Patent Application
20080314849
The present invention relates to a merchandise display rack having a vertical crossbar base assembly and a display container thereon for displaying products, clothing, hats, gifts and the like, above a conventional display rack. More particularly, the vertical crossbar base assembly is for mounting onto hangrail members of the display rack for securely supporting thereon the display container having products therein.
Clothing and merchandise display racks for retail stores and department stores for displaying products on hanging racks are well known in the art. Display containers for displaying other products above the hangrail of the hanging racks are problematic and suffer from several undesirable limitations. For example, such display containers have complex mounting structures and they do not place the products in a position where they can be easily and readily viewed by a consumer who is standing adjacent to the display rack. Also, many of these display containers are not capable of displaying a desired amount of products/items above the hangrail and still comply with display requirements of most mass marketing department stores. Further, many retail stores have height limits on how far products and signage supported on a display rack can extend above the floor. Common limits restrict products to fifty-four inches above the floor and signage to seventy-two inches above the floor. Accordingly, there is a need for a product display system that overcomes the above deficiencies and provides a convenient way to display products to consumers in a manner that causes consumers to be interested in purchasing the products and to facilitate product stocking.
There remains a need for a new and innovative merchandise/product display assembly that includes a display container for displaying products, clothing, hats, gifts, and toys that are mounted on a vertical crossbar base assembly and, in turn, the vertical crossbar base assembly is mounted onto hangrail members of a conventional rectangular-shaped display rack. Further, the merchandise display assembly is configured for easy assembly and to maximize product storage for displaying products above the display rack at an optimum position for viewing and access by the consumer.
Merchandise display racks, rotary display stands, product display systems, display stands and merchandising bins and the like having various designs, configurations, structures and materials of construction have been disclosed in the prior art. For example, U.S. Application No. 2004/0055982 to JENNINGS discloses a product display system configured for displaying products such as hats above a conventional clothing rack. The display system includes a base assembly for supporting the other system components above the rack, a plurality of product display trays supported on the base assembly for displaying the products, and a sign assembly supported on the base assembly for displaying product information and advertising indicia. The display system enables cross-merchandising at the point of sale by utilizing previously unusable space above the conventional circular rack while still complying with display requirements of most mass marketing retail stores. The base assembly is formed of wire bars that form modular truss sections and interconnect to form a sloped tray-supporting surface that extends radially beyond the perimeter of the rack to place the products supported thereon at an optimum position for viewing and access by the consumer. The display trays are uniquely configured to enable them to be arranged in a polygonal arrangement on the base assembly to maximize product storage. This prior art publication does not disclose or teach the design, configuration and structure of the merchandise display assembly of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,060,214 to METCALF discloses a merchandise display stand for use as a countertop stand for displaying merchandise, in which a tubular support pole is held in an operationally upright position by a ground engaging base or pedestal and mounts at least one support member from which merchandise display racks or baskets are suspended outwardly about the support pole. This prior art patent does not disclose or teach the design, configuration and structure of the merchandise display assembly of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,266,634 to TINTARY discloses a rotary display stand for use as a merchandise display stand which is intended to serve both as a means for displaying merchandise and as a device for maintaining a relatively large stock of said merchandise in immediate proximity and accessibility to the display thereof. The display stand is adapted to display and stock various types of small articles of hardware. This prior art patent does not disclose or teach the design, configuration and structure of the merchandise display assembly of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,678,253 to ROSENBERG discloses a rotary bin having an upright central shaft and a series of bin sections mounted at different levels on the shaft, each with capacity for rotation relative to the shaft and independently of the others. This prior art patent does not disclose or teach the design, configuration and structure of the merchandise display assembly of the present invention.
None of the aforementioned prior art references disclose or teach a merchandise display assembly having a display container detachably mounted on a vertical crossbar base assembly and wherein the vertical crossbar base assembly is detachably mounted onto hangrail members of a display rack.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a merchandise display assembly having a display container with a plurality of individual display compartments therein for displaying products, hardware, clothing, hats, gifts, toys, cosmetics and the like above a conventional rectangular-shaped hanging rack, and a vertical crossbar base assembly for detachably mounting onto hangrail members of the rectangular-shaped hanging rack for securely supporting thereon the display container having products therein. Another object of the present invention is to provide a merchandise display assembly having a vertical crossbar base assembly that includes first and second vertical crossbar members being disposed in a perpendicular configuration to each other such that the vertical crossbar base assembly is detachably mountable onto hangrail members of the display rack.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a merchandise display assembly where the base member of the display container engages and is held in place by locking tabs on the first vertical crossbar member of the vertical crossbar base assembly, such that the display container is detachably mounted on the first locking tabs and mounting surfaces of the first and second vertical crossbars, respectively.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a merchandise display assembly that is easy to assemble and to mount, and easy to clean and maintain when in operational use at a retail or department store.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a merchandise display assembly having no moving parts that is easy to use and is durable and easily cleaned for repeated use by the merchandiser.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a merchandise display assembly that can be mass-produced in an automated and economical manner and is readily affordable by the merchandiser.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a merchandise display having a vertical crossbar base assembly and a display container mounted thereon for displaying products above a conventional display rack, wherein the vertical crossbar base assembly is for mounting onto hangrail members of the display rack. The merchandise display assembly includes a display container having a plurality of display compartments for displaying product merchandise in the display compartments; and includes a vertical crossbar base assembly having a first vertical crossbar member and a second vertical crossbar member being disposed perpendicular to each other. The first vertical crossbar member includes a first rack receiving notch formed in a first lower section of the first vertical outer surface and a second rack-receiving notch formed in a second lower section of the second vertical outer surface; and the second vertical crossbar member includes a first rack-receiving notch formed in a first lower section of the first vertical outer surface and a second rack-receiving notch formed in a second lower section of the second vertical outer surface. The first vertical crossbar member includes a lower receiving notch being centrally positioned, and the second vertical crossbar member includes an upper receiving notch being centrally positioned. The lower receiving notch and the upper receiving notch of the first and second vertical crossbar members are disposed for an interlocking engagement with each other. The first and second rack-receiving notches of the first and second vertical crossbar members are for engaging and receiving therein the hangrail members of the display rack for mounting the vertical crossbar base assembly thereon; and the first and second upper surfaces of the first and second vertical crossbar members, respectively, are for receiving the display container thereon.
Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon the consideration of the following detailed description of the presently-preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The merchandise display assembly 10 and its component parts of the preferred embodiment of the present invention are represented in detail by
The merchandise display assembly 10 includes a detachable display container 20 mounted on a vertical crossbar member base assembly 40. The display container 20 includes a display housing 22 being substantially rectangular in shape. The display housing 22 includes a base member 24 having side walls 26a, 26b, 26c and 26d for forming an interior compartment 28. The interior compartment 28 includes a plurality of individual display compartments 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d having middle walls 32 and 33 for separating display compartments 30a to 30d. Middle walls 32 and 33 can be replaced by header wall cards 34 and 35 having indicia 36 thereon for also separating display compartments 30a to 30d. Additionally, display compartments 30a to 30d also include side wall openings 38a, 38b, 38c and 38d for placing or removing product 12 within display compartments 30a to 30d, respectively, as shown in
The vertical crossbar base assembly 40, as shown in
Further, the first midsection surface 44 of the first vertical crossbar member 42 includes a first receiving surface SR1 for receiving the display container 20 thereon (the length L of display container 20), and the first midsection surface 66 of the second vertical crossbar member 62 includes a second receiving surface SR2 for receiving the display container 20 thereon (the width W of display container 20). The first notches 50 and 70, and second notches 54 and 74 of the first and second vertical crossbar member 42 and 62, respectively, are for engaging and receiving within the notches 50, 70, 54 and 74 of hangrail members 14a, 14b, 14c and 14d, respectively, of clothing rack 16 for mounting the vertical crossbar base assembly 40 and the detachable display container 20 thereon, as shown in
It is understood that the first and second vertical crossbar 42 and 62 of the vertical crossbar member base assembly 40 can be made of various members types of materials such as wood, cardboard, lightweight plastics, lightweight metals (aluminum) or combinations thereof.
The physical dimensions of the display container are as follows: The width W is 18 inches, the length L is 18 inches and the height is 6 inches. Each of the individual product display compartments 30a to 30d have a width and length of 8½ inches and a depth of 6 inches. Each of the divider walls 32 to 33 have a thickness of one half inch. Middle divider walls 32 and 33 have a height of 6 inches and, a width and length of 8½ inches. The header wall cards 34 and 35 have a height of 12 inches, a width and length of 8½ inches and a wall thickness of one half inch.
Each of the first and second vertical crossbar members 42 and 62 have a height (H) of 14 inches, and length (L) of 14 inches and a width (W) of 3 inches. Each of the locking tab members 47 and 49 have a height of 2 inches, a length of 1 inch and a width of 3 inches. Each of the vertical outer surfaces 46, 48, 66 and 68 have a surface area S1 of (H) 14 inches by (W) 3 inches for 42 square inches. The first upper surface 44 has a surface area S2 of (L) 12 inches by (W) 3 inches for 36 square inches. The second upper surface 64 has a surface area S3 of (L) 5½ inches by (W) 3 inches times two for 33 square inches. Each of the rack-receiving notches 50, 54, 70 and 74 have a height of 2 inches and a width of 1 inch. The lower receiving notch 43 of the first vertical crossbar member 42 has a height of 7 inches and a width of 3 inches and the upper receiving notch 63 of the second vertical crossbar member 62 has a height of 7 inch, a width of 3 inches a depth of 3 inches.
As shown in
Accordingly, an advantage of the present invention is that it provides for a merchandise display assembly having a display container with a plurality of individual display compartments therein for displaying products, hardware, clothing, hats, gifts, toys, cosmetics and the like above a conventional square-shaped hanging rack, and a vertical crossbar member base assembly for detachably mounting onto the hangrail members of the hanging rack for securely supporting thereon the display container having products therein.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides for a merchandise display assembly having a vertical crossbar base assembly that includes first and second vertical crossbar member being disposed in a perpendicular configuration to each other in the same horizontal plane, such that the vertical crossbar member base assembly is detachably mountable onto the hangrail members of a display rack.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides for a merchandise display assembly where the base member of the display container engages and is held in place by locking tabs on the first vertical crossbar member of the vertical crossbar member base assembly, such that the display container is detachably mounted on the first locking tabs and mounting surfaces of the first and second vertical crossbar members, respectively.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides for a merchandise display assembly that is easy to assemble and to mount, and easy to clean and maintain when in operational use at a retail or department store.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides for a merchandise display assembly having no moving parts that is easy to use and is durable and easily cleaned for repeated use by the merchandiser.
A further advantage of the present invention is that it provides for a merchandise display assembly that can be mass-produced in an automated and economical manner and is readily affordable by the merchandiser.
A latitude of modification, change and substitution is intended in the foregoing disclosure, and in some instances, some features of the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other features. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the spirit and scope of the invention herein.
