U.S. patent application number 10/714288 was filed with the patent office on 2005-05-19 for high capacity load decorative hanging merchandise display rack.
Invention is credited to Paventi, Giusseppe.
Application Number | 20050103737 10/714288 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34573946 |
Filed Date | 2005-05-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050103737 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Paventi, Giusseppe |
May 19, 2005 |
High capacity load decorative hanging merchandise display rack
Abstract
A decorative retail hanging merchandise display rack is provided
which is capable of bearing high capacity hanging loads and which
integrates the decorative components into the structural framework.
The display rack includes structural steel tubular framing, such as
in the form of an A-frame type supporting structure, and decorative
cover members, such as wood, which are slidably mountable over the
structural steel tubing, such as a sleeve, and are structurally
secured to the structural steel tubular framework by threaded rods
which apply compressive force against the decorative members in
combination with a steel hanging port which is threaded mounted to
the threaded rods which extend through the tubular steel framework
and the decorative cover members. Several of these A-frame type
structures can be structurally tied together to make a larger
display rack. Various modifications of shape of the supporting
framework are possible, as is the choices of materials, but
structural steel and wood are presently preferred in accomplishing
the objectives of the present invention. Moreover, although the
decorative member is preferably slidably mountable over portions of
the structural steel tubular frame, it can also fit over it, such
as at the base, in a tongue and groove channel type arrangement as
well.
Inventors: |
Paventi, Giusseppe;
(Montreal, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Lawrence G. Kurland, Esq.
BRYAN CAVE LLP
1290 Avenue of the Americas
New York
NY
10104
US
|
Family ID: |
34573946 |
Appl. No.: |
10/714288 |
Filed: |
November 14, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
211/206 ;
211/207 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47F 5/0838 20130101;
A47F 5/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
211/206 ;
211/207 |
International
Class: |
A47F 005/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A decorative retail hanging merchandise display rack capable of
bearing high capacity hanging loads comprising: a structural steel
tubular frame; a decorative cover member for said frame, said
decorative cover member being slidably mountable over at least a
portion of said tubular frame for providing an aesthetically
pleasing decorative covering for said tubular frame portion; a
threaded rod-like member extending through said tubular frame
portion and said slidably mounted decorative cover member; and a
steel hanging member portion capable of supporting said hanging
loads thereon, said hanging member portion comprising a threaded
socket member threadably mateable with said threaded rod-like
member and a compressive force applying surface member for applying
a compressive force against said slidably mounted decorative cover
member with said threaded socket member threadably mounted on said
threaded rod-like member for providing an integrally connected high
capacity load bearing decorative retail hanging merchandise display
rack.
2. A decorative retail hanging merchandise display rack in
accordance with claim 1 wherein said decorative cover member is
composed of a dissimilar material from said tubular frame.
3. A decorative retail hanging merchandise display rack in
accordance with claim 2 wherein said dissimilar material is
wood.
4. A decorative retail hanging merchandise display rack in
accordance with claim 1 wherein said structural steel tubular
frame, said threadably mounted hanging member portion, and said
slidably mounted decorative cover member comprise a high capacity
load bearing A frame-type supporting structure.
5. A decorative retail hanging merchandise display rack in
accordance with claim 4 further comprising at least a second
structural steel tubular frame spaced apart from said structural
steel tubular frame by said steel hanging member portion, a second
decorative cover member slidably mountable over at least a portion
of said second structural steel tubular frame, a second threaded
rod like member extending through said second tubular frame portion
and said decorative cover member threadably mounted thereon, said
steel hanging member portion being threadably mounted to said
second threaded rod like member for applying said compressive force
against said slidably mounted second decorative member.
6. A decorative retail hanging merchandise display rack in
accordance with claim 5 wherein said decorative cover members are
composed of a dissimilar material from said tubular frame.
7. A decorative retail hanging merchandise display rack in
accordance with claim 6 wherein said dissimilar material is
wood.
8. A decorative retail hanging merchandise display rack in
accordance with claim 4 wherein said A frame type supporting
structure further comprises a steel base.
9. A decorative retail hanging merchandise display rack in
accordance with claim 8 further comprising a second decorative
cover portion mountable over said steel base and secured
thereto.
10. A decorative retail hanging merchandise display rack in
accordance with claim 5 further comprising a second decorative
cover portion mountable over said steel base and secured
thereto.
11. A decorative retail hanging merchandise display rack capable of
bearing high capacity hanging loads comprising: a pair of
downwardly extending spaced apart structural steel tubular members;
a decorative cover member for said structural steel tubular
members; a horizontally extending structural steel tubular member
extending between said spaced apart structural steel tubular
members and structurally tied thereto; a decorative cover member
for said horizontally extending structural steel tubular member; a
threaded rod-like member extending through each of said downwardly
extending structural steel tubular members and said decorative
cover members therefor and structurally tieing said decorative
cover members to said downwardly extending structural steel tubular
members; a steel hanging member portion capable of supporting
hanging loads thereon, said hanging member portion comprising a
threaded socket member, said horizontally extending structural
steel tubular member further comprising a threaded rod like member
threadably mateable with said threaded socket member for
structurally tieing said tubular members, said hanging member
portion, and said decorative cover members together for providing
an integrally connected high capacity load bearing decorative
retail merchandise hanging display rack.
12. A decorative retail hanging merchandise display rack wherein
said devorative cover members are composed of wood.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to the field of merchandise
display racks and particularly to decorative hanging display racks
for retail merchandise which are both decorative and capable of
bearing high capacity hanging loads.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] The art of display racks for hanging retail merchandise is
practically as old as mankind itself. As such, retailers have
always been faced with the dual problem of displaying merchandise
in an aesthetic manner to attract the buyer as well as providing
the best possible loading characteristics for the display fixture
so that it doesn't collapse under the weight of the merchandise or
when merchandise is pulled from the rack by the potential buyer.
Attempts to solve this dilemma have taken many forms such as
illustrated, by way of example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,482,238;
4,585,131; 4,898,285; 6,053,460; 5,924,663; and 5,718,398; and
British Patent No. GB 2,189,138. These prior art solutions,
however, keep the aesthetic aspect and the structural aspect of the
display rack components separate and distinct from each other,
using different components solely for each of these aspects,
thereby sacrificing features of one for the other and resulting in
an inefficient use of materials. In this regard, snap-on or
clip-on, or some other type of removable fastening member, such as
illustrated in the aforementioned prior art, have been used to
secure the decorative covering to the display rack without
structurally enhancing the ability of the display rack to bear high
capacity hanging loads and the wear and tear normally associated
with an active retail environment. As a result, in certain
instances, not only is the display rack itself not strong enough to
bear the desired loads, but the decorative covering itself may
crack or shear under such loads.
[0005] Attempting to solve this problem by sacrificing the
aesthetics of the display rack in order to increase the load
bearing capacity of the display rack is not a viable solution in a
retail environment, particularly a high-end retail environment, as
it defeats the essential marketing purpose of displaying the
merchandise in an attractive manner. These problems in the prior
art are overcome by the present invention which structurally
integrates the decorative components of the display rack, such as
wood, with the dissimilar structural framework, such as steel, of
the display rack to form a unitary high capacity load bearing
structure which utilizes the decorative covering as both a
decorative element and a structural element.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] A decorative retail hanging merchandise display rack is
provided which is capable of bearing high capacity hanging loads
and which integrates the decorative components into the structural
framework. The display rack includes structural steel tubular
framing, such as in the form of an A-frame type supporting
structure, and decorative cover members, such as wood, which are
slidably mountable over the structural steel tubing, such as a
sleeve, and are structurally secured to the structural steel
tubular framework by threaded rods which apply compressive force
against the decorative members in combination with a steel hanging
port which is threaded mounted to the threaded rods which extend
through the tubular steel framework and the decorative cover
members. Several of these A-frame type structures can be
structurally tied together to make a larger display rack. Various
modifications of shape of the supporting framework are possible, as
is the choices of materials, but structural steel and wood are
presently preferred in accomplishing the objectives of the present
invention. Moreover, although the decorative member is preferably
slidably mountable over portions of the structural steel tubular
frame, it can also fit over it, such as at the base, in a tongue
and groove channel type arrangement as well.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the presently preferred
display rack in accordance with the present invention;
[0008] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the display rack of FIG. 1;
[0009] FIG. 3 is a front elevation of the display rack of FIG.
1;
[0010] FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the display rack of FIG.
1;
[0011] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of
the display rack of FIG. 1;
[0012] FIG. 6 is a plan view of the display rack of FIG. 5;
[0013] FIG. 7 is a front elevation of the display rack of FIG.
5;
[0014] FIG. 8 is a side elevation of the display rack of FIG.
5;
[0015] FIG. 9 is a cross sectional side view of the display rack of
FIG. 1;
[0016] FIG. 10 is a side view of the tubular framework of the
display rack of FIG. 1;
[0017] FIG. 11 is a front view of a typical decorative post for the
display rack of FIG. 1;
[0018] FIG. 12 is a partial cross sectional side view of the
display rack of FIG. 1;
[0019] FIG. 13 is an exploded view of the base portion of the
display rack of FIG. 1;
[0020] FIG. 14 is a cross sectional view of a typical decorative
post for use with the display rack of FIG. 1;
[0021] FIG. 15 is a cross sectional side view of another
alternative embodiment for the display rack of FIG. 1;
[0022] FIG. 16 is a side view of the tubular framework of the
display rack of FIG. 15;
[0023] FIG. 17 is an enlarged cross section partial view of the
framework of FIG. 16;
[0024] FIG. 18 is an enlarged cross section partial side view of
the display rack of FIG. 15;
[0025] FIG. 19 is a perspective view of still another alternative
embodiment of the display rack of FIG. 1;
[0026] FIG. 20 is a front elevation of the display rack of FIG.
19;
[0027] FIG. 21 is a side elevation of the display rack of FIG.
19;
[0028] FIG. 22 is a plan view of the display rack of FIG. 19;
[0029] FIG. 23 is a partial cross section of the front of the
display rack of FIG. 19;
[0030] FIG. 24 is a partial exploded perspective view of the
hanging member attachment mechanism for the display rack of FIG.
19; and
[0031] FIG. 25 is a fragmentary cross section side view of the
attachment mechanism illustrated in FIG. 24.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0032] Referring now to the drawings in detail, and initially to
FIGS. 1-4, and 9-14, the presently preferred embodiment of a high
capacity lad decorative merchandise hanging display rack 100 in
accordance with the present invention is shown. As shown and
preferred, the display rack 100 includes a structural steel
framework 102 and a decorative wood covering 104 for the structural
steel framework 102. The preferred structural framework 102 is
composed of tubular steel, such as 3/4 inch 12 gauge square tubular
steel, such as illustrated in FIG. 10. The decorative wood covering
104 is preferably 2 inch square wood which has a channel in it to
allow it to slidably slip over the tubular framework and form a
sleeve therefor such as shown in FIGS. 1,3.4 and 9-12. Preferably a
threaded steel rod 108 extends through the tubular steel framework
and the mounted decorative wood sleeve or covering 104 and applies
compressive forces to the decorative wood covering 104 to
structurally tie the wood covering and the tubular framework 102
together in the display rack 100. This is accomplished, as shown
and preferred in FIG. 9 by means of a metal plate 110 located at
one end of the decorative covering 104 and a nut 112 and/or washer
arrangement located at the other end of the decorative wood
covering 104. The metal plate 110 is an integral portion of the
hanging portion 114 of the display rack 100 and is located at the
ends of the preferably triangular shaped hanging portion 114 which
preferably contains a threaded socket 116 which threadably mounts
on the upper end of each threaded rod 108 extending through the
tubular framework 102 and mounted decorative wood covering 104. By
tightening the nut 112 and the threaded mounting 116 to the desired
tightness, the plate 110 applies compressive force to the
decorative wood covering 102 to provide the structurally integrated
display rack 100.
[0033] As far as the decorative wood covering 106 at the base
portion of the display rack 100, this is preferably mounted to the
tubular framework base portion 102a by use of a tongue and groove
channel 120 in the wood which mates with a complementary channel
122 in the tubular frame base portion 102 and is then bolted to it,
such as illustrated in FIGS. 12-14. If desired, and as shown in
FIGS. 1, 3-4, an additional steel base 124 can also be mounted to
the base for additional aesthetic appeal.
[0034] Referring now to FIGS. 5-8 and 15-18, an alternative
embodiment 200 of the display rack 100 described above is shown. In
the alternative embodiment 200 illustrated in FIGS. 5-8 and 15-18
the principles are the same but instead of forming an A frame at
each end of the hanging bar 126, the A frame sections 202, 204 are
rotated ninety degrees and placed adjacent to each other and
structurally tied together, with the hanging bars 206, 208 also
being rotated ninety degrees to form T type sections. In this
instance steel cross pieces 210, 212, 214 are attached to the base
portion for added structural stability for the rack 200. Apart from
the above, as illustrated in FIGS. 15-18, the steel tubular
framework 216 is structurally tied to the decorative wood covering
218 in the same manner as previously described using threaded steel
rods 220, bolts 222, and metal plates 224 threaded mounted on the
other end of the rods 220 to apply compressive forces to the
mounted decorative wood cover member 226, with this more clearly
illustrated in the enlarged view of FIG. 18.
[0035] Referring now to FIGS. 20-25, still another embodiment 300
of the display rack of the present invention, applying the same
principles is shown. In this instance, however, the hanging portion
302 is attached in a slightly different manner as illustrated in
FIGS. 23-25. As shown and preferred in this embodiment 300, the
hanger portion 302 is preferably a 1 inch diameter steel tube in
which a metal adapter 304 containing a thread socket 306 has been
welded. This arrangement is then structurally tied to a steel
tubular cross piece 308 extending between the two legs of the A
frame type structure and welded to the upstanding portions 310 of
the steel tubular framework 311. The cross piece 308 preferably
includes an upstanding threaded rod 312 welded inside the cross
piece 308 and extending vertically through both the tubular cross
piece 308 and the decorative wood covering 314 for the cross piece
308 and the hanger portion 302 is then threadably mounted to this
rod 312 and structurally tied to the tubular framework 311 and the
decorative wood covering. The decorative wood coverings for the
upstanding legs are preferably structurally tied to the tubular
steel framework 311 through threaded rods 316 in the same manner as
previously described with respect to the other embodiments except a
nut/bushing 318 is used instead at both ends of the rods 316.
[0036] While the present invention has been described herein with
reference to specific embodiments, those examples are intended to
only be illustrative thereof and are not intended to limit the
spirit or scope of the invention.
* * * * *