GB2368000A

GB2368000A - Shelf mounted goods display device

Info

Publication number: GB2368000A
Application number: GB0024965A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Neil John Harris
Original assignee: OAKLEY YOUNG ASSOCIATES Ltd
Current assignee: OAKLEY YOUNG ASSOCIATES Ltd
Priority date: 2000-10-12
Filing date: 2000-10-12
Publication date: 2002-04-24
Also published as: GB0024965D0

Abstract

A display device 10 comprises a pair of spaced apart guide supporting members 12, adapted to be secured beneath a shelf (24, Fig 2), by an adjustable clamp 22. The clamp 22 has channel members 20,30 which locate and wrap around the respective front and rear edges of the shelf 24 (see Figs 4 and 5). A display tray 36 is removably supported between the guide supporting members 12, and is divided into three channels 54,56,58. Each channel 54,56,58 has a pusher paddle 62 mounted to a roll spring 61 for biasing articles for display 66 towards the front of the display tray.

Description

Title : Display Device The present invention relates to a display device. In a retail environment, product display space may be limited, and therefore it is often desirable for a vender to maximise the utilisation of space available for display of products for sale.

In proprietary storage and display units, for example refrigerators, coolers or chillers, the shelves may be fixed, and display space is often wasted because the products on display only occupy a proportion of the height available between the shelves. Similarly, space is often wasted beneath tables or display counters.

.., According to the present invention there is provided a display device comprising a pair of spaced apart guide supporting members adapted to be fixed beneath a fixed part of a display area such as a shelf, and a display tray being removably supported underneath the fixed part and between the guide supporting members.

Preferably the fixed part of the display device is a shelf. The shelf may be in a cooler or chiller. Alternatively the fixed part may be a magazine rack or a shop counter.

Preferably the tray is adapted to receive articles such as chocolate bars, which are resiliently biased towards the front of the display tray for purchase.

The articles may be arranged in a plurality of channels. Preferably each channel is provided with a roll spring and a pushing plate.

The invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a display device, including a pair of guide supporting I members and a display tray ; Figure 2 shows diagrammatically a perspective view of a display device according to the invention mounted in a supermarket refrigerator; Figure 3 shows a side view of the guide and supporting members before attachment to a shelf ; Figure 4 shows a side view of the guide and supporting members attached to a shelf, and the display tray; and Figure 5 shows a-side view of the display device, including the guide and supporting members attached to a shelf, and supporting the display tray beneath the shelf.

Referring firstly to Figure 1, a display device is indicated generally at 10. The display device 10 comprises a pair of channel shaped guide and supporting members 12, which are parallel with one another, are spaced apart, and are arranged with the open parts of the channels 14 facing inwards, that is, towards one another. Each supporting member 12 is attached from its upper edge 18 to a respective end of a rectangular flat plate 16. A channel 20, is attached to, or integral with the front edge of the plate 16 and forms part of an adjustable clamp 22 for attaching the supporting members 12 to a fixed part of a display area, such as a shelf 24. The channel 20 runs perpendicularly to the supporting members 12, and its outer edge 26 is flush with the respective ends of the supporting members, as best seen from Figure 3.

A second rectangular flat plate 28 overlaps the flat plate 16, and has a channel 30 running along the back edge of the plate. The channel 30 forms another part of the adjustable clamp 22 and is parallel with and faces the channel 20. Slots 32 provided in the plate 16, one of which is shown in Figure 1, are parallel to the supporting members 12 and are aligned with corresponding slots 34, also parallel with the supporting members 12, in the plate 28. A bolt

(not shown) passing through each pair of perspective slots 32, 34 can be tightened by means I of a wing-nut in order to lock the plates 16 and 28 together at a desired distance apart. Otherwise, the plates 16, 28 are free to slide in relation to one another, as indicated by arrows B. In Figure 3 the plates 16,28 and channels 20,30 are spaced apart ready to receive a shelf 24.

In order to attach the supporting members 12 to the shelf 24, the plates 16,28 are slid together, guided by the slots 32,34 and bolts, so that the channels 20,30 which form the clamp 22 locate and wrap around the respective front and rear edges of the shelf 24 as shown in Figures 4 and 5. The wing-nuts can subsequently be tightened by hand from underneath the shelf 24 in order to lock the plates 16,28, and hence the channels 20,30 in their engaged position. A display tray 36 which is supported by the supporting members 12 comprises a base 38, a front wall 40 ; a rear wall 42 and sides 44. The base 38 is not flat on its underside, but is provided with steps 46,48 which protrude downwards at the front and rear of the tray 36. Shoulders 50,52 facing one another on the steps 46,48 provide stops which locate at the ends of the supporting members 12, when the display tray is located on the supporting members as shown in Figure 5.

The display tray 36 is divided into three channels 54,56, 58 by means of integrally moulded dividing walls 60 as shown in Figure 1. However, there may be any number of channels depending on the width of the tray, the products to be displayed for purchase, and the available length of supporting surface. An acetal plastics strip 61, is located running longitudinally in the bottom of each channel 54,56, 58, and provides a guide for a springloaded pusher paddle 62. A roll spring 64 is mounted behind each pusher paddle 62, and is attached at one end to the front of the display tray 36, for biasing the pusher paddle towards the front of the tray.

When loading the display tray 36 with products, each pusher paddle 62 is manually pushed towards the back of the tray 36, against the bias of the roll spring 64, and articles 66 for purchase, for example, chocolate bars, are placed in front of the paddle. When the paddle 62 is released, the articles 66 are pushed to the front of the display tray 36. A purchaser may

then remove an article 66 from a channel at the front of the tray 36, whereupon the spring 64 t and the pusher 62 advance the column of articles 66 in the channel, and another article 66 is presented at the front of the tray 36 for subsequent removal and purchase.

In order to clean or re-stock the display tray 36 with articles 66, the tray can be lifted to disengage the stops 52 from the rear of the supporting members 12, and the tray can be removed from the supporting members by forward sliding, as indicated by arrow A. Alternatively, the articles 66 can be loaded one at a time, or as access permits at the front of the tray 36.

The front wall 40 of the tray is constructed of transparent plastics, to provide a prospective customer with an unimpeded view of the selection of products for sale in the display tray 36.

Furthermore, the sides of the supporting members 12 are provided with vent holes 68 to improve air-flow through the display device 10, for more effective cooling of products 66 when the display device 10 is installed in a refrigerator, cooler or commercial chiller 70 as shown in Figure 2.

The display device 10 may be suspended beneath any appropriate supporting surface in a sales environment, such as a magazine rack or shop counter.

Claims

1. A display device comprising apair of spaced apart guide supporting members adapted ID to be secured beneath a fixed part of a display area such as a shelf, and a display tray being removably supported underneath the fixed part and between the guide supporting members.

2. A display device as claimed in claim 1 in which the guide supporting members are channel shaped.

3. A display device as claimed in claim 1 in which the guide supporting members are secured to the fixed part of a display area by an adjustable clamp.

4. A display device as claimed in claim 1 in which the display tray can slide on the guide supporting members.

5. A display device as claimed in claim 1 in which the underside of the display tray has steps having shoulders which face one another and locate on the ends of the guide supporting members to act as stops, when the display tray is located on the guide supporting members.

6. A display device as claimed in claim 1 in which the display tray is divided into a plurality of channels.

7. A display device as claimed in claim 6 in which each channel is provided with a roll spring and a pushing plate for resiliently biasing articles towards the front of the display tray for purchase.