GB2375948A

GB2375948A - Modular display apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2375948A
Application number: GB0113013A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andrew Charles Woolnough
Original assignee: EML Ltd
Current assignee: EML Ltd
Priority date: 2001-05-30
Filing date: 2001-05-30
Publication date: 2002-12-04
Anticipated expiration: 2021-05-30
Also published as: GB0113013D0; GB2375948B

Abstract

In a modular display apparatus having at least one upper and lower receptacle 11,16 respectively, the base of the upper receptacle and an upper region of the lower receptacle having connection means 20,22,23, the receptacles are connected to each other through a spacer 60 which has means 62,63 at its ends which mate with the connection means on the receptacles. Two or more spacers may be joined or spacers of different lengths provided whereby the spacing of adjacent receptacles can be varied. The overall structure is otherwise as described in GB2351224.

Description

A MODULAR DISPLAY APPARATUS This invention relates to a modular display apparatus. In particular the invention concerns such an apparatus that is intended primarily to display essentially laminar items such as but not limited to leaflets, cards, magazines, books, sheets and booklets, in eg. a retail environment.

GB 2 351 224 discloses one form of display apparatus in which a lower module, that includes a pair of spaced, upstanding walls defining an openended receptacle, is suspended from a similar, upper module.

The walls of the lower module are joined at a base portion of the thusdefined receptacle, such that the open end of the receptacle is at or adjacent the top of the lower module.

A connector part formed on the rear wall of the lower module is releasably engageable with a further connector part formed on the exterior base of the receptacle defined by the upper module, thereby providing for the aforesaid suspension of the lower module from the upper module.

The rear wall of the lower module is, in preferred embodiments of the apparatus of GB 2 351 224, contiguous at its upper, free end with the front wall of the upper module so as to provide a support surface, at the rear of the receptacle defined by the lower module, that protrudes above the walls thereof.

In practice one or more further modules each similar to the lower module are suspendable, in like manner to the aforementioned lower module, in a series of tiers one beneath another whereby to provide a retail display having a plurality of layers. Each of the layers includes a receptacle or

trough, defined by the upstanding walls of the modules, that is open at an upper end. The contiguity of the rear wall of each said lower module with the front wall of the upwardly adjacent module provides a plurality of the support surfaces. Each of the support surfaces in effect protrudes above the open end of the receptacle with which it is associated.

GB 2 351 224 discloses the possibility of joining together modules of differing depths to define differently sized tiers of the display. In such an arrangement the support surfaces of each pair of adjacent tiers of the display need not necessarily be of the same depth.

Notwithstanding this possibility there is a need for greater versatility in the construction of such displays. This is partly because, in order to cater for all the tier depths he may have to construct in a single display, the shopfitter must carry with him to a retail site a series of the modules each being of a different depth.

It is costly to store and transport such a range of the modules. Also the absence of a particular module of a required depth can lead to delays in the assembly of a display. This can be very costly both to the shopfitter and to the operator of the retail site.

According to the invention there is provided a modular display apparatus comprising an upper module having at least two upstanding walls interconnected by or at a base portion of the upper module and defining a first receptacle, that is open at an upper end, for receiving articles for display; at least a first, lower module having at least two upstanding walls interconnected by or at a base portion of the first lower module and defining a further receptacle, that is open at an upper end, for receiving articles for display, the base portion of the upper module and an upper portion of the

first lower module including respective connector parts; and the display apparatus including a spacer member interconnecting the upper and lower said modules so as to space them from one another and including a first connector part that is releasably engaged with the connector part of the upper said upper module and a second connector part that is releasably engaged with the connector part of the said lower module.

The presence of the spacer member permits the construction of tiers, of the retail display, of virtually any depth even if the range of sizes of the modules is limited. Indeed by providing a range of sizes of the spacer members it is possible for the shopfitter to reduce the range of module depths to eg. a single size.

Preferably the connector parts of the upper and lower modules are releasably mutually engageable thereby advantageously providing the option of connecting the modules to one another as in the arrangements of Gob 2 351224.

The mutually engageable connector parts preferably are such as to provide a rigid connection. In one embodiment of the invention the spacer member is cantilevered from the upper module; and the lower module is cantilevered from the spacer member.

Similarly when connected directly together the upper and lower modules are rigidly secured together with the lower module cantilevered from the upper.

Preferably the display apparatus includes a pair of the said spacer members interconnecting the upper and lower modules, the first connector part of the first spacer member of the pair being releasably engaged with the second connector part of the second spacer member of the pair; and the pair of

spacer members providing first and second said connector parts that are releasably engaged respectively with the connector part at the base portion of the first module and the connector part at the said upper portion of the second module.

This arrangement confers extra versatility on the display apparatus since it provides greater choice over the depth of each tier.

Even more preferably the display apparatus may include one or more further said spacer members connected in like manner to the pair of spacer members to define a plurality of the spacer members interconnecting the first and second modules.

When the display apparatus includes two or more of the spacer members, in one embodiment the spacer members are all of the same depth.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention the spacer members are of differing depths.

Each of the foregoing alternatives offers benefits respectively in terms of simplicity of the stock of spacers required by the shopfitter ; or in terms of added variety in the appearance of the retail display.

Regardless of the precise arrangement the or each spacer member preferably defines a substantially flat surface for supporting of articles in a said receptacle disposed below the said spacer. In this fashion each spacer member advantageously defines an upwardly projecting extension of the rear wall of an associated said receptacle.

In one embodiment of the invention the flat surface is substantially parallel

to a further substantially flat surface with which it is contiguous, the further flat surface being defined by a wall of a said module or a further said spacer member. This provides a uniformly flat surface for supporting the articles.

In another embodiment of the invention the flat surface is skewed relative to a further substantially flat surface with which it is contiguous, the further flat surface being defined by a wall of a said module or a further said spacer member. This arrangement may be advantageous in"fanning"eg. a stack of flexible sheets such as flyers or leaflets. The skewing of the flat surface relative to the adjacent module also assists when it is necessary to display bowed articles.

One preferred form of the engaged connector parts between eg. the spacer member and an associated said module includes a slot and a form-lockingly engageable member slideably receivable in the slot, one of the slot and the member being secured on an upper part of a said spacer, or a lower said module; and the other of the slot and the member being secured on the lower part of a said spacer, or on the exterior of the base portion of an upwardly adjacent said module. Other forms of connector assembly are possible within the scope of the invention.

Preferably the substantially flat surface may include one or more embossments or recesses. These confer an attractive appearance on the display apparatus when the or a said receptacle is empty.

In addition the embossments and/or recesses provide the possibility of facing parts of the apparatus with eg. a high friction material that tends to prevent the articles in a said receptacle from slipping.

In preferred embodiments of the invention there is one or more further said

lower modules supported beneath the first said lower module. Such an arrangement may include at least one further said spacer member interconnecting a pair of the said lower modules at least one of which lies below the first said lower module.

These features advantageously allow the construction of a substantial display having many tiers. Such a display may for example occupy the surface of an entire wall within a bookshop or newsagents.

There now follows a description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, by way of non-limiting example, with reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which : Figure 1 is a side elevational view of one form of display apparatus as shown in GB 2 351 224 ; Figure 2 shows a spacer member suitable for use in a display apparatus according to the invention ; and Figure 3 shows a display apparatus according to the invention, including the spacer member.

Referring to the drawings there is shown a display apparatus 10 of the general kind shown in GB 2 351 224.

The apparatus 10 is a modular display apparatus comprising an upper module 11 and a lower module 16.

Module 11 includes a pair, 12, 13 of upstanding side walls. Side walls 12, 13 are in the embodiment of Figure 1 generally parallel to one another and spaced from one another in a horizontal direction. Walls 12, 13 are in the Figure 1 embodiment of generally the same length as each other, although this need not necessarily be so.

Walls 12,13 are interconnected by a bottom wall 14 at the base portion of upper module 11.

The bottom wall 14 is inclined at an obtuse angle relative to rear wall 13, and at an acute angle to front wall 12 so that the walls 12,13, 14 in the embodiment of Figure 1 generally define three sides of a parallelogram or trapezium shape when viewed in cross section.

Thus the walls 12,13, 14 define a first receptacle, open at its upper end in use of the display apparatus. The receptacle is dimensioned to be suitable for receiving articles for display (not shown in the drawings).

Figure 1 shows a first, lower module 16, having substantially identical front and rear walls 17,18 that are substantially parallel to one another and interconnected at the base portion of lower module 16 by bottom wall 19.

Thus the walls 17,18, 19 define a further receptacle, similar to the receptacle of upper module 11, that is open at its upper end for receiving articles for display (not shown in the drawings).

Lower module 16 is suspended beneath upper module 11 by means of mutually engageable connector parts formed on or secured to the base portion of the upper module 11 and an upper portion of the first lower module 16.

The connector parts secured on the base portion of upper module 11 include a pair of flanged members 20,22.

Each flanged member 20,22 includes a generally downwardly extending

wall 20a, 22a protruding perpendicular to the exterior of bottom wall 14; and a respective flange 20b, 22b extending generally perpendicular to each downwardly depending wall 20a, 22a. The flanges 20b, 22b are generally parallel to one another and when viewed in cross-section extend in mutually opposite directions, so that the flange members 20,22 together define a Tshaped member for engagement with connector parts located at the top of the first lower module 16.

The flanges 20b, 22b extend for part or all of the length of the underside of bottom wall 14.

The connector parts at the top of first lower module 16 include a slot 23 of generally complementary shape to the T-shape defined by the flange members 20,22. The slot 23 is defined by an elongate plate 24 extending from the upper end of rear wall 18, at an angle substantially parallel to that of bottom wall 14 of upper module 11, when walls 12 and 18 lie parallel to one another.

Extending parallel to plate 24, and spaced a short vertical distance above it, are two mutually parallel flanges 25,26. The flanges 25,26 are spaced from one another by a central aperture extending along their respective lengths for receiving the flange members 20,22.

Flange 25, that is remote from wall 18, is connected to plate 23 by means of an upstand 28.

Flange 26 is connected by a short extension 29 to the top of wall 18.

It will thus be apparent that by sliding the flange members 20,22 of upper module 11 longitudinally into the slot 23 at the top of first lower module 16,

the two modules may be joined together in a releasable manner such that first lower module 16 is suspended beneath upper module 1.

Bottom wall 19 of first lower module 16 includes flange members 120 122 identical to flange members 20,22 of upper module 11. Thus a further article (typically but not necessarily a further module such as lower module 16 or a spacer member described in more detail hereinbelow) may thus be suspended from the base portion of first lower module 16.

Clearly if the further article is a further module similar or identical to first lower module 16, it is readily possible to build up a tiered display including a descending cascade of the receptacles. The tiered display may in theory have any number of modules, to suit the precise requirements of the installation.

Each of the modules 11,16 includes a series of ribs 31 formed parallel to one another and extending transversely of each rear wall 13,18 and bottom wall 14,19. The ribs assist in supporting laminar articles such as greetings cards in preferred locations in the apparatus.

The elongate plate 24 of at least the upper module 11 has formed therein a circular, though-going aperture 37. The diameter of aperture 37 is less than the distance separating the edges of the flanges 25,26 above the aperture 37.

The aperture 37 permits the upper module 11 to be pivotally suspended by means of a pin 38 that is of smaller diameter than the aperture 37.

Pin 38 may be secured to a bracket or boss 40 that includes one or more projections 41 for rigid securing eg. to a slot wall.

Pin 38 may be secured to any other fast item to provide a suitable hanging point for the tiered display.

As shown in the embodiment of Figure 1, pin 38 protrudes though aperture 37 and upwardly beyond the flanges 25,26 via the space there between.

At least a lower module such as module 16 includes formed on the outer surface of its rear wall 18 a slot 42 for a strut 43.

Strut 43 spaces the lower portion of the display apparatus 10 from e. g the slot wall, and simultaneously braces the lower part of the display apparatus 10.

Although GB 2 351 224 discloses the possibility of the walls 12,13 being of lengths (depths) chosen to provide tiers of the display of differing depths, as noted herein there is a need for greater versatility in this regard.

Figure 3 shows an arrangement, according to the invention, by which such versatility is achievable.

In Figure 3 the upper and lower modules 11,16 of the Figure 1 apparatus are spaced from one another and interconnected by a spacer member 60.

Spacer member 60 includes a wall portion 61 that is contiguous at its upper end with wall 12 of upper module 11; and at its lower end with wall 18 of the lower module 16.

To this end the upper, free end of wall portion 61 includes a first connector part 62, described in more detail below, that is releasably engaged with the

connector part defined by the flanges 20,22 best shown in Figure 1.

Wall portion 61 also includes at its lower free end a second connector part 63, also described in more detail below, that is releasably engaged with the slot 23 defined at the top of wall 18 of lower module 16.

More specifically the upper connector part 62 comprises a slot 223 that is similar in size and construction to slot 23 of module 16, whereby the flanged members 20,22 of module 11 are longitudinally slideably receivable therein in the same way that in Figure 1 they are slideably received in slot 23 of module 16.

The lower connector part 63 of spacer member 60 includes a pair of flanged members 220,222 that are similar in size and construction to the members 20,22 of module 11. Consequently the members 220,222 are readily slideably receivable in the slot 23 of module 16, in the same way that members 20,22 are received therein in the Figure 1 embodiment.

As a result of this arrangement the connector parts of the respective modules 11,16 are unaltered from the configurations shown in Figure 1, whereby they are releasably mutually engageable as in the Figure 1 arrangement in the absence of the spacer member 60.

In view of the similarity of the connector parts 62,63 to their counterparts respectively at the upper and lower ends of the modules it is readily possible to connect a plurality of the spacer members one suspended below another in a series, between a pair of the modules 11,16. In this way the depth of the spacing between an adjacent pair of the modules is variable in dependence on the number of the spacer members connected together in such a series.

In addition it is of course possible within the scope of the invention to create such a series of the spacer members 60 even if the intermediate connectors used for securing the spacer members to one another differ from the ones needed to secure the upper and lower ends of the series to the modules 11, 16.

Regardless of the precise arrangement for securing the plurality of spacer members together, it is possible either for all the spacer members of the said plurality to be of the same height or depth x (Figure 2); or for one or more of the plurality to differ in height from the others.

As is evident from Figures 2 and 3 each spacer member 60 between an upper and lower module pair presents a forwardly facing support surface 64.

Each surface 64 is in effect an extension, above the open end of a said receptacle defined by a lower module 16, of the rear wall of the module. Consequently the spacer member permits the supporting in the receptacle of items that are significantly taller than the receptacle itself.

The height x of each spacer member 60, and the number of the spacer members connected between the members of each module pair, determines the overall spacing between adjacent modules.

In the embodiment shown the connector parts 220,222 and 223 are such that each support surface 64 is parallel to the module surfaces 12,18 with which it is contiguous. However in other embodiments a said surface 64 may be skewed relative to a contiguous surface such as a module surface 12,18 ; or another of the support surfaces 64. This may be achieved eg. by manufacture of the components of the apparatus including appropriately inclined connector parts.

The support surface 64 visible in Figures 2 and 3 includes embossments in the form of a pattern of horizontally extending ribs 66 interspersed with recesses. The ribs extend horizontally and match the similar ribs described above formed on the rear wall and base of each module. However as noted herein other patterns and surface finishes may be applied to the spacer member 60 as necessary for aesthetic and/or lamina displaying purposes.

Although the embodiments of the invention disclosed herein include only two of the modules (ie. upper module 11 and lower module 16) in practice there would be a series of further, lower modules suspended beneath module 16 in Figure 3. Each adjacent pair. of the modules may be interconnected, in like manner to modules 11 and 16, by one or more of the spacer members 60 as desired.

Claims

1. A modular display apparatus comprising an upper module having at least two upstanding walls interconnected by or at a base portion of the upper module and defining a first receptacle, that is open at an upper end, for receiving articles for display ; at least a first, lower module having at least two upstanding walls interconnected by or at a base portion of the first lower module and defining a further receptacle, that is open at an upper end, for receiving articles for display, the base portion of the upper module and an upper portion of the first lower module including respective connector parts; and the display apparatus including a spacer member interconnecting the upper and lower said modules so as to space them from one another and including a first connector part that is releasably engaged with the connector part of the upper said upper module and a second connector part that is releasably engaged with the connector part of the said lower module.

2. A display apparatus according to Claim 1 wherein the connector parts of the upper and lower said modules are releasably mutually engageable.

3. A display apparatus according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 including a pair of the said spacer members interconnecting the upper and lower modules, the first connector part of the first spacer member of the pair being releasably engaged with the second connector part of the second spacer member of the pair; and the pair of spacer members providing first and second said connector parts that are releasably engaged respectively with the connector part at the base portion of the first module and the connector part at the said upper portion of the second module.

4. A display apparatus according to Claim 3 including one or more

further said spacer members connected in like manner to the pair of spacer members to define a plurality of the spacer members interconnecting the first and second modules.

5. A display apparatus according to Claim 3 or Claim 4 wherein the spacer members of the pair or the plurality are each of the same depth.

6. A display apparatus according to Claim 3 or Claim 4 wherein the spacer members of the pair or the plurality are each of different depths.

7. A display apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the or each spacer member defines a substantially flat surface for supporting of articles in a said receptacle disposed below the said spacer.

8. An apparatus according to Claim 7 wherein the flat surface is substantially parallel to a further substantially flat surface with which it is contiguous, the further flat surface being defined by a wall of a said module or a further said spacer member.

9. An apparatus according to Claim 7 when the flat surface is skewed relative to a further substantially flat surface with which it is contiguous, the further flat surface being defined by a wall of a said module or a further said spacer member.

10. An apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the engaged connector parts include a slot and a form-lockingly engageable member slideably receivable in the slot, one of the slot and the member being secured on an upper part of a said spacer, or a lower said module; and the other of the slot and the member being secured on the lower part of a said spacer, or on the exterior of the base portion of an upwardly adjacent said

module.

11. An apparatus according Claim 7 or any preceding claim depending therefrom, wherein the substantially flat surface includes one or more embossments and/or recesses.

12. An apparatus according to any preceding claim including one or more further said lower modules supported beneath the first said lower module.

13. An apparatus according to Claim 12 including at least one further said spacer member interconnecting a pair of the said lower modules at least one of which lies below the first said lower module.

14. An apparatus generally as herein described, with reference to and/or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.