The present invention relates generally to merchandise display systems, and more particularly, is directed to a display system that may be used with a pegboard and hook type of support system. Specifically, the invention relates to a pegboard and hook type system that is capable of supporting and storing a wide variety of similarly shaped products in a manner that permits highly advantageous use of limited space available.
Numerous display systems employing pegboards have been developed in the prior art for hanging and displaying a great variety of goods. The prior art display systems have incorporated conventional pegboards, that is, a planar board which is usually composed of one-eighth inch or larger hardboard and which has been drilled to provide spaced horizontal and vertical rows of openings generally positioned at about one inch intervals. A typical pegboard 600 is shown in
More comprehensive systems have been developed to display complete lines of similar or related merchandise, for example, tools for auto parts, plumbing parts, electrical parts, and the like.
Under the system for selling products that is emerging in today's retail market, large outlet stores will grant, or “rent,” a product manufacturer a fixed linear amount of shelf space in the store to display the manufacturer's goods. Clearly, the manufacturer is well advised to create a display structure that will allow the maximum amount of its product to be displayed for sale in the limited available space. However, known systems for displaying goods suffer from the disadvantage of having “dead space.” By “dead space” it is meant that an item of merchandise cannot be suspended at the point of dead space because to do so would conflict with structure that is dedicated to supporting the display unit itself. For example, prior art structures known in the art and disclosed in U.S. design patents D 412,804 and D 413,471, and as shown in
Accordingly, there is a need in the art to provide a display system that allows a maximum number of merchandise items to be displayed in a limited linear amount of shelf space. The present invention addresses these and other needs.
The present invention is a modular system of merchandizing display that is configured to maximize the amount of merchandize that can be displayed within the parameters of space that is provided to permit the display. In a first preferred embodiment of the invention, the system includes a modular rack for displaying merchandise comprising at least two bars, each bar having an asymmetrical shape and comprising a left support portion that is linear and extends along a line, a right support portion that is linear and extends co-linearly along the same line as the left support portion, the right support portion being spaced apart from the left support portion. A front apex portion is provided, being linear and extending parallel to the line, the front apex portion having a left terminal end and a right terminal end. A left angled portion is provided that is linear, and is connected to the left terminal end of the front apex portion, and extends backwards and also leftwards away from the front apex portion. A right angled portion is provided that is linear, and is connected to the right terminal end of the front apex portion, and extends backwards and also rightwards away from the front apex portion. A rear apex portion is provided that is linear, and is connected to a right terminal end of the right angled portion, and extends parallel to the line. A left spacer portion is provided that is linear, is connected at one end to a left terminal end of the left angled portion and is connected at an opposite end to a left terminal end of the left support portion, the left spacer portion and the left support portion being connected perpendicular to each other. A right spacer portion is provided that is linear and has the same length as the left spacer portion, the right spacer portion being connected at one end to a right terminal portion of the rear apex portion, and is connected at an opposite end to a right terminal end of the right support portion, the right spacer portion and the right support portion being connected perpendicular to each other. At least one hook is attached to each of the right hand support portion and the left hand support portion of each bar, each hook being configured for insertion into a hole of a pegboard for providing support to the rack. As a result of this configuration, juxtaposition of the two non-linear bars beside each other with the right spacer portion of a first non-linear bar abutting the left spacer portion of an adjacent non-linear bar results in a wave shaped pattern comprising the left angled portion, the front apex portion, the right angled portion and the rear apex portion of each non-linear bar. This configuration has the advantageous result that it allows a symmetrical pattern to be created when a plurality of units are mounted adjacent each other in an abutting relationship on a pegboard. Specifically, the pattern is advantageous for the purpose of hanging tools from the plurality of units because it advantageously increases the number of tools that may be hung in a fixed linear space for merchandising to the public.
In a preferred aspect of the modular rack each of the left spacer portion and the right spacer portion are between 0.5 inches and 1.5 inches in length. Further, each of the left angled portion and the right angled portion are between 4 inches and 7 inches in length. Additionally, the right angled portion has the same length as the left angled portion. In a further preferred aspect the left angled portion extends backwards and leftwards away from the front apex portion at a first angle, and the right angled portion extends backwards and rightwards away from the front apex portion at a second angle that is the same as the first angle, so that the left and right angled portions form a “V” shape, with the front apex portion situated at the apex of the “V.” Additionally, the first angle and the second angle are between 30 degrees and 40 degrees, and the left spacer portion joins the left support portion at a right angle, and the right spacer portion joins the right support portion at a right angle.
In another aspect, the invention includes a modular rack for displaying merchandise comprising at least two bars, each bar having an asymmetrical shape and comprising a plurality of front apex portions that are linear and extend parallel to a horizontal line, the front apex portions each having a left terminal end and a right terminal end. A plurality of left angled portions are provided that are linear, each one connected to a left terminal end of a respective one of the front apex portions, and extending backwards and also leftwards away from the respective front apex portion. A plurality of right angled portions are provided that are linear, each one connected to a right terminal end of a respective one of the front apex portions, and extending backwards and also rightwards away from the front apex portion. A plurality of rear apex portion are provided that are linear, each one connected to a right terminal end of a respective right angled portion, and extending parallel to the horizontal line. A left spacer portion is provided that is linear extending perpendicular to the line, is connected at one end to a left terminal end of an extreme left angled portion, and is provided with a hook for connection to a pegboard. A right spacer portion is provided that is linear extending perpendicular to the line and has the same length as the left spacer portion, the right spacer portion being connected at one end to a right terminal portion of a right extreme rear apex portion, and is provided with a hook for connection to a pegboard. As a result of the foregoing configuration, juxtaposition of the two non-linear bars beside each other with the right spacer portion of a first non-linear bar abutting the left spacer portion of an adjacent non-linear bar results in a uniform wave shaped pattern comprising left angled portions, front apex portions, right angled portions and rear apex portions of each non-linear bar. As in the case of the first embodiment, this configuration has the advantageous result that it allows a symmetrical pattern to be created when a plurality of units are mounted adjacent each other in an abutting relationship on a pegboard. Specifically, the pattern is advantageous for the purpose of hanging tools from the plurality of units because it advantageously increases the number of tools that may be hung in a fixed linear space for merchandising to the public.
In a preferred aspect of this embodiment, each of the left spacer portions and the right spacer portions are between 0.5 inches and 1.5 inches in length, and each of the left angled portions and the right angled portions are between 4 inches and 7 inches in length. Furthermore, it is preferred that all the right angled portions have the same length as all the left angled portions. Additionally, in a preferred aspect, each left angled portion extends backwards and leftwards away from the respective front apex portion at a first angle, and each right angled portion extends backwards and rightwards away from the respective front apex portion at a second angle that is the same as the first angle, so that the left and right angled portions form a “V” shape, with the front apex portion situated at the apex of the “V.” In yet a further preferred aspect, first angle and the second angle are between 30 degrees and 40 degrees.
These and other advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description thereof and the accompanying exemplary drawings.
Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a merchandize display system that includes features of the present invention. When used in the intended manner, the final configuration of the system permits a vendor of goods to display goods for sale in an advantageous way, one which permits increasing the number of items that can be displayed in a fixed linear space. A first embodiment of this final configuration is exemplified in
In order to arrive at this final configuration, the system comprises a basic modular unit 20 that is exemplified in
Furthermore, the modular unit includes a plurality of pegboard hooks 36 that are attached to the non-linear bar 21. Each hook 36 is spaced laterally apart from an adjacent hook and all the hooks are positioned in linear alignment with each other because each hook is specially configured to be inserted into a hole in a pegboard (not shown) where it will be secure against withdrawal, so that the weight of the unit 20 and its associated merchandise may be supported by the pegboard.
In order to meet the shape requirements of the present invention, and as seen in the Figures, the non-linear bar 21 of each unit 20 preferably has a configuration as described below. In order to facilitate this description, some terms are defined here. A line extending through each of the pegboard hooks 36 (indicated as the line A-A in
Turning now to the configuration of the modular unit 20, and with reference especially to
As will be readily seen in the Figures, the configuration of the non-linear bar 21 thus described has a non-symmetrical shape that includes a portion comprising the rear apex portion 35 which extends rightwardly from the right side, but is not matched by any similar portion extending leftwardly at the left side. This asymmetry is an important aspect of the invention because it creates a structure in the unit 20 that permits an advantageously symmetrical pattern to be created when a plurality of units 20 are mounted adjacent each other in an abutting relationship on a pegboard. Specifically, the pattern is advantageous for the purpose of hanging tools from the plurality of units 20 because it advantageously increases the number of tools that may be hung for merchandising to the public.
For example,
A singular advantage of the configuration of the repeating wave pattern created by the bar 21 of a plurality of units 20 of the present invention is that the rear apex portion 35 permits a single hook to be clipped onto the bar 21 at the center of the rear apex 35 of the wave shape, coincident with the line E-E indicated in
Furthermore, an additional advantage provided by the configuration of the modular unit 20 of the present invention is that the wave shape permits an additional number of merchandise items 400 (see
In a further embodiment of the invention, described with reference to
Thus, the Further Embodiment Comprises a Support Bar 521 that has a Plurality of Front apex portions 526 that are relatively short linear portions extending parallel to the pegboard line A′-A′, as shown in
Thus, there has been described a configuration for a merchandising display rack that overcomes shortcomings in the prior art, and that permits an advantageous number of items of merchandise to be displayed in limited linear shelving space. The present invention may, of course, be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the essential characteristics of the invention. For example, each “left” and “right” may be interchanged with each other to provide the same invention in mirror image. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, while the scope of the invention is set forth in the claims that follow.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20120097625 A1 | Apr 2012 | US |