Merchandise display device

A merchandise display device adapted to maintain merchandise in an organized orientation upon a display surface is diclosed. The device comprises an insert sized to be positioned within a display case or drawer and includes a base plate formed to contact the merchandise, an anchor member adapted to attach the insert to the display case and an accordian-like extensible member positioned between the base plate and anchor member. The extensible member is provided with plural spring clips at each of its apexes to continuously bias the base plate away from the anchor member. As merchandise is removed from the display case, the device constantly urges the merchandise in a forward direction and thereby maintains the stack of merchandise in an organized orientation.

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
The present invention relates to merchandise display devices and, more 
particularly, to a merchandise display insert adapted to be positioned 
within a display case or drawer and maintain the organization of display 
merchandise. 
As is well known, a variety of consumer goods are merchandised in display 
cases which typically comprise a drawer or shelf wherein the display 
merchandise is stacked in parallel rows within the drawer. As merchandise 
is selectively removed from the drawer, the stacks of merchandise often 
collapse rendering the merchandise unsightly for display purposes. 
Heretofore, it was typical practice to require sales personnel to 
continuously monitor and housekeep the display cases to insure that the 
merchandise remained in an organized fashion. As will be recognized, such 
monitoring and housekeeping by sales personnel detracts from other more 
profitable sales duties and thereby increases the overall cost of the 
merchandise. 
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
The present invention specifically addresses and alleviates the 
above-referenced deficiency associated in the art by providing a 
merchandise display device which is adapted to continuously maintain the 
organized orientation of merchandise positioned upon a display surface. 
More particularly, the present invention comprises an insert sized to be 
positioned within a display case or drawer. One end of the insert is 
provided with a generally L-shaped base plate sized to permit a portion of 
the merchandise to be stacked thereon, while the opposite end includes an 
anchor member adapted to be attached to the rear wall or bottom edge of 
the drawer shelf. 
The anchor member and base plate are interconnected by an accordian-like 
extensible member which includes plural spring steel biasing chips 
positioned at each of its apexes. The spring clips cause a biasing force 
to be applied to the extensible member to continuously urge the base plate 
toward the front wall of the display drawer. Thus, as merchandise is 
selectively removed from the area of the drawer in front of the base 
plate, the extensible member constantly pushes the base plate 12 and 
remaining merchandise in a forward direction away from the anchor member 
and thereby maintains the stack of merchandise in an organized manner. 
In the preferred embodiment, the merchandise display device of the present 
invention is integrally formed of a molded plastic material and includes a 
pair of spring stops or shoulders formed at each of the apexes of the 
extensible member. The inclusion of the spring stops permit the rapid 
mounting of the spring clips within the device in a single manual motion 
and maintains the same therein without the use of auxiliary retaining 
means. As such, the merchandise display device of the present invention is 
well suited for mass production, rapid assembly fabrication techniques 
which renders the resultant device cost effective. 
In a first embodiment of the invention, the anchor member is formed to be 
attached to the rear wall of the display drawer, however, two alternative 
embodiments of the anchor member permit the same to be attached to the 
rear edge of a display surface or merely contact the rear wall of the 
display shelf.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring generally to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown the merchandise 
display device or insert 10 of the present invention which may be placed 
within a display case or drawer 12 to maintain the stacked orientation of 
merchandise 14 positioned within the drawer 12. Merely by way of example 
and not limitation, the particular merchandise 14 depicted within the 
drawer 12 comprises a plurality of hosiery packages; however, those 
skilled in the art will recognize that various other merchandise may be 
utilized with the present invention. 
As best shown in FIG. 2, the display device 10 of the present invention is 
formed having a generally L-shaped base plate 20 having a horizontal leg 
portion 22 adapted to reside beneath a portion of the merchandise 14 and a 
vertical leg portion 24 adapted to provide a rigid wall for abutment with 
one end of the merchandise stack. The opposite end of the device 10 is 
provided with an anchor member 26 which in its embodiment as depicted in 
FIG. 2, is formed to extend in a generally vertical direction and includes 
a bent over flange or clip 28. As shown in FIG. 1, the bent over flange 28 
is sized to extend over the edge 30 of the rear wall of the display drawer 
12 so as to detachably mount the device 10 within the drawer 12. 
An extensible member 30 extends between the base plate 20 and anchor member 
26 and is preferably formed in an accordian-like configuration composed of 
angularly extending interconnected elongate segments. At each of the 
apexes 32, the member 30 is provided with a reduced cross-sectional 
dimension so as to form a hinge which permits the member 30 to be extended 
or compressed laterally between the base plate 20 and anchor member 26. In 
the preferred embodiment, the entire insert 10 is formed of an integrally 
molded plastic material which is condusive to low-cost mass production 
fabricating techniques. 
Referring more particularly to FIG. 3, a pair of stops or protrusions 34 
are formed on the extensible member 30 adjacent each of the apexes 32 
which are designed to maintain plural generally V-shaped spring clips 40 
therein. In the preferred embodiment, the spring clips 40 are formed of a 
thin spring steel material and are adapted to constantly urge the member 
30 into a laterally extended position. As will be noted, from referring to 
FIG. 3, the plural stops 34 are spaced from the apexes 32 of the member 30 
through a distance slightly greater than the overall length of the spring 
clips 40 such that the spring clips 40 may be manually inserted into the 
member 30 merely by pressing the spring clips 40 downward toward the 
apexes 32. 
During this downward insertion movement of the spring clips 40, the distal 
ends of the spring clips 40 cam against the stops 34 causing the spring 
clips 40 to slightly compress inwardly as indicated by the phantom arrows 
in FIG. 3. Once the distal ends of the spring clips 40 pass downward 
beyond the edges 35 of the stops 34, the distal ends 42 spring outward and 
are thereby captured by the stops 34. Further, in view of the spring clips 
40 being constantly urged outward and against the stops 34, it will be 
recognized that the spring clips 40 are permanently maintained against the 
stops 34 without any auxiliary mounting means and, thereby, continuously 
bias the member 30 in an extended orientation. 
With the structure defined, the operation of the merchandise display insert 
10 of the present invention may be described by referring to FIG. 1. 
Initially, the device 10 is positioned within the drawer 12 with the 
anchor member 26 being extended over the rear edge 30 of the drawer 12. A 
user (not shown) must then manually press the base plate 20 toward the 
anchor 26 to overcome the biasing force of the spring clips 40 and cause 
the member 30 to be compressed laterally. 
The merchandise 14 may then be inserted into the drawer 12 in a side by 
side orientation. Preferably some of the merchandise 14 is positioned upon 
the horizontal leg portion 22 of the base plate 20 to thereby cause a 
weight force to be exerted upon the base plate 20 and insure that the 
horizontal leg portion 22 is continuously biased against the floor of the 
drawer 12. Subsequently, the user may release the base plate 20 wherein 
the extensible member 30 automatically extends laterally outward under the 
biasing force of the spring clips 40 to cause the vertical leg portion 24 
of the base plate 20 to contact the merchandise 14 and slightly compress 
the merchandise 14 within the drawer 12. 
As will be recognized, due to the extensible member 30 being continuously 
biased by the multiple spring clips 40 in an outward direction (as 
indicated by the arrow in FIG. 2) as merchandise 14 is removed from the 
drawer 12, the remaining merchandise is compressed within the drawer and 
maintained in its stacked organized configuration. By selecting the spring 
force of the spring clips within suitable tolerances, the compression 
force exerted by the device 10 may be maintained within suitable limits to 
allow easy removal and restocking of the merchandise 14 yet be sufficient 
to cause a moderate compression of the merchandise 14 within the drawer. 
In FIGS. 4 and 5, two additional embodiments of the anchor member 26 of the 
present invention are depicted. As shown in FIG. 4, the anchor member 26B 
is formed as a flat plate which is adapted to abutt the rear wall 31 of 
the display shelf 12. As will be recognized, due to the spring clips 40 
mounted on the extensible member 30 constantly biasing the anchor member 
26B away from the base plate 20, the anchor member 26 is continuously 
maintained tightly against the wall 31 of the drawer 12. 
In FIG. 5, an additional embodiment of the anchor member 26C is depicted 
which is formed in a manner analgous to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 
except that the anchor member 26C is formed to extend in a generally 
parallel orientation as viewed in FIG. 5 (i.e. in a plane substantially 
parallel to the plane of the horizontal leg portion 22 of the base plate 
20). This additional embodiment of the base member 26C is specifically 
adapted to permit the device 10 to be attached to the lower support 
surface 52 of a display drawer or case 12 when the display case 12 does 
not include a rear wall panel. 
Although in the preferred embodiment certain part configurations and 
materials have been defined, those skilled in the art will recognize that 
various modifications can be made to the same without departing from the 
spirit of the present invention and that such modifications are clearly 
contemplated herein.