Abstract:
A back-loading display hook for the dispensing of products having limited shelf life, where the products are supplied in containers having enlarged tops and narrower necks. Spaced apart support rods, extend forwardly, spaced to accommodate the necks, while suspending the products by their tops. The inner ends of the product rods are spaced apart a greater distance, sufficient to receive the enlarged tops of the products and form a loading position. The products are loaded by moving the tops upward in the loading position, and then sliding them forward onto the narrower portions of the support rods. A stop element is associated with the load position, and is displaceable to allow upward loading of the products onto the support rods, while preventing rearward movement of products back into the load position. Optionally, the display hook may be disposed horizontally, or inclined to cause the products to advance forward by gravity.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to product display hooks, such as typically are mounted on perforated panel boards, mounting bars, grids or the like. The display hooks support a plurality of items of merchandise, which can be extracted individually by customers and replenished with new merchandise when the hook is emptied or depleted. In particular, the invention relates to product display hooks that are designed to support bottled or otherwise packaged products by engaging a neck, flange, cap or the like, at the top of the bottle or other package. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    For certain types of products, including but not limited to bottled or packaged products having a cap the top, it may be desirable and more convenient to display the products for sale by suspending them from their caps, flanges or other elements at the top of the package. A variety of display devices are available for this purpose. Examples of these are the Kinseley U.S. Pat. No. 4,863,131, Gollob et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,785,189, Spammer et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,326, and Hartwall U.S. Pat. No. 6,394,288. A shortcoming of these devices is that they all require front loading, meaning that new products must always be loaded from the front of the device. When displaying food products, or other products having a limited shelf life, it is very important that the display hooks be loaded properly, with new items always being placed at the back of the display, and older items be being moved to the front of the display, where they will be removed first by the customers. In order to assure that the merchandise on a front-loading display device is as fresh as practicable, one must either allow the display hook to be fully depleted before reloading, or remove any unsold products, load new products onto the back of the display, and then replace the unsold products at the front of the hook. This sometimes may not done properly, because of the extra time and effort required of the store employee. 
         [0003]    The shortcomings of the front-loading arrangements described in the foregoing paragraph are partly resolved in display mechanisms represented by the Spamer et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,678, and Trulaske U.S. Pat. No. 6,523,719. These devices allow back loading of the display. However, the loading must be in the direction of the axis of the display, which requires that open space be provided behind the display to allow a product to be positioned behind the display for loading. Moreover, these back-loading displays require special support structure in order to provide for the necessary space behind the display device. 
         [0004]    Another form of display that permits loading of product at the rear of the display is that shown in the Merl U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,097. In that device, product bottles, which are supported by their necks, are loaded downwardly into the back of the display through a large open space at the back of the display. While this makes it possible for products to be back-loaded into the display, the Merl display device makes the process somewhat cumbersome, in that products are loaded from above the display. This requires the entire bottle to be gripped by its neck or top, lowered into the display and then moved forward until the neck of the bottle is engaged by spaced apart supports. A “catch basin” is provided to enable bottles, dropped during loading, to be retrieved. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The present invention is directed to a novel form of back-loading display hook which is both greatly improved and greatly simplified in comparison to available display devices. The device of the invention can be constructed in an economical manner, of wire rod material commonly utilized in the manufacture of display hooks, and can be loaded from the back of the hook, by moving the product upward into a loading position at the back of the hook and then forward until the cap, neck or other part of the top structure of the product or container is fully supported by forwardly extending portions of the display hook. Loading from underneath is significantly easier and more efficient than loading from above or from behind. 
         [0006]    In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the display hook is formed from a single length of wire rod. The wire rod is shaped and formed to provide a section of parallel wires spaced to engage and support the cap of a product package or container. A loading position is provided at the back of the hook, where the wires are spaced farther apart, forming a wider space, sufficient to allow the cap of the product package to be inserted upwardly between the wires. The product package is then moved forwardly until the cap is supported by the more narrowly spaced forward portions of the wires. If desired, as in the preferred and illustrated embodiment of the invention, the forward portions of the support wires may be tilted downward to provide for an automatic forward feeding of the products by the action of gravity. 
         [0007]    After a product package has been position on the forward portions of the support wires, it is prevented from being accidentally moved rearwardly, back into the loading position, by means of a displaceable stop element. The stop element, which normally blocks rearward entry of a package into the loading position, is displaceable upwardly by the product package, when the product is being inserted upwardly into the loading position, and returns to it&#39;s normal stop position, as soon as the product is moved forward from the loading position. An advantageous form of stop element is a flat, flexible element, which extends forwardly from a mounting base of the hook and is upwardly displaceable by the package when a product package is loaded onto the hook. As soon as a product package moves forward from the loading position, the stop element automatically returns to its normal position to prevent the product from re-entering the loading position if pushed rearwardly from the front. 
         [0008]    Forward portions of the wire hook are bent upwardly to form a temporary forward limit position for loaded product packages. Above the upwardly bent portions, the wire rod elements extend divergently upward and are connected at the top, forming a “window” somewhat in the form of an inverted triangle, through which the container cap can be passed when a customer retrieves a product from the display. To advantage, a label holder is pivoted at the top of the window and normally is positioned in front of the window to provide product pricing and information. When a product is retrieved from the display hook, the label holder pivots upward to allow the product cap to pass through the window. 
         [0009]    For a more complete understanding of the above and other features and advantages of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, and to the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view from the front of an advantageous form of product display hook incorporating features of the invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view, from the rear, of the product display hook of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a side elevational view of the product display hook of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a top plan view of a display hook according to the invention, showing the hook loaded with product items. 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a front elevational view of the product display hook of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is an enlarged, fragmentary cross-sectional view as taken generally along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a front elevational view, similar to  FIG. 5 , but with the label holder removed to illustrate the configuration of the wire at the front of the hook. 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is a perspective from the back of an advantageous form of label holder utilized in connection with the display hook of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a flexible stop element forming part of the display hook of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 10  is a side elevational view of the display hook according to the invention, shown fully loaded with product items, and configured to provide a gravity feed of products to the front of the hook. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0020]    Referring to the drawings,  FIGS. 1-3  illustrate a preferred form of display and dispensing hook according to the invention. The hook comprises a mounting base  21 , a forwardly extending wire section  22 , a label holder  23  at the forward extremity of the hook, and a stop element  24  extending forwardly from the mounting base  21 . The mounting base  21  maybe formed of sheet metal and is shaped in an inverted J-shaped configuration to fit over a rectangular mounting bar  25 . In the illustrated form of the invention, the wire section  22  of the hook is formed of a continuous length of wire rod of, for example, 0.250 inch diameter. The continuous length of wire includes support elements  26 ,  27  extending forwardly in parallel relation, with a predetermined separation suitable for the intended product containers  28 , shown in  FIGS. 4 and 10 . 
         [0021]    In the illustrated system, the product containers  28  are in the form of soft bags, made of plastic material and containing a liquid or semi-liquid food product, such as baby foods, having a relatively limited shelf life. However, the invention is not limited to particular types of containers or to particular products. At their tops, the containers  28  are formed with narrowed neck portions  29  ( FIG. 10 ), and the separation of the wire support elements  26 ,  27  is such as to closely confine the neck portions  29  while allowing the containers  28  to slide easily along the wires. The product containers  28  are provided with the enlarged caps  30 , the diameter of which is greater than the spacing between the wire support elements  26 ,  27  of the display hook. Preferably, the product caps  30  are relatively flat across the bottom, so that they rest on the uppermost surfaces of the wire support elements  26 ,  27 . 
         [0022]    In a representative, but non-limiting example, the caps  30  may have a diameter across the bottom of about 1.35 inch. In the illustrated example the bottom dimension represents the maximum diameter of the cap. Caps of this size can be reliably supported on wire support elements  26 ,  27  spaced apart approximately 0.85 inch. Although the invention is designed specifically for the support of products of the general type illustrated, it should be understood that neither the products nor the packages themselves form a part of the invention. Moreover, it should be understood that, unless the context indicates otherwise, the terms “product”, “package”, and “container” may be used interchangeably herein to refer to the item or items supported by the display device of the invention. 
         [0023]    In accordance with an aspect of the invention, the spacing between the wire support elements  26 ,  27  is enlarged at the innermost ends  31 ,  32  of the wires, immediately adjacent to the mounting base  21 , to form a product loading position  33 . The enlarged spacing between the wire elements  31 ,  32  may be approximately 1.38 inch, which is equal to or slightly greater than the diameter of the container caps  30 , although less than the width of the container bodies. The length of the loading position  33 , defined by the elements  31 ,  32 , is also slightly greater than the diameter of the caps  30 , such that the cap  30  of a vertically oriented package  28  can be inserted vertically upward through the enlarged opening until the cap lies above the level of the wire support elements  26 ,  27 , after which the package  28  may be moved forwardly until the bottom of the cap  30  is fully supported by the wire elements  26 ,  27 . Additional product containers  28  can be loaded into the back of the display hook through the loading position  33 , until the capacity of the hook has been reached. 
         [0024]    In the illustrated device, the innermost ends  34 ,  35  of the wires are bent downward and fixed to the mounting base  21 , typically by welding. However, various alternative arrangements can be employed for mounting of the hooks, including, for example, configuring the innermost ends of the hook to be received in openings of an apertured panel board. 
         [0025]    As indicated in  FIGS. 3 and 7 , the wire support elements  26 ,  27  are upturned at their outer ends  36 ,  37  to form a barrier to forward sliding movement of the product containers  28 . The spacing between the upturned ends  36 ,  37  is sufficient to allow passage of the necks  29  of the containers, but not their caps  30 . Above the upturned ends  36 ,  37 , the wire elements extend upwardly and laterally outward at  38 ,  39 , at a relatively wide angle of, say, 68°. The upper ends of the elements  38 ,  39  are connected by a horizontal wire element  40 . The wire elements  38 - 40  define a “window” opening  41 , preferably of inverted triangular shape and of sufficient size to accommodate passage of the container caps  30 . Thus, for a customer to remove a package supported on the hook, the body of the package is gripped and pulled forward and tipped up slightly such that the cap  30  slides upward along the upturned portions  36 ,  37  and exits through the opening  41 . 
         [0026]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , the upturned ends  36 ,  37  of the wire are formed on a generous radius, for example 0.63 inch, and the forward end portions of the hook, defining the opening  41 , are tilted forwardly at an angle of, for example, 110° relative to the support elements  26 ,  27 , to facilitate removal of a suspended product from the hook. 
         [0027]    In accordance with a feature of the invention, a stop element  24  is positioned in the loading position  33  to prevent product containers, previously loaded onto the support elements  26 ,  27 , from being displaced rearwardly back into the loading position, where they might fall through the enlarged opening. A preferred form of stop element is a normally flat but somewhat flexible tongue  42  ( FIG. 6 ) that is secured in the mounting base  21  and extends forwardly therefrom between the two wire sections  31 ,  32  defining the loading position  33 . In the illustrated form of the invention, the mounting base  21  is provided with a slot  43  at the top of its front wall  21   a , and a second slot  44  at the top of its back wall  21   b , as shown in  FIG. 6 . The tongue  42  can be installed in the mounting base  21  by inserting a forward portion  45  thereof through the forward slot  43  and pushing a rear portion  46  of the tongue upwardly between the front and back walls of the mounting base, until a small tab  47  at the rear of the tongue snaps through the slot  44  in the back wall of the mounting base. The rear portion  46  of the tongue is somewhat wider than the width of the slots  43 ,  44  such that, once installed in the mounting base, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the tongue is fixed in place. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the forward portion  45  of the tongue  42  extends forwardly substantially to the converging forward portions of the loading station, in a position to engage the neck of an adjacent container and prevent it from being accidentally displaced rearwardly, back into the loading position. 
         [0028]    In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the label holder  23  ( FIG. 8 ) is mounted on the horizontal wire element  40  at the front of the display hook. The label holder has front and back panels  49 ,  50  for holding a label (not shown) containing pricing and other product information. The width of the label holder is approximately equal to the width of the wire elements forming the opening  41 , and a clip  51  at the back of the label holder is arranged to snap over the horizontal wire element  40  to mount the label holder for pivotal movement with respect to the wire element  40 . The back panel  50  the label holder may be provided with a transverse rib  52  positioned to engage the upwardly extending wires  38 ,  39  at the front of the label holder, in order to tilt the label holder upward somewhat to provide a preferred viewing angle for the customer. Normally, the label holder  48  is suspended in front of the product removal opening  41 , as shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 5 . When a product is removed from the display hook, the product cap  30  passes through the opening  41  and in doing so tilts the label holder  48  upward and out of the way. 
         [0029]    To advantage, the label holder is configured in a way that prevents upward rotation thereof, during product removal, into or beyond a vertical position. This assures that, after removal of the product, the label holder will automatically pivot back to its normal position, in front of the product removal opening  41 . As shown particularly in  FIG. 8 , the panels  49 ,  50  of the label holder extend laterally beyond the ends of the mounting clip  51 . Since the label holder is an extruded item, the mounting clip initially will have the same length as the panels  49 ,  50 . However, end portions of the clip  51  are trimmed away, leaving abutment surfaces  53  at each end. These abutment surfaces are positioned to engage back surfaces of the wire elements  38 ,  39  at an upper rotational limit of the label holder (e.g. as illustrated in broken lines in  FIG. 3 ), prior to its reaching a vertical position, so that the label holder automatically returns by gravity as soon as the withdrawn product is removed from in front of the hook. 
         [0030]      FIG. 10  shows an alternative form of the invention, in which outwardly extending wire support elements  26   a ,  27   a  are tilted downwardly, from back to front. This has an advantage of allowing the product containers  28  to slide forwardly by the action of gravity, so that the product is always “fronted” in a desirable manner without the intervention of store personnel. The horizontal version of the invention occupies somewhat less vertical space in the store display than the embodiment of  FIG. 10 , in which the support elements are downwardly inclined. The storekeeper is thus able to choose the most suitable alternative depending upon the particular requirements of the display. 
         [0031]    The device of the invention represents a significant improvement over standard display hook arrangements in providing for a simplified and economical form of back-loading hook, in which products are easily and efficiently loaded by lifting the product or container upwardly to insert its cap into the loading position at the back of the hook and moving it forward until engaged by the support elements  26 ,  27 . The arrangement provides for easy and highly efficient loading in a manner to assure that the oldest products are always at the front of the display, and thus maintaining a desired first in-first out inventory management. The device of the invention is of simplified construction and is economical to manufacture, yet is highly functional for the purposes intended. 
         [0032]    It should be understood, of course, that the specific preferred embodiments of the invention illustrated and described herein are intended to be representative only, and not by way of limitation, as many variations may be made therein without departing from the clear teachings of the invention. Accordingly reference should be made to the following appended claims in determining the full scope of the invention.