DISPLAY RACK AND METHOD FOR THE PRESENTATION OF PRODUCTS USED IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION SUCH AS WALLPAPERS AND TEXTILES

Abstract: The invention relates to a display stand (1) and method for displaying products (2) used in the vertical position, such as wallpapers or fabrics. According to the invention, the displaying is in a stand (1) in which the products (2) are on rolls (3) around rotating, mutually successive and possibly also adjacent cylinders (4), by pulling out product from the roll and by halting it for viewing in a vertical display position of the desired height.

Description: Display rack and method for the presentation of products used in an upright position such as wallpapers and textiles The object of the present invention is a display stand for products which are used in a vertical position, such as wallpapers and fabrics. Shops are currently displaying wallpapers by using wallpa¬ per books which the customers can browse in selecting the wallpaper designs they wish to purchase. This procedure, however, has the drawback that the page size in the wallpa¬ per books is limited, and therefore the perception, espe¬ cially of larger wallpaper patterns, is difficult, and the customer cannot see what impression the wallpaper will make as a larger surface. A quite corresponding problem appears in the sale of fab¬ rics, especially curtain fabrics. The fabric is usually on a roll which is cumbersome to spread open to a larger ex¬ tent. Furthermore, the customer usually sees the fabric on a horizontal plane and not hanging in a vertical position characteristic of curtains. On the other hand, there exist curtain fabric display stands in which display pieces cor¬ responding to the normal size of curtains are hanging in a vertical position. These stands, for their part, have the drawback that it is necessary to be able to move the fab¬ rics, which requires space, and getting the desired fabric for display may be difficult. The object of the present invention is to provide a system by means of which the display of wallpapers, fab¬ rics and other similar products in sufficiently large sur¬ faces in their characteristic ~ ertical position is more effective and easier than previously. The display stand according to the invention ' is characterized in that the stand comprises cylinders on which the products to be displayed are attached in the form of rolls surrounding the cylinders and which are attached to the stand rotatably in such a manner that a product can be pulled step- lessly from the roll and can be halted in a vertical display position of the desired height, and that the stand has in suc¬ cession a plurality of such cylinders with rolls of product on them. The stand according to the invention, from which the product to be displayed, such as a wallpaper or a curtain fabric, can be pulled out to the desired extent for viewing, enables a wide range of products to be displayed effectively and easily. Prod¬ ucts located successively in the viewing direction can be kept drawn out in tiers in such a manner that the entire range of products can be seen at the same time, and any one of the prod¬ ucts in the range is easy to display as a larger surface for closer inspection. The display stand according to the invention is space-saving and thus enables a wide range of products to be displayed even on congested shop premises. An attachment enabling the cylinders which support the product rolls to rotate in the stand can be implemented by means of a technology which is known per se from, for example, roller blinds. Halting the drawing out of the product at the desired point and causing the product, after viewing, to reel back onto the roll are functions known per se from roller blinds. In addition to its different use, the invention has, however, as an essential differentiating factor that one and the same stand includes a plurality of cylinders with rolls of products, and that the rolls are located in the stand successively in the viewing direction of the products to be displayed. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the dis¬ play stand has cylinders with product rolls on them both suc¬ cessively and adjacently. Such an arrangement is practical, for example, when the stand is placed against a wider wall surface, In a display stand according to the invention, a cylinder with a product roll on it can be arranged so as to be detachable from the stand. This property enables a rapid and easy replac¬ ing of the products to be displayed in the stand. The invention also relates to a method for displaying products which are used in a vertical position, such as wallpapers or fabrics, and it is characterized in that the displaying is carried out in a stand in which the products are on rolls around rotating, mutually successive, and possibly also ad¬ jacent, cylinders in the stand by pulling product out from the roll and by halting it for viewing in a vertical display posi¬ tion of the desired height. According to the invention, a roll of product can be placed in the stand simply by pushing inside the roll a cylinder provided with a suitable attachment piece and by thereafter attaching the cylinder to the stand. The pulling out of the product for its part can be done by pulling from the edge of the product, which causes the roll of product and the cylinder inside it to rotate in relation to the stand. The invention is described below in greater detail with the help of an example and with reference to the accompanying draw¬ ing, in which Figure 1 depicts a front view of a stand according to the in¬ vention, Figure 2 depicts a side elevation of the stand according to Figure 1, and Figure 3 depicts an individual cylinder installed in the stand, with a product roll on it. Figures 1 and 2 depict a wallpaper display stand 1 in which the wallpapers 2 being displayed are arranged, as seen from the viewing direction, successively and adjacently. Each of the wallpapers 2 to be displayed is located according to Figure 3 on a roll 3, inside which there is a cylinder 4 rotatably mounted in the stand 1. The roll 3 and/or the cylinder 4 is provided with an attachment means (not depicted) which ties these parts to each other, thus preventing uncontrolled rotat¬ ing of the roll. Pulling out a wallpaper 2 from a roll 3 is done by pulling the wallpaper down by its edge. When the pulling ceases, the wall¬ paper 2 will remain in place. Returning the wallpaper onto the roll 3 is done by giving the wallpaper a downward tug and by then letting it loose, whereupon the wallpaper will automati¬ cally reel back onto the roll. The operation corresponds to what is previously known per se from roller blinds, for ex¬ ample. On the other hand, it would also be possible to arrange the pulling out of the wallpaper and its reeling back onto the roll mechanically. Figures 1 and 2 show wallpapers 2 successive in the viewing direction, pulled out in tiers so that the end of each of the wallpapers in the range being displayed can be seen. The cus¬ tomer can in this case at the same time see the entire range being displayed. The desired wallpaper can then be displayed as a larger surface by pulling out a sufficient length of it from the roll and, when necessary, by removing the wallpapers in front of it by reeling them onto their rolls. Alternatively the wallpapers 2 to be displayed could be kept rolled entirely on their rolls 3, in which case any one of the wallpapers in the range could be pulled out for viewing without the other wallpapers preventing this. For an expert in the art it is clear that the different embodi¬ ments of the invention are not restricted to the example pre¬ sented but may vary within the scope of the accompanying claims. For example, whereas the stand according to the drawing has two wallpaper designs to be displayed adjacently, the num¬ ber of adjacent wallpapers in the stand may, according to the invention, also be greater, or alternatively a stand may have only one row of wallpaper designs successive in the viewing direction. Furthermore, it * is possible that the products dis¬ played are, instead of wallpapers, some other products typi¬ cally used in a vertical position, such as curtain fabrics.

Claims: -.MENDED ( __-_MS [received by the International Bureau on 24 June 1991 (24.06.91); original claims 1 and 4 amended; other claims unchanged (2 pages)] 1. A display stand (1) for rollable products (2) said stand comprising cylinders (4) on which the products to be displayed are attached in the form of rolls (3) surround- ing the cylinders and which are attached to the stand rotatably in such a manner that the product (2) can be pulled out from the roll non-stepwise and can be halted in a desired display position, characterized in that the stand (1) has a plurality of cylinders (4) with rolls (3) of products on them which, as viewed from the front of the stand, are arranged in a row where the cylinders are suc¬ ceeding each other in the viewing direction, and which are lying at a position such as to enable any of the products to be pulled to a vertical display position of a desired height, corresponding to the vertical position in which the product is used. 2. A display stand according to Claim 1, characterized in that the stand (1) has cylinders (4) with product rolls (3) thereon, both successively and adjacently. 3. A display stand according to Claim 1 or 2, character¬ ized in that the cylinder (4) with the product roll (3) thereon has been arranged to be detachable from the stand (1). 4. A method for displaying rollable products (2) with the use of a stand (1) in which the products are on rolls (3) around rotating cylinders (4), said method comprising pulling out a product (2) from a roll and halting it for viewing in a desired display position, characterized in that there is used a stand (1) which has a plurality of cylinders (4) with rolls (3) of products on them which, as viewed from the front of the stand, are arranged in a row where the cylinders are succeeding each other in the viewing direction, the method including the steps of pulling the product chosen for display to a vertical display pos¬ ition of a desired height, corresponding to the vertical position in which the product is used, while keeping the products in front of it sufficiently reeled onto their rolls so as not to prevent the display. 5. A method according to Claim 4, characterized in that the pulling takes place by pulling the product (2) being displayed, which causes the cylinder (4) inside the product roll (3) to rotate. 6. A method according to Claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the product roll (3) is suspended from the stand (l) by pushing a cylinder (4) inside the roll and by attaching the cylinder to the stand. 7. A method according to any of Claims 4-6, characterized 8. A method according to any of Claims 4-6, characterized in that the method is used for displaying curtain fabrics. STATEi ENT UNDER ARTICLE 19 A set of new claims as enclosed is substituted for the originally filed claims. The new claims comprise amended claims 1 and 4 in which the division of features between the preamble and the characterizing clause has been altered and new features have been introduced in order to make the definition of the invention more precise. Claims 2-3 and 5-8 have not been altered. The preamble of the new claim 1 is essentially based on the contents of the previous claim 1. The characterizing clause of the new claim is a combination of features contained in the previous claim 1 and features lifted from the specifica¬ tion. We refer especially to page 3, lines 22-23 (front view of the stand), page 3, lines 28-30 (products, as seen from the viewing direction, arranged successively) and page 5, lines 1-3 (a row of successive products in the viewing direction) . The preamble of the new claim 4 is essentially based on the contents of the previous claim 4. The characterizing clause of the new claim 4 combines features from the previous claim 4 with features lifted from the specification. We refer especially to the sections specified in the above and also to page 4, lines 19-26 (dis¬ playing a desired product and keeping the products in front of it reeled onto their rolls) .

Inventors: MAKKONEN VEIJO SAKARI, MAKKONEN, VEIJO, SAKARI
Applicants: MAKKONEN VEIJO SAKARI, MAKKONEN, VEIJO, SAKARI
Application year: 1991
Main classification: A47F7
IPC codes: A47F7