U.S. patent application number 11/799564 was filed with the patent office on 2008-11-06 for display tray.
This patent application is currently assigned to Displays by Martin Paul, Inc. - Creative Center. Invention is credited to Martin P. Belokin, Norman P. Belokin, Paul Belokin.
Application Number | 20080272078 11/799564 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39938814 |
Filed Date | 2008-11-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080272078 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Belokin; Paul ; et
al. |
November 6, 2008 |
Display tray
Abstract
A display tray which employs a mounting or support panel for
attachment to one face of a transparent wall is provided with a
floor which extends the full width of the support panel and a
containment wall which projects upwardly from the floor. The
support panel defines an opening above the floor in the area which
supports displayed product so that the product is visible through
the transparent wall. The containment wall cooperates with the
floor to define a tray cavity which extends the full width of the
support panel so that the tray cavity occupies maximum horizontal
floor space on the tray and the containment wall at least partially
obscures the mounting devices which secure the tray to the
transparent wall.
Inventors: |
Belokin; Paul; (Denton
County, TX) ; Belokin; Martin P.; (Denton County,
TX) ; Belokin; Norman P.; (Denton County,
TX) |
Correspondence
Address: |
JACK A. KANZ
502 SOUTH COTTONWOOD DRIVE
RICHARDSON
TX
75080
US
|
Assignee: |
Displays by Martin Paul, Inc. -
Creative Center
|
Family ID: |
39938814 |
Appl. No.: |
11/799564 |
Filed: |
May 2, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
211/126.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47F 5/08 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
211/126.1 |
International
Class: |
A47F 3/14 20060101
A47F003/14 |
Claims
1. A tray for supporting and displaying products on and adjacent
one face of a substantially transparent wall comprising: (a) a
support panel having a first face lying in a substantially vertical
plane and defining a lower edge and first and second laterally
opposed ends; (b) a floor supported on said support panel having a
top face lying in a substantially horizontal plane and extending
substantially the full distance between said first and second
laterally opposed ends of said support panel; (c) a containment
wall extending upwardly from the top face of said floor with (i) a
substantial portion thereof spaced horizontally from and
substantially parallel with the plane of said first face of said
support panel and (ii) end portions which cooperate with said
support panel and said floor to form a tray cavity defined by said
floor and said containment wall which extends substantially the
full width of said support panel; and (d) an opening in the upper
portion of said support panel which permits products retained on
said floor between the substantially transparent wall and said
containment wall to be visible through the substantially
transparent wall.
2. A tray as defined in claim 1 wherein said support panel extends
below said floor and displays advertising material on a portion of
the face thereof between said lower edge and said floor.
3. A tray as defined in claim 1 wherein said containment wall
includes a plurality of sections with each section shaped to define
a containment compartment for an individual product.
4. A tray as defined in claim 3 wherein said containment wall
comprises a plurality of joined semi-cylindrical sections.
5. A tray as defined in claim 1 wherein said containment wall
includes a plurality of substantially parallel vertically aligned
slots.
6. A tray as defined in claim 5 wherein said floor includes slots
joining and defining horizontal extensions of said vertically
aligned slots.
7. A tray as defined in claim 5 wherein said vertically aligned
slots extend the full vertical height of said containment wall and
divide said containment wall into a plurality of substantially
vertically extending fingers.
8. A tray as defined in claim 1 wherein each end of said
containment wall joins said support panel at a position interiorly
spaced form said first and second laterally opposed ends and said
support panel extends upwardly from the plane of the floor and
outwardly from the ends of said containment wall to define support
flanges having first faces coplanar with said first face of said
support panel.
9. A tray as defined in claim 8 including at least one mounting
slot in each said support flange.
10. The combination comprising: (a) a substantially transparent
wall having first and second oppositely disposed and substantially
vertically aligned faces; (b) a tray for supporting and displaying
products on and adjacent one face of said substantially transparent
wall comprising: (i) a support panel having a first face lying in a
substantially vertical plane and defining a lower edge and first
and second laterally opposed ends; (ii) a floor supported on said
support panel having a top face lying in a substantially horizontal
plane and extending substantially the full distance between said
first and second laterally opposed ends of said support panel;
(iii) a containment wall extending upwardly from the top face of
said floor with a substantial portion thereof spaced horizontally
from and substantially parallel with the plane of said first face
of said support panel and end portions which cooperate with said
support panel and said floor to form a tray cavity defined by said
floor and said containment wall which extends substantially the
full width of said support panel; and (iv) an opening in the upper
portion of said support panel which permits products retained on
said floor between the substantially transparent wall and said
containment wall to be visible through said substantially
transparent wall; and (c) means attaching said support panel to
said substantially transparent wall.
11. The combination defined in claim 10 wherein said substantially
transparent wall forms at least part of one wall of a refrigerated
vault.
12. The combination defined in claim 10 wherein said substantially
transparent wall forms at least part of a door.
Description
[0001] This invention relates to apparatus for holding and
displaying merchandise products and product containers such as
candy bars, bottles, cans and the like. More particularly, it
relates to display trays adapted for mounting on one face of a
substantially transparent wall to support products on the wall and
display the products through the transparent wall.
[0002] Retail businesses commonly display chilled products for sale
in refrigerated vaults or the like which have a transparent door or
wall panel. Because a passing customer is more likely to select and
purchase products displayed where they can be readily seen and
recognized, the retailer desires to maximize visibility of products
on display and also to maximize utilization of display space and
space within the refrigerated area. Display shelves typically used
for this purpose are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,984,693 and U.S.
Pat. No. 5,913,433.
[0003] Many products are packaged in containers such as bottles,
cans and the like. In order to advantageously display such
products, they must be arranged so that the product or package is
readily visible and easily recognizable. To maximize use of visible
space on a transparent panel, the display shelf must permit
unobstructed view of the displayed product, selectively position
the product units adjacent the transparent panel, and preferably
display advertising or the like related to the displayed products.
Since display space is usually limited, the display tray should be
adapted for easy installation and removal; should be adapted to
support and display the maximum amount of product in the space
available; and should permit easy removal and replacement of
displayed product.
[0004] In accordance with the present invention, display trays are
provided which are adapted to be mounted on the face of a
substantially transparent panel such as a glass window or door. The
display trays of the invention find particular utility when mounted
in a refrigerated vault or the like to display products through a
transparent wall or door of the vault. However, the display trays
of the invention may be used in conjunction with any transparent
wall, window, door or the like.
[0005] The display tray of the invention comprises a mounting or
support panel which has a vertically arranged front face and
mounting slots, holes or the like for mounting the front face of
the support panel adjacent the surface of a substantially
transparent wall, window, door or the like. The support panel
defines a lower edge, two laterally opposed ends and an upper edge.
A floor extends horizontally (normal to the plane of the support
panel) from the support panel and a containment wall is positioned
at the edge of the floor remote from the support panel which
cooperates with the transparent wall to contain products or product
containers on the floor and adjacent the transparent wall on which
the display tray is mounted. The containment wall extends
substantially the full width of the support panel with the end
portions thereof extending toward and cooperating with the support
panel to form a tray cavity defined by the floor, the containment
wall and the transparent wall. The containment wall may be shaped
to conform to individual product units and thereby confine them in
restricted positions on the floor and/or may also be slotted and/or
curved outwardly to permit easy access to and removal of products
from the tray.
[0006] The support panel may be attached to and extend downwardly
from the front edge of the floor to provide rigid support for the
floor. An opening in the portion of the support panel extending
above the floor permits product supported on the floor to be
visible through the transparent wall and retained between the
transparent wall and the containment wall. Where the support panel
extends below the floor, advertising material or the like may be
displayed on the face thereof to be visible through the transparent
wall without obstructing the view of the product. By extending the
floor and containment wall the full width of the support panel, the
maximum space available is utilized and the mounting slots and
mounting apparatus are at least partially concealed. Other features
and advantages of the invention will become more readily understood
from the following detailed description taken in connection with
the appended claims and attached drawing in which:
[0007] FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of one preferred
embodiment of the display tray of the invention;
[0008] FIG. 2 is left-hand side end view of the embodiment of FIG.
1 illustrating placement and attachment of the display tray on a
transparent wall;
[0009] FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of an alternative
embodiment of the display tray of the invention;
[0010] FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of another alternative
embodiment of the display tray of the invention; and
[0011] FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of a modified version of
the embodiment of FIG. 3.
[0012] The above-described drawing is incorporated into and forms
part of the specification to illustrate several exemplary
embodiments of the present invention. Throughout the drawing like
reference numerals designate corresponding elements. The figures
are not to scale but are intended to disclose the inventive
concepts by illustration. This drawing, together with the
description, serves to explain the principles of the invention and
is only for the purpose of illustrating preferred and alternative
examples of how the invention can be made and used.
[0013] It will be recognized that the principles of the invention
may be utilized and embodied in many and various forms. In order to
demonstrate these principles, the invention is described herein by
reference to specific preferred embodiments. The invention,
however, is not limited to the forms illustrated and described.
Furthermore, the invention is not limited to use in connection with
any particular arrangement of support panels, floors or containment
walls but may find utility in various other applications involving
support and display of various items.
[0014] For purposes of this disclosure, the terms "shelf" and
"tray" are used interchangeably to mean any structure having a
floor on which products or packages containing products may be
placed or suspended from for display. Such apparatus may be formed
of any suitable material and may be continuous monolithic
structures or formed of individually formed and attached members.
Such trays may have walls extending upwardly or downwardly to form
cavities in which goods may be supported and displayed.
Accordingly, the tray may define one or more cavities above the
floor or the floor may support one or more cavities which depend
downwardly from the floor. Similarly, the floor and/or walls of the
tray may have perforations, slots and/or hooks and the like from
which goods may be suspended. Accordingly, the terms "shelf" and
"tray" are used generally to describe any structure on, in or from
which goods may be placed or suspended for display.
[0015] For perspective and consistency in describing the display
tray illustrated, the portion of the tray unit which is closest the
wall or panel on which it is supported is described as the front
and the portion most remote from the supporting wall or panel is
described as the back or rear. Similarly, spatial orientation and
relative terms such as "upwardly," "downwardly," "rearwardly,"
"horizontally," "above," "below," "upper," "lower" and the like are
used in reference to the position of the tray when the tray is
mounted on a supporting wall for use.
[0016] In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 the display
shelf comprises a mounting or support panel 10 which has a first
face 11 lying in a substantially vertical plane and defining lower
edge 12, first and second laterally opposed ends 13, 14 and an
upper edge 15. Floor 20 is supported on the support panel 10 and
has a top face 21 which lies in a horizontal plane substantially
normal to the plane of the first face 11.
[0017] A containment wall 30 extends upwardly from the top face 21
of the floor 20. A major portion of wall 30 is spaced horizontally
from the plane of first face 11 of the support panel 10. The end
portions 16, 17 of the containment wall 30 extend toward and may
join the support panel 10 to define a open-topped cavity 31 defined
by floor 20, containment wall 30 and the transparent wall 40 (see
FIG. 2) on which the display tray is mounted. In the embodiment
shown in FIG. 1, the end portions 16, 17 of containment wall 30
join support panel 10 at outer ends 13, 14 thereof and the support
panel 10 extends upwardly from the plane of top face 21 of the
floor 20 and inwardly from the end portions 16, 17 of the
containment wall 30 to define flanges 33, 34. Flanges 33, 34 thus
form coplanar extensions of support panel 10 extending inwardly
from end portions 16, 17 of containment wall 30.
[0018] In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 the
containment wall 30 is a substantially flat member extending
upwardly from the floor 20 parallel with and spaced from the
support panel 10. The top edge 35 is scalloped or otherwise shaped
to define fingers 36 or the like separated by spaces 37 to permit
easy access to and removal of products contained in the tray. It
will be appreciated that the size and shape of fingers 36 and
spaces 37 may be varied as desired for aesthetic design and to
accommodate the products displayed in the tray.
[0019] In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 the
containment wall 30 is defined by a plurality of joined vertically
extending semi-cylindrical sections 38 shaped to define individual
containment compartments for individual vertically arranged
cylindrical or otherwise vertically extending products or packages.
In these embodiments each section 38 defines a semi-cylindrical arc
extending upwardly from the floor 20. In the embodiment of FIG. 4,
however, the semi-cylindrical sections 38 extend through a longer
arc to form vertical dividers 39 which substantially separate the
tray cavity 31 into a plurality of individual cylindrical chambers.
Each of the arcuate or semi-cylindrical sections 38 is shaped to
define a containment compartment for cylindrical objects such as
cans, bottles, etc. Obviously, shapes other than arcuate or
semi-cylindrical may be employed, depending on the shapes and
dimensions of the product units to be displayed. Furthermore, it is
to be understood that terms such as "containment wall" and
"containment compartment" as used herein are meant to describe
structures which restrain movement of an object placed within the
boundaries thereof and are not intended to describe fully enclosed
compartments. For example, the semi-cylindrical sections 38 of wall
30 do not define enclosed containment compartments but define
boundaries for supporting substantially cylindrical objects
vertically between the containment wall 30 and transparent wall
40.
[0020] The embodiment of FIG. 1 is designed primarily for
horizontally elongated products such as candy bars and the like.
Thus the containment wall 30 defines no individual containment
compartments. However, parallel slots 22 are formed in the floor 20
which may be extended (not illustrated) to join spaces 37 in wall
30 to provide an opening which permits easy access to the interior
of the containment cavity. Accordingly, objects contained between
the supporting transparent wall 40 and containment wall 30 may be
readily withdrawn from the tray by simply inserting fingers through
the spaces 37 and raising the object over the top of containment
wall 30.
[0021] In order to permit maximum utilization of display space
available on a supporting transparent wall, the tray cavity 31
defined by the containment wall 30 extends the full width of the
support panel 10. In the embodiment of FIG. 1 the end portions 16,
17 of containment wall 30 are joined to the outer ends 13, 14,
respectively, of support panel 10. Thus flanges 33, 34 project
inwardly from end portions 16, 17. Mounting slots 28 are formed in
flanges 33, 34 to accommodate appropriate mounting devices such as
suction cups or the like. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the stems of
suction cups 29 are secured in mounting slots 28 and the suction
cups 29 secured to one face of a substantially transparent wall 40.
An opening 25 formed in support panel 10 between flanges 33, 34 and
above floor 20 permits products supported on floor 20 of the cavity
31 to be positioned adjacent and visible through transparent wall
40. Thus, when the display tray is mounted on a transparent wall
40, the products supported thereon are displayed through wall 40
are easily recognizable and available to potential customers.
Similarly, since the contents of the tray are visible through the
wall 40, the need for re-stocking of product will be immediately
apparent to the proprietor.
[0022] In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the end portions 16, 17 of
containment wall 30 are joined to outer ends 13, 14, respectively,
of the support panel 10. Accordingly, the cavity 25 extends the
full width of the floor 20. Furthermore, mounting slots 28 in
flanges 33, 34 are inside the cavity 35. Accordingly, the stems of
the mounting suction cups 29 (and a substantial portion of the
suction cup bodies) are positioned inside end portions 16, 17 and
substantially concealed.
[0023] In the embodiments of FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 the end portions 16,
17 are curved and join the support panel 10 interiorly from outer
ends 13, 14 of the support panel. Accordingly, mounted slots 28 may
be outside the end portions 16, 17. Nevertheless, since end
portions 16, 17 are semi-cylindrical, they extend outwardly the
full width of floor 20 and support panel 10 to substantially
conceal the mounting slots 28 and the suction cups 29 while
providing a tray cavity 31 which extends the full width of floor
20.
[0024] As discussed above with reference to FIG. 1, the
semi-cylindrical sections 38 of containment wall 30 may be
scalloped as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 or otherwise shaped to provide
fingers separated by spaces to permit easy removal and insertion of
products into the tray.
[0025] It should be recognized that the features disclosed in each
of the alternative embodiments may be combined as required or
desired for particular purposes. For example, slots (such as slots
22 and spaces 37) may be used in display trays having containment
compartments such as shown in FIGS. 3-5 and/or various slots,
fingers, etc., may be used in connection with various other shapes
of containment wall 30.
[0026] In each of the embodiments illustrated, the first face 11 of
support panel 10 is positioned parallel with the surface of a
transparent wall 40 on which the tray is mounted. Thus first face
11 may conveniently be used to support advertising or the like
which is visible through the transparent wall 40 immediately below
the product supported on the floor 20. Positioning the support
panel 10 to extend the full width of floor 20 provides rigid
support for the floor 20 and permits display of advertising or
other information associated with the displayed product on the
support panel 10 without obstructing view of the displayed product.
Furthermore, the opening 25 in the support panel 10 may be sized
and shaped as desired. For example, the opening 25 may be a large
semi-circular opening as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 or may occupy
substantially the entire width of the tray cavity as illustrated in
FIGS. 3 and 5.
[0027] As described hereinabove, the outer ends of support panel 10
terminate in flanges 33, 34. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the flanges
33 and 34 include slots 28 for mounting the support panel 10
adjacent the inner surface of a transparent wall 40 as shown in
FIG. 2. Various means for securing the support panel 10 to the
transparent wall, such as suction cups 29 or the like, may be used.
As illustrated in FIG. 2, suction cups 29 each have a shank 27
which extends through a mounting slot 28 and thus support the first
face 11 of support panel 10 parallel with and adjacent a surface of
transparent wall 40. While the use of suction cups is illustrated
in FIG. 2, it will be readily appreciated that various other means
such as adhesives, clamps, magnets, bolts and the like may be used
to attach the display tray of the invention to a transparent
wall.
[0028] In the embodiments illustrated, mounting slots 28 are formed
near the outer edges of flanges 33, 34. If desired (and to permit
more secure mounting of the tray) slots 28 may be formed in the
lower edge of support panel 10 and arranged so that the entrance of
each slot 28 is at the lower edge of support panel 10.
Alternatively (or in conjunction with other slots, holes or the
like), slots 28 may be arranged to have their entrances at the edge
of the flange which is inside the containment wall. It will be
appreciated that various other combinations and arrangements of
slots, holes and the like may be used to mount the display shelf
adjacent a transparent wall.
[0029] It will be apparent from the foregoing that the principles
of the invention may be used to form display trays which support
products such as bottles, cans and the like vertically as well as
to form display trays which support elongated packages or products
such as candy bars and the like horizontally. In each case the
product or package is supported on the floor of the tray and
visible through the transparent wall on which the tray is
mounted.
[0030] It is to be understood that even though numerous
characteristics and advantages of the invention have been set forth
in the foregoing description together with details of the structure
and function of the invention, this disclosure is to be considered
illustrative only. Various changes and modifications may be made in
detail, especially in matters of shape, size, arrangement and
combination of parts, without departing from the spirit and scope
of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
* * * * *