Patent Application
20080099418
The present invention is related to a product display for household fixtures and a method of merchandising, the display including a room mockup having various display elements representing the household fixtures included thereon.
Typically, household fixtures are sold in home improvement warehouses using full size models. The full size models simulate, for example, the appearance of bathrooms, kitchens, utility rooms, or wet bars to display the various household fixtures being sold. However, such full size models require relatively large amounts of retail space. Furthermore, alternate design features, such as choices for materials, colors, finishes, ornamentation, patterns, and textures, for the household fixtures are not readily displayed. Usually, the household fixtures included in a particular full size model are coordinated or aesthetically matched with one another. As such, to display household fixtures with alternate design features, it may be necessary to build other coordinated or aesthetically matched full size models.
As such, there is need for displaying various household fixtures in a relatively compact space while simultaneously displaying various alternate design features for the household fixtures.
The present invention contemplates a product display provided to sell household fixtures including a display base, at least one wall provided adjacent the display base, and a room mockup provided on the display base adjacent the at least one wall, where the room mockup includes display elements representing the household fixtures.
The product display according to the present invention is generally indicated by the numeral 10 in the accompanying drawings. As discussed below, the product display 10 can be included in a retail setting to aid a consumer in selecting the configuration of household fixtures. The household fixtures can, for example, include cabinets including uppers, lowers, and cabinet hardware, countertops, crown molding, and flooring.
As shown in
The product display 10 includes a platform 18 and an L-shaped wall 20. The platform 18 includes a platform floor 22 and a riser 23 supporting the platform floor 22, and the L-shaped wall 20 includes a first portion 24 and a second portion 25. The platform 18 and the L-shaped wall 20 are constructed with enough structural rigidity to allow the product display 10 to be moved. As such, the product display 10 can be, as necessary, shipped to and repositioned in a retail setting without the need for significant onsite assembly.
The platform 18 and the L-shaped wall 20 define a display area 26 in which the room mockups 12, 14, and 16 are disposed. For example, each of the room mockups 12, 14, and 16 are positioned on the platform floor 22 adjacent the first wall portion 24. As shown in
The room mockups 12, 14, and 16 are framed by backboard walls 30, 32, and 34, respectively. The backboard walls 30, 32, and 34 serve as a backdrop for the room mockups 12, 14, and 16, respectively, and can be adorned with indicia and/or pictorials to enhance the visual appearance of the product display 10. As shown best in
A cornice 36 can be provided adjacent the top of the product display 10. As shown best in
The cornice 36 can be used in concealing lighting fixtures (not shown) used to spotlight the room mockups 12, 14, and 16. The lighting fixtures, like the above-discussed indicia and pictorials, can enhance the visual appearance of the product display 10. The cornice 36 can also be used in supporting the room mockups 12, 14, and 16. For example, horizontal support rods 27 extend from the cornice 36 to the L-shaped wall 20. Furthermore, vertical support rods 28 extend from each of the room mockups 12,14, and 16 to the horizontal support rods 27. The horizontal support rods 27 and the vertical support rods 28 can be used to support the room mockups 12, 14, and 16 on the product display 10.
As discussed above, each of the room mockups 12, 14, and 16 include various display elements representing various household fixtures. For example, as shown in
Each of the room mockups 12, 14, and 16 include various display elements having various alternate design features to illustrate the choices available to the consumer. The room mockups 12, 14, and 16 can each have different overall appearances, and include display elements with design features coordinated or aesthetically matched with one another. As discussed above, the various alternate design features include choices of materials, colors, finishes, ornamentation, patterns, and textures. As such, a consumer can select from the various alternate design features for the various display elements to determine the ultimate configuration of the household fixtures to be installed in the consumer's home.
For example, the choices of the design features associated with the flooring 40 include various materials, such as for example, woods, laminate, stone, tile, vinyl, and carpet, and the colors, the finishes, the patterns, and the textures associated therewith. The choices of the design features associated with the cabinet bases 42, the lower cabinet doors 44, the cabinet facers 46, the upper cabinet doors 50, and the crown molding 52 include various materials, such as for example, woods and laminates, and the colors, the finishes, the ornamentation, and the textures associated therewith. Furthermore, the choices of the design features associated with the countertops 48 include various materials, such as for example, composites, laminates, stone, and tile, and the colors, the finishes, the patterns, and the textures associated therewith. Also, the choices of the design features associated with the handles 54 and knobs 55 include various materials, such as for example, metals and woods, and the colors, the finishes, the ornamentation, and the textures associated therewith.
Various selection pallets 58, 60, and 62 are provided to further supplement the choices for the design features of the display elements included in the product display 10. As shown in
The selection pallets 58, 60, and 62 include various placards attached thereto. For example, as best shown in
The indicia placards 64 and the design placards 66, 68, and 70 can be permanently or removably attached to the selection pallets 58, 60, and 62. For example, if removable, the design placards 66, 68, and 70 can be exchanged with other placards including further additional selections for the design features of the display elements.
The design placards 66, 68, and 70 can, for example, include samples 72 and 73 depicting additional alternate design features in the form of alternate material selections for the cabinet bases 42, the lower cabinet doors 44, the cabinet facers 46, the upper cabinet doors 50, and the crown molding 52. The design placards 66, 68, and 70 can, for example, include samples 74 depicting additional alternate design features in the form of alternate material selections for the countertops 48. Furthermore, the design placards 66 and 68 can, for example, include alternate handle selections 76 and alternate knob selections 77 for the handles 54 and knobs 55, respectively.
Given the various alternate design features for the display elements included in the room mockups 12, 14, and 16 and the selection pallets 58, 60, and 62, the consumer can conceptualize the appearance of alternate configurations for the household fixtures, and select the design features for the household fixtures that comport with his or her tastes.
While in accordance with the Patent Statutes, only the best mode and exemplary embodiments have been presented and described in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto or thereby. Furthermore, this Detailed Description merely describes exemplary embodiments and is not intended to limit the scope of the claims in any way. Indeed, the invention as described is broader than and unlimited by the described embodiments, and the terms used have their full ordinary meaning.
