US3688914A

US3688914A - Display device

Info

Publication number: US3688914A
Application number: US98633A
Authority: US
Inventors: Russell E Taber
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-12-16
Filing date: 1970-12-16
Publication date: 1972-09-05
Anticipated expiration: 1989-09-05

Abstract

Hinge and separator structure for accommodating vertically stacked layers of merchandise adjacent a back panel. The hinge is a flat spring element having a transverse bend and secured to the back panel and the separator in such a way that it is movable to a horizontal position between vertical layers, and to a position exposing the lower layer when the upper layer of merchandise is removed. The separator may include a hinged portion and means for increasing the longitudinal rigidity of the rear portion only.

Description

United States Patent Taber Sept. 5, 1972 1 DISPLAY DEVICE [72] Inventor: Russell E. Taber, 501 Dogw0od Valley Drive, NE, Atlanta, Ga. 30305 [22] Filed: Dec. 16, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 98,633

[52] US. Cl ..211/49 S [51] Int. Cl. ..A47f 7/00 [58] Field of Search ..211/49 S; 248/291; 108/111, 108/59 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,161,158 12/1964 Lurey ..211/49SX 1,463,358 7/1923 Cordes ..248/291 2,637,445 5/1953 Patterson ..21 1 I49 S 2,852,143 9/1958 Taber ..211/49 S 3,433,445 3/1969 Downing ..248/291 2,928,551 3/1960 Abrams ..211/49 S 3,151,576 10/1964 Patterson ..108/111 X Primary Examiner-Nile C. Byers, Jr. Att0rney--Melville, Strasser, Foster & Hoffman ABSTRACT Hinge and separator structure for accommodating vertically stacked layers of merchandise adjacent a back panel. The hinge is a flat spring element having a transverse bend and secured to the back panel and the separator in such a way that it is movable to a horizontal position between vertical layers, and to a position exposing the lower layer when the upper layer of merchandise is removed. The separator may include a hinged portion and means for increasing the longitudinal rigidity of the rear portion only.

11 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures DISPLAY DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a display device arranged to accommodate vertically stacked layers of merchandise. Generally speaking, prior art devices of two distinct types have achieved widespread commercial success. On the one hand, the units disclosed in US. Pat No. 2,85 2,143 entitled DISPLAY DEVICE in the name of Russell E. Taber, contemplates the securing of a plurality of self-recoiling rolls of Mylar or the like to a back panel. When these rolls are uncoiled to a generally flat, horizontal position, they act as a separator between adjacent vertical stacks of merchandise. That is, the self-recoiling roll (sometimes called spring roll shelving) does not actually carry the weight of the product stacked upon it. The plastic material actually rests upon the layer of the merchandise below it, so that the material performs more of a stabilizing function between vertical tiers than a load carrying function.

The spring roll shelving of the Taber patent is ordinarily very thin, and has substantially no rigidity. Thus, while the spring roll shelving of the Taber patent is entirely satisfactory for use with soft drinks and the like packaged in six-bottle carriers, it is not well adapted for the display of bottled products having a relatively large bottom and a rather small top, such as soft drinks or the like in quart bottles, bleach, and so forth.

A second device achieving commercial success according to the prior art is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 2,637,445 in the name of Lawrence W. Patterson and entitled DISPLAY RACK FOR BOTTLED GOODS. This patent teaches a structure including a back panel to which a number of shelving units are hinged. As merchandise is removed from any given shelf, the empty shelf is spring urged to a generally vertical position against the panel.

This patent again contemplates that each of the shelves actually rests upon the merchandise below it, so that the shelf is not required to carry the full weight of the merchandise stacked upon it.-Clearly, however, the shelf units according to the Patterson patent are substantially more rigid than the spring roll shelving of the Taber patent.

Devices according to the general teachings of the Patterson patent are relatively expensive to construct and maintain. It will be apparent that variations in size of the device and/or merchandise call for variations in spring strength, shelf size, and so forth. None of these changes can conveniently be made by personnel on location. In addition, the device according to this patent is essentially designed for used with a single size of merchandise. That is, the pivot pointbetween the shelf member and the back panel must be precisely located with respect to the merchandise carried by the device. The feature of adjustability can be provided mechanically, but is expensive, requires careful adjustment, and in may instances is unsatisfactory.

Keeping the foregoing comments in mind, it is an object of the instant invention to provide a display device which will accommodate a large quantity of a wide range of different sized merchandise, and will display the merchandise so that it is continually available to the customer without obstructing shelves and the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention, broadly considered, relates to a display device for vertically stacked merchandise including a generally vertical back panel and a plurality of semi-rigid or rigid stack separatorshingedly secured to the back panel and movable to a generally horizontal position supported from below by the tops of a first layer of merchandise and maintained in the horizontal position by a second layer of merchandise carried on the separator element. The hinge securing the separator to the back panel is designed to normally urge the separator element to a vertical position against the back panel, thereby exposing the layer of merchandise below the separator.

The hinge structure of this invention contemplates a flat spring element having a transverse bend. The spring element is secured to the back panel and to the separator element so as to place a portion of the spring under tension to effect the normal biasing thereof.

The separator elements according to this invention may include two elements hingedly secured together along a line parallel to the back panel, so that when the shelf element swings upwardly toward the vertical position, the outer portion of the separator may fold back against the rear portion.

The invention also contemplates the provision of a semi-rigid stack separator with means for increasing the longitudinal rigidity of only a portion of the total separator element.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one separator element and the hinge structure according to this invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view showing three separate separator elements secured to a back panel.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the hinge structure according to this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The general arrangement of the display device of this invention can best be understood by referring first to FIG. 2. The device of this invention includes a base surface (not shown) upon which the lowermost layer or tier of merchandise 10 may be arranged, and a generally vertical back panel 12. It will of course be understood that in many instances, the base for supporting the lowermost layer of merchandise may in fact be the ordinary floor of the building in which the device is utilized. Similarly, the back panel 12 may be any generally vertical surface, such as the wall of the store or building, or the end wall of a conventional cabinet. It will become apparent hereinafter that the base serves to carry the weight of the merchandise, and the back panel provides both an abutment against which the vertical tiers can be stacked, as well as a surface to which the separators of this invention may be hingedly secured.

FIG. 2 shows three semi-rigid stack separators indicated generally at l4, l6, and 18, each of which is hingedly secured to the back panel 12. It will be observed that the lower most separator 14 is in a generally horizontal position. As indicated by the full line showing, it is resting upon the top of the lowermost layer of merchandise 10. It will be understood that the separator element will be held in this position by a second layer of merchandise stacked upon the separator 14.

As will be explained in more detail hereinafter, the hinge structure is effective to normally bias each of the separator elements to a generally vertical position against the back panel. For example, it will be observed that the separator element 16 is in the full vertical position, while the separator 18 has been biased upwardly, but cannot reach the full vertical position because of the overhanging fixed shelf 20.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 3, the individual stack separators will be secured to the back panel by means of the spring hinge indicated generally at 22. It will be seen in these Figures that the hinge is provided with a transverse end 24. In the embodiment shown, the bend is approximately 90 with a relatively small radius. The included angle of the bend 24 may vary within a relatively broad range. Empirical investigations have established that an included angle of at least about 80 and not more than about 135 will be satisfactory.

It has been discovered that the utilization of such a transverse bend will greatly increase the force of the spring material effective to urge the separator toward the vertical position. This makes'it possible to utilize substantially lighter gauge spring material than would be possible with an ordinary flat spring element. In addition, the use of such lighter material with the transverse bend will reduce the radius from the fastening point on the back panel when the separator is biased to the horizontal position. This is highly advantageous in that a large radius may tend to tilt the rearmost articles in the bottom layer of merchandise to a hazardous angle.

A variety of materials will be satisfactory for the spring hinge of this invention. For general commercial use, high grade stainless steel is very satisfactory. Exemplary devices utilizing 0.008 inch type 302 stainless steel have proven very satisfactory. From the practical standpoint, a bend 24 can be cold formed in such material without special tools or the like.

The radius of the bend 24 will also affect the upward force of the spring element. For example, a very small radius (1/16 inch or less) will provide a substantial increase in the upward force, while a larger radius (k inch) will provide a lesser force suitable for lighter or shorter separators, and/or light weight merchandise which might be dislodged if the separator was under high tension.

As seen in FIG. 3, the spring hinge element 22 may be trapezoidal in shape. It will be observed that the bend 24 is parallel to the bases of the trapezoid, and

that the smaller base of the trapezoid is secured to the separator shown in dashed lines.

Referring again to FIG. 2, it will be seen that the spring element 22 is fastened to the back panel 12 and each of the

separator elements

14, 16, and 18 so as to stress the portion of the spring element on each side of the bend 24 in a direction opposite to the bend. Thus, as will be apparent from a consideration of the three separators shown in this figure, the hinge spring element is effective to normally bias the separator upwardly toward the vertical position.

It will be recalled that near the outset of this specification, the stack separator elements were described as semi-rigid It will also be recalled that these separator elements perform a stabilizing function rather than a load carrying function as such. To this end, the separator elements may be formed from a wide variety of materials. For example, 0.030 inch thick vinyl plastic has been found perfectly satisfactory for commercial use. While this material is flexible, it is substandially more rigid than the material contemplated in the Taber patent referred to earlier.

In some circumstances, the semi-rigid separators and hinge structure of this invention may be used beneath permanent shelving of one kind or another. In such as case, as seen in FIG. 2, the flexible characteristic of the separator will permit it to be biased upwardly into a position partly underlying the fixed shelf. In this particular instance, or in any other situation utilizing relatively long separator elements, it is desirable to increase the longitudinal rigidity of the rear end of the separator. This may be accomplished by means of the

bends

26 and 28 in the separator 30 shown in FIG. 1. It will be seen that these bends run from a side edge of the separator to the rear edge.

Still another form of the separator element is exemplified by the element 16 in FIG. 2. The element 16 includes a rear portion 32 and an outer or front portion 34 hingedly secured together with strong tape 36. Thus, when the spring hinge 22 biases the separator element upwardly, the outer portion 34 will fold backwardly against the portion 32. This particular arrangement can. conveniently be utilized beneath rigid, overhanging shelves.

It is believed that the foregoing constitutes a full and complete disclosure of this invention, and no limita tions are to be inferred or implied except as specifically set forth in the claims that follow.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In a display device for stabilizing stacked merchandise including a back panel, at least one stack separator hingedly secured to said back panel and movable to a generally horizontal position supported from below by the tops of a first layer of merchandise and maintained in said generally horizontal position by a second layer of merchandise carried thereon,- and means biasing said separator to a position exposing said first layer of merchandise only when said second layer of merchandise is removed; the improved structure comprising:

a. a flat spring element having a transverse bend extending across said element;

b. means securing an edge of said element parallel to said bend to said back panel; and

c. means spaced from said first mentioned means for securing the opposite edge of said spring element to the rear edge of said separator.

2. The improved structure claimed in claim 1 wherein the included angle of said transverse bend is at least 80 and not more than 135.

3. The improved structure claimed in claim 1 wherein said spring element is of stainless steel.

4. The improved structure claimed in claim 1 wherein said transverse bend is cold formed.

5. The improved structure claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for securing said spring element to said back panel and said means for securing said spring element to said separator are effective to stress the portions of said spring element on each side of said bend in a direction opposite to said bend. v

6. The improved structure claimed in claim 1 wherein said spring element is trapezoidal in shape, said transverse bend being parallel to the bases of said trapezoid and the larger base of said trapezoid being secured to said back panel.

7. The improved structure claimed in claim 1 wherein said separator includes two portions hingedly secured together along a line parallel to said back panel.

8. The improved structure claimed in claim 1 wherein said separator includes means for increasing the longitudinal rigidity of only the rear portion thereof, said means comprising at least one bend in said separator, said bend extending from a side edge thereof to the rear edge thereof.

9. The improved structure claimed in claim 1 wherein the radius of said transverse bend is not more than about b inch.

10. In a display device for stabilizing stacked merchandise including a back panel, at least one stack separator hingedly secured to said back panel and movable to a generally horizontal position supported from below by the tops of a first layer of merchandise and maintained in said generally horizontal position by a second layer of merchandise carried thereon, and means for biasing said separator to a position exposing said first layer of merchandise only when said second layer of merchandise is removed; the improved structure comprising a first separator portion hingedly secured to said back panel; a second separator portion; and hinge means securing said first and second separator portions together along a line parallel to said back panel, whereby when said first separator portion is biased upwardly, said second separator portion will fold'back toward the underside of said first separator portion. I

11. The improved structure claimed in claim 10 for hingedly securing said separator to said back panel comprising a spring element, a transverse bend in said element spaced from the edges thereof, means securing an edge of said element parallel to said bend to said back panel, and means spaced from said first mentioned means for securing the opposite edge of said spring element to the rear edge of said separator.

Claims

1. In a display device for stabilizing stacked merchandise including a back panel, at least one stack separator hingedly secured to said back panel and movable to a generally horizontal position supported from below by the tops of a first layer of merchandise and maintained in said generally horizontal position by a second layer of merchandise carried thereon, and means biasing said separator to a position exposing said first layer of merchandise only when said second layer of merchandise is removed; the improved structure comprising: a. a flat spring element having a transverse bend extending across said element; b. means securing an edge of said element parallel to said bend to said back panel; and c. means spaced from said first mentioned means for securing the opposite edge of said spring element to the rear edge of said separator.

2. The improved structure claimed in claim 1 wherein the included angle of said transverse bend is at least 80* and not more than 135* .

5. The improved structure claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for securing said spring element to said back panel and said means for securing said spring element to said separator are effective to stress the portions of said spring element on each side of said bend in a direction opposite to said bend.

9. The improved structure claimed in claim 1 wherein the radius of said transverse bend is not more than about 1/2 inch.

10. In a display device for stabilizing stacked merchandise including a back panel, at least one stack separator hingedly secured to said back panel and movable to a generally horizontal position supported from below by the tops of a first layer of merChandise and maintained in said generally horizontal position by a second layer of merchandise carried thereon, and means for biasing said separator to a position exposing said first layer of merchandise only when said second layer of merchandise is removed; the improved structure comprising a first separator portion hingedly secured to said back panel; a second separator portion; and hinge means securing said first and second separator portions together along a line parallel to said back panel, whereby when said first separator portion is biased upwardly, said second separator portion will fold back toward the underside of said first separator portion.