Patent Publication Number: US-9412286-B2

Title: Fastening arrangement for an electronic price label

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to electronic price label systems. The invention relates more particularly to a fastening arrangement for an electronic price label. 
     According to one embodiment of the invention the fastening arrangement according to the invention can be used e.g. in various electronic price labels that are provided with an electronic display. These types of displays comprise e.g. electronic displays for showing the price information of products and other product information in retail stores and warehouses. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Conventionally the price information of price labels is changed manually when the price of a product changes. New price labels are printed onto paper or onto a corresponding material and these labels, with their new price markings, are manually disposed in locations reserved on shelves in sales premises. Consequently, an employee must first find the correct location for the price label to be updated, after which the previous price label is removed and discarded and the new price label is placed into position. One drawback, among others, in this arrangement is that the arrangement is very laborious and the risk of errors is high. In the case of an error, e.g. a situation can arise in which the price information of a price label on the shelves is at variance with the price information of the checkout system. 
     In order to avoid the drawbacks described above, electronic systems have been developed wherein electronic price labels and the electronic displays of them are placed on the front edge of shelves or above them near the products, wherein the price information of the products can be changed centrally from the control center or corresponding of the system. This enables and significantly speeds up the updating of price information. The information on the displays can be updated in a wireline or wireless manner, depending on the system. 
     Known from publication WO 2009/103857A1 is a system in which wireless electronic price labels are used. The properties of the wireless, layer-structured, electronic price labels presented in the publication are excellent. Some situations have arisen, however, in which a price label has not remained in the holder in the desired manner owing to external factors. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The aim of the invention is to reduce the aforementioned problems and to simultaneously enable an inexpensive and reliable fastening arrangement for an electronic price label. 
     The invention is based on a concept, wherein an electronic price label is locked in relation to the holder of the price label with a fastening means, which extends through the wall of the holder from the first side of it to the second side and onwards through the outer surface of the electronic price label into the price label. 
     The fastening arrangement according to the invention is characterized by what is stated in claim  1 . 
     The embodiments of the fastening arrangement according to the invention are characterized by what is stated in claims  2 - 9 . 
     The solution according to the invention has a number of important advantages. It has been unexpectedly observed that in the fastening arrangement for an electronic price label a fastening means can be applied for locking the price label in relation to the holder, which fastening means can at its simplest be pressed through the wall of the holder into the electronic price label. Since an electronic price label is a complex laminated layer structure, which can easily become defective due to the fastening means being arranged in the wrong point, the fastening point of it is preferably marked on the electronic price label. By using in the price label a prefabricated fastening point, comprising e.g. a cutting or countersinking or bore for the fastening means, the locking between the fastening means and the price label can be improved. By forming the tip of the fastening means to be tapering, even sharp, the penetration properties of the fastening means can be improved. In connection with pre-boring or countersinking, a blunt fastening means according to an embodiment of the invention can be used. Preferably an aperture can be formed in the wall of the holder for the fastening means in a suitable location, in which case the fastening point of the electronic price label and the aperture of the holder are most preferably face-to-face. The fastening point of the electronic price label is preferably formed in the rear surface of it, i.e. in the surface facing away from the display direction. In this case the fastening means remains behind the electronic price label concealed when seen from the ordinary main direction of viewing it. By arranging the holder to comprise a folding point or hinging between the fastening part of the holder and the holder part of the electronic price label, an installation position that facilitates placement of the fastening means is achieved for the holder. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       In the following, the invention will be described in more detail by the aid of an example of its embodiment with reference to the attached drawings, wherein 
         FIG. 1  presents a simplified electronic price label according to one embodiment of the invention from in front of the fastening arrangement, 
         FIG. 2  presents a cross-section of an embodiment of the invention along the line II-II of  FIG. 1 , 
         FIG. 3  presents a cross-section of an embodiment of the invention in the installation position of the fastening means, 
         FIG. 4  presents a cross-section of an embodiment of the invention before the installation of the fastening means, 
         FIG. 5  presents a detail of an embodiment of the invention, 
         FIG. 6  presents a cross-section of a second embodiment of the invention, and 
         FIG. 7  presents a detail of the embodiment of a fastening means according to  FIG. 6 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  presents a diagrammatic and simplified front view of the combination of an electronic price label  1  according to the invention and its holder  2 . The electronic price label, which is typically a laminate display, is arranged to display the price information and product information of a product, said product information including, inter alia, the name of the product and possibly other information relating to the product. 
     Each electronic laminate display, briefly a display, forms a thin price label, which is provided with display segments or with pixels and which resembles a price label of paper, on which display the required prices of products and other necessary symbols are formed by changing the colors of the segments or pixels of an essentially dichromatic display. 
     One layer of the display is e.g. an active ink layer. The ink layer contains a number of microcapsules, which are filled with a liquid and which contain e.g. essentially black particles, which have a positive surface charge and the location of which is controlled with an electrical field such that in the desired display segments the black particles are on, wherein the aforementioned display segment appears black when it is viewed from above, and in the other display segments white particles are on, wherein these display segments appear white when viewed from above. The background of the display is formed from the same microcapsules, in which e.g. price information can be displayed as dark numbers against a light background or, if so desired, vice versa. This type of display, which is used, can be an electrophoretic microcapsule display laminate described e.g. in Finnish patent application FI 20050192. Displays have been further developed and publication WO2009/103857A1 presents one electronic price label, the locking of which in relation to the holder can be arranged according to the present invention. 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  present a fastening arrangement for an electronic price label  1 , more particularly a shelf label, according to the invention. The electronic price label  1 , which is referred to hereinafter with just the word “label”, is arranged in a holder  2 . The price label comprises a display  100 , which is provided with display segments or with pixels and which resembles a price label of paper, on which display the required prices of products and other necessary symbols are formed by changing the colors of the segments or pixels of an essentially dichromatic display. In the embodiment of the figures the holder has a profile shape, more particularly a C-profile shape, in which case the label  1  is arranged into the space between the top part  23  and bottom part  24  of the profile, which parts are connected by a wall  22 . In the figure, the fastening part  5  of the holder also has a profile shape, more particularly a C-profile, which is arranged back-to-back with the C-profile of the holder. 
     In the fastening arrangement for an electronic price label according to the invention, which fastening arrangement comprises a holder  2 , into which the electronic price label  1  is placed, the holder can in turn be fastened onto an installation point, such as onto the edge of a shelf. In the fastening arrangement the electronic price label  1  is locked in relation to the holder  2  with a fastening means  10 , which extends through the wall  22  of the holder  2  from the first side of the wall to the second side of the wall and onwards into the electronic price label  1 . 
     In the embodiment of  FIGS. 2-5  the fastening means  10  comprises a head part  14  and stem part  12 , which stem part extends in the fastening position from the head part  14  through the wall  22  of the holder from the first side of it to the second side and onwards into the electronic price label  1 . 
     The fastening means  10  is configured to penetrate the wall  15  of the price label  1 . The wall  15  of the price label  1  in the figure is the wall on the side of the wall  22  of the holder. 
     According to one embodiment the placement point, from where the fastening means is pressed through the wall  15  of the price label, is marked on the wall  15  of the electronic price label  1 . The placement point can be marked, e.g. by marking with printing ink, by painting, by printing, or by making in the wall a pre-cutting or perforation in the placement point. 
     According to one embodiment a detent part  11  is arranged on the stem part  12  of the fastening means  10 . The detent part  11  is arranged to hold the fastening means  10  in relation to the price label in the fastening position. 
     The detent part  11  according to the embodiment presented in  FIGS. 2 and 5  is a protuberance formed on the stem part  12  of the fastening means  10 . The fastening means  10  or at least the detent part  11  can be material that is to some extent compressible, in which case the detent part compresses to some extent when placing it into the locking position from the aperture  9  of the holder and/or into the wall  15  of the price label. The detent part is in the fastening position,  FIGS. 2, 3, 5 , arranged at such a distance from the head part  14  of the fastening means  10  that in the fastening position it is on a different side of the wall  22  of the holder  2  than the head part  14 . According to one embodiment in the fastening position the detent part  11  is inside, at least partly, the price label with respect to the plane of the wall  15  of the price label  1 . 
     On the other hand the fastening means can be formed as a stud part, in which case it is intended to penetrate at least the wall of the price label when arranging it into the locking position. The opposite section  13  of the stem part  12  of the fastening means with respect to the head part  14 , i.e. the tip section, is formed to taper towards the free end  18 , i.e. towards the tip. A tapering tip section facilitates placement of the fastening means into the fastening position. 
       FIGS. 6 and 7  present a second embodiment of the invention. A bore  16  or corresponding cavity is formed in the electronic price label  1 , in the wall part  15  of it, into which bore at least a part  13 ,  17  of the stem part  12  of the fastening means is fitted in the locking position. 
     In the embodiment according to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the stem part of the fastening means is formed to be blunt at its free end  18 , in which case the opposite section  17  with respect to the head part  14  can be formed to be almost straight, such as to be cylindrical or, e.g. for reasons due to manufacturing technique, to be of a slightly tapered and truncated shape narrowing towards the free end  18 . 
       FIGS. 2, 3 and 4  further present an embodiment of a holder, the aim of which is to facilitate the placement of the fastening means  10  into the fastening position and/or the detachment of the fastening means from the fastening position. The holder comprises a fastening part  5 , from which it can be fastened onto its installation point, in which case a flexible neck or hinge point  28  is arranged between the fastening part  5  and the holder part  2  of the price label such that the holder part  2  can be turned at the point of the flexible neck  28  or hinge point in relation to the fastening part  5 . 
     When it is desired to install the fastening means  10 , the holder  2  is turned into the position of  FIG. 4 , in which the holder part  2  is turned at the hinge point  28  away from the fastening part  5 . In the figure, a double arrow describes the movement directions. After this the fastening means can be pressed tip part  13  first through the aperture  9  of the holder, and onwards through the wall  15  of the electronic price label in the holder, into the fastening position, which is presented in  FIG. 3 . The detent part  11  keeps the fastening means  10  in its position in relation to the holder  1  and/or the price label  1 . 
     When the electronic price label  1  is locked with the fastening means  10  to the holder  2 , the holder can be turned at the hinge point  28  in relation to the fastening part  5  into the normal display position, which is presented in  FIG. 1 . 
     When it is desired to disassemble the locking, the procedure can be followed in the reverse sequence. The holder is turned into the position of  FIG. 3 . After this the fastening means is removed, if necessary by using a tool, in which case in the situation of  FIG. 4  the electronic price label  1  can be removed from the space between the wall  22  of the holder and the top part  23  and the bottom part  24 . 
     With the fastening arrangement according to the invention effective locking of the price label is achieved. The electronic price label cannot in this case be easily stolen or displaced. According to the invention a fastening means, such as a stud, is pressed into the rear of the price label into a point at which it does not damage the label. The fastening means, such as a stud, is pushed into the rear of the price label holder  2  through the wall  22  (which is e.g. plastic) and onwards into the price label  1 . The length of the fastening means  10 , such as a stud, is configured to be such that the fastening means does not extend through the price label  1 . The point from where the fastening means can be pressed in is preferably marked on the label. A pre-bored hole  9  can be formed in the holder of the label for facilitating the pressing of the fastening means. A hole/countersink can also be made in the price label  1 , especially if the material is hard. The fastening means, such as a stud, has a detent means, such as a collar, with which the fastening means locks when it is in the fastening position. In this case the fastening means cannot easily be removed. The fastening means is preferably formed from a material that in the fastening position does not essentially interfere with the wireless data transfer of the electronic price label. Many materials can be used as a material, e.g. plastic. 
     The product shelves in a retail store are usually provided with a fastening part, such as with a shelf rail, into which the holder  2  of the electronic price label can be arranged from its fastening part  5 , which in the figures comprises counterparts  26 ,  27  for the fastening part of the edge of the product shelf. The electronic price labels  1 , which are provided with e.g. electrophoretic laminate displays and with product information, are placed into locations on the shelves that correspond to the products. Also other types of solutions can be applied in connection with the fastening arrangement of the invention in arranging a holder into connection with a product shelf or corresponding. 
     It is obvious to the person skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the embodiments presented above, but that it can be varied within the scope of the claims presented below. The characteristic features presented in the description mentioned in conjunction with each other can also be independent characteristic features.