Display rack

A display rack for displaying boxes, especially boxes containing a plurality of smaller product packages (such as mint packages), comprising a base and a stand having a plurality of openings. Swing arms with lock slots are adapted to extend from two opposing sides of the openings and engage with the product boxes being displayed. The swing arms are moveable inward and outward within a slot in the rack and are such that the arms may be either perpendicular to the vertical axis of the rack, when the arms are adjacent to the back of the rack, or tilted downward when the swing arms are distanced from the back of the rack. Consequently, the engaged product boxes may be located in a level position at the back of the rack (a position which is especially useful for loading, transport and storage) or they may be tipped in a downward position at the front of the rack to prominently display the product. The boxes are uniquely designed to include slots which accommodate the ends of the swing arms and thus hold the boxes in place in the rack and also allow for easy replacement of the boxes in the rack. In addition, a lock tab on the swing arms is engageable with openings in the boxes to removably lock the swing arms and the boxes together.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to racks used for displaying boxes of goods, 
especially boxes which contain a plurality of smaller product packages. 
2. Description of Related Art 
It is commonly known that there is a need to properly display retail goods 
for sale. This need encompasses the desire of the retailer to display 
goods in an efficient and economical manner which is clean, neat and 
highly visible to potential consumers. One type of display rack which is 
commonly used involves downwardly-inclined trays which provide a gravity 
feed so that the product slides to the front, and most visible, portion of 
the display. This type of rack is especially useful in the situation where 
either small goods or small boxes of goods are being displayed. The 
ability to display goods is, however, tempered by the reality of space 
limitations in retail outlets and the difficulties in loading racks with 
product. In addition, it is important that the manufacture and loading of 
the display rack be as efficient and economical as possible. With regard 
to loading, it is important that the display be capable of quick, simple 
loading. Consequently, it would be advantageous to provide a display rack 
which would display goods in a clean, neat and visible manner, yet would 
not require an unwieldy amount of retail space and would be simple to 
manufacture and load. 
A number of existing patents disclose various forms of display racks. For 
example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,785,944, issued to March, discloses a collapsible 
display rack having downwardly-extending shelves. U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,699, 
issued to Trevaskis, discloses a display stand for selling boxed 
merchandise in which the trays are movable from a horizontal to a downward 
position. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,284,257, issued to Schum, discloses a 
modular self-service merchandise display rack having a plurality of 
downwardly-inclined shelf-like tiers. While all of the known display racks 
provide various features, none provide the combination of factors which 
include ease of loading and manufacture, economization of retail space and 
neat presentation of the goods which are in relatively small packages. 
Consequently, it would be advantageous to describe a display rack which 
provides the combination of desireable factors set forth above. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention discloses a display rack for displaying boxes, 
especially boxes containing a plurality of smaller product packages (such 
as mint packages), comprising an upright stand having a plurality of 
openings. Swing arms with lock means are adapted to extend from two 
opposing sides of the openings and engage with the product boxes being 
displayed. The swing arms are moveable inward and outward within a slot in 
the rack and are such that the arms may be either perpendicular to the 
vertical axis of the rack, when the arms are adjacent to the back of the 
rack, or tilted downward when the swing arms are distanced from the back 
of the rack. Consequently, the engaged product boxes may be located in a 
level position at the back of the rack (a position which is especially 
useful for loading, transport and storage) or they may be tipped in a 
downward position at the front of the rack to prominently display the 
product. The boxes are uniquely designed to include slots which 
accommodate the ends of the swing arms and thus hold the boxes in place in 
the rack and also allow for easy replacement of the boxes in the rack. In 
addition, a lock tab on the swing arms is engageable with openings in the 
boxes to removably lock the swing arms and the boxes together.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments 
of the present invention. 
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the display rack 10 of the present invention 
comprises two opposing side walls 11, 12 which are spaced at a distance 
apart from each other. Each of the side walls has a front end 15, 15A and 
a back end 16, 16A respectively. In the preferred embodiment, the front 
ends of the side walls are tapered inward toward the back side of the side 
walls. The side walls are supported on the bottom by base 14 and on top by 
cap 13. A series of horizontally elongated slots 18 are located on each 
side wall, with the slots of each wall being aligned with the slots on the 
opposing wall. Although a display rack with four sets of slots is 
illustrated, any number of slots may be employed as desired, and the 
overall display rack may be as short or as tall as desired. As will be 
later described, the slots are sufficiently apart vertically so as to 
allow inserts to be placed within each slot. A portion of each slot which 
is located near the end of the slot adjacent to the back ends of the side 
walls is a vertically elongated opening 19 having a wider diameter than 
the remainder of the slot. Guide rails 17 extend across the gap between 
the side walls at a position below slots 18. The guide rails consist of 
two sections, the section near the back ends of the sidewalls is 
horizontal while the section near the front ends of the sidewalls is 
angled downward. In a preferred embodiment, variously shaped cutouts 45 
may be located, either randomly or in a pattern, along one or both of the 
side walls. The cutouts may be utilized to provide a hand or finger grip 
on the side of the display rack. 
As best illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 7, means for attaching the product box 
within the display rack are also provided. Preferably, the means for 
attaching comprise a base plate 30 having two opposing swing arms 34 
located adjacent either end of the base plate. The swing arms are foldable 
inward onto the base plate or outward away from the base plate and may be 
extended, as illustrated, away from the base plate. In the extended 
position, the swing arms are preferably biased outward or away from each 
other. The swing arms contain an elevated portion 31 which extends outward 
from the base plate to approximately the middle of the swing arm. The 
elevated portion is constructed so as to be free on three sides and acts 
as a spring mechanism which forces the tab outward to aid in assembly. The 
elevated portion contains a hook means, preferably in the form of tab 32. 
Tabs 32 comprise an elongated portion of a small diameter and a round 
portion of a larger diameter. The diameters are preferably such that the 
round portion will fit through the elongated opening 19, but not the slot 
18, while the elongated portion of tab 32 is long enough so that the tab 
will extend through slot 18 and consequently be slidable within slot 18. 
In the preferred embodiment, dimpled portion 43, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 
and 4, is provided on a portion of tab 32 in order to aid in maintaining 
stability of the displayed product box. In an especially preferred 
embodiment, additional attachment means in the form of hook 35 are located 
on the back of the baseplate. Hook 35 may be folded flat against the back 
of the base plate or extended to attach the base plate to a surface. 
Box 33, which preferably may contain smaller product boxes 36, is adapted 
to accommodate the swing arms via a dual wall arrangement on each side of 
the box. A portion of outer wall 40 is cut away on each side to reveal 
inner wall 37. Preferably, the cut away portion is substantially the same 
size and shape as the elevated portion 31 of the swing arm. Further, a 
slot is created on both sides of the box between the inner and outer walls 
of the box over the entire length of the box. Each slot is capable of 
accomodating one entire swing arm 34. Openings 38 are located on either 
side of the box in the creased score in the middle at the base of the cut 
out portion. These openings accommodate tabs 39 which are located on the 
base of each swing arm. Upon insertion of the swing arms into the slots, 
tabs 39 engage with openings 38 to lock the box and swing arms together. 
The openings and tabs may be disengaged by applying direct upward force on 
the portion of the tabs which extend through the opening. 
FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the display rack having the box and swing arm 
combination inserted in the shipping position. To obtain the shipping 
position, the box and swing arm combination is inserted into the opening 
between the back ends 16, 16A of the sidewalls and tabs 32 are placed 
within the vertically elongated openings 19. Consequently, the box 33 is 
in a horizontal position such that it rests upon the horizontal portion of 
guide rails 17 and extends out beyond both the front ends 15, 15A of the 
side walls and the back ends 16, 16A of the side walls. The shipping 
position illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 provides a stable unit which is 
suitable for storage or shipping. 
FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate the display rack having the box inserted in the 
dispense position. In this position, the tabs are located at the portion 
of the horizontally elongated slots 18 which is adjacent to the front ends 
15, 15A of the side walls. Due to the relative placement of the tabs in 
relation to the overall length of the box, the center of gravity of the 
box and product held within causes the box to be tipped so that it angles 
downward, resting lightly on the angled portion of the guide rails. In 
order to achieve the proper center of gravity, the pivot point is 
preferably located at a point approximately one third of the total length 
of the box from the back of the box. In the dispense position, the product 
will slide toward the front of the box 33 so that it may be more easily 
viewed and removed by potential customers. Further, once product is 
removed new, replacement product will slide to the front of the box to 
take its place. Tabs 32 may slide along the length of the elongated 
horizontal slots 18 such that the box and swing arm unit may be moved from 
the front to the back of the display rack and vice versa. Protrusion 41 
(illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4) is preferably located along the bottom of 
each horizontal slot to provide a means to prevent the box from returning 
to the shipping position when it is in the dispense position. Stabilizing 
means may be provided to aid in the stabilization of boxes which are in 
the front position. Preferably, the stabilizing means are in the form of 
pin 42 which is provided to aid in providing stability to the box when it 
is in the front position. To accomplish stability when the box is in the 
dispense position, tab 32 is first snapped over protrusion 41 and then 
dimpled portion 43 (illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4) engages pin 42 to 
provide a tight snap fit. 
Loading of the present display rack can be easily accomplished. Preferably, 
the goods to be displayed are in small packages 36 which are placed within 
box 33. Goods which are especially conducive to this sort of display rack 
are mints, gum, candy or any other item which may be sold in a small box 
or unit. As set forth above, box 33 is affixed to the swing arms and then 
the combination is inserted into the rack, preferably through the opening 
between back ends 16, 16A of the side walls. Tabs 32 are then engaged in 
elongated openings 19 and the combination may then be slid forward, along 
slots 18, into an angled position for ease of viewing by potential 
customers. In an alternative method of loading, the swing arm alone may be 
first inserted into the rack and the box may then be attached to the swing 
arm. For reloading, the combination may be removed from the display rack 
and a new box attached to the swing arms or, in the alternative, small 
packages of goods can simply be replaced in the larger box 33 when the 
supply is out or low. The manufacture of the display rack, boxes and swing 
arms is also easily accomplished. The display rack may be manufactured by 
molding the unit as a single, integral piece or as modular sections which 
are then attached to each other. The box is manufactured by simply folding 
cardboard in a manner such that the slots are created on either side. 
Finally, the swing arms are also manufactured through a molding process. 
FIG. 8 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the present invention. In 
this embodiment, hook 35 is extended from base plate 30 such that the 
swing arm and box combination may be attached to a desired surface instead 
of the display rack. Hook 35 extends outward and engages the desired 
surface 50 and allows the box to be displayed from the surface without the 
use of the display rack. 
FIG. 9 illustrates another alternative embodiment of the present invention. 
In this embodiment, a single engagement arm 71 extends outward from base 
plate 70. The engagement arm slides into slot 75 in box 33 to attach the 
arm and the box. Locking means, preferably in the form of clip 73 are 
provided on engagement arm 71 to firmly attach the box and the engagement 
arm. In a preferred embodiment, swing arms 72 may also be provided so that 
the base plate may also accommodate boxes having slots along their outer 
sides. 
While there have been described what are presently believed to be the 
preferred embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art 
will realize that various changes and modifications may be made to the 
invention without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is 
intended to claim all such changes and modifications as fall within the 
scope of the invention.