Abstract:
A mounting bracket for securing an electronic label to the front of a store display shelf. The bracket is a one-piece metal sheet formed to provide a central body portion with clips for securing the electronic label. An upper support member extends rearwardly from the upper edge of the body portion and has shelf-engaging lugs adapted to be received in selected ones of regularly spaced openings in the shelf. A spring clip extends rearward from the bottom edge and resiliently and/or frictionally engages bottom contours of the shelf, to secure the bracket at the front edge of the shelf. The bracket is considerably less expensive and easier to install then conventional devices for this purpose, which typically extend the full length of a display shelf.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of copending U.S. application Ser. No. 08/933,473, filed Sep. 18, 1997. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Large retailers are increasingly converting to the use of electronic labels to indicate pricing and other information relating to products displayed on their shelves. Such electronic labels greatly facilitate pricing and repricing of the goods as compared to, for example, the printing and placement of new paper labels. At the same time, the electronic labels represent a relatively costly initial investment and it is thus important that they be securely mounted on the display shelves. 
     Some styles of display shelving are either provided with, or are initially formed with, price ticket moldings along the front edges of the shelves. These are designed principally for receiving paper or plastic labels of the conventional type. There are also some styles of display shelving, that have no provision for ticket moldings along the front edge. The present invention is directed particularly to providing a novel and advantageous form of individual mounting clip, for securing an electronic label to the front edge of a display shelf, regardless of whether the shelf is provided with a ticket molding along the front edge. 
     Display shelving of the type contemplated herein typically is formed of sheet metal, having a flat upper surface, a front edge structure extending downward from the upper surface, and a flange-like structure extending rearward at least a short distance from the lower edge area of the front surface structure. In some cases, the front surface structure of the shelving is configured to form a ticket molding. In other cases, it may be relatively flat. The upper surface of the shelving is formed, at least in the front area and typically throughout, with regularly spaced rows and columns of apertures. Such shelving is typically constructed in sections, referred to as gondolas, which are standardized at 48 inches in length. One prior approach to the mounting of electronic labels on shelving of the type described above involves the mounting of a special extrusion, running along the full length of the shelving and arranged to receive one or more electronic labels at desired positions associated with merchandise display. The extrusions appropriate for this purpose are somewhat costly, and require a 48 inch unit even though possibly only one or two electronic labels will be mounted. 
     In accordance with the present invention, a metal clip-type mounting bracket, formed of heat treated spring steel, is provided for engagement with individual electronic labels, and for the mounting of such labels individually in fixed position at the front of the display shelving. To this end, the mounting clip includes a central body portion and an upper support member extending rearwardly from the upper edge thereof and having shelf-engaging lugs arranged for snap-in engagement with a spaced pair of the apertures formed in the upper surface of the shelving. A spring clip element extends rearward from the bottom edge of the central body portion and can be displaced to allow the clip to snap over the lower edge structure of the shelving, locking the mounting bracket firmly and reliably to the front edge of the shelving, at a desired specific location. The mounting bracket can be easily removed for intentional relocation, but is very securely mounted against accidental dislodgement. 
     The new mounting clip of the invention is configured so that, by squeezing together on the upper support member, and the lower spring clip element, the bracket is easily attached to an electronic label. Thereafter, when the bracket is attached to a shelf, the spreading-apart action of the shelf on the same two elements serves to securely lock the electronic label onto the bracket. 
     The device of the invention can be economically manufactured from a unitary sheet metal stamping and is easily shaped to provide the several working components described above. 
    
    
     For a more complete understanding of the above and other features and advantages of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention and to the accompanying drawings. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the mounting bracket of the invention and an electronic label which is to be mounted thereon. 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the mounting bracket with an electronic label mounted therein, illustrating the manner in which the mounting bracket is secured to display shelving. 
     FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view as taken generally on line  3 — 3  of FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 4 is a flat, developed view of the metal stamping from which the mounting bracket is formed. 
     FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the mounting bracket, shown without the electronic label holder mounted therein. 
     FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a modified form of the invention utilizing a different arrangement for mounting of the electronic label holder. 
     FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the mounting bracket of FIG. 6, shown mounted on a display shelving structure formed with a flat, inclined front surface. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the drawing, and initially to FIGS. 1-5 thereof, the reference numeral  10  designates generally a typical electronic label which, in a representative form, may be approximately 2 inches in width, an 1¼ inch in height, and about ½ inch in overall thickness. An outer case of the label houses electronic media, including a suitable electronic display (not shown) for display of the pricing information. In the illustrated arrangement, the label housing  11  includes a rearwardly extended back portion  12 , the top bottom and side edges of which are recessed with respect to the corresponding edges of the label housing  11 . Additionally, the extended back portion is configured to provide clip receiving recesses  13 ,  14  at the upper and lower corners at both sides. The electronic label  10  and its housing configuration does not, in itself, form any part of this invention. 
     The new mounting bracket disclosed herein comprises a single sheet  15  of metal (advantageously 1050 high carbon steel, of a typical thickness of about 0.020 inch). The sheet  15  is stamped in the flat shape shown in FIG. 4, to provide a central body portion  16 , an upper support member  17 , and a lower spring clip portion  18 . At the upper and lower corner areas of the central body portion  16 , there are clip-forming elements  19 ,  20 , and at the side edges of the central body portion there are tab-forming elements  21 . 
     Pursuant to the invention, the upper support member  17  is bent rearwardly, at the upper edge  22  of the central body portion  16 . Preferably, the upper support member is bent to have a slightly obtuse angle with respect to the central body portion  16 , for example, an angle of 95°. 
     At the rearward extremity, the upper support member is formed with spaced-apart, L-shaped shelf-engaging lugs  23 ,  24 . These are spaced apart a distance corresponding to the standard hole spacing of commercial shelving. To this end, the center-to-center spacing between the lugs  23 ,  24  is approximately 0.942 inch. At their outer ends, the lugs  23 ,  24  have downwardly projecting tabs  25  arranged to be received in shelf openings. A suitable width of the lugs  23 ,  24  for this purpose is approximately 0.0183 inch. 
     The effective length of the upper support member  17  from the upper edge  22  of the central body portion is also calculated to correspond to rows of openings in the shelving top surface (not shown). In advantageous embodiments of the invention, this distance may be 0.940 inch, to accommodate one type of standard shelving, and 0.685 inch, to accommodate another type of standardized shelving. Conveniently, the length of lug-forming elements  26  (FIG. 4) in the flat, developed form of the stamping, is such that either style of shelving may be accommodated by bending the lug-forming elements  26  at different locations. 
     The flat metal form of FIG. 4 is bent rearwardly along the lower edge  27  of the central body portion to provide an integral spring clip member  28 . As shown in FIG. 3, the spring clip element  28  preferably comprises an upwardly concave first portion  29  extending directly from the lower edge  27 , and a downwardly extending guide tab portion  30 . A typical installation of the mounting bracket in a standard shelving arrangement is shown in FIG. 2, which illustrates in broken lines the front edge region of a standard display shelf having a row of openings  31  near its front edge portion  32 . In the illustration of FIG. 2, the front configuration of the shelving is such that the front edge defines a generally outwardly concave ticket molding  33  formed with a central portion  34  recessed somewhat rearward from upper and lower flanges  35 ,  36 . The upper support portion of the mounting bracket is applied over the top surface  37  of the shelving, so that the spaced lugs  23 ,  24  are received in spaced openings  31  in the shelving. The effective length of the upper support member  17  is such that the central body portion  16  snugly engages the upper flange  35 . After first engaging the upper support member  17 , the lower portion of the bracket is pressed forcibly rearward, causing the spring clip element  28  to snap over the lower flange portion  36  of the shelving, as shown in FIG.  2 . The guide tab  30  serves to assist in the resilient displacement of the spring clip  28  during this operation. Once installed in the manner shown in FIG. 2, the mounting bracket is tightly and reliably engaged with the shelving. Removal can be effected by engaging the guide tab  30  and pulling downward, to free the lower end of the bracket and allow it to be pivoted upward away from the lower flange  36 . 
     An advantageous arrangement for securing of the electronic label  10  to the mounting bracket is formed by bending the clip-forming sections  19 ,  20  (FIG.  4 ), to provide upper and lower, forwardly extending L-shaped label supporting clips  38 ,  39 . The respective upper and lower L-shaped clips are arranged to be received in the recesses  13 ,  14  provided at the upper and lower corners of the label back extension  12 , as indicated in FIG.  2 . Additionally, tab-forming elements  21  are bent forwardly, at each side edge of the central body portion, forming confining tabs  21   a  to limit lateral movement of the electronic label  10  with respect to the mounting bracket. In a typical and advantageous embodiment of the invention, the label supporting clips  38 ,  39  may extend forward from the central body portion  16  a distance of about 0.156 inch, with an inwardly projecting end flange of about 0.062 inch in length for reception in the label recesses  13 ,  14 . These dimensions will of course be a function of the particular geometry of the label body itself such that, when the L-shaped clips  38 ,  39  are engaged in the recesses  13 ,  14 , the label body is securely held in the mounting bracket. 
     To advantage, mounting and removal of the label housing from the mounting bracket can be facilitated by squeezing together the upper support member  15  and the spring clip element  28  at the respective upper and lower edges of the central body portion. This tends to distort the central body portion into somewhat of a forwardly convex configuration, which tends to slightly increase the spacing between the L-shaped clips  38 ,  39 , thus facilitating installation and removal of the label housing. By the same principle, when the mounting bracket is installed on the front edge of a shelf, as shown in FIG. 2, the upper supporting member  17  and the spring clip  28  tend to be urged apart by the geometry of the shelf, making removal of the label housing more difficult. 
     In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 6, the shelf-engaging features of the mounting bracket are essentially the same as in the bracket of FIGS. 1-5. The manner of mounting the label, however, differs in significant respects. In the embodiment of FIG. 6, the central body portion  116  of the mounting bracket is provided with an outwardly and upwardly projecting tongue  40 . In this embodiment, a special external housing  41  is provided to receive the label itself (not shown in FIG.  6 ). The label housing has an integral mounting element  42 , which is formed with a downwardly opening slot  43  arranged to receive an upward extension  44  of the tongue  40 . The tongue  40  is designed to provide a somewhat resilient mounting for the label housing  41 , to afford a high degree of protection of the label against bumping with shopping carts, etc. 
     In the embodiment of FIG. 7, the label housing  40  and its mounting on the bracket are essentially the same as for FIG.  6 . In addition, the mounting bracket itself is the same as that shown in FIG.  6 . However, the shelf structure shown in FIG. 7 differs in that it comprises a generally flat front face  45  and a generally flat, rearwardly extending bottom flange  46 . When the bracket is mounted in front of the shelf, the spring clip member  128  is forced over the lower surface of the bottom flange  46 , which results in substantial displacement of the spring clip member, such that it has a tight friction grip between the spring clip member and the bottom flange  46  of the shelving, to provide a secure retention of the mounting bracket. Additionally, the normal spring action of the mounting bracket will tend to urge the spring clip portion in a rearward direction, tending to retain it on the shelf in the desired manner. 
     The mounting clip of the invention is highly economical and easily employed. It is easily assembled to the electronic label, and then easily installed on the shelving. Each electronic label has its own inconspicuous mounting bracket, which can be located in a fixed position anywhere along the length of the shelf. The merchandiser has complete flexibility with respect to the number and location of pricing labels, without requiring a full length installation along the front of the shelving. 
     It should be understood, of course, that the specific forms of the invention herein illustrated and described are intended to be representative only, as certain changes may be made therein without departing from the clear teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following appended claims in determining the full scope of the invention.