Display fixtures in a retail store organize and present products or merchandise to customers for purchase. Dinnerware is one exemplary type of product presented in retail stores for purchase. Dinnerware, such as a plate, comes in a wide variety of colors, shapes and sizes. For example, plates can be round, oval, square, rectangular and the like. In addition, dinnerware is susceptible to inadvertent breakage upon being handled. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a display fixture for dinnerware that mitigates potential damage, while also providing easy 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 fixture includes a fixed component including a product receiving portion and an elongated spine portion, a first adjustable component insertably engaged with the elongated spine portion and including a product receiving portion and an adjustment portion, a second adjustable component insertably engaged with the elongated spine portion and including a product receiving portion and an adjustment portion, a third adjustable component insertably engaged with the elongated spine portion and including a product receiving portion and an adjustment portion. The adjustment portion of the first adjustable component operates to slidably adjust a distance between the product receiving portion of the fixed component and the product receiving portion of the first adjustable component, while the adjustment portion of the second adjustable component and the adjustment portion of the third adjustable component operate to slidably adjust a distance between the product receiving portion of the second adjustable component and the product receiving portion of the third adjustable component.
The elongated spine portion includes a first channel and a second channel with the first channel substantially perpendicular to the second channel. The adjustment portion of the first adjustable arm is received by the first channel and a distal end of the first adjustment arm includes the product receiving portion. The adjustment portions of the second adjustable arm and the third adjustable arm each include a tooth for slidably engaging with each other and are received by the second channel. Distal ends of the second adjustable arm and the third adjustable arm include the product receiving portions.
To adjust the display fixture to accommodate different sized products a method includes loosening a fastener that couples the first adjustable component, the second adjustable component and the third adjustable component to the fixed component. The first adjustment portion of the first adjustable component is slid relative to the elongated spine portion to adjust the first distance between the product receiving portion of the fixed component and the product receiving portion of the first adjustment portion. The adjustment portion of the second adjustable component is slid relative to the adjustment portion of the third adjustable component and the adjustment portion of the third adjustable component is slid relative to the adjustment portion of the second adjustable component to adjust a second distance between the product receiving portion of the first adjustable component and the product receiving portion of the second adjustable component. The fastener is tightened to couple the first adjustable component, the second adjustable component and the third adjustable component to the fixed component.
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.
Embodiments described herein include a display fixture for mounting to a crossbar of a display unit, such as a gondola display unit, located in a retail store. The display fixture includes a fixed base for receiving a bottom edge of a piece of dinnerware, a pair of adjustable substantially horizontal arms interconnected with the base for retaining sides of a piece of dinnerware and an adjustable substantially vertical arm for retaining a top edge of the piece of dinnerware. The adjustable substantially horizontal arms and adjustable substantially vertical arm provide the display fixture with the ability to retain a variety of different shapes and sizes of dinnerware in a substantially vertical orientation.
In the embodiment illustrated in
As described, product receiving portion 130 supports an edge of a product, such as a bottom edge of a piece of dinnerware, and includes a back wall 131, a front wall 132 and a pair of first and second side walls 134 and 136. In one embodiment, back wall 131, front wall 132, first side wall 134 and second side wall 136 are each substantially planar. Front wall 132 includes a bottom edge 144, an upper edge 143 and extends at a substantially perpendicular orientation from and to a bottom edge 135 (also illustrated in
In one embodiment, first side wall 134 defines an upper edge 138 (also illustrated in
As illustrated in
As described above, mounting portion 148 is configured to mount to a backer 106 and to a display unit and includes a main member 152 and a pair of interface members 154 and 156 for interfacing with support elements of a display unit, such as crossbar 300 of a display unit. In particular, the pair of interface members 154 and 156 sit on crossbar 300. Main member 152 includes an upper edge 158, a lower edge 159, a pair of female receiving features 149 and a pair of rails 151.
Lower edge 159 is substantially vertically spaced apart from upper edge 139 of back wall 131 of product receiving portion 130. Main member 152 is substantially planar and laterally centered with respect to product receiving portion 130. The pair of female receiving features 149 receive fasteners 127 in order to attach base 108 to backer 106. The pair of rails 151, like rails 147 on back wall 131 of product receiving portion 130, are elongated protrusions that extend from the front face of main member 152 and will be discussed in detail below.
The pair of interface members 154 and 156 extend backward from main member 152 and include substantially identical substantially horizontal sections 162 and substantially vertical sections 164 that include interior and exterior edges. At the intersection of the interior edges of substantially horizontal sections 162 and main member 152, first corners 165 are formed. At the intersection of interior edges of substantially horizontal sections 162 and the interior edges of substantially vertical sections 164, second corners 166 are formed. Interior edges of substantially vertical sections 164, second corners 166 and interior edges of substantially horizontal sections 162 are configured to receive a crossbar for mounting product display fixture 100 to a display unit.
Elongated spine or channel portion 168 not only receives and supports substantially vertical arm 112 and the pair of substantially horizontal arms 110 and 111, elongated spine or channel portion 168 also connects product receiving portion 130 to mounting portion 148. Elongated spine portion 168 is laterally centered with respect to back wall 131 of product receiving portion 130 and main member 152 of mounting portion 148 and extends from back wall 131 across the space between upper edge 139 of back wall 131 and bottom edge 159 of mounting portion 148. Elongated spine portion 168 includes a first channel 170 having a first end 121, a second end 141 and extends in a substantially vertical direction. First end 121 of first channel 170 receives substantially vertical arm 112. In other words, substantially vertical arm or first adjustable component 112 is insertably engaged with first channel 170 of elongated spine portion 168. Elongated spine portion 168 also includes a second channel 172 (also illustrated in
In addition, elongated spine portion 168 includes an aperture 173 that extends entirely through the thickness of spine portion 168 and is substantially laterally centered on spine portion 168. Aperture 173 is configured to align with centrally located hole 123 in backer 106 as well as receive multi-functional fastener 125. In this way and as described above, multi-functional fastener 125, among other functions that will be described below, fastens base 108 to backer 106. For example, multi-functional fastener 125 can be a carriage bolt that mates with a washer and wing nut as illustrated in
Each substantially horizontal arm 110 and 111 includes a proximal end 174 and a distal end 171. In
More particularly, first substantially horizontal arm 110 and second substantially horizontal arm 111 include proximal sections 175, adjustment sections or portions 176 and clasp sections or product receiving portions 177. Each adjustment section 176 includes a recessed area 178 and a raised area 179. Recessed area 178 includes a through slot 199 that extends entirely through the material of first substantially horizontal arm 110 and second substantially horizontal arm 111 and runs along the intersection between recessed area 178 and raised area 179. Through slot 199 extends from proximal section 175 to clasp section 177. Each proximal section 175 includes a tooth 198 (
To interconnect first substantially horizontal arm 110 with second substantially horizontal arm 111, one of the proximal ends 174 of either first substantially horizontal arm 110 or second substantially horizontal arm 111 is inserted through second channel 172 of spine portion 168. Then tooth 198 of first substantially horizontal arm 110 is inserted into through slot 199 on second substantially horizontal arm 111 and tooth 198 of second substantially horizontal arm 111 is inserted into through slot 199 on first substantially horizontal arm. For example, proximal end 174 of first substantially horizontal arm 110 can be inserted into first end 194 of second channel 172 or proximal end 174 of second substantially horizontal arm 111 can be inserted into second end 195 of second channel 172. With teeth 198 inserted into respected through slots 199, proximal section 175 of second substantially horizontal arm 111 is adapted to or configured to slide from interior shoulder 180 of first substantially horizontal arm 110 along recessed area 178 of first substantially horizontal arm 110 for a distance 182. Likewise, proximal section 175 of first substantially horizontal arm 110 is adapted to or configured to sliding from interior shoulder 180 of second substantially horizontal arm 111 along recessed area 178 of second substantially horizontal arm 111 for a distance 182.
Clasp sections 177 of substantially horizontal arms 110 and 111 are located at distal ends 171 and in one embodiment include clasps for gripping an edge of a product, such as an edge of a piece of dinnerware, and having a first clasp portion 183 and a second clasp portion 184. First clasp portion 183 extends forward from distal end 171 and second clasp portion 184 extends substantially inward and slightly angled backward toward the remainder of substantially horizontal arm 110 or substantially horizontal arm 111. First clasp portion 183 is coupled to distal end 171 of each substantially horizontal arm 110 and 111 with suitable give or flexibility such that first clasp portion 183 is allowed to slightly rotate or bend about the intersection between distal end 171 of each substantially horizontal arm 110 and 111 and first clasp portion 183 upon the application of a suitable force to first clasp portion 183. Second clasp portion 184 is similarly formed with suitable give to allow slight rotation or bending about the intersection between first clasp portion 183 and second clasp portion 184 upon the application of sufficient force.
Adjustment section or portion 187 is configured to be received by first channel 170 of elongated spine portion 168 or adjustment section 187 is configured to be insertably engaged with first channel 170 such that proximal end 185 is located either within first channel 170 or below first channel 170 and distal end 186 is located external to first channel 170. With reference back to
Substantially horizontal arms 110 and 111 and substantially vertical arm 112 can be adjusted to accommodate different sized product, such as different sized dinnerware. In particular, adjustment portion 187 of substantially vertical arm 112 operates to slidably adjust within first channel 170 a distance or span between product receiving portion 130 of base 108 and product receiving portion 188 of substantially vertical arm 112. Furthermore, adjustment portion 176 of substantially horizontal arm 110 and adjustment portion 176 of substantially horizontal arm 111 operate to slidably adjust relative to each other within second channel 172 a distance or span between product receiving portion 177 of substantially horizontal arm 110 and product receiving portion 177 of substantially horizontal arm 111.
With reference back to
To adjust product display fixture 100 to accommodate different sized products, the following method is employed. Fastener 125 is loosened. The adjustment portion 187 of the first adjustable component 112 is slid relative to elongated spine portion 168 to adjust a first distance between product receiving portion 130 of fixed component 108 and product receiving portion 188 of first adjustable component 112. The adjustment portion 176 of second adjustable component 110 is slid relative to adjustment portion 176 of third adjustable component 111 and adjustment portion 176 of third adjustable component 111 is slid relative to adjustment portion 176 of second adjustable component 110 to adjust a second distance between product receiving portion 177 of second adjustable component 110 and product receiving portion 177 of third adjustable component 111. Fastener 125 is tightened to couple first adjustable component 112, second adjustable component 110 and third adjustable component 111 to fixed component 108 so that the various components do not move relative to each other.
Before tightening the fastener, a product, such as a piece of dinnerware, can be placed between the product receiving portion of the fixed component and the product receiving portion of the first adjustable component and between the product receiving portion of the second adjustable component and the product receiving portion of the second adjustable component. The first adjustment portion of the first adjustable component is slid relative to the elongated spine portion to engage the product receiving portion of the fixed component and the product receiving portion of the first adjustable component with the product. The adjustment portion of the second adjustable component is slid relative to the adjustment portion of the third adjustable component and the adjustment portion of the third adjustable component is slid relative to the adjustment portion of the second adjustable component to engage the product receiving portion of the second adjustable component and the product receiving portion of the third adjustable component with the product.
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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Entry |
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Office Action from Canadian Patent Application No. 2,794,836, mailed Mar. 1, 2013 (3 pages). |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20140021315 A1 | Jan 2014 | US |