Abstract:
A peg board includes an accordion-style folded spring element that automatically pushes merchandise to the front of a display peg. The spring-loaded merchandise display system includes the merchandise display peg with the spring mounted thereon to maintain merchandise hanging from the peg at a forward position.

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional application 60/540,795, filed Jan. 30, 3004, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention generally relates to a display board system for maintaining merchandise on a peg or hook. In particular, the present invention relates to a display board system including display boards having pegs or rails mounted thereon and a flat spring configured to bias merchandise forwardly on the display boards.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     In the field of retail merchandising, increasing use has been made in recent years of hook and pegboard or slatboard assemblies for retail display of relatively small merchandise items. Such assemblies typically consist of an upright pegboard or slatboard to which are attached a number of merchandise hooks or pegs. Retail merchandise items are hung from the hooks, typically by way of a merchandise package having a hole punched at its top. The front package on each hook may be easily removed by a customer for examination or purchase, whereupon the next merchandise item on the hook is visibly displayed.  
         [0004]     Point-of-purchase merchandise fixtures are fixtures designed to hold and display retail merchandise on a self-serve basis in retail stores or other shopping areas. They are designed to encourage and facilitate selection of items by customers without assistance from sales personnel. The items displayed on these fixtures are customarily purchased when the customer is finished shopping and leaves the store through a cash register terminal.  
         [0005]     The hook and pegboard assembly is one of several types of point-of-purchase merchandising fixtures commonly available, also including hook and slatboard assemblies. The retail sales industry has increasingly relied on the hook and pegboard assembly in preference over the other types of fixtures for several reasons.  
         [0006]     First, the hook and pegboard assembly presents a neatly arrayed assortment of items. Like items may be grouped together on individual hooks, such that only a single item of each type is displayed at a time. The hooks maintain the merchandise items in an orderly display, yet a customer may nevertheless easily remove an item for examination or purchase and just as easily replace the item without disturbing the display. This is in sharp contrast to bins or shelves. A shelf or bin may be neatly stocked initially, but handling of the goods by customers invariably results in rapid rearrangement of the ordered goods to produce a disordered and unattractive display.  
         [0007]     The hook and pegboard display assembly is particularly well adapted to the currently widespread practice of deterring shoplifting by enclosing small retail items in bulky packages. This practice typically takes the form of packaging a small item on a relatively large sheet of cardboard and covering it with a vacuum-formed clear plastic shell, thereby rendering the item bulky and difficult to conceal by a potential shoplifter. Such packages are difficult to display in a pleasing manner in a bin or on a shelf, but can be conveniently displayed on a hook by punching a hole near the upper edge of the cardboard backing and hanging the package from the hook. The hook and pegboard display also further enhances a secondary use of the cardboard backing as an advertising medium whereby printed advertisements may be placed on the front of the cardboard backing around the packaged item. Hanging the items from hooks enables all of the items to be displayed in an upright orientation and facing in the same direction, thus keeping the advertising messages on the cardboard backings properly positioned for easy reading by customers.  
         [0008]     The hook and pegboard assembly is also particularly well adapted to displaying goods enclosed in bags, since the bag may be hung by a punched hole in its upper sealed margin. As with the packages described above, the bag itself may be used as an advertising medium as well as a merchandise container, and may be readily displayed in a readable manner on the hook and pegboard assembly.  
         [0009]     The hook and pegboard assembly is also preferred because it permits a larger product line to be displayed in a limited retail space compared to other types of fixtures. Individual hooks may be arranged as close together on the pegboard as the sizes of the displayed packages will allow, thereby permitting a relatively high density of different product items to be individually displayed. The particular arrangement of the hooks on the pegboard may also be tailored to best display items of assorted sizes and shapes in an attractive manner. This flexibility permits more efficient use of space than can be attained with racks, shelves or bins. Also, the number of each type of item displayed may be kept small by using inventory cards placed on the hook behind the last package of the hook to facilitate rapid restocking of the items when they are exhausted. This further improves on the efficient use of the available space. No other display device offers such an efficient use of valuable retail space.  
         [0010]     Despite the above-mentioned advantages of the conventional hook and pegboard display assembly, certain problems have become apparent. Specifically, one problem with hook and pegboard displays is the decrease in sales due to decreasing visibility of remaining merchandise items after the front packages have been removed from a hook. Especially in a large array of merchandise items hung from hooks, the removal of several packages from the front end of a hook leaves the remaining packages at the back end of the hook partially hidden from view. It is well recognized in the retailing industry that this has a direct negative effect on sales of the remaining items. This also gives an unkempt appearance to the overall display, and sales of all items in the display are thereby also negatively affected somewhat. Decreased visibility is particularly a problem with respect to hooks positioned either higher or lower than average eye level. In these cases, the remaining packages at the back of the hook become almost fully obscured, and the problem becomes similar to the well-known problem in the retail industry of selling goods from a floor-level shelf.  
         [0011]     In addition, merchandise having a specific shelf-life and perishable items must be moved to the front of the peg to reduce waste and to allow them to be purchased before the expiration date. Thus, many of the merchandisers that use such assemblies have to hire specific personnel to remain after closing hours daily or weekly to rotate merchandise from the back to the front of the racks as well as to add new merchandise. This requires a considerable amount of personnel time and energy as well as cost to the store.  
         [0012]     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a hook and pegboard merchandise display device which maintains suspended merchandise items in a neat, orderly array wherein removal of some of the merchandise items does not diminish the visibility of remaining merchandise items on a hook. In addition, it is a further object of the present invention to ensure that this display device be inexpensive, easy to use and maintain, and not easily entangled with the merchandise.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0013]     In satisfaction of the previously described objectives, embodiments of the present invention provide an improved merchandise display system, which pushes merchandise to the front of a hook.  
         [0014]     In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a merchandise display board system is provided. The system includes a peg and a planar compression spring mounted onto the peg. The spring is configured to maintain merchandise at a proximal position on the peg.  
         [0015]     In another aspect of the invention, method is provided for displaying merchandise on a peg. The method includes providing a spring that includes a planar element. The planar element is constructed of a memory material has at least two mounting holes and at least one fold along its length. The spring is mounted onto the peg with the peg extending through the mounting holes. The spring is configured to maintain merchandise at a proximal position on the peg.  
         [0016]     In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for movably displaying merchandise on a peg. The method includes providing a flat compression spring including a planar member with at least three holes and at least two folds. The peg is inserted through the holes in the spring. Merchandise is put on the peg, and the spring is compressed.  
         [0017]     In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a spring is configured for biasing merchandise proximally on a display peg. The spring includes a planar member extending from a distal end to a proximal end, and has a plurality of folds and a plurality of openings along the peg axis. The folds are configured to elastically bias toward expansion when compressed along the peg axis.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]     These and other aspects of this invention will be readily apparent from the detailed description below and the appended drawings, which are meant to illustrate and not to limit the invention, and in which:  
         [0019]      FIGS. 1 and 2  are top and side views respectively of a preferred embodiment of the spring or planar member.  
         [0020]      FIG. 3  is an isometric view of a preferred embodiment of the spring.  
         [0021]      FIGS. 4 and 5  are front and side views, respectively, showing a preferred embodiment of the O-ring for holding the flat spring onto the peg or for use as a frictional stopping member.  
         [0022]      FIG. 6  is an isometric view of a preferred embodiment of the spring and peg.  
         [0023]     FIGS.  7 A-C are views of pegboard hooks of the prior art which can be employed with the preferred embodiments of the spring. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0024]     An improved merchandise display apparatus will now be described with respect to preferred embodiments; however, the apparatuses of the present invention are not limited to the illustrated applications. Rather, the apparatuses can be used in any display system or environment in which it is advantageous to push items along a peg, rail, rod or hook. Moreover, the apparatuses described herein are merely exemplary and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.  
         [0025]     A merchandise display board system is described in which a peg, rail, rod or hook is configured to advantageously maintain remaining merchandise at a proximal (forward or front) position on the peg, rail, rod or hook as merchandise is removed. The system includes a flat spring or planar member which is configured to bias merchandise toward the front of the peg. The flat spring or planar member contains mounting holes which allow the member to be threaded onto the peg. As merchandise is added, the spring is compressed. Then as merchandise is removed, the spring pushes the remaining merchandise to the front (or proximal end) of the peg. One particularly advantageous embodiment of the spring includes a planar member extending from a distal end to a proximal end, the member having a plurality of folds and a plurality of openings along the peg axis such that the folds have a tendency to elastically expand when compressed along the peg axis. In one embodiment, the planar member preferably has 2-8 holes. It is particularly advantageous for the spring to contain at least 3 holes (and two folds). Further, more than 8 folds will be less advantageous, partly because such a spring will have too much pressure unless it is particularly long. However, the number of folds and holes may be varied according to the length of the spring and the desired force.  
         [0026]     It is envisioned that a purchaser can buy a merchandise display board spring of the correct dimensions for use with a specific peg on a previously purchased merchandise display board, such as a pegboard or a slatboard. Examples of manufacturers and distributors of merchandise display boards include, but are not limited to: M. Fried Store Fixtures, Inc., Allen Display, Gershel Brothers Store fixtures, etc. Alternatively, a peg with the spring already attached can be purchased for use on any merchandise display board or variations thereof known to one of skill in the art.  
         [0027]     With reference to  FIGS. 7A and 7B , examples of pegs which can be purchased for such display boards include but are not limited to pegboard hooks  202  with conventional upturned ends  203   a,  and pegboard hooks with ball ends  203   b.  Further examples can be found in catalogs and/or websites of any of the store fixtures stores known to one of skill in the art, for example, Allen Display (allendisplay.com) herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. Typically, the proximal end is slightly raised to reduce the possibility that merchandise will slide off (see  FIGS. 7A and 7B ). The pegboard hooks can be purchased in a variety of lengths (from about 4 inches to about 12 inches). Further, the weight capacity can vary depending on the weight of the merchandise to be applied to the pegboard hook (for example, standard weight, medium weight, and heavy weight).  
         [0028]     With reference to  FIG. 7C , label holders can be ordered which attach to, or come attached to, the peg  202  and typically comprise a bar  205  which extends above the peg  202 , is typically longer than the peg  202  and contains a platform  206  for any labels to be applied. The bar  205  typically extends above the peg  202  far enough that it does not interfere with the merchandise to be placed on the peg  202  below. Slatwall pegs also include pegs of about 4 inches to 12 inches. Although pegs known to one of skill in the art can be purchased in many sizes, it will be appreciated that any size peg could be accommodated to work with the flat spring or planar members described herein, particularly sizes that fall between those already described, metric sizes, larger sizes and smaller sizes as well as a variety of widths. Thus, it will be appreciated that the peg and spring combination as well as the spring itself are extremely versatile and can be constructed and configured to display products of varying size, weight and configuration.  
         [0029]     Preferred embodiments of the spring and peg a spring combinations will now be more completely understood through the following detailed description, which should be read in conjunction with the attached drawings. In this description, like numbers refer to similar elements within various embodiments of the present invention.  
         [0030]      FIGS. 1-3  and  6  illustrate preferred embodiments of the peg board improvement and the flat spring or planar member  102 .  FIGS. 1-3  are schematic diagrams showing a preferred embodiment of the flat spring or planar member  102 , in top, side and isometric views.  FIG. 6  is an isometric view of a preferred combination  10  of the planar member or spring  102  attached to the peg  202 .  
         [0031]     As shown in  FIGS. 1-3  and  6 , one preferred embodiment of the merchandise display board  10  comprises a spring  102  (which term includes flat spring and planar member) which pushes items along a peg  202  (which term includes pegs, rods, rails, hooks and the like).  
         [0032]     With reference to  FIG. 6 , the peg  202  can be any peg  202  known to one of skill in the art, including those described herein and variants. The peg  202  can be manufactured of any material known to one of skill in the art, including but not limited to: wood, metals, plastics, and cork. In one embodiment, the peg  202  is manufactured of a material which is self lubricating or has a reduced friction to ease the movement of the spring  102  along the peg.  
         [0033]     With reference to  FIGS. 1-3 , the spring  102  is a compression spring configured to attach easily to a peg or hook  202 . Preferably, the spring  102  will move easily and with a smooth force of movement along the peg  202  without catching. In one embodiment, the spring  102  is a planar, folded, elastic material, laterally mounted along the peg  202 . More particularly, the spring  102  configured for biasing merchandise proximally on a display peg, is preferably a planar member extending from a distal end to a proximal end. The planar member includes a plurality of folds, which act to provide a spring-like activity to the planar member. In addition, the planar member includes a variety of holes (also called openings  104 ) along the peg  202  axis, which allow the spring  102  or planar member to be threaded onto the peg  202 .  
         [0034]     Thus, the flat spring  102  can be configured to conform with any merchandise display board and peg  202  known to one of skill in the art or variations thereof. For example, should the peg  202  have a hook at the end, the mounting holes  104  can be lengthened or widened to allow the spring  102  to be threaded onto the peg  202  over the hook. Alternatively, if the peg  202  can be removed from the pegboard or wall  500 , the spring  102  can be threaded from the opposite end of the peg  202  and the openings  104  can be sized and shaped to fit over that end.  
         [0035]     In one illustrated embodiment, the spring  102  is formed of memory plastic. In the preferred embodiment, the spring  102  comprises a one-inch wide piece of 100% memory plastic with several bends therein. However, the spring  102  can be manufactured of other suitable materials known to one of skill in the art, including but not limited to: aluminum, other metals (iron and steel for example), and plastics. Where materials are not chosen to have low friction, materials such as brass or bronze or any other bearing type surface material may be utilized with a peg  202  which is composed of steels and the like. Additionally, a silicone spray may be used to coat such surfaces to increase the lubrication between the moving components. Any surfaces may be coated, including but not limited to the areas defining the holes  104 , and the peg  202  itself.  
         [0036]     In further embodiments, the spring  102  can be made to appear more decorative using any methods known to one of skill in the art, including varying the color, adding decorative prints or pictures, or covering the mechanism with paper or a fabric.  
         [0037]     It is contemplated that the spring  102  will have a force which is enough to move merchandise forward with a gentle movement, but not so much to push the merchandise off of the peg  202 . However, further embodiments may include a stop block or an apparatus which keeps the spring  102  from coming off of the front of the peg  202 . In further embodiments, the spring  102  may have an apparatus which applies a light friction to slow the movement of the spring  102  down. For example, an O-ring  108  ( FIGS. 4-6 ) may be provided at any point on the spring, the O-ring  108  being large enough to contact the peg  202  with a light friction. In the illustrated embodiment, the O-ring  108  contacts the peg  202  with a stronger friction and is applied at the distal end of the peg board assembly  10  to keep the back of the spring  102  in place (see  FIG. 6 , for example).  
         [0038]     As noted, the spring  102  is preferably compression spring, and can have a variety of shapes, including but not limited to: a flat spring, a ribbon spring, a V-type tension spring. Preferably, the spring is a non-coiled spring. It will be understood that the force applied by the spring is directly related to the distance that it is compressed as well as the material and type of spring by the following formula: 
 
 F=kD ( F =force,  D =distance). 
 
         [0039]     Thus, the spring  102  can be selected to provide a specific amount of force depending on the type of the merchandise and heaviness of the merchandise. The illustrated flat spring  102  has characteristics that make it desirable over various other springs, such as helical springs. For instance, the flat spring  102  naturally extends after being compressed and released. The extension involves opening of the spring  102  from its tightly compressed initial state. As the flat spring  102  is compressed, the force exerted varies over its length, unlike that of coil springs in which the force is distributed along its length more evenly during such stretching.  
         [0040]     The spring  102  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  is a planar member having a plurality of folds. The folds can be tight folds  99  as shown near the proximal end or loose folds  90  as shown near the distal end. Typically each fold contains two flat sides  91  and  92  and a corner or arch (see  90 ,  93 ,  95 ,  97  and  99  in  FIG. 2 ). In one embodiment, the tighter fold  99  is at the proximal end and the looser fold  90  is at the distal end. In one illustrated embodiment, the tightness of the folds progressively reduces from the proximal to the distal end. This allows a more constant, smoother force or pressure as the spring  102  or planar member expands.  
         [0041]     In one preferred embodiment, the spring  102  contains mounting holes  104 , so that it may be stretched along the peg  202  and threaded onto the peg  202 . The mounting holes  104  are preferably elongated to allow for movement of the spring  102  along the peg  202  as well as to allow easy mounting of the spring  102  to the peg  202  and to allow for threading the spring  102  over a hook (such as that shown in  FIGS. 7A and 7B ) onto the peg  202 . Alternatively, the mounting holes may be elongated or enlarged to allow the use of one spring  102  with pegs of a variety of thicknesses. Typically, there is one mounting hole  104  per side of the fold (e.g.,  91 ,  92 ), preferably centrally located between adjacent corners  90 ,  93 ,  95 ,  97 ,  99 . A mounting hole at the proximal or distal end can be made to be smaller to allow for reduced movement at either end (see  104   a  and  104   b  in  FIG. 3 ). Further, the mounting holes  104  may be positioned off center (or offset side to side) within each side  91 ,  92  to allow for smoother movement along the peg  202  as the spring unwinds, because the peg will be less likely to contact the sides of the mounting holes  104 .  
         [0042]     In one embodiment, at least one end  106  of the spring  102  can be approximately perpendicular to the axis, facilitating the abutment of a large surface area against a product (not shown) positioned on the peg  202 , producing a pusher surface  106 . Further, the size of the area which is approximately perpendicular to the axis (pusher surface  106 ) can vary depending on the type and size of merchandise to be moved.  
         [0043]     In a further embodiment, the spring  102  contains an O-ring  108 , located at the end of the spring  102  furthest from the product, the distal end (see  FIG. 6 , for example). The O-ring  108  holds the peg  202  through friction. This O-ring  108  allows the tension of the spring  102  to be adjusted through movement of the O-ring  108  along the peg  202 . In addition, the O-ring  108  or other such device can be included to increase the friction to either slow movement of the spring  102  along the peg  202  or to stop movement completely. For example, such an O-ring  108  can be placed in the most distal end of the spring  102 , as shown in  FIG. 6 , to hold the spring  102  at a specific point along the peg  202 . Alternatively, a looser fitting O-ring  108  can be placed at any of the holes  104  near the proximal end of the spring  102 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , or at an intermediate location, to allow a slower movement along the peg  202 . For this purpose, it is envisioned that it will be most advantageous to include the O-ring  108  at the proximal end because the angle of the pusher surface  106  does not change with respect to the peg  202  during compression or expansion. In one embodiment, the O-ring  108  is placed at the proximal hole ( 104   b  in  FIG. 3  or  104  in  FIG. 1 ) and contacts the peg  202  loosely enough that it can still move as merchandise is removed, but tightly enough that it will stop when it gets to the proximal end  225  of the peg  202 , such that the spring will not be pushed off of the peg  202 .  
         [0044]     With reference to  FIGS. 4-6 , the O-ring  108  preferably comprises rubber and can be located at the distal or back end of the spring  102 . When included in a mounting hole  104   a  at the distal end  250 , the O-ring  108  can advantageously be used to fasten the spring  102  to the peg  202  such that the distal end  250  does not move relative to the peg  202  during expansion. The spring  102  can be positioned on the peg  202  as desired. For example, a spring  102  of 12 inches when relaxed may be positioned on a peg  202  of 14 inches with the distal end of the spring 2 inches from the peg board  500 , such that when relaxed the spring  102  will hold the last piece of merchandise at the front (or proximal end) of the peg  202  without pushing it off of the peg. Alternatively, a 4 inch spring  102  can be positioned in the approximate middle of a 10 inch peg.  
         [0045]     With reference to  FIG. 3 , a stopping member  110  can be included at the proximal end of the spring  102  or peg  202  to ensure that merchandise is not pushed off of the peg. Any type of stopping member  110  known to one of skill in the art may be used. For example, an O-ring  108  may be included at the proximal end within a mounting hole  104  ( 104   b  in  FIG. 3 ) which allows movement of the spring, but does not allow the spring  102  to exit the peg. In the case of a hook with a ball end (see  FIG. 7B ), for example, the inner opening defined by the O-ring  108  need only be smaller than the ball end  203   b.  The O-ring  108  can include one or more cuts through it for easy placement on the peg. In this example, the O-ring  108  may tighten around the peg  202  to keep the spring  102  from exiting or coming off of the peg  202 .  
         [0046]     One preferred embodiment of the O-ring  108  is shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . In this embodiment, the Q-ring  108  contains a groove  109  which allows it to fit tightly on the planar member  102  within the mounting hole  104 . Thus, the groove  109  can be slightly thinner than the thickness of the planar member  102 , further, the O-ring  108  may contain leaves  107  which extend radially toward the center of the O-ring  108  and channels  106  which extend radially outward from the middle of the O-ring  108  which can allow for easier compressibility of the O-ring (easier insertion into the mounting hole  104 ) and can allow for a firm, but moveable, grip or attachment to the peg  202 . Further, the firmness of the O-ring  108  can be chosen depending on its purpose and based on its dimensions. For example, a tight O-ring  108  may be chosen for the distal end  150  and a looser O-ring  108  for the proximal end  160 .  
         [0047]     It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that in addition to the preferred embodiments described herein, various other omissions, additions and modifications can be made to the method and apparatus described above without departing from the scope of the invention, and all such modifications and changes are intended to fall within the scope of the invention. Of course, it is to be understood that not necessarily all objectives or advantages described may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment described herein. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the methods may be performed in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other objectives or advantages as may be taught or suggested herein.  
         [0048]     Furthermore, the skilled artisan will recognize the interchangeability of various features from different embodiments. Similarly, the various features and steps discussed above, as well as other known equivalents for each such feature or step, can be mixed and matched by one of ordinary skill in this art to perform methods in accordance with principles described herein.  
         [0049]     Although the invention has been disclosed in the context of certain embodiments and examples, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the invention extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodiments and/or uses and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof. Accordingly, the invention is not intended to be limited by the specific disclosures of preferred embodiments herein, but instead by reference to claims attached hereto.