Abstract:
A display fixture is provided for mounting to shelving in a retail store and presenting products or advertising so as to be more readily visible to the customer walking down the aisle. The display feature includes a mount, a coupler integrally provided with the mount for attachment of the mount to an upright surface such as a support of shelving or other retail displays, a display arm swingably carried by the mount, and a centering device on the extension arm which is positioned for receipt in a depression such as a hole in the mount. In a centered position, the display arm has an extension arm portion which extends preferably perpendicular to the upright surface with the centering device received in the depression, and which swings freely from the centered position with gravity returning the display arm to the centered position without the need for springs or other biasing devices. A product carrier and advertising display may be carried by the extension arm to extend into the aisle, and a screw may be threaded through the mount to hold the mount securely in position.

Description:
[0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/494,809 filed Jan. 31, 2000.  
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    This invention concerns a display fixture useful at retail locations which includes an arm which is swingably mounted and centers itself to extend at an angle into the aisleway. More particularly, the display fixture hereof includes an arm carrying advertising or product at a remote end and at a proximate end is swingably held by a support which may be fabricated into a single, unitary bracket and mounted to conventional retail fixtures.  
           [0004]    2. Description of the Prior Art  
           [0005]    Various types of display fixtures are used in retail establishments to display goods. Shelves are most typically employed to carry products, but a variety of different clips and carriers extend from pegboards to provide product displays and advertising. Such fixtures are conventionally aligned along the aisles and on the ends of the aisles. It has been considered undesirable to extend product displays laterally into the aisles because they interfere with ordinary traffic. A more recent retail development has been the “warehouse” style of hardware and other stores, with products displayed on warehouse type shelving and wide aisles to accommodate motorized vehicles such as fork lifts used in carrying large quantities of items on the sales floor.  
           [0006]    As a result, there has been an increasing need to take maximum advantage of retail display space in order to attract the attention of shoppers and to utilize space occupied by the aisles. There is a further need for a simplified display fixture which is of rugged construction and can be economically fabricated and installed.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    This object has largely been met by the present invention which enables the retailer to take further advantage of the retail sales floor by extending product displays laterally into the aisle. The present invention presents a multitude of advantages to the retailer, in that it is simple, uses unoccupied space, is substantially impervious to wear, resists tampering, and yields to both human and vehicular traffic by allowing the display arm to swing when engaged. The device hereof further permits not only the product itself to extend into the aisle in an eye-catching manner, but additional advertising to be displayed so as to be visible when the customer walks down the retail aisle.  
           [0008]    Broadly speaking, the present invention includes a mount and a display arm swingably carried by the mount. The arm and mount cooperate so that the arm is not only self centering but accomplishes this without the need for any biasing mechanism. Further, the arm employs a centering device which aids in preventing excess swinging and helps to keep the arm positioned substantially normal to a mounting surface. The arm preferably includes a hinge portion at its proximal end and a product carrier at its remote end, whereby the product may be carried at an extended distance from the supporting surface. The product carrier may itself be swingably held relative to the arm so as to hang therefrom. An advertising carrier may be coupled to the display arm intermediate the proximate and distal ends of the normally horizontal portion.  
           [0009]    The mount of the present invention includes a backplate which may be attached to upright shelving supports or other mounting surface by a coupler which is integrated into the mount. The coupler preferably includes tabs complementally configured to the respective mounting surface so that the mount may drop into place. A tightening screw is provided on the mount to maintain tension and resist tampering. An arm support extends downwardly at an angle from the backplate to receive the hinge portion of the arm, and further includes a recess for cooperating with the centering device. The recess is preferably in the form of an opening having a smaller dimension than the transverse dimension of the centering device, so that the centering device is received by the recess but does not pass through. The arm support around the opening is preferably beveled or otherwise widened at the upper surface of the arm support in comparison to the lower surface in order to facilitate both centering of the arm and the initial disengagement of the centering device from the recess upon engagement of the arm by a moving object to permit swinging of the arm.  
           [0010]    As a result, the fixture is sturdy, easy to mount and maintain, and substantially safer than ordinary fixtures which fail to yield when encountered. The device is inexpensive to manufacture and requires no biasing mechanisms such as springs to maintain the extended orientation. By using a hanging product carrier, multiple articles may be carried and presented to attract the purchasers&#39; attention. These and other advantages will be readily understood by those skilled in the art with reference to the attached drawings.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the fixture of the present invention, showing the product carrier foreshortened and the mount ready for attachment to the upright support of a shelving structure.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the invention mounted to a shelving support, showing the arm pivoted to the side with an advertising display coupled to the display arm and two articles of merchandise clipped to the product carrier shown in phantom;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is a side elevation view showing the display arm in an extended orientation into the aisleway of a retail facility; and  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 is a top plan view showing the arm and product carrier in a centered position and also in deflected positions in phantom.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0015]    Referring now to the drawing, a self-centering display fixture  10  broadly includes a mount  12 , a display arm  14  swingably carried by the mount  12 , a product carrier  16  carried remotely on the arm  14  from the mount, an advertising display  18  coupled to the display arm  14 , and mounting surface  20  to which the mount  12  is coupled. As shown in FIG. 1 of the drawing, mounting surface  20  is provided of upright shelving supports  22  and  24  in parallel, side by side disposition, each having mounting openings  26  which may be rectangular in shape as shown, but as is well known, may also be keyhole shaped of contiguous hole portions and slot portions. The shelving supports may also be of wider, one-piece construction as shown in FIG. 2. The openings  26  are located in a face  28  oriented toward the aisle  30  between shelving rows, on end caps of such shelving, or other advantageous locations. In the case of the keyhole shaped openings, the slot portions have narrower transverse dimensions than the hole portions, while in the case of the rectangular openings as shown, it is customary but not required that the shelving supports are positioned with the transverse dimension of the opening  26  narrower than the vertical dimension. However, this is merely provided as an example of one type of mounting support for the fixture  10 , and it may be appreciated that there are numerous types of shelving, display racks and other commercial fixtures which may be used to support the invention hereof.  
         [0016]    In greater detail, the mount  12  is of simplified construction requiring only a plate member  32  which may be cast, cut and bent, or forged into shape. An optional securing screw  34  may be threadably received by the plate member  32 . The plate member  32  is preferably formed to include a backplate  36 , coupler  38 , securing screw  40  opening, arm support  42  and lower hinge flange  44 . The backplate  36  is normally oriented to be upright and parallel to face  28 , with its back side  46  oriented toward face  28  and its front side  48  oriented away from the face  28 . The securing screw opening  40  is preferably centered in the backplate  36  and internally threaded to receive securing screw  34  therethrough, and a pair of bosses  50  attached or more preferably embossed into the backplate  46  to slightly project or bulge from the surrounding portions of the back side  46  of the backplate  36  as shown in FIG. 4 to facilitate stability and prevent side-to-side wobble when the securing screw  34  is tightened against the face  28 . Securing screw  34  is preferably an Allen screw which inhibits tampering.  
         [0017]    The arm support  42  and lower hinge flange  44  are preferably integrally formed with backplate  36  by bending metal to the desired configuration toward the front side of the backplate  36 . Arm support  42  is bent downwardly relative to the horizontal so that its outboard edge  52  is lower than its inner corner  54 , and extends forwardly from the front side of the backplate  36  as shown in FIG. 3. A centering depression  56  provided as centering hole and an upper hinge hole  58  are provided in the arm support  42 , the hinge hole  58  being located more proximate to the inner corner  54  and the centering depression  56  being located more proximate to the outboard edge  52 . The centering depression  56  is preferably provided with a progressively greater diameter from top to bottom such as by chamfering. The centering depression  56  and upper hinge hole  58  are preferably centered on the width W of the arm support  42  to enhance bidirectional swinging and centering, as illustrated in FIG. 4. The lower hinge flange  44  extends forwardly from the front side of the backplate  36  in a direction preferably substantially perpendicular to the backplate  36  and has a lower hinge hole  60  which is preferably in vertical alignment with upper hinge hole  58  to define a vertical pivot axis for the display arm  14  when in use.  
         [0018]    The display arm  14  is preferably bent to be substantially L-shaped and includes an upright pivot rod  62  passing through the hinge holes  58  and  60  an extension arm  64  oriented generally normal thereto. A centering device  66  is fixed to the extension arm  64 . The extension arm  64  has a proximal end  68  at the bend and a remote end having a stop  70  shown as an eye  72  to which the upper end of the product carrier  16  may be attached. The pivot rod  62  has a lower end  74  to which a removable cap of elastomeric material such as rubber may be press fitted thereon. The centering device  66  is preferably a sphere or other shape provided with an arcuate lower surface  76  and welded to the underside of the extension arm  64 . The centering device  66  is positioned so that when the pivot arm  62  is swingably received in the hinge holes  58  and  60  whereby the extension arm  64  is generally perpendicular to the backplate  36 , the arcuate lower surface  76  is received in centering hole  56 , with the diameter or transverse dimension of the lower surface  76  being greater than the diameter of the centering hole  56  to prevent passage of the centering device  66  through the centering hole  56 .  
         [0019]    The coupler  38  is preferably provided as a plurality of tabs  78 ,  80 ,  82  and  84  laterally and vertically spaced into rows and columns to extend rearwadly from the back side  46  of backplate  36 . The tabs are spaced to be complemental to the spacing of the openings, that is, the tabs are spaced the same distance apart as the mounting openings  26  on the shelving supports  22  and  24 . Preferably, the tabs  78 ,  80 ,  82  and  84  are integrally formed with the backplate  36  of mild steel or aluminum and are formed by cutting the tabs from the backplate  36  and bending them to extend substantially perpendicularly and rearwardly therefrom. The tabs  78 ,  80 ,  82  and  84  are preferably formed to be T-shaped, each including a central support flange  86  from which project upper flange  88  and lower flange  90  to present a support-receiving notch  92  between the lower flange and the backplate  36 . The tabs are of a width preferably complemental to permit receipt into the openings  26 , whereby the lower edge  94  of the opening  26  receives the central support flange  86  thereon when the fixture  10  is mounted to the mounting surface  20 .  
         [0020]    The advertising insert  18  includes at least one clip  96  removably attached to the extension arm  64  and a display  98  attached thereto. The display  98  may be in the form of a card or other display device such as a light which catches the customer&#39;s attention and may include indicia containing information about the product, such as price, description or the like.  
         [0021]    The product carrier  16  includes a hanger  100  of, for example, wire or rod-like construction, which has a loop  102  at the upper end thereof, and at least one and preferably a plurality of attachments  104  such as clips connected to the hanger and from which individual products  106  may be removably secured. It may be appreciated that the attachments may also include hooks, prongs or other devices to which the products may be readily attached and removed. The loop  102  is of sufficient inside diameter to interfit and couple with the eye  72  as shown in FIGS.  1 - 4 .  
         [0022]    The display arm  14  and mount  12 , and particularly the upper surface of the arm support  42  and centering device  66 , may be painted or otherwise coated with a glossy paint or other coating which promotes sliding of the sphere across the upper surface of the arm support  42 , or provided in an uncoated condition. The arm support  42  also preferably is of a sufficient width W, and the centering device  66  is located on the extension arm  64  so that the centering device  66  remains on the arm support  42  during swinging of its full range of motion as illustrated in FIG. 4. The extension arm portion of the display arm is shown in its centered position in solid lines in FIG. 4, and also in a 90 degree displacement from the centered position in phantom lines. It is to be understood, as shown by the arrows, that the extension arm is equally capable of swinging through a 90 degree range in the opposite direction, so that a total range of motion is at least 180 degrees in the preferred embodiment.  
         [0023]    In use, the display fixture  10  is assembled by slipping the loop  102  of the product carrier  16  over the eye  72  of the arm  14 . The advertising display  18  is then clipped to the extension arm  64 . The mount  12  is attached to the mounting surface  20  by first inserting the tabs  78 ,  80 ,  82  and  84  into their corresponding openings  26  and then moving the fixture  10  downwardly whereby the lower edge  94  of each opening  26  receives the corresponding tab&#39;s central support flange  86  thereon and the lower flanges hook behind the face  28 . In this position, the upper hinge hole  58  and the lower hinge hole  60  are in vertical alignment, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The securing screw  34  is then tightened against the mounting surface  20  to hold the mount  12  in proper position.  
         [0024]    Once the mount  12  is positioned, the lower end  74  of the pivot rod  62  is passed through each of the upper hinge hole  58  and lower hinge hole  60 , and if desired the cap may be is attached to the lower end  72  to inhibit removal. The individual products  106  are then placed on the attachments  104 , and the display fixture  10  is ready for use.  
         [0025]    As the extension arm  64  extends into an aisle  34 , it may be touched by a customer or struck by a vehicle. In that instance, the display arm  14  is free to swing so that the extension arm  64  and product carrier  16  yield to the force applied. As the extension arm swings, the sphere centering device  66  moves out of centering hole  56  and slides across the upper surface of the arm support  42 . The angled upper surface of the arm support  42  thereby causes the display arm  14  to increase in height as it swings across the arm support. When the display arm  14  is free to swing back, gravity acts on the arm and the low frictional resistance between the lower surface  76  of the centering device  66  and the upper surface of the arm support  42  allows gravity along to act on the display arm and cause it to return to its original, centered position as shown in FIG. 3. During such swinging, the extension arm  64  might move through a multiplicity of oscillations, but the lower surface  76  drops partially into the centering hole  56 , located at the lowermost position possible during swinging and thus the natural position of repose, during each swinging movement. This retards further swinging movement and as a result, the extension arm  64  quickly returns to its normal and desired position substantially perpendicular to the face of the mounting surface. It may be appreciated that the additional weight of the individual products on the product carrier  16  only serves to increase the weight on the lower surface  76  and improves the resulting performance of the display fixture  10  without significantly inhibiting its ability to swing once touched. The fact that the product carrier  16  is itself swingably mounted to the extension arm  64  also helps the avoid damage to the display fixture  10  or damage to the individual products  106  resulting from impact or dislodgment causing them to fall to the floor of the aisle.  
         [0026]    Although preferred forms of the invention have been described above, it is to be recognized that such disclosure is by way of illustration only, and should not be utilized in a limiting sense in interpreting the scope of the present invention. Obvious modifications to the exemplary embodiments, as hereinabove set forth, could be readily made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention. As examples of such modifications, the mount  12  may be modified for attachment to a variety of different supports, including walls and horizontal surfaces, and the centering device may be modified from a sphere to other configurations which aid self-centering of the arm  14 . As used herein, the term “centering depression” refers not only to a hole as illustrated, but also encompasses an embossed depression or any relieved area which receives and serves to releaseably capture a portion of the centering device when the display arm is in a centered position. The fixture  10  may be manufactured in a variety of methods, including die casting, cutting from sheet stock, as well as fabrication and welding, and the fixture or components thereof may be molded of synthetic resin as well as metal such as steel or aluminum.  
         [0027]    The inventors hereby states their intent to rely on the Doctrine of Equivalents to determine and assess the reasonably fair scope of his/their invention as pertains to any apparatus not materially departing from but outside the literal scope of the invention as set out in the following claims.