Abstract:
A product display and support includes substantially parallel elongated tag and product holders. Tile tag holder includes a curved end. A tag clip includes a U-shaped portion including flanges defining a channel and an opening. The tag clip is mounted on the tag support by inserting the curved end into the opening and rotating the clip about the curved portion, thereby causing the curved portion to be received in the channel. The tag clip may be rotated about the curved end to thereby move the clip out of interference with the end of the product holder to allow easy loading of the product holder without removing the clip from the tag holder.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to product displays. More specifically, the invention relates to a product display that supports products and a product identification tag. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Prior art display and support systems typically include a product identification tag disposed near an end of an elongated product support member. The tag usually blocks the end of the elongated member, interfering with loading of products on the support member without removal of the tag. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a product display and support including an elongated product holder, an elongated tag holder, and a tag clip. The elongated product holder includes a free end for loading products thereon. The elongated product holder and tag holder have straight portions that preferably are arranged in a common plane and extend generally in the same direction. The tag holder portion also includes a curved portion extending generally perpendicular to the tag holder straight portion of the tag holder, and, preferably, to the plane of the straight portions. The tag clip includes a U-shaped portion having at least two pairs of flanges extending toward each other to define a channel in the U-shaped portion. The flanges of one pair terminate in spaced relation from the flanges in the other pair to define an opening between the flanges to allow the curved portion of the tag holder to be inserted into the channel. 
     Preferably the elongated product and tag holders are cylindrical in cross section. Preferably, the product display and support includes a base member to which the elongated product and tag holders are connected. Preferably, the product holder also includes an end portion spaced from the base member that extends upwardly toward the tag holder. The product holder is sufficiently flexible to allow flexing thereof when product is loaded thereon. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a product display and support embodying the invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the curved end of the tag holder and the tag clip. 
     FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the curved end of the tag holder and the tag clip. 
     FIG. 4 is an end elevational view taken along line  4 — 4  in FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 5 is a view taken along line  5 — 5  in FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the curved end of the tag holder being inserted into the tag clip. 
     FIG. 7 is a view taken along line  7 — 7  in FIG.  6 . 
     FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the curved end of the tag holder fully inserted into the tag clip. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a product display and support  10  for supporting items or products  14  on a display unit. In the illustrated embodiment, the product display and support  10  is connected to a display grid  18  made up of rods  19 , which can be constructed and arranged as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,769,248 assigned to the assignee of this application. The product display and support  10  includes a base member  22 , a tag support bar  26  (e.g., a bar for supporting a UPC tag), a product support bar  30 , and a tag clip  34  (e.g., a clip for a UPC tag). In the illustrated embodiment, all components of the product display and support  10  are made of steel. However, the product display and support could also be made of aluminum, or another material having the requisite flexibility and rigidity. In the illustrated embodiment, the tag clip  34  is made of clear plastic. 
     The base member  22  includes a plate portion  38  and a mounting portion  42 . The plate portion  38  is generally rectangular in the illustrated embodiment, with the long dimension disposed generally vertically. The vertical length of the plate portion is such that it spans more than one rod  19  of the grid. Three rods are spanned in the illustrated preferred embodiment. The plate portion  38  includes a front surface  46  and an opposite rear surface. The front surface  46  defines a plane. The plate portion  38  may also be provided in a variety of other shapes that provide enough surface area to allow the tag support bar  26  and the product support bar  30  to be connected to the front surface  46 , as described below. 
     The mounting portion  42  in the illustrated embodiment includes a pair of hook members  54  that are adapted to hook over a grid rod  19 . The mounting portion  42  may also be provided in other shapes. For example, the mounting portion  42  may be provided as a single hook member. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the tag support bar  26  and the product support bar  30  are formed from a single cylindrical-shaped bar that is suitably formed to provide a base or connecting web portion  58 . The base  58  is connected to the front surface  46  of the plate portion  38  of the base member  22 . In the illustrated embodiment, the connecting portion  58  is welded to the front surface  46  of base member  22 . Alternatively, the tag support bar  26  and the product support bar  30  may be separate components that can be separately welded to the base member  22 . 
     A straight portion  62  of the tag support bar  26  extends away from the front surface  46  in a direction generally perpendicular to the plane of the front surface  46 , and the display grid  18 . A curved portion  66  is provided at the distal end of the straight portion  62 , and includes a bend  67  joining the curved portion  66  and straight portion  62 . In the illustrated embodiment, the curved portion  66  defines an angle of about 90° with respect to the straight portion  62 , and extends in a generally horizontal direction and in a common horizontal plane as straight portion  62 . As described in further detail below, the tag clip  34  is connected to the curved portion  66  of the tag support bar  26 . 
     The product support bar  30  includes a holding portion  70  and a retention portion  74 . The holding portion  70  extends away from the front surface  46  of the base member  22  in a common vertical plane with the straight portion  62  of the tag support bar  26  and in the same direction as the tag support bar. The horizontal plane defined by straight portion  62  and end  68  is at 90° to the vertical plane defined by straight portion  62  and product support bar  30 . The retention portion  74  is angled upwardly with respect to the holding portion  70  of the product support bar. In the illustrated embodiment, the angle between the holding portion  70  and the retention portion  74  is obtuse. The retention portion  74  extends at an angle to the horizontal (the plane defined by portions  62  and  66  if reference is needed) and angles upwardly toward the tag support bar  26 . When products  14  are supported by the product support bar  30 , they are held on the holding portion  70 , and retained from sliding off the product support bar  30  by the angle of the support to the horizontal and by retention portion  74 . 
     Because of the configuration and length of the product support  30 , it exhibits flexibility generally about its connection to base member  22 . The product support  30  can be flexed downwardly to assist in placing product  14  onto the support. In the preferred embodiment, the length of support bar  30  is 18″ and its diameter is 0.281″. 
     The tag clip  34  is best illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4. The clip  34  includes a U-shaped portion  78  and an L-shaped portion  82  projecting in opposite directions from a common wall  90 . The U-shaped portion  78  includes opposite walls  86  and the common connecting wall  90 . Two pair of flanges  94  and  95  extend inwardly from each of the opposite walls  86 , and, with the connecting wall  90 , define a channel  98  extending the length of the clip and into which the curved portion  66  of the tag support bar  26  is received. More specifically, flanges  94  are in line but terminate in ends  93  which are spaced apart. Identically, flanges  95  terminate in spaced ends  97 . In addition, the inner ends  99  and  101  of flanges  94  and  95 , respectively, are relatively spaced to provide a defined opening  102 . The opening  102  may be cut, for example, by drilling through the walls  86  and the flanges  94 ,  95 , resulting in the opening  106  (FIG. 3) in the walls  86 . Otherwise, the opening  102  may be formed during the forming process of the clip with a pin inserted through the walls  86 . The channel  98  is elongated and has a longitudinal axis which is perpendicular to the plane of the paper in FIG.  4 . The flanges  94  and  95  are also elongated and parallel to that longitudinal axis. The opening  102  allows the end of the curved portion  66  to be inserted into the channel  98  as will be described hereinafter. In the illustrated embodiment, the clip  34  is an injection molded part and the walls, openings and other structured parts thereof are formed in the injection molding process. 
     The tag clip  34  is connected to the tag support bar  26  by first inserting the end  68  of the curved portion  66  into the channel  98  through the opening  102  (FIG.  3 ). With reference to FIG. 6, after the end  68  of the curved portion  66  is inserted into the channel  98  (the dotted line shown in FIG.  6 ), the clip  34  is rotated relative to end  68  in the direction of arrow  108  to assume the position illustrated in full lines in FIG. 6 which corresponds to the relative positioning of the clip and curved portion illustrated in FIG.  7 . This movement causes the flanges  94  to separate initially and is continued until the entire length of curved portion  66  is inserted into the channel  98 . As seen in FIG. 7, the U-shaped portion  78  opens slightly while the clip is rotated to accommodate the curved portion  66 , and then U-shaped portion  78  snaps around the periphery of bend  67  between the straight portion  62  and the curved portion  66  after the curved portion  66  is fully received in the channel  98 . The curved portion  66  is thus received securely in the opening  102  with the opposed ends  99  and  101  of flanges  94  and  95  in close proximity to the periphery (circumference) of the curved portion or, specifically bend  67  when the clip  34  snaps into place (FIGS. 2,  5  and  8 ). 
     Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 4, the L-shaped wall  82  includes a horizontal portion  110  and a vertical portion  114 . The horizontal portion  110  is connected to the U-shaped portion  78  through common connecting wall  90  and in line with the upper wall  86  in the drawing. The vertical portion  114  terminates in a free end  115 . A first pressure member or barb  118  extends inwardly from the vertical portion  114  toward the wall  90  from adjacent the free end  115 . The first pressure member  118  and the vertical portion  114  define an acute angle therebetween. Second and third pressure members or barbs  122 ,  126  extend from the connecting wall  90  of the U-shaped member  78  toward the vertical portion  114  of the L-shaped wall  82 . The second and third pressure members  122 ,  126  define acute angles with respect to the connecting wall  90  of the U-shaped member  78 . The first pressure member  118  extends into the space between the second and third pressure members  122 ,  126  and can overlap those second and third members when no tag is inserted (FIG.  2 ). 
     A tag  130  is easily inserted and removed from the tag clip  34  by sliding the tag  130  between the vertical portion  114  of the L-shaped wall  82  and the connecting wall  90  of the U-shaped portion  78  and between the opposed barbs  118  and  122 ,  126 . While the tag  130  is disposed between the vertical portion  114  of the L-shaped wall  82  and the connecting wall  90  of the U-shaped portion  78 , the tag  130  is held in place by the first, second, and third pressure members  118 ,  122 ,  126 . 
     Clearance is easily provided for loading products  14  onto the product support bar  30 . This is done by reversing the previously described procedure. More particularly, the tag clip  34  is rotated, or slid out along the length of curved portion  66  (the reverse of what is shown in FIG.  6 ). This motion is continued until the bend  67  is clear of opening  102  and only a portion of curved portion  66  is in opening  102  (as shown in phantom in FIG.  5  and FIG.  6 ). As shown by the phantom lines in FIG.  6  and by inference in FIG. 5, the curved portion  66  is held securely in opening  102  by ends  99  and  101  which closely fit around the periphery (circumference) of the curved portion. As illustrated by the phantom lines in FIG. 5, which phantom lines can be taken as representing the cross section of curved portion  66 , the ends  99  and  101  are in engagement with the periphery of the curved portion  66  after a portion of the curved portion has been removed from the channel  78 , the phantom line showing in FIG.  6 . It (the tag clip) can then be rotated in a vertical plane, as indicated by arrow  134  in FIG. 5 to clear the tag  130  from the end of product support  30  for insertion of product. The engagement of ends  99  and  101  with the periphery of curved portion  66  prevents movement, other than rotation, of the tag clip in a vertical plane. In other words, the curved portion is held against movement parallel to the longitudinal extension of channel  98  and the flanges  94  and  95 . After all product is loaded, the clip  34  is again rotated or slid on the curved portion  66  to return to the orientation of FIG.  1 . In this regard, the tag clip  34  may be moved from interference with product loading without removing the clip  34  from the tag support  26 . 
     Although particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, other alternative embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art and are within the intended scope of the present invention. Thus, the present invention is to be limited only by the following claims.