GB2423464A

GB2423464A - A display tray

Info

Publication number: GB2423464A
Application number: GB0504081A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Imogen Pudduck; Dominic Rice; Caroline Curtis
Original assignee: Red Bull Co Ltd
Current assignee: Red Bull Co Ltd
Priority date: 2005-02-28
Filing date: 2005-02-28
Publication date: 2006-08-30
Also published as: GB0504081D0

Abstract

A display tray 101 for holding items for sale, such as merchandise on display in a refrigerator, comprises a flat base 102 having upstanding side walls 103,104 and an upstanding front wall 105. The tray includes at least one partition wall 140 releasably attached to the base and extending parallel to the sides to define channels 150,151 between the partition and the sides. The partitions have a plurality of lugs 141 with fingers 142 ending with heads 143 which engage with slots (108 fig 4) on the base. A information display window 120 is located at the front of the tray and may be formed integrally with the base.

Description

Merchandise Display Tray

Description

The present invention rclatcs to a tray and, more particularly, to a tray intended to display merchandise, such as cans and bottles in a shop refrigerator.

Shops that sell chilled canned and bottled drinks usually keep them cool whilst on display in large refrigerators. The refrigerators may have a number of shelves therein and a door made of glass or some other transparent material to allow potential customers to view and select a product without having to open the refrigerator door. Alternatively, the refrigerator may be of the open fronted deck chiller type which are often used for the display of dairy products. In order to make a product stand out against other products, and also to efficiently store the products when on display, a tray may be provided to sit on the shelves and onto which the products can be arranged, often along channels in side-by-side rows. Sometimes these trays are configured to be inclined downwards towards the front of the fridge and have a l)ar or stop at the front of the tray so that when an item is removed from the front of the row of items, the remaining items slide under gravity towards the front until they hit the bar, thereby filling the space left by the removed item.

Equally, however, the trays may lie horizontally on the refrigerator shelf and serve to efficiently store the chosen merchandise and make the display more striking, without the gravity-feed arrangement described above.

A number of trays such as those described above are known in the art, although they suffer a number of drawbacks. Many of the trays are formed with one or more channels of a fixed width. This means that they are only able to accommodate items of specific dimensions and cannot accommodate any other sized items or multi- packs' of items. Furthermore, although the trays are able to accommodate the items for sale, they rio not provide any means for product marketing, such spaces or windows for brand-names, logos, special offer notices, etc. This deficiency detracts from the effectiveness of the tray as a selling tool because, despite perhaps efficiently storing the merchandise, the tray lacks visual appeal and fails to draw the consumer's eye to it and therefore to the products thereon Another drawback of many known trays is that they are designed to fit onto certain types of refrigerator shelves only, and SO are not universally accepted on all types of refrigerator shelves having different depths and constructions. The various limitations of these known trays limits their versatility and their commercial appeal.

It is therefore an object of the present Invention to provide a merchandise display tray that substantially alleviates or overcomes the problems mentioned above.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a merchandise display tray for use in a shop display refrigerator, comprising a base having upstanding side walls and a front wall together defining a merchandise dllsl)lay area for merchandise placed on the base, the tray further including at least one partition wall releasably attachable to the base substantially parallel to the side walls to upstand therefrom and divide the display area into separate channels, wherein the base and partition include cooperating means to enable the partition to be located on the base or removed therefrom.

In a preferred embodiment, the base includes a plurality of co-operating means so that the at least one partition is positionable in a plurality of locations so that the width of the channels between the partition and the side walls can be varied, and preferably, a plurality of partition walls are releasably attachable to the base.

Conveniently, the base is formed in sections separated by lines of weakness in the material of the tray to enable one or more sections to be snapped off from the rest of the tray to reduced its overall length and advantageously, the or each partition wall is also formed in sections separated by lines of weakness in the material of the or each partition wall to enable one or more sections to be snapped off from the rest of the or each partition wall to reduced its overall length.

In a preferred embodiment, the tray includes an information display window along its front edge, the display window preferably comprising a space defined by a rear wall and peripheral edge walls extending perpendicularly to the rear wall, and a front wall.

The front wall of the display window may be hinged and pivotable from an open position in which access to the space is permitted, to a closed position in which the front wall covers the space preventing access thereto. Preferably, the front wall of the display window includes at least one tab on an edge remote from the hinge which is receiveable in at least one corresponding aperture in a peripheral edge wall to secure the front wall in the closed position.

Advantageously, the front wall of the display window includes at least one arcuate cut out in an edge or corner remote from the hinge to provide a finger hole to enable a user to more easily pivot the front wall from the closed position to the open position.

The display window may be formed integrally with the tray and a notch may be formed in the base of the tray between the base and the display window to accommodate a front lip of a refrigerator shelf when the tray is in use. Alternatively, the display window may be detachable from the tray. The display window preferably incorporates at least one clip on the rear wall, remote from the front wall, to enable the display window to be attached to the front wall of the tray. The at least one clip may be moulded integrally with the rear wall of the display window, or it may be removeably attached to the rear wall by an arm of the at least one clip being received in a slot in the rear wall of the display window.

A plurality of apertures arc preferably formed in the base to allow cooling air to circulate through the tray and at least one magnet may be attached to the underside of the tray to secure the tray in place on metallic surfaces. In a preferred embodiment, an upper side of the base is provided with a plurality of ridges extending parallel to the side walls and along the length of the base, to support merchandise in a spaced relationship from the upper surface of the base.

Conveniently, coupling means are included along at least one side of the tray, operable to engage with corresponding coupling means on at least one side of another tray when the two trays are llaceil side by side to releasably join the two trays together. The coupling means preferably comprise at least one tapered tooth on one side and a correspondingly shaped and positioned at least OflC rebate in the Opposite side.

In a preferred embodiment, the tray further comprises at least one aperture adjacent the front wall of the tray and a flag comprising a post part and an image sheet part, the post part receivable in said aperture. The post part of the flag may be separable from the image sheet part to enable the image sheet part to be interchangeable.

Another embodiment of the invention provides a tray for use in a shop refrigerator comprising a base having upstanding side walls and a front wall together defining a merchandise display area for merchandise placed on the base, the tray further including an information display window along its front edge.

The tray may be made by injection moulding, and may be made from a plastics material, or more conveniently, from high impact styrene.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a tray of the invention; Figure 2 is a plan view from above of the tray of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side view of the tray of Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the tray of the invention; Figure 5 is a perspective view of a separate display window part of the Invention; Figure 6 is a rear view of the display window of Figure 5; Figure 7 is a plan view from above of the display window of Figures 5 and 6; Figure 8 is a side view of a partition shown in Figure 1; Figure 9 is a cross-section view of the connection mechanism of the partition in place on the tray; Figure 10 is a perspective view of an advertising flag for usc with the trays of the invention; and Figure 11 is a side view of the tray of Figure 1 with the advertising flag of Figure 10 fitted thereto.

Referring now to Figurcs I - 3, a first en-ibocliment of the tray 101 of the invention is shown and comprises a flat base 102 having upstanding side walls 103, 104 along its two parallel side edges, and an upstanding front wall 105 along a front edge. A display window 120 is formed integrally with the front of the base 102 and extends forwards and downwards therefrom. A partition 140 is releasably attached to the base 102 and is positioned parallel to and spaced from the side walls 103, 104. A channel 150, 151 is defined between the partition 140 and each side wall 103, 104 respectively.

The display window 120 is formed integrally with the base 102 and comprises a curved plate 121 with peripheral walls 122 extending perpendicularly thereto to define a space 123 between the plate 121 and the walls 122. A second embodiment of the invention (see Figure 4) comprises a display window 120 that is detachable from the base 102, and will be described in more detail below. However, much of the structure of the display windows 120 of the two embodiments is identical and so the same numbering will be used to describe the common features of the display windows 120 of each embodiment. A detachable embodiment of the display window can be seen in more detail in Figures 5 and 6. A cover 124 15 attached along one edge of the curved plate 121 by a hinge 125 SO that the cover 124 is moveable from an open position, allowing access to the Space 123, to a closed position wherein the cover 124 closes the space 123. The edge of the cover 124 remote from the hinge has two flanges 126 protruding therefrom, and the wall 122 along the edge of the plate 121 remote from the hinge 125 has two corresponding apertures 127 therein. The flanges 126 make a snap-fit in the apertures 127 to secure the cover 124 in the closed position sealing the space 123. Each corner of the cover 124 remote from the hinge 1 25 has an arcuate cut-out Section 1 28 which acts as a finger hole to make it easier for a user to undo the snap- fit connection to open the cover 124. In use, the space 123 can be used to contain a brand logo label, any relevant sale notice, or the price of the goods displayed Ofl the tray 101.

The base 102 is divided into a main front section I02a and a Plurality of smaller rear sections 1021). The main section I02a and each of the smaller sectIons 1021) are connected to each other along separation lines 106 at which the material of the base 102 is thinner than at the rest of the base 102. These separation lines 106 are designed to be lines of weakness in the base 102 to allow one or more of the rear sections 102b to be snapped off from the rest of the base 102 so that the overall /0 length of the tray 102 can be varied as required. The side walls 103, 104 include gaps 107 along their length where the separation lines 106 meet the side edges of the base 102 to enable the desired rear section(s) 1021) to be separated from the rest of the base 102.

The partition 140 can be seen in more detail in Figures 8 and 9, and includes a plurality lugs 141 extending from the lower edge 140' thereof, and a finger 142 extends from each lug 141, parallel to the lower edge 140' of the partition 140 and spaced therefrom. Each finger 142 includes au enlarged head 143. The base 102 includes rows of slots 108, the slots of each row being longitudinally aligned with each other from the front to the back of the base 102 and parallel to the side walls 103, 104. Each slot 108 is positioned to correspond to the spacing of the fingers 142 from one another. Each slot includes an overhangmg portion 109 at the front end to define a cavity 110 within the base 102. The partition can be attached to the base 102 by aligning the fingers 142 with the corresponding slots 108, lowering the partition 140 so that the fingers 142 locate inside the slots 108, and sliding the partition forward so that the enlarged head 143 of each finger 142 is received in the cavity 110 of the respective slot 108, thereby securing the partition 140 in position.

Fhe partition 140 can he removed from the base 102 by reversing the procedure described above, by exerting a rearwards force 011 the partition 1 40 to disengage the enlarged heads 143 of the fingers 142 from their respective cavities 110, and lifting the partition 140 off the base 102.

The base 102 has more than one row of slots 108 allowing more than one partition to l.e fitted to the base 102. For example, if a second partition (not shown) is attached to the base 102, a third channel would be created between the two partitions, in addition to the channels 1 50, 151 defined between the respective side walls 103, 104 and the respective adjacent partition. It will be appreciated that the number of channels 150, 15 I and the width of each channel of the tray 101 can be varied by using different configurations and numbers of partitions 140 attached to the base 102.

The partition 140 is divided into a main front part I 40a and a plurality of rear parts 1401) l)y dividing lines 144 across its width where the thickness of the material of the partition 140 is less than at the rest of the partition 140. These dividing lines 144 form lines of weakness which allow the partition 140 to be snapped at these points to separate one or more rear parts 140h from the rest of the partition 140, to reduce the overall length of the partition 140. The spacing of these lines 144 corresponds to the spacing of the separation lines 106 on the base 102 so that the base 102 and the Partition 140 can be snapped off to the same length as each other.

A second embodiment 201 of the invention is shown in Figure 4, which comprises a base 202, side wall 203, 204 and a front wall 205. This embodiment is similar to the first embodiment 101 described above, with the exception that the display window is not formed integrally with the base 202, but rather is removably attached to the front wall 205. The removed display window 120 is shown in Figures 5 - 7, and is as described above with reference to the first embodiment 101 of the invention.

However, the removable display window 120 has features on its rear face 129 opposite the curved plate 121 that are not found on the integral version of the display window 120. The rear face 129 includes pairs of lugs 130 standing up from the rear face 129 and angled towards each other to define a tapered slot 131 thercbctwcen. A plurality of resilient clips 132 arc attached to the rear face 129 of the display window 120 by a first arm l32a of each resilient clip 132 being received in each slot 131, leaving a second arm 132b of each clip 132 spaced from each first arm 1 32a I'he display window 120 can be attached to the tray 201 by clipping it over the front wall 205 SC) that the front wall 205 is gripped between the first and second arms l32a, 132h of the clips 132. This second embodiment 201 of the invention may also he used in commercial refrigerators with the base 202 separate from the display window 120. lor example, the base 202 could l.c positioned on the shelf, and the display window 120 could be clipped onto the front of the shelf of the refrigerator.

The base 102 of the invention includes a number of additional features further to those described above. The base 102 is provided with a plurality of apertures 160 extending therethrough. In use, when the tray 101 is supporting merchandise in a refrigerator, the apertures 160 allow cooled air to pass through the tray 101 improving the cooled air circulation around the products which cools them more efficiently.

The base 102 may also be provided with magnets 161 affixed to the underside thereof. The majority of shelves in commercial refrigerators are made of metal wire coated with plastic, and so the magnets 161 on the base 102 hold the tray 101 firmly in position on the refrigerator shelf and prevent it slipping. The upper surface of the base 102 has a Plurality of raised ridges 162 running from the front to the rear and parallel to the side walls 103, 104. These ridges 162 support the merchandise displayed on the rack above the level of the majority of the base 102, and thereby allow cooling air to circulate underneath the merchandise from through the apertures 160, further increasing the cooling efficiency. The ridges 162 also cause the less friction between the merchandise and the base 102 than if the merchandise was sat on a base having no ridges. This allows the merchandise to slide more easily along the tray 101, which helps the items slide towards the front of the tray 101 until they reach the front wall 105, if the tray 101 is inclined at an angle, but it also prevents the bottles or cans from toppling over when the tray is being stocked up by pushing them along the channels.

Two or more of the trays 101,201 of the invention may be connected together by use of coupling means located along the side edges of the base 102, 202. These coupling means can include various different mechanisms, but the coupling means illustrated in the Figures comprises a series (if teeth 165 along one side of the l)ase 101, 102, and a series of rebates 166, correspondingly spaced, along the opposite side of the base 102, 202. 1wo separate trays 101, 201 can lie joined together by fitting the teeth 165 of one tray 101, 201 into the rebates 166 of another tray 101, 201. The teeth 165 taper outwards from the base 102, 202 and the rebates 166 arc correspondingly shaped so that the two are coupled in a (love- tall joint manner, by positioning one on top of the other and pushing them together in a vertical plane.

Once coupled, the tapered shape of the teeth 165 in the rebates 166 ensures that the two trays 101, 201 cannot be separated by pulling them apart in a horizontal plane, but can only be separated by first lifting one tray 101, 201 from the other in a vertical plane.

The trays 101, 201 of the invention are configured to inaximise the potential merchandise storage capacity of a shop refrigerator. In conventional shop refrigerators, the storage shelves often do not extend all the way to the rear wall of the refrigerator or all of the way to the front door. This means that the depth of the shelf is not as large as possible, and so potential space for merchandise is wasted.

The tray 101, 201 in designed to be able to extend right from the rear wall of the refrigerator to the front door, thereby maximising the depth of the refrigerator used for merchandise storage. Some refrigerator shelves incorporate an upstanding lip along their front edge to prevent goods falling off the front of the shelf. In such refrigerators, it is desirable for the base 102 of the tray 101 having the integrally moulded display window 120, to extend all of the way to the lip and for the display window 120 to project forwardly of the lip on the shelf, rather than the front edge of the display window 120 abutting the lip. This is to maximise the depth of the refrigerator used to store the relevant merchandise. Therefore, the embodiment of the tray 101 in which the display window 120 is moulded integrally with the base 102 includes a notch 112 between the display window 120 and the front wall 105 of the base 102 to accommodate a front lip of a refrigerator shelf.

If an embodiment of the tray 201 having a separate display window 120, as shown in Figure 4, is to be used in a refrigerator in which the shelf includes a front upstanding up as described above, the display window 120 can either he clipped into - 10- the front wall 205 of the tray 201, or it can be clipped onto the front lip of the she! 1.

Referring now to Figures tO and Ii, it can be seen that the trays 101, 201 of the invention arc also configured to incorporate a promotional device in the form of a flag 170 which can be fitted to the base 102, 202. The flag 170 comprises a post 171 and an image sheet 172 attached to the post 171. The post 171 is divided into a first part l71a and a second part 171b along its length, the first part 171a being hingedly attached along one long side to the second part 171h such that the two parts 171a, 171b can be pivoted about the hinge from an open position in which they are separated from one another, to a closed position in which inner faces of each part l7la, 171b are in contact. The second part 171b has three hollow bosses 173 protruding from its inner face, and the first part l7la has three cylindrical protrusions 174 on its inner face positioned such that when the two parts 171a, 171b are pivoted together to the closed position, each cylindrical protrusion 174 on the first part 171a snap-fits into the central hollow of a respective boss 173 on the second part 1711), thereby securing the two parts 171a, 171b of the post 171 in the closed position.

The image sheet 172 is a generally rectangular sheet of rigid plastic, although it could equally be a flexible material or a fabric. The sheet 172 includes three apertures 175 along one edge spaced from one another at a corresponding distance to the spacing of the bosses 173 and of the cylindrical protrusions 174. The sheet 172 is attached to the post 171 by pivoting the first and second parts l71a, 171b of the post 171 into the open position, placing the sheet 172 on the second part 171b so that the hollow bosses 173 extend through the apertures 175 in the sheet 172, and pivoting the two parts l71a, 171b of the post 171 to snap-fit together in the closed position. The edges of the two parts 171a, 171b of the post 171 remote from the hinge have a narrow recess 176 therein to accommodate the thickness of the sheet 172 when it is held l)y the Post 171.

One end of the lu-st part I 71a of the post 171 includes two resilient prongs 177, each with a stepped end 1 78. The base 102, 202 of the tray 101, 201 includes an - 11 - aperture 111,211 adjacent the front wall 105, 205. The flag 170 can be secured to the base 102, 202 by pushing the prongs 177 of the post 171 Into the aperture III, 211 o that the prongs 177 are forced to deflect towards each other, until the stepped end 1 78 of each prong 1 77 passes a up (not shown) near the bottom of the aperture 111, 211, at which point the prongs spring outwards and the stepped ends 178 latch over the lip in the aperture 111, 211 securing the flag 170 to the base 102, 202. The flag 170 can he removed by pulling it out of the aperture 111, 211 with sufficient force to overcome the stepped ends 178 snagging on the up and to deflect the prongs 177 inwards. The image sheet 171 can be printed with any desired promotional picture or information, such as a picture of the product being sold or notice of a special price offer.

The various components that make up the tray 101, 201 can be cost effectively manufactured by moulding from a plastic material, and a particularly suitable material is high-impact styrene. One property of this material is that it can be made as transparent or coloured translucent, giving the tray 101, 201 an attractive aesthetic form.

It will be appreciated that the tray of the invention may include one or other or 1)0th of the features of the moveable partition and the display window, and such features may be chosen to be incorporated in the tray of the invention independently of one another. The further features of the tray described above may 2 be selected to be included with any such tray having a moveable partition or a display window, or both. - 12-

Claims

Claims 1. A merchandise display tray for use in a shop display

refrigerator, comprising a base having upstanding side walls and a front wall together defining a merchandise display area for merchandise placed on the base, the tray further including at least one partition wall releasably attachable to the base substantially parallel to the side walls to upstand therefrom and divide the display area into separate channels, wherein the base and partition include co-operating means to enable the partition to be located on the l)ase or removed therefrom.
2. A merchandise display tray according to claim I wherein the base includes a plurality of co-operating means SO that the at least one partition is positionable in a plurality of locations so that the width of the channels between the partition and the side walls can be varied.
3. A merchandise display tray according to claim 2 wherein a plurality of partition walls are releasably attachable to the base.
4. A merchandise display tray according to any preceding claim wherein the base is formed in sections separated by lines of weakness in the material of the tray to enable one or more sections to be snapped off from the rest of the tray to reduced its overall length.
5. A merchandise display tray according to claim 4 wherein the or each partition wall is also formed in sections separated by lines of weakness in the material of the or each partition wall to enable one or more sections to be snapped off from the rest of the or each partition wall to reduced its overall length.
6. A merchandise display tray according to any preceding claim wherein the tray includes an information display window along its front edge. - 13
7. A merchandise display tray according to claim 6 wherein the display window comprises a space defined by a rear wall and peripheral edge walls extending perpendicularly to the rear wall, and a front wall
8. A merchandise display tray according to claim 7 wherem the front wall of the display window is hinged and pivotable from an open position in which access to the space is permitted, to a closed position in which the front wall covers the space preventing access thereto.
9. A merchandise display tray according to claim 8 wherein the front wall of the display window includes at least one tab on an edge remote from the hinge which is recciveahle in at least one corresponding aperture in a peripheral edge wall to secure the front wall in the closed position.
10. A merchandise display tray according to claim 9 wherein the front wall of the display window includes at least one arcuate cut out in an edge or corner remote from the hinge to provide a finger hole to enable a user to more easily pivot the front wall from the closed position to the open position.
11. A merchandise display tray according to any of claims 6- 10 wherein the display window is formed integrally with the tray.
12. A merchandise display tray according to claim 11 wherein a notch is formed in the base of the tray between the base and the display window to accommodate a front lip of a refrigerator shelf when the tray is in use.
13. A merchandise display tray according to any of claims 6-10 wherein the display window is detachable from the tray.
14. A merchandise display tray according to claim 13 wherem the display window incorporates at least one clip on the rear wall, remote from the front wall, to enable the display window to be attached to the front wall of the tray.

- 14 -
15. A merchandise display tray according to claim 1 4 wherein the at least one clip is moulded integrally with the rear wall of the display window
16. A merchandise display tray according to claim 17 wherein the at least one clip is ren-ioveably attached to the rear wall by an arm of the at least one clip being received in a slot in the rear wall of the display window.
17. A. merchandise display tray according to any preceding clam-i wherein a plurality of apertures are formed in the base to allow cooling air to circulate through the tray.
18. A merchandise display tray according to any preceding claim wherein at least one magnet is attached to the underside of the tray to secure the tray in place on metallic surfaces.
19. A merchandise display tray according to any preceding claim wherein an upper side of the base is provided with a plurality of ridges extending parallel to the side walls and along the length of the base, to support merchandise in a spaced relationship from the upper surface of the base.
20. A merchandise display tray according to any preceding claim including coupling means along at least one side thereof operable to engage with corresponding coupling means on at least one side of another tray when the two trays are placed side by side to releasably join the two trays together.
21. A merchandise display tray according to claim 20 wherein the coupling means comprises at least one tapered tooth on one side and a correspondingly shaped and positioned at least one rebate in the opposite side.
22. A merchandise display tray according to any preceding claim wherein the tray further comprises at least one aperture adjacent the front wall of the tray and a flag comprising a post part and an image sheet part, the post part receivable in said aperture. - 15-
23. A merchandise display tray according to claim 22 wherein the post part of the flag is separable from the image sheet part to enable the image sheet part to l)C interchangeable.
24. A merchandise display tray for use in a shop display refrigerator, comprising a base having upstanding side walls and a front wall together defining a merchandise display area for merchandise placed Ofl the base, the tray further including an information display window along its front edge. /0
25. A merchandise display tray according to any preceding claim made by injection moulding.
26. A merchandise display tray according to any preceding claim made from a plastics material.
27. A merchandise display tray according to any precedmg claim made from high impact styrene.
28. A merchandise display tray substantially as hercinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.