GB2209423A

GB2209423A - Display stand

Info

Publication number: GB2209423A
Application number: GB8722390A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Khoon Long Foo
Original assignee: DANTA Inc
Current assignee: DANTA Inc
Priority date: 1987-07-10
Filing date: 1987-09-23
Publication date: 1989-05-10
Also published as: GB8722390D0; GB8716251D0

Abstract

A display stand comprising a plurality of shelves 2 on a support 1, each of which shelves has at least one slot 3, 4 in its top and/or bottom surface, extending lengthwise thereof, for the reception of mounting devices 5 for items 6 to be displayed. The display stand may be rotary or comprise a fixed zig-zag support with shelves allowing items of jewellery to face in two directions, Fig 5 (not shown). <IMAGE>

Description

"DISPLAY STAND" This invention relates to display stands, particularly but not exclusively for fashion jewelry.

Display stands for fashion jewelry are known which comprise at least one upright panel or framework provided with rows of hooks for suspending the small mounting pads on which items of fashion jewelry, such as earrings, brooches, or rings, are conventionally mounted for display. The assembly of such stands with their multiplicity of hooks is quite a complicated and therefore expensive operation.

As a simpler alternative it is known to provide an array of shelves on the panel or panels of a display stand and to stand the mounting pads on the shelves, leaning against the panel, but this is not satisfactory because the mounting pads are then too easily unintentionally displaced and dropped.

According to the present invention there is provided a display stand comprising a plurality of shelves on a support, each of which shelves has at least one slot in its top and/or its bottom surface, extending lengthwise thereof, for the reception of mounting devices for items to be displayed.

Such mounting devices, for example jewelry mounting pads as previously mentioned, may then be press fitted into the said slots so as either to stand up from or to depend from the shelves in a stable fashion but so as to be readily removable and replaceable when desired. A slotted shelf may of course be manufactured, and mounted in position, very cheaply and simply, as compared with a row of hooks of example.

In a preferred form of the invention each of the said shelves is formed with two or more of said slots in its top and/or its bottom surface, to make it capable of receiving two or more rows of mounting devices, which can then be located in staggered relationship to make all of them visible to potential purchasers.

If desired the said slots may be formed in both the top and bottom surfaces of the said shelves, so that the user can then choose whether to arrange the mounting devices either upstanding from or depending from the shelves. Alternatively the slots may be formed only in the top surfaces, or only in the bottom surfaces, of the shelves.

Preferably the said shelves slope upwardly towards their front edges, so that when the said mounting devices are inserted in the slots they slope somewhat rearwardly, and thus face somewhat upwardly, so as to display the wares to best advantage.

In a preferred embodiment the said support comprises at least one flat panel to which the said shelves are secured by adhesive.

The said support could, in a simple form, comprise a single flat panel or framework provided with a suitable supporting structure to enable it to stand upright, and having an array of said shelves thereon. Preferably however the said support comprises a purality of faces arranged in a closed array and each carrying a plurality of said shelves.

Such a support may be arranged to be rotatable about a central vertical axis, as is well known in display stands for fashion jewelry.

Some embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a rotary display stand for fashion jewelry, in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a shelf unit for forming one of the shelves of the display stand of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side view of part of the display stand, to a larger scale; Figure 4 is a cross-sectioned perspective view of part of the stand, again on that larger scale; Figure 5 is a plan view of part of a display stand according to another embodiment of the invention; and Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 3, showing a further embodiment.

Referring to Figures 1 to 4, a six-sided rotary display stand according to the invention comprises a support structure including six flat panels 1 each carrying an array of seven similar shelf units 2, one of which is shown in Figure 2. Each of the shelf units 2 is made of a rigid transparent plastics material and is formed with two slots 3 and 4 extending lengthwise thereof in its top surface, the slot 4 being closely adjacent the front edge of the shelf. The rear edge of the shelf, by way of which it is secured by adhesive to the panel 1, is suitably bevelled so that the shelf slopes upwardly away from the panel when so secured, as shown particularly in Figure 3.

Mounting devices 5 for items of fashion jewelry such as rings 6 are insertable as a fairly tight push fit in the slots 3 and 4. Because of the upwardly sloping arrangement of the shelves, the mounting devices when so inserted slope somewhat rearwardly so as to face somewhat upwardly, thereby displaying the jewelry to best advantage. The mounting devices comprise conventional jewelry display pads, formed with a central slot for the insertion of the jewelry item to be displayed.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 5 a number of shelf units 2 similar to those used in the first embodiment are mounted on a suitable support in zig-zag fashion so as to face in two directions at right angles to each other. This arrangement is of particular utility in a display stand comprising a single fixed support for the shelves, rather than a rotary structure as in the first embodiment, as it enables the jewelry items to be displayed facing in two directions despite the fixed nature of the support.

Figure 6 shows another embodiment, in which the slots 3 and 4 are formed in the bottom surfaces of the shelves so that the mounting devices 5 depend from the shelves when inserted in the slots as shown. To stabilise the bottom edges of the mounting devices, shallow upstanding strips 7 are provided on the top surfaces of the shelves. In this embodiment the rearmost slot 3 in each shelf is located closely adjacent the rear edge of the shelf. As before the arrangement is such that the mounting devices slope rearwardly and thus face somewhat upwardly.

It is to be clearly understood that there are no particular features of the foregoing specification or of any claims appended hereto, which are at present regarded as being essential to the performance of the present invention, and that any one or more of such features or combinations thereof may therefore be included in, added to, omitted from or deleted from any of such claims if and when amended during the prosecution of this application or in the filing or prosecution of any divisional application based thereon.

Claims

1. A display stand comprising a plurality of shelves on a support, each of which shelves has at least one slot in its top and/or its bottom surface, extending lengthwise thereof, for the reception of mounting devices for items to be displayed.

2. A display stand as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said shelves is formed with two or more of said slots in its top and/or its bottom surface.

3. A display stand as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the said slots are formed only in the top surfaces of the shelves.

4. A display stand as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the said slots are formed only in the bottom surfaces of the shelves.

5. A display stand as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the said slots are formed in both the top and bottom surfaces of the shelves.

6. A display stand as claimed in claim 3 or 5, wherein the foremost slots in the top surfaces of the shelves are located closely adjacent the front edges of the shelves.

7. A display stand as claimed in claim 4 or 5, wherein the rearmost slots in the bottom surfaces of the shelves are located closely adjacent the rear edges of the shelves.

8. A display stand as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the said shelves slope upwardly towards their front edges.

9. A display stand as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the said support comprises at least one flat panel to which the said shelves are secured by adhesive.

10. A display stand as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the said support comprises a plurality of faces arranged in a closed array and each carrying a plurality of said shelves.

11. Display stands substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.