Abstract:
A device for the support and display of merchandise. The device includes a base, a front panel, rear panel and a pair of side panels the latter extending between the front and back panels and connected to the base to create an inner volume. A series of perforations are formed within each side panel. The perforations are configured such that elements of each side panel are selectively extendible within the inner volume.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention deals with a device and method of using it for support and display of merchandise to insure that as units of merchandise are being sold, the remaining unsold units remain properly displayed. Through the use of the present invention, units of merchandise remain oriented in a substantially parallel vertically extending relationship to one another as the display is depleted. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Oftentimes, products to be sold at retail, and particularly high volume low cost items, are shipped to retailers in packaging intended to be placed directly upon a retailer&#39;s shelf for presentation to customers. In turning to  FIG. 1A , stacked items such as prepackaged goods referred to as merchandise units  11   a,    11   b,    11   c,    11   d,    11   e,  etc. are tightly stacked within merchandiser  10 , the merchandiser having a base  12 , front panel  13 , rear panel  14 , and side panels; only side panel  15  being depicted in  FIG. 1A . Identifying labeling is prepositioned on front panel  13  which may also include suitable bat codes and other indicia enabling the retailer to simply remove merchandiser  10  from its shipping container, followed by placing the assembly directly upon a store shelf. This minimizes labor costs and proves to be an effective way of appropriately displaying merchandise for sale. 
         [0003]    Although merchandise units tightly fitted within the inner volume of merchandiser  10  present the appropriate visual appearance ( FIG. 1A ), displays of this nature become less attractive as merchandise units are removed from merchandiser  10 . As noted in  FIG. 1B , as the merchandise units closest to front panel  13  are withdrawn, unsold merchandise units  11   a,    11   b,    11   c,    11   d  and  11   e  fall forward within merchandiser  10  resulting in an unattractive, poor visual presentation to the consumer. 
         [0004]    There are merchandisers that contain permanent slots that support merchandise units and maintain their appropriate orientations. However, permanent slots reduce the usable inner volume of the merchandiser resulting in fewer numbers of merchandise units capable of being nested within the appropriate inner volume  16  during shipment and storage. They also cannot be used to support and display merchandise that is not structurally rigid and are composed of structural, usually cardboard, elements that are more extensive than required of the present invention. 
         [0005]    Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a merchandiser which enables a user to maximize stacking density during manufacture and shipment to the appropriate warehouse and retail establishment. 
         [0006]    It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a merchandiser which can selectively orient merchandise therein when packing densities are reduced through the removal of merchandise units there from. 
         [0007]    These and further objects will be more readily apparent when considering the following disclosure and appended claims. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    A device for the support and display of merchandise. The device includes a base, a font panel, rear panel and a pair of side panels the latter extending between the front and back panels and connected to the base to create an inner volume. A series of perforations are formed within each side panel. The perforations are configured such that elements of each side panel are selectively extendible within the inner volume. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0009]      FIG. 1A  is a side plan view of a merchandiser of the prior art having a plurality of merchandise units 
           [0010]      FIG. 1B  is a side cross sectional view of the merchandiser of  FIG. 1A  after some of its merchandise units have been removed. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2A  is a side plan view of the merchandiser of the present invention in a first orientation. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2B  is a side plan view of the merchandiser of  FIG. 2A  in a second orientation. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a top down view of the merchandiser of the present invention devoid of merchandise units. 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the merchandiser of  FIG. 2B . 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a top perspective view of a further embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIGS. 6 and 7  are top perspective views of the embodiment of  FIG. 5  having merchandise supported therein. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0017]    Novel features which are characteristic of the invention, as to organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof will be better understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for illustration description only and are not intended as definitions of the limits of the invention. The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are recited with particularity in the claims. 
         [0018]    There has been broadly outlined more important features of the invention in the summary above and in order that the detailed description which follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form additional subject matter of the claims appended hereto. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based readily may be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important therefore, that claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
         [0019]    Certain terminology and the derivations thereof may be used in the following description for convenience and reference only, and will not be limiting. For example, words such as “upward,” “downward,” “left,” and “right” refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made unless otherwise stated. Similar words such as “inward” and “outward” refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of a device or area and designated parts thereof. Reference in the singular tense include the plural and vice versa, unless otherwise noted. 
         [0020]    Turning to  FIGS. 2A through 4 , the merchandiser of the present invention can be visualized to assist in one&#39;s understanding of its functionality. 
         [0021]    In reference to  FIG. 2A , merchandise units  11   a - 11   e,  etc., are shown to be tightly packed within internal volume  30  ( FIG. 3 ) much like the arrangement of  FIG. 1A . Because the merchandise units are tightly packed within internal volume  30  behind front panel  31  and in front of rear panel  32  and residing upon base  33  and between side panels  34  and  35  there is no particular need for the present invention. However, to avoid the haphazard look of  FIG. 1B , perforations  21   a,    21   b,    21   c,  etc., are configured within side panels  34  and  35  for use as needed. 
         [0022]    Turning to  FIG. 2B , it is noted that merchandise units for ward of units  11   a,    11   b,    11   c,    11   d  and  11   e  have been removed from internal volume  30  generally by consumers who select the forward most merchandise unit, closest to front panel  31  at point of purchase. In doing so, to avoid the poor visual presentation of  FIG. 1B , that is, to avoid the merchandise units from haphazardly falling forward, perforations in side walls  34  and  35  can be selectively extendible within volume  30 . In doing so, the remaining merchandise units  11   a,    11   b,    11   c,    11   d,  and  11   e  remain upright extending orthogonally from base  33  thus providing to the consumer the appropriate visual appearance. 
         [0023]    It is noted that, again, in turning to  FIG. 2B , only perforations  22   a - 22   e  are caused to extend within inner volume  30  for those are the only elements necessary to maintain the remaining merchandise units properly oriented. However, any number of elements within side panels  34  and  35  can be pressed to extend within inner volume  30  as shown as elements  35   a - i  from side panel  34  and  36   a - i  from side panel  35 . Similarly, as shown in  FIG. 4 , although only merchandise units  11   a - 11   e  need to be retained in their appropriate upright orientations, all of the elements of  FIG. 3  can extend within inner volume  30  at the discretion of the user. Oftentimes this is done to enable merchandise units  11   a - 11   e  to move forward proximate front panel  31  to enhance product positioning on the retailer shelf. 
         [0024]    When reviewing all of the figures as a group, certain characteristics of the present invention become quite apparent. Firstly, because the perforated elements need not be pressed to extend within inner volume  30 , merchandise unit packing can be most efficient not requiring spacers which unduly occupy inner volume  30  unless needed. Secondly, elements can be caused to extend within inner volume  30  selectively. Although not shown, it should be readily apparent that the elements can easily be extended by simply asserting one&#39;s thumb or forefinger at the appropriate perforation which pushes the perforated portion of the side wall selectively within inner volume  30 . Similarly, these same elements can be pushed back to be flush with the side wall when they are no longer necessary. Thus, merchandiser  20  can be used repeatedly for a variety of applications further noting that when merchandise units vary in thickness, alternate perforations can be pressed to extend within inner volume  30  to account for such variation. 
         [0025]    As preferred embodiments, it is noted that front panel  31 , back panel  32  and side panels  34  and  35  extend orthogonally from base  33 . Further, font panel  31  is generally smaller than back panel  32  such that top edges  27  and  28  slope upwardly and away from base  33  as side panels extend from front panel  31  to back panel  32 . As noted by reference to the various figures, perforations  21   a,    21   b,    21   c,  etc. are shown as a preferred non-limiting embodiment being spaced from top edges  27  to  28  consistently from perforation to perforation. This need not be the case, however. As a further preferred, non-limiting embodiment, it is shown in  FIG. 3  that the number of perforations can be the same on each of side panel which may or may not be evenly spaced from perforation to perforation. 
         [0026]    Reference is next made to  FIG. 5 . As noted previously, the examples illustrated in the previous figures all depicted merchandisers having an equal number of perforations on opposite side panels perhaps best depicted in  FIG. 3 . However, this need not be the case. In this regard, it is noted in  FIG. 5  that merchandiser  50  has, on its left side panel, three perforations resulting in inwardly extending elements  51 ,  52  and  53  while right side panel is provided with two perforations resulting in inwardly extending elements  54  and  55 . 
         [0027]    The embodiment of  FIG. 5  is interesting in several regards. First of all, it reinforces the recognition that the present invention need not have an equal number of perforations on each opposing side panel. Secondly, in turning to  FIG. 6 , when dealing with merchandise which is irregularly shaped it can be a benefit to have unevenly spaced and oddly numbered perforations to best accommodate such objects. In  FIG. 6 , a folded carpet scratcher  55  which is typically sold to cat owners, is shown as containing folded fabric connected by a cardboard sleeve  43 . When folded, a v-shaped cross section is established with the “v” portion  41  facing to the left and the open portion  42  facing to the right. Because portion  42  occupies more space than portion  41 , such an object can be more readily accommodated by merchandiser  50  whereby inwardly extending element  54  is spaced further from back wall  44  than is inwardly extending element  51 . 
         [0028]    Finally,  FIG. 7  is shown in which folded scratcher elements  56 ,  57 ,  58 ,  59  and  60  are supported by merchandiser  50  presenting a clean, uniform display to a consumer. There is no corresponding merchandiser available today which could accommodate such oddly shaped “soft” products in such an esthetically pleasing presentation as depicted herein. 
         [0029]    The above disclosure is sufficient to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to practice the invention, and provides the best mode of practicing the invention presently contemplated by the inventor. While there is provided herein a full and complete disclosure of the preferred embodiments of the invention, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction, dimensions, relationships, or operations as described. Various modifications, alternative constructions, changes and equivalents will readily occur to those skilled in the art and may be employed as suitable without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. Such changes might involve alternative materials, components, structural arrangements, sizes, shapes, forms, functions, operational features or the like. 
         [0030]    Therefore, the above description and illustration should not be considered as limiting the scope of the invention, which is defined by the appended claims.