JP7536287B2 - Card Holder - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a card holder that is attached to a product display shelf and holds product information cards.

Conventionally, this type of card holder is known to have a slot into which a card bearing product information can be slid in (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 55-050702 (Fig. 1, etc.)

In the conventional card holders described above, there is a need to prevent the card from falling out.

A first aspect of the invention made to achieve the above-mentioned object is a card holder that is attached to a product display fixture and stores a card bearing product information in a case portion where it is held in a visible state, the case portion having an insertion opening for inserting the card located on either the top surface or one of the sides, and the inner front and inner rear surfaces of the case portion are provided with at least one partial abutment portion that partially abuts against the front and rear surfaces of the card, deforming at least a portion of the card into a shape that is curved forward when viewed from a first direction, which is the direction of insertion into the case portion.

A second aspect of the invention is a card holder as described in the first aspect, in which the abutment surface with the card at a front partial abutment portion among the multiple partial abutment portions that abuts against the front surface of the card is positioned so as to be in the same plane as, or is positioned rearward of, the abutment surface with the card at a rear partial abutment portion that abuts against the rear surface of the card.

A third aspect of the invention is a card holder as described in the first or second aspect, wherein the insertion port is configured to be able to accept the card in a flat state, and a front partial abutment portion of the plurality of partial abutment portions that abut against the front surface of the card is provided with a front inclined portion that slopes to be positioned forward as it approaches the insertion port, and a rear partial abutment portion of the plurality of partial abutment portions that abut against the rear surface of the card is provided with a rear inclined portion that slopes to be positioned rearward as it approaches the insertion port.

A fourth aspect of the invention is a card holder described in any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the front wall of the case portion has a forwardly curved shape so that the central portion is located at the frontmost position when viewed from the first direction, and the multiple partial abutment portions deform the card into a forwardly curved shape so that the central portion is located at the frontmost position when viewed from the first direction .

A fifth aspect of the invention is the card holder according to any one of the first to fourth aspects , further comprising a groove portion that penetrates the case portion from front to rear on an opening edge of the insertion slot.

A sixth aspect of the invention is a card holder described in any one of the first to fifth aspects, in which the outer edge of the rear wall of the case portion is provided with a cutout portion that extends across adjacent surfaces and exposes the rear face of the card, and the front of the portion of the card whose rear face is exposed by the cutout portion is covered by the front wall of the case portion .

A seventh aspect of the invention is a card holder described in any one of the first to sixth aspects, having an external hook that protrudes from the rear surface of the case portion and then bends, and has an insertion groove into which an external card is inserted between the rear surface of the case portion, and a pair of rear protrusions that protrude from the rear surface of the case portion , face the openings at both ends of the insertion groove , and cooperate with the external hook to deform the external card into a warped shape .

According to the first aspect of the invention , the card stored in the case portion is deformed by the multiple partial abutment portions into a warped shape when viewed from the first direction, and the elastic force caused by the deformation acts in a direction perpendicular to the first direction (the card is pressed against the partial abutment portions), making it difficult for the card to move toward the insertion port due to friction, and preventing the card from falling out.

According to the second aspect of the invention , the contact surface with the card at the front partial contact portion, which is one of the multiple partial contact portions and which contacts the front surface of the card, is positioned so as to be in the same plane as the contact surface with the card at the rear partial contact portion, which contacts the rear surface of the card, or is positioned rearward, thereby making it easier to warp the card and ensuring that the card is held firmly.

According to the third aspect of the invention , the front and rear abutment portions are provided with front and rear inclined portions that are inclined as they approach the insertion port, so that by inserting the card from the insertion port to the back, the card can be smoothly curved by being guided by the front and rear inclined portions.

According to the fourth aspect of the invention , the front wall of the case portion is curved forward so that the center is located at the frontmost position, and the card also deforms into a curved forward shape so that the center is located at the frontmost position, making the card easier to see from the front than cards with ends that are aligned along the front or curved backwards.

According to the fifth aspect of the invention , a groove portion penetrating the case portion from front to back is provided at the opening edge of the insertion port, so that when the length of the card in the first direction is smaller than the length of the card in the first direction inside the case portion, it is easier to push the card toward the back.

According to the sixth aspect of the invention , the card can be removed by manipulating the portion of the card that is exposed through the cutout.

According to the seventh aspect of the invention , one card holder can hold both the card and the external card, so the installation space can be made more compact than when two card holders are installed on the product display fixture. Also, the external card is deformed to a curved state, so the external card is prevented from falling out.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a card holder according to the present disclosure; Back perspective view of the card holder Back perspective view of the card holder Side cross-sectional view of the card holder Top view of the card holder Front view of the card holder Cross-sectional view of the card holder Side cross-sectional view of the card holder Side cross-sectional view of the card holder Cross-sectional view of the card holder Enlarged cross-sectional view of the card holder and mold FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a card holder attached to a product display shelf; Back perspective view of the card holder

The card holder 10 of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to Figs. 1 to 13. The card holder 10 of the present disclosure shown in Fig. 1 is made of transparent resin, and is used by attaching it to a product display shelf 110 (corresponding to a "product display fixture" in the claims) of a retail store or the like, with a product information card 100 (corresponding to a "card" in the claims) containing product information stored in a visibly identifiable case portion 11. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, the left and right in Fig. 1 refer to the left and right of the card holder 10.

The case 11 is a flat case that opens upward, with the front wall 12 and rear wall 20 connected by a pair of side walls 25 and a bottom wall 30. The upper opening of the case 11 is an insertion port 11A through which the product information card 100 can be inserted and removed.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the card holder 10 is provided with a shelf mounting portion 60 on the rear surface of the rear wall 20 of the case portion 11. The shelf mounting portion 60 has an upper mounting portion 60A and a lower mounting portion 60B that protrude rearward from the entire left-right direction at a position that divides the case portion 11 into approximately three parts in the vertical direction. The upper mounting portion 60A extends rearward from the rear surface of the rear wall 20 and then bends downward, forming a shelf receiving recess 60U between the upper mounting portion 60A and the rear wall 20, the cross-sectional shape of which is a trapezoid superimposed on a circle (see Figure 4). The lower mounting portion 60B forms a ridge that extends in the left-right direction.

As shown in FIG. 2, a through hole 30K that is rectangular in plan view is formed in the center of the lower wall 30 in the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 4, the width of the through hole 30K in the front-rear direction is the same as the width between the front wall 12 and rear wall 20 of the case part 11. In other words, the through hole 30K is formed by directly extending the space between the front wall 12 and rear wall 20 of the case part 11 downward.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 5, the front wall 12 is curved forward so that the center of the left-right direction is located at the frontmost position when viewed from above. On the other hand, the rear wall 20 is flat. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the rear wall 20 has a rectangular cutout 21 cut out at the upper right corner. The cutout 21 is provided above the upper mounting portion 60A of the shelf mounting portion 60 on the rear wall 20, over a range of 1/4 to 1/5 of the left-right length from the right end, and extends to the right side wall 25. Also, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6, the front wall 12 and rear wall 20 of the case portion 11 have grooves 12M, 20M formed in the left-right center at the end on the side of the insertion opening 11A, which penetrate the case portion 11 from front to rear.

Now, the card holder 10 of this embodiment has a plurality of abutment protrusions 13, 22 (corresponding to the "partial abutment" in the claims) inside the case part 11. Specifically, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7, inside the case part 11, a pair of front abutment protrusions 13 (corresponding to the "front partial abutment" in the claims) protruding inward from the front wall 12 and a pair of rear abutment protrusions 22 (corresponding to the "rear partial abutment" in the claims) protruding inward from the rear wall 20 are formed. As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the front abutment protrusions 13 are formed on the inside of both corners between the front wall 12 and both side walls 25, from the lower wall 30 to a position near the upper end. In addition, the upper part of the front abutment protrusions 13 above a height slightly below the lower mounting part 60B is a front inclined part 13A that is inclined to be positioned forward as it approaches the insertion port 11A. In addition, the upper end of the front inclined portion 13 on the right side (the cutout portion 21 side) of the pair of front abutment protrusions 13 is positioned slightly below the cutout portion 21.

As shown in Figures 7 and 9, the pair of rear abutment ridges 22 are disposed near the left and right ends of the rear wall 20, i.e., between the pair of front abutment ridges 13, and extend from the lower wall 30 to a height near the upper end of the upper mounting portion 60A. The upper end of the rear abutment ridge 22 is located below the upper end of the left front abutment ridge 13 and slightly above the upper end of the right front abutment ridge 13. In addition, the portion of the rear abutment ridge 22 above a height slightly below the lower mounting portion 60B forms a rear inclined portion 22A that is inclined to be positioned rearward as it approaches the insertion opening 11A.

As shown in FIG. 9, the front abutment ridge 13 and the rear abutment ridge 22 overlap in the front-to-rear direction below the midpoints of the front inclined portion 13A and the rear inclined portion 22A. In other words, the rear end of the front abutment ridge 13 is located rearward of the front end of the rear abutment ridge 22. As a result, the product information card 100 stored in the case 11 partially abuts against the front abutment ridge 13 and the rear abutment ridge 22 as shown in FIG. 5, and is deformed into a forward warped state along the front wall 12. Also, the insertion opening 11A side portion of the case 11 does not have the front abutment ridge 13 and the rear abutment ridge 22 as described above, and the product information card 100 can be received in a flat state.

2 and 3, the card holder 10 has an advertisement holding section 50 together with a shelf mounting section 60 on the rear surface of the rear wall 20 of the case section 11. The advertisement holding section 50 has an external hook 51 that forms an insertion groove 50U between the rear wall 20. As shown in FIG. 4, the external hook 51 protrudes from the rear surface of the case section 11 together with the upper mounting section 60A, then bends upward at the position where the upper mounting section 60A bends downward, and extends slightly away from the rear surface of the case section 11. The upper end of the external hook 51 is located slightly below the upper end of the case section 11, and is bent backward so that the opening of the insertion groove 50U becomes larger. As shown in FIG. 2 and 3, the external hook 51 is disposed between the positions near both ends of the upper edge of the case section 11 except for the notch 21.

The advertisement holder 50 further has a pair of rear projections 52 that project from the rear of the case 11 at positions that sandwich the external hook 51 in the left-right direction. The rear projections 52 are triangular with rounded corners when viewed from the left-right direction. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the pair of rear projections 52 face the openings at both ends of the insertion groove 50U and slightly overlap the external hook 51 when viewed from the left-right direction. The left rear projection 52 of the pair of rear projections 52 is formed by extending from the left side wall 25. The advertisement holder 50 is capable of holding a product advertising card 101 (such as a so-called POP card, which corresponds to the "external card" in the claims) for advertising a product. When the product advertising card 101 is inserted from above into the insertion groove 50U, it is deformed by the external hook 51 and the pair of rear projections 52 so as to be warped forward when viewed from above.

As shown in FIG. 1, the card holder 10 of this embodiment has an auxiliary holding portion 31 at the lower end of the case portion 11. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 8, the auxiliary holding portion 31 is disposed at both left and right ends of the case portion 11, and has a horizontal portion 31A extending forward from the bottom wall 30, and a hook portion 31B standing upward from the front end of the horizontal portion 31A. The rear surface of the hook portion 31B is disposed slightly forward of the side edge of the front wall 12 of the case portion 11, and the upper end of the rear surface of the hook portion 31B forms a tapered portion 31C that is inclined forward. Also, a notch 12K is formed in the portion of the front wall 12 of the case portion 11 that corresponds to the auxiliary holding portion 31.

As shown in FIG. 10, the hook portion 31B of the auxiliary holding portion 31 partially overlaps with the center of the front wall 12 of the case portion 11 in the front-to-rear direction. As a result, when the other end of the product advertising card 101, one end of which is held by the advertising holding portion 50, is inserted between the front wall 12 of the case portion 11 and the auxiliary holding portion 31, the other end also deforms and warps forward. It is also possible to have the auxiliary holding portion 31 hold a product information card 100 that is larger than the case portion 11, and it is also possible to have the auxiliary holding portion 31 hold the product advertising card 101 without using the advertising holding portion 50.

The card holder 10 is manufactured by injection molding. In detail, as shown in FIG. 11, the card holder 10 is manufactured by injecting resin into an outer mold 120 while a thin plate-shaped inner mold 121 is housed therein. At this time, the inner mold 121 is butted against the outer mold 120 at the location where the through hole 30K of the lower wall 30 is to be formed, so that the inner mold 121 is prevented from being deformed by the pressure of the injected resin.

The above is the configuration of the card holder 10 of this embodiment. Next, the action and effect of the card holder 10 will be described. As described above, the card holder 10 is used by attaching it to the product display shelf 110 with the product information card 100 housed in the case portion 11. As shown in FIG. 12, the product display shelf 110 has a shape in which the standing wall 110B protrudes upward from the tip of the horizontal plate 110A, for example, and the card holder 10 is attached in a state in which the standing wall 110B is received in the shelf receiving recess 60U and the lower mounting portion 60B abuts against the front surface of the standing wall 110B. When the card holder 10 is attached to the product display shelf 110, the front surface of the card holder 10 is tilted slightly upward, making it easier to view the product information card 100 from the front. Note that the card holder 10 that already contains the product information card 100 may be attached to the product display shelf 110, or the product information card 100 may be stored in the card holder 10 after an empty card holder 10 is attached to the product display shelf 110.

The product information card 100 is inserted into the insertion port 11A from above, and then slid toward the back (downward) to be housed in the case 11 of the card holder 10. When the product information card 100 moves downward from the insertion port 11A, the front abutment ridge 13 and the rear abutment ridge 22 guide the center in the left-right direction forward and both ends backward. This causes the product information card 100 to deform into a shape that is curved forward, and an elastic force caused by the deformation of the product information card 100 is applied in the front-to-back direction (a force pressing against the front abutment ridge 13 and the rear abutment ridge 22), making it difficult for the product information card 100 to move in the sliding direction, and preventing the product information card 100 from falling out.

In addition, the front contact protrusion 13 and the rear contact protrusion 22 are formed with a front inclined portion 13A and a rear inclined portion 22A, so the product information card 100 can be smoothly warped simply by sliding it to the back. Moreover, the front contact protrusion 13 and the rear contact protrusion 22 extend downward from the middle in the vertical direction, and the insertion opening 11A can receive the product information card 100 in a flat state, so the product information card 100 can be smoothly inserted into the insertion opening 11A.

And because grooves 12M, 20M are formed in the front wall 12 and rear wall 20 of the case part 11, if the height (vertical length) of the product information card 100 is smaller than the height inside the case part 11, the product information card 100 can be easily pushed inwards, making it easier to abut the product information card 100 against the front abutment protrusions 13 and rear abutment protrusions 22. Also, if the height of the product information card 100 is large enough that it is exposed from the grooves 12M, 20M when it is pushed into the bottom wall 30, it is possible to remove the product information card 100 by pinching the exposed portion.

In addition, a cutout 21 is formed in the rear wall 20 of the case 11, extending all the way to the right side wall 25, so that the product information card 100 can be easily removed by manipulating the part of the product information card 100 exposed through the cutout 21. The part of the product information card 100 exposed through the cutout 21 is covered from the front by the front wall 12, so deformation of that part is suppressed. In addition, because the cutout 21 is located in the rear wall 20, it is prevented from looking worse than if it were located in the front wall 12. In addition, because the cutout 21 is located on the right side, it is easier for right-handed workers to work from the front.

In addition, a through hole 30K is formed in the bottom wall 30 of the case portion 11, so that when a user places his or her fingers in the through hole 30K and the grooves 12M and 20M, the card holder 10 is less likely to slip out of the hand, making it easier to attach and detach the card holder 10 to and from the product display shelf 110.

In this embodiment, the front abutment ridge 13 and the rear abutment ridge 22 cause the product information card 100 to bend forward when viewed from above, and the front wall 12 also bends forward when viewed from above, making the product information card 100 easier to see from the front.

The card holder 10 is also provided with an advertisement holding section 50, which allows one card holder to hold both the product information card 100 and the product advertising card 101, thereby making the installation space more compact than when two card holders are attached to the product display shelf 110. The product advertising card 101 attached to the advertisement holding section 50 is deformed by the hook section 31B and the rear projection 52 so that it warps forward, and the elastic force caused by this deformation is applied in the front-to-rear direction, which secures the product advertising card 101 and prevents it from falling out. The insertion groove 50U of the advertisement holding section 50 widens upward, and the rear projection 52 is triangular with an inclined upper surface, making it easier to insert the product advertising card 101 into the advertisement holding section 50.

In addition, in this embodiment, the lower end of the case part 11 has an auxiliary holding part 31, and one end of the product advertising card 101 is held in the advertising holding part 50 while the other end is held in the lower end of the case part 11, making it possible to attach the product information card 100 in a hidden manner. At this time, the other end of the product advertising card 101 is deformed so as to bend forward by the front wall 12 of the case part 11 and the auxiliary holding part 31, and an elastic force due to this deformation is applied in the front-to-rear direction, so that the other end of the product advertising card 101 is held more firmly, and the product advertising card 101 is more likely to be prevented from falling out.

[Other embodiments]
(1) In the above embodiment, the card holder 10 is made of transparent resin. However, the card holder 10 may be made of a non-transparent material, and the front wall 12 may be in the shape of a frame that exposes the product information card 100 .

(2) In the above embodiment, the insertion port 11A is disposed on the top surface of the case portion 11, but it may be disposed on the side surface. In this case, the front abutment ridge 13 and the rear abutment ridge 22 extend in the left-right direction.

(3) The device may be configured to be attached to a product display fixture that is not a shelf-shaped product display fixture, but rather one in which products are hung or leaned against it.

(4) The rear end of the front abutment ridge 13 and the front end of the rear abutment ridge 22 may be arranged to be in the same plane, or the rear end of the front abutment ridge 13 may be arranged forward of the front end of the rear abutment ridge 22 by an amount less than the plate thickness of the product information card 100. Even in this case, the product information card 100 has a warped shape, preventing the product information card 100 from falling out.

(5) In the above embodiment, the product information card 100 is configured to bend forward when viewed from above, but it may be configured to bend backward. In other words, the front abutment protrusion 13 may be disposed between a pair of rear abutment protrusions 22.

(6) The advertisement storage unit 50 does not have to be provided.

(7) In the above embodiment, the card holder 10 is a one-piece molded product. However, for example, a front part having the front wall 12 and a rear part having the rear wall 20 may be molded separately and then assembled. Also, the front wall 12 and the rear wall 20 may be connected by a hinge and be folded to form the card holder 10.

(8) In the above embodiment, the front contact ridge 13 and the rear contact ridge 22 extending in the vertical direction are provided, but the front and rear contact portions may be arranged offset in the vertical direction.

(9) The front abutment ridge 13 and the rear abutment ridge 22 may extend to the upper end of the case portion 11.

(10) In the above embodiment, the product information card 100 is generally curved forward so that the center in the left-right direction is located at the frontmost position, but it may be configured so that only a portion of it is curved forward.

(11) The number of front abutment ridges 13 may be one or three or more. Similarly, the number of rear abutment ridges 22 may be one or three or more. In addition, the number of front abutment ridges 13 and the number of rear abutment ridges 22 may be different.

Note that although specific examples of the technology included in the scope of the claims are disclosed in this specification and drawings, the technology described in the claims is not limited to these specific examples, but includes various modifications and variations of the specific examples, as well as parts of the specific examples taken separately.

10 Card holder 11 Case portion 11A Insertion opening 12 Front wall 12M, 20M Groove portion 13 Front abutment protrusion (front portion abutment portion)
13A Front inclined part 20 Rear wall 21 Notch part 22 Rear side contact protrusion (rear side partial contact part)
22A Rear inclined portion 31 Auxiliary holding portion 50 Advertising holding portion 51 External hook 52 Rear projection 100 Product information card (card)
101 Product advertising card (external card)
110 Product display shelf (product display fixture)

Claims (7)

A card holder that is attached to a product display fixture and holds a card containing product information in a case portion so that the card can be viewed,
The case has an insertion opening for inserting the card, the insertion opening being disposed on either an upper surface or one side surface of the case,
at least one partial abutment portion is provided on each of an inner front surface and an inner rear surface of the case portion, the partial abutment portion being adapted to partially abut against a front surface and a rear surface of the card, and to deform at least a portion of the card into a shape warped forward as viewed from a first direction that is an insertion direction into the case portion ,
the insertion port is configured to be able to receive the card in a flat state;
a front partial contact portion of the plurality of partial contact portions that contacts a front surface of the card is provided with a front inclined portion that is inclined toward the front side as it approaches the insertion opening,
A card holder in which a rear partial contact portion, among the plurality of partial contact portions, that contacts the rear surface of the card is provided with a rear inclined portion that is inclined so as to be positioned rearward as it approaches the insertion opening . A card holder that is attached to a product display fixture and holds a card containing product information in a case portion so that the card can be viewed,
The case has an insertion opening for inserting the card, the insertion opening being disposed on either an upper surface or one side surface of the case,
at least one partial abutment portion is provided on each of an inner front surface and an inner rear surface of the case portion, the partial abutment portion being adapted to partially abut against a front surface and a rear surface of the card, and to deform at least a portion of the card into a shape warped forward as viewed from a first direction that is an insertion direction into the case portion,
an external hook that protrudes from a rear surface of the case and then bends, and has an insertion groove between the rear surface of the case and an external card, into which the external card is inserted;
a pair of rear projections protruding from the rear surface of the case portion, facing openings at both ends of the insertion groove, and cooperating with the external hook to deform the external card into a warped shape; A card holder that is attached to a product display fixture and holds a card containing product information in a case portion so that the card can be viewed,
The case has an insertion opening for inserting the card, the insertion opening being disposed on either an upper surface or one side surface of the case,
the front wall of the case is curved forward so that a center portion in a left-right direction is located at the frontmost side,
The card holder has at least one partial abutment portion on each of the inner front and inner rear surfaces of the case portion, which partially abuts against the front and rear surfaces of the card, deforming the card into a forward-warped shape so that the center of the card in the left-right direction is positioned at the frontmost side . A card holder that is attached to a product display fixture and holds a card containing product information in a case portion so that the card can be viewed,
The case has an insertion opening for inserting the card, the insertion opening being disposed on either an upper surface or one side surface of the case,
a front wall of the case portion has a shape warped forward so that a center portion in a second direction perpendicular to a first direction, the second direction being a direction in which the card is inserted into the case portion, is located at the frontmost side,
A card holder in which at least one partial abutment portion is provided on each of the inner front and inner rear surfaces of the case portion, which partially abuts against the front and rear surfaces of the card, deforming the card into a forward-warped shape so that the center of the card in the second direction is positioned at the frontmost side . A card holder that is attached to a product display fixture and holds a card containing product information in a case portion so that the card can be viewed,
a front wall of the case portion covers the entire inside of an outer edge portion of the card from the front;
The case has an insertion opening for inserting the card, the insertion opening being disposed on either an upper surface or one side surface of the case,
A card holder in which at least one partial abutment portion is provided on each of the inner front and inner rear surfaces of the case portion, which partially abuts against the front and rear surfaces of the card, deforming at least a portion of the card into a forward-warped shape when viewed from a first direction, which is the direction of insertion into the case portion. 6. The card holder according to claim 1, further comprising a groove extending through the case from front to rear on an opening edge of the insertion opening . A card holder as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the outer edge of the rear wall of the case portion is provided with a cutout portion arranged across adjacent surfaces to expose the rear face of the card, and the front face of the portion of the card whose rear face is exposed by the cutout portion is covered by the front wall of the case portion .

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