U.S. patent application number 11/380817 was filed with the patent office on 2006-11-02 for merchandising display.
Invention is credited to Peter J. Everett, Michael D. Onachilla, Toben S. Parker.
Application Number | 20060243683 11/380817 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37233433 |
Filed Date | 2006-11-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060243683 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Onachilla; Michael D. ; et
al. |
November 2, 2006 |
MERCHANDISING DISPLAY
Abstract
A merchandising display system has gravity-feed containers that
have a dispensing opening near the bottom in the front wall of the
container, in which similar containers are arranged side-by-side
and restrained from moving back and forth on the shelf by a cleat
that restrains the container. A display bar that displays products
such as electrical instruments is supported by pegboard and the
products being displayed are dispensed from directly above the
displayed product from a hook that extends from the pegboard.
Inventors: |
Onachilla; Michael D.;
(Menomonee Falls, WI) ; Parker; Toben S.;
(Kewaskum, WI) ; Everett; Peter J.; (Collinsville,
CT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
QUARLES & BRADY LLP
411 E. WISCONSIN AVENUE
SUITE 2040
MILWAUKEE
WI
53202-4497
US
|
Family ID: |
37233433 |
Appl. No.: |
11/380817 |
Filed: |
April 28, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60676371 |
Apr 29, 2005 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
211/59.2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47F 5/08 20130101; A47F
1/08 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
211/059.2 |
International
Class: |
A47F 1/04 20060101
A47F001/04 |
Claims
1. In a merchandising display in which products are dispensed from
containers supported on a shelf, the improvement wherein a cleat
having an upstanding restraint that extends laterally across the
shelf in the width-wise direction of the container is fixed to the
shelf and wherein the upstanding restraint is connected to the
containers to restrain the containers from depth-wise movement
relative to the shelf.
2. The improvement of claim 1, wherein at least one of the
containers is taller than it is wide.
3. The improvement of claim 2, wherein at least one of the
containers has a dispensing opening in the front wall of the
container near the bottom of the container.
4. The improvement of claim 3, wherein at least one of the
containers has a re-loading opening near the top of the
container.
5. The improvement of claim 4, wherein the re-loading opening is in
the front wall of the container.
6. The improvement of claim 4, wherein the re-loading opening is in
the top wall of the container.
7. The improvement of claim 3, wherein at least one of the
containers has graphics on the front wall pertaining to the
product.
8. The improvement of claim 7, wherein multiple such containers are
arranged side-by-side and the arrangement of graphics from one
container to the next is uniform.
9. The improvement of claim 1, wherein the container is made of
corrugated paperboard.
10. The improvement of claim 1, wherein the cleat is an angle
bracket and the restraint is an upstanding flange of the
bracket.
11. The improvement of claim 1, wherein the cleat runs for at least
the length of the shelf on which containers of a product family are
supported.
12. The improvement of claim 1, wherein the cleat runs for a length
substantially equal to the entire length of the shelf.
13. The improvement of claim 1, wherein the cleat permits lateral
shifting of the containers along the cleat while restraining
depthwise shifting of the containers.
14. In a merchandising display in which products are displayed and
that runs parallel to an aisle in which consumers can walk, the
improvement wherein a product display bar runs parallel to the
aisle and is supported by being hooked to a pegboard.
15. The improvement of claim 14, wherein products displayed on the
display bar are lined up with the same type of product displayed
from a hook that extends from the pegboard above the product
displayed on the display bar.
16. The improvement of claim 14, wherein the display bar is made of
sheet metal.
17. The improvement of claim 14, wherein the display bar displays
electrical instruments.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent
Application No. 60/676,371 filed Apr. 29, 2005.
STATEMENT CONCERNING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR
DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not applicable.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0003] This invention relates to merchandising displays, and in
particular to such a display for small items that can be dispensed
from a container.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] Big box retailers have proliferated. As is well known, these
stores sell mainly based on price and must be operated efficiently
to survive. It is normal that such stores stock many different
items. Just keeping the shelves stocked and in reasonable order is
a major task. In addition, each manufacturer whose products are
sold in these stores has a natural concern that the big box
retailer sees an advantage to doing business with that manufacturer
and ultimately that the consumer will choose that manufacturer's
products over a competitor's.
[0005] Retailers and consumers are surrounded by competing brands.
Consumers more often than not reach first for the best displayed
products with the most clear, easy-to-understand specifications,
features and applications. Signage, packaging and display plays a
large part in purchasing decisions, as consumers' perception of the
product is determined in many cases by the display and
packaging.
[0006] Many different methods of merchandising have been tried. A
common form is simply to place products in bins that are open at
the top for the consumer to pick the products from the bins. There
is usually some sort of sign or placard at the front of the bin or
on the shelf adjacent to the front of the bin that gives some
information about the products such as specifications and the
price.
[0007] Another common method of merchandising is by packaging each
product in bags, blister or clam shell packs and hanging the packs
from a hook. These can be relatively difficult to restock, and
thought to be relatively unnecessary for small items which can be
more efficiently bagged and boxed or simply boxed. Also, when the
density of these displays becomes great with many different small
products in a small space, it can be confusing for the consumer.
Thus, merchandisers have an interest in effective merchandising to
the consumer. Manufacturers who have a number of different products
within a product family face particular challenges since limited
shelf space will be allotted by the retailer to the entire product
family, and it is in both of their interests to display the
products in an appealing manner. Where there are multiple small
products, the challenges are amplified. The present invention
addresses these issues.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The present invention provides a merchandising display in
which product display and dispensing containers are supported on a
shelf. In addition, a cleat or keeper is provided that fixes the
containers forwardly and backwardly relative to the shelf.
[0009] In a preferred form, containers containing different
products of a product family are supported on the shelf in
side-by-side relation to one another. The cleat system aligns the
boxes on the shelf so that their front panels form a plane. The
effect created visually to the consumer is that analogous to a
billboard so as to present a neat and organized solution to the
problem of keeping multiple small products in the same product
family organized, and presenting the family as such and in an
appealing manner. The cleat preferably runs for at least the length
of the shelf on which the products of a family are supported, and
may run for the entire length of the shelf. Preferably, the cleat
permits lateral shifting of the containers along the cleat while
restraining fore and aft shifting of the containers.
[0010] Containers used to practice the invention are preferably
gravity fed, with a loading opening at or near the top and a
dispenser opening near the bottom. A consumer can reach into the
dispenser opening to grab the product being sold or a bag, box, or
other small container containing the products being sold.
[0011] Products will be fed by gravity toward the opening in the
bottom of the box and if a consumer changes his mind after he grabs
a product, the consumer can easily return the product to the top of
the carton or to the opening at the bottom.
[0012] In another aspect of the invention, the gravity-feed
containers are relatively tall compared to their width. If mounted
high, the tall space of the containers can utilize space not
normally reachable by consumers. Since the dispensing opening is at
the bottom of the box, consumers can reach the bottom, but the
space at the top of the box is used for storage and therefore need
not be reached by the consumer in many cases. In these types of
cartons, the opening for returning a product to the carton can be
either in the front wall of the carton or in the top. Front wall
openings are better for longer products, such as cable ties. Top
openings are better for smaller products, such as wire connectors,
since the smaller products may tend to fall out of the front
opening otherwise. Also, for longer articles, such as cable ties,
cartons of the invention may be of varying depths, generally
matching the length of the cable tie.
[0013] Regardless of the depth of the carton, however, the front
surfaces of adjacent cartons should be aligned so that they form a
viewing plane. Also, the front of each box should bear descriptive
information about the product contained, including, for example, a
picture or other visual graphic of the product, the name of the
product, information about how many products are in each bag if
they are bagged or contained products, and possibly use information
for the product, such as how many wires and what gauge wires can be
used with a wire connector. The front face of such cartons may
contain considerably more information than what is typically found
on shelf placards.
[0014] In addition, the information on the front of each box can be
arranged in a uniform manner from one box to the next, so that it
is easy for a consumer to identify the particular product the
consumer needs, and so that the display is presented as a product
family to the consumer. Also, making the front faces of the cartons
uniform in the information which they display creates a very neat
and organized appearance.
[0015] In another aspect of the invention, a display bar can be
used either in conjunction with a carton or cartons of the
invention or by itself. The display bar holds a number of products,
for example electrical meters, at a viewing angle to the consumer
and is supported by a pegboard. The display bar can be made out of
sheet metal for example.
[0016] These and other advantages of the invention will appear in
the detailed description which follows. In the description,
reference is made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a
preferred embodiment of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a merchandising
display, sometimes referred to as a planogram, that includes
gravity-feed containers of the invention and also a display
bar;
[0018] FIG. 2 is a view showing a gravity-feed container of the
invention with the gravity-feed containers normally to its sides
removed so that the spaces to the sides of the gravity-feed
container can be seen;
[0019] FIG. 3 is a view showing the container tipped backwardly to
show the slot in the bottom of the container that receives the
upstanding flange of the angle bracket that is screwed or fastened
to the shelf;
[0020] FIG. 4 is a view of gravity-feed containers of the invention
showing the top opening in each of them;
[0021] FIG. 5 is a view of an alternate keeper for aligning cartons
of the invention;
[0022] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a clip for engaging the
container to the keeper;
[0023] FIG. 7 is a frontal view of containers of the invention
applied to cable ties, in which those containers have front wall
indicia and openings in the front wall for filling the
container;
[0024] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a series of the cartons of
the type shown in FIG. 1;
[0025] FIG. 9 illustrates details of the display bar and how it is
supported on pegboard at the ends;
[0026] FIG. 10 illustrates additional details of the display bar
end support hangers; and
[0027] FIG. 11 is another view of the display bar.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0028] FIG. 1 illustrates a display rack 10 having a container
display 12 of the invention and a display bar 14 of the invention.
The container display 12 is actually a number of relatively tall
and narrow corrugated boxes 20 side-by-side, each of which contains
a different product, but all the products are related in a single
product family. For example, as illustrated, the products are wire
connectors of the screw on type, with different boxes containing
different sizes of connectors or packages of different numbers of
connectors. All of the containers are supported on a shelf. The
display bar 14 is supported from a pegboard behind the display bar
14 above the container display 12 and the display bar 14 is made of
sheet metal, further described below.
[0029] Referring to FIG. 2, each container 20 has a front wall 22,
two opposite side walls, a top wall, a bottom wall, and a rear
wall. The front wall 22 of each container 20 bears graphics, for
example by a label being applied, that substantially covers the
front wall 22 above a dispensing opening 26. In general, each
container 20 contains a different product, but all of the products
are in the same product family. For example, the product family may
be twist on wire connectors, and the different products may be 10,
25 or 50 packs of several different sizes or types.
[0030] Each label is preferably the same in arrangement of the
information that the label bears. Each label in the upper portion
may have the trade name of the connector contained inside the
carton 20, for example Uni-Lok.RTM., and if provided below that is
a picture of the product contained. Beneath the picture may be the
description in general of the product, for example "Wire
Connectors" and below that may be features of the product, such as
"Compact/High Leverage", "Premium Wide Range", "Grounding
Connector", and other names. Below that may be more detailed
features, such as "Streamlined design for compact installations"
and "Mini-wing provides improved leverage". The quality level may
be given and the range of wires that the connector is intended for
is may be given with a colored background generally matching the
color of the connector, for example, "Wire Range: 22-10". Below
that more specifics of the wire range may be given, such as
"Minimum: 4-#22, Maximum: 3-#12". Below that in large letters may
be the number of products per bag within the container, for
example, "25 pk", "10 pk", "50 pk", etc. This is the number of wire
connectors that are in each bag that is in the container 20. FIG. 7
shows different indicia applied to containers of cable ties,
creating an organized and easily understandable display in
"billboard" fashion.
[0031] Each container 20 has a dispensing opening 26 through which
the product can be dispensed by the consumer. The dispensing
opening 26 is in the front wall 22 of the container 20, right
beneath the product description label. The base 28 of the container
20 below the opening 26 preferably extends somewhat forwardly from
the front wall 22 as illustrated to present products to the
consumer, and a panel of corrugated cardboard that forms part of
the carton 20 can be folded up, over, and into the carton 20 to
slope rearwardly and block off the lower wall of the carton 20,
through which a slot 36 extends as described below and also to
generally direct the consumer's hand toward the product. The
sloping downward wall formed by panel 28 also helps keep products
inside of the carton 20 so that they do not fall out, since it
slopes downwardly and rearwardly.
[0032] Referring to FIGS. 2-4, a cleat 30 in the form of a right
angle flange is secured with one of its flanges 29 (its horizontal
flange) to the shelf so that it has an upstanding flange that runs
laterally (across the width of the shelf) and is generally vertical
that acts as a restraint 32. The flange 29 can be secured with
screws or any other suitable means. The upstanding restraint 32, as
shown in FIG. 6, fits into the slot 36 in the bottom of each carton
20. All the slots 36 in the bottoms of the cartons 20 are all
spaced the same distance back from the front wall 22, and so, when
the upstanding flange 32 is placed in the slot 36, all the front
walls 22 of the adjacent cartons are in generally the same plane.
This connection of the cartons 20 to the cleat 30 restrains the
cartons from fore and aft movement or shifting relative to the
shelf, while permitting sliding the cartons laterally, in the
direction the cleat 30 runs. This creates a billboard effect visual
impression, and a very neat and arranged-looking appearance that
helps identify the products as a family to the consumer, and makes
the consumer's selection process easier.
[0033] An alternative way of connecting the cartons 20 to the cleat
30 to restrain them fore and aft on the shelf while permitting
lateral shifting is illustrated in FIG. 5. In FIG. 5, the cleat 30
is essentially the same, a right angle flange structure, that may
be metal or any other material that is relatively rigid, that has
two flanges, each of the flanges at 90.degree. to the other, with
one of the flanges 29 secured to the shelf such as by screws 31 and
the other flange generally vertical and engaging the containers 20
so as to line them up.
[0034] In the case of the containers shown in FIG. 5, which may be
wire connector containers, all of the containers are of the same
depth. The rear wall 38 of each container has an opening 40 formed
in it in which the lower curve of an S-hook 43 engages and the top
curve of the S-hook 43 hooks over the top of upstanding restraint
32 of the cleat 30. Thus, containers 20 cannot be moved rearwardly
as they would run into the cleat 30, and cannot be pulled forwardly
because they are hooked in engagement with the restraint 32 of the
cleat 30, but they can be slid laterally along the cleat to either
side. Both the slot connection of the embodiment of FIGS. 2-4 and
the S-hook connection of FIG. 5 permit lateral shifting of the
cartons on the shelf. The cleat shown in FIGS. 2-4, which may also
be referred to as a keeper, is best used with boxes which are of
the same depth or variable depths, and the cleat or keeper of FIG.
8 is best used with containers of the same depth, so as to position
the front walls of the containers in the same plane.
[0035] FIG. 7 illustrates the re-load openings 44 that are formed
in the tops of the cartons 20. These re-load openings are so that
if a consumer takes a package or product out of the dispensing
opening 26 and changes his mind, the customer can put it back into
the re-load opening 44. Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, containers 50
similar to the containers 20 are illustrated but for cable ties. In
the containers 50, the dispensing opening 52 is near the bottom as
in the case of the containers 20, but the re-load opening 54 is in
the front wall near the top, above the product information, which,
as can be seen, is also displayed in a systematic and uniform
manner from container to container. The re-load openings 54 are in
the front walls because the cable ties are relatively long products
and the depths of the containers are generally made to match the
lengths of those products. Thus, the depths of the containers 50
may differ from one another.
[0036] The cleat 30 preferably extends laterally relative to the
containers for at least the length of the shelf that the containers
that present the product family extend, and may extend for the
entire length of the shelf if bottom-slotted containers are used on
the whole shelf length. In addition, more than one product family
may be aligned by each cleat.
[0037] FIGS. 9-11 illustrate a display bar 60 displaying electrical
instruments 62 at an angle to the consumer. Electrical instruments
are displayed on the face 64 of the display bar 60 and are held
there by means such as wire ties or other fastening means on
pedestals 66, and information about each product is given alongside
each product. The display bar 60 is formed of sheet metal and has
an end bracket 68 at each end that has hooks that engage with the
pegboard, which is behind the display bar 60. The hooks are typical
pegboard hooks that, from the rear of the bracket, dog leg
horizontally for a little more than two thicknesses of the pegboard
and then vertically upward for a short distance. Corresponding
products in blister packs or other hanging packs ready for sale are
preferably displayed directly above each of the products displayed
on the display bar, hanging from pegs that extend from the
pegboard. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 9, two display bars can be placed
end-to-end and made to look essentially like one long display bar
since they abut in the middle of the one long display bar to make
it appear as if they are one rather than two. As shown in FIG. 10,
the end bracket of the display bar may be fastened by bolt 67 to
the pegboard hook member, which preferably has two hooks to hook
into two holes in the pegboard.
[0038] Preferred embodiments of the invention have been described
in considerable detail. Many modifications and variations to the
embodiments described will be apparent to a person of ordinary
skill in the art. Therefore, the invention should not be limited to
the embodiments described, but should be defined by the claims
which follow.
* * * * *