Patent Publication Number: US-5255796-A

Title: Eyeglasses supporting assembly

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     As typified by the disclosures of U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,884,357, 5,056,668, and 5,100,006, customer self-service retailing of dual-lensees eyeglasses (including frames therefor) entails an upright display-panel provided with horizontally extending supporting-bars upon which removably rest eyeglasses and/or frames for the customer to retrieve and replace during customer evaluation thereof. The retailing modes disclosed in these prior Patents suffer from various disadvantages and deficiencies including, iner-alia: inability to reliably support eyeglasses and frames thereupon in readily merchandiseable form; inability to re-accommodate thereupon eyeglasses and frames evaluated, but rejected, by the self-service customer; inability to efficiently utilize the available upright area of the display-panel; and inability to economically manufacture the inter-dependent upright-display-panel and cooperating supporting-bars for the eyeglasses and/or frames. 
     GENERAL OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     It is accordingly the general object of the present invention to provide eyeglasses supporting assemblies for the self-service merchandising of dual-lenses eyeglasses and frames therefor, and which are not fraught with the disadvantages and deficiencies associated with self-service retailing eyeglasses supporting assemblies of the prior art. 
     GENERAL STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION 
     With the above general objectives in view, and together with other related and ancillary objectives which will become more apparent as this description proceeds, the eyeglasses supporting assembly of the present invention is connectably locatable at and horizontally extendable away from one or more vertically-aligned positions of an upright retailing display-panel and generally comprises: a rearwardly positioned connector means to the display-panel, such as an upright shoulder adapted to removably engage a vertically-slotted portion of the upright display-panel: extending horizontally forwardly from a lower portion of the connector means and along a vertical-plane, a supporting-bar having a forward-end and a horizontal upper-side laterally flanking said vertical-plane and adapted to removably support dual-lenses eyeglasses (or frames therefor) thereupon, and a laterally narrower lower-side, said supporting-bar upper-side being preferably forwardly provided with a concave depression, and said supporting-bar lower-side being preferably forwardly provided with a downward-lobe; and a horizontal steadying-bar extending sufficiently broadly laterally bi-directionally to flank the supporting-bar horizontal upper-side therebeneath. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     In the drawing, wherein like characters refer to like parts in the several views, and in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a represenative embodiment (10) of the &#34;eyeglasses supporting assembly&#34; of the present invention and having a connector means portion (20) for removable attachment to an upright display-panel (8). FIG. 1 also indicates that a plurality of closely-neighboring and vertically-aligned &#34;eyeglasses supporting assemblies&#34; might be advantageously employed along an upright retailing display-panel (8); 
     FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the FIG. 1 representative embodiment (10); 
     FIG. 3 is a rearward elevational as seen along lines 3--3 of FIGS. 1 and 2; and 
     FIG. 4 is a forward elevational view as seen along lines 4--4 of FIGS. 1 and 2. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     The eyeglasses supporting assembly concept of the present invention generally comprises: a rearwardly positioned connector means (20) for connecting said assembly to a selectable upright retailing display-panel (8); extending integrally horizontally forwardly from a lower portion of the connector means (20), a horizontal supporting-bar (30) having a rearward-end (31) and a forward-end (30F), having a horizontal lower-side (36), and also having a horizontal upper-side (32) adapted to removably support along the length thereof a plurality of dual-lenses eyeglasses (or frames therefor); and extending integrally horizontally forwardly from an upper portion of a said connector means (20), a horizontal steadying-bar (40) loftily overlying said supporting-bar and for topically steadying the eyeglasses or frames (50) resting upon the underlying supporting-bar (30). All three components (20, 30, 40) might be singularly constructed throughout, such as, for example, of a moldable resinous material (e.g. polycarbonate, or similar resinous material). 
     In the preferred eyeglasses or frames supporting assembly embodiment 10, the connector means preferably takes the form of an upright shoulder 20 lying along a vertical-plane 10A, said shoulder 20 being removably securely insertable through a vertical-slot 9 of a said slotted type display-panel 8. Moreover, such type display-panel 8 is desireably efficiently provided with a plurality of closely vertically neighboring vertically-elongated slotted portions 9. 
     For said embodiment 10, the preferred supporting-bar 30 also lies along said vertical-plane 10A, and has a horizontal upper-side 32 which directionally laterally flanks the supporting-bar lower-side 36. Supporting-bar upper-side 32 is desireably forwardly provided with a concave depression 33 that tends to prevent the retailable item (50) from falling-off its forward-end 30F. The supporting-bar lower-side 36 is desireably forwardly provided with a downward-lobe 37. In the latter regard, when a plurality of eyeglasses supporting assemblies (10) are efficiently utilized in closely neighboring vertical spacings (e.g. 9) of a display-panel, the downward-lobes 37 substantially meet the steadying-bars 40 therebeneath. Each of these very small-gaps (G) between neighboring overlying assemblies (10) ensure that a self-service customer will correctly replace an empirically rejected pair of eyeglasses or frames (50) upon a supporting-bar upper-side 32, rather than incorrectly upon a steadying-bar 40. 
     For said embodiment 10, the steadying-bar desireably extends sufficiently bi-directionally laterally from said vertical-plane 10A to broadly flank the supporting-bar upper-side 32. 
     From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the eyeglasses and frames supporting assembly of the present invention will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.