Patent Application
20080272078
This invention relates to apparatus for holding and displaying merchandise products and product containers such as candy bars, bottles, cans and the like. More particularly, it relates to display trays adapted for mounting on one face of a substantially transparent wall to support products on the wall and display the products through the transparent wall.
Retail businesses commonly display chilled products for sale in refrigerated vaults or the like which have a transparent door or wall panel. Because a passing customer is more likely to select and purchase products displayed where they can be readily seen and recognized, the retailer desires to maximize visibility of products on display and also to maximize utilization of display space and space within the refrigerated area. Display shelves typically used for this purpose are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,984,693 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,433.
Many products are packaged in containers such as bottles, cans and the like. In order to advantageously display such products, they must be arranged so that the product or package is readily visible and easily recognizable. To maximize use of visible space on a transparent panel, the display shelf must permit unobstructed view of the displayed product, selectively position the product units adjacent the transparent panel, and preferably display advertising or the like related to the displayed products. Since display space is usually limited, the display tray should be adapted for easy installation and removal; should be adapted to support and display the maximum amount of product in the space available; and should permit easy removal and replacement of displayed product.
In accordance with the present invention, display trays are provided which are adapted to be mounted on the face of a substantially transparent panel such as a glass window or door. The display trays of the invention find particular utility when mounted in a refrigerated vault or the like to display products through a transparent wall or door of the vault. However, the display trays of the invention may be used in conjunction with any transparent wall, window, door or the like.
The display tray of the invention comprises a mounting or support panel which has a vertically arranged front face and mounting slots, holes or the like for mounting the front face of the support panel adjacent the surface of a substantially transparent wall, window, door or the like. The support panel defines a lower edge, two laterally opposed ends and an upper edge. A floor extends horizontally (normal to the plane of the support panel) from the support panel and a containment wall is positioned at the edge of the floor remote from the support panel which cooperates with the transparent wall to contain products or product containers on the floor and adjacent the transparent wall on which the display tray is mounted. The containment wall extends substantially the full width of the support panel with the end portions thereof extending toward and cooperating with the support panel to form a tray cavity defined by the floor, the containment wall and the transparent wall. The containment wall may be shaped to conform to individual product units and thereby confine them in restricted positions on the floor and/or may also be slotted and/or curved outwardly to permit easy access to and removal of products from the tray.
The support panel may be attached to and extend downwardly from the front edge of the floor to provide rigid support for the floor. An opening in the portion of the support panel extending above the floor permits product supported on the floor to be visible through the transparent wall and retained between the transparent wall and the containment wall. Where the support panel extends below the floor, advertising material or the like may be displayed on the face thereof to be visible through the transparent wall without obstructing the view of the product. By extending the floor and containment wall the full width of the support panel, the maximum space available is utilized and the mounting slots and mounting apparatus are at least partially concealed. Other features and advantages of the invention will become more readily understood from the following detailed description taken in connection with the appended claims and attached drawing in which:
The above-described drawing is incorporated into and forms part of the specification to illustrate several exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Throughout the drawing like reference numerals designate corresponding elements. The figures are not to scale but are intended to disclose the inventive concepts by illustration. This drawing, together with the description, serves to explain the principles of the invention and is only for the purpose of illustrating preferred and alternative examples of how the invention can be made and used.
It will be recognized that the principles of the invention may be utilized and embodied in many and various forms. In order to demonstrate these principles, the invention is described herein by reference to specific preferred embodiments. The invention, however, is not limited to the forms illustrated and described. Furthermore, the invention is not limited to use in connection with any particular arrangement of support panels, floors or containment walls but may find utility in various other applications involving support and display of various items.
For purposes of this disclosure, the terms “shelf” and “tray” are used interchangeably to mean any structure having a floor on which products or packages containing products may be placed or suspended from for display. Such apparatus may be formed of any suitable material and may be continuous monolithic structures or formed of individually formed and attached members. Such trays may have walls extending upwardly or downwardly to form cavities in which goods may be supported and displayed. Accordingly, the tray may define one or more cavities above the floor or the floor may support one or more cavities which depend downwardly from the floor. Similarly, the floor and/or walls of the tray may have perforations, slots and/or hooks and the like from which goods may be suspended. Accordingly, the terms “shelf” and “tray” are used generally to describe any structure on, in or from which goods may be placed or suspended for display.
For perspective and consistency in describing the display tray illustrated, the portion of the tray unit which is closest the wall or panel on which it is supported is described as the front and the portion most remote from the supporting wall or panel is described as the back or rear. Similarly, spatial orientation and relative terms such as “upwardly,” “downwardly,” “rearwardly,” “horizontally,” “above,” “below,” “upper,” “lower” and the like are used in reference to the position of the tray when the tray is mounted on a supporting wall for use.
In the embodiment illustrated in
A containment wall 30 extends upwardly from the top face 21 of the floor 20. A major portion of wall 30 is spaced horizontally from the plane of first face 11 of the support panel 10. The end portions 16, 17 of the containment wall 30 extend toward and may join the support panel 10 to define a open-topped cavity 31 defined by floor 20, containment wall 30 and the transparent wall 40 (see
In the embodiment illustrated in
In the embodiment illustrated in
The embodiment of
In order to permit maximum utilization of display space available on a supporting transparent wall, the tray cavity 31 defined by the containment wall 30 extends the full width of the support panel 10. In the embodiment of
In the embodiment of
In the embodiments of
As discussed above with reference to
It should be recognized that the features disclosed in each of the alternative embodiments may be combined as required or desired for particular purposes. For example, slots (such as slots 22 and spaces 37) may be used in display trays having containment compartments such as shown in
In each of the embodiments illustrated, the first face 11 of support panel 10 is positioned parallel with the surface of a transparent wall 40 on which the tray is mounted. Thus first face 11 may conveniently be used to support advertising or the like which is visible through the transparent wall 40 immediately below the product supported on the floor 20. Positioning the support panel 10 to extend the full width of floor 20 provides rigid support for the floor 20 and permits display of advertising or other information associated with the displayed product on the support panel 10 without obstructing view of the displayed product. Furthermore, the opening 25 in the support panel 10 may be sized and shaped as desired. For example, the opening 25 may be a large semi-circular opening as shown in
As described hereinabove, the outer ends of support panel 10 terminate in flanges 33, 34. As illustrated in
In the embodiments illustrated, mounting slots 28 are formed near the outer edges of flanges 33, 34. If desired (and to permit more secure mounting of the tray) slots 28 may be formed in the lower edge of support panel 10 and arranged so that the entrance of each slot 28 is at the lower edge of support panel 10. Alternatively (or in conjunction with other slots, holes or the like), slots 28 may be arranged to have their entrances at the edge of the flange which is inside the containment wall. It will be appreciated that various other combinations and arrangements of slots, holes and the like may be used to mount the display shelf adjacent a transparent wall.
It will be apparent from the foregoing that the principles of the invention may be used to form display trays which support products such as bottles, cans and the like vertically as well as to form display trays which support elongated packages or products such as candy bars and the like horizontally. In each case the product or package is supported on the floor of the tray and visible through the transparent wall on which the tray is mounted.
It is to be understood that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the invention have been set forth in the foregoing description together with details of the structure and function of the invention, this disclosure is to be considered illustrative only. Various changes and modifications may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, arrangement and combination of parts, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
