CA2168760A1

CA2168760A1 - Price-indicating cartridge

Info

Publication number: CA2168760A1
Application number: CA002168760A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Michael Schwarz; Norbert Hetzer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Meto International GmbH
Priority date: 1993-08-04
Filing date: 1994-07-05
Publication date: 1995-02-16
Also published as: EP0712526A1; DE4326173A1; AU7187594A; DE59404589D1; WO1995004983A1; ATE160236T1; EP0712526B1

Abstract

A price-indicating cartridge has a bottom part (2) linked by a hinge to a top part (5) that may be folded onto the front side of the bottom part. Information on goods and/or their price is inserted into an intermediate space (12) between the bottom part and the top part. The top part is transparent in the area of said information on the goods and/or their price. In order to stress the number-bearing strips (20) against the top part and to elastically hold them thereon without additional means when the price-indicating cartridge is closed, the intermediate space and the top part are curved around a horizontal axis located behind the price-indicating cartridge. The price-indicating, number-bearing strips (20) are made of an elastically deformable material. The number-bearing strips (20) are thus slightly curved when the price-indicating cartridge is closed, following the curvature of the intermediate space and top part, and are prestressed against the top part because of their elasticity.

Description

~ WO 95~04983 2168 ~ 60 PCT/EP94/02200 Description Price-Indicating Cartridge This invention relates to a price-indicating car-tridge having a bottom part and a top part jointed thereto by means of a hinge and adapted to be folded onto the front side of the bottom part, in which article and/or price information is inserted into an intermediate space between the bottom part and the top part, and the top part is transparent at least in the area of such article and/or price information. A price-indicating cartridge of this type is known from DE 34 21 505 C2.

The known price-indicating cartridge has on its bot-tom part vertical compartments into which individual digit tags providing the price information are slid from above. The compartments are separated from one another by ribs configured in the shape of arrow-heads in order to prevent the digit tags from falling out at the front.
This, however, holds the digit tags at a relative dis-tance to the top part also in the closed condition of the price-indicating cartridge, thus maint~;n;ng at all times a free space between the top part and the digit tags.
Such free spaces, however, are to a considerable extent esthetically unappealing, causing reflections and distor-tions. But even if the ribs separating the compartments were simply omitted, the digit tags would not rest against the top part without additional means being pro-vided. They would simply fall about loosely in the price-indicating cartridge.

It is an object of the present invention to improve upon a price-indicating cartridge of the type initially referred to such that the digit tags are biased against the top part and in resilient engagement therewith with-out additional means when the price-indicating cartridge is closed.

According to the present invention this, object is accomplished in that the intermediate space and the top part are curved about a horizontal axis located behind the price-indicating cartridge, and that the digit tags providing the price information are made of an elasti-cally deformable material.

By this means, it is accomplished in a surprisingly simple manner that the digit tags are slightly bent in accordance with the curvature of the intermediate space and the top part when the price-indicating cartridge is closed. Thus they are biased into engagement with the top part.

In a further aspect of the present invention, ring-type holding elements are inserted in the intermediate space close to the horizontal center of the cartridge, with the digit tags which are adapted to be flipped up and down being attached thereto in side-by-side arrange-ment. This eliminates the disadvantage that ribs have to be provided between the individual digit tags to fix the digit tags in place. Such ribs are to a considerable ex-tent esthetically unappealing, producing a distinct sepa-ration between the individual digits. By virtue of this ~ W0 95/04983 ~16 8 7 6 0 PCT/EP94/02200 advantageous further feature, the digit tags are not only fixed in position, but are also held captive in the bot-tom part of the price-indicating cartridge. After the price-indicating cartridge has been opened, the digit tags have to be simply flipped up or down so that the re-spective desired information becomes visible on the top-most digit tag in the bottom half of the price-indicating cartridge. In this further feature, it is particularly advantageous if the holding elements are configured as U-shaped components having their two open legs clipped into engagement with a ret~; n; ng groove of the bottom part.
This enables the holding elements, together with the set of digit tags located thereon, to be completely removed from the price-indicating cartridge without particular difficulty. This is necessary, for example, if the com-position of the sets of digit tags has to be changed. It will be obvious, of course, that this digit tag, apart from contA;n;ng digits, may also include other indicia, such as unit of weight, piece, bundle, net or the like.
The digit tags being exchAngeable, the price-indicating cartridge thus adapts readily to changed requirements.
In order to maintain at all times a uniform distance be-tween adjacent digit tags, a further feature of the pres-ent invention provides an upwardly ext~nd; ng vertical projection at the bottom leg of the U-shaped component, with connecting ribs which determine the exact distance being formed between the vertical projections of the ad-jacent U-shaped components. Thus, the holding elements for the individual sets of digit tags are directly con-nected with one another, eliminating the possibility of varying distances due to an inaccurate insertion of the individual holding elements. Thus, the holding elements have the shape of a comb with teeth deflected in U-form, at the free ends of which the digit tags are hooked in, the comb being subsequently clipped into the bottom part as a whole together with all digit tags. After clipping in, the free ends of the holding elements are also closed, preventing the possibility of any one of the digit tags falling out during manipulation of the price-indicating cartridge.

The price-indicating cartridge may be adapted to ap-plicable appearance requirements even more universally if on the side of the top part facing the intermediate space, which top part is completely made of a transparent material, a window plate is clamped in between top and bottom stops such as to be curved in accordance with the curvature of the top part, the window plate having in the bottom area of the closed price-indicating cartridge an opening for price information, and in the top area an opening for article information, and is overprinted with information on the side facing the top part. By exchang-ing these window plates, the price-indicating cartridge is readily adaptable to the image of a particular super-market, a particular department, or special sales. The same price-indicating cartridge will have a completely different effect using different overprints on the window plates. It is also possible to provide window plates in which the size of the bottom opening for the price infor-mation is adapted to the individual requirements. Since the window plate is clamped so as to correspond to the curvature of the top part, its surface rests at all times snugly against the top part, is securely held in place between simple stops owing to its own bias, and yet is `- WO 95/04983 21 6 8 7 6 0 PCT/EP94/02200 replaceable with great ease. If a very soft, highly flexible material, such as thin paper, is intended to be used for the window plate, the window plate is conven-iently sandwiched in a folding frame having at the same time a receiving compartment for article information and being clamped between the stops together with the window plate. This also makes it very easy to manipulate the price and the article information separately. If, for example, only the price is changed, the article informa-tion is simply folded open with the top part, enabling the digit tags to be turned over as re~uired. The re-ceiving compartment suitably has horizontally extending guide grooves into which a tag carrying the article in-formation is slidable laterally.

In price-indicating cartridges without folding frame for the window plate, a particularly advantageous solu-tion provides a frame for receiving a tag carrying the article information, said frame being accommodated above the holding elements for the digit tags in the intermedi-ate space between the bottom part and the top part and being jointed to the bottom part by means of a hinge at a location close to its upper edge. This arrangement, too, enables the article information to be folded open sepa-rately. Moreover, said frame retains at the same time the folded up digit tags not needed at this particular mo~nt for display purposes until the top part is finally folded shut. It is an advantage in this arrangement if the hinge joint between the frame and the bottom part is of the self-locking type. This causes the frame to re-main fixed in any desired position, without it coming constantly down when the digit tags are manipulated.

`` 2168760 Further advantages will become apparent from the em-bodiments described in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the price-indicating cartridge according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section through the price-indicating cartridge, taken along the line A-A of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the bottom part of the price-indicating cartridge with the digit tags clipped in position;

FIG. 4 is a view of a folding frame for the price-indicating cartridge of FIG. 2 with window plate and tag carrying the article information;

FIG. 5 is a section as in FIG. 2, but with the top part open;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of a price-indicating cartridge illustrating another embodiment; and FIG. 7 is a vertical section of the price-indicating cartridge of FIG. 6 with the top part open.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a price-indicating cartridge 1 having a bottom part 2. Formed on the back of the bottom part are mounting supports 3 and 4 enabling the price-indicating cartridge 1 to be mounted on a rail W0 95/04983 ~16 8 7 6 0 PCT/EP94/02200 on a shelf, not shown, or a holding device, not shown either. The front side of the bottom part 2 is covered with a transparent top part 5. Inserted into the top part 5 is a window plate 6 having an opening 7 for an article information, and an opening 8 for a price infor-mation. In the representation of FIG. 1, no such infor-mation carriers are inserted and are therefore not visible either. The opaque portions of the window plate 6 are hatched to show the area suitable for printing by means of which the overall appearance of the price-indicating cartridge 1 may be influenced considerably.

FIG. 2 iS a vertical section through the price-indicating cartridge of FIG. 1 taken along the line A-A, showing the price-indicating cartridge 1 fitted onto a support rail 10. The top part 5 is jointed to the bottom part 2 by a hinge at a pivot 11. An intermediate space 12 iS defined between the bottom part 2 and the top part 5. A ret~;n;ng groove 13 with undercuts 14 and 15 is formed in the bottom part 2 at about half height of the intermediate space 12. With its open legs, a U-shaped holding element 16 is clipped into engagement with the ret~;n;ng groove 13. The lower open leg includes a ver-tically upwardly exten~;ng projection 17 for connecting adjacent holding elements 16 with one another, when viewed in horizontal direction. Sets of digit tags 20 depending downwardly when viewing the drawing are hooked into the holding element 16. The window plate 6 is clamped in place between undercut stops 21 and 22 on the side of the top part 5 facing the intermediate space 12.
As can be more clearly seen from FIG. 4, the window plate 6 is sandwiched in a folding frame 23 to be subsequently W0 95/04983 216 ~ 7 6 0 PCT/EP94/02200 clamped into the top part 5 together with the folding frame. At the same time, the folding frame has in the area of the opening 7 a receiving compartment 26 with horizontally extending upper and lower guide grooves 24 and 25 to receive a tag 27 carrying the article informa-tion.

The perspective view of FIG. 3 shows still more clearly how the digit tags 20 depend from the holding elements 16 and are arranged side-by-side along the width of the intermediate space 12. Considering that the hold-ing elements 16 are connected with one another by means of the projections 17 as explained in the foregoing, all the holding elements 16 and the sets of digit tags 20 combine to form a unit clipped in its entirety into the ret~;n; ng groove 13.

With reference to FIG. 5, it will be explained how the price-indicating cartridge of FIGS. 1 to 4 is to be handled in order to exchange the window plate 6 or vary the article and/or price information. First, the top part 5 is swung open in upward direction about the pivot 11, as shown by the arrow 30. Then the folding frame 23 may be removed from the top part 5 and opened. By inserting a window plate 6 cont~;n;ng different printing, the whole appearance of the price-indicating cartridge 1 may be varied. If only the tag 27 carrying the article informa-tion is to be exchanged, the folding frame 23 with its window plate 6 may remain in the top part. Immediately after the top part 5 is folded open, the tag 27 carrying the article information may be laterally withdrawn from the receiving compartment 26 bounded by the guide grooves 24 and 25 for subsequent replacement. To change the price information, the appropriate digit tags 20 sus-pended from the holding element 16 and concealing the digit tag 20 carrying the digit to be displayed are simply folded up about the U-shaped portion of the hold-ing element 16 in the direction of an arrow 31. As a re-sult, these digit tags enter the upper portion of the intermediate space 12. This thus eliminates the need for the digit tags to be removed from the price-indicating cartridge for changing the price information. This en-sures that such digit tags 20 are not lost. They are simply flipped up or down until the desired digit tag 20 is at the topmost position in the bottom portion of the intermediate space 12. In this arrangement, the curva-ture of the intermediate space has the further advanta-geous effect of causing the ends of the digit tags remote from the holding elements to spring forward directly, enabling them to be grasped with particular ease. Also, the possibility of the digit tags conforming to the cur-vature of the intermediate space 12 with time is pre-cluded, because they are bent in the opposite direction in the upper portion of the intermediate space 12 as com-pared to the bottom portion. After all adjustments are made, the top part 5 is simply folded down onto the bottom part 2, with a catch lug 28 thereof lockingly en-gaging the rear side of a correspondingly shaped corner 29 of the bottom part.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show a somewhat modified embodiment of the price-indicating cartridge 1 of the present inven-tion. In these FIGS., like parts have been assigned like reference numerals, only the differences being described in the following. As becomes clearly apparent from the embodiment of FIG. 6, the window plate 6 is directly in-serted into the top part 5 and biased between the stops 21 and 22 in accordance with the curvature of the top part 5. No additional folding frame is used. Instead, a frame 40 is arranged in the upper portion of the interme-diate space 12 for receiving the tag carrying the article information, which frame is jointed to the bottom part 2 by means of a hinge at a location close to its upper edge, independently of the top part. The frame 40 has again horizontal guide means 24 and 25 into which the tag 27 carrying the article information can be slid later-ally.

FIG. 7 is a vertical section showing the operation of the price-indicating cartridge 1 of FIG. 6. First, the top part 5 is again swung open in upward direction as indicated by the arrow 30. This provides direct access to the window plate 6 and the tag 27 carrying the article information, if necessary. Both parts can be directly exchanged, with the digit tags 20 located in the upper portion of the intermediate space 12 being securely held in place by the superposed frame 40. If it is desired to change the price information, frame 40 plus tag 27 are equally folded upwards. As a result, the digit tags 20 are fully exposed and can be flipped up or down until the digit tag 20 carrying the desired digit is at the topmost position in the bottom portion of the intermediate space 12. The next step involves folding of the frame 40 down-wards to its rest position in opposition to the direction of the arrow 32, thereby immediately securing the digit tags 20 against inadvertent flipping over. Subsequently, WO 9~/04983 PCT/EP94/02200 the top part 5 is folded upon the bottom part 2, thus closing the price-indicating cartridge.

Overall, in the closing of the price-indicating car-tridges of both embodiments, the digit tags 20 are bent in accordance with the curvature of the top part 5 at least in the bottom portion of the intermediate space 12, being accordingly biased into engagement with the inner surface of the top part 5. Thus, irrespective of the thickness of the set of digit tags 20, it is at all times ensured that the information to be displayed is always immediately behind the top part 5, thus ensuring a uni-form appearance without additional means being required.

It may be necessary to exchange individual digit tags 20 in cases where a set of digit tags 20 does not contain the desired representation. In this event, the holding elements 16 may be clipped out of their engage-ment with the ret~;n;ng groove 13 with ease. The upper leg of the U-shaped holding elements 16 is then set free, enabling a new digit tag 20 to be hooked in, or al-ternatively, digit tags 20 that are no longer needed to be removed. Subsequently, the entire rail with the digit tags 20 is simply clipped back into the retaining groove 13.

Claims

1. An indicating device having a bottom part (2) and a top part (5) jointed thereto by means of a hinge and adapted to be folded onto the front side of the bottom part (2), in which article and/or price information, preferably in the form of digit tags (20), is inserted into an intermediate space (12) between the bottom part (2) and the top part (5), and in which the top part (5) is transparent at least in the area of said article and/or price information, characterized in that the indi-cating device involves a price-indicating cartridge closed on all sides, that the intermediate space (12) and the top part (5) are curved about a horizontal axis lo-cated behind the price-indicating cartridge (1), and that the digit tags (20) are made of an elastically deformable material.

2. An indicating device according to claim 1, characterized in that ring-type holding elements (16) are inserted in the intermediate space (12) close to the horizontal center of the cartridge, with the digit tags (20) which are adapted to be flipped up and down being attached thereto in side-by-side arrangement.

3. An indicating device according to claim 2, characterized in that the holding elements (16) are con-figured as U-shaped components having their two open legs clipped into engagement with a retaining groove (13) of the bottom part (2).

4. An indicating device according to claim 3, characterized in that an upwardly extending vertical pro-jection (17) is provided at the bottom leg of the U-shaped component (16), and that connecting ribs determin-ing the exact distance are formed between said vertical projections (17) of said adjacent U-shaped components (16).

5. An indicating device according to any one of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in that on the side of the top part (5) facing the intermediate space (12), which top part is completely made of a transparent material, a window plate (6) is clamped in between top and bottom stops (21, 22) such as to be curved in accordance with the curvature of the top part (5), said window plate having in the bottom area of the closed price-indicating cartridge (1) an opening (8) for price information, and in the top area an opening (7) for article information, and is overprinted with information on the side facing the top part (5).

6. An indicating device according to claim 5, characterized in that the window plate (6) is sandwiched in a folding frame (23) having at the same time a receiv-ing compartment (26) for the article information and be-ing clamped between the stops (21, 22) together with the window plate (6).

7. An indicating device according to claim 6, characterized in that the receiving compartment (26) has horizontally extending guide grooves (24, 25) into which a tag (27) carrying the article information is slidable laterally.

8. An indicating device according to any one of the claims 2 to 5, characterized in that a frame (40) for re-ceiving a tag (27) carrying the article information is accommodated above the holding elements (16) for the digit tags (20) in the intermediate space (12) between the bottom part (2) and the top part (5), said frame be-ing jointed to the bottom part (2) by means of a hinge at a location close to its upper edge.

9. An indicating device according to claim 8, characterized in that the frame (40) has horizontally ex-tending guide grooves (24, 25) into which the tag (27) is slidable laterally.

10. An indicating device according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the hinge joint between the frame (40) and the bottom part (2) is of the self-locking type.