Patent Publication Number: US-10306997-B2

Title: Product display apparatus

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional App. Ser. No. 62/574,733 filed on Oct. 19, 2017, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Retailers typically use on-shelf displays to present their products. As the retail landscape changes and business strategies evolve, an “open-sell” approach for creating a more accessible shopping environment has become increasingly desirable. On-shelf displays that can best fulfill the specific needs of the open-sell environment are important to such retailers. 
     The traditional custom build and manufacturing methods used for open-sell retailers are expensive and not sustainable. For example, metal husks that traditionally house open-sell systems are highly customized—requiring complex, expensive detailing, are heavy, difficult to install and sit in landfills at their end-of-life. The typical processes of gluing and taping unlike materials together as part of the test/merchandising systems mean that updates cannot be disassembled for recycling. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure generally relates to a product display chassis (apparatus) that allows open-sell shelves to be more sustainable, easier to update, yet flexible—requiring little customization to create the unique brand expression that is needed on-shelf. The display apparatus includes a base tray having a plurality of ribs coupled to the base tray. The plurality of ribs are usually angled upward from a rear of the base tray towards the front of the base tray. Each rib includes a slot defined therein and a front angled portion. The display apparatus further includes a merchandiser tray carrier coupled to the base tray via the ribs. A merchandiser tray is disposed over the merchandiser tray carrier. A rail is coupled to the ribs such that it is flush with the front angled portions of the ribs, thereby creating the top support for a tester tile system and defining an angle of display of product. A second rail with an angle defined and related to the rib&#39;s front angled portion is coupled to the front of the base tray, creating the bottom support for the tester tile system. 
     In another embodiment, a display apparatus is described as including a base tray having a plurality of ribs coupled to the base tray. The plurality of ribs are angled upward from a rear of the base tray towards a front of the base tray. Each of the plurality of ribs has a slot defined therein and a front angled portion. A merchandiser tray carrier is coupled to the base tray via the plurality of ribs. A merchandiser tray is disposed over the merchandiser tray carrier. A tester tile carrier is disposed over the base tray and adjacent to the merchandiser tray. The tester tile carrier has a tester tile coupled thereto. An angle measured from the a surface of the merchandiser tray and a surface of the tester tile is greater than 90 degrees. 
     Related methods of use of the display chassis are also described. The display chassis system may be completely hidden by custom brand decoration and acts as a feature-filled base structure that replaces hyper customized systems and heavy, complex metal husks. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of a product display chassis according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a perspective view of the product display chassis of  FIG. 1  with components removed and upper and lower rails detached. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a perspective view of the product display chassis of  FIG. 1  having a moveable tray. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a product display chassis according to the present disclosure having tester tiles. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a perspective view of a product display chassis having a possible configuration according to the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a perspective view of the product display chassis of  FIG. 6  having tester tiles and graphic inserts. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a support rib configuration for a product display chassis according to the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 8  illustrates an exemplary profile view of the upper rail shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 9  illustrates an exemplary profile view of the lower rail shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Various embodiments of a product display chassis, system and methods of using such a display chassis according to the present disclosure are described. It is to be understood, however, that the following explanation is merely exemplary in describing the devices and methods of the present disclosure. Accordingly, several modifications, changes and substitutions are contemplated. 
     A display chassis according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is denoted with reference numeral  10  in  FIG. 1 . The display chassis  10  includes a base tray  12  disposed at a lower portion of the product display chassis. The base tray  12  may be placed over a retailer&#39;s shelf (not shown) at a desired location within the store. An integrated locking mechanism may be used to align and couple the base tray with an adjacent base tray. 
     A decorative frame  16  may be disposed into a pair of rails (upper and lower rails  50 ,  60  shown in  FIG. 2 ) of the display chassis  10 . The upper and lower rails  50 ,  60  accept and locate a vac-form undercarriage insert  16  to support tested product or graphics. The display chassis  10  may include a moveable merchandiser tray  22  disposed on top of a merchandiser tray carrier  24 . The merchandiser tray  22  may be sectional, and each section of the merchandiser tray may include one or more sets of inserted dividers  26  for merchandising product. Various configurations of dividers  26  are contemplated such as the triple-stack embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 . Other configurations of dividers  26  may include double-stack or single-stack, singular, long or short. The dividers  26  may be used to organize, store and display product. In some embodiments, the dividers  26  inserted in the moveable merchandiser tray  22  can be pulled out from the merchandiser tray carrier  24  by retail store staff (as illustrated in  FIG. 3 ). In this way, the display chassis system  10  allows the staff to reorganize the dividers  26 , restock merchandise that has been placed into each section of the merchandiser tray  22 , or otherwise customize the merchandiser tray easily away from the confines of the shelf and then replace it. The merchandiser tray  22  further includes a back wall  28  that may be used for merchandised product but also to display product specific graphics. 
     As best shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , a plurality of ribs  30  may be used to support the merchandise tray carrier  24  within the display chassis  10 . The ribs  30  may be angled from rear to front to provide the desired angle for the merchandiser tray  22  within the display chassis  10 . The ribs  30  may be modified in height, angle and depth to allow for different configurations for the product display chassis  10  as will be further described.  FIG. 7  illustrates an exemplary rib  30  according to the present disclosure. The rib  30  includes a vertically extending frame portion  32  with a horizontally extending front base portion  34  and horizontally extending rear base portion  36  for supporting the rib within the display chassis  10 . The rib  30  further includes a support pad  38  which may include a partitioned front support pad portion  40 , a rear support pad portion  42  and a back wall  44 . The front of the frame portion  32  includes a slot  46  defined therein to accommodate a rail that may be snapped into the ribs  30  as will be described. A catch  48  is disposed adjacent to the slot  46  to thereby bias against the rail when it is snapped therein, to thereby retain the rail in position. The rib  30  further includes an angled front portion  49  adjacent to the slot  46 . The ribs  30  may slide into notches formed in the base tray  12  to thereby lock the ribs into place. 
     Referring again to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the merchandiser tray carrier  24  may be slid onto the ribs  30  and locked into place. Once the merchandiser tray carrier  24  is in place, the upper rail  50  may be inserted into the slots  46  defined in the ribs  30 .  FIG. 8  illustrates an exemplary profile of the upper rail  50 . The upper rail  50  includes a support portion  52  and a locking portion  54  depending downwardly from the support portion. A knob  56  is disposed at a distal end of the locking portion  54  for coupling to the slot  46  of the rib  30  described above with respect to  FIG. 7 . Similarly, referring to  FIGS. 3 and 9 , the lower rail  60  may be coupled to the base tray  12  via a slot for accommodating the lower rail. The lower rail  60  includes a pair of vertically extending legs  80 ,  82 , a horizontally extending portion  84  and an angled portion  86 . The angled portion  86  may have the same angle (e.g., relative to a horizontal axis) as the angled front portion of the rib  30 . 
     Referring again to  FIGS. 2, 8 and 9 , the upper and lower rails  50 ,  60  may have elongated bump-outs  62 ,  64 , respectively, for accommodating an undercarriage, such as a vac-form undercarriage that supports tester tiles  66  shown in  FIG. 4 . The upper rail  50  may further include a slotted cavity  68  to provide an alternative retention mechanism for decorative frames to be placed over the rails. The display chassis  10  is thus height and angle-adjusted using the ribs  30  described herein. That is, the ribs  30  may be adjusted in height, angle or depth to alter configurations for the display chassis  10 . When the upper rail  50  is coupled to the rib  30 , the support portion  52  is flush with the front angled portion  49  of the rib, thus defining an angle for tester tiles, product display and the like. The upper rail  50  cooperates with the lower rail  60  to define the angle for the product display. By modifying the height, angle of the angled front portion  49  or the depth of the rib, alternative display angles may be provided for the display chassis  10 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , a section of the merchandiser tray  22  is pulled partially out of the merchandiser tray carrier  24 . Such an arrangement allows for retailer staff to reorganize dividers  26  and merchandise being held within. A staff member may place custom graphics on the back wall  28  of the merchandiser tray  22  to influence the display&#39;s color and enhance customer notice of the brand associated with the displayed product. The back wall  28  can be repositioned forward and back by retail staff to accommodate product depth using slots  70 . In an embodiment, each section of the merchandiser tray  22  is approximately 12 inches in width. Of course, other dimensions are contemplated. In an embodiment, each section of the merchandiser tray  22  may be tilted about an edge of the merchandiser tray carrier  24 . In an embodiment, the merchandiser tray  22  may be molded in custom colors as desired by the retailer. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the display chassis  10  has been modified to have an alternative configuration. The display chassis  10  of this embodiment has a base frame  74 . Rather than presenting product (such as tester tiles  76 ) at a downward angle to a customer, the base frame  74  accommodates the tester tiles  76  in a substantially horizontal orientation. 
     In an embodiment, the display chassis  10  described herein may be lightweight and minimalist, and produced from an injection mold process. The display chassis  10  may also be made from recycled and recyclable material to reduce shipping cost and environmental footprint. Further, the display chassis  10  is flexible. That is, the angle and location of the merchandiser tray  22  can change, and in relation, the angle and depth of the tester tile system can change. This allows for custom looks for brands without the bespoke customization of a singular display. The display chassis  10  can be decorated once in place via built-in features in the rails  50  and  60  and base tray  12 . For example, custom frames and slide-on information/brand tickets may be applied. When the display chassis  10  is in use on display on a shelf, the display chassis  10  may be completely hidden by the brand skin or custom brand decoration of the user. 
     It is to be appreciated that the display chassis  10  includes various alternative configurations. In some configurations, the angle between the surface of the merchandiser tray  24  and the surface of the frame or tester tile is greater than 90 degrees. In some configurations, the angle between the surface of the merchandiser tray  24  and the surface of the frame or tester tile is greater than 180 degrees. 
     While various implementations in accordance with the disclosed principles have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and are not limiting. Thus, the breadth and scope of the implementations should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary implementations, but should be defined only in accordance with the claims and their equivalents issuing from this disclosure. Furthermore, the above advantages and features are provided in described implementations, but shall not limit the application of such issued claims to processes and structures accomplishing any or all of the above advantages. 
     Additionally, the section headings herein are provided for consistency with the suggestions under 37 C.F.R. 1.77 or otherwise to provide organizational cues. These headings shall not limit or characterize the implementations set out in any claims that may issue from this disclosure. Specifically and by way of example, although the headings refer to a “Background,” the discussion therein is not to be construed as an admission that technology is prior art to any implementations in this disclosure. Neither is the “Summary” to be considered as a characterization of the implementations set forth in issued claims. Furthermore, any reference in this disclosure to “implementation” in the singular should not be used to argue that there is only a single point of novelty in this disclosure. Multiple implementations may be set forth according to the limitations of the multiple claims issuing from this disclosure, and such claims accordingly define the implementations, and their equivalents, that are protected thereby. In all instances, the scope of such claims shall be considered on their own merits in light of this disclosure, but should not be constrained by the headings herein. 
     Lastly, although similar reference numbers may be used to refer to similar elements for convenience, it can be appreciated that each of the various example implementations may be considered distinct variations.