Abstract:
A display tag holder that has a mounting portion, an intermediate portion, and a display portion, and a method of thermoforming such a display tag holder. The mounting portion mounts to a merchandise display hook with the intermediate portion extending above the hook so as to extend downwards and forwards of the forward tip of the hook. The mounting portion has at least two restrictions for mounting on attachment points of the merchandise display hook to a base mount, the restrictions providing an interference fit between the hook and the mounting portion, and may include a raised portion. These features help to prevent the holder from falling off the hook or hanging under the hook in the event that a customer accidentally bumps or brushes against the holder. The display portion includes a parallel pair of grooves for retaining a display tag, and which can extend either vertically or horizontally.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The invention relates generally to a display tag holder for merchandise suspended from a horizontally extending support hook, or the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to a thermoformed display tag holder that is easily attached to and removed from a product support hook without being subject to inadvertent removal and which is capable of retaining its orientation relative to the hook.  
         [0003]     2. Background Art  
         [0004]     Display tag holders are well known in the merchandising field. They are conventionally formed from a urethane or polyvinyl plastic sheet that is preferably die cut and thermoformed into the appropriate shape. The display tag holders normally display product information forwardly of items that are suspended from a hook extending horizontally from a vertical pegboard, and the hook is disposed immediately below the display tag holder. For example, commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,694,654 to Poulokefalos et al. discloses a display tag holder that is adequate to provide the desired benefits for some types of hooks, it is not sufficient to be utilizable with hook types having a square type of attachment to the pegboard. Nevertheless, some of the improvements described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,694,654 are also utilizable in this application, and the disclosure thereof is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.  
         [0005]     A conventional display tag holder includes a mounting portion arranged to be temporarily deformed while being attached to and removed from a connection to an associated hook at a location adjacent to the pegboard, an intermediate portion which projects forwardly from the pegboard and extends over the support hook and the merchandise supported thereon, and a display portion which bends downwardly from the distal end of the intermediate portion in front of the hook so as to display the desired product information.  
         [0006]     Label holders are occasionally prone to lateral bending or flexing of the holder body along its intermediate portion as a result of customers contacting the holder. This results in the display portion of the holder being positioned beside the suspended merchandise and not in front of it. Thus, the label holder may be displayed not in direct view of customers. Such bending or flexing can occur when a customer who is removing a merchandise item from an adjacent hook accidentally brushes against the holder. A number of improvements have been proposed in aforementioned commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,694,654 to provide benefits in reducing the bending or flexing of the tag holder after it has been installed and simultaneously provides sufficient flexibility in the holder to accommodate twisting, so as to stabilize the intermediate portion of the label holder. Also, the increased stiffness and rigidity of the holder helps to prevent the holder from unintentionally falling off the hook and out of view when a customer accidentally bumps into or brushes against the holder.  
         [0007]     Additional features relate to the attachment of the tag holder to the pegboard or other attachment means, so that he distal or rear end of the tag holder can be securely attached, and different types of hook attachments to the pegboard require adaptation of the tag holder to the type of hook and attachment structure. However, other types of attachments are used in merchandising displays, for example, used in attaching various display fixtures to slot walls, wire grid walls, hang bars and many other types of display fixtures. Thus, a need exists for attachment of tag holders to different types of hooks and hook mounting and attachment structures.  
         [0008]     Another difficulty in conventional display tag holders is that, at present, the tags displaying the product information, for example, price, are affixed to the forward or proximal end of the tag holder by glue or adhesive. Thus, in order to change the indicia or information displayed on the display portion of the display tag holder, the store or entity that is using the display tag holders must either paste a new or different tag with the desired information over the one that had been previously pasted on. This may and often does result in tags being displayed in an unsightly or skewed manner. Another alternative is to replace the display tag holder with a new display tag holder having a new individual price tag over that hook. The latter method, of course leads to waste and additional expense in having to replace the display tag holder and also in disposing of the used display tag holders in an environmentally friendly way. The need to detach and correctly reattach a new display tag holder to a hook attachment means also requires time and effort on the part of the person who is maintaining he display tag holders.  
         [0009]     Display tag holders that provide for changing the price tag are known, but not in the context of a display tag holder as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,694,654. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,803 discloses securing planar panels to a price display holder, securing several sheets of material together or in securing a dispenser to the front edge of a shelf. These devices operate by locking the two halves of a holder that is bent over to be folded and thus to maintain the price display in position. Such devices are not associated directly with displays having a hook for attachment of the goods being sold, nor does the tag holder have a means for easily changing the price tag information without requiring elaborate manipulation of the user. Similarly, U.S. Des. Pat. Nos. D440,606 and D425,939 show the use of sign holders in which a tag or sign can be easily inserted or removed, U.S. Pat. No. 5,470,138 teaches a foldable tag holder that has a space for displaying a sign, and a means of locking the two halves of the folded holder to maintain the sign in position. U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,687 provides a flag or tag display holder, but none of these types of holders can be made by using an inexpensive process, such as the one used in the present invention. To make these holders, a “three dimensional” construction is required that must be mad by extrusion or mold forming of the plastic, and these articles cannot be made by standard thermoform methods.  
         [0010]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,553,702 discloses an extruded holder for an electronic price label, in which an electronic device is held adjacent the merchandise, and the electronic price label indicates the information in an electronic format and may provide for other means for imparting in formation, for example, issuing a receipt of printed matter or the like to be viewed in association with the price and other information displayed by the associated electronic price label. This method requires a significant cost of operation and an initial investment in the electronic displays and electronic price label systems that may be financially prohibitive to some retail users.  
         [0011]     All of these display tag holders are not able to achieve the purpose for which they were intended, either because the connection to the hook is not appropriate for the specific hook construction, or there is no provision made for the easy replacement of the price tag display without succumbing to one or more of the above described problems.  
         [0012]     One method of reducing the costs of display tag holders is to produce them by known plastic manufacturing processes, for example, by thermoforming. Thermoforming of plastic articles has been proposed as providing the benefits of shaping a plastic preform to achieve a desired shape while reducing manufacturing costs. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,795,535 teaches a method of thermoforming plastic articles, but the articles that have been formed by such processes have been formed in “two dimensional” format that significantly reduces the ability to accommodate the desired uses for the articles. For example, thermoformed display tag holders to date have needed to be folded or otherwise bent in order to retain planar objects, for example, price tags, without external manipulation or adhesives, is desirable. A “wraparound” construction that has one or more cantilevered protrusions or lips that can retain a rigid or semi-rigid configurations to retain a sign or price tag formed by thermoforming processes is ideal. Accordingly, it is considered desirable to develop a new and improved label holder which would overcome these and other problems while providing better and more flexible and durable display tag holders capable of accommodating inadvertent twists and deformations. What is thus needed is a display tag holder that can be made inexpensively, but is capable of permitting the user to easily change the tag information, especially when it is in the form of a planar tag, or rectangular sign having predetermined dimensions. An arrangement that can be used with known thermoforming processes is particularly desirable, in that providing protrusions and indentations so as to achieve a “three-dimensional” configuration including cantilevered forms into which the price tag can be inserted and securely retained is ideally suited to the merchandising field.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0013]     A display tag holder for use with a forwardly extending merchandise display hook hanging from a wall removably attaches to the hook structure and is further held in place  30  by also fitting and attaching around the base of the hook. The display tag holder provides for mounting with and around base of a forwardly extending merchandise display hook, the display tag holder comprising a display portion, a mounting portion oppositely disposed along a longitudinal line of the display tag holder from the display portion, and an intermediate portion extending between the display portion and the mounting portion.  
         [0014]     The hook structure includes a base and a hook, the base being attached to a wall or pegboard at a rear end permitting the hook to extend forwardly from the hook base. The tag holder extends forwardly from the hook structure and is disposed above the hook. The display portion preferably extends downwardly from a proximate end of he intermediate portion in front of a distal forward end of the hook to provide for a space to display merchandise information, such as price and product information for products that are hung onto the hook. The tag holder display portion has several cantilevered projections at the edges that provide an open groove configuration that is capable of holding the display tag in a tongue-in-groove manner.  
         [0015]     In other embodiments, the inventive display tag holder may comprise a thermoformed mounting portion, as described above, or another mounting configuration, and one of several tag display portions including a mechanism to hold the display tag in place so that it is visible to a customer immediately in front of a product display including products that are hung on the hook and available for purchase. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0016]      FIG. 1  is a plan view of a first embodiment of the display tag holder according to the present invention, shown without folds;  
         [0017]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged perspective view of the mounting portion of the display tag holder according to the invention shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0018]      FIG. 3  illustrates in a perspective view the display tag holder shown in  FIG. 1  having the two ends folded as in use in a merchandising display;  
         [0019]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged perspective detail view of the display tag holder forward end showing the configuration of the cantilevered display tag securing member according to the present invention;  
         [0020]      FIG. 5  illustrates in a perspective view the display tag holder shown in  FIGS. 1,3  and  4  having the two ends folded in a merchandising display in association with a merchandise display hook hanging on a wall;  
         [0021]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional side view taken approximately along the line VI-VI of  FIG. 5 ;  
         [0022]      FIG. 7  is a partial perspective view of the front display portion of another embodiment of the display tag holder according to the present invention;  
         [0023]      FIG. 8  is a partial perspective view of the front display portion of another embodiment of the display tag holder according to the present invention;  
         [0024]      FIG. 9  is a partial perspective view of the front display portion of yet another embodiment of the display tag holder according to the present invention;  
         [0025]      FIG. 10  is a partial perspective view of the front display portion of yet another embodiment of the display tag holder according to the present invention;  
         [0026]      FIG. 11  is a partial perspective view of the front display portion of yet another embodiment of the display tag holder according to the present invention;  
         [0027]      FIG. 12  is a partial perspective view of the front display portion of still yet another embodiment of the display tag holder according to the present invention;  
         [0028]      FIG. 13  is a partial perspective view of the front display portion of another embodiment of the display tag holder according to the present invention;  
         [0029]      FIG. 14  is a partial perspective view of the front display portion of yet another embodiment of the display tag holder according to the present invention;  
         [0030]      FIG. 15  illustrates in a partial plan view the display tag holder shown in  FIG. 14  in a horizontal flat condition before the front display portion has been bent over for use; and  
         [0031]      FIG. 16  is a cross-sectional side view taken approximately along the line  16 - 16  of the tag front display portion shown in  FIG. 15 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0032]     A first preferred embodiment of the display tag holder  10  is shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , and is also illustrated in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . The embodiment of the display tag holder  10  is also shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , with the addition of the illustrated use with a hook according to the type used with the mounting portion of the display tag holder of  FIG. 1 . The identical elements illustrated in each of these figures will be identified by identical numerals. Moreover, many of the elements that are described in aforementioned commonly owned. U.S. Pat. No. 6,694,654 to Poulokefalos et al. may also be used with the present invention, and the detailed description of like parts and functions of that patent will be set forth herein only if it relates to the present invention.  
         [0033]     Referring now to  FIGS. 1 through 4 , the display tag holder  10  is shown in a manufactured state, soon after it has come off of the thermoform device by which the inventive tag holders are made. Thus, the preferred embodiment of display tag holders  10  is in the manufactured state prior to delivery to the ultimate merchandiser or user of the tag holders. In this condition, the tag holder is shown before the user has folded the ends at fold lines  18 ,  20  to attach the mounting portion  14  to a hook ( FIG. 5 ).  
         [0034]     The description of the portions of the display tag holder  10  is more completely understood when considered with reference to the description of the use environment, that is, when the display tag holder  10  is used in conjunction with the hook  60  and wall or wire mesh structure  120  by mounting thereto, as is shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . However, the following description is limited to the display tag holder  10  before describing the use environment, i.e., the attachment to the pegboard wall or wire structure of the hook, so that the inventive production device and processes may be more completely described. The following description relates to the elements of the completely manufactured preferred embodiments of tag holders  10 . Where necessary, use of the tag holders  10 ,  110  will be described with reference to the use environment, as shown in  FIGS. 5-6 , to provide a better understanding of the invention.  
         [0035]     The thermoforming process of producing the inventive tag holders provides a distinct advantage and is a significant feature of this invention, as this process permits the ability to manufacture the tag holders  10  at an increased rate, while maintaining the quality of the finished products, all the while reducing the costs of the production process. Thermoforming of plastic sheets is a well-known process, and has been used extensively in the plastic article production field. The tag holder  10  is typically manufactured from a sheet of plastic and is not injection molded. Preferably, the tag holder  10  is thermoformed by a vacuum process by which the plastic sheet is first heated until it achieves a very plastic, almost fluid state. It is easy to form it in such a fluid state, and by using known vacuum processes, the plastic sheet is then formed to produce one, or preferably more, up to about sixteen tag holders  10  simultaneously on a thermoformed platen (not shown) which is cooled by, for example, a continuous cooling water stream flowing through piping in the thermoforming platen.  
         [0036]     Quick cooling of the sheet including the formed tag holders  10  hardens the tag holder rough forms into a final stable configuration. The sheet of tag holders  10  is then removed from the mold and each tag holder  10  is cut to the desired shape, the tag holders are bundled and the bundles are delivered to the merchandiser customer in the desired amounts.  
         [0037]     An example of the thermoforming processes that are available and that may be modified for use with this invention is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,795,535, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein, where appropriate, and also to the prior art thermoforming processes and equipment described therein. Because the inventive features of the tag holders  10  rely on the specific modifications to the thermoforming process, these will be described in the context of the structure of the display tag holder  10  as described below.  
         [0038]     Referring again to  FIG. 1-2 , the display tag holder  10  includes a display portion  12 , a mounting portion  14  and an intermediate portion  16  between the display portion  12  and the mounting portion  14 . Fold line  18  separates the display portion  12  from the intermediate portion  16  and fold line  20  separates the intermediate portion  16  and the mounting portion  14 . The fold lines  18 , 20  may be formed by scoring or impressing an indentation in the plastic blank during the thermoforming process in the thermoforming equipment, as taught in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 6,694,654, or by forming an arcuate-shaped, or other similarly shaped, straight and narrow section in the display tag holder  10 , which allows for the end portions  12 ,  14  of the tag holder  10  to be easily bent relative to the intermediate portion  16  and to be deformed along those fold lines  18 ,  20 , thereby to produce the final form of the display tag holder  10  ( FIGS. 3, 5  and  6 ) as used by the customer. Since the intermediate portion  16  is essentially identical to that shown and described in aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 6,694,654, further description thereof will be limited only to how it relates to the manufacture and use of the inventive display tag holder  10 . In any case, the fold lines  18 ,  20  are immediately adjacent, and directly abut the curved, essentially vertically extending surfaces  22 ,  24 , respectively, as shown.  
         [0039]     Referring now to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the mounting portion  14  is disposed at one end of the display tag holder  10 , and includes a number of features more easily seen in the detail view shown in  FIG. 2 . The fold line  20 , shown in  FIG. 1 , separates the mounting portion  14  from the remainder of the display tag holder  10 . After the shape of the display tag holder is roughed out on the thermoforming platen (not shown), a central inlet  30 , in the shape of an elongated cut, together with the final shape of the edges  15  of the tag holder  10  formed by trimming in the trimming equipment. The inlet  30  includes at least one, and preferably three, essentially circular shaped apertures  32 ,  34 ,  36 , defined by two constrictions  38 ,  40 , that are disposed in the inlet  30  between adjacent apertures, respectively. The restrictions  38 , 40  are each defined by two corners  42 , 44  and  46 , 48  that extend inwardly into the inlet  30 , so that they follow a predetermined pattern to match the mounting on a pin or merchandise display hook  80  as discussed with regard to  FIGS. 5, 6 . Preferably the dimensions of the constriction are about one-half the size of the largest diameter of the apertures  32 ,  34 ,  36 , but these dimensions may be varied depending on the dimensions of mounting system, the thickness of the plastic film comprising the tag holder  10  and the amount of use that may be expected for each tag holder  10  before it is retired.  
         [0040]     Referring now mostly to  FIG. 2 , the tag holder mounting portion  14  includes two retention protrusions  50  that protrude from the essentially flat surface  13  of the mounting portion  14  for a height of about ⅛ inch, and may have rounded tops  52 , inner walls  54  and outer walls  56 , as shown. The retention protrusion inner walls  52  and outer walls are preferably parallel to each other and extend in a longitudinal direction parallel to the longitudinal extension of the tag holder  10 , as indicated by the center line CL, for a distance that is sufficient to maintain the orientation of the mounting portion  14  relative to the mount, as will be described below. Inner walls  52  face each other and are preferably separated by a predetermined distance d in a direction transverse to the direction in which the walls  54  extend and the centerline CL.  
         [0041]     Adjacent the tops  52  of each of the protrusions  50 , there is disposed a slightly cantilevered bulge  58  that extends toward the opposing wall  52  of the other protrusion  50 . Bulges  58  are shown in a preferable condition to be almost as long as the protrusions, but that configuration is subject to alteration as needed to maintain an interference fit between the mounting portion  14  and the mount of the hook. The longitudinal dimension of bulges  58  may be shorter or longer than that shown, but bulges  58  should be of a sufficient dimension to achieve the retention function, as will be described below. Ideally the bulges are much less wide than they are long, as shown most clearly in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0042]     Referring now to  FIGS. 1 and 3 - 4 , the display portion  12  is shown having a front surface  60  and a main rear surface  62 , which is particularly adapted to mount and display labels or price tags. However, the preferred embodiments shown and described are not meant to limit the shape or configuration of the inventive display portion as any number of previously known label mounting structures and methods may be used to affix a label to the display portion  12 . For example, the inventive mounting portion  14  described above may be used with a tag display portion such as that shown and described in aforementioned commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,694,654. Conversely, and depending on the mounting structure used, the inventive display portion  12  described below may be used with any number of mounting structures, as is appropriate for the arrangement of mounting a hook on any appropriate pegboard wall or wire structure.  
         [0043]     The front surface  60  is essentially in a flat plane, as shown, and is bounded at three sides by folded over edges  62 ,  64 ,  66 , the structure of which is provided by the thermoforming process. As shown most clearly in the detail of  FIG. 4 , where a side edge is shown as a result of the trimming of that edge  74  in the trimming equipment, the fold produces an S-shaped curve and internal grooves  70  that accommodate insertion of the display or price tag  90  in the direction of the arrow, as shown. The price or display tags are usually standardized and are provided in the shape of a rectangular card having some stiffness, and preferably have approximate dimensions of 1 inch by 2 inches. Card  90  should be sufficiently stiff to hold its shape while being inserted into the internal grooves  70 , and also after the passage of some period of time.  
         [0044]     The S-shaped curve of the folded over edges  62 ,  64 ,  66  includes a second curve  70  that reverses the direction in which the plastic film extends again in the direction of the cantilevered surface  72  is parallel to that of the display surface  60 . Although not essential to the practice of this invention, as will be described with respect to alternative embodiment shown in  FIG. 13 , preferably the cantilevered surface  72  extends away from the plane of the display surface  60  well beyond the edge  62  to permit trimming of the cantilevered end  74  in the trimming process, at the same time tat the edge  76  is trimmed.  
         [0045]     Ideally, the distance between the edges  62  and  68 , or more precisely, between the grooves  70  associated with those edges, has a dimension that is identical to or very slightly larger than, the width W of card  90 . Thus, the trimmed “cross-sectional” edge  76  provides a smooth insertion vehicle of the card into the display tag holder. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the transversely extending edge  64 , parallel to the edge  76 , includes a curved terminal stop forming a groove  78  along its inner surface that is adapted to receive the leading edge of card  90 . Continued sliding of the card  90  into the grooves  70  of edges  62 ,  66  until the groove  78  is reached, provides a secure, but releasable, attachment for the display tag card  90 , thereby to enable the display portion  12  to securely hold the leading edge and two transverse edges of card  90  within the grooves  70 ,  78 .  
         [0046]     Referring now to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the mounting or connection of a merchandise display hook  80  to a display rack is shown. The display rack may be a wire mesh structure  120 , as shown, and may comprise interconnected wires or horizontally extending metal rods  122 , that are held in place in a grid structure by vertically extending metal rods  124  that are attached, for example by a welded connection, to the rods  122 . Other connections are possible, and are intended to be encompassed by the invention. For example, the connection may include a structure for connection to a pegboard, similar to that of the aforementioned commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,694,654. Alternatively, the wall may take other configurations, (not shown) which may include special connections of the mounting portion of the hook  80  to customized display surfaces (not shown, but the invention is most suited for use with standardized walls of displays.  
         [0047]     Just prior to use, the holder  10  is arranged for mounting. The mounting portion  14  is bent downwards at the fold line  15 , the fold line  15  connecting the mounting portion  14  to the intermediate portion  16 , and similarly the display portion  18  is bent downwards at the fold line  17 , the fold line  17  connecting the intermediate portion  16  and the display portion  18 . In this position both the mounting portion  14  and display portion  18  are deformed to deflect downwardly and are orientated each to produce approximately a right angle relative to the intermediate portion  16 . The portions are shown in the bent state during use in  FIGS. 4 and 5  for tag holder  10  and in  FIGS. 6 and 7  for tag holder  110 .  
         [0048]     The mounting portion  14  includes a display face  30  and a back surface  32 . The mounting portion is shown in greater detail in  FIG. 3 , and is applicable to either of the two tag holder embodiments  10 ,  110 . As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the tag holder  10  is in the assembled position, with the intermediate portion  16  being perpendicularly folded relative to the plane of the face  30 . Two apertures  34  are provided in the mounting portion  14 .  
         [0049]     Additional embodiments are shown in  FIGS. 7-16 , where the mounting portion may be identical to the ones shown above, or may have a structure similar to the one shown in aforementioned commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,694,654, or may include any other appropriate mounting portion. Thus, the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 7-16  only show portions of the front of the display tag holders, which include the display portions  118 ,  138 ,  238 ,  338 ,  438 ,  538 ,  638 ,  738  and  838 .  
         [0050]     Referring now to  FIG. 7 , a display portion  138  is illustrated with the intermediate portion  16  being otherwise identical to that shown in the previous  FIGS. 1,3 , and  5 . One difference in the display portion  138  is that the display tag (not shown) is mounted on the outer surface or the surface facing the consumer when the display tag holder is mounted on the merchandise display. The display tag is mounted onto four apertures that are disposed adjacent the corners of the display surface  140 . These apertures may be scored into the surface or cut as apertures into the plastic at the trimming step. The display tag may then be inserted at its four corners, with each aperture holding one corner so that the tag can be positioned and secured to the display tag front surface  140  to be visible to the user.  
         [0051]     The embodiment  238  shown in  FIG. 8  similarly includes the tag display portion  238  in a flat or planar surface  240  having four slits  236  adjacent the four corners  237  of the flat surface  240 . The slits  236  are each angled relative to the corners  237  so that a square or rectangular tag (not shown) can be inserted at its corners into the slots  236 .  
         [0052]     Another embodiment of a tag display portion  338  is shown in  FIG. 9 . The front of tag display portion  338  also has a surface  340 , but may have any of the means for retaining the display tag on or adjacent the surface  340  as are described herein. As shown in  FIG. 9 , the tag display portion  338  includes the groove structure as shown in, for example,  FIGS. 1-5 , having folded over edges  362 ,  364 ,  366  that provide for a groove capable of receiving a display tag, such as that shown in  FIG. 3 . However, the surface  340  does not have a rectangular outline as in other embodiments herein, but instead has the shape of a trapezoid having two angles sides  350 ,  352 . In effect, the surface of the front display portion for any of the embodiments with the folded over edges, as described herein, can have any quadrilateral shape as long as two of the sides are parallel to each other so as to permit the display tag to be able to slide into the grooves. In the shape shown in the embodiment of  FIG. 9 , the trapezoid includes three grooved edges  362 ,  364 ,  366  for receiving an edge of the display tag. Of course, the display tag preferably has a similar shape as that of the surface  340 , so that the full area of surface  340  is covered by the display tag. Alternatively, some part of the area of surface  340  may not be covered by the display tag, so as to produce an ornamental effect.  
         [0053]     For those embodiments that have no grooves, for example, front display portions  138 ,  238  ( FIGS. 7 and 8 ), the shape of the surface  140 ,  240  can take any shape, as long as it is sufficiently long at the folding edge to be capable of providing a fold line  318 , so that the tag display portion  338  can be folded down, as shown. The two parallel folded down edges  342 ,  346  will hold the display tag in place within the holder so that the tag holder is retained in the tag holder during normal usage in a merchandising retail environment.  
         [0054]     The display tag holder shown in  FIG. 10  similarly includes the tag display portion  438  in a flat or planar surface  440  having four slits  436  adjacent the four corners  437  of the flat surface  440 . The slits  436  are each similar to the slits  236  shown in the tag display portion  238  of  FIG. 8 , except that the angled slits are provided as semicircles with the open end facing away from the corners  437  so that a square or rectangular tag (not shown) can be inserted at its corners into the slots  436 . The semicircular slits  437  are considered to be able to provide a more flexible aperture in which the corners of a display card may be inserted. While the apertures are shown to be somewhat removed from the corners  437 , it may be more advantageous in covering the surface  440  to locate the slits  436  closer to the corners  437  to avoid the strips of clear plastic surface adjacent the edges.  
         [0055]     The tag display portion  538  shown in  FIG. 11  similarly has cutout apertures, as in the embodiments of  FIGS. 8 and 10  of the surface  540  and are in the shape of long slots  544  that extend essentially parallel to the top and bottom edges. The cutout apertures slits  544  are separated by a distance of slightly larger than that of the width of the tag, for example, display tag  90  ( FIG. 3 ). That is, if the width W of the display tag equals one inch, the distance between the parallel slits  544  would be slightly less than one inch to permit the display tag to be inserted in between the slits and the surface so that the display tag is held in place on or behind the surface  540  of the tag display portion  538 . A user would only have to insert the tag between the slits  544  to hold it in place.  
         [0056]     Another embodiment of the tag display portion  638  is shown in  FIG. 12 . It also has a flat, that is, a non-folded over surface  640 . However, instead of cutout apertures, e.g.,  436 ,  544 , it has a series of raised or protruding L-shaped projections  642 ,  644  that are at a distance from each other that correspond to the width and length of a display tag, such as tag  90  shown in  FIG. 3 . The projections  642 ,  644  are spaced in a pattern essentially corresponding to the corners of a display tag. The protruding projections  642 ,  644  may have overhanging portions under which the display tag can be inserted to be held in place, again either in front or behind the surface  640 .  
         [0057]     Referring now top  FIG. 13 , a tag display portion  738  is shown which in most respects is identical to the tag display portion  12  shown in  FIGS. 1,3  and  5 , except that instead of having three edges with a folded over edge, only two parallel edges are shown, a bottom folded over edge  742  and a top folded over edge  748 . The two opposing side edges  742 ,  746  do not have the grooves for stopping the display tag, as this allows the display tag to be inserted or removed from either edge  742 , 746 .  
         [0058]     One other difference in the tag display portion  738  is the folded over edge  744  has only an upturned U-shaped slots for the card to be inserted into. This configuration may also be used with the previously described embodiments shown in  FIGS. 1-6  and  9 , but the edge  744  may not be preferred because of the difficulty in forming such an edge on a vacuum thermoforming machine.  
         [0059]     Another embodiment for the display tag holder of the present invention is shown in  FIGS. 14-16 . The tag display portion  838  is again only shown, as the mounting portion may take any form as discussed above. The tag display portion  838  is in most respects the same as portion  12  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , however, instead of having an open groove at the side edge  76 , as in the embodiment of tag portion  12 , the open edge is at the top edge  878 , as will be explained.  FIG. 15  is a plan view of the tag display portion  838  as shown from the underside, that is, the opposite side than that shown in  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 16  is a cross-sectional view of the tag display portion  838  taken approximately along the line  16 - 16  of  FIG. 15 . Each of the views will be described together and separately, as each view shows a different aspect of this embodiment.  
         [0060]     The tag display portion  838  also bends at a fold line  18 , as in earlier embodiments, but instead of having a folded over edge, such as the folded over edge  66  of the tag display portion  12  shown in  FIG. 1 , a slot opening  890  provides ingress for insertion of the card into the enclosure provided by the other three edges  842 ,  844 ,  846 , which each have a folded over edge  862 ,  864 ,  866 , providing for grooves  852 ,  854 ,  856  for receiving the tag, for example, tag display  90  ( FIG. 3 ).  
         [0061]     As can be seen from the cross-sectional view of  FIG. 16 , the grooves  854 ,  856  are deep enough to be able to receive the display tag  90 , and the dimensions between the ends are such that the grooves can accommodate standard display tags. Of course, the dimensions of the grooves, the separation between the grooves, etc., can be changed to accommodate a particular customer&#39;s display tags. For example, different dimensions may be necessary for stores located in a metric system state, and some custom made display tag holders may be provided for specific promotional merchandising applications, as required in the industry. Thus, the description is to be considered suggestive of the possible available configurations that will be come readily apparent to a person having ordinary skill, once the concept of the present invention is understood. That is, once there is a grasp of the concept of the invention, the applications to which the thermoformed display tag holder having the folded over edges for receiving a display tag are numerous to elaborate in a patent simple application in which the concept of the invention is described and claimed.  
         [0062]     The tag display portion embodiment  838  of  FIGS. 14-16  may be considered to be preferred over the other embodiments for a number of reasons. One main one is that the display tag holder having a portion  838  provides a much diminished opportunity for pranks to be sprung on unsuspecting customers at a retail establishment by the interchange of display tags from one item to another. The process of inserting the display tag  90  ( FIG. 3 ) into the side slot is simple enough, but that process is also readily apparent to mischievous persons at a retail establishment who strive to create confusion with the store personnel and customers. Changing the display tags from similar, but differently priced, items would be an invitation to much consternation and need for mollification of customers if the price that was ostensibly indicated as being different than that which comes up at the cash register when the item is rung up.  
         [0063]     The top loading insert of the display tag is done when the display tag holder is flat and in the position shown in  FIG. 16 . That is, the tag is inserted into the slot  890  until it engages all three of the grooves  852 ,  854 ,  856 , and then the tag display portion  838  is folded about the fold line  18 . The folded over tag display portion  838  thus locks the tag into place after it is folded over, and is more difficult for a mischievous person to remove, since the removal process would require the bending up of the display tag portion  838  and removal from the back of the surface  840 . More importantly, the lack of a visible means to extract display tag from the display tag potion  838  would not suggest to the passing mischievous person that the tags were in any way removable from the tag holders. Thus, the dual effect of the locked in tag and the hiding of the insertion slot opening  890  minimizes the chance that a person would first think of removing the tags and secondly of finding an easy way to do so.  
         [0064]     It will be appreciated by those having skill in the art that there are many varieties of known display hooks and support structures other than a wire mesh  120  ( FIG. 5 ) with which the tag holders  10  may be used. For example, a wall for attaching hooks thereunto, having appropriately spaced slats (not shown) in the form, shape and dimensions to accommodate the hooks  80 , may be used. Also, by modifying or altering the construction, such as changing the shape, dimensions and configuration for the holders  10 , while still practicing the form of display portion according to the present invention at the opposite, distal end of the hook  60 , it may be possible to provide different configurations to include other types of hooks and mounting structures.  
         [0065]     The present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. However, the scope of the present invention is intended to include many modifications, alterations or equivalents. For example, the length of the intermediate portion  16  has been shown to be of a specified dimension, but persons having experience in the field will understand that both the length and the relative width of the intermediate portions may be modified to accommodate different size hooks. Thus, the scope of the invention is not to be considered limited by the described embodiments but is limited only by the following claims and their equivalents.