BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side elevation illustration of a display of an embodiment;
FIG. 2 is a bottom plan illustration of a display of an embodiment; and
FIG. 3 is back elevation illustration of a display of an embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
With reference now to the drawing figures, various exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in detail. Initially, it is noted that the term “pop” as used herein refers to a confectionary item commonly having a candy portion on a stick. While pops are referred to in the exemplary embodiments described herein, it will be understood that the concepts described herein are equally applicable to other types of confectionary items. Furthermore, it will also be understood that the concepts described herein also apply equally to displays for items other than confectionary items, and that the embodiments described herein are for purposes of illustration and discussion only.
With reference now to the drawing figures, an exemplary embodiment of the invention is now described. As illustrated in FIG. 1, a confectionary display 20 comprises an elongate pole member 24 having a plurality of display elements 28. In this embodiment, the display elements 28 include a tubular portion 32 and engages the pole member 24 and is sized to receive the stick portion of a pop. The tubular portion 32 is arranged at an angle to the pole member 24 to provide adequate clearance between the top of an inserted pop and the display element 24 located above the pop. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the tubular portion 32 has an angle A that is approximately 34 degrees. The tubular portion 32 in this embodiment has a diameter D of approximately 0.30 inches, with a hole 36 having diameter H of approximately 0.18 inches into which a pop may be inserted. The hole 36 of the tubular portion 32 has a depth L of approximately 0.65 inches. In this embodiment, the depth L is less than the total length T of the tubular portion 32. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the total length T is approximately 1.45 inches. As will be understood, the display elements 28 may be configured to display any of a number of different types of confectionary items other than pops, and the display elements 28 in such embodiments may include a shelf portion, clip portion, etc. that secure the confectionary item in the display 20 and allow for the confectionary item to be removed from the display relatively easily. Furthermore, the confectionary display 20 may include different types of display elements 28 in order to provide a display of differing types of confectionary items with the confectionary display, as well as to provide display other non-confectionary items that may be desired to be displayed in such a manner. While it is contemplated that the display of the embodiment of FIG. 1 provides a vertically oriented display, the concepts described herein also apply equally to displays having a horizontal orientation, as well as other orientations, so long at the display elements 28 are able to hold the items that are to be displayed.
With reference now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the display elements 28 engage with tracks 40 within the pole member 24. In this embodiment, the display elements 28 include an engaging member 44 that may be slid into a track 40. The pole member 24, in this embodiment, includes seven tracks 40, with fifteen (15) display elements 28 in each track 40. In one embodiment, the top and bottom display elements 28 in each track 40 are secured in the track 40 with an adhesive, thereby securing the 13 display elements 28 located between the top and bottom display elements in each track 40. In one embodiment, the pole member 24 is a single piece of extruded plastic. While vertical tracks 40 are illustrated that engage with the display elements 28, the display elements may be secured to the pole in any of a number of ways as will be readily understood by one of skill in the art. For example, the display elements 28 may have engaging members that slide into horizontal tracks, slide into holes of the pole member, and be secured adhesively to the pole member, to name but a few. Furthermore, the pole member and display elements may be fabricated as a single unit.
Referring now to FIGS. 1-3, the pole member 24 is described in more detail. In this embodiment, the pole member 24 is a single piece of D-shaped plastic. The outer portion of the pole member 24 includes tracks 40, and the flat portion of the pole member 24 includes an upper magnet assembly 48 and a lower magnet assembly 52. The upper magnet assembly 48 is located near an upper end of the pole member 24, and the lower magnet assembly 52 is located near a lower end of the pole member 24, when the display 20 is attached to a metallic, ferromagnetic surface. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the upper magnet assembly 48 has two magnet sub-assemblies 56, and the lower magnet assembly 52 has three magnet sub-assemblies 56. The magnet sub-assemblies 56 are interconnected with the pole 24 using an adhesive, although any other suitable interconnection may be used, such as screws, snap or friction fit, and/or rivets, to name but a few. In this embodiment, each of the magnet sub-assemblies 56 are substantially identical, however it will be understood that more or fewer sub-assemblies may be utilized for the upper and lower magnet assemblies 48, 52, and/or that one or more of the sub-assemblies 56 may be comprised of magnets having differing pull force ratings. As will be understood, a pull force rating of a magnet refers to the amount of force required to pull the magnet from a ferromagnetic surface. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, each sub-assembly 56 has a pull force rating of approximately 22 pounds. Thus, in this embodiment, the combined pull force rating for the upper and lower magnet assemblies 48, 52 for this embodiment is approximately 110 pounds. While the upper and lower magnet assemblies 48, 52, are illustrated in the embodiment of FIG. 3 as discrete assemblies having one or more sub-assemblies 56, other embodiments include magnet assemblies that are arranged in different manners, such as multiple magnet assemblies that are evenly spaced throughout the pole member. Furthermore, in other embodiments a single magnet assembly may be used that has a pull force rating sufficient to adequately secure the display to the desired surface. The pull force rating of the magnet assemblies is preferably greater than about 15 pounds per foot. Such a pull force rating provides a display that may be adequately secured to a ferromagnetic surface, and also may be removed from the surface without undue effort or special tools. In one embodiment, the lower magnet assembly 52 has significantly more pull force than the upper magnet assembly 48. This configuration focuses more magnetic energy at the lower portion of the display 20, and allows the display 20 to stand up higher than displays having other configurations of magnet assemblies.
In one embodiment, each sub-assembly 56 comprises ceramic magnets, although any appropriate magnetic material, or combinations of magnetic materials, may be used so long as a sufficient pull force is provided. Other magnetic materials that may be used include, for example, neodymium, Alnico, and Samarium Cobalt, to name but a few. The pull force that is generated by the magnet assemblies 48, 52, cause the display 20 to be securely affixed to a surface that is formed at least partially of a ferromagnetic material, such as iron, steel, and/or nickel, to name but a few. In this manner, the display 20 may be placed in an area without requiring an additional stand and without requiring floor space. The display 20 is particularly, suited for retail establishments that have candy displays at or near the checkout area, or in a particular aisle or other space dedicated to confections. In many cases the display 20 may be affixed to a pole or other shelving type unit at or near the desired area for displaying the confections. Furthermore, as young children often are interested in such confections, it is often desirable to have such a display that is relatively secure in that the display will be unlikely to come unsecured from the display area. For example, a young child may desire a pop that is being displayed in the display 20 when it is affixed to a ferromagnetic surface. The child may inadvertently pull on one of the display elements 28 rather than simply removing a pop from the associated display element 28. In such a manner, if magnet assemblies 48, 52, have relatively little pull force, the display 20 may be pulled from the surface to which it is affixed, frightening or injuring people that are nearby. Thus, in the embodiments of FIGS. 1-3, the magnet assemblies 48, 52, are selected to require a substantial amount of pull force in order to pull the display 20 completely from the associated surface. As mentioned above, various embodiments have magnet assemblies having pull force ratings of greater than 15 pounds per foot, and in some embodiments a combined pull force rating for all of the magnet assemblies is greater than 100 pounds. In these embodiments, the more likely outcome resultant from someone pulling on the display is that the display 20 will simply slide along the surface, if the display moves at all. In the event that a user desires to remove the display 20 from the surface, the user must apply this significant amount of pull force to remove the display. Thus, by having magnet assemblies 48, 52 that require a significant amount of pull force to be removed from a surface, the safety of such a display may be enhanced relative to a display that requires substantially less pull force to remove from a surface, while the display is still able to be removed if so desired.
The previous description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Furthermore, although the various embodiments are discussed as displaying confectionary items, other non-confectionary items may also be displayed in a similar manner. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.
Patent Application
20070289930
