Device for holding the free end of a spool-wound item at a point-of-sale display

A device and method for preventing a wound item from inadvertently unwinding from a spool in a point-of-sale display. The point-of-sale display includes a shelf that holds the spool. The shelf has a forward edge that prevents the spool from rolling off the shelf. A device is provided that holds the wound item as it is drawn away from the spool. The device inhibits the movement of the wound item so that the wound item will not unwind from the spool when not manually drawn from the spool. The device includes a clip body that selectively engages the forward edge of the shelf proximate the spool. A retention mechanism is coupled to the clip body, wherein the retention mechanism receives and retains a section of the wound item, thereby preventing said wound item from inadvertently unwinding.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

In general, the present invention relates to point-of-sale displays that hold cables, chains, rope and other spool wound items. More particularly, the present invention relates to devices used to confine spool wound items on a store shelf so that such items do not inadvertently unwind from the spool.

2. Prior Art Description

In many hardware stores, electronics stores and similar venues, items such as cable, wire, rope, and chains are sold to the public. Often such items come prepackaged in defined lengths. However, many stores offer such items for sale by the foot. When a flexible item, such as a cable or rope is sold by the foot, it is generally held on a large spool. The length of the item requested by a customer is unwound and cut from the spool as needed.

In many stores, such as in large national chain hardware stores, spool wound items are left available for the public to access unassisted. This enables a person to cut his/her own length of cable or rope from a spool. In such stores, the spools of materials are typically suspended around a central rod along an isle display. The spools are usually suspended around a central rod so that the spools are free to spin as a length of material is pulled from the spool. A problem associated with such displays is that the wound items tend to unwind from the spools. As an item unwinds from a spool, the free end of that item becomes hard to find. Furthermore, if enough of the item unwinds, the unwound coils may tangle.

In the prior art, stores have approached this problem in a variety of ways. Many stores now carry cable, wire and the like confined within a box. The free end of the cable or wire protrudes through a hole in the box. Such spool containment boxes are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 3,150,769 to Cohn, entitled Wire Packaging And Handling Device, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,479 to Barnett, entitled Wire Storing And Dispensing Package.

A problem associated with such spool containment boxes is that often the free end of the cable or wire retreats into the box and becomes inaccessible. Furthermore, customers cannot see into the box to determine how much material is left on the spool. A person may, therefore, begin to draw cable or wire from the spool only to find the remaining material is too short for the customer's needs.

Another approach to spool management in stores is to place spools of cable, wire, and rope on open shelves that are shaped to cradle the spools. The shape of the shelves retains the spools and holds the spools in place as material is drawn from the spools. Furthermore, the spools on the shelf are visible to the customer.

The problem with open shelves is that the free end of the cable or wire often flips to the back of the spool at the rear of the shelf. Furthermore, as cable or wire is drawn from a spool, more room becomes present between the shelf and the spool. This space provides room for the material to unwind and the loose coils become tangled.

A need therefore exists for a point-of-sale display for spool wound items, where the material on the spools is visible, easily accessed by customers, and actively prevented from inadvertently unwinding. This need is met by the present invention as described and claimed below.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a device and method for preventing a wound item from inadvertently unwinding from a spool in a point-of-sale display. The point-of-sale display includes a shelf that holds the spool. The shelf has a forward edge that prevents the spool from rolling off the shelf.

A device is provided that holds the wound item as it is drawn away from the spool. The device inhibits the movement of the wound item so that the wound item will not unwind from the spool when not manually drawn from the spool. The device includes a clip body that selectively engages the forward edge of the shelf proximate the spool. A retention mechanism is coupled to the clip body, wherein the retention mechanism receives and retains a section of the wound item, thereby preventing said wound item from inadvertently unwinding.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention device is used in conjunction with a spool at a point-of-sale application. Although the spool can be used to hold different items, such as wire, rope, chains, strapping, ribbon and the like, in the illustrated embodiment, a metal cable is shown. The selection of a metal cable as the wound item on the spool is exemplary and was selected merely for its ease of illustration. Accordingly, it should be understood that in the following description, wire, rope, chair, strapping, ribbon and any other spool wound item can be substituted for the exemplary wire cable.

Referring toFIG. 1andFIG. 2, a spool10of the exemplary wire cable12is shown. The wire cable12is wound around the spool10in a traditional manner and terminates with a free end13. The spool10is seated upon a shelf14to create a point-of-sale display. The shelf14is configured to cradle the spool10and prevent the spool10from rolling out of place. As part of the cradling provided by the shelf, the shelf has a large forward edge16. The forward edge16prevents the spool10from rolling forward off the shelf14as the wire cable12is drawn off the spool10. The forward edge16of the shelf14has a contoured face18that extends from a top surface20to a bottom surface22. The face18of the forward edge16is the surface of the shelf14most visible to a customer viewing the shelf14. The shape of the contoured face18varies depending upon the manufacturer of the shelving.

A clip assembly24is provided. The clip assembly24attaches to the forward edge16of the shelf14, over the contoured face18. The clip assembly24receives and retains the free end13of the wire cable12. In this manner, the free end13of the wire cable12cannot rotate to the back of the spool10. Furthermore, since the free end13of the wire cable12is being held, the wire cable12cannot inadvertently unwind.

Referring toFIG. 2in conjunction with bothFIG. 3andFIG. 4, the structure of the clip assembly24can be described. The clip assembly24includes a main body26. The main body26is configured to fit over the contoured face18of the shelf14. A hooked ledge28extends rearwardly from the top of the main body26. Conversely, a mounting ledge30extends rearwardly from the bottom of the main body26. When the clip assembly24is placed against the contoured face18of the shelf14, the hooked ledge28hooks around the top surface20of the forward edge16. The mounting ledge30is positioned so that it passes over the bottom surface22of the forward edge16. The mounting ledge30can be configured so that it engages the bottom surface22of the forward edge16with a slight interference fit. In this manner, friction retains the clip assembly24in engagement with the forward edge16of the shelf14. However, in the shown embodiment, a hole32is formed in the mounting ledge30. A screw or similar mechanical fastener34can then be used to lock the clip assembly24in place on the contoured face18of the shelf14.

A retention mechanism36is coupled to the main body26of the clamp assembly24. The retention mechanism36is a structure that receives and retains the free end13of a cable, wire, rope or any other spool wound item that may sit upon the shelf. The retention mechanism36can have many forms, as will later be explained. In the shown embodiment, the retention mechanism36is a cantilever arm38. The cantilever arm38has one end that is anchored to the main body26of the clip assembly24. The opposite end of the cantilever arm38extends out freely. A gap40exists between the cantilever arm38and the main body26that is slightly smaller than the thickness of the cable12wound on the spool10. The free end of the cantilever arm38can have a flare42to facilitate the passage of a length of cable12into the gap40between the cantilever arm38and the main body26of the clip assembly24.

To utilize the clip assembly24, the clip assembly24is attached to the contoured face18of a shelf14below a spool10. The cable12wound on the spool10is then manually manipulated into the gap40between the cantilever arm38and the main body26of the clip assembly24. The cable12is wider than the gap40. The cantilever arm38is therefore slightly displaced by the presence of the wire cable12and applies a compression bias to the wire cable12. The wire cable12can be readily pulled down through the gap40of the clip assembly24. However, when left alone, the wire cable12is pinched under the cantilever arm38with enough force to prevent the wire cable12from inadvertently rewinding back around the spool10.

The cantilever arm38is wide in order to increase the friction applied to the wire cable12. The wide cantilever arm38, therefore, also provides a large display surface44that will face outwardly from the shelf14. Printed indicia46in the form of a display sticker, information sticker, and/or pricing sticker can be applied to the display surface44. In this manner, no stickers have to be applied to the actual shelving. If a sticker requires changing, the sticker can be peeled away and replaced. If it is not possible to remove the old sticker, the entire clip assembly24can be replaced with no damage to the shelf14.

Referring toFIG. 5, an alternate embodiment of a clip assembly50is shown. In this embodiment, a clip assembly50is shown having a main body52similar to that previously described. However, in this embodiment, the retention mechanism54is an annular magnet56. The annular magnet56is anchored to the main body52. The annular magnet56defines a vertical hole58. The cable12passes through the annular magnet56. The cable12is drawn to the inside of the annular magnet56by the magnetic field created by the annular magnet56. The magnetic attraction between the cable12and the annular magnet56holds the cable in place within the clip assembly50. However, the cable12is still free to be pulled straight through the annular magnet56for dispensing purposes.

It will be understood that the use of an annular magnet56as a retention mechanism54only works for metal cables, chains and other ferro-magnetic spool wound items. Non-magnetic spool wound items, such as rope, can use the retention mechanism ofFIG. 2or a retention mechanism of the type described below.

Referring toFIG. 6, another alternate embodiment of a clip assembly60is shown. In this embodiment, the clip assembly60again has a main body62that attaches to a shelf in a traditional manner. The cable retention mechanism64is a mechanical rope clamp. The retention mechanism64includes a cam66that is attached to the main body62at a pivot68. The cam66is biased toward a wall70by a torsion spring72that is disposed around the pivot68. A cable12is passed into a gap74between the cam66and the wall70. A guide ring76prevents the cable12from pulling out of the gap74. The cam66enables the cable12to be pulled off the spool but prevents the cable12from rewinding back onto the spool.

It will be understood that the embodiments illustrated for the present invention clip assembly are merely exemplary and that a person skilled in the art can vary those embodiments using functionally equivalent components. For instance, it will be understood that the shape of the main body of the clip assembly can be altered to fit different shelves from different manufacturers. Furthermore, the few embodiments of cable retention mechanisms illustrated represent only some of the mechanisms that can be used to receive and retain the free end of a cable. All such variations, modifications, and alternate embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention as defined by the claims.