Abstract:
A mobile showroom and method of using a showroom to transport and display merchandise in an environment that nearly replicates that of the environment in which the merchandise will be used, and also allow the merchandise to be placed in the environment in which the merchandise will be used.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/757,946, filed Jan. 29, 2013, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention generally relates to mobile showrooms for selling of merchandise. 
         [0003]    Mobile showrooms are utilized for the selling of various goods. Existing mobile showrooms are generally effective only for those consumers that are physically capable of visiting the mobile showroom. Therefore, a population of the general public is generally precluded from utilizing the mobile showroom. In addition, mobile showrooms may sell goods that would best be viewed in the environment in which the goods will be installed and used, such as a home or office, or at least more nearly replicate the environment in which the goods will be installed and used. 
         [0004]    Accordingly, there is a need for a mobile showroom which facilitates the selection of goods by a consumer regardless of whether the consumer can physically travel to the mobile showroom and which is easily accessible to all consumers. In addition, there is a need for a mobile showroom which allows consumers to have access to goods in a manner that allows the consumer to view the goods in the environment of their intended use or in an environment that nearly replicates the environment of their intended use. 
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The present invention provides a mobile showroom and methods of using such a showroom to transport and display merchandise in an environment that nearly replicates that of the environment in which the merchandise will be used, and also allow the merchandise or electronic images thereof to be transported or transmitted to the environment in which the merchandise will be used. 
         [0006]    According to one aspect of the invention, the mobile showroom comprises an interior compartment containing multiple units each comprising multiple goods mounted thereto. At least some of the multiple units are adapted to enable orientations thereof to be altered, and at least some of the multiple units are adapted to be releasably secured to frames within the compartment to allow removal of one or more of the multiple units and simultaneously the multiple goods mounted thereto. The showroom further comprises multiple lighting units that are individually operable and provide multiple different lighting effects including an overhead ambient lighting effect, a non-vertical directionally-focused flood and/or spot lighting effect directed at the multiple units, and a downwardly-directed flood and/or spot lighting effect that is more localized than the overhead ambient lighting effect. The showroom also comprises means for electronically communicating images of the multiple units and the multiple goods thereof outside the showroom. 
         [0007]    According to another aspect of the invention, a method of using the showroom includes transporting the showroom with a vehicle to a location, operating the multiple lighting units to replicate a lighting environment within a building, and viewing of at least one of the multiple units of the showroom by a potential buyer of the multiple goods. 
         [0008]    A technical effect of the invention is the ability of the showroom to facilitate the selection of goods by a consumer regardless of whether the consumer can physically travel to the showroom, and the ability of the showroom to allow consumers to have access to goods in a manner that allows viewing of the goods in the environment of their intended use or in an environment that nearly replicates the environment of their intended use. 
         [0009]    Other aspects and advantages of this invention will be better appreciated from the following detailed description. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a vehicle of a type that can be implemented with the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  4  are different views of the interior of a showroom within the vehicle of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  represents a flowchart representing alternative methods of using the showroom of  FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  4 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]      FIGS. 1 through 4  depict a vehicle  10  and three views of a showroom  12  within the vehicle  10 . The vehicle  10  and showroom  12  represented in the Figures are adapted for selling consumer merchandise, and particularly hardware of the type installed and used on doors, cabinets, etc., of buildings such as houses, offices, etc. Specific but nonlimiting examples include hardware for entry doors, bathroom and kitchen cabinet doors, and the like. However, it should be understood that other types of goods could be easily sold through the use of the vehicle  10  and showroom  12 , and as such, in addition to specific references to hardware and particular types thereof, the term “goods” may be used herein to more broadly encompass other types of merchandise. 
         [0014]    As will be discussed in more detail below, the showroom  12  is adapted to display goods  14  within an interior compartment of the vehicle  10  sized to accommodate multiple individuals and allow such individuals to view the goods  14  under ambient conditions that better replicate the conditions that the goods  14  would have within the intended environment in which the goods  14  will be installed and used. In this regard, a potential buyer of the goods  14  can obtain a better appreciation for the appearance of the goods  14  as they will appear in their intended environment. 
         [0015]    As will be also discussed below, the vehicle  10  and showroom  12  is adapted for use in combination with an electronic inventory of the goods  14  to allow predetermined selections of the goods  14  to be removed from the vehicle  10  and placed within the actual environment in which the goods  14  are intended to be installed and used. In this regard, a potential buyer of the goods  14  does not need to enter the showroom  12  and instead goods  14  that the buyer wishes to see can be physically brought directly into the intended environment for viewing by the buyer, or images of the goods  14  can be electronically transmitted to the buyer while located within the intended environment. This capability facilitates the selection process for individuals that might find it difficult to enter the showroom  12 , for example, physically disabled and elderly individuals. 
         [0016]    The vehicle  10  is represented as a modified truck or van, though other mobile configurations are possible. The showroom  12  preferably encompasses the majority of the vehicle  12  and can be accessed through a doorway, which can be adapted to be handicap-accessible. The showroom  12  contains multiple display units  16 , each adapted to display a predetermined group of goods  14  that may be related in some manner, for example, by type, style, color, etc. Each unit  16  is preferably adjustable to allow the orientation thereof to be altered, for example, pivoted, rotated, etc. Each unit  16  is also preferably removable with the use of hardware that allow the entire unit  16  and its group of goods  14  to be quickly and easily removed from the vehicle  10 . As nonlimiting examples, certain units  16  are shown as being configured as beams or columns  18  oriented vertically and adapted for rotation about upper and lower posts that extend from opposite ends of an individual column  18  and are releasably secured to frames  20  above and below the unit  16 , for example, by being quickly engaged and disengaged with appropriate recesses provided in the frames  20 . As such, “releasably secured” is used herein to refer to a switch, lever, or other type of hardware capable of being operated by hand to secure and release a unit  16  without the use of handtools. As a result, a potential buyer can optionally choose to examine the goods  14  while within the showroom  12  and/or after removal from the showroom  12  and placement of the goods  14  adjacent a door, etc., on which the goods  14  might be installed. 
         [0017]    The showroom  12  is shown as including at least one skylight  21  for optionally providing true natural lighting during daylight hours. The showroom  12  is also preferably equipped within multi-display artificial lighting comprising a variety of artificial lighting units chosen, arranged and adjusted to allow a potential buyer to view the goods  14  under lighting conditions comparable to the environment in which the goods  14  are intended to be installed. For this purpose, the showroom  12  is preferably equipped with at least three different types of artificial lighting units  22 ,  24  and  26 . A first type of lighting unit  22  is intended to provide overhead ambient lighting for general illumination. For this purpose, the lighting units  22  are represented as comprising multiple recessed light fixtures mounted from the ceiling of the showroom  12  to provide a downwardly-directed “flood” and/or “spot” lighting effect. A second type of lighting unit  24  is intended to provide lighting for architectural details, and for this purpose is represented as lighting fixtures mounted in the ceiling (and/or optional the walls and/or floor) of the showroom  12  to provide a non-vertical directionally-focused “flood” and/or “spot” lighting effect directed at the units  16 . A third type of lighting unit  26  is intended to provide focused lighting for work spaces and dining. For this purpose, the lighting units  26  are represented as comprising a table lamp, though other types of fixtures (hanging lights, chandeliers, etc.) could be mounted to provide a more localized (for example, predominantly upward and/or downward) lighting effect than the lighting units  22 . The artificial lighting units  22 ,  24  and  26  can be individually turned off and on to enable the lighting effect within the showroom  12  to be tailored to allow viewing of the goods  14  under ambient conditions that can better replicate the conditions that the goods  14  would have within the intended environment in which the goods  14  will be installed and used. 
         [0018]    As noted above, the showroom  12  is also preferably equipped with an electronic capability to electronically communicate electronic images of the goods  14  within the showroom  12  to a potential buyer located outside of the showroom  12 , for example, within the building in which the goods  14  are intended to be installed. The buyer can choose particular goods  14  or an entire unit  16  of interest from the inventory displayed within the showroom  12 , request an electronic image of the chosen goods  14  or unit  16 , for example, wirelessly transmitted to the screen of a mobile electronic device, and then place the electronic device at the point of installation within the building to enable the buyer to better visualize how the goods  14  would appear if installed. The electronic image can be obtained in real time, i.e., with a video device pointed at the goods  14 , or can be stored on a nonvolatile memory storage device that can be accessed through the vehicle  10  or its operators. 
         [0019]    From the above it should be appreciated that the showroom  12  can be transported with the vehicle  10  to a location, not limited to the vicinity of a building in which the goods  14  are desired to be installed. The multiple lighting units  22 ,  24  and  26  can be selectively and individually operated to replicate a particular lighting environment within a building where the goods  14  are intended to be installed, so that the units  16  and their mounted goods  14  can be viewed by a potential buyer within the showroom  12 . Optionally or in addition, one or more units  16  and their goods  14  mounted thereto can be removed from the showroom  12  and transported to a potential buyer, for example, located inside the building in which the goods  14  are intended to be installed. Still further or alternatively, images of the goods  14  can be electronically communicated to the potential buyer. Such alternatives are represented by the flowchart of  FIG. 5 . 
         [0020]    In view of the above, it can be seen that significant advantages are associated with the mobile showroom  12 . For example, a consumer is able to view the goods  14  regardless of weather conditions, disabilities, time constraints, under-construction impediments, and/or the like, without leaving the safety and comfort of a building in which the goods  14  are under consideration for installation. The electronic inventory imaging capability allows for the selected goods  14  to be juxtaposed at the point of installation within the building, thereby allowing the consumer to easily compare and contrast the selected goods  14 . Alternatively or in addition, the consumer can see and touch the actual goods  14  within the showroom  12  or alternatively, the goods  14  can be easily retrieved from the showroom  12  to the building. As such, the showroom  12  is cable of a more efficient selection process by a consumer, resulting in fewer returns and potentially more satisfied consumers. 
         [0021]    While the invention has been described in terms of a particular embodiment, it is apparent that other forms could be adopted by one skilled in the art. For example, the goods may vary, the mobile showroom may be customized in various manners, the electronic inventory imagery may be customized for particular consumers, and the overall mobile showroom may differ in appearance and construction from that shown in the Figures. In addition, the functions of certain components could be performed by components of different construction but capable of a similar function. Accordingly, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments illustrated in the Figures. It should also be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed above are for the purpose of disclosing the illustrated embodiments, and do not necessarily serve as limitations to the scope of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the invention is to be limited only by the following claims.