WO2004071247A1

WO2004071247A1 - Wire member for display purposes

Info

Publication number: WO2004071247A1
Application number: PCT/EP2003/050041
Authority: WO
Inventors: Daniël DAUWE
Original assignee: N.V. Bekaert S.A.
Priority date: 2003-01-31
Filing date: 2003-03-05
Publication date: 2004-08-26
Also published as: AU2003219144A1; AU2003209756A1; WO2004066790A1

Abstract

A wire member (10) for display or fixing purposes comprises a first leg (12) and second leg (14). The first leg (12) is connected to the second leg (14) by a center bending (16). The first leg (12) has a first middle part (18) and a first end (20). The second leg (14) has a second middle part (22) and a second end (24). The first end (20) forms a first U-shape or V-shape and the second end (24) forms a second U-shape or V-shape. The first U-shape or V-shape comprises a first upper part (26) and a first under part (28). The second U-shape or V-shape comprises a second upper part (30) and a second under part (32). The first U-shape or V-shape and the second U-shape or V-shape are adapted to releasably fix the wire member (10) to one or more tension members (50) to form a display system. The display system is flexible and transparent.

Description

Field of the invention.

The present invention relates to a wire member for display or fixing purposes and to a display system comprising such a wire member.

Background of the invention.

Display systems comprising wire members, e.g. in the forms of hooks or clips, are known in the art. For example, FR-A1 -2 596 630 and JP-A-2002/078578 disclose a display system where a wire hook is releasably attached to a wire net consisting of horizontal wires and vertical wires welded together. These display systems offer a lot of advantages since the wire hooks can be attached at various places on the wire net. Having regard, however, to the dense structure of the wire net, the display system lacks some transparency, i.e. when installedjust after a shop window, the merchandise shown on the display system is clearly visible but all merchandise installed at the back of the display system lacks the required visibility. The problem is even worse in display systems where the wire hooks are releasably attached in a pegboard or perforated panel, such as disclosed in US-A-3,640,497. Here the visibility through the display system is even non existent.

Summary of the invention.

It is an object of the present invention to avoid the drawbacks of the prior art.

It is another object of the present invention to increase the visibility through display systems. It is a further object of the present invention to increase the flexibility of display systems.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a wire member for display purposes. The wire member comprises a first leg and a second leg. The first leg is connected to the second leg by a center bending, which is also called the "nose". The first leg has a first middle part and a first end. The second leg has a second middle part and a second end. The first end is in a first U-shape or V- l shape and comprises a first upper part and a first under part. The second end is in a second U-shape or a V-shape and comprises a second upper part and a second under part. The first U-shape or V- shape and the second U-shape or V-shape are adapted to releasably fix the wire member to one or more tension members.

Due to the first end and second end being in a U-shape or V-shape, the wire member can be clamped in tension members, which run, for example, in a vertical direction. Although wires in a horizontal direction are not excluded, there is no need for wires to run in horizontal direction.

If horizontal wires are provided nonetheless and if these horizontal wires are fixed in one or another way to the vertical wires, e.g. by means of welding, a higher clamping force of the wire member is possible resulting in higher possible loads on the wire member.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the first leg and the second leg completely lie in a same plane, called the leg plane. In the final display system this plane is to be vertical . One leg forms a support for the other leg. The first middle part and / or the second middle part may be straight. The rounded center bending preferably points upwards so as to form a type of border and to enable to hang articles on it.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the first upper part and the second upper part define an upper plane, intended to be a horizontal plane in the final display system. The first under part and the second under part leave the upper plane.

The first leg of the wire member may be parallel or not to the second leg of the wire member.

The releasable fixation of the wire members to one or more tension members may be realized by means of notches. Various notches facilitate the fixing of the wire members to the tension members. The first upper part may comprise a first notch and the second upper part may comprise a second notch.

The left under part may comprise a third notch and the second under part may comprise a fourth notch. Preferably, if the first notch is at the right side the third notch may be at the left side and vice versa, in order to clamp the wire member in a better way to the tension members.

Similarly, if the second notch is at the right side the fourth notch may be at the left side and vice versa, in order to clamp the wire member in a better way to the tension members.

Other notches may be provided next to the described ones. This allows the wire member to take various positions, e.g. with an upward or downward inclined position of the upper plane.

In a preferable embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the wire member is a flat metal wire. In comparison with a round wire, it is easier to make notches in a flat wire.

In another embodiment of the invention, the wire member is a flat wire and the first middle part is substantially perpendicular to the above-mentioned plane. The first leg is twisted over more than 30°, e.g. about 90° , between the first middle part and the first end. The second middle part is substantially perpendicular to the mentioned upper plane. The second leg is twisted over more than 30°, e.g. 90°, between the second middle part and the second end.

Due to the twisting of the flat wire and due to the first middle part and the second middle part being perpendicular to the upper plane, the wire member exercises a directed springy force, which facilitates the fixing to the tension members.

Next to a flat wire, other forms of cross-section are possible, for example, a wire with a rectangular cross-section or a wire with a square cross-section

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a display system, which comprises one or more tension members and further comprises one or more wire members according to the first aspect of the invention. The wire members are releasably fixed to said tension members.

In an embodiment of the display system the tension members run substantially parallel to each other, for example, the tension members run substantially vertical.

As already mentioned, there is no need anymore for other members running in another direction as the tension members. As a result, the display system is less dense than a wire net and has more transparency.

In a preferable embodiment of the second aspect of the invention, the display system comprises more than one tension member. The wire members are of the type with both the first leg and the second leg in a same leg plane. The middle part of the first leg is straight and the center bending points upward to form a border. A board may lie on the first middle parts.

The wire member according to the invention can not only function for displaying merchandise but can also fix or attach objects to tension members or to a grid, e.g. fixing a feeding device or a drinking box to a wire cage.

Brief description of the drawings.

The invention will now be described into more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein

FIGURE 1 shows a first embodiment of a wire member according to the first aspect of the invention ; - FIGURE 2 shows a second embodiment of a wire member according to the first aspect of the invention ;

FIGURE 3 shows a first example of a display system according to the second aspect of the invention ;

FIGURE 4 shows a second example of a display system according to the second aspect of the invention ; FIGURE 5 shows a third example of a display system according to the second aspect of the invention.

Description of the preferred embodiments of the invention.

FIGURE 1 shows a first embodiment of a wire member 10 according to the first aspect of the present invention. The wire member comprises a first leg 12 and a second leg 14. The first leg 12 is connected to the second leg by means of a center bending 16, also called the "nose", where merchandise can be fixed or be hung in order to be displayed. The first leg 12 has a first middle part 18 and a first end 20. Similarly the second leg 14 has a second middle part 22 and a second end 24. The first end 20 is U-shaped resulting in a first upper part 26 and a first under part 28. Similarly the second end 24 is U-shaped resulting in a second upper part 30 and a second under part 32.

The wire member 10 is a flat wire and has been twisted twice, a first time over about 90° between the first middle part 18 and the first end 20 and a second time between the second middle part 22 and the second end 24.

In this embodiment, the radius of curvature of the U-shapes or V- shapes must not be too small in order to prevent the steel wire from breaking. On the other hand, the radius of curvature of the U-shapes or V-shapes must not be too great in order not to loose a gripping power to the tension members.

The first upper part 26 is provided with a first notch 34 at the right side and the left under part 28 is provided with a third notch 38 at the left side. The second upper part 30 is provided with a second notch 36 at the left side and the right under part 32 is provided with a fourth notch 40 at the right side.

The function of the first, second, third and fourth notch is to facilitate the fixing of the wire member 10 to tension members. The wire member 10 can be made out of high-carbon steel or out of a stainless steel. Titanium, magnesium and aluminum wire members may also be provided. Synthetic wire members are not excluded neither. As a result of the material choice, the wire member can function as a spring. When pushed together to a certain extent, i.e. the first leg 1 2 in the right direction and the second leg in the left direction without plastically deforming, the wire member will try to regain its original shape. This springy force also facilitates the fixing of the wire member 10 to tension members in a display system.

Examples of dimensions of a steel wire member are :

7.2 mm x 1 .0 mm ;

4.0 mm x 2.0 mm. More generally, as a matter of example, the wire width may vary from

2.0 mm to 10.0 mm, and the wire thickness may vary from 0.2 mm to 2.5 mm.

The wire member 10 may be colored, e.g. by providing the wire member 10 with a colored lacquer or by coating the wire member with a colored polymer such as polyvinylchloride, polyester or polyamide. For example, the colors may indicate the allowed load on the wire members.

FIGURE 2 shows a second embodiment of a wire member 10 according to the first aspect of the present invention. The difference with the first embodiment of FIGURE 1 is only that the notches are now present at the opposite sides. More particularly, the first upper part 26 is provided with a first notch 42 at the left side and the left under part 28 is provided with a third notch 46 at the left side. The second upper part 30 is provided with a second notch 44 at the left side and the right under part 48 is provided with a fourth notch 40 at the right side.

As an alternative embodiment of the wire member 10, the nose or center bending16 may be lifted upwards, leaving the mentioned plane, in order to facilitate the supporting of merchandise to be displayed.

FIGURE 3 shows a display system comprising a number of parallel running tension members 50, 52, 54 and 56. A wire member 10 is releasably fixed to tension members 50 and 56 at the level of the first notch 34, the second notch 36, the third notch 38 (fourth notch 40 not shown) .

The tension members 50, 52, 54, 56 can be wires put under tension or tensioned ropes. These wires or ropes can be made of steel such as high-carbon steel or stainless steel . They can be tensioned inside a frame (not shown) by any known means. This frame can be metallic or out of a synthetic material. As with the wire member 10, the tension members 50, 52, 54 and 56 may also be colored, e.g. by means of a lacquer or by means of a colored polymer.

An esthetic alternative is to provide the tension members with a bright-galvanized coating.

The tension members 50, 52, 54, 56 generally run parallel to each other, e.g. vertically. However, obliquely running tension members are also possible.

FIGURE 4 shows a second example of a display system where the wire member 10 is flat steel wire, which is not twisted. The first leg 12 and the second leg 14 lie in a vertical leg plane. The oblique second leg 14 supports the first leg 12. The center bending 16 is lifted upwards and forms a border. The first end 20 has an upper part 26 and an under part 28 which are resp. provided with notches 60 and 58 to fix the wire member to a tension member 50. Notches 58 and 60 are provided at both sides of the flat wire. Similarly the second end 24 has an upper part 30 and an under part 32 which are resp. provided with notches 62 and 64 to fix the wire member to a same tension member 50. Here again, notches 62 and 64 are provided at both sides of the flat wire. The first middle part 18 of the first leg 12 is straight and forms a horizontal plane with a corresponding middle part of an adjacent wire member (not shown) . Board 66 indicated in hatched lines may lie on this horizontal plane. Various types of merchandise may lie on this board (not shown) .

FIGURE 5 shows a third example of a display system according to the second aspect of the invention. The third example is quite similar with the second example of FIGURE 4. The difference with FIGURE 4 is that in FIGURE 5 the first end 20 with the U-shape is now turned upwards instead of downwards and the second end 24 with the second U-shape is now turned downwards instead of upwards. Here also a board 66 (shown in hatched lines) may be put on the horizontal plane. Alternatively to the board 66 or in combination with the board 66, merchandise 68 (shown in hatched lines) may be hung at the central bending or nose 16.

Claims

CLAI MS

1 . A wire member for display or fixing purposes, said member comprising a first leg and a second leg, said first leg being connected to said second leg by a center bending, said first leg having a first middle part and a first end, said second leg having a second middle part and a second end, said first end forming a first U-shape or V-shape, said second end forming a second U-shape or V-shape, said first U-shape or V-shape comprising a first upper part and a first under part, said second U-shape or V-shape comprising a second upper part and a second under part, said first U-shape or V-shape and said second U-shape or V-shape being adapted to releasably fix the wire member to one or more tension members.

2. A wire member according to claim 1 wherein both said first leg and said second leg completely lie in a same leg plane.

3. A wire member according to claim 2 wherein said first middle part is straight.

4. A wire member according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said center bending points upward so as to form a border.

5. A wire member according to claim 1 , said first upper part and said second upper part defining an upper plane.

6, A wire member according to claim 5, wherein said first under part and said second under part leaving said upper plane.

7. A wire member according to any one of the preceding claims, said first upper part comprising a first notch, said second upper part comprising a second notch, said first notch and said second notch being adapted to releasably fix the wire member to one or more tension members.

8. A wire member according to any one of the preceding claims, said left under part comprising a third notch, said right under part comprising a fourth notch, said third and fourth notch being adapted to releasably fix the wire member to one or more tension members.

9. A wire member according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said wire member is a flat wire.

10. A wire member according to any one of claims 6 to 8, said wire member being a flat wire, said first middle part being substantially perpendicular to said upper plane, said first leg being twisted over more than 30° between said first middle part and said first end, said second middle part being substantially perpendicular to said upper plane, said second leg being twisted over more than 30° between said second middle part and said second end.

1 1 . A display system, comprising one or more tension members and comprising one or more wire members according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein said wire members are releasably fixed to said tension members.

12. A display system according to claim 1 1 , said display system comprising more than one tension member and wherein said tension members run substantially parallel to each other.

3. A display system according to claim 1 1 , said display system comprising more than one tension member and wherein said wire members are wire members according to claim 3 or 4 and wherein said display system further comprises a board lying on said straight first middle parts.