WO2012115683A1

WO2012115683A1 - Food display rack

Info

Publication number: WO2012115683A1
Application number: PCT/US2011/047029
Authority: WO
Inventors: Norton J. Cooper
Original assignee: St. Dalfour International Incorporated
Priority date: 2011-02-25
Filing date: 2011-08-09
Publication date: 2012-08-30

Abstract

A food display rack is provided which will sit on the inclined surface of a fruit or vegetable display case. The rack has a tray for holding food containers in a horizontal orientation. A front leg extends downward from the front of the tray with a rear leg extending downward from the back of the tray. The two legs are uneven in length so as to sit on the incline surface of a display case whereby the tray held by the legs is in a horizontal position. The rear leg has a portion which extends above the tray to hold an advertising panel. A support foot extends beyond the bottom edge of each leg to engage the display surface incline. Each foot has a tapered engagement surface, tapered at the angle of incline of the display surface.

Description

FOOD DISPLAY RACK

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a rack or tray for displaying jars, cans, and other containers in the middle of a produce display.

Grocery store produce departments use a substantial amount of floor space for produce display cases. In addition, grocery store employees spend a considerable amount of time arranging the produce displays to present the produce in the most appealing manner. A fruit display will be presented with varieties of fruit grouped together. Often times the fruit is cleaned, sometimes polished, and then sorted for the best skin (surface) presentation. Sometimes the fruit is presented in an arrangement of a single layer thick. Other times it is presented in a stacked arrangement as if it just tumbled out of a basket, fresh from the farm.

Produce display cases often have inclined surfaces to hold the produce for presentation. These inclined surfaces create for the customer a visual presentation of a plentiful supply of produce which also provides a viewing angle permitting a customer to readily view each item in the display case. Generally, there are two different types of inclines used in these produce display cases. The first is a continuous or smooth incline. The second is a stepped incline. Smooth incline surfaces are often inclined at an angle of between 20 and 30 degrees from horizontal. Stepped incline surfaces are often inclined at an angle of between 45 and 60 degrees from horizontal. While these incline angles are commonplace, other displays may be used with incline angles other than these ranges.

In order to increase sales, grocery stores would like to engage in tie-in marketing. This tie-in marketing presents other items often associated with produce consumption. Customers often eat dipping sauces, jellies, chocolate, seasonal flavorings, candy coatings, dressings and other liquid seasonings, herbs, shredded cheeses, and other such items with produce. These associated products are packaged in jars, cans, and other containers. A problem for a grocery store is that the displays for these associated products are separated from the actual produce displays and often shelved in a different section of the store. As a result, the customer initiative to purchase these associated products is lessened.

A second problem is that the shelves for these associated products take up additional floor space, and the presentation of the products on their shelves can be rather bland, if not outright mundane and unimaginative.

An objective of the present invention is to provide more shelf space in a grocery store without taking up more floor space.

A second objective of the present invention is to provide a visually pleasing presentation of the additional products associated with the produce in close proximity to a display case holding the produce, so as to draw an immediate connection in a customer's mind.

A third objective is to provide a visually dramatic use of space with a spatial impact on the customer.

An even further objective is to provide an advertising space in close proximity to the produce in its display case.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The objectives of the present invention are realized in a display rack for holding the associated food products within the confines (bounds) of a produce display case in close proximity to the produce items themselves. This display rack holds the associated food products directly above the presentation of the produce items in the display case, and includes an advertising panel for displaying an appealing use of the associated products with the produce. By suspending the display rack directly above the produce, such as varieties of fruit, the customer's view is drawn to the produce, the associated products and the advertising suggestions. Since the display rack of the invention will present the associated food product containers within the bounds of a fruit display case itself, no additional floor space is needed for shelving the containers. Moreover, the display rack includes a product holding tray which is held above the inclined surface of the display case so as to minimally disrupt the produce (fruit) presentation in the display case while being in intimate association with the produce.

The food display rack tray holds the food containers in a horizontal orientation (position) when the rack is mounted to and/or sits on an incline surface of a food display case for fruit or vegetables. The tray is held above the incline of the display surface within the bounds of the display case by a plurality of uneven length legs which engage the inclined display surface of the case.

These legs are sized in length to accommodate the incline angle of the display case surface so as to hold the container tray above the food presentation in the display case. The legs can also be sized in length according to the depth of the food held in the display case in order to hold the tray above the food presentation.

An advertising panel is held above the end of the tray at the rear of the display rack.

The tray has a container support surface and a side enclosure extending about the perimeter of the support surface to prevent food containers from slipping off the tray support surface. A plurality of perforations extend though the support surface of the tray to provide for drainage.

An elongated foot is attached to the bottom of each leg to provide enhanced stability and to inhibit the sidewise tipping of the display rack. Each foot has a tapered contacting surface which is tapered at the incline angle of the display case.

Each leg may have an extension arm which changes its length in order to adapt the invention to various incline angles. Auxiliary side rails may be installed when food containers, which easily tip over, are held in the tray of the invention.

Alternately, a bottom foot may be used which is a rectangular plate with an adjustment for angle of extension. A rubber or elastomeric surface can cover the contacting face of the rectangular plate. This rubber and/or elastomeric surface creates a friction with the inclined surface of the display case thereby further stabilizing the invention when installed. A releasable adhesive surface may be employed between the rectangular plate and the surface of the display case.

As an alternative, suction cups may replace the rectangular plate at the bottom of each support leg.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features, advantages and operation of the present invention will become readily apparent and further understood from a reading of the following detailed description with the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer to like elements, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the food display rack of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the rack shown in Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 3 is a back view of the rack, as seen from the left of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a front view of the rack, as seen from the right of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a top, plan view of the rack;

Fig. 6 is a side view of the rack shown in Fig. 1 with the auxiliary side rails installed; Fig. 7 is a partial front view of the bottom of the front leg of the rack with the extension arms and alternate rectangular plate bottom foot in place;

Fig. 7a is a partial side view of the extension arms and alternate bottom foot of Fig. 7; Fig. 8 is a partial side view of the bottom of the front leg of the rack with the extension arms and alternate suction cup feet in place;

Fig. 8a is a partial side view of the extension arms and alternate suction cup feet of Fig.

8;

Fig. 9 shows the invention installed on an inclined smooth surface of a fruit display case; and

Fig. 10 shows the invention installed on an inclined stepped surface of a vegetable display case.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a display rack for displaying food containers within the bounds of a produce (fruit) display case with the containers held in a horizontally extending tray above the fruit presentation in the case. The rack 1 , Fig. 1 , has a tray member 13 for holding food stuffs associated with the consumption of the fruit. These food stuffs are packaged in jars, cans, paper containers and other types of containers and held in the tray 13, which tray 13 remains in a horizontal orientation.

The rack 1 1 , Figs. 1 -5, supports the tray 13 with a front leg 15, and a rear leg 17. The tray 13 is elongate, rectangular in shape and carries a plurality of through drain holes 19 extending along its right-hand and left-hand sides. The front leg 15 extends downward from the tray 13 and is attached thereto, while the rear leg 17 is attached to the tray 13 to extend downward and upward above the tray 13 to hold a rectangular advertising panel 21.

The tray 13 has a perimeter partial wall 23 to keep containers from slipping off of the tray 13 top support surface. The front and rear leg attachments to the tray 13 include braces 25. These braces 25 can have a square, rectangular or triangular cross-section. An elongate foot 27 is attached to the bottom of each leg 15, 17. This foot 27 extends beyond the dimensions of each leg 15, 17 to add lateral stability and to inhibit the rack 1 1 from tipping sidewise.

Each foot 27 has a tapered bottom surface 29 which has an angle to match the incline angle of the display case on which the rack 1 1 is mounted.

When the containers held in the tray 13 are considered potentially unstable, a pair of auxiliary side rails 31 , Fig. 6, can be attached to the rear leg 17 above the tray 13 support surface, with one on either side of the rack 1 1 , in order to meet each container in the tray at about mid-height in order to prevent the sidewise tipping of the containers. These auxiliary side rails are fastened to the rear leg 17 with a fastener 33 extending through a predrilled hole 35, Fig. 1. The other end of each auxiliary side rail 31 is supported by a vertical pin 37 inserted into a pre-drilled hole 39 in the front end of each side perimeter wall 23.

The elongate feet 27 are rectangular rods with a bottom tapered surface 29. The front and rear legs 15, 17 are rectangular plates of uneven, fixed length. The length of each leg 15, 17 can be extended with the use of extension arms 41 , Figs. 7-8a. Each of these arms 41 is an elongate bar which is attached to the bottom of each leg 15, 17 with a fastener 43. An adjustment in the length of extension of each arm 41 is accommodated by an elongate slot 45 extending along each leg 15, 17.

As an alternative to the rod shaped feet 27, a flat rectangular plate 47, Figs. 7-7a, can be used to contact the inclined surface of a display case. A plate 47 is attached to the end of each extension arm 41. As an alternative to a bare plate, a rubber or elastomeric pad 49 is mounted on the bottom of each plate 47. As an alternative to the pad 49, the bottom surface of each plate 47 is roughed. As a further alternative, a releasable adhesive 49 (not shown) is applied to the bottom face of each plate 47. The incline angle for a plate 47 is achieved with a pivoting support arm 51 , Figs. 7-8a, which has a pivot angle adjustment 53.

As an alternative to a pivoting plate 47, a pivoting suction cup 55 is attached to the end of each extension arm 41. Figs. 7 and 8 each show a pair of extension arms 41 , for each leg 15, 17. However, these can be replaced by a single extension arm 41 , with the extension function remaining just as operative.

The rack 1 1 can be made of many types of materials, including, metals such as aluminum, stainless steel, and painted metal. The rack 1 1 can also be made of thermoplastic material or of wood. Many upscale grocery stores prefer constructing their produce display cases from an appealing wood. The rack 1 1 can also be made of such types of woods, such as medium pecan colored Bubinga wood, Okan wood, Kroko wood, or Teak wood.

Figs. 9 shows the uneven-legged rack 1 1 supported on the continuous tapered incline of a fruit display case. Fig. 10 shows the uneven-legged rack 1 1 supported on the stepped incline of a vegetable display case.

While the rack may be made of any size, a convenient size for the rack is to have the front leg 15 be a plate about 12 inches long by about 3.25 inches wide and about 0.31 inches thick. The rear leg 17 is a plate about 16.5 inches long by about 3.25 inches wide and about 0.31 inches thick, with about 4 inches extending below the tray 13 and about 12.5 inches above the tray 13. The tray 13 has the same thickness as the front and rear legs 15, 17. The tray is about 18 inches long and about 2.5 inches wide at its support surface. The perimeter walls 23 are about 0.62 inches high and about 0.31 inches thick. The advertising panel 21 is about 6 inches wide by 3 inches high, with a thickness of about 0.25 inches. The rectangular rod feet 27 are about 4.5 - 5.0 inches long and about 0.75 inch on a side.

These dimensions are by way of example. Any of them can be changed and remain within the scope and intent of the invention. The invention provides several advantages to any grocery store. It permits the presentation for sale of products without the use of additional floor space. This is accomplished by suspending the product containers in the air space above the produce displayed within the confines of a display case. The invention also provides an advertising panel in the same air space above the produce displayed within the confines of a display case. The invention provides for a dramatic presentation of both the fruit produce and the other food products often associated with the produce consumption.

Changes can be made in the above-described invention without departing from the intent and scope thereof. For example, the tray 13 need not be generally rectangular. It can be elongate with rounded ends which yields an oval shape. If can also be essentially square with rounded corners. Rectangular encompasses a square shape.

Moreover, the perimeter partial wall 23 need not extend completely about the container support plate. It may not have a front wall portion or it may have a partial front wall portion. The same is true of the back wall portion which may or may not be present or may only extend partially along the back. Without front and back portions it is similar to the side rails 31.

The elongate foot 27 attached to the bottom of a support leg 15, 17 may also be of another suitable shape with respect to a support leg 15, such as rectangular such as a base or plate 47 shown in Figs. 7-7a. The consideration is that it extend outwardly beyond the a leg to add later stability and inhibit tipping of the rack. As suggested above, the plate 47 can have a bare bottom surface or a rubber or elastomeric pad 49 or other bottom surface. The extension arm 41 can be connected to the leg 15 by other than the fastener 43, such as a pin, a rivet, or other securement.

Lastly, the advertising panel 21 may be of another shape than rectangular and can have another mounting point. It is therefore intended that the above description be read in the illustrative sense and not in the limiting sense. Substitutions and changes can be made while still being within the scope and intent of the invention and of the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS: What is claimed is:

1. A food display rack for standing on an inclined surface, comprising:

a tray suitable for holding food containers;

a pair of support legs supporting said tray, a first leg being shorter than the second leg so that said tray is horizontal when said first and second legs are standing on said inclined surface; and

a pair of feet attached one each to the bottom of said first and second legs, each said foot having a tapered bottom surface angled at the angle of said inclined surface.

2. The rack of claim 1 , also including a wall extending around the perimeter of said tray and upwardly therefrom.

3. The rack of claim 2, wherein said second leg also has a portion which extends above said tray.

4. The rack of claim 3, wherein said second leg portion above said tray has an advertising panel attached thereto.

5. The rack of claim 4, wherein said second leg portion below said tray is shorter in length than the length of said first leg.

6. The rack of claim 5, wherein the difference in length of said second leg portion below said tray and said first leg length accommodates said inclined surface so that said tray is held horizontally oriented above said inclined surface.

7. The rack of claim 6, wherein said dray is an elongate rectangular plate-type structure.

8. The rack of claim 7, also including a plurality of drain holes extending through said tray.

9. The rack of claim 8, wherein said first and second legs are each elongate rectangular plates.

10. The rack of claim 9, wherein said feet are each rectangular cross-section rods which extend outwardly beyond the sides of said leg plates.

1 1. A display rack for displaying containers at a position within the bounds of a fruit or vegetable display case having an inclined display surface, said rack extending above the fruit or vegetable presentation, comprising:

an elongate rectangular flat tray for supporting said containers;

a pair of uneven length legs supporting said tray in a horizontal orientation above said inclined surface when said legs are resting on said inclined surface.

12. The rack of claim 1 1 , wherein said pair of legs are attached one each to either end of said elongate rectangular tray.

13. The rack of claim 12, wherein said pair of legs support said tray above the fruit or vegetable presentation in said display case.

14. The rack of claim 13, wherein the length of each of said legs is individually adjustable.

15. The rack of claim 14, also including an advertising panel supported above said tray at one end thereof.

16. The rack of claim 15, also including a stabilizing support foot on the bottom of each said leg to contact said inclined surface.

17. The rack of claim 16, wherein said stabilizing feet are each adjustable in angle of contact to said inclined surface.

18. A food display rack suitable for standing on a produce display surface, comprising:

a base suitable for standing on said produce display surface;

at least on leg attached to said base and extending upwardly there from; and

a tray held suspended above said produce display surface by said at least one leg.

19. The rack of claim 18, where said produce display surface is inclined and where said base seats flush on said inclined display surface, and wherein said upward extending leg is adjustable with respect to its attachment at the top surface of said base.

20. The rack of claim 19, also including an arm fixed between said upward extending leg and said tray.

21. The rack of claim 20, wherein said arm extends from said upward extending leg with its position being adjustable selectively fixed with a fastener.

22. The rack of claim 21 , wherein said tray includes a container support plate and at least a perimeter partial wall.

23. The rack of claim 22, wherein said perimeter partial wall extends at least on opposite side of said container support plate.

24. The rack of claim 23, wherein said upward extending leg adjustable attachment to said base includes a pivot structure.

25. The rack of claim 23, wherein said perimeter partial wall includes a pair of side rails positioned to abut either side of a container to prevent sidewise tipping of the containers.

25. The rack of claim 24, also including a display panel attached to said rack.

26. The rack of claim 25, wherein said display panel is rectangular.

27. The rack of claim 26, wherein said display panel is attached to said rack support plate.

28. The rack of claim 19, also including a display panel attached to said tray.

29. The rack of claim 19, wherein said upward extending leg adjustable attachment to said base includes a pivot structure.

30. The rack of claim 29, also including a display panel attached to said tray.