A HOLDER DEVICE FOR STRIP-SHAPED INFORMATION CARRIERS

Abstract: A holder device for strip-shaped information carriers and designed to be mounted on the front edge (2) of a shelf (3); the holder being constituted by an elongated profile member (4) including a substantially U-shaped portion (5) comprising at least one upper and one lower shank (6, 7) resiliently facing each other and cooperating to engage the shelf (3). A pocket (9) for receiving the information carriers is connected to the U-shaped portion (5) which pocket is open at its upper edge and consists of a flexible transparent plastic material. The upper shank (6) of the holder device (1) is provided with friction-increasing means (13) in the form of a friction strip (15) of a soft plastic material or an elastomer which strip extends along the shank (6). The strip (15) is co-extruded with the profile member (4). Applying a pressure against the lower free portion (14) of the pocket (9) for the purpose of opening up the pocket (9) results in a force which presses the friction strip (15) against the shelf (3) preventing a displacement of the position of the holder device (1).

Description: Holder device for strip-shaped information carriers The present invention relates to a holder device for strip- shaped information carriers and designed to be mounted on the front edge of a shelf or the like, said device being constituted by an elongated profile member including a substantially U-shaped portion comprising at least one upper and one lower shank resiliently facing each other and cooperating to engage said shelf, and a pocket for reciev- ing said information carriers connected to said U-shaped portion which pocket is open at its upper edge and consists of a flexible transparent plastic material, wherein said upper shank of the U-shaped portion of the holder device exhibits friction-increasing means on the surface facing the shelf. The purpose of the present invention is to eliminate the problem existing in holders of the above-mentioned type due to the leverage arising upon the opening up of the pocket receiving the information carriers. The opening up of the pocket is normally obtained by means of a pressure against the lower free portion of the pocket which jeopardizes the positional orientation on the shelf edge. In accordance with the present invention this aim is obtained by means of a holder device of the kind described in the first paragraph which is caracterized in that said friction-increasing means comprises a extends from the base portion 8 of the U-shaped member 5 friction strip of a soft plastic material or an elastomer which strip extends along said upper shank, and in that said strip is co-extruded with the profile member, whereby application of a pressure against the lower free portion of the pocket for the purpose of opening up said pocket when an information carrier is inserted or exchanged results in a force which presses the friction strip against the shelf preventing a displacement of the position of the holder device. The present invention provides a holder device of the kind described in the first paragraph which in an excellent manner satisfies its purpose while simultaneously eliminating the problems, from which prior art holders suffer. Due to the fact that the upper one of the shanks extending from the rear side of the holder and which co-operates with the upper surface of the shelf is provided with a friction- strip, this upper shank will no longer slide in relation to the shelf when a pressure is applied to the lower free portion of the pocket in connection with opening up of the pocket for insertion or replacement of the strip-shaped information carriers therein. Nevertheless, it is still possible by simple manipulations both to mount and to remove the holder at a shelf front edge in spite of the presence of the said friction-promoting means on the upper shank. A friction-strip of this kind can be manufactured very thin which is of great importance as this means that the upper shank can be positioned very close to the surface of the shelf. Otherwise the shank will make it more difficult to move goods on the shelf. As the friction strip is co-extruded with the profile member a holder of this kind can be manufactured very efficiently and to a comparatively low cost as no additional mounting step is required. It is preferred that the width of the friction-strip is substantially greater than the distance the strip protrudes out from the surface of the shank. The wide strip results in a very high friction when pressed against the shelf by the moment force arrising when an opening pressure is applied against the lower edge portion of the pocket. The action of this friction force will be improved if the strip is positioned along the free edge of the shank. The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to some preferred embodiments and to the annexed drawing, in which Fig. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a holder for strip-shaped information carriers, in accordance with the present invention and not yet mounted. Fig. 2 is a side view of the holder device shown in Fig. 1 and the outer free portion of the upper shank, which is provided with the friction-promoting member, has been magnified, and Fig. 3 is a side view showing the holder according to Figs. 1 and 2 mounted on the front edge of a shelf. As appears from Fig. 1, there is here shown a holder 1 for strip-shaped information carriers and adapted to be mounted on the front edge 2 of a shelf 3 or the like, see Fig. 3. The holder 1 is constituted by an elongated profile member 4 having a U-shaped portion 5 , which comprises an upper and a lower shank 6 and 7, respectively, resiliently facing each other. The shanks 6, 7 are intended to engage said shelf front edge 2 and to fix the holder thereto. A pocket 9 which is intended to receive information carriers and which is open along its upper edge and consists of a flexible transparent plastic material extends from the base portion 8 of the U-shaped member 5. The pocket 9 extends along all the length of the profile member and the pocket can be opened by means of a pressure applied to the lower portion 14 of the front wall 10 of the pocket, for instance by the thumb, in order to make it possible to insert information carriers therein. In the embodiment shown the lower shank 7 is generally triangular as indicated at 12 to cause the shanks 6, 7 to exert optimal clamping action against the front edge 2 of the shelf 3 , at the same time bringing the pocket 9 in an inclined position relatively the flat plane of the shelf 3. The upper shank 6 of the U-shaped portion 5 of the holder 1 exhibits friction-increasing means 13 in order to avoid that, when the holder 1 is in its mounted position on the shelf 3 , its position could be displaced upon the application of a pressure against the lower free portion 14 of the pocket 9 when the latter is opened for the purpose of insertion or exhange of information carriers. The friction- promoting member 13 is constituted by a soft high-friction material in the shape of a strip 15, see Fig. 2, which uninterruptedly extends in the longitudinal direction of the holder 1 on the bottom surface 16 of the upper shank 6, preferably along its edge portion 17. The strip is manufactured by co-extrusion with the profile member which renders it inseparable from said strip. Preferably the strip is manufactured with a rather great width which together with its preferred position along the edge of the shank result in a high friction force preventing displacement when opening the pocket by means of a pressure as described above. The strip does only protrude a short distance from the surface of the shank which means that the shank will be positioned very close to the surface of the shelf. The profile member is preferably manufactured from a stiff PVC material and the friction strip is manufactured from a softened PVC material or from an elastomer. When changing information carriers in a holder 1, which is configured according to the invention and equipped with a friction strip 15 on the upper shank 6, it is now possible to exert the pressure necessary against the lower free portion 14 of the pocket 9 in order to open the pocket 9 without causing the holder 1 to come loose or be displaced from its position on the front edge 2 of the shelf 3.

Claims: Claims 1. A holder device for strip-shaped information carriers and designed to be mounted on the front edge (2) of a shelf (3) or the like, said device being constituted by an elongated profile member (4) including a substantially U-shaped portion (5) comprising at least one upper and one lower shank (6, 7) resiliently facing each other and cooperating to engage said shelf (3) , and a pocket (9) for recieving said information carriers connected to said U- shaped portion (5) which pocket is open at its upper edge and consists of a flexible transparent plastic material, wherein said upper shank (6) of the U-shaped portion (5) of the holder device (1) exhibits friction-increasing means (13) on the surface facing the shelf (3), characterized in that said friction-increasing means (13) comprises a friction strip (15) of a soft plastic material or an elastomer which strip extends along said upper shank (6) , and in that said strip (15) is co-extruded with the profile member (4) , whereby application of a pressure against the lower free portion (14) of the pocket (9) for the purpose of opening up said pocket (9) when an information carrier is inserted or exchanged results in a force which presses the friction strip (15) against the shelf (3) preventing a displacement of the position of the holder device (1) . 2. A holder device according to claim 1, characterized in that the strip (15) protrudes only a short distance from the surface of the shank and in that the width of the protruding portion is substantially bigger than said distance. 3. A holder device according to claim 1 or claim 2 , characterized in that the strip (15) extends along the free edge of said shank (6) . 4. A holder device according to any one of claims 1- 3, characterized in that the profile member (4) is manufactured from a rigid PVC material and in that the strip consists of a softened PVC material.

Inventors: JOSEFSSON BOERJE, TOERNLUND JAN, JOSEFSSON, BOERJE, TOERNLUND, JAN
Applicants: HL DISPLAY AB, JOSEFSSON BOERJE, TOERNLUND JAN, JOSEFSSON, BOERJE, TOERNLUND, JAN
Application year: 1999
Main classification: G09F3
IPC codes: G09F3