Abstract:
Electronic labeling system includes a rail for supporting labels and at least one electronic display label, the rail having two facing wings with each of the wings having in its medial region a longitudinal groove, the electronic label having on one of its two opposite edges a longitudinal rib adapted to be inserted in the groove of one of the rail wings and on the other of the opposite edges at least one retractable pin adapted to snap into the groove of the other rail wing, and at least one recess in which is disposed a ferromagnetic core carrying the pin which is urged to project from the corresponding edge of the label, the core being adapted to be displaced in the recess by magnetic attraction to retract the pin and free the label.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to an electronic labeling system. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART 
     Electronic labeling is widely used, particularly in large stores which are provided with shelves of metallic material serving to display products offered for sale. In general, the edge of the shelf carries a rail of insulating plastic material, within which are provided supply conductors for the display labels. Electronic labels are snapped onto the rail. When they are in snapped-on position, their contacts are in electrical contact with the conductors of the rail, and they are able to display a price, or code, for example. When a label is defective, it is removed and replaced. 
     To replace a label, it is usual to use a tool which acts on the side of the label. When the label is accessible from the side, it is thus easy to remove a label, either by vandalism or for a collection. 
     So as to avoid the theft of labels, it is desirable that the snapping on have a semi-permanent character, which is to say that the label cannot be removed other than with a special tool. This precaution is sometimes insufficient. To increase security, certain labels cannot be withdrawn from the rail after emplacement. It is thus possible to slide them on the rail to a lockable position, provided for their withdrawal. This solution is not without its drawbacks. Thus, to withdraw a label, it is necessary also to slide all the labels located between the label to be withdrawn and the position provided for their removal. Moreover, the labels cannot be fixed in position and they can be easily moved, which upsets their display on the shelf. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the invention is to provide an electronic label display system in which the labels are emplaced by snapping on to the desired position and are not susceptible to being moved. Another object of the invention is to provide an electronic label display system in which the labels are adapted to be removed by means that are very simple to use. 
     The invention has for its object an electronic labeling system comprising a label support rail, at least one electronic display label and means for supplying energy to the label, characterized in that 
     the label support rail comprises two confronting wings extending in a longitudinal direction each of the two rings having in its medial region a longitudinal groove; and 
     the electronic label comprises on one of two of its opposite edges a longitudinal rib adapted to be inserted in the groove of one of the wings of the rail, and on the other of said opposite edges at least one retractable pin adapted to snap into the groove of the other wing of the rail. 
     According to other characteristics: 
     each pin is adapted to be received in one of a series of blind holes arranged at regular intervals in the groove of said other wing of the rail to immobilize the label in a locked position; 
     the longitudinal groove of said other wing of the rail, which is adapted to coact with the pin, has a longitudinal sawtooth profile, the space between two teeth being adapted to receive the pin to immobilize the label; 
     the electronic display label comprises at least one recess in which is disposed a ferromagnetic core carrying the pin which is urged to project from the corresponding edge of the label; 
     the ferromagnetic core carries at the base of the pin a shock absorber disposed in the mentioned recess; 
     a spring is disposed in the recess to urge the pin to project from the corresponding edge of the label; 
     the pin is provided to project from the lower edge of the label, such that the pin will be urged toward this edge under the action of gravity; 
     extraction means for the label is provided, comprising a magnetic circuit adapted to attract the ferromag-netic core so as to ensure retraction of the pin toward the recess and freeing of the label; 
     after freeing the label, the extraction means attracts the label and ensures its extraction from the rail, and the withdrawal of the extraction means causes withdrawal of the label; 
     the extraction means is constituted by a housing containing the magnetic circuit and having at least one arm bearing on the rail; 
     the housing has two arms adapted to be disposed on opposite sides of the rail, the magnetic circuit then being automatically in the correct position to attract the ferromag-netic core and to ensure retraction of the pin and freeing of the label; 
     the label comprises on opposite sides of the recess a through free space adapted to receive respectively one arm of the extraction means each carrying a magnet of opposite polarity to attract the pin to withdraw it into the recess; 
     the extraction means has a general U shape of which the bottom is connected to a sleeve for its gripping and whose arms bear internally magnets of opposite polarity. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other characteristics will become apparent from the description which follows, given with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic view in transverse cross-section of one embodiment of an insulating rail for an electronic labeling system according to the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic transverse cross-sectional view of one embodiment of an electronic display label suitable for the rail of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a schematic transverse cross-sectional view of the rail of FIG. 1 provided with the label of FIG. 2, during presentation of the extraction means of the label; 
     FIG. 4 is a view of the front surface partially broken away, of a label according to another embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view on the line V—V of FIG. 4, during presentation of the extraction means for the label; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the extraction means of FIG. 5; and 
     FIG. 7 is a view from above of a modified embodiment of the extraction means suitable for the label of FIG.  4 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In FIG. 1, there is shown a rail  1  of insulating plastic material. This rail  1  has a U-shaped profile with a flat bottom  2 , an upper wing  3  and a lower wing  4 . Between the bottom  2  and each of the wings  3  and  4  is provided a notch, respectively  5  and  6 , on the outer contour. 
     In its medial region, the lower wing  4  has on its internal profile a longitudinal groove  10 . The end  11  of the lower wing  4  is rounded. 
     The upper wing  3  has on its internal profile and in its medial region, a longitudinal groove  12  in which are provided, at regular intervals, blind holes  33 . 
     The end  13  of the upper wing  3  has an external rounded profile  14  and an internal chamfered profile  15 . In its medial region, the bottom of rail  1  preferably has on its internal surface  7  a longitudinal trench  16 , usable for example to receive the securement means of the rail  1  on its support. 
     In FIG. 2, the electronic display label  20  is shown in cross-section in the vertical plane passing through a snap-on means. 
     The label  20  is present in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped, of which only the transverse cross-section is visible in FIG.  3 . 
     The label is comprised by a thin envelope  25  of plastic material whose four surfaces visible in FIG. 3 are the rear surface  21 , the front surface  22 , the lower surface  23  and the upper surface  24 . 
     The front surface  22  is transparent and lets one see a liquid crystal display screen, for example, under the control of a microprocessor, itself connected to the central computer of the store, to display a price or information. 
     The lower surface  23  has in its medial region, a longitudinal rib  26  preferably with a rounded profile. This rib  26  is adapted to be inserted in the groove  10  of the lower wing  4  of the rail  1 . 
     Within the envelope  25 , the label  20  comprises at least one recess  27  extending over at least a portion of its height, and in which is disposed snap-on means. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, this snap-on means is comprised by a spiral spring  28 , disposed at the bottom of the recess  27 , and a ferromagnetic core  29  urged upwardly by the spring  28 , and a pin  30  carried by the core  29  and adapted to project through an opening  31  in the upper surface  24  of the label  20 . At the base of the pin  30 , between the ferromagnetic core  29  and the envelope  25  of the label  20 , is preferably provided a shock absorber, in the form of a ring  32 . 
     To mount the label  20  in the rail  1 , the lower portion is first inserted, the rib  26  being inserted in the groove  10  of the rail  1 . The rib  26  serving as a pivotal axis, the upper portion of the label  20  is pressed toward the bottom of the rail  1 . 
     The pin  30  is applied to the inner chamfered profile  15  which presses it inwardly of the label  20  by compressing the spring  28 . 
     When the label  20  is near its normal operating position, the pin  30  penetrates, under the action of the spring  28 , the groove  12  of the upper wing  3  of the rail  1 . The label  20  is thus in operative position. 
     The label  20  is then moved along the rail, by sliding, until the pin  30  penetrates, under the action of the spring  28 , one of the blind holes  33 . These blind holes are for example spaced from each other by about 1 cm. The label  20  is then in locked position. 
     In FIG. 3, the rail  1  and the label  20  are shown in normal operating position. 
     The extraction means  43  for the label is shown in its approaching position, before unlocking the label  20 . This approach is frontal relative to the rail and the label. The extraction means  43  for the label comprises essentially a housing  44  of plastic material and a magnetic circuit constituted a magnet  45  and a ferromagnetic core  46 . 
     The housing  44  is in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped provided with two arms  47  and  48  enclosing the rail  1  and adapted to bear on the support  49  of the rail  1 . When the arms  47  and  48  are in abutment against the support of the rail  1 , and the housing  44  is in front of the label, the magnetic circuit has an air gap substantially facing the bottom of the ferromagnetic core  29 . The core  29  is thus attracted downwardly, and moves to compress the spring  28 , such that the pin  30 , which follows the displacement of the core  29 , leaves the blind hole  33  in which it is disposed in the locking position, and leaves the groove  12 , thereby freeing the label  20  which is applied to the housing  44  and follows the withdrawal movement of the housing  44 . The label  20  is then manually separated from the housing  44 , and the core  29  is then returned by the spring  28 , the pin  30  resuming its position projecting from outside the envelope  25  of the label  20 . 
     The housing  44  need only comprise a single arm,  47  or  48 , and in this case it is correctly positioned by pressing simultaneously on the support  49  of the rail and on the rail  1  itself, for example by lateral pressure against one wing,  3  or  4 , respectively, of the rail  1 . 
     The provision of at least  1  arm  47 ,  48  on the housing  44  ensures the automatic correct position of the magnetic circuit  45 - 46  relative to the magnetic core  29  for unlocking the label. Then, the core  29  is attracted by the magnetic circuit  45 - 46  and moves the label against the housing  44 , which plays the role of a gripping member for the label. 
     The invention has been described in the case of an embodiment which is not limiting. In particular, the means for supplying the label with power, and also with information, is not described and can be a wire transmission, a radio electric or infrared transmission, or a capacitative or inductive transmission, or the like. 
     Moreover, the longitudinal groove  12  of the upper wing  3  of the rail  1  can be provided with open holes, or else its longitudinal profile can be saw-toothed, the space between two teeth being adapted to receive the pin to immobilize the label. 
     FIGS. 4-7 will now be described, which show another embodiment of the invention. 
     In the framework of this modification, the rail  1  shown in FIG. 1 will be inverted to have the longitudinal groove  10  upwardly of the rail and the longitudinal groove  12  provided with its blind holes  33  at the base of the rail, for reasons which will be indicated later. 
     The electronic display label  120  here comprises an upper edge  124  which is provided with a longitudinal rib  126  adapted to be inserted in the upper groove of the rail. On its lower opposite edge  123 , a pin  130  projects which passes through an opening  131  opening into a recess  127  which contains a ferromagnetic core  129  carrying at its base the pin  130 . Of course, the recess  127  has a height greater than that of the core  129 , to permit its displacement and withdrawal of the pin  130  at the interior of the recess  127  when the extraction means  143  for example is used. 
     On the side of the recess  127  oriented inwardly of the label, a window  133  opening on the front surface  122  and the rear surface  121  of the label  120  is provided through the thickness of the label, whilst on the other side of the recess  127  is provided a through notch  134  opening on the side edge  135  of the label. The window  133  and the notch  134  are adapted to receive the arm of the extraction means  143 , as will be explained later. The notch  134  has the function of permitting the passage of one arm of the extraction means  143  on the side of the recess  127  when two labels are secured to each other by their side edges. Otherwise, the notch  134  could be omitted, the arm corresponding to the extraction means  143  simply coming against the edge  135  of the label. Of course it is necessary in this case to provide the snap-in means adjacent side edge  135  of the label. Otherwise, a window symmetrical to the window  133  should be provided on the other side of the recess  137 . 
     It will be seen in FIG. 4 that the spring  28  of the first embodiment has been omitted because the pin  130  is in this case urged to project from the lower edge  123  by gravity acting on the pin  130  and its core  129 . The window  33  and the notch  134  are at the same height and offset along the recess  127  relative to the core  129 , so as to attract upwardly this latter when the extraction means  143  is emplaced. 
     Referring more particularly to FIGS. 6 and 7, it will be seen that the extraction means  143  has a general U shape whose lateral arms each carry internally a magnet  145  of opposite polarity, to create a magnetic circuit attracting the ferromagnetic core  129  upwardly. In the modification of FIG. 7, the bottom of the U-shaped support  144  is connected to a handle  146  to facilitate its gripping. 
     As an alternative, the recess  127  could be provided with a spring similar to the above spring  28 , to urge the pin  130  upwardly, when the label  120  of FIG. 4 is inverted. 
     Conversely, the spring  28  of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 3 could be omitted, by using the rail  1  and the label  20  inverted. 
     Although the invention has been described in connection with several particular embodiments, it is of course evident that it is thereby in no way limited and that it comprises all technical equivalents of the described means as well as their combinations if the latter enter into the scope of the invention.