GB2373172A - Security retail display arm - Google Patents

Abstract

A retail display arm 10 comprises an elongate support member 12 provided at one end with a connector 14 for releasably mounting the display arm 10 on a display apparatus and provided towards its other end with a security portion 16. Articles 30 (Fig 3) are slidably mountable on the support member 12 by passing the support member 12 through apertures provided in packaging surrounding the articles 30. The security portion 16 prevents more than one article (30) being slid off the support member 12 at the same time as each other.

Description

A RETAIL DISPLAY ARM

The invention relates to a retail display arm having a security arrangement that prevents more than one article supported by the arm from being removed from the arm at a time.

A retail display arm is typically secured to a retail display apparatus, such as a slat wall, so as to extend horizontally or at a slight upward incline from the display apparatus. An article displayed on such an arm usually is supported in a pack having formed therein an aperture of complementary profile to the profile of the arm whereby on creation of a retail display the article may be pushed onto the arm with the arm extending through the aperture to support the pack. In practice a single arm supports multiple, identical packs to define a display.

When a consumer wishes to purchase an article supported on a retail display arm as defined hereinabove he removes a single such pack from the arm, by sliding it off the end of the arm.

The majority of known retail display arms omit features preventing or discouraging felons from quickly removing multiple articles at a time in a shoplifting operation known as a"sweep".

EP 0 383 762 discloses an elongate retail display arm that includes at its free end a releasably secured upstand that, when attached, defines an upwardly inclined extension of the arm. The action of gravity on packs supported on the arm prevents them from rising up the inclined upstand, thereby preventing the packs from being accidentally knocked off the end of the arm.

As shown the shoulder defined by step 16 is upstanding from the upper surface of member 12. The resulting shoulder faces rearwardly towards the end of the arm 10 defining the attachment device.

The member 10 is of constant thickness in the vicinity of step 16, whereby a similar step is defined in the underside of member 12 spaced forwardly of the rearwardly facing shoulder.

The member 12 need not necessarily be of constant thickness in the vicinity of step 16, whereby in some embodiments of the invention the shoulder is defined in only one surface of member 12.

Also it is not essential for the step to be upstanding exclusively from the upper surfaces of member 12. Consequently the side surfaces of member 12 may be stepped in some embodiments.

There is therefore a need for a retail display arm that restricts the number of articles that can be removed from the end of the arm at a time.

According to an aspect of the invention there is provided a retail display arm as defined in Claim 1 hereof.

The provision of the shoulder means that each pack supported on the display arm must be removed individually. The formation of the shoulder integrally with the arm makes the arm advantageously cheap and simple to produce and prevents unauthorised removal of the barrier. The barrier therefore prevents shoplifters grabbing and pulling several articles off the display arm at a time.

Other preferred features of the invention are described in Claims 2 to 9

whereof A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of a non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a retail display arm according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 shows the retail display arm of Figure 1 secured to a retail display apparatus; and Figure 3 shows removal of an article that is slidably mounted on the retail display arm of Figures 1 and 2.

A retail display arm 10 according to an embodiment of the invention is shown in Figure 1.

The display arm 10 includes an elongate support member 12 defining an attachment portion lofa, that in the embodiment shown lies at one end of the arm; and a free end lOb at the opposite end of arm 10. Arm 10 includes an

attachment device 14 at the attachment portion lofa. A barrier in the form of a step 16 lies intermediate attachment portion lOa and free end lOb. In practice step 16 lies adjacent free end lOb.

The support member 12 of the display arm 10 shown in Figure 1 is planar and has a generally rectangular cross-section.

The upstand of 0 383 762, being inclined relative to the remainder arm, does not prevent or deter the removal of multiple packs in a"sweep".

A preferred form of attachment device is formed integrally with the support member 12.

Device 14 includes first and second mutually juxtaposed limbs 18, 20 that in the embodiment shown extend generally perpendicular to the support member 12.

Limb 18 is located so as to extend from an extreme end of the support member 12. Limb 20 is spaced from limb 18 a short distance towards free end of arm lOb. The limbs 18,20 are interconnected at their in-use upper ends by a portion 22 of member 12. The spacing of the limbs 18,20 is equivalent to the thickness of an article, such as a slat wall bar, to be gripped between the arms 18,20 to support the arm 10 in cantilever fashion.

Limb 18 is longer than limb 20, and includes a wedge-shaped barb 24. Barb 24 is located at the free end of the first limb 18 on a planar surface 26 of the first limb 18 that faces the second limb 20.

At least one of the limbs 18,20 is resiliently deformable.

Barb 24 presents an upwardly facing shoulder 26 and a taper that tapers towards the free end of limb 18.

The edge of shoulder 27 lies a short distance below the end of the shorter limb 20.

Referring now to Figure 2 the display arm 10 is shown secured to an elongate and horizontal bar 28 of a slat wall.

The display arm 10 is secured to the bar 28 by push fittingly engaging the attachment device 14 over the bar 28, as denoted by arrow A.

During such push fitting, at least one of the limbs 18, 20 bends resiliently to allow the taper of the barb to engage the bar 28. The location of the detent member 24 on the first limb 18 is such that when the portion 22 of the support member 12 interconnecting the limbs 18,20 engages the top of the bar 28, the shoulder 27 of the detent member 24 engages under the bar 28 and the limbs 18,20 rest against opposite sides of the bar 28.

Engagement of the shoulder 27 with the bar 28 prevents the connector 14 from being inadvertently pulled off the bar 28.

In order to disengage the shoulder 27, and allow the detent member 24 to pass back over the bar 28, the first limb 18 is flexed away from the bar 28, as denoted by arrow B in Figure 3.

In the embodiment shown the angle between limbs 18,20 and the support member 12 is such that when the connector 14 engages the bar 28, the support member 12 extends generally horizontally. However other angles are possible, by virtue of the choice of angle at which the limbs 18,20 extend relative to the member 12.

When the display arm 10 is mounted on the display apparatus, packaged articles 30 may be mounted on the support member 12, as shown in Figure 3.

Each of the articles 30 is mounted on the support member 12 by aligning an aperture in the packaging of corresponding cross-section to that of the support member 12, with the free end 31 of the support member 12. Each of the articles 30 is then moved so that the end of the packages pass along support member 12 that protrudes through the aperture.

When each of the articles 30 approaches the step 16, it must be tilted before it can be slid further along the support member 12, towards the connector 14.

Similarly when each of the articles 30 is removed it must again be tilted to negotiate the step 16, as denoted by arrow C.

The provision of an upstanding portion 32 extending between displaced support portions 34,36 of the support member 12 prevents a bundle of the packages from being tilted to negotiate the step 16 as one. The portion 16 of the display arm 10 therefore prevents shoplifters from removing a plurality of the articles 30 at a time.

Claims (9)

1. A retail display arm comprising an elongate member defining an attachment portion and a free end remote from the attachment portion, the arm including at the attachment portion an attachment device for securing the arm protruding from a further article; and the arm including intermediate the attachment portion and the free end a barrier formed integrally with the arm, the barrier defining a shoulder protruding on at least one side of the arm.

2. An arm according to Claim 1 wherein the shoulder protrudes from an in-use upper surface of the arm.

3. An arm according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the barrier defines a respective shoulder protruding from each of two opposed sides of the arm.

4. An arm according to Claim 3 wherein the said opposed sides from which the shoulders protrude are in-use upper and lower surfaces of the arm.

5. An arm according to any preceding claim wherein the barrier defines a shoulder that is upstanding from an upper side of the arm and that faces the attachment portion of the arm.

6. An arm as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the attachment device is secured to the arm at the attachment portion and has a pair of mutually juxtaposed limbs extending from the arm for gripping a further article so as to cantilever the arm protruding therefrom.

7. A retail display arm as claimed in Claim 6 wherein at least one of the limbs is resiliently deformable.

8. A retail display arm as claimed in Claim 6 or Claim 7 wherein at least one of the limbs includes a barb protruding towards the other said arm.

9. A retail display arm generally as herein described with reference to and/or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.