having a rounded bottom edge 28 and an upper edge 30 which has a channel 32 extending along it for receiving the transverse portion 20 of the clip 1 8. It also has a channel 54 on its front main face defined between two L-section strips 36 for receiving a card 38 bearing graphics such as the product re-order code name or number or other reference.

Alternatively, a simple sticker bearing such graphics material would obviate the need for the channel 34 on the front face of the block 26. The vertical cross-section of the block seen in Figure 5 shows more clearly the manner in which it has a bottom rounded edge to be received by the lower curve of the prong's C-shaped end and an upper edge 28 with a channel 32 to receive the transverse portion 20 of the clip 1 8.

Figure 6 shows how the prong device can be attached to pegboard 40. The proximal end 10 of the prong is placed against the pegboard 40, the clip 1 8 is positioned with its transverse portion 20 underneath the corner of the "L" of the prong, and the hooks (in which only the hook 22 is visible in Figure 6) are inserted through the desired holes in the pegboard. The block 26 is then inserted inside the "C" of the prong either by first placing the channel 32 around the transverse portion 20 of the clip and then snapping the lower edge 28 of the block into the lower end of the "C" of the prong's proximai end 10, or the other way round, by first inserting the bottom edge 28 of the block into the lower end of the "C" and then snapping the channel 32 into place around the transverse portion 20.It will be appreciated that the prong shown in Figure 1 can also be mounted on a horizontal elongate support member, without using the clip or block shown in Figures 3 and 4, by hooking the lower curved part of the proximal end 10 around a lower edge of the support member, and then snapping the upper curved part of that end around the upper end of the support member. The prong may thereafter be slid along the support member to any desired position.

Figure 7 shows how the prong may be further reinforced for such mounting on a horizontal support member. Thus the reinforcing rib 1 6 is extended over the upper curved end of the "C" and down the back thereof to a position about half-way down the "C" where it tapers into the rear face of the proximal end 10.

Figure 8 shows a typical card pack 42 having a slot 44 through which the prong can be threaded to support the pack 42. The actual slot 44 shown has a horizontal elongate part and an upward projection 46 at its centre. Such a slot is often called a "euroslot". Alternatively, the slot may be a shallow triangle.

Although the device has been described for attachment to pegboard it will be appreciated that it could equally weli be fastened to perforated metal panels or any other substrate that has a plurality of holes. Also, the particular shapes of the various parts of the device are not to be considered restricted to those actually illustrated.

For example, the upturned free end of the prong may be square or rectanguiar in shape and the rib may be square or rectangular in cross-section.

Many other variations in the form of the device may readily occur to a reader skilled in the art without departing frorn the present invention.

One modification which is not readily apparent from the foregoing description is to inmould a metal or wire rod along the rib of the prong to give it further strength, or to insert a metal or wire rod into the rib subsequently, in which case it may be necessary to ensure that a corresponding longitudinally extending void is formed in the rib when the prong is moulded.

Claims (8)

1. A device for use in the display of merchandise, comprising a generally L-shaped prong having an elongate cross-section which extends transversely of the "L", and a clip having a transverse portion which engages the prong at the corner of the "L" when the device is in use and having two hooks at respective ends of the transverse portion for engaging pegboard or other sheet material with holes in it, so as to fasten the prong to the pegboard or other material.

2. A device according to claim 1 , in which the clip is moulded into the prong, so that the transverse portion extends through the material of the prong at the corner of the "L".

3. A device according to claim 1, in which the clip and the prong are separable.

4. A device according to any preceding claim, in which the intended proximal end of the prong is resilient and generally C-shaped, the opening of the "C" being directed towards the intended free end of the prong whereby the prong can be mounted on a horizontal elongate support member by means of its C-shaped clip portion.

5. A device according to claim 4 appended to claim 3, further comprising a member which is inserted into the "C", underneath the clip, to inhibit removal of the prong from the clip when the device is attached to pegboard or other sheet material having holes in it.

6. A device according to claim 5, in which the said member provides a face directed towards the free end of the prong onto which graphics, such as the product re-order code name or number or other reference, can be printed or supported.

7. A device according to any preceding claim, in which the prong has an upturned end on the underside of which may be attached graphics or a product name logo by being printed or foil-blocked onto that end.

8. A device according to claim 1 and substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1 to 6 with or without the modification shown in Figure 7 of the accompanying drawing.