Abstract:
A product display bracket on which product packages, particularly blister pack packages, can be mounted is formed with a head portion that is configured to present a dimension which is larger than the conventional opening on a blister pack product package. The head portion restricts movement of the product packages off the product display bracket in a manner that only one product package can be removed at a time. The enlarged head portion will also restrict movement of the product packages off the support member when the support member is angled downwardly to facilitate the automatic movement of the product packages toward the head portion when the front product package is removed from the support member. Preferably, the head portion is formed as a triangularly shaped member with the hypotenuse oriented perpendicularly to the flow of product packages off the support member.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to the display of product for retail sales and, more particularly, to a product display bracket for holding blister pack product packages in a sales display in a manner that the product cannot be pulled off of the product display bracket in multiples. 
     In retail stores, product is often presented for sale on boards from which product display brackets are mounted to hold groups of product in a linear manner extending outwardly from the board for easy access by the consumer/purchaser. These product display brackets are typically formed from wire and include a mounting member that engages the board for support of the product placed upon the wire product display bracket. The board is typically formed in one of several different configurations, including peg board in which holes are formed in the board for engagement by a wire mounting member; a slat wall formed with vertically spaced horizontal grooves for engagement with a specially shaped mounting member; and a wire grip in which vertically spaced horizontal wires are supported to be snapped into a formed mounting member. 
     Typically, these product support brackets are formed with a hook or loop at the end thereof to both hold the product on the support member and to protect the consumer for impacting the end of the support member. A plurality of product packages, often plastic-formed “blister pack” packages, having an opening at a top portion thereof, is slid onto the support member for display. When a customer desires to purchase one of the displayed products, the front package is grasped and removed off the end of the support member. Since the support member is horizontally oriented, the remaining product packages remain in their original position until manually brought forward to the end of the support member. 
     The product display support brackets come in many different configurations and formations. One supplier of such product support brackets is Trion. Referring to the Trion catalog, which contains approximately sixty pages of product display-related materials, the product display brackets are formed to permit the product packages to be easily removed and conveniently accessed by the consumer and are conducive to having the product packages removed in multiples, e.g. several product packages at once. In some instances, however, the retailer does not want the product packages to be easily removed in multiples because the product has a significant retail cost. The ability for a consumer to be able to quickly grasp several product packages at once does not restrict shoplifting activities adequately. For example, printer ink cartridges are often packaged in blister pack plastic packaging that are easily lifted from product display boards in multiples and transported out of the store without being paid for. Printer ink cartridges are sufficiently expensive that having a multiple group of them shoplifted from the retail store would constitute a substantial loss for the store. Often, the printer ink cartridges are placed in a restricted area in which only store personnel has access thereto, resulting in a higher labor cost in selling the product to the consumer. 
     Accordingly, it would be desirable for a product support bracket to restrict the removal of only one product package at a time from the support member. It would also be desirable for a product support bracket to facilitate the automatic movement of product packages to the front of the support member for presentation to the consumer without requiring the product packages to be manually moved forwardly on the support member. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of this invention to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages of the known prior art by providing a product support bracket that restricts movement of the product off the support member. 
     It is another object of this invention to provide a product support bracket that facilitates the displacement of product packages to the end of the support member when the front product package is removed from the support member. 
     It is a feature of this invention that the support member of a product support bracket is formed with a head portion that has a transverse dimension which is larger than the opening in the product package mounted on the support member. 
     It is another feature of this invention that the head portion of a product support member is operable to force the removal of the product package from the support member by moving the product package to the side of the support member. 
     It is an advantage of this invention that the product packages mounted on a product support bracket can only be removed from the support member one at a time. 
     It is another advantage of this invention that the risks associated with shoplifting of product packages mounted on a product support bracket is reduced. 
     It is still another advantage of this invention that the product support bracket can be oriented to feed product packages to the head portion whenever the front product package is removed from the support member. 
     It is still another feature of this invention that the head portion can be formed into a triangular shape in which the hypotenuse is oriented perpendicular to the linearly extending support member. 
     It is yet another feature of this invention that the length of the hypotenuse of the triangularly-shaped head portion is greater than the typical width of a slot formed in blister pack product packaging. 
     It is yet another advantage of this invention that the triangularly-shaped head portion stops product packaging from sliding off the support member when the support member is declined with respect to horizontal in order to feed product packages toward the head portion whenever the front product package is removed from the support member. 
     It is still another feature of this invention that the support member can be formed with an integral product information member. 
     It is a further feature of this invention that the mounting member can be formed in different configurations to permit the use of the product support member with a variety of display boards. 
     It is still another object of this invention to provide a product display bracket for use in retail stores that permits the removal of product packages only one at a time from the support member. 
     It is yet another object of this invention to provide a product display bracket that is durable in construction, inexpensive of manufacture, carefree of maintenance, facile in assemblage, and simple and effective in use. 
     These and other objects, features and advantages are accomplished according to the instant invention by providing a product display bracket on which product packages, particularly blister pack packages, can be mounted. The product display bracket is formed with a head portion that is configured to present a dimension which is larger than the conventional opening on a blister pack product package. The head portion restricts movement of the product packages off the product display bracket in a manner that only one product package can be removed at a time. The enlarged head portion will also restrict movement of the product packages off the support member when the support member is angled downwardly to facilitate the automatic movement of the product packages toward the head portion when the front product package is removed from the support member. Preferably, the head portion is formed as a triangularly shaped member with the hypotenuse oriented perpendicularly to the flow of product packages off the support member. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The advantages of this invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed disclosure of the invention, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a product display bracket incorporating the principles of the instant invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the product identification member forming the top portion of the product display bracket depicted in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the support member forming the lower portion of the product display bracket depicted in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view of the mounting member for mounting the product display bracket on a display board as depicted in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a second embodiment of the product display bracket with the support member and product identification member inclined upwardly at approximately ten degrees relative to the horizontal configuration depicted in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged plan view of the head portion of the support member depicted in FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of a third embodiment of the product display bracket with the support member and the product identification member angled downwardly at approximately ten degrees relative to the horizontal configuration depicted in FIG. 1, representative product packages being depicted in phantom; and 
     FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of the product display bracket shown in FIG. 7 with the front product package being depicted in phantom against the head portion of the support member. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIGS. 1-4, a first embodiment of a product display bracket incorporating the principles of the instant invention can best be seen. The product display bracket  10  can be formed from wire or molded from plastic. The formed wire version is depicted in the drawings. The product display bracket  10  includes a mounting member  12  at the rear of the product display bracket  10 . The mounting member  12  in the drawings is in a configuration that is adapted to be clipped onto a conventional wire grid display panel (not shown). One skilled in the art will recognize that other conventional configurations of mounting members  12  will be adapted for support from peg board display walls and slat wall display board. The peg board display board is formed with a plurality of spaced apart holes that permit a great deal of flexibility in the positioning of the mounting member, and thus the product display bracket  10 , both vertically and horizontally on the display board (not shown). The slat wall display board (not shown) is formed with vertically spaced, horizontally extending grooves (not shown) into which the appropriately configured mounting member is supported. The wire grid display board is formed with a plurality of vertically spaced, horizontally disposed wires (not shown) instead of grooves. The top loop  13  of the mounting member is hooked over a selected wire (not shown) while the wire immediately below the selected wire is snapped into position above the lower loop  14 . The spacing between the two wires is slightly greater than the corresponding spacing between the underside of the top loop  13  and the top of the lower loop  14  so that the mounting of the mounting member  12  on the selected wires (not shown) creates tension in the wires to fix the mounting member  12  on the wire grid display board. 
     The product display bracket  10  can be formed with an optional product information display member  15  that includes a linearly extending support rod  16  terminating in a label mount  17 , which can be configured into several alternative versions, including the transverse clip rod  18 , depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2; a label holder  19 , as depicted in FIGS. 7 and 8; or a flip member (not shown). One skilled in the art will recognize that at least one configuration of a flip member can be mounted on the transverse rod  18  to permit an upward pivoting of the flip member about a pivot axis defined by the transverse rod  18 . In the formed wire version of the product display bracket  10 , as depicted in FIGS. 1-8, the product information display member  15  is preferably formed integrally with the product support member  20 , as is described in greater detail below. The purpose of the product information display member is to provide product information such as type of product, price, or a bar code. 
     The product support member  20  includes a linear portion  23  that extends parallel to the support rod  16  and is positioned beneath the support rod  16 . Preferably, the support rod  16  and the product support member  20  are formed from a single piece of wire with a curved loop portion  22  interconnecting the two linearly extending product support member  20  and support rod  16 . The distal end of the product support member  20  is formed into a head portion  25  that preferably lies in a generally horizontal plane in which the product support member  20  lies. The head portion  25  is best seen in FIGS. 1,  3  and  6  and is preferably formed in a triangular shape with the hypotenuse  26  of the triangular shape being oriented perpendicularly to the linear portion  23 . The respective sides  27 ,  28  of the triangular shape extend rearwardly from the hypotenuse  26  at an acute angle relative to the hypotenuse  26 , preferably in the range of thirty degrees, to the linear portion  23 . 
     As best seen in FIGS. 7 and 8, a blister pack product package  30  is typically provided with a slotted opening  32  at an upper part thereof. This opening  32  has a transverse dimension  38  that is normally 1 and {fraction (3/16)} inches wide and high enough to accommodate the passage of a formed wire product display bracket, which is typically 0.148 inches in diameter. The sides  27 ,  28  of the triangularly-shaped head portion  25  are sized at 1 and {fraction (3/16)} inches to permit the passage of the slotted opening  32  around the apex  29  at the juncture of one of the sides  27 ,  28  and the hypotenuse  26 . With the angular relationship between the sides  27 ,  28  and the hypotenuse  26  of the triangular shape being in the range of thirty degrees, the hypotenuse  26  has a resultant transverse dimension  39  that is 1 and {fraction (31/32)} inches wide. With the width dimension  39  of the hypotenuse  26  of the head portion  25  being substantially wider than the corresponding width dimension  38  of the slotted opening  32  in the product packaging  30 , the product packaging  30  cannot be pulled straight off the product support member  20  without being manipulated around one apex  29  and then the other apex  29 . 
     Alternative embodiments of the product display bracket  10  can be found with reference to FIGS.  5  and  7 - 8 . In FIG. 5, the curved loop portion  22  interconnecting the product support member  20  and the support rod  16  is welded to the mounting member  12  in a manner that the linear portion  23  of the product support member  20  is inclined upwardly at an acute angle to horizontal, preferably in the range of ten degrees. This particular orientation of the product support member  20  enhances the access to any product packages mounted on product display brackets (not shown) that would be located below or a shelf (not shown) that would be positioned below the particular product display bracket  10 . 
     In the alternative embodiment depicted in FIGS. 7 and 8, the curved loop portion  22  is welded to the mounting member  12  in such a manner as to angle the linear portion  23  of the product support member  20  downwardly at an acute angle, preferably in the range of ten degrees. This particular orientation of the product support member  20  allows the automatic feeding of product packages  30  to the head portion  25  so as to be presented to the potential consumer. Since the hypotenuse  26  is wider than the typical slotted opening  32  in the product package  30 , the product package  30  cannot slide off the product support member  20 , as it will be halted by the head portion  25 . After removal of the front product package  30 a in the manner described above, the remaining product packages  30  will slide down the linear portion  23  of the product support member  20  until stopped by the enlarged head portion  25 . 
     One skilled in the art will recognize that other shapes and configurations of the head portion  25 , other than the preferred triangularly-shaped head portion  25  can provide an effective deterrent to the removal of multiple product packages  30  simultaneously from the product support member  20 . A T-shaped configuration, for example, where the full width of the head portion is wider than the typical slotted opening  32  is also capable of requiring singular removal of the product packages  30  from the product support member  20 . The triangular configuration as depicted in the drawings, however, is preferred as the rearwardly sloping sides  27 ,  28  operate to substantially center the product package  30  on the head portion  25  when the product support member  20  is angled downwardly as is depicted in FIGS. 7 and 8. 
     In use, the product display bracket  10  formed with an enlarged head portion  25  limits the removal of product packages one at a time from the product support member  20 , due partially to the thickness of the packages  30  and primarily to the requirement that the package must be moved to one side  27  of the head portion  25  to be cleared of the apex  29  before being able to be moved along the opposing side  28  to clear the other apex  29 . In restricting the removal of packages  30  in a singular manner, the product on display is not subject to being grasped in multiples and, thus, shoplifting risks are minimized. Furthermore, the provision of an enlarged head portion  25  that prevents the product packages  30  from sliding off the product support member  20 , enables the product support member  20  to be angled downwardly to allow remaining product packages  30  to slide to the head portion  25  after the front package  30   a  has been removed. 
     It will be understood that changes in the details, materials, steps and arrangements of parts which have been described and illustrated to explain the nature of the invention will occur to and may be made by those skilled in the art upon a reading of this disclosure within the principles and scope of the invention. The foregoing description illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention; however, concepts, as based upon the description, may be employed in other embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.