Abstract:
A product display device includes a track system designed to accept product holders which can be positioned anywhere along the length of the track. The product holders can have two “T” type protrusions which may be configured to slide into corresponding “T” slots in the top and bottom of the track. The two “T” protrusions and their corresponding slots can be of different sizes to ensure that the product holder is not inserted upside-down in the track.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims priority of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/539,722, filed Jan. 27, 2004 and entitled, “Leviton Tack and Holder System.” 
     
    
     BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     1. Field  
         [0003]     This invention relates to product display devices.  
         [0004]     2. Background of Related Art  
         [0005]     A display of a product may be useful to enable a consumer to see the product before purchase. Products in a box or other packaging may not convey to the consumer the function, use and/or aesthetics of the product. Without a display, consumers may be tempted to open a box to inspect the product.  
         [0006]     Household wiring devices such as receptacles and lighting dimmers are products that lend themselves to display. These devices may best be displayed in a manner conducive to their usage. Displayed devices may be inspected from various angles so that prospective users can appreciate the desirable aspects of the product.  
       SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE  
       [0007]     A product display device includes a horizontal track system designed to accept product holders which can be positioned anywhere along the length of the track. The product holders can have two “T” type protrusions which can be configured to slide into corresponding “T” slots in the top and bottom of the track. The two “T” protrusions and their corresponding slots can be of different sizes to ensure that the product holder is not inserted upside-down in the track.  
         [0008]     A track and product holder system includes a product holder that has a first and second mating protrusion and configured to receive a product for display. A track system includes a first and second support slot to receive the first and second mating protrusions, respectively. The first support slot is not adapted to receive the second mating protrusion.  
         [0009]     In one aspect, the first and second support slots have a beveled surface opposite the product holder and the product holder includes a spring loaded extension on a surface opposite the beveled surface, such that the spring loaded extension applies a force to the beveled track to cause the product to rotate towards a desired orientation.  
         [0010]     Some of the implementations of the disclosed track system can have one or more of the following advantages. A product for display can be mounted in the track system so that a consumer can see a visually appealing display and the intended application of the product in service. The product holder can be rotated for viewing the product from different angles. A spring loaded protrusion on the product holder can urge the product holder from a rotated position back to a desired orientation with respect to the track system. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]      FIG. 1  is an implementation of a track and product holder system for displaying a product.  
         [0012]      FIGS. 2A-2B  are perspective drawings of an implementation of a product holder.  
         [0013]      FIG. 3A-3F  are orthogonal views of the product holder of  FIGS. 2A-2B .  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  illustrates a product holder in a T-shaped slot.  
         [0015]      FIGS. 5A-5B  illustrate a track for angular mounting on an shelf and a track for perpendicular mounting on a shelf. 
     
    
       [0016]     In the drawings, like elements are given like reference numbers.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0017]      FIG. 1  is an implementation of a product display system  100  according to the present application. The system includes a track  102  and a product holder  104 . The track  102  can have upper and lower slots  106 ,  108 , respectively. The product holder  104  can include a dummy receptacle  114  to hold and display a product including plugs and adapters such as may be used in household electrical circuits. The rear of the product holder has a stub  116  molded to simulate the end of a cord (not shown) onto which a device could be mounted. Upper and lower mounting protrusions  110 ,  112 , respectively, comprising a disk shaped head portion  120 ,  122  attached to a cylindrical neck portion  124 ,  126 , which may be attached to the top and bottom of the dummy receptacle  114 . In an implementation, the protrusions  110 ,  112  are disk-shaped and the slots  106 ,  108  are T-shaped to accept upper and lower disk-shaped protrusions. A width of the upper slot  106  can be made different from a width of a lower slot  108 . The widths can be chosen to accept, frictionally or loosely, the head portions  120 ,  122  and neck portions  124 ,  126  of disk-shaped protrusions  110 ,  112  having matching diameters. The respective widths may be chosen so that the product holder  104  may only be put into the slots in a particular orientation. The horizontal track system can be designed to accept product holder  104  which may be positioned anywhere along the length of the track. The upper and lower T-shaped protrusions  110 ,  112  are designed to slide into corresponding slots  106 ,  108  in the top and bottom of the track. The slots can be continuous to allow for the product holder to move left or right. The T-shaped protrusions can allow the product holder to mount in the slot but to inhibit the removal of the product holder from the slots through the front of the track face. That is, the product holder may be removed from the track by sliding the holder along slots till the holder exits from an end of the track.  
         [0018]     The product holder  104  may be inserted into the track at a desired angle, rotated about the top and bottom protrusions  110 ,  112 . The front of the product holder can have a dummy receptacle  114  mounted thereon for display purposes, allowing for a both visually appealing display and also showing the intended application of the device in service. The dummy receptacle  114  can be used to display electrical devices including electrical plugs, current taps and night lights.  
         [0019]      FIGS. 2A-2B  are perspective views of an implementation of a product holder  104 .  FIGS. 3A-3F  are orthogonal views of the product holder shown in  FIGS. 2A-2B .  FIGS. 3A-3F  are a top, right-side, back, left-side, front and bottom view, respectively, of an implementation of the product holder. A spring loaded extension  202  can protrude from the top of the product holder to provide a force to resist positioning the product holder with a side surface  302 ,  304  perpendicular to the track when installed in the slots of the track. As described below, the force exerted by the spring loaded extension  202  against the track can urge the product holder to reside in a position where a front  306  or back  308  surface is facing outwardly from the track.  FIG. 4  illustrates an assembly of a plurality of product holders  104  with a track  102 . The product holder may be rotated about an axis through the upper protrusion  110  and lower protrusion  112  (See.  FIG. 1 ) in the T-shaped slot  106 .  
         [0020]     Referring to  FIG. 4  and Detail A, the track can have beveled surfaces  404 . The product holder  104  can have a spring loaded extension  202 , which may include a centering device  402  such as a roller or ball. The spring loaded extension may be arranged to exert a force upon the track when the product holder is installed in the track. For example, the spring loaded extension may be deformed within an elastic limit when the product holder is installed in the track. When the product holder  104  is inserted in the T-shaped slot  106 , the centering device may ride along the beveled surface  404 . When the product holder is positioned in a desired orientation, the centering device may rest in an opening  406 . The pressure of the spring loaded extension  202  holding the centering device  402  in the opening  406  can cause the product holder to be held in the desired orientation. When the product holder is rotated out of the desired orientation, the centering device  402  can urge the product back towards the desired orientation. In an implementation, the centering device may ride up the beveled surface  404 , deforming the spring loaded extension  202  and, in turn, exerting a force on the beveled surface tending to urge the product holder back toward the desired orientation. Thus, a consumer may rotate the product holder out of the desired position by overcoming the tension in the spring loaded extension. The product holder can return to the desired orientation when the product holder is released.  
         [0021]      FIG. 5A-5B  illustrate side views of implementations of tracks  500 ,  504  having upper mounting legs  506 ,  508  for mounting a product holder at different angles to a shelf  514 ,  512 .  FIG. 5A  depicts an implementation having an upper mounting leg  506  attached and not perpendicular to the back surface  520  of the track  500 . The track is profiled at an angle, θ, with respect to a retail shelving  514 . In an implementation, the track is profiled at a 45 degree relationship to the retail shelves. A bottom surface  524  of the track  500  also may be angled with respect to the back surface  520  for resting on a support (not shown). The angled arrangement can make viewing of the product in the product holder easier than a vertical mounting when the tracks are on lower shelving.  FIG. 5B  illustrates an implementation of the track  504  that may be used on upper shelving. The upper mounting leg  508  and a bottom surface  510  are perpendicular to a back surface  522  or the track  504 . In this implementation, the track is profiled in a 90 degree relationship to the retail shelving  512 . This will allow for direct mounting of the track to shelf in these specific angles, without the requirement of any additional “flexible” device built into the track.  
         [0022]     While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental features of the invention as applied to the preferred embodiment, as is presently contemplated for carrying them out, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes of the form and details of the device described and illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention.