Abstract:
A price-and-information tag includes front and rear surfaces both having product and price information. The tag includes a pre-fold line and a perforated line dividing the sheet into spaced-apart first and second sections. When bi-folded, the first section fits into an upwardly-open pocket of an extruded tag holder, with the second section in front of the tag holder and hiding the first section. Further, the second section can be torn off along the perforated line to reveal the information on the first section with minimal labor. A picture on the tag allows a non-reading installer to place the tag. Methods related to same are also shown, including double folding the elongated sheet and then using the first section to engage a tag holder with only the information on the second section being visible, the second section being later torn off to reveal the information on the first section.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The present invention relates to tag constructions attached to store shelves to provide price and product information about product on the store shelves, and more particularly relates to a price-and-information tag construction particularly configured for labor-efficient and secure placement on a display shelf. 
     The industry of printing price-and-information tags is highly specialized. This is because hundreds of thousands of tags must be produced and shipped each week to large retail stores for placement on shelves, and further because last minute price fluctuations, price decisions, and information changes result in a huge amount of data that is difficult to manage without error. Further, data shows that attractive and colorful price-and-information tags can positively affect customer decisions and increase sale volumes. On the other hand, inaccurate information and mispricing can cause customer confusion, dissatisfaction, adverse publicity, and even liability where the posted pricing doesn&#39;t match sales prices at the cash register. 
     Large retail stores often identify shelved product with price tags removably attached to a channel or extrusion tag holder extending along the shelves. One particular widely-used tag holder is extruded of resilient transparent plastic material in a shape for attachment to the narrow front edge of a store shelf. The extruded tag holder includes parallel panels forming an upwardly open pocket for receiving a first (rear-positioned) price-and-information tag, and further includes opposing flanges defining a narrow throat for engaging a top of a second (front-positioned) price-and-information tag to position the second tag in a hanging position in front of the first tag. This positions the second tag over the first tag where it can be used for advertising a “SALE” or discounted sale price, both printed on the second tag. Sometimes, only a front tag is attached, and the upwardly-open pocket is left unfilled. A problem is that the front tag can be accidentally knocked off of the tag holder (or knocked to an out-of-location position) by customers removing product from the shelf. This problem often becomes worse over time as the opposing flanges of the extruded tag holder weaken and/or wear and/or deform to a more spread position. Still another problem is that the front tag can be knocked to an offset position where the rear tag is visible, confusing customers, as well as creating a poor disheveled appearance unattractive for displayed product. 
     Another problem is the amount of manual labor for placement and replacement of the price-and-information tags. Every time there is a price change, such as when a sale ends, the first tag must be removed and another tag put in place. This results in substantial labor costs, both because of difficulty in accessing, gripping and removing the first tag, and also because of the time it takes to recognize a proper placement location for a tag. It is important to understand that the act of removing and replacing a tag only takes a few seconds, however when that time is multiplied by hundreds of thousands of tags, and further when the complexity and opportunity for error is increased by logistics based on the size of stores (and their different product locations and arrangements), the costs become very significant. 
     Yet another problem is that tags must be manually put in place, and the person placing the tag must read the tag and pay attention to where the tag must go. This has been partially solved by the concept of a patent application filed earlier than the present filing, where a digital press and software is used to arrange tags in the order of particular store shelf sequences. However, the opportunity remains for improvement to better utilize unskilled labor when placing price tags. 
     Another concern is cost and quality of tags. It is important that pricing-and-information tags be very attractive, clear, accurate, and provided on a just-in-time basis. A process and apparatus for providing competitive and highly-attractive price-and-information tags is disclosed in co-assigned application Ser. No. 11/612,821, filed Dec. 19, 2006, entitled METHOD OF PRINTING, DISTRIBUTING, AND PLACING PRICE INFORMATION. The entire contents of that application are incorporated herein in its entirety. However, further improvement is desired in terms of security of attachment of the tag to a shelf, ease of placement and removal, flexible use, and competitive low cost, while maintaining a high level of attractiveness for consumers. 
     SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     In one aspect of the present invention, a price-and-information system has a transparent tag holder defining an upwardly open pocket for receiving a price-and-information tag. The tag holder is adapted for attachment to the front of a display shelf. An improvement in the tag includes an elongated sheet with front and rear surfaces. Product and price information is printed on both the front and rear surfaces. An attachment structure is included for releasably engaging the upwardly open pocket of the tag holder with a portion of the product and price information on the front surface being visible, and the tag being folded so that the product and price information on the rear surface faces forward but is hidden by a part of the sheet. 
     In a narrower aspect, the sheet includes first and second sections, the attachment structure being formed on the first section. A perforated line separates the first and second sections. The first section further includes a pre-formed fold line for spacing the second section forward from the first section so that the second section extends downward in front of a tag holder and in front of information on the first section. The perforated line provides accurately separating the second section from the first section so that the information on the first section is visible. 
     In another aspect of the present invention, a price-and-information tag includes an elongated sheet having front and rear surfaces, and also having first and second sections separated by a fold line, with product and price information printed on both the front and rear surfaces of the first section. The sheet is folded so that a portion of the sheet covers a portion of the information. 
     In another aspect of the present invention, a method of placing price-and-information tags includes steps of providing an elongated sheet having front and rear surfaces with product and price information printed on both the front and rear surfaces. A tag holder is provided on a shelf front. The method still further includes folding the sheet to form a first section with first information thereon hidden behind a second section with second information thereon. The sheet is attached to the tag holder with the second information visible, but the first information not visible. The second section is torn off to expose the first information. 
     In another aspect of the present invention, a method of placing price-and-information tags includes steps of providing an elongated sheet having front and rear surfaces with product and price information printed on both the front and rear surfaces. The method further includes double folding the elongated sheet to form a first vertical section separated from a second vertical section by a horizontal strip region. The first vertical section is extended into an upwardly-open pocket of a tag holder such that the sheet is securely held by the tag holder with the product and price information on the second vertical section is visible in front of the tag holder, with the product and price information of the first vertical section hidden behind the second vertical section. 
     In a narrower aspect of the present invention, a perforated line is provided on the elongated sheet separating the first and second sections, and includes a step of tearing along the perforated line to remove the second section from the first section, with the first section remaining on the tag holder. 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a price-and-information tag that can be securely attached to a shelf using existing tag holders, with ease of placement and removal, while maintaining flexible use, while maintaining a competitive (low) cost, and while maintaining attractiveness to consumers. 
     These and other aspects, objects, and features of the present invention will be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art upon studying the following specification, claims, and appended drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIGS. 1-2  are front and rear views of a price-and-information tag embodying the present invention. 
         FIGS. 3-4  are enlarged side and front views of the tag in  FIG. 1  as bi-folded and installed on an extruded tag holder attached to a front of a shelf. 
         FIGS. 5-6  are enlarged side and front views of the tag in  FIG. 1  as installed on an extruded tag holder attached to a front of a shelf but after a second section of the tag is torn off along a perforated line. 
         FIGS. 7-8  are front and rear views of the tag in  FIG. 1  but modified to include adhesive. 
         FIG. 9  is an enlarged side view showing the tag of  FIG. 7  bi-folded and adhesively attached to a shelf front. 
         FIG. 10  is a flow chart showing a method of attaching a tag to a shelf and then tearing off a portion of the tag to reveal previously-hidden price and product information. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present price-and-information tag  20  ( FIGS. 1-2 ) comprises an elongated sheet having front and rear surfaces  21  and  22  with product and price information  23  and  24  printed on the front surface  21 , and additional product and price information  25  printed on the rear surface  22 . A perforated line  26  (i.e., a line of “perforations”) divides the sheet into first and second sections  27  and  28 . Notably, the perforated line  26  also acts as a fold line. A pre-formed second fold line  29  is formed on the second section  27  at a location spaced from the perforated line  26  to define a strip region  31  next to the perforated line  26 . When double folded along lines  26  and  29 , the first section  27  forms an attachment structure as discussed below. (See  FIG. 3 .) It is contemplated that tag  20  can optionally include a strip of adhesive  32  placed on the first section  27  near the perforated line  26  to provide an alternative (secondary) attachment structure for attaching the tag  20  to a shelf front, such as when an extruded tag holder is not present. (See  FIG. 9 .) 
     The present tag  20  ( FIGS. 3-4 ) is particularly designed for use on an existing extruded tag holder  80  made of transparent plastic material and attached to a front  81  of a shelf  82 . The extruded tag holder  80  includes front and rear vertical panels  83  and  84  connected by bottom strip  85  to form an upwardly-open pocket  86  for receiving a price-and-information tag. Historically, the pocket  86  receives a first single-thickness card-like tag with price and product information on one side. The tag holder  80  further includes opposing flanges  87 ,  88 ,  89  defining a downwardly-opening throat  90  for frictionally engaging a top edge of a second single-thickness card-like tag with price and product information on one side. The purpose of the flanges  87 - 89  is to hold a tag in front of the holder  80 . However, a size of the throat  90  varies over time due to flexing, wear, and deformation of the tag holder  80 , such that the flanges  87 - 89  with throat  90  becomes an unreliable tag holder structure. Further, the throat  90  positions the second tag at a location where the second tag is often knocked out of position and/or knocked completely off the tag holder  80 , such that the arrangement is not always satisfactory. The tag holder  80  further includes a vertical front wall  91  supporting the opposing flange  88 . 
     By folding the tag  20  along the perforated line  26  and along the pre-formed fold line  29 , the strip region  31  supports the second section  28  parallel to and spaced from the remnant portion  30  by a distance equal to a distance from the pocket  86  to a front of the wall  91  of the tag holder  80 . The information  23  is printed so that it is properly oriented to a customer when the second section  28  is held in front of the extruded tag holder  80 . The information  25  is printed so that it is properly oriented to a customer when the remnant portion  30  is in the pocket  86 , so that when the second section  28  is torn off along the perforated line  26  (see  FIGS. 5-6 ), the information  25  becomes visible and is properly oriented. The information  24  is preferably a product picture (or large print) so that a tag-installing worker can easily see and place the tag  20  without having to read the information thereon. By using a picture, the installer does not have to be literate in the language of the tag. Notably, the information  24  is generally not visible by a customer since it faces away from a customer when the tag  20  is double-folded and placed in a tag holder  80 . By this arrangement, the first section  27  forms the attachment structure. 
     As noted above, the tag can optionally include adhesive  32  ( FIG. 7 ). It is contemplated that the adhesive can be a continuous strip or one or more spots of adhesive material placed onto the first section  27  near the perforated line  26 . The strip of adhesive  32  can be covered by release paper until ready for use. The strip of adhesive  32  is adapted to retain the tag  20  directly to a shelf front  81  without the need for a separate channel or extruded tag holder  80  being attached to the shelf. (See  FIG. 9 .) 
     It is contemplated that the present construction can be varied and still be within a scope of the present invention. For example, the illustrated perforated line  26  is a series of small holes forming a transverse line across the sheet, the holes being relatively small in size (to minimize their visibility) and arranged so that a clean line is formed when the second section  28  is torn from the first section  27 . However, it is contemplated that the perforated line  26  can be slots, non-hole imperfections, and the like. Also, the illustrated sheet is about 2¼ inch wide and 5¾ inch long, with the perforated line at 1 7/16 inch and the fold line at 1-1 11/16 inch. Nonetheless, dimensions may vary and still be within a scope of the present invention. The illustrated sheet is made of stiff paper or polymeric sheet material that is sufficiently rigid yet bendable to hold its shape once folded and having a surface suitable to be printed on by a high quality digital press. The sheet is capable of taking and holding a bend, and can be perforated for easy tearing and separation. The illustrated information  23  includes typical details of a sale such as a name of the product, regular price, sale price, bar code, dates of sale, and is in color for maximum visual effect. It can also include a product picture if desired. The information  24  is a product picture. Notably, when double-folded and installed, the information  24  is not visible to a customer since it faces toward the shelf. However, this information greatly helps a worker installing the information tag  20  in a tag holder  80 . By using a picture, there is no need for the worker to read the printed language. It is contemplated that the information  24  can include other items to help the worker, such as large print or other details to help. The information  25  is similar to the information  23 , but of course information  25  provides details of the regular price along with product information. 
     As noted above, cost and quality of tags is important for competitive reasons and also since studies show that high quality pictures of the product and high quality color printing is important to maximize customer interest and likelihood of purchase. Further, the pricing-and-information tags must not only be very attractive, clear, and accurate, but also they should be provided on a just-in-time basis so that changes can be made as late in the purchasing process and pricing decision process as possible. As previously noted, a process and apparatus for providing competitive and highly-attractive price-and-information tags is disclosed in co-assigned application Ser. No. 11/612,821, filed Dec. 19, 2006, entitled METHOD OF PRINTING, DISTRIBUTING, AND PLACING PRICE INFORMATION. Notably, the digital press advantageously offers many advantages and characteristics that facilitate meeting the goals of quality, cost, and just-in-time delivery noted above. Thus, Applicant affirms that the process disclosed in application Ser. No. 11/612,821 is an excellent way to print the present tags. 
       FIG. 10  is a flowchart showing methods related to the above. It is contemplated that all or part of the illustrated method may be used and still be within a scope of the present invention. The method includes printing price and product information on both sides of a sheet (step  70 ), preferably by a digital press. The sheet can be cut to the size of a tag (step  71 ) before or after forming a perforated line across the sheet to divide the sheet into first and second sections (step  72 ) and forming a pre-formed fold line spaced from the perforated line a selected distance (step  73 ). Adhesive can also be added (step  74 ) before or after cutting the sheet to a tag-sized shape. The tags are then shipped to the store site (step  75 ) where the hidden-from-customer information is used to locate their placement site on shelves (step  76 ). The tags are then double-folded (step  77 ) to form a first section with first information thereon hidden behind a second section with second information thereon, the first section being spaced from the second vertical section by a horizontal strip region. The method further includes attaching the sheet to a shelf (step  78 ) such as by attaching the tag to a shelf-supported tag holder (step  79 ) or by adhering the tag to a shelf (step  80 ) with the second information visible but the first information not visible since it is hidden by the second section. Later, the second section is torn off (step  81 ), exposing the second information. In one form, the step of attaching includes placing the first section downwardly into an upwardly-open pocket on the tag holder (step  79 ). In another form, the step of attaching includes adhering the first section to a front of a shelf (step  80 ). 
     To summarize, a price-and-information tag is provided that includes an elongated sheet having front and rear surfaces with product and price information printed on both the front and rear surfaces, and including attachment structure for releasably engaging a tag holder attached to the front of a product-display shelf. The price-and-information tag includes an elongated sheet having front and rear surfaces and first and second sections separated by a fold line, with product and price information printed on both the front and rear surfaces of the first section. As folded, the tag shows a first area of the information (such as information about a sale price). By tearing off a portion of the tag, a second area of the information is exposed (such as information about a regular price). This eliminates a need to replace the first tag in order to provide the new (regular price) information. By double-folding the tag, the first section can be extended into an upwardly-open pocket on the tag holder, with the second section spaced forward for extending vertically downwardly in front of the tag holder. 
     Also, a method of placing price-and-information tags comprises steps of providing an elongated sheet having front and rear surfaces with product and price information printed on both the front and rear surfaces, providing a tag holder on a shelf front, folding the sheet to form a first section with first information thereon hidden behind a second section with second information thereon, attaching the sheet to the tag holder with the first information visible but the second information not visible, and tearing off the first section to expose the second information. 
     Also, a method of placing price-and-information tags comprises steps of providing an elongated sheet having front and rear surfaces with product and price information printed on both the front and rear surfaces, double-folding the elongated sheet to form a first section separated from a second section by a strip region, and extending the first section into an upwardly-open pocket of a tag holder such that the product and price information on the second section is visible in front of the tag holder, with the product and price information of the first section hidden behind the second section. 
     It is to be understood that variations and modifications can be made on the aforementioned structure without departing from the concepts of the present invention, and further it is to be understood that such concepts are intended to be covered by the following claims unless these claims by their language expressly state otherwise.