Patent Publication Number: US-7219806-B1

Title: Product display apparatus

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/553,085 filed on Mar. 15, 2004 and entitled “Pull-out Merchandising Hook”, the content of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates generally to the field of product display systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to a retail display system for displaying a number of hanging products and/or packages. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present retail environment utilizes a number of display systems for storing and displaying different products. One common method is the use of a display hook. Such display hooks require a mounting member for mounting the display hook to a peg board or display bar such that the display hook extends substantially horizontally from the mounting member. Products are packaged or configured to have a hanging hook or a punctured hole in them to allow a number of products to be displayed from a single display hook. A purchaser may then slide the foremost product from a hook such that the following product will then be displayed on the hook. 
   A problem with such prior art display devices occurs where products may have a short shelf life, such as in the case of perishable items such as food products. Such products often contain an expiration date before which the product must be sold. It is therefore preferable that the product with the earliest expiration date or the product that has been on display the longest be sold first to ensure freshness. Such sales preference is commonly referred to as a first in, first out (FIFO) inventory process, such that the freshness of goods and products are maximized. In order to achieve this, the first in product, or oldest product, is put at the front section of the product display so that it is most easily accessible to consumers. The newest product, therefore, must be loaded at the back of the product display where it is less accessible. This is a burden to retailers because traditionally all product in the front section must be removed to refill the back section of the shelf with the newest product while keeping the oldest products in front. Even with packaging that has a hook-like hanger for easy placement at any position on a product displaying hook, it is difficult to access the back of the display because adjacent products tend to block access thereto. Thus, the front most product must still be removed from the peg hook in order to put the newest product in the back section and the oldest product in the front section. 
   An object of the present invention is to provide a system for easy product placement on a product display device without requiring the front product to be removed there from. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides a product display apparatus comprising a mounting member for securing the apparatus to a peg board wall or, alternatively, to a display bar for display in a retail environment. A support member extends outwardly and substantially horizontally from the mounting member. A product display device is slidably coupled to the support member by a slidable engagement mechanism. The product display device is able to extend outwardly with respect to the support member to allow easy access to the rear section of the product display hook. New products may then be easily placed in the rear section, leaving existing products in the front portion of the product display device. The product display device may then be slidably returned to the display orientation and locked in place by a locking mechanism that secures the mounting member to the slidable engagement mechanism. 
   In another embodiment, a transverse member extends between the slidable engagement mechanism of more than one product display apparatus such that any number of additional product display devices may be coupled to the transverse member, allowing a number of product display devices to be simultaneously slidably extended for loading of new product and slidably returned to a display configuration. 
   In yet another embodiment, a product display apparatus provides a support member with a display basket slidably suspended from a corresponding slidable engagement mechanisms. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 1A  is a magnified view of the mounting member from  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 1B  is a magnified view of the slidable engagement mechanism from  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2A  is a cut-away view of the locking mechanism from the embodiment from  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 3  is a third embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is a fourth embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 5  is an embodiment of a product for use with the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1  shows a first embodiment of a product display apparatus  10  in accordance with the present invention. A mounting member  12  is shown having a mounting portion  14  for use with a bar display assembly  16 . 
   As shown in more detail in  FIG. 1A , the mounting portion  14  has a front brace  20  and back brace  22  connected to each other by a top brace  24  that is configured to extend over the bar display  16 . Mounting portion  14  may include one or more apertures  26  in front brace  20  for optionally receiving a positioning device (not shown) therethrough and into respective apertures in bar display  16  for positioning product display apparatus  10  in a secured location along bar display  16 . The mounting portion, alternatively, may be configured to mount on a peg board display assembly or any other mounting portion common to a retail display apparatus. 
   A guide device  30  operably extends substantially horizontally from mounting member  12  in a direction substantially perpendicular to bar display  16 . In some embodiments, guide device  30  extends from a support floor  32  of the mounting member  12 . The guide device  30  may preferably comprise a pair of parallel extension arms  34 ,  36  that extend from a first, proximal end  38  of guide device  30  to a second, distal end  40 , thereof. As shown, the second end  40  of the guide device  30  may further include an information panel  42  disposed thereat on which to provide pricing and product information. 
   As shown in  FIG. 1  and in more detail in  FIG. 1B , a slidable engagement mechanism  44  is slidably coupled to the guide device  30 . The slidable engagement mechanism  44  comprises a first and second upright structures  46 ,  48 , respectively, each having an aperture  50 ,  52  for slidably receiving the guide device  30  therethrough, and a base structure  54  extending between and couples together first and second upright structures  46 ,  48 . In some embodiments the first upright structure  46  may have a hooked portion  58  that may operably engage with an aperture  28  of mounting member  12  for removably securing slidable engagement mechanism  44  to mounting member  12 . Such an engagement is accomplished by slightly angling the slidable engagement mechanism  44  to allow the hooked portion  58  to extend into aperture  28 . 
   Other embodiments of a slidable engagement mechanism are contemplated for use with the present invention that carry a similar function to achieve similar results as illustrated in more detail with reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
   Product support member  56  is preferably suspended from, slidable engagement mechanism  44  and is therefore coupled to guide device  30 . The product support member  56  is defined by a substantially horizontally extending elongated product hook  60  which extends in a substantially parallel relationship to the guide device  30 . A first, proximal end  62  may be curved or angled to connect to slidable engagement mechanism  44 . The second, distal end  64  of the product support member  56  may also have an upward hook  66  to maintain products thereon and prevent products from being unintentionally removed from the product support member  56 . 
     FIG. 5  shows a product  500  for use with the present invention. The product  500  packaging includes a hook portion  502  for hanging the product  500  on the product support member  56 . The hook  502  may be stamped into the product packaging, such as at an upper portion of the product  500 , or may be a separate component  504  that is secured to the product  500  (as shown in  FIG. 5 ). The hook  502  may define a slot  506  which may be angled or j-shaped or any other configuration that allows the product to be displayed from the product support member  56  by sliding hook  502  over the product support member  56  such that the product support member  56  is received within the slot  506 . 
   In use, the product support member  56  may be movably manipulated in conjunction with slidable engagement mechanism  44  to a fully extended orientation where product  500  may then be easily loaded or unloaded from the product support member  56 . In such configuration, a user is easily able to add fresh product adjacent to the proximal end  62  of the product support member  56  and leave existing product adjacent to distal end  64  of the product support member  56 . Once product  500  has been placed on the product support member  56  as desired the product support member  56  may be moved to a display orientation adjacent the bar display assembly  16 , such that the slidable engagement mechanism  44  may be engaged with the mounting member  12 . Consumers are then likely to access product at the front portion  64  of the product display apparatus  10 . 
     FIG. 2  shows another embodiment of the present invention wherein the guide device  100  may be a single member having a top panel  104  and a pair of opposing side panels  106 ,  108  with guide arms  110 ,  112  extending inwardly from respective lower edges  107 ,  109  of side panels  106 ,  108  so as to define collectively channel  102  therebetween. 
   The guide device  100  operably extends substantially horizontally from the mounting member  114 , shown in more detail in  FIG. 2B . The mounting member  114  has a first mounting plate  190  and a second mounting plate  192  each having a respective aperture  194 ,  196  which, when mounted, are in axial alignment with each other. Each mounting plate  190 ,  192  additionally has one or more mounting hooks  191 ,  193  which allow the mounting plates  190 ,  192  to attach to a peg board (not shown) by tilting the mounting hooks  191 ,  193  into corresponding receiving hooks (not shown) on a peg board. The mounting member  114  is secured to a peg board such as by receiving a positioning device  198  through the apertures  194 ,  196  and through a correspondingly aligned aperture of a peg board (not shown). A locking member  199 , shown as a wing nut in  FIG. 2B , is used to lock the mounting member  114  to the peg board and provide support thereto. The mounting member  114  may be alternatively configured to mount to a display bar as shown and as discussed with reference to  FIG. 1  or any other suitable mounting configuration. 
   The slidable engagement mechanism  120  is configured to be suspended from the guide device  100 . In this embodiment, the slidable engagement mechanism  120  preferably has a pair of extensions  124 ,  126  that are slidably received within the channel  102  in juxtaposition with guide arms  110 ,  112 , such that the extensions  124 ,  126  are maintained in a slidably coupled relationship with guide arms  110 ,  112 . The slidable engagement mechanism  120  slidably couples the product support member  128  to the guide member  100 . The product support member  128  is preferably an elongated hook and, once again, extends substantially parallel to the guide member  100  and may be slidably extended outwardly for loading of product thereon, and may be slidably extended inwardly for display to consumers. 
   The guide member  100  further includes a hook portion  140  that operably extends vertically with respect to the horizontally extending extensions  124 ,  126 . 
   As shown in more detail with respect to  FIG. 2A , the proximal, first end  116  of the channel  102  may include a locking mechanism  118  for locking the slidable engagement mechanism  120  thereto when the product display apparatus  10 ′ is oriented for display to consumers. In the present embodiment, the locking mechanism  118  may be a detent  122  in the top panel  104 , which detent  122  is defined by an aperture in the present embodiment. The detent  122  is configured to operably receive the hook portion  140  of the slidable engagement mechanism  120  in order to lock the slidable engagement mechanism  120  in a display orientation with respect to the guide member  100 . The slidable engagement mechanism  120  may be disengaged from the locking mechanism  118  by angling the product support member  128  upwardly causing the hook portion  140  to be pivotably removed from the locking mechanism  118 . The slidable engagement mechanism  118  is then able to slide within the channel  102  of the guide member  110 . 
   Returning now to  FIG. 2 , the distal, second end  119  of the channel  102  has a downwardly extending hook portion  142  which acts as a second locking mechanism  144 . The downwardly extending hook portion  142  provides a positive stop by engaging the hook portion  140  of the slidable engagement mechanism  118  and preventing the slidable engagement mechanism  118  from sliding beyond the distal end  119  of the channel  102 . 
     FIG. 3  shows a third embodiment of the present invention wherein a plurality of guide devices  200 ,  202  allow a plurality of interconnected product support members  204 ,  205   206 ,  207  to be extended simultaneously. A transverse member  210  extends at least from a first guide device  200  to a second guide device  202 . The transverse member  210  is preferably coupled to the respective slidable engagement mechanisms  212 ,  214  of each of the first and second guide devices  200 ,  202  such that any number of additional product support members may also extend outwardly from the transverse member  210 . As shown, two additional product support members  205 ,  207  extend from the transverse member  210 , as supported from the guide devices  200 ,  202 . 
     FIG. 4  shows yet another embodiment of the present invention. A product support mechanism  300  is shown, having a mounting member  304  and a guide device  308 . A basket  312  having opposing side panels  314 ,  316  and a back panel  315  is slidably coupled to the guide device  308  by a slidable coupling mechanisms  318  that allow the basket  312  to slidably extend outwardly from the guide members  308  for loading of new product, and to slidably return to a display configuration wherein the basket is reversibly locked in position such that the back panel  315  of the basket  312  is adjacent the mounting member  304 . 
   As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , it is contemplated within the scope of the present invention that any other suitable product support members may be used in place of or in addition to the elongated product hooks. It is further contemplated that the basket  312  could act as the transverse member  210  shown in reference to  FIG. 3  such that the pair of guide devices  200 ,  202  could be used to support the basket  312 . 
   It is understood that the embodiments of the present invention are illustrative of the present invention and not intended to be limiting. For example, it is contemplated that the various product support members disclosed herein or falling within the scope and spirit of the present invention may be coupled to any number of guide devices disclosed herein or falling within the scope and spirit of the present invention.