Abstract:
Electronic shelf label (ESL) carriers including an attachment member to be secured to a supporting surface such as a C-channel, a holder member with tabs for removably receiving and supporting the ESLs, and a cover member pivotally carried by the top or the bottom of the holder member to overly and protect the ESLs. The attachment member and the holder member include interengageable complementary adjustment elements to enable the ESLs to be displayed at a zero angle or a positive or negative angular orientation relative to the supporting surface. In one embodiment, the attachment member has a pair of forwardly extending legs each of which include a pair of spaced cavities, with the holder member including upper and lower elements with complementary protrusions which can be selectively engaged in the cavities to adjust the viewing angle. Other embodiments include a plurality of spaced T-shaped protrusions on an arcuate portion or a portion with a central section and angularly offset wings of the attachment member, the stems of the T-shaped protrusions being flexible to enable the cross-bars to be selectively engaged in complementary cavities defined on the holder member.

Description:
[0001]    This is a complete application claiming the benefit of provisional application Ser. No. 60/398,730 filed Jul. 29, 2002 and provisional application Ser. No. ______ (Not Yet Assigned) filed May 20, 2003. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    This invention relates to label holders and relates more particularly to holders for electronic devices generally mounted at the front of a merchandise shelf in a retail establishment to provide information regarding products carried by the shelf.  
           [0004]    Consumer-oriented product information labels are commonly found in supermarkets, drug stores, and the like and provide purchasers with the unit price, promotional and nutritional information, and the like and, also, commonly include bar codes or other inventory control information for the use of the store personnel. Such information may be carried on paper or plastic labels secured directly to the side of a shelf unit or the front edge of a merchandise shelf, but the use of adhesively-backed labels has obvious disadvantages in the constantly changing commercial environment found in today&#39;s marketplace. More often, the front edge of the merchandise shelf is provided with an integral C-channel or the like which is adapted to either carry the labels directly or, alternatively, to carry plastic holders which are adapted to removably receive and display the labels in a well known manner. Label holders adapted for use in various environments will be seen in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,625,441, 4,716,669, 5,458,307, 5,488,793, 5,515,632, 5,678,699, 5,682,698, 5,899,011 and 6,163,996, the subject matters of which are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference (“the label holder patents”). These patents are cited merely as exemplary to illustrate the many and varied forms such devices can take.  
           [0005]    More recently, in place of, or in addition to, such paper or plastic information containing labels, electronic information carriers have been employed. Electronic shelf labels (ESLs) are generally integrated with the in-store processor (ISP) or a free-standing controller that communicates with file information supporting the store&#39;s point-of-sale system. The ESL system may include low-voltage communication electronics or communication base stations (CBS) located in store ceilings away from the store operations. The ESLs are positioned throughout the store to identify an item&#39;s retail price and other information of interest to the consumer or for use by the store&#39;s inventory system.  
           [0006]    Price changes may be initiated through the store&#39;s controller which updates item price files. This information, which has an association to a particular product identified by item number or UPC code, is communicated to the CBS in the ceiling and transmitted via a high frequency radio signal to the corresponding ESL.  
           [0007]    The ESLs are programmed with differing addresses that are also associated with the item number or UPC code of the product they represent. Once the addressed device is found, the label display changes and reflects an acknowledgment back to the CBS to confirm that the transmission was received and enacted. This acknowledgment is then communicated back to the ISP to complete the transaction.  
           [0008]    These systems, such as produced by NCR under its DecisioNet™ trademark, allow the ESLs to be independent of wires and cables below the ceiling, which reduces installation time and cost. Since there are no wires or cables required from the ceiling down, the label is free to be positioned anywhere. When store shelf resets occur, ESLs move easily with the shelves.  
           [0009]    These ESL units, however, much like paper labels, require a carrier device to facilitate supporting them at selected locations, usually on the front of a store merchandise shelf. It is ESL carriers of this type with which the instant invention is concerned.  
           [0010]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0011]    Several carriers for electronic shelf labels have been developed, including the device seen in U.S. Pat. No. 6,119,990, the subject matter of which is also incorporated herein in its entirety by reference (the &#39;990 patent). The &#39;990 patent recognizes some of the problems associated with ESLs, including the need to be able to adjust the orientation of the carrier, and thus, the ESL, to permit the viewer to more readily see the information, particularly if the electronic label is attached to a relatively low, or relatively high, shelf. Similar problems are associated with paper or plastic labels and a variety of holders have been developed to enable the orientation of such labels to be modified as needed. However, because of the unique construction of the ESLs, the arrangements used heretofore with paper or plastic labels are not particularly useful.  
           [0012]    The construction proposed by the &#39;990 patent for enabling an ESL to be carried and positioned at differing angles has a number of commercial disadvantages. In addition to being somewhat complex and, therefore, more expensive to manufacture, it is difficult to use, requiring the ESL to be removed from the carrier in order to re-orient the same at a different angle. The &#39;990 patent adjusts the angular orientation of the ESL by rotating or sliding complementary concave and convex surfaces of adaptor and holder elements relative to each other, and then fixing the elements in a particular orientation by separate fastener elements such as dart clips, push pins or the like. Such a systems is labor-intensive, increasing the costs to the merchandiser. Moreover the use of separate fastening elements is a nuisance since such items are not integrated with the label holder and, therefore, easily dropped or misplaced.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0013]    It is a primary object of the instant invention to provide highly versatile carriers for electronic information labels, particularly adapted for supporting such elements at the front edge of a merchandise shelf to enable one or more ESLs to be positioned and repositioned in a simple and inexpensive manner.  
           [0014]    A further object of this invention is the provision of ESL carriers which are designed to permit the user to selectively orient the face of the ESL at a desired angle depending upon the position of the ESL relative to the eye of the viewer or equipment adapted to read the information presented, either by selecting carriers pre-designed for zero angle or direct viewing, viewing from above or below the ESL, or by providing a device that can be readily adapted to adjust the viewing angle.  
           [0015]    A still further object of this invention is the provision of a universal ESL holder and cover profile, with one of several unique base attachment elements that enable the reorientation of the ESL from a zero angle or direct viewing, to one of a select group of plus or minus angles to facilitate viewing from above or below the ESL, while minimizing the number of potential dies necessary to provide an ESL holder having such versatility.  
           [0016]    Another object of this invention is to provide a label holder for ESLs with a base attachment element or profile having a series of projections or protuberances that can be engaged with selective complementary cavities on the holder element for the ESLs to enable a single base and holder design to accommodate selected viewing angles for the ESL either at a zero angle or a positive or negative inclination to the horizontal.  
           [0017]    A further object of the instant inventive concepts is the provision of a device wherein the protrusions are generally T-shaped, with the stem of the T being formed of a flexible plastics material to facilitate engagement with selected cavities in the holder device to establish the viewing angle of the ESLs carried thereby.  
           [0018]    Another object of this invention is the provision of a combination ESL holder and cover profile and base attachment element of the type described wherein at least two projections in the base attachment element are engaged in complementary cavities in the ESL holder to enhance the stability of the connection between these elements and minimize the likelihood of disengagement in the event of accidental impact from a passerby or a piece of equipment such as a shopping cart or the like.  
           [0019]    Yet another object of this invention is the provision of a flexibly supported engagement member on the base element to act as a “shock absorber”, absorbing some of the force on the assembly if the unit is accidentally impacted in use.  
           [0020]    A further object of this invention is to incorporate the attachment element into a universal support element which includes a flexible leg member enabling the support element to accommodate different dimensions of C-channels integrally formed along the front edge of a variety of commercially available merchandise shelves known in the art as the Lozier shelf, the madix shelf and the Streater shelf.  
           [0021]    Yet another object of this invention is to provide an electronic label holder of the type described with a transparent cover hingedly attached at the bottom or at the top to the holder so that the cover can be opened for removing, replacing or servicing ESLs carried by the device, with a hinged engagement between the holder and the cover that enables the cover to be carried by the holder even when opened, while permitting a damaged cover to be readily replaced without having to remove or replace the entire carrier and, preferably, with gripping elements on the cover adapted to simplify opening and closing the carrier cover.  
           [0022]    A further object of this invention is to provide such a carrier device where the cover includes means adapted to removably receive sign holders or the like for providing additional information regarding selected merchandise on the shelf and which may incorporate grips to attach further flags or signs highlighting special features of the merchandise.  
           [0023]    A still further object of this invention is the provision of a carrier device for an electronic shelf label, the principal parts of which may be formed of a relatively rigid and robust polymeric material to protect the ESL from damage in use with sections of softer and flexible polymer providing a frictional surface to preclude unintended movement of the ESL within the carrier and other sections of a more resilient polymer to provide limited flexibility and impact absorption in use.  
           [0024]    Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the ensuing description and claims taken in conjunction with the attached drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0025]    These and other objects, features and many of the attendant advantages of the invention will be better understood upon a reading of the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 1 is a transverse cross-sectional view through one embodiment of an electronic shelf label carrier device according to this invention;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 2 is a view of the holder of FIG. 1 showing the transparent cover partially opened;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the transparent cover fully opened for removing, replacing or servicing an ESL carried thereby;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 4 shows the carrier of FIG. 1 reoriented to display the ESL at a positive angle for use, particularly, when the ESL is to be viewed from above;  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 5 is a similar view of FIG. 1, with the ESL oriented at a negative angle for use, particularly, when the ESL is to be viewed from below;  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 6 is a partial end perspective view of the ESL carrier of FIG. 1, oriented at a positive angle as seen in FIG. 4;  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of an ESL carrier in use;  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view, similar to FIG. 1, through a modified ESL carrier according to this invention adapted for mounting in a C-channel or the like at the front of a merchandise shelf;  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 9 is an end elevational view of an ESL carrier according to a different embodiment of the instant inventive concepts;  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 9A is a view similar to FIG. 9 showing portions of a sign holder adapted to be removably carried by the cover of the ESL carrier of FIG. 9, with portions of an additional flag or the like carried by the grip at the bottom of the ESL holder member;  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 10 is a view of the carrier of FIG. 9 with the cover fully opened for insertion or removal of the ESL;  
         [0037]    [0037]FIGS. 11A-11D show the carrier of FIG. 9 arranged for zero-angle viewing, with the cover moving from the fully closed position in FIG. 11A to the fully opened position in FIG. 11D;  
         [0038]    [0038]FIGS. 12A-12D are similar views of a modified carrier device designed to present the information on the ESL face at an upwardly directed angle for use on a shelf below the viewing angle;  
         [0039]    [0039]FIGS. 13A-13D are similar views of an alternate carrier device designed to present the information on the ESL face at a downwardly directed angle for use on a shelf above the viewing angle;  
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 14 is a side elevational view through yet another embodiment of an ESL carrier with a hinged cover that opens at the top, the outline of an ESL and a portion of the cover in the opened position being shown in dotted lines;  
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 15 is an enlarged view of the ESL carrier of FIG. 14, with a portion of a “flag” or the like carried by a lower grip being shown in dotted lines;  
         [0042]    [0042]FIG. 16 is a side elevational view of the holder member of this embodiment adapted to removably receive and support one or more ESL devices;  
         [0043]    [0043]FIG. 17 is a side elevational view of the cover member therefor;  
         [0044]    [0044]FIG. 18 is a side elevational view of one form of unique attachment member for use with the ESL carrier of FIGS. 14-17;  
         [0045]    [0045]FIGS. 19A-19D show the ESL carrier of FIGS. 14-17 arranged for zero-angle viewing, 30° up tilt, 15° up tilt and −15° up tilt, respectively, utilizing the attachment member of FIG. 18;  
         [0046]    [0046]FIG. 20 is a side elevational view of a universal C-channel support element incorporating an attachment member of the type seen in FIG. 18;  
         [0047]    [0047]FIGS. 21A-21D show the ESL carrier of FIGS. 14-17 arranged for zero-angled viewing, 30° up tilt, 15° up tilt and −15° up tilt, respectively, on the universal C-channel support element of FIG. 20;  
         [0048]    [0048]FIGS. 22-24 illustrate the universal C-channel support element secured to an ESL carrier and engaged in a Madix-, Streater- and Lozier-type C-channel, respectively;  
         [0049]    [0049]FIG. 25 is an enlarged side elevational view through a modified attachment member for use with an ESL carrier according to preferred embodiments of this invention;  
         [0050]    [0050]FIG. 26 is a side elevational view of a holder member particularly adapted for use with the attachment member of FIG. 25;  
         [0051]    [0051]FIG. 27 is an exploded view showing the manner in which the attachment member of FIG. 25 can be engaged with the holder member of FIG. 26; and  
         [0052]    [0052]FIGS. 28A-28C show the ESL carrier of FIGS. 25-27 arranged for zero-angled viewing, 15° uptilt and −15° uptilt, respectively. 
     
    
       [0053]    Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0054]    In describing preferred embodiments of the invention illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. However, the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terms so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.  
         [0055]    Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1-7, one embodiment of an electronic shelf label (ESL) carrier according to this invention is designated generally by the reference numeral  10  and is comprised, basically, of three parts, an attachment member  15 , a holder member  20  adapted to removably receive and support one or more ELS devices as discussed below, and a cover member  40 . Each of these elements are formed in any conventional manner, as by extrusion, of any suitable polymeric material. Those with ordinary skill in the art can readily select the appropriate manufacturing method and material which are not critical to the instant inventive concepts.  
         [0056]    The holder member  20  is preferably formed of a relatively rigid opaque plastic material and is sufficiently robust to receive and carry one or more ESL devices shown schematically at  50 , the specific construction of which is also not a part of this invention. Regardless of the design of the ESL device  50 , it will ordinarily have protruding portions such as shown at  52 ,  54  and the member holder  20  will incorporate complementary fingers or the like  22 ,  24  which, together with the top and bottom portions  26 ,  28  and the back  30 , secure the ESL device  50  therewithin.  
         [0057]    It is to be understood that the design of the ESL device will dictate the configuration of the interior of the holder member  20  which will include complementary fingers or undercuts, as necessary, to enable the ESL devices to be snapped into engagement with the holder member  20 , or slid lengthwise along the holder member  20  from an end thereof, to position the ESLs at a point on the shelf front juxtaposed to the merchandise to which they relate.  
         [0058]    The cover member  40  is preferably extruded in a clear polycarbonate or other such material resistant to damage when struck by objects such as shopping carts or the like, and is adapted to be slid onto the end of the holder member  20  across its length. More specifically, the holder member  20  is provided with a depending pivot element  32  which engages with a C-shaped element  42  at the lower end of the cover member  40  to permit the cover member  40  to be hingedly rotated about the pivot member  32  in the manner shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 to access the interior of the holder member  20  to remove, replace, service or move an ESL device  50  therewithin. While the cover member  40  can be opened and closed at will, and normally remains with the holder member  20  as seen in FIG. 3 to avoid the need for totally removing the cover member while servicing an ESL, the cover member  40  is preferably not integral with the holder member  20  so that the cover member  40  can be independently replaced if it is damaged, avoiding the need to replace the entire carrier device  10 .  
         [0059]    The upper end of the cover member  40  includes a finger or hook  44  which can be snapped into a detent  34  in the top  26  of the holder member  20 . This design is not only simple and inexpensive to manufacture, but protects the ESL device from physical damage and, also, limits the entry of dust or other extraneous undesirable material from accessing the interior of the holder member  20 .  
         [0060]    A particularly unique portion of this embodiment of the instant invention is the attachment device  15  which includes a mounting portion or backing element  16  and four separate resilient cup-shaped elements  18   a ,  18   b ,  18   c  and  18   d , respectively, adapted to interact with complementary protrusions  36   a ,  38   a  on the ends of upper and lower finger members  36 ,  38 , extending rearwardly from the back  30  of the ESL holder member  20 . By comparing FIG. 1, with FIGS. 4 and 5, it can be seen that, by selectively engaging the protrusions  36   a ,  38   a  in the cup-shaped connectors  18   a ,  18   b ,  18   c  or  18   d , the front surface  55  of the ESL device can be oriented either vertically as seen in FIG. 1, at about a positive 15° angle as seen in FIG. 4, or at about a negative 15° angle as seen in FIG. 5.  
         [0061]    It is to be understood that, while four cup-shaped connectors  18   a, b, c  and  d  are illustrated, additional connectors can be included to provide the carrier  10  with greater versatility. Moreover, while the connectors  18   b  and  18   c  have been designed to provide a negative and positive 15° angle orientation, respectively, by simple repositioning of these connectors, other angular orientations can be provided.  
         [0062]    The use and operation of an ESL carrier  10  according to this invention will now be readily understood by those with ordinary skill in the art. The carrier  10  is shown as attached to a shelf  70  comprising a substantially vertically extending front edge  72 , and a generally horizontally extending support portion  74  adapted to carry merchandise (not shown) for display. Shelves of this general nature are commonly used in supermarkets and the like in Europe and elsewhere. For use with such shelves, the attachment element  15  of the ESL carrier  10  shown in FIG. 1 is simply provided with a horizontally extending portion  17  and adhesive tapes  16   a  and  17   a  to secure the attachment member  15  to the front edge  72  and support portion  74 , respectively, of the shelf  70  in an obvious manner.  
         [0063]    With the protrusions  36   a ,  38   a  snappingly engaged in the upper and lower rear cup-shaped connectors  18   a ,  18   d  as seen in FIG. 1, the ESL device  50  is positioned with its front surface  55  substantially vertically oriented, or at a 0° angle with respect to the front edge  72  of the shelf  70 . However, by engaging the lower protrusion  38   a  in the front lower cup-shaped connector  18   c  as seen in FIG. 4, the front face  55  of the ESL device  50  is oriented upwardly, in this instance at approximately a 15° angle relative to the front edge  72  of the shelf  70 . Such an orientation is particularly useful for shelves that are below the viewing area of the user. Alternatively, by engaging the upper protrusion  36   a  in the front upper cup-shaped connector  18   b  as seen in FIG. 5, the ESL device  50  may be oriented at a negative angle relative to the front edge  72  of the shelf  70 , an arrangement particularly useful if the ESL device  50  is to be positioned at a level above that of the ordinary viewer.  
         [0064]    Thus, it can be seen that, with the attachment device  15  of this invention, the ESL  50  can be oriented and reoriented without removing the ESL device  50  from the holder member  20  and with a minimum of time and effort. The cover member  25  can be readily opened for servicing, removing or replacing an ESL device at will and then snapped back in position to protect the ESL from damage, while permitting visual and/or electronic access to the ESL device by a viewer.  
         [0065]    A small section or rib of flexible polymer, such as polyvinyl chloride, for example, is shown at  60  and can be provided on the inside surface of the rear wall  30  of the holder member  20  to interact with the rear surface of the ESL device and preclude the ESL device from sliding horizontally within the holder  20 .  
         [0066]    Additionally, a sign holder or grip designated generally by the reference numeral  65  can be provided at the bottom of the ESL holder member  20  to support a promotional sign or the like in an obvious manner.  
         [0067]    The length or height of an individual section of a carrier device may vary within the scope of this invention. For most applications, however, the device is dimensioned to reflect the size of the ESL and marketed in four foot lengths for attachment to the front of a merchandise shelf.  
         [0068]    Although a simple adhesive tape arrangement is shown in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-7 to secure the carrier  10  to a shelf  70 , other mounting means may be readily integrated into the carrier  10  of this invention without departing from the instant inventive concepts. As an illustration, a modified mounting portion is shown in FIG. 8 with parts similar to those of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-7 designated by the same reference numeral followed by a prime (′). In this embodiment, the rear or back  16 ′ of the attachment member  15 ′ is provided with upper and lower fingers  82 ,  84  for engagement in a C-channel  72 ′ at the front of a shelf  70 ′ with a resilient lower element  85  engaging under and behind the front edge  72 ′ of the shelf  70 ′.  
         [0069]    Referring now to FIGS. 9-13, a simplified, two-part ESL carrier is designated generally by the reference numeral  100 , with parts similar to the elements in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-7 bearing the same reference numeral, but in the 100 series. For example, the ESL carrier  10  of FIG. 1 is identified by the reference numeral  110  in FIG. 9, the holder member  20  of FIG. 1 is replaced by the holder member  120  in FIG. 9, and the cover member  40  in FIG. 1 is replaced by the cover member  140  in FIG. 9. In the embodiments of FIGS. 9-13, the universal attachment member  15  of the earlier embodiments is eliminated and replaced with carriers specifically designed for either a zero degree viewing (FIGS. 9, 9A,  10  and  11 A- 11 D), a positive viewing angle (FIGS. 12A-12D) or a negative viewing angle (FIGS. 13A-13D).  
         [0070]    With respect to the zero degree embodiments of FIGS. 9, 9A,  10  and  11 A- 11 D, the rear  130  of the ESL holder member  120  can be attached to a supporting surface (not shown) in any conventional manner, e.g., by adhesive strips (not shown), C-channel engaging elements such as illustrated in FIG. 8, or other conventional attaching means as seen in the above-identified label holder patents and elsewhere.  
         [0071]    The cover member  140  of these embodiments preferably has a pair of oppositely extending enlarged protrusions or fingers  180 ,  182  adapted to snappingly receive a separate sign holder or the like schematically illustrated at  185  in FIG. 9A. Devices of this type are well known and take many configurations, but generally carry a sign or the like  186  to protrude from the cover member  140  to provide special information regarding merchandise carried on the shelf at a particular location, such as notice of a sale or the like. Similarly, an additional information-bearing flag or the like as shown schematically at  188  can be secured in the grip  165  at the bottom of the carrier  110 .  
         [0072]    An additional feature of the cover member  140  is a multiplicity of small bumps or ridges  190  behind the protrusion  180  to facilitate gripping the cover member  140  to release the upper finger or hook  144  from its engagement in the detent  134  on the top  126  of the holder member  120 .  
         [0073]    The embodiment of FIGS. 9, 9A,  10  and  11 A- 11 D is adapted for zero degree viewing, that is, for mounting on a surface with the front  155  of the ESL  150  generally vertical. In FIGS. 11A-11D, the sequence of movements of the cover member  140  between the closed position of FIG. 11A and the fully opened position of FIG. 11D is schematically shown to facilitate an understanding of the manner in which this device is used during insertion, movement or replacement of one or more ESL devices  150 .  
         [0074]    A modified device adapted to provide a positive angle to the face  155  of the ESL  150 , in the illustrated embodiment at about 15° upwardly from the vertical, is shown at  110   a  in FIGS. 12A-12D, wherein parts similar to those of the ESL carrier  110  are designated by the same reference numerals followed with a suffix “a”. This embodiment includes an offset-angled supporting element  125   a  fixed to the top of the back  130   a  of the holder member  120   a  to automatically position the front face  155   a  of the ESL device  150   a  at an upwardly-inclined angle to facilitate viewing the same from above when the rear surface of the element  125   a  is secured to a supporting surface (not shown) in a vertically extending relationship.  
         [0075]    In the embodiments of FIGS. 13A-13D, wherein similar parts are designated with the same reference followed by a suffix “b”, the angled element  125   b  is secured to the bottom of the back  130   b  of the ESL holder  120   b  to present the face  155   b  of the ESL device  150   b  at a downwardly-inclined angle for viewing from below.  
         [0076]    Referring now to FIGS. 14-19, a still further modified ESL carrier is designated generally by the reference numeral  200 , with parts similar to the elements in the previous embodiments bearing the same reference numeral, but in the 200 series. The ESL carrier according to this embodiment is also comprised, basically, of three parts, an attachment member  215 , seen particularly in FIG. 18, a holder member  220 , seen particularly in FIG. 16, adapted to removably receive and support one or more ESL devices, and a cover member  240 , seen particularly in FIG. 17.  
         [0077]    The holder member  220  incorporates complementary fingers or the like  222 ,  224  designed to secure an ESL device as shown in dotted lines at  250  in a manner similar to the earlier embodiments. The cover member  240  in this embodiment includes an arcuate finger  242  adapted to rotatably engage in a pivot element  232  at the top of the holder member  220 , with a finger or hook  244  at its lower end which can be snapped into a detent  234  in the bottom of the holder member  220 . Thus, in this embodiment, the cover member  240  can be opened by pivoting the same upwardly about engagement of the arcuate member  242  in the pivot element  232  as partially shown in dotted lines at  240 ′ in FIG. 14.  
         [0078]    A particularly unique feature of this embodiment is the manner in which the attachment member  215  interengages with the holder member  220  to adjust the viewing angle of the ESL  250 . In its simplest form seen in FIGS. 18 and 19, the attachment member  215  comprises an arcuate element  216  with a multiplicity of spaced T-shaped protrusions, four of which are shown at  217   a ,  217   b ,  217   c  and  217   d , although the number of protrusions can obviously be modified without departing from the instant inventive concepts. The back  230  of the ESL holder member  220  includes a plurality of spaced pairs of upper and lower fingers  231   a ,  231   b  which define between them T-shaped cavities, three of which are illustratively shown at  233   a ,  233   b  and  233   c , adapted to selectively receive one of the T-shaped protrusions  217  on the attachment member  215  as discussed below.  
         [0079]    Thus, as can be seen in FIG. 19A, with the T-shaped cavity  233   b  of the holder member  220  either snapped or slid over the T-shaped protrusion  217   c , the ESL carrier  250  is provided with a zero degree of tilt. By engaging the T-shaped cavity  233   a  with the T-shaped protrusion  217   a , a 30° up tilt is provided as seen in FIG. 19B; by engaging the T-shaped cavity  233   b  with the T-shaped protrusion  217   b , a 15° up tilt is provided; and by engaging the T-shaped cavity  233   c  with the T-shaped protrusion  217   d , a −15° up tilt is provided.  
         [0080]    Obviously, other shapes of protrusions and cavities may be provided, different protrusions and cavities shown in the drawings may be interengaged, and more or less protrusions and cavities may be provided on the attachment member  215  and the ESL holder member  220 , respectively, to alter the available viewing angles for the ESL device.  
         [0081]    A grip  235  is illustrated at the bottom of the back  230  of the ESL carrier  220  to support a flag or the like shown in dotted lines at  236  in FIG. 15, if desired.  
         [0082]    While FIGS. 18 and 19 show schematically an attachment member  215  without identifying the manner in which it is secured to a supporting surface, it will be understood that the attachment member  215  can be supported in any manner, such as shown in the previous embodiments, without departing from the instant inventive concepts.  
         [0083]    A particularly advantageous construction for supporting an attachment member of the type seen in FIG. 18 is illustrated in FIGS. 20-23 wherein like parts bear similar reference characters in the 300 series. An attachment member  315  is formed as an integral part of a support or C-channel engaging element designated by the reference numeral  360 . The support element  360  is adapted to provide flexibility enabling the same to be engaged in different commercially available shelf units seen at  400 ,  500  and  600 , respectively, in FIGS. 22-24, and known as Madix, Streater and Lozier shelves. The C-channels of each of these shelves include the equivalent of an upper, downwardly depending, lip and a lower, upwardly extending, lip for receipt of upper and lower portions of fit-in accessories, but the distance between these lip members, as well as the angle provided by the lip members, are different in each of these types of shelves. Thus, when prior art price channels of the type seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,394,632 issued Mar. 7, 1995 (the &#39;632 patent), the subject matter of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference, are engaged in the C-channels of Lozier, Madix and Streater shelves, the engagement may be less than secure because of the differences in the spacing between the upper and lower lips of these shelves. Moreover, when a price channel such as seen in the &#39;632 patent is engaged in the C-channels of these different shelf units, the angle of presentation of the label or, in this instance, the ESL is significantly different from the angle of inclination of a label, engaged directly in the C-channel of such shelves. In some instances, the change in the viewing angle makes it more difficult for a customer or merchandiser or the like to read the information on the label carried by the price channel. For that reason, the leg  365  of the support element  360  is a resilient element with an upward bow at  365   a  which provides additional adjustability to enable the same to be supported in any of the C-channels of the commercially available shelf units without significantly adjusting the angle of viewing of the ESL that would otherwise be provided.  
         [0084]    From the foregoing, it will be recognized that, by utilizing the universal attachment member of the embodiments of FIGS. 14-24, a great deal of versatility is afforded and the potential number of dies for manufacturing the ESL carrier is significantly reduced.  
         [0085]    While the ESL carriers of FIGS. 14-24 are useful, and provide unique advantages over other ESL holders commercially available, a further preferred embodiment of the ESL is shown in FIGS. 25-27 wherein parts similar to the elements in the previous embodiments bear the same reference numeral, but in the 400 series. Thus, the ESL carrier according to this embodiment is comprised, basically of three parts, an attachment member  415 , seen particularly in FIG. 25, a holder member  420 , seen particularly in FIG. 26 adapted to removably receive and support one or more ESL devices  450 , and a cover member  440 , partially seen in FIG. 27.  
         [0086]    The attachment member  415 , in this embodiment, comprises a backing element  416 , preferably formed of a rigid polyvinyl chloride or the like, and comprised of three angled sections,  416   a ,  416   b  and  416   c . A multiplicity of spaced T-shaped protrusions,  417   a ,  417   b ,  417   c  and  417   d  are shown, quite like the previous embodiment except that, in this instance, the stem portions  417   a ′,  417   b ′,  417   c ′ and  417   d ′, are formed of a medium durometer or flexible plastics materials such as polyvinyl chloride and connected to relatively rigid PVC cross-bars  417   a ″,  417   b ″,  417   c ″ and  417   d ″, respectively. Further, the stem portions  417   b ′ and  417   c ′ of the middle pair of T-shaped protrusions  417   b  and  417   c , respectively, are slightly longer than the stem portions  417   a ′ and  417   d ′ and are connected to the backing element  416  at the intersections  416 ′ between the segments  416   a  and  416   b , and the intersection  416 ″ between the segments  416   b  and  416   c.    
         [0087]    The back  430  of the ESL holder member  420  includes a plurality of spaced pairs of upper and lower fingers  431   a ,  431   b , which define between them T-shaped cavities  433   a ,  433   b ,  433   c  and  433   d , adapted to selectively receive the T-shaped projections  417  on the attachment member  415 . In this instance, there are four T-shaped cavities,  433   a - 433   d , formed on the holder member  420 , a pair of upper cavities  433   a  and  433   b , and a pair of lower cavities  433   c  and  433   d . This construction, along with the design of the angular backing element  416  on the attachment member  415  and the resiliently supported T-shaped projections  417   a - 417   d , enables a pair of T-shaped projections to be simultaneously engaged in a pair of T-shaped cavities for each of the angular orientations, thereby enhancing the stability and security of the engagement between the attachment member  415  and the holder member  420  to preclude accidental disengagement in the event of an impact.  
         [0088]    For example, by reference to FIG. 28A, the intermediate T-shaped projections  417   b  and  417   c  can be interengaged with the intermediate T-shaped cavities  433   b  and  433   c  to provide a zero degree uptilt. The flexibility of the stem sections  417   b ′ and  417   c ′ enables the T-shaped projections  417   b  and  417   c  to be bent as seen in FIG. 28A to reach the cavities  433   b  and  433   c.    
         [0089]    Alternatively, if a 15° uptilt is desired, the upper pair of T-shaped projections  417   a  and  417   b  can be engaged in the cavities  433   a  and  433   b  as seen in FIG. 28B, with a −15° uptilt provided by engaging the lower pair of T-shaped projections  417   c  and  417   d  in the lower pair of T-shaped cavities  433   c  and  433   d  as seen in FIG. 28C. In these latter two instances, the unused intermediate T-shaped projections,  417   c  in FIGS. 28B and 417 b  in FIG. 28C, are simply bent out of the way in use.  
         [0090]    Thus, with this embodiment, at least two projections and cavities are interengaged to provide additional security to minimize the likelihood that the attachment member  415  and the ESL holder member  420  will be disengaged in the event of impact, regardless of the direction of the impact. Moreover, the resilience of the stem portions of the T-shaped projections also acts as a “shock absorber” minimizing the effect of such impact.  
         [0091]    While the angle of the segments  416   a ,  416   b  and  416   c  are illustrated for a +15° and a −15° uptilt, respectively, it will be readily recognized that the angle between the segments can be increased or decreased to provide different viewing angles. For example, if the angle between extensions of the center section  416   b  with the upper and lower sections  416   a  and  416   c , respectively, is increased from 15° to 30°, the viewing angle of the ESL will likewise be increased to a positive or negative 30°.  
         [0092]    It will now be seen that there are a variety of embodiments, each of which is designed to carry, display and protect an electronic shelf label in a manner that is easy and inexpensive to manufacture, utilize and maintain. The features of each of the various embodiments may be readily integrated into the other embodiments as will be obvious to those skilled in this art. For example, the sign-holder protuberances and gripping ridges of the cover member  140  of the FIG. 9 embodiment can be added to the cover member  40  of the FIG. 1 embodiment or the cover member  240  of the FIG. 17 embodiment. Moreover, other mounting means as seen, for example, in the above-identified label holder patents or other such prior art devices, can readily be integrated into an ESL carrier according to this invention. Also, a support element such as seen in FIGS. 20-23 can be used to carry an attachment member as seen in FIG. 25. Further, without departing from this invention, the carrier device may be modified to attach the same to the side of a shelf, a wire basket or elsewhere.  
         [0093]    The foregoing descriptions and drawings should be considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Numerous applications of the present invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is not desired to limit the invention to the preferred embodiments or the exact construction and operation shown and described. Rather, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.