GB2277211A

GB2277211A - A display system having an electrical supply

Info

Publication number: GB2277211A
Application number: GB9407168A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Douglas Charles Chasmer
Original assignee: ABBOTT PRODUCTS Ltd
Current assignee: ABBOTT PRODUCTS Ltd
Priority date: 1993-04-13
Filing date: 1994-04-12
Publication date: 1994-10-19
Anticipated expiration: 2014-04-12
Also published as: GB2277211B; GB9307580D0; GB9407168D0

Abstract

A display system comprises a support (122) having at least one groove (121) therein, the groove being undercut on each side of the entrance thereto, goods display means such as shelving or racks being attachable to the support by engagement in the groove, a pair of electrical conductors (126) running along the inside of the groove wholly within the undercut portions thereof, means for establishing an electrical supply connection to each conductor, and coupling means (123 - 125) engageable in the groove at any point therealong to make an electrical connection to an electrical appliance (120) such as a lamp. The conductors (126) are preferably mounted on a liner for the groove by adhesive, co-extrusion or retaining ribs of a separate insert. The coupling means of the appliance (120) supports spring biassed contacts extending along a T-shaped foot that enters the narrow groove mouth, the coupling means then being rotated to engage the contacts. A cammed sleeve is rotated to lock the coupling means to the groove. <IMAGE>

Description

A DISPLAY SYSTEM Field of the Invention This invention relates to a display system, for example for use in shops to display goods for sale.

Background to the Invention A known display system uses a board mountable generally vertically and having in its surface at least one groove into which goods display means such as hanging rails, trays, shelves and various types of product dispenser may be removable engaged. The system forms the basis of merchandising displays in shops, exhibitions and the like. For such displays, it is often desirable to be able to incorporate lighting to illuminate individual products or groups of products, or simply to render the display more attractive. Additionally, it may be desirable to provide electrical power for other uses, for example for security systems. Conventionally, this can be done either by pinning electric cables to the board, or by attaching power tracks to the surface of the boards. The first of these solutions can be untidy, and both require the services of a skilled electrician to install.

Summarv of the Invention The present invention provides a display system comprising a support having at least one groove therein, the groove being undercut on each side of the entrance thereto, goods display means being attachable to the support by engagement in the groove, a pair of electrical conductors running along the inside of the groove wholly within the undercut portions thereof, means for establishing an electrical supply connection to each conductor, and coupling means engageable in the groove at any point therealong to make an electrical connection to an electrical appliance.

Preferably, the or each groove has an entry at the face of the support whose width is less than that of the remainder of the groove in cross-section, the groove containing a pair of electrically-conductive strips therealong at points remote from the entry, the coupling means being insertable into the entry of the groove and rotatable, or having extendible means, to lock the connector into the groove and bring electrical contacts thereon into engagement with the strips.

In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the coupling means comprises a body having extending therefrom a generally T-shaped foot insertable into the groove, the foot having a pair of electrical contacts therethrough, each contact extending to a respective end of the foot, and a rotatable clamping means on the body, engageable on the surface of the support to secure the clamping means when the foot has been inserted into the groove. The electrical contacts are preferably slidably mounted within the foot, and spring-biased into engagement with the base of the groove.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the groove contains an electrically-insulating liner bearing the conductive strips. The liner may conform to the overall shape of the groove, or it may line only a part of the groove, for example the base of the groove opposite the entry. The strips may be moulded into the liner, adhesively attached thereto, or the liner may be provided with locating ribs to hold the strips in place. The strips may be shaped to conform with the shapes of the ribs, for example.

The support may conveniently be in the form of a board, for example of chipboard, medium density fibre board, plywood or the like, or may be constructed of sheet steel, aluminium, plastics or the like.

The grooves are preferably symmetrical in cross-section about a centreline through the entry perpendicular to the surface of the board.

The means for establishing an electrical supply to the conductors within the groove or grooves may comprise a connector similar to the coupling means, and leading to a mains electricity supply, or preferably to a low voltage power supply, which may comprise a transformer, suitably operating at 12 volts. The connector may alternatively be insertable into the groove at an end face of the board.

The grooves will typically also carry fittings such as brackets shaped to support a shelf, or comprising a rail from which goods may be suspended, racks for displaying the goods, or bins. A wide range of fittings is available for use with the conventional slotted system and these may be used with the system of the present invention.

The system of the invention provides a neat and simple way to connect lights, or other appliances, to a power supply via the grooves in the display board itself.

Brief Description of the Drawings In the drawings, which illustrate alternative embodiments of the invention: Figures 1 to 5 are cross-sectional views of alternative conventional profiles of liner conforming with grooves provided in the surface of a display board; Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of a liner forming part of a display system according to a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 7 is a view of a liner according to an alternative embodiment; Figure 7a is a cross-sectional view of an alternative form of insert to that shown in Figure 7; Figure 8 is a view of another alternative form of liner; Figures 9 to 11 are enlarged views of the upper part only of sections of liners in accordance with further embodiments of the invention; Figure 12 is a sectioned view of a portion of a display system according to the invention, with a lamp installed; and Figure 13 is a sectional elevation of a connector according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description of the Illustrated Embodiments Referring to Figures 1 to 5, the liners illustrate examples of different types of cross-sectional profile for grooves cut in the surface of a display board, for example of chipboard, medium density fibre board, plywood or the like. The liners, which may be of a plastics material or an extruded metal such as aluminium, fit into and closely conform with the grooves to avoid damage to the relatively soft board surface when display items are engaged with the grooves. Such display systems are widely used in shop-fitting.

Figure 6 shows a liner for use in a system according to the invention, in which two electrically-conductive strips 60, for example of copper or aluminium, are mounted on the rear wall 61 of the liner, for example by adhesive or by a co-extrusion process, the liner being of an electrically non-conducting material, preferably a plastics material. Figures 7 to 11 illustrate alternative ways of fitting the conductive strips into the profile. In the embodiment of Figure 7, the strips 70 are mounted on a electrically non-conducting insert 71, which is then slid into the liner 72 from the end thereof.

Figure 7a shows an alternative configuration of the insert, which may be slid into the liner, as described with reference to Figure 7, or may simply be inserted into the unlined groove. The insert comprises a plastics extrusion 73 in the form of a trough having a base 73a and two sides 73b angled slightly outwardly of the horizontal base 73a so as to exert a slight holding pressure against the walls of the groove. Locating ribs 73e are moulded into the base 73a and the sides 73b, shaped to receive and retain electrical conductors in the form of cylindrical wires 73d.

In Figure 8, the strips 80 are fitted into the extremities of the insert, for example by adhesive. Figure 9 shows a first alternative to the use of adhesive in the embodiment of Figure 8, in which the strip 80 is held in place by the provision of. opposed beads 90 moulded into the liner. In the arrangement of Figure 10, the conductive strip 100 fits into a corner of the extremity of the liner and is held in place by beads 101 along adjacent surfaces. Figure 11 is essentially the same as Figure 9, except that the strip 110 is shaped to accommodate the beads 90.

Figure 12 shows one example of the use of the system, partially cut away.

A miniature spotlamp 120 is mounted in a groove 121 provided in a display board 122 by a connector 123 having a foot 124 which is sufficiently narrow to extend through the groove 121. The foot has on its opposed ends electrically-conductive members 125 connected to respective electric wires, shown as broken lines, running within the connector to the lamp within the body of the spotlamp.

The groove 121 contains a liner of the type illustrated in Figure 8, with conductors 126 extending along it at the extremities of the liner remote from the entry 127 thereto. The positioning is such that it is very difficult or impossible to gain access to the conductors from outside the groove without the use of a special connector such as that 123 used for the lamp.

To connect the spotlamp 120 to the board and the electrical supply within the groove, the foot 124 is inserted into the groove through the face of the board until it touches the rear face 128 of the liner. The connector 123, and with it the lamp 120, is then rotated through 90 degrees until the members 125 are wedged by a camming action against the conductors 126, thus ensuring a positive electrical contact and at the same time holding the spotlamp firmly in position.

Figure 13 illustrates a preferred form of the connector, comprising a body 130 having at one end a socket 131 for receiving a tubular supporting arm 132 for a lamp, and at the other end a generally T-shaped foot 133 insertable into a groove in a display board, in which groove an insert of the type illustrated in Figure 7a has been located. The foot 133 projects from an end cap 134 fixed into the body by pins 134a, and has a pair of electrical contacts 135 slidably mounted therein. The contacts 135 extend along the underside of the foot to a respective end thereof, and then project a short distance upwardly and outwardly. Within the body, the contacts pass through a collar 136 which is biased downwardly by a spring 137, and which in turn bears against a portion of each contact which is bent to form a shoulder 138.

Thus, the spring bias is transmitted to the contacts themselves, urging them downwardly relatively to the foot. The shoulders 138 also limit the downward travel of the contacts, so that the total movement thereof is only a matter of a few millimetres. Insulated wires 139 extend through the arm 132 to a lamp, terminating within the body in crimped spade connectors 140 which fit onto the exposed ends of the contacts. A clamping ring 141 is rotatably mounted around the body beneath and in contact with a pair of posts 142. The clamping ring has an upper edge shaped to form a camming surface so that rotation around the body cams the ring downwardly relative to the body, or allows it to move upwardly again. The clamping ring 141 seats in a recessed disk 149 having two opposed tabs projecting therefrom (not visible in Figure 13, since set at right angles to the direction of the foot). These tabs engage in the mouth of the groove in the display board to hold the disk 149 correctly aligned. Grooves 150 across the face of the disk accommodate the ends of the plastics inserts which project slightly. The disk 149 is slightly wedge-shaped (being thicker on the left of the drawing, corresponding to the lowermost part when installed on a vertical board), to compensate for the tendency of the weight of the lamp to cause the arrangement to sag slightly, as a result of all the manufacturing tolerances.

To hold the arm 132 in place in the connector, a split wedging collar 143 wedge is employed. The collar has a detent 144 directed inwardly, and the end of the arm 132 is drilled to provide at least one corresponding hole 145 therein. The whole arrangement is suitably formed as a single plastics moulding in a resilient material. The wedging collar 143 is engaged in a hole 146 in the centre of an annular shoulder 147 formed around the inside of the body of the connector so that, as the connector is clamped in position as hereinafter described, the collar 143 wedges firmly and the detent 144 engaged in the hole 145 in the arm 132 prevents removal of the arm.

In use, the foot is inserted into the groove and rotated to bring the ends thereof into the undercut portions of the groove, and the contacts into engagement with the conductors in the insert located in the floor of the groove. To hold the connector firmly in place, thereby holding the associated lamp rigid, the clamping ring 141 is rotated so as to press the disk 149 by the camming action firmly against the face of the display board on either side of the groove entrance. This has the effect of lifting the upper edge of the foot into engagement with the underside of the undercut portion of the groove to provide the clamping action, but the spring bias imposed on the contacts ensures that they are held firmly in contact with the conductors on the insert.

It will be seen that the connector of this embodiment is simple to install from the front of the display board in situ; there is no need for the connector to be fed in from the side of the board. Electrical contact with the conductors in the groove is made easily and positively.

It will be appreciated that many different types of device may be located and electrically connected by such an arrangement.

Claims

1. A display system comprising a support having at least one groove therein, the groove being undercut on each side of the entrance thereto, goods display means being attachable to the support by engagement in the groove, a pair of electrical conductors running along the inside of the groove wholly within the undercut portions thereof, means for establishing an electrical supply connection to each conductor, and coupling means engageable in the groove at any point therealong to make an electrical connection to an electrical appliance.

2. A display system according to Claim 1, wherein the or each groove has an entry at the face of the support whose width is less than that of the remainder of the groove in cross-section, the groove containing a pair of electrically-conductive strips therealong at points remote from the entry, the coupling means being insertable into the entry of the groove and rotatable, or having extendible means, to lock the connector into the groove and bring electrical contacts thereon into engagement with the strips.

3. A display system according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the coupling means comprises a body having extending therefrom a generally T-shaped foot insertable into the groove, the foot having a pair of electrical contacts therethrough, each contact extending to a respective end of the foot, and a rotatable clamping means on the body, engageable on the surface of the support to secure the clamping means when the foot has been inserted into the groove.

4. A display system according to Claim 3, wherein the electrical contacts are slidably mounted within the foot, and spring-biased into engagement with the base of the groove.

5. A display system according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the groove contains an electrically-insulating liner bearing the conductive strips.

6. A display system according to Claim 5, wherein the liner conforms to the overall shape of the groove.

7. A display system according to Claim 5 wherein the liner lines only a part of the groove, for example the base of the groove opposite the entry.

8. A display system according to Claim 5,6 or 7, wherein the strips are moulded into the liner.

9. A display system according to Claim 5,6 or 7, wherein the strips are adhesively attached to the liner.

10. A display system according to Claim 5, 6 or 7 wherein the liner is provided with locating ribs to hold the strips in place.

11. A display system according to Claim 5,6 or 7, wherein the strips are shaped to conform with the shapes of the ribs.

12. A display system according to any preceding claim, wherein the support is the form of a board of chipboard, medium density fibre board, plywood or the like.

13. A display systerm according to any preceding claim, wherein the grooves are symmetrical in cross-section about a centre-line through the entry perpendicular to the surface of the board.

14. A display system according to any preceding claim, wherein the means for establishing an electrical supply to the conductors within the groove or grooves comprises a connector similar to the coupling means.

15. A display system according to any of Claims 1 to 13, wherein the connector is insertable into the groove at an end face of the board.

16. A display system, substantially as described with reference to, or as shown in, any of Figures 6 to 13 of the drawings.