Abstract:
A point-of-sale device carries an article having plural interfitting parts that must be fitted together by a human assembler after purchase, and includes a panel for enabling the device to be presented to a prospective purchaser at a retail shop. The panel includes a container in which the interfitting parts of the article in the assembled condition are located. The container has a transparent region through which the interfitting parts, in their assembled condition, can be seen by a prospective purchaser. The point-of-sale device is mounted on a horizontally extending, elongated element carried by a pegboard.

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates in general to a point-of-sale device for an article having plural interfitting parts when assembled and, more particularly, to a point-of-sale device wherein the interfitting parts of the article are located behind a transparent region of the device in the assembled condition of the article such that the interfitting parts can be seen by a prospective purchaser. 
       BACKGROUND ART 
       [0002]    Many articles that are offered for sale, particularly hardware articles, including some picture hangers, have plural interfitting parts when assembled. The interfitting parts are frequently presented to a prospective purchaser in a point-of-sale device on a backing and presented to a prospective purchaser through a transparent cover, such as a so-called “blister pack.” The interfitting parts are in a disassembled condition. As a result, many persons find assembling the interfitting parts to be a daunting experience. 
         [0003]    A commercially available picture hanger, illustrated in  FIG. 1  in its point-of-sale configuration, is known as the NO-STUD. The NO-STUD picture hanger includes a plate  10  with a rectangular opening  12 , as well as nail openings  14 . Picture hanger structure  16  has a shoulder  18  that extends through opening  12  in plate  10  when the NO-STUD hanger is assembled. Hanger structure  16  includes leg  22  that (1) carries hook  24  and (2) downwardly depends from shoulder  18 . Hanger structure  16  also includes arm  20  that upwardly extends from shoulder  18  when plate  10  is mounted on a wall. During a mounting operation, opening  12  in plate  10  is aligned with an opening in the wall and arm  20  engages the side of the wall opposite from the side of the wall against which plate  10  bears. 
         [0004]    The picture hanger of  FIG. 1  has been marketed by mounting plate  10 , hanger structure  16 , and nails  28  in transparent blister pack  26 . Blister pack  26 , plate  10 , hanger structure  16 , and nails  28  are carried by panel  30  that includes an illustration  32  of the assembled picture hanger. Panel  30  includes elongated, horizontally-extending opening  34 , which is fitted onto an elongated element of a point-of-sale system, typically including a pegboard from which the elongated element extends. 
         [0005]    Presentation of the product on the point-of-sale device of  FIG. 1  is not particularly attractive. Further, many prospective purchasers have difficulty determining how to insert hanger structure  16  into opening  12  of plate  10  based on illustration  32  and written information on backing  30 . 
         [0006]    To assemble the picture hanger of  FIG. 1 , plate  10  is fastened to a wall by hammering nails  28  through openings  14  into a wall having a hole aligned with opening  12  in the plate. As illustrated in  FIGS. 2A and 2B , hanger structure  16  is inserted through opening  12  in plate  10  and the hole in the wall so that shoulder  18  extends substantially at right angles to the faces of the wall, and leg  22  and arm  20  are respectively located in front and in back of the wall. 
         [0007]    It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved point-of-sale device having plural interfitting parts when assembled. 
         [0008]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved point-of-sale device having plural interfitting parts, wherein the article is presented to a prospective purchaser in an aesthetically pleasing manner to enhance sales. 
         [0009]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved point-of-sale device wherein plural interfitting parts of an article are presented to a prospective purchaser in a manner that enables the prospective purchaser to easily determine how the interfitting parts are assembled and connected together in use. 
         [0010]    Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved point-of-sale device for a picture hanger including a plate with an opening and a hanger structure having a shoulder structure that extends through the opening in the plate when the picture hanger is mounted on a wall, wherein the hanger structure includes a leg downwardly depending from the shoulder. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]    In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a point-of-sale device carries an article having plural interfitting parts, wherein the article is displayed to a prospective purchaser through a transparent region which the article is behind in its assembled condition. The article is such that the interfitting parts must be disassembled and then fitted together by a human assembler after purchase of the article. 
         [0012]    The point of sale device preferably includes a panel carrying information about the article. The information includes illustrations and words about how to assemble the article. The information is accessible to the prospective purchaser even though the article remains behind the transparent region and the prospective purchaser does not have access to the article 
         [0013]    Preferably, a container for the article formed by the panel and the transparent region includes a segment in which a portion of the article fits snugly. The segment cooperates with the panel to form a pocket into which the article portion snugly fits. The pocket holds the article portion so that the interfitting parts are held in place in the assembled condition between the transparent region and the panel. 
         [0014]    The point-of-sale device is preferably of the type that is mounted on a horizontally extending, elongated element of a vertically extending mounting structure, such as a pegboard. To this end, the panel includes an opening for enabling the device to be mounted on the horizontally extended elongated element. 
         [0015]    In one particular embodiment, as described in connection with  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the article comprises a picture hanger including a plate with an opening and a hanger structure having a shoulder extending through the opening in the plate. The hanger structure includes a leg that downwardly depends from the shoulder and an arm that upwardly extends from the shoulder when the hanger structure is inserted through the opening in the plate and a hole in a wall on which the plate is mounted. The opening in the plate and the hole in the wall are aligned. The plate and hanger structure are located in the container so that the shoulder is located in the opening of the plate, and the leg extends below the opening of the plate. The plate, leg, and arm extend in planes parallel to a planar surface of the panel. The hanger structure extends substantially at a right angle to the planar surface of the panel. At least portions of the plate, shoulder, arm, and leg are visible to the prospective purchaser through the transparent region in the same manner that these parts are ultimately assembled. The presentation of such an article is particularly more informative and attractive than the presentation of the device illustrated in  FIG. 1 . The prospective purchaser can immediately determine how the various parts fit together with each other when the picture hanger is assembled. As a result, sales of the picture hanger are enhanced. 
         [0016]    The above and still further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of a specific embodiment thereof, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0017]    As previously described,  FIG. 1  is a drawing of a prior art point-of-sale device for a picture hanger, and  FIGS. 2A and 2B  are illustrations of how the parts of the picture hanger illustrated in  FIG. 1  are assembled; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a point-of-sale system including a point-of-sale device in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is a front view of the point-of-sale device illustrated in  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is a side view, taken through the line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 6  is a side view taken through the line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 4 ; and 
           [0022]      FIG. 7  is a side view taken through the line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 4 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0023]    The point-of-sale system of  FIG. 3  includes vertically extending, wall-mounted pegboard  40  including circular holes  42 . Pegboard  40  fixedly carries fixtures  44  and  46 , on which are fixedly mounted horizontally extending elongated elements in the form of rods  48 ,  50 ,  52  and  54 , pairs of which are connected together by vertically extending struts  56  and  58 , as well as horizontally extending struts  60 . Struts  56  and  58  respectively fit into openings of fixtures  44  and  46 . 
         [0024]    Point-of-sale devices  62  and  64  are respectively hung on rods  48  and  50  behind placard  67 , which is mounted on rods  52  and  54  and includes information about article  66 , carried by point-of-sale devices  62  and  64 . Article  66  is a picture hanger including plate  10 , nails  14 , and hanger structure  16  (see  FIGS. 1 ,  2   a , and  2   b ) and is located, in assembled condition, on cardboard panel  68 , including horizontally extending elongated opening  70 , sized and oriented for enabling point-of-sale device  64  to be mounted on one of rods  48  or  50 . Article  66 , in assembled condition, is located in a chamber, i.e., container, between planar surface  72  of panel  68  and exterior surfaces of one piece, transparent plastic cover  74 , which is fixedly mounted on the planar surface. Thus, article  66  can be considered to be behind cover  74  that forms a transparent region of point of sale device  64 . 
         [0025]    Container  74  includes walls  76 ,  78 ,  80 , and  82 , which extend approximately at right angles to planar surface  72  and to each other. At the bottom of walls  76 ,  78 ,  80 , and  82  is flange  84 , having a bottom surface abutting and fixedly connected by transparent glue to planar surface  72 . At the top of walls  76 ,  78 ,  80 , and  82  is ceiling  86  of cover  74 . Ceiling  86  has a planar surface that extends parallel to planar surface  72 . Ceiling  86  includes oval portion  88 , the periphery of which is connected to planar portion  87  of ceiling  86  by wall  90 , having a height slightly greater than the thickness of plate  10 . Plate  10  fits into a cavity formed by oval portion  88  and wall  90  and is held in place by transparent adhesive tape  91 , which forms the floor of the cavity. The unexposed, bottom face of plate  10  abuts tape  91 . 
         [0026]    Extending upwardly from ceiling portion  88  is bulbous portion  92  of cover  74 . Bulbous portion  92  is shaped for (1) receiving leg  22  and hook  24  of hanger structure  16  and (2) in such a way as to facilitate insertion of the leg and hook portions of the hanger structure, as well as to hold the leg and hook portions in place. To this end, bulbous portion  92  includes (1) sidewalls  94  that taper toward each other and away from ceiling portion  88 , (2) floor  96 , and (3) ceiling  98 ; floor  96  and ceiling  98  extend away from ceiling portion  88 . Bulbous portion  92  also includes a front wall including (1) segment  100  that extends upwardly at an oblique angle from floor  96  ( FIG. 5 ) and (2) portion  102  that extends upwardly from ceiling  98 . Wall portions  100  and  102  meet at apex  104  at a distance sufficiently far from roof portion  88  to accommodate leg  22  and hook  24 , so a portion of hook  24  bears against a segment of wall portion  100  to assist in holding hanger structure  16  in place. The exposed face of plate  10  bears against wall portion  88 , which has a shape and size substantially the same as, but slightly larger, than the oval shape of plate  10 . 
         [0027]    To assist in holding hanger structure  16  and plate  10  in place in the assembled condition, as illustrated in  FIG. 2B , flange  84  includes tongue  106  ( FIG. 5 ) that extends from the remainder of container  74  toward opening  70 . Tongue  106  includes a central elongated opening  108 , having length, width, and thickness dimensions to snugly receive arm  20  when plate  10  is located in the chamber formed by wall  90 , oval ceiling portion  88  and tape  91 . Wall  110  ( FIG. 6 ), having a height slightly greater than the thickness of arm  20 , extends from the edges of tongue  106 , where opening  108  is formed. At the top of wall  110  is ceiling  112  that is connected to the portion of wall  82  from which tongue  106  extends and through which an opening  114  is thereby provided in a portion of wall  82  connected to tongue  106 . Arm  20  is located in opening  114 . Tongue  106 , opening  108 , wall  110 , ceiling  112  and the portion of panel  68  that abuts opening  108  form a chamber (i.e., pocket) in which arm  20  snugly fits. The snug fit of arm  20  in the pocket, in combination with the snug fit of plate  10  against oval ceiling portion  88 , as well as tape  91 , and the snug fit of hook  24  against roof portion  100  of bulbous portion  92  of cover  74  hold plate  10  and hanger structure  16  firmly in place in the assembled condition. In the assembled condition, plate  10 , arm  20 , and leg  22  extend in planes substantially parallel to planar surface  72 , and shoulder  18  extends substantially at a right angle to planar surface  72 . 
         [0028]    The presentation is enhanced by the prominent position of nails  28  in cover  74 . Nails  28  are located immediately below the planar portion of transparent ceiling  86 , where the nails can easily be seen by a prospective purchaser. Nails  28  are located in chamber  120  ( FIGS. 4 ,  5 , and  7 ), including elongated parallel walls  122  and sidewalls  124  that extend at right angles to walls  122 . The central portions of elongated walls  122  have a height slightly greater than the diameters of the elongated portions  126  of nails  28 , while walls  124  and the end portions of elongated walls  122  have a height slightly greater than the diameters of heads  128  of nails  28 . Chamber  120  also includes roof  130  that is an integral part of cover  74 , as are walls  122  and  124 . Chamber  120  further includes floor  132 , formed of transparent cellophane adhesive tape that is attached to the underside of the planar portion of ceiling  86  of cover  74 , after nails  28  have been inserted into chamber  120  between walls  122  and  124 , against ceiling  130  while cover  74  is in an inverted position, prior to plate  10  and hanger structure  16  being inserted into the chamber including cover  74 . 
         [0029]    The prominent location of nails  28  and the location of the nails in chamber  120  enable the prospective purchaser to realize easily what is involved in securing the picture hanger in place. In addition, the person assembling the picture hanger can leave the nails in place in chamber  120  after removing plate  10  and hanger structure  16  in the assembled condition from the pocket including cover  74  and backing  68  of point-of-sale device  64 . Hence, the likelihood of nails  28  being misplaced or lost is considerably reduced. 
         [0030]    Panel  68 , in addition to carrying plate  10 , hanger structure  16 , nails  28 , and container  74 , includes a text message  134  containing information about the picture hanger, as well as illustrations  136 , to assist the person assembling the picture hanger. Text message  134  and illustrations  136  are accessible to the prospective purchaser even though the picture hanger remains behind the transparent cover  74 , and the prospective purchaser does not have access to the picture hanger. 
         [0031]    While a specific embodiment of the invention has been described and illustrated, variations regarding details of the embodiment specifically illustrated and described may be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.