GB2237432A

GB2237432A - Displaying articles in shops

Info

Publication number: GB2237432A
Application number: GB8923787A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kevin Potterton
Original assignee: S B M U K Ltd
Current assignee: S B M U K Ltd
Priority date: 1989-10-23
Filing date: 1989-10-23
Publication date: 1991-05-01
Also published as: GB8923787D0

Abstract

The invention relates to a display apparatus comprising an elongate prong 12 having a mounting means 14 at one end and a restricting means 16 at the opposite end and a stock limiter 17 movable along the prong. The prong is formed from strip material the sides of which are bent through substantially 180 DEG to provide rounded sides and define inwardly opening channels (28, Figure 3). The limiter is a frictional fit along the prong and has a winged projection (30, Figure 4) the wings (32) of which are a sliding frictional fit against the internal surfaces of the channels (28). With this arrangement the limiter can be placed in any position along the prong and there will be sufficient friction to retain it in this position in normal use while allowing it to be re-positioned when desired. <IMAGE>

Description

This invention relates to a display apparatus for use in displaying articles in shops or the like and comprising a prong from which the articles are suspended and along which they can slide easily and a stock limiter which is designed to limit the movement of the articles along the prong.

Particularly, the limiter is used to keep the articles towards the front of the prong as the stock diminishes.

The rear end of the prong normally has a mounting means while the front end has a restricting means in the form of an upwardly projecting extension which prevents stock falling off the prong accidentally while allowing stock to be removed by a combined upward movement and a translational movement parallel to the length of the prong.

Conventional prongs have comprised rods or strips formed at spaced intervals along their lengths with limiter engagement means, either in the form of portion. of enlarged section or in the form of apertures, with which a limiter interengages to fix the limiter in one of a plurality of discrete positions relative to the prong. The limiter can be moved past the engagement means only by disengaging the interengaging parts often by distortion of a part of the limiter.

An object of the present invention is to provide a prong and limiter in which the limiter can be positively positioned so that it acts to limit movement of articles along the prong in substantially any position along the length of the prong.

Accordingly the invention provides an elongate prong having a mounting means at one end and a restricting means at the opposite end, the prong being formed from strip material of constant cross section along its length and the limiter being formed with a cut out in which the prong is a friction sliding fit.

Preferably the sides of the prong and cut out are rounded and the majority of the friction occurs along the rounded side surfaces of the prong, sufficient play being provided between the upper and lower surfaces of the central portions of the prong and cut out that there is relatively insubstantial friction between these surfaces.

In cross section the major dimension of the prong is horizontal and each side of the strip is bent through substantially 1800 (at least 1500) to provide an external curved surface and an inwardly opening C-shaped channel along each side. The limiter is formed with a winged projection which projects into the cut out and engages the surfaces of the prong inside the channels. This substantially doubles the area of frictional engagement, the frictional force between the winged projection and the prong being at least 40% of the total frictional engagement force between the prong and limiter.

Preferably the prong is metal and may be coated with chrome or epoxy powder and the limiter is made of a less rigid material such as polypropelene, which may be vacuum metalised to give a friction in the range of 4 to 14, preferably 5 to 12 lbs/sq inch (0.28 to 0.98,preferahly 0.35 to 0.84 kp/sq.cms.

The central part of the prong preferably is formed with a V-groove for increased strength. The ct out is formed with a corresponding but deeper V-groove so there is substantially no interengagement between the surfaces of the V-grooves.

The limiter is formed with a lip, on each side, surrounding at least the majority of the cut out.

The invention also extends to a novel display plate or swing tag.

Embodiments of display apparatus, in accordance with the invention, will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 is a perspective view from above and one side of a display apparatus, with the length of the prong broken, Figure 2 is a perspectiv- view from below and the same side of the display apparatus of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of the prong, Figure 4 is a front view of the upper portion of the limiter, Figure 5 is a sectional view of the limiter on the line V-V of Figure 4 Figure 6 is a rear view of the end restricting member, Figure 7 is a longitudinal section through the end restricting member Figure 8 is a perspective view of a modified display apparatus and, Figure 9 is a perspective view of a modified display plate.

An elongate profiled metal strip prong 12 has a constant cross section along its length and is made from rolled steel section 20 SWG, 0.914 millimetres thick. The rear end 13 of the prong is turned down through 900 and has an inverted U-sectioned mounting member 14 welded thereto.

The front end 15 of the prong is connected with an upwardly and forwardly projecting restriction member 16 of substantially the same width and depth as the prong so as to form an extension thereof. A limiter 17, comprising a moulded plate of plastics material, preferably polypropylene (which can be vacuum metalised), is formed with a cut out 18 in which the prong is receivable as a frictional sliding fit.

A display plate or swing tag 20 has a hooked upper end 21 adapted to engage over a front end portion 22 of the restriction member 16.

The prong 12 has a width at least 4 (preferably 5) times its depth and is formed with a central 900 "Vee" groove 24 from the ends of which the strip extends horizontally at 25 on each side before bending through 1800 to provide a semi-circular curved side wall 26 and a horizontal lower limb 27. Each side therefore defines an inwardly facing channel 28, the two channels 28 being symmetrical about a common horizontal plane. The dimensions of the prong relative to those of the cut out in the limiter are critical to provide the correct friction. In this example, the internal dimension between the bases of the two channels 28 is 22.8 millimetres (+ 0.2 - 0) so that the external width of the prong is nominally 24.6 mm. The internal depth of each channel is 2.7 millimetres (+0.1 - 0) so that the external depth of the prong is 4.5 mm.The distance between the ends of limbs 27 is 16mm (+0, - 0.5). The channels are formed with a full radius so that the curves are smooth.

The cut out 18 in the limiter has a width 24.8 mm (+0.1, -0) and a depth 4.6 mm (+0.1, -0). The limiter is formed with a winged projection 30 having a central V channel 31 larger than the V of the prong so that there is no contact between the central portions of the prong and limiter. The wings 32 of the projection 30 extend into the channels 28 and are shaped to engage frictionally with the rounded internal surfaces of the channels. the depth of each wing is 2.7 mm (+0.1, -0) and the width of the projection 30 between the curved ends 34 of the wings is 23.11mm (+0.2, -0).

The projection 30 thus substantially doubles the area of frictionally engagement with about 50% of the friction exerted on the external surfaces of the prong and 50E on the internal surfaces defining channels 28.

The limiter is substantially in the form of a rectangularplate35 with rounded corners 36. It has a forwardly projecting lip 37 around its edge on its front face and a recessed rectangular portion 38 on its front face. The thickest portion is adjacent the cut out and is provided by a lip 39 extending both forwardly and rearwardly from the plane of the plate. A prong 41 extends downwardly from this lip into the centre of the V-shaped channel.

The restriction member seen in Figures 6 and 7 has a connecting portion 44 which is a friction sliding fit within the end 15 of the prong and a restriction portion 45 which extends upwardly and forwardly fro the portion 44 at an angle of 300. Portion 45, in cross section, has a central stem part 46 from which extend upwardly and outwardly projecting arm parts 47 defining a V-groove 48, from the ends of arms 47 are outwardly horizontally extending limbs 48 which bend through 1800 to define inwardly facing channel portions 50. The channel portions 50 are a frictional sliding fit in the channels 28 in the prong so that the restriction member 16 can be connected and disconnected from the end 15 of the prong to form an effective extension thereof. The part 45 has a width, depth and curved sides substantially corresponding to those of the prong.The part 45 is formed with a circular sectioned end portion 22, separated from the remainder by an aperture 51, for connection of the display plate 20.

Figure 8 shows a modified display apparatus in which an additional rod 52 is located under the prong and welded thereto. In this case, the centre of the limiter would be hollow to accommodate this rod.

A modified form of display plate or swing tag 20 is shown at 53 in Figure 9. The tag is moulded in two sections comprising a clear or coloured chrome coated plastics material base plate 54 and a clear plastics material front plate 55, each formed at their base with click together hinge forming elements 56.

The base plate 54 is formed at the top rear with a hook 57 defining a circular sectioned downwardly opening channel 58 having a diameter substantially corresponding to that of the end part 22 of the restriction member. The opening 60 to this channel is narrower than the diameter of the end portion 22 so that it is a click fit on the part 22 and the tag will then be suspended from and swing thereon.

The front surface of the plate 54 is formed with a forwardly and downwardly extending projection 61 defining a dovetailed slot 62 between it and the front face of plate 54. The central portion of the projection is formed with a thumb cutout 63. The edge 64 of part 55, opposite the hinge forming portion 56, is sloped and adapted to engage under the projection 61 into the slot 62 in a closed position. With the part 55 hinged downwards a price tag can be inserted between portions 54, 55, the part 55 swug up about the hinge and engaged into the slot 62 so that the price tag will be visible through the clear plastics material. A finger or thumb can be inserted into the cutout 63 to again open the display plate. As an addition or alternative to the dovetail slot/sloped surface engagement one or more projections 65 having a enlarged heads may be formed on the inside upper surface of the part 55 to engage, by deformation, in similar spaped cutouts 66 in the base plate 54 to provide retaining means in the closed position. The plastics material must be sufficiently resilient to allow the click fitting together, for example it may be polycarbonate.

Claims

1. Display apparatus comprising an elongate prong having a mounting means at one end and a restricting means at the opposite end, the prong being formed from strip material of substantially constant cross section along its length and a stock limiter formed with a cut-out in which the prong is a friction sliding fit.

2. Display apparatus according to Claim 1 in which the sides of the prong and cutout are rounded and the majority of the friction occurs along the rounded side surfaces of the prong, sufficient play being provided between the upper and lower surfaces of the central portions of the prong and cut out that there is relatively insubstantial friction between these surfaces.

3. Display apparatus according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the major dimension of the prong cross section is horizontal and each side of the strip is bent through at least 1500 to provide an external curved surface and an inwardly opening C-shaped channel.

4. Display apparatus according to Claim 3 in which the sides of the strip are bent through substantially 1800 to provide inwardly opening C-shaped channels which are symmetrical about a common horizontal plane.

5. Display apparatus according to Claim 3 or Claim 4 in which the limiter is formed with a winged projection which projects into the cut-out to engage the surfaces of the prong inside the channels.

6. Display apparatus according to Claim 5 in which the frictional force between the winged projection and the prong is at least 40% of the total frictional engagement force between the prong and limiter.

7. Display apparatus in accordance with any of Claims 1 to 6 in which the frictional engagement force between the prong and limiter is in the range .28 to .98 kp per square centimetre.

8. Display apparatus in accordance with Claim 7 in which the frictional engagement force between the prong and limiter is in the range .35 to .84 kp per square centimetre.

9. Display apparatus in accordance with any of Claims 1 to 8 in which the prong is of metal material and the limiter is made of less rigid material such as polyprepolene.

10. Display apparatus in accordance with any of Claims 1 to 9 in which the central part of the prong is formed with a V-groove and the limiter is formed with a corresponding but deeper V-groove so that there is substantially no interengagement between the surfaces defining the V-grooves.

11. Display apparatus in accordance with any of Claims 1 to 10 in which the limiter is formed with a lip, on at least one side, surrounding at least the majority of the cut-out.

12. Display apparatus in accordance with any of Claims 1 to 11 in which the restricting means has a portion which is a push fit into the end of the prong and another portion which when so connected extends upwardly and forwardly from the end of the prong and has an external profile substantially corresponding to that of the prong so as to form a smooth extension thereof.

13. Display apparatus according to any of Claims 1 to 12 in which restricting means has an end portion separated from the remainder by an aperture and including a display plate having a hook engagement means engageable with said end portion and aperture.

14. Display apparatus in accordance with any of Claims 1 to 13 including a rod connected to the prong and extending substantially parallel to and underneath the prong.

15. A swing tag compising a pair of plate members hinged together so that a sheet of material can be retained between them in a closed position in which deformable retaining means retain them together and having a hook member engagable with display apparatus.

16. Display apparatus substantially as described herein with reference to or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.