In retail stores, certain merchandise may need to be presented in a different way than on horizontal shelving or on hanging racks. For example, mannequins display clothing and should be placed on top of platforms for ease of viewing. The discussion above is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
A display unit includes an upper component that has a top panel, four side panels having bottom edges that define an opening in a bottom of the upper component, interior surfaces that define a hollow interior and exterior surfaces. A base frame includes a lower portion having an outer periphery and an upper portion that extends upwardly from a top of the lower portion and has an outer periphery. Four corner members are coupled to and extend inwardly from the interior surfaces of the upper component and are positioned at a distance from the bottom edges of the four side panels. The four corner members engage with a top of the upper portion of the base frame such that the bottom edges of the four side panels of the upper component are spaced apart from the top of the lower portion of the base frame to expose a section of the outer periphery of the upper portion of the base frame.
A display fixture includes a plurality of substantially identical box assemblies attached together to form an elevated runway for displaying mannequins. Each box assembly has a cover that includes a top wall, four side walls having bottom edges that define an opening in a bottom of the cover and a hollow interior. A four-sided pedestal has a base portion and a protruding portion. The protruding portion supports the cover so that the cover is separated from the base portion of the four-sided pedestal by a space. Each box assembly is attached to at least one other box assembly using at least one fastener that is inserted into at least one hole located in the space between the cover and the four-sided pedestal of each box assembly.
A method of displaying mannequins includes locating a plurality of four-sided pedestals adjacent to each other so that a side of one of the four-sided pedestals is adjacent to a side of another four-side pedestal. Each of the four-sided pedestals include a lower portion having an outer periphery and an upper portion that extends upwardly from a top of the lower portion and has an outer periphery. The plurality of four-sided pedestals are fastened together using fasteners that are inserted into holes located in a section of the upper portion of each four-sided pedestal. A plurality of covers are placed on top of the plurality of four-sided pedestals to form a runway. Each cover includes a top wall, four side walls having bottom edges that define an opening in a bottom of the cover and a hollow interior. Each four-sided pedestal supports one of the covers so that each cover is spaced apart from the lower portion of each four-sided pedestal by a distance. The distance is the section of the upper portion of each four-side pedestal that includes the holes for the fasteners.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. The claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any or all disadvantages noted in the background.
The display unit described in detail below is a modular display unit that can be used to support and elevate display items, such as one or more mannequins. For example, mannequins can display particular merchandise including, but not limited to, clothing and accessories. The modular display unit includes a base frame and a cover supported by the base frame. The cover is spaced apart from a bottom portion of the base frame by a distance. The display unit can be attached to other like display units to form an elevated runway for displaying more display items or mannequins. The display units are attached to each other by passing fasteners through holes in the adjacent base frames that are located in the distance between the cover and the bottom portion of the base frame. In this way, the holes are hidden or blocked from view because the upper portion of the base frame is recessed from the outer periphery of the cover and the outer periphery of the bottom portion of the base frame. The display units can be used individually or in multiples without unused holes detracting from the overall display.
Upper component or cover 104 is made of a single, homogenous material, such as King StarBoardĀ® material. King StarBoardĀ® comes in high density polyethylene sheets that provide a scratch resistant surface, high strength and stiffness and requires less structural support than other like materials. The sheets can be assembled together using standard woodworking tools and then thermoformed or heat welded together to form a single, homogenous component that does not affect the finishing on the sheets.
Upper component or cover 104 includes a top wall or panel 106, four side walls or panels 108, 110, 112 and 114 that together define a length 129, a width 131, a height 133 and a hollow interior 116. Side walls or panels 108, 110, 112 and 114 have bottom edges 109, 111, 113 and 115 that define an opening in a bottom of the cover 104. Hollow interior 116 is defined by interior surfaces 118, 120, 122, 124 and 126 of walls or panels 106, 108, 110, 112 and 114, respectively. Walls or panels 106, 108, 110, 112 and 114 also include exterior surfaces 119, 121, 123, 125 and 127, respectively.
Top wall 106 includes a through hole 135. Through hole 135 is configured to hold a hardware insert called a puck so that a display item, such as a mannequin, can be secured to top wall 106. In one embodiment, the insert includes a threaded hole for receiving a threaded screw that is mounted to the mannequin. Although top wall 106 includes only one through hole 135, it should be realized that any number of through holes in top wall 106 are possible so that more than one mannequin can be secured to top wall 106. Back wall 108 includes a pair of through holes 137 and 138. Through holes 137 and 138 are configured to receive fasteners for fastening a back panel to back wall 108 of cover 104. Such a back panel will be discussed in detail below.
Cover 104 further includes four corner members 128, 130, 132 and 134. Each corner member 128, 130, 132 and 134 has a triangular shape, is coupled to two interior surfaces of the four side panels 108, 110, 112 and 114 and extends inwardly. In particular, each corner member 128, 130, 132 and 134 is coupled to and extends inwardly from a corner of hollow interior 116. Each corner is defined by the abutment of two of the four side panels 108, 110, 112 and 114. For example, first corner member 128 is coupled to interior surface 120 of side wall 108, interior surface 122 of side wall 110 and the corner (i.e., the seam or welded joint) where side wall 108 and side wall 110 abut each other and join. Second corner member 130 is coupled to interior surface 120 of side wall 108, interior surface 124 of side wall 112 and the corner (i.e., the seam or welded joint) where side wall 108 and side wall 112 abut each other and join. Third corner member 132 is coupled to interior surface 122 of side wall 110, interior surface 126 of side wall 114 and the corner (i.e., the seam or welded joint) where side wall 110 and side wall 114 abut each other and join. Fourth corner member 134 is coupled to interior surface 124 of side wall 112, interior surface 126 of side wall 114 and the corner (i.e., the seam or welded joint) where side wall 112 and side wall 114 abut each other and join. In addition, the four corner members 128, 130, 132 and 134 are spaced apart from the free edges 109, 111, 113 and 115 of the four side walls 108, 110, 112 and 114 by a distance 136.
Base frame or four-sided pedestal 102 is made of steel or other like material. Base frame 102 supports cover 104 and includes a lower portion or base portion 140 having an outer periphery and an upper portion or protruding portion 142 having an outer periphery. Lower portion 140 includes four side walls or panels 143, 144, 145 and 146 that have tops or top edges 147, 148, 149 and 150. Upper portion 142 includes four side walls or panels 151, 152, 153 and 154 that have tops or top edges 155, 156, 157 and 158.
Upper portion 142 extends upwardly from tops or top edges 147, 148, 149 and 150 of lower portion 140 and terminates at tops or top edges 156, 157, 158 and 159. The outer periphery of lower portion 140 is defined by a length 160, a width 161 and a height 162. Upper portion 142 also includes an outer periphery and is defined by a length 163, a width 164 and a height 165. Length 163 of upper portion 142 is less than length 160 of lower portion 140 and width 164 of upper portion 142 is less than width 161 of lower portion 140. In other words, the outer periphery of upper portion 142 is recessed from the outer periphery of lower portion 140.
Base frame 102 also includes at least one through hole 168 and at least one opposing through hole 169 that are in alignment with each other. At least one through hole 168 is located on a front side of base frame 102 and at least one through hole 169 is located on a back side of base frame 102. More particularly, at least one through hole 168 is located on front side 154 of upper portion 142 of base frame 102 and at least one through hole 169 is located on back side 151 of upper portion 142 of base frame 102. Through holes 168 and 169 are configured to receive fasteners for attaching base frame 102 to other like base frames 102. In the embodiment illustrated in
To create space 172, tops or top edges 155, 156, 157 and 158 of upper portion 142 of base frame 102 engage with corner members 128, 130, 132 and 134 of cover 104 so that cover 104 is supported over lower portion 140 of base frame 102. More specifically, height 165 of upper portion 142 of base frame member 102 is greater than distance 136 between corner members 128, 130, 132, 134 and bottom edges 109, 111, 113, 115 of cover 104. Space 172 that is created exposes a section of the outer periphery of upper portion 142 of base frame 102. In this exposed section of the outer periphery of upper portion 142 of base frame 102 lies through holes 166, 167, 168, 169, 170 and 171. In addition, since length 160 and width 161 of lower portion 140 are substantially the same as length 129 and width 131 of cover 104, the result of supporting cover 104 on base frame 102 makes exterior surfaces 121, 123, 125 and 127 of side walls 108, 110, 112 and 114 of cover 104 be in alignment with the outer periphery of lower portion 140 of base frame 102. Still further, the outer periphery of upper portion 142 of base frame 102 is recessed from exterior surfaces 121, 123, 125 and 127 of side walls 108, 110, 112 and 114 of cover 104 and from the outer periphery of lower portion 140 of base frame 102. The section of the outer periphery of upper portion 142 that is exposed and includes holes 166, 167, 168, 169, 170 and 171 is hidden or blocked from view by the outer periphery of cover 104 and lower portion 140 of base frame 102.
Modular display units or box assemblies 100a, 100b and 100c are substantially identical to each other and are each substantially identical to exemplary display unit or box assembly 100 illustrated in
As illustrated in
As previously discussed each top wall or panel 106a, 106b and 106c in each box assembly 100a, 100b and 100c in runway 200 includes at least one through hole 135a, 135b and 135c. Through holes 135a, 135b and 135c house a hardware insert, called a puck, so that a display item, such as a mannequin, can be secured to each top wall 106a, 106b and 106c.
With reference back to
With reference to
In still other embodiments, each base frame can include through holes located on each side wall of the upper portion. In this way, display units or box assemblies 100 can be attached together so that the elevated platform is multiple display units wide and multiple display units long. In this embodiment, a retail store can attach a single or multiple mannequins to each top wall of each display unit.
Although elements have been shown or described as separate embodiments above, portions of each embodiment may be combined with all or part of other embodiments described above.
Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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