Abstract:
A display system can accommodate a number of products. The system includes one or more modules. Each module may be mounted on a support wall and includes back and shelf portions. Advantageously, a number of modules are arranged in a number of rows, one row above another. A number of dividers are removably secured to at least one of the walls and may be moved in stepwise or continuous fashion to separate groups of the products within each row. Various of the modules may include hook bars secured to the back wall portions for hanging certain of the products and/or space thieves removably secured to the shelf portions for forwardly offsetting stacked or hung products.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This patent application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/480,085, entitled “Display System”, which was filed on Dec. 8, 2003, which is the U.S. national phase of International Patent Application Ser. No. PCT/US02/19169, entitled “Display System”, which was filed on Jun. 10, 2002 and published in English on Dec. 19, 2002 as International Publication No. WO 02/101692 and claims priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/297,067 and Ser. No. 60/313,717 entitled “Display System” and “Tray Support System” filed on Jun. 8, 2001 and Aug. 20, 2001, respectively, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference in their entireties herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    (1) Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    This invention relates to displays, and more particularly to displays mountable on vertical support surfaces such as pegboard walls and in store shelving gondolas. 
         [0004]    (2) Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    A wide variety of systems exist for displaying goods in the retail environment. Many such systems are used to display many small product packages. These various systems make use of many product holding means including hooks, trays, chutes, and the like. Some displays are freestanding while others are mounted to a support structure such as a shelving gondola. Common gondola configurations feature long rows of shelving facing aisles on either side of the gondola. At the gondola&#39;s ends, additional shelving or other display areas define end caps. One common auxiliary display system is known as the power wing, typically secured at the side of an end cap and protruding slightly into the adjacent aisle. Smaller displays may be secured to the sides of the power wing and may face the longitudinal direction of the aisle. Such smaller displays are often identified as mini wings. Mini wing-type displays may also be mounted to shelving fronts to protrude into an aisle. These may include portions facing the aisle or facing the longitudinal direction of the aisle. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    A display system can accommodate a number of products. The system includes a display module having a back portion and a shelf or bottom portion, preferably hinged relative to each other. The modules are preferably hangable, and are preferably mounted on a vertical support surface such as a gondola pegboard wall. The modules may be arrayed in one or more rows. 
         [0007]    The products may be supported by the shelves individually or stacked on the shelves and may be in trays and/or may be suspended from hooks mounted to the module back. Space thieves may forwardly offset product relative to the module back. Dividers may be provided to separate groups of products. Mounting features may provide stepwise or continuous transverse positioning of the dividers, hooks, space thieves and other elements such as signage. Longitudinal adjustment is particularly advantageous for the space thieves. 
         [0008]    The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a view of a gondola unit. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a view of a hanger that may be mounted to the gondola of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a partial side sectional view of a gondola carrying display modules according to principles of the invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a partial side sectional view of a display module of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a side view of a display module in a stowed condition. 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a front view of a display module. 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is a top view of a shelf portion of the module of  FIG. 6 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  is a view of a gondola with installed modules and accessories according to principles of the invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  is a front view of a hook mounting fixture according to principles of the invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 10  is a horizontal sectional view of the fixture of  FIG. 9 , taken along line  10   10 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 11  is a side view of a first signage carrier according to principles of the invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 12  is a front view of the signage carrier of  FIG. 11 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 13  is a side view of a second signage carrier according to principles of the invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 14  is a front view of the signage carrier of  FIG. 13 . 
           [0023]      FIG. 15  is an end view of a signage carrying extrusion according to principles of the invention for mounting to a front of the shelf of the module of  FIG. 4 . 
           [0024]      FIG. 16  is a front view of a space thief according to principles of invention. 
           [0025]      FIG. 17  is an end view of a header extrusion according to principles of the invention. 
           [0026]      FIG. 18  is a top view of a blade sign according to principles of the invention. 
           [0027]      FIG. 19  is a front view of a third signage holder according to principles of invention. 
           [0028]      FIG. 20  is a side sectional view of the signage carrier of  FIG. 19 , taken along line  20   20 . 
           [0029]      FIG. 21  is a partial sectional view of a sample carrier showing a mounting bracket according to principles of the invention in elevation. 
       
    
    
       [0030]    Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0031]      FIG. 1  shows an exemplary shelving gondola  20 . The gondola has a base  22  with an upper surface  24 , a front  26  and a lower surface for supporting the gondola on a floor surface. The gondola further includes a wall  28  extending upward from a back portion of the base. The wall includes pegboard  30  having an array of through holes (e.g., a square array one inch (2.5 cm) on center). A series of standards  32  may extend along a front surface  34  of the pegboard to provide structural support. Exemplary standards are square sectioned steel tubing (e.g., one to two inches or two to five cm). An exemplary gondola is approximately twelve feet (four m) in width from left to right ends  36  and  38  (as viewed from the point of view of the gondola rather than a user facing the gondola). The exemplary gondola has a height of about six feet (two m) with at least about 4.5 feet (1.5 m) being the pegboard wall. The gondola may be formed in multiple sections. 
         [0032]    As heretofore described, the gondola may be similar to any number of prior art configurations.  FIG. 1 , however, shows a number of mounting brackets  50  for one exemplary embodiment of a display system according to the present invention. The exemplary mounting brackets are in the form of bent steel wire hangers or hooks. Each hanger ( FIG. 2 ) has two end portions  52  bent to engage the pegboard wall through a pair of holes therein in conventional fashion. A somewhat modified version could be provided for slatwall mounting. A rear portion of the hanger is formed by two lengths  54  vertically depending from the associated end portions  52  along the front surface  34  of the wall. From the bottom of these lengths  54 , lengths  56  extend forward and therefrom lengths  58  extend upward and are joined by a coplanar transverse central length  60 . The length  56  defines a bottom portion of the hanger and the lengths  58  and  60  define a front portion of the hanger. The forward  600  offset provided by the lengths  54  and the transverse span  602  provided by the length  60  permit the hanger to span one of the standards  32  if the desired display arrangement requires positioning of a hanger at such a location. 
         [0033]    In the exemplary embodiment, an adjacent group of six (three upper and three lower) hangers support each individual display module.  FIG. 3  shows a module  70  having a back portion  72  hinged relative to a shelf or base/bottom portion  74 . The back and shelf portions may each consist principally of a one piece molding (e.g., injection molded medium impact polystyrene (MIPS)). The back and shelf portions are coupled via a hinge structure comprising a plurality of intermeshed channels integrally formed with the back and shelf and a separate hinge pin or axle  76  ( FIG. 4 ) (e.g., of 0.25 inch diameter steel wire) extending therethrough to define an axis of rotation  508 . The back portion  72  has a generally forward facing front side  80  and a generally rearward facing rear side  82 . A principal portion of the front side may lie along a front plane  510 . Advantageously, in the installed condition the plane  510  is between truly vertical and about 20° declined. A preferred orientation is no more than 10° and no less than 5° (e.g., 9°). The portion along such plane may be identified as a frontal wall portion  83 . The shelf portion  74  is hingable relative to the back portion  72  through a range of orientations between a stowed orientation ( FIG. 5 ) in which a first surface  84  of the shelf portion is in close facing relationship to the side  80  and a fully deployed orientation ( FIG. 4 ) where the surface  84  is an upper surface (relative to the back portion  72  in its generally vertical orientation). A principal portion of the surface  84  may be along a plane  512 . The plane  512  is advantageously similarly declined relative to horizontal and is perfectly orthogonal to the plane  510 . At a forward edge of the shelf portion, a lip structure  90  having back, top and front surfaces  92 ,  94  and  96  extends upward from the plane  512 . 
         [0034]    The back portion  72  is provided with a plurality of apertures  100  ( FIG. 6 ), from the top of each of which depends a short web  102 . The web  102  may be received by channels  104  ( FIG. 4 ) in each of the hangers defined between the front, rear, and bottom portions of the hangers. The end portions  52  serve as a pair of prongs for engagement of mounting apertures  110  ( FIG. 3 ) provided by the through holes in the pegboard  30 . For ease of mounting, the front surface of the web  102  may be inclined to converge forward ( FIG. 4 ) to trap the first portion of the associated hanger. This allows a user to easily, and without initially precise aim, hang the module from the pegboard with the incline guiding the module into a precise registry. The offset provided by the lengths  54  may be effective to forwardly offset a rear extremity  116  of the back portion from the front surface  34  of the pegboard so that the back portion may straddle any vertical standard  32  along the gondola wall. The webs  102  and associated rearward projections they front can alternatively be used to mount the module to other mounting features such as rods (not shown) extending transversely between support posts (not shown). 
         [0035]    An exemplary module is approximately three feet (1 m) in width between left and right sides. To maintain alignment of rows, adjacent back and/or shelf portions may be secured to each other such as by the fastening of screws and wing nuts through holes in adjacent pairs of sidewalls of such back and/or shelf portions. For example, holes  120  may be provided in the sidewalls of the shelf portions and the screws conveniently put therethrough with all shelf portions of a given row in their stowed orientation whereupon the shelf portions may be rotated as a unit to their deployed orientations. 
         [0036]      FIG. 3  shows an exemplary installation in which there are three rows of modules one above the other mounted to the pegboard wall. Advantageously, at least the upper two rows are similarly formed and positioned. Although the lowest row may also be similarly formed, in various embodiments at least the front edge of the shelves of the bottom row of modules may be forwardly offset relative to the front edges of the other rows. This offset may be achieved in a number of ways. For example: the shelf may be deeper; the hangers may have a greater offset (as shown in  FIG. 3 ); or the modules&#39; shelves may simply be supported atop the gondola base in a forwardly offset condition. This forward offset provides convenient access to products held by the lowest row. Also, particularly the lower row may be formed of modules having relatively short back portions. 
         [0037]    The individual modules may be provided with a number of mounting features for removably securing a variety of product holding and positioning components, signage holding components, and the like. The exemplary embodiment includes such features on both the shelf and back portions. The shelf portion is molded having a generally flat upper surface to the rear of the back surface  92  of the front edge lip  90 . A first pair of features are transverse slots  150  and  152  ( FIG. 7 ) extending the width of the shelf and having shoulders  154  rebated below the plane  512  with depending walls  156 . The first (front) slot  150  is just behind the lip back wall  92 . The second (rear) slot  152  is slightly behind the first. Although the slots are continuous, the shoulders are interrupted at longitudinal structural support webs  158  as a molding artifact. Behind the second slot are three rows  160 ,  162 , and  164  of fine pitch front to back apertures  166 . 
         [0038]    Near the upper edge of the back portion is a transverse row  180  ( FIG. 6 ) of fine pitch vertical apertures  182  in the frontal wall portion  83 . A substantially identical row  184  of apertures  186  is near the bottom of the frontal wall potion  83  above the hinge structure. Relatively low on the upper half of the back portion is a channel  190  which leaves an exposed upwardly facing edge  191  of the frontal wall portion  83  behind the plane  510 . 
         [0039]    One accessory is a divider wall  200  ( FIG. 4 ). The exemplary divider wall structurally consists essentially of a unitary plastic molding (e.g., of MIPS). The molding includes a generally rectangular web  202  and mounting features  204  and  206  for engaging associated ones of the module mounting features. The exemplary divider includes two such mounting features. The first mounting feature  204  is formed along the lower edge of the web  202  relatively close to the front edge thereof. This mounting feature has a transverse foot or base plate portion  207  from which a pair of front and rear barbed projections  208  depend. The exemplary projections are transversely elongate with a vertical rail depending from the base plate portion and a foot serving as the barb. The base plate portion  207  has a height and depth effective to be accommodated within the rebate defined by the shoulders of the rear slot  152  so as to be essentially flush or subflush to the shelf upper surface plane  512 . The projections  208  have sufficient height so that their barbs can engage the lower edges of the walls  156  at respective front and rear sides of the slot  152 . Along the back edge of the web  202 , relatively high thereon, a transverse plate  210  is formed connected to the web adjacent its upper end  212 . A lower end  214  depends from the connection. The divider may be assembled to the module by first locating the plate  210  in the channel  190  at which point the base plate  206  and its associated projections  208  are above the slot  152 . The divider is then shifted downward bringing the lower end  214  of the plate  210  behind the frontal wall portion  83  and bringing the barbed projections  208  into engagement with the slot depending walls  156 . Further lowering of the divider compresses the projections  208  permitting the barbed portions to pass through the slot  152  ultimately releasing as the barbs pass below the associated walls  156 . In this installed condition, the divider may be transversely slid along the module and may even be slid over the interface between two modules to a desired position. Advantageously, two versions of the divider may be provided. In a first version, the mounting features extend substantially only to the left of the web and in a second, substantially only to the right. This permits one of the first dividers to be located with its web at the extreme right of a row of modules and one of the second to be located with its web at the extreme left of the row. When used at intermediate locations, either may be appropriate. When used at the extreme end (or any other situation in which sliding is particularly undesirable), a locking means may be provided. A simple mechanism is to adhere a pair of angle brackets  216  ( FIG. 8 ) to the divider web and the adjacent frontal wall portion  83  and shelf upper surface. Alternate securing means may utilize the various rows of apertures in the back and shelf portions. A relatively deep divider (not shown) might have a web extending further forward. If extending over the front slot  150 , the dividers otherwise similar mounting feature could engage that slot. This might be particularly useful if the divider carries signage intended to extend forward of the products carried by the module. 
         [0040]    The rows of  180  and  184  apertures may be used for mounting peg hook units. An exemplary hook unit  220  ( FIG. 4 ) consists essentially of the assembly of a separate hook mounting fixture  222  and hooks  224 , allowing a desired number of hooks to be positioned at desired vertical locations along the fixture  222 . The exemplary fixture  222  is formed as a unitary molding having a generally rearwardly open box like body portion  226  ( FIGS. 9 and 10 ) having a forward central web  228  circumscribed by a sidewall  230  and a number of claws  232  extending rearwardly therefrom for engaging the apertures  182  and  186 . In the exemplary embodiment, the body  226  has left and right upper and left and right lower claws for engaging respective pairs of apertures  182  and  186  in the upper and lower rows  180  and  184 . The claws project rearward and downward allowing the fixture to be installed by inserting the claws with a rearward motion into the associated apertures and shifting the fixture downward so that the depending portions of the claws catch against the rear surface of the frontal wall portion  83 . The fixture  222  has a vertical row of transversely extending slots  223  for receiving the hooks  224 . 
         [0041]    The exemplary hooks  224  ( FIG. 4 ) are formed as unitary moldings having a shaft  234  extending forward from a distal root portion at a base plate  236 . The exemplary shaft has a generally straight section terminating in a more upwardly directed portion at its distal end. Near the upper edge of the rear of the hook base plate  236 , a transversely elongate, upwardly directed, first finger  240  extends rearward. Near the lower edge, a transversely elongate, barbed, second finger  242  with a downwardly directed barb extends rearward. The hook  224  may be engaged to the fixture  222  by holding the hook in a declined orientation allowing the upper finger  240  to be inserted through one of the apertures  233  so that the finger engages the back of the portion of the fixture web  228  immediately above the aperture. The hook is then rotated downward so that the lower finger passes into a lower aperture  233  with engagement between the finger  242  and web  228  below the lower aperture bending the finger upward until the barb has passed therethrough to catch against the rear surface of the web. Multiple hooks may be installed in this way. Exemplary material for the fixture and hooks is 15° glass filled nylon. 
         [0042]    In an exemplary embodiment, the front slot  150  may be used for mounting signage holders. An exemplary signage holder  260  has a base plate  262  and projections  264  similar to those of the divider. A trunk web  266  extends upward from one side of the base plate. An elongate, vertically extending, rectangular signage carrying web  268  circumscribed on front, bottom and back edges by a rim  270  extends upward and forward from the trunk web. On either side of the web, inward projections from the rim are provided to capture a signage card along the adjacent surface of the web. The projections are aligned with apertures in the web as an artifact of molding. Exemplary material for the signage holder  260  is injection molded high density polypropylene (HDPE). As with the dividers, there may be left and right handed versions for convenience of location. An alternate signage carrier is a card holder  272  ( FIGS. 13 and 14 ). This may be generally similarly formed to the signage holder  260 . However, the card holder may be relatively short and have a small mounting web in place of the signage carrying web. To the mounting web, a conventional coextruded clear card gripper (not shown) may be mounted. An exemplary gripper is available from Fasteners for Retail, Inc. of Cleveland, Ohio as part 2112381802 and is mounted to grip a rear edge portion of the card so that the principal portion of the card can extend freely forward of the holder. 
         [0043]    An at least partially transparent (e.g., of clear polyvinylchloride (PVC)) extruded signage carrier  280  ( FIGS. 4 and 15 ) is provided for the front of each shelf. The extrusion has a first portion  282  for covering the back surface  92  of the lip, a second portion  284  extending forward and downward therefrom for covering the top surface  92  of the lip, and a third portion  286  extending downward and forward yet therefrom for covering the front surface  96  of the lip. A barbed projection  288  extends rearward from a lower edge of the third portion for grasping around the lower front edge of the lip. The extrusion is provided with first and second transparent portions  290  and  292  immediately front of the second and third portions and joined thereto at lower edges. Signage cards  294  and  296  may be inserted from above into pockets behind the transparent portions. 
         [0044]    In one example of use, the signage holders  260  carry signage indicating product categories. The carriers  280  carry signage indicating the particular products and having associated information (e.g., UPC codes, price, etc.). The card holders  272  carry signage indicating sales or specials or other indicia for attracting a customer&#39;s attention to a particular product. 
         [0045]    Another product positioning accessory is a space thief  300  ( FIGS. 4 and 16 ). An exemplary space thief  300  is formed as a unitary molding (e.g., of MIPS) having a rearwardly open, box like, body  302  with a front surface  304 . The exemplary front surface is a central, vertically extending, elongate aperture  306 . A pair of mounting projections  308  depend from the bottom of the body. The exemplary projections  308  are dimensioned to be accommodated in pairs of the apertures  166  in any given one of the rows  160 ,  162 , and  164 . Forward edges of the projections ( FIG. 4 ) depend forward from a root portion of the projection permitting the forward edges to capture a portion of the shelf immediately ahead of the apertures in which they are received. This inclination allows the space thief to be rotated rearward into an installed condition and prevents it from being rotated beyond the installed condition. The exemplary installed condition places the surface  304  parallel to the plane  510  and perpendicular to a plane  512 . The aperture  306  may permit one or more of the hooks  224  to pass through the space thief permitting the space thief to forwardly offset products carried by such hooks in desired increments ahead of the front surface of the hook mounting fixture  222 . The space thief may alternatively be used with free standing product or stacked product (including product in trays). The use of the space thief permits a relatively small amount of product to occupy a given frontage. This may be desirable to permit a relatively slow selling product to occupy a relatively large frontage without the need for a disproportionate inventory. The space thief may also be used to simply even up the front to back positioning of products having substantially differing depths. 
         [0046]    When assembled to the gondola in such rows, the modules may form part of a larger display system including additional features. Among many possible features are a trim cover  320  ( FIG. 8 ) for concealing at least a front edge portion of the gondola base. The trim cover may be formed having an L shaped cross section with the longer portion or leg  322  extending rearward along the upper surface of the gondola base and the shorter portion or foot  324  depending therefrom in front of the front edge of the base. The underside of the leg of the cover may be provided with adhesive (e.g., initially with peel off protective sheets) for securing it to the upper surface of the gondola base. 
         [0047]    A signage carrying header  330  ( FIGS. 3 and 17 ) may also be provided, advantageously slightly above and forward of the top row of modules. An exemplary header is formed as extruded lengths (e.g., of MIPS) joined end-to-end. When viewed in an installed condition, the lengths have a central, generally vertical, web  332 . At upper and lower edges of the web, when viewed in section, the extrusion has a short cross member  334 . A front of each cross member joins the rear surface of one leg  336  of an angled section having a rounded corner, the remaining leg  338  being generally parallel to the cross member  334  and spaced slightly apart therefrom. A short portion of each leg  336  extends in front of the web to create a pair of channels  340  for retaining upper and lower edge portions of a signage card  342 . From the rear edge of each cross member  334 , another short wall  344  extends parallel to the web  332  spaced slightly apart therefrom to create a channel  346 . Closer to the center of the web, opposite each of the two channels  346  a similar channel  348  is formed by the foot  352  and leg  354  of an L sectioned portion extending rearward from the web  332 . These create a pair of upper and lower slots for receiving plastic reinforcement plates  360  for spanning the joints between adjacent header sections. The plates may advantageously be secured to the sections by countersunk flat-head screws (not shown) extending rearward through the web with wing nuts (not shown) at the back surfaces of the plates. 
         [0048]    For mounting the header, each section advantageously includes an inverted L sectioned portion, the foot  362  of which merges with a central portion of the web back surface and the leg  364  of which depends parallel to and spaced slightly behind the web. The resulting channel can capture the distal portions of support brackets  370  ( FIG. 3 ), the proximal portions  372  of which mate to the pegboard wall. Each exemplary support bracket proximal portion is formed by a molded plastic base and the distal portion is formed by the bent distal end portion of a wire, the proximal portion of which is mounted to the base. In installation, the base may first be mounted to the pegboard, then the wire member installed, followed by installation of the individual header sections, and, thereafter, by securing the sections to each other and inserting the graphic cards. Header end covers  376  ( FIG. 8 ) may be secured to the exposed ends of the aligned header extrusions via a mounting bracket (not shown) having a pair of plate portions in place of the reinforcement plates  360 . 
         [0049]    At one or both ends of the rows of shelves there may be a vertically extending blade sign  380  ( FIG. 8 ) extending forward of the rows. An exemplary blade sign is formed as an extrusion having a principal web  382  ( FIG. 18 ). The front edge of the web  382  merges with the interior of the base of a right, rearwardly open, U shaped channel  384 . Slightly forward of the rear edge of the web, the base of a second forwardly open, right U shaped channel  386  intersects the web  382 . The web  382  and channels  384  and  386  thus define individual channels for capturing front and rear edge portions of signage cards  388  and  390  along inboard and outboard surfaces of the web. The cards may be secured to the web via double sided adhesive tape (not shown) which may originally be applied to the blade side with an exposed removable sheet. Alternatively, or simultaneously, to support and retain the cards, a separate short U shaped channel  394  ( FIG. 8 ) may extend with the interior of its base along the lower edge of the blade sign extrusion. The side walls of the channel  394  may compressively engage the bottom ends of the exterior surfaces of the side walls of the channels  384  and  386  of the extrusion. Thus the channel  394  can support the cards  388  and  390  in the absence of adhesive. 
         [0050]    A rear portion  398  of the web  382  behind the second U-shaped channel  386  may have one or more vertical arrays of mounting apertures  400 . In an exemplary embodiment, a pair of metal mounting brackets (not shown) are respectively screwed to the exposed sides of the shelves of the outboard modules of the upper and middle rows of modules through the associated holes  110 . The brackets are in turn screwed to adjacent mounting apertures  400  on the blade sign web. As a safety measure, the web may be provided with an integral hinge  402  between the mounting apertures and the second U-shaped channel. An exemplary hinge is formed by coextruding a relatively flexible material (e.g., TPE) with a relatively rigid material (e.g., HIPS) forming the remainder of the extrusion. 
         [0051]    A number of different accessories may be provided for grasping the fronts of the module shelf portions. One accessory is a sign holder  420  ( FIGS. 19 and 20 ) for holding signage in a transversely extending fashion, typically close to vertical if not actually vertical. An exemplary signage holder has a transverse web  422  circumscribed by a rim  424  extending slightly forward of the front surface of the web to conceal the edge of any signage card or the like and extending somewhat further behind the rear surface of the web for strength. A lower finger  428  extends rearward from a lower end of a lower aperture in the web and has a barbed end for grasping the underside of a front lip of the shelf (or the underside of the barbed projection  288 , if present). An upper finger  430  extends rearward from the upper edge of an upper aperture and has a depending end portion for grasping the back surface of the lip (or of the extrusion first portion  282 , if present). Sample holders, pad holders, and the like, may also be provided. These may use a common or similarly shaped bracket  440  ( FIG. 21 ) which may be formed from an extrusion of appropriate length. An exemplary extrusion has portions  442  and  444  for grasping the front of a shelf and additional portions (e.g.,  446 ) to which the relevant accessory  450  may be attached. 
         [0052]    The products displayed and vended by the system may be individual products or product multipacks and, may be the type of products otherwise hung from peg hooks. Exemplary products are photographic film, disposable cameras, and related goods. The products may originate from a single manufacturer or may originate from multiple manufacturers or other sources. Use of identical modules can present a continuous and harmonious appearance across an entire multi manufacturer product category in a given retail environment. For trayed product, to the extent that the trays are of the type normally used for shipping the product, directly placing the open prepacked trays on the tray support saves the labor of individually removing the products and hanging them on hooks. For example, the trays may be corrugated cardboard boxes having an open top (e.g., a low rise tray or at least a tray with a low front wall, over which the products may easily be seen and grasped) or an open front (e.g., a five-sided tray from which the product does not protrude). 
         [0053]    One or more embodiments of the present invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, various manufacturing techniques may be utilized and the system may be modified to suit particular product or environmental considerations and needs. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.