Abstract:
A display system for use with a shelf having a front edge. The display system include a U-channel arranged to be secured to the shelf adjacent the front edge. The U-channel includes a first rail, a second rail, and a pocket defined between the first rail and the second rail. The display system further includes a divider attachable to a rearward portion of the second rail, the divider adapted to define at least part of a storage bin.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This patent claims the benefit of prior-filed United States Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/509,937, filed on Oct. 10, 2003, titled “U-Channel Display Unit,” the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0002]     The present invention is generally directed to an apparatus and method for displaying products and, more particularly, to an adjustable system for displaying and storing items such as photo albums in a retail environment.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0003]     Many systems and methods of displaying consumer goods are known. These systems often include shelves and wire racks for separating, positioning and displaying individual products or groups of products. For example, products such as photo albums may be placed on a shelf like books, or otherwise stacked in a suitable fashion, such that the products are available for examination and purchase by the consumer. Selection of a photo album often involves elements of personal style and aesthetic preference, with the selection often involving a hands-on inspection of the displayed products.  
         [0004]     In order to satisfy varying consumer preferences, photo albums are produced in a wide variety of sizes, colors, and shapes to increase variety and ultimately the buying options. Unfortunately, the process for selecting a suitable photo album often leaves store shelves and display areas cluttered and in disarray.  
         [0005]     Known display systems generally provide a mechanism for stacking, arranging, or otherwise presenting the photo albums in order to maximize the product density at the point of sale. However, display and storage difficulties often arise due, in part, to the wide variety of photo album styles, shapes and sizes that retailers are required to stock in order to satisfy the myriad of consumer preferences. These known display systems typically are assembled to accommodate to a specific product dimension or size, and thus such systems may not suitably accommodate the wide variety of products that might be offered for sale by the retailer. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]     For a more complete understanding of the disclosed display system, reference should be made to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings wherein:  
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exemplary display system including a U-channel and a plurality of adjustable dividers;  
         [0008]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the adjustable U-channel shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0009]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the adjustable U-channel and the adjustable divider shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0010]      FIG. 4  is a side view of the adjustable U-channel shown in  FIG. 1  in an open configuration;  
         [0011]      FIG. 5  is another side view of the adjustable U-channel shown in  FIG. 1  in a closed configuration;  
         [0012]      FIG. 6  is a side view of an alternate embodiment of the adjustable U-channel;  
         [0013]      FIG. 7  is a side view of another alternate embodiment of the adjustable U-channel; and  
         [0014]      FIG. 8  is a side view of another alternate embodiment of the adjustable U-channel. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0015]      FIG. 1  illustrates an example of a display system  10  assembled in accordance with the teaching of the present disclosure and shown mounted to a retail store shelf  12  or other suitable shelf. The shelf  12 , which is typically an elongate rectangular shelf, may include a perforate surface  14  having a plurality of holes  14   a , as well as a front edge  16 , a back edge  18 , and a pair of side edges  20   a ,  20   b.  In use, the back edge  18  of the shelf  12  will typically be removably secured to a shelving unit or other suitable support structure (not shown) such that the front edge  16  extends towards the consumer. It will be understood that the shelving unit may employ multiple mounting brackets and hardware to support multiple shelves  12  at regularly spaced intervals.  
         [0016]     The display system  10  includes a plurality of dividers  22  slideably secured to at least one adjustable U-channel  24 . Preferably, the dividers are adjustable as will be explained in further detail below. The adjustable U-channel  24  mounts adjacent to the front edge  16  of the shelf  12 , with the U-channel, in an exemplary form of use, disposed generally adjacent to and parallel to the front edge  16  of the shelf  12 . The U-channel  24  preferably forms a retaining channel sized to vertically display and store a photo album  17 .  
         [0017]     The dividers  22 , when attached to the U-channel  24 , define a plurality of storage bins  26   a,    26   b.  Additional storage bins (not shown) may be formed by additional dividers  22 . The storage bins  26   a ,  26   b , by way of example rather than limitation, can be configured to accept and organize additional photo albums  17  in a suitable manner, such as by placing the additional albums upright similar to books on a bookshelf, or by placing the albums on their sides in a stack. In this exemplary manner, the adjustable U-channel  24  retains the photo album  17  in one position adjacent to the point of sale, while the storage bins  26   a ,  26   b  store additional stock or inventory of the photo album  17  in another position, still generally adjacent to the point of sale.  
         [0018]     As will be apparent from  FIG. 1 , the U-channel  24  defines a pocket  25  sized to accept the photo album  17 . Preferably, the pocket  25  is adjustable. In particular, by adjusting the width of the U-channel  24  (and hence the size of the pocket  25 ) in the direction indicated by arrow A, the overall width may be changed from a distance d to a distance D. Thus, the overall U-channel width can be adjusted to accommodate a wide variety of photo albums  17 .  
         [0019]     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , the adjustable U-channel  24  includes first and second sections or rails  28 ,  30 . The first rail  28  is roughly L-shaped and includes a vertical panel or leg  32  and a base  34 . Similarly, the second rail  30  is roughly L-shaped and includes a vertical panel or leg  32  and a base  38 . In an exemplary form of operation, the first rail  28  is positioned and secured adjacent to the front edge  16  of the shelf  12  such that the base  34  is roughly parallel to the surface of the shelf  12 . Similarly, the second rail  30  is positioned to roughly mirror the first rail  28  such that the base  38  is adjacent to the base  34  and parallel to the surface of the shelf  12 . In this way, the vertical leg  32  and the extended vertical leg  32  are spaced apart and generally parallel so as to define the pocket  25 .  
         [0020]     The distance between legs  32  and  36  can be adjusted by adjusting the relative positions of the first and second rails  28  and  30 , thus changing the overall width of the U-channel  24 , e.g., from width d to width D. A channel  40  formed in or otherwise attached to the base  34  accepts the head of a fastener F. As shown in  FIGS. 4-8 , the fastener F may be used to secures the first rail  28  to the shelf  12  in a desired location (i.e., a desired distance, or no distance, from the front edge  16  of the shelf  12 ). In particular, the head of the fastener F engages the channel  40 , and the shank of the fastener extends through a suitable hole formed in the shelf  12  (the perforate surface  14  makes more holes readily available) to the underside of the shelf so as to be engagable by, for example, a threaded nut. Using any suitable form of fastener, the rail  28  may be secured to the shelf  12 .  
         [0021]     To modify the width of the U-channel  24 , the base  38  of the second rail  30  can be secured between the channel  40  and the surface of the shelf  12 . The base  34  may include a detent  42 , which in the disclosed example is carried by a leg adjacent the channel  40 , with the detent  42  sized to engage a selected one of a plurality of grooves  46 , bounded by ridges  44 , and formed in the base  38 . In accordance with the disclosed example, the detent  42  and grooves  46  cooperate to define discrete positions of the base  38  relative to the base  34  (and hence of the rail  28  relative to the rail  30 ). When the overall width of the U-channel  24  has been adjusted to the desired dimension, the fastener F can be tightened and secured through the holes  14   a  formed in the perforate surface  14  to insure that the first and second rails  28 ,  30  remain in the desired positions.  
         [0022]      FIG. 3  illustrates the exemplary U-channel  24  in a fully opened configuration, i.e., the width between the vertical leg  32  and the extended vertical leg  32  equals the distance D. Preferably, the base  38  includes an upwardly extending leg that abuts the outer structure of the channel  40  to form a stop.  
         [0023]     The vertical leg  32  may include a placard display system  48  having an upper and lower groove  50 ,  52  for accepting card stock that may be printed with advertising, product information, etc. The placard display system  48  supports card stock or paper within the upper and lower grooves  50 ,  52  by forcing the paper to flex and bow to increase the structural stability. In order to foster flexure of the paper or card stock, the width of the card stock is preferably greater than the linear distance between the upper groove  50  and the lower groove  52 . Thus, upon insertion of the card stock into the grooves  50 ,  52 , the card stock is forced to bow and engage the placard display system  48 .  
         [0024]      FIG. 3  further illustrates the manner in which the adjustable divider  22  cooperates with the extended vertical leg  32  of the second rail  30 . In particular, the extended vertical leg  32  is formed with a pair of rails  54 ,  56 , which are preferably flexible. Each rail  54 ,  56  may include a deformable guide channel  58 . The adjustable divider  22  includes first and second slide channels  60 ,  62  sized to engage a corresponding rail  54 ,  56 , respectively.  
         [0025]     The adjustable divider  22 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , preferably a substantially planar panel that when oriented generally perpendicular relative to the plane of the shelf  12  and perpendicular to the first and second rails  28 ,  30 , divides the shelf  12  into the plurality of storage bins  26   a ,  26   b . The first and second channels  60 ,  62  are formed perpendicular to the divider surface  64 , which is preferably relatively stiff or rigid, and slide channels  60 ,  62  engage the rails  54 ,  56  and the guide  58  to guide the lateral movement of the divider  22  along the second rail  30 . By laterally shifting the adjustable divider  22  in the direction indicated by the arrow B (as shown in  FIG. 1 ) the storage bins  26   a ,  26   b  can be resized to accommodate different sized products.  
         [0026]     The divider  22  further includes a plurality of removable spacers  66  formed toward a rear portion of the dividers  22 , i.e., distal to the first and second sliders  60 ,  62 . In use, the spacers  66  are positioned generally adjacent to the back edge  18 . The removable spacers  66  can be cut, torn away, or otherwise separated along a plurality of seams  68  or along a suitable frangible connection to modify the length of the adjustable divider  22 , which may also serve to compensate for selected width of the adjustable U-channel  24  width and/or the depth of the shelf  12 . For example, the number of removable spacers  66  may be directly related to the width of the U-channel  24  such that when the pocket  25  is closer to the distance D, more spacers  66  must be removed. Conversely, if pocket is smaller with the U-channel  24  width approximately equal to the distance d, few or none of the spacers  66  need be removed to correspond to the depth of the shelf  12 .  
         [0027]      FIGS. 4 and 5  illustrate the adjustable U-channel  24  in open and closed positions.  FIG. 4  illustrates the U-channel  24  secured to the shelf  12  by the cooperation of the faster F and the channel  40 . The U-channel  24  is in an open or extended configuration, e.g., the first and second rails  28 ,  30  are separated by the distance D, whereby the detent  42  engages the groove  46  formed farthest from the extended vertical leg  32 .  FIG. 5  illustrates the U-channel  24  in the closed or retracted configuration, e.g., the first and second rails  28 ,  30  are separated by the distance d. The retracted configuration is typified by the detent  42  engaging the groove  46  formed adjacent to the extended vertical leg  32 .  
         [0028]      FIG. 6  illustrates an alternate embodiment of an adjustable U-channel  70 . The adjustable U-channel  70  includes a first L-shaped rail  72  and a second L-shaped rail  74 . The first and second L-shaped rails  72 ,  74  each include a substantially flat base  76 ,  78  secured by the cooperation of a hole  14   a  formed in the perforate surface  14  of the shelf  12 . In this embodiment the fastener F passes through each of the bases  76 ,  78  and the hole  14   a  such that the fastener head insures the relative position of each of the L-shaped rails  72 ,  74 . The flat bases  76 ,  78  may be flat, knurled or formed with interlocking ridges and grooves, such as the ridges  44  and grooves  46  shown in  FIG. 2 , to insure discrete movement between each of the L-shaped rails  72 ,  74 .  
         [0029]      FIG. 7  illustrates another embodiment of an adjustable U-channel  80 . The adjustable U-channel  80  includes a first rail  82  having a locking pocket  84 , and a second L-shaped rail  86  having a base  88 . The locking pocket  84  is sized to accept and secure the base  88 . The locking pocket  84  includes a detent  90  sized to engage a complimentary groove  92  formed in the base  88 . The fastener F passes through the locking pocket  84 , and may pass through the base  88  depending on distance between the first rail  82  and the second rail  86 , to secure the first and second rails  82 ,  86  at a desired relative distance.  
         [0030]      FIG. 8  illustrates another embodiment of an adjustable U-channel  90 . The adjustable U-channel  90  includes a substantially L-shaped first rail  92  having a base  94  formed with a plurality of retaining grooves  96 . The first rail  92  includes a channel  98  sized to accept the head of the fastener F. The fastener F, in turn, cooperates with a hold  14   a  formed in the surface of the shelf  12  to secure the first rail  92 . The adjustable U-channel  90  further includes an arch  100  having a first and second detent  102 , 104  formed at the terminal end of each leg  106 , 108 , respectively. The first and second detents  102 , 104  engage the retaining grooves  96  to secure the arch  100  in a desired position relative to the first rail  92 .  
         [0031]     The exemplary display system  10  as disclosed allows consumers to examine a variety of different products, while providing a versatile and efficient organizational system for retailers. Furthermore, the display system  10  can be used in conjunction with existing retail store shelving and display units.  
         [0032]     The preferred embodiments of this invention described herein, include the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the described invention. It should be understood that the illustrated embodiments are exemplary only, and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention.