U.S. patent application number 12/368848 was filed with the patent office on 2010-08-12 for lug wrench merchandizing display rack.
This patent application is currently assigned to ALLTRADE TOOLS LLC. Invention is credited to Hector Ray Hernandez, Hung-Wen Lee.
Application Number | 20100200527 12/368848 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42539542 |
Filed Date | 2010-08-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100200527 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hernandez; Hector Ray ; et
al. |
August 12, 2010 |
LUG WRENCH MERCHANDIZING DISPLAY RACK
Abstract
A merchandising rack for displaying a plurality of four-way lug
wrenches is described, comprising, a plurality of ribs connected to
each other; a plurality of upward support elements, for restraining
a four-way lug wrench from moving downwardly and laterally; and a
plurality of downward support elements, for restraining a first arm
of the wrench from moving upwardly, laterally, and from moving away
from the rack; and a plurality of stubs positioned to restrain the
wrench from rotating about an axis extending along the first arm of
the wrench.
Inventors: |
Hernandez; Hector Ray;
(Fullerton, CA) ; Lee; Hung-Wen; (Cerritos,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FULWIDER PATTON LLP
HOWARD HUGHES CENTER, 6060 CENTER DRIVE, TENTH FLOOR
LOS ANGELES
CA
90045
US
|
Assignee: |
ALLTRADE TOOLS LLC
Long Beach
CA
|
Family ID: |
42539542 |
Appl. No.: |
12/368848 |
Filed: |
February 10, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
211/70.6 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47F 7/0028 20130101;
A47F 5/01 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
211/70.6 |
International
Class: |
A47F 7/00 20060101
A47F007/00 |
Claims
1. A merchandising rack for displaying a plurality of four-way lug
wrenches, comprising: a plurality of ribs connected to each other
by at least one connecting rod, each rib lying in a single plane; a
plurality of upward support elements, each upward support element
positioned between two ribs, wherein each upward support element is
configured: to restrain a four-way lug wrench from moving
downwardly; and to restrain the wrench from moving laterally; a
plurality of downward support elements, each downward support
element positioned between two ribs, wherein each downward support
element is configured: to restrain a first arm of the wrench from
moving upwardly, and thereby being capable of preventing the wrench
from pivoting without restraint about a corresponding upward
support element; to restrain the wrench from moving laterally; and
to restrain the wrench from moving away from the rack; and a
plurality of stubs, each stub being connected to the rack, and
being positioned to restrain the wrench from rotating about an axis
extending along the first arm of the wrench.
2. The merchandising rack of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality
of stubs is connected to a rib.
3. The merchandising rack of claim 1, wherein the ribs are formed
from a metal wire, and are shaped to include a generally triangular
shape.
4. The merchandising rack of claim 3, wherein each of the plurality
of stubs is an extension of the metal wire forming a rib.
5. The merchandising rack of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality
of stubs extends horizontally.
6. The merchandising rack of claim 1, wherein the plurality of
upward support members comprise a single plate with a plurality of
U-shaped slots cut into the plate, the plate being connected to the
rack to extend from one end of the rack to the other.
7. The merchandising rack of claim 1, wherein the plurality of
downward support members comprise a single plate with a plurality
of inverted U-shaped slots cut into the plate, the plate being
connected to the rack to extend from one end of the rack to the
other.
8. The merchandising rack of claim 1 further including a foot
plate, configured to restrain a four-way lug wrench from moving
toward the rack.
9. The merchandising rack of claim 1, wherein each downward support
element is positioned lower than the upward support element.
10. The merchandising rack of claim 1, wherein the ribs are spaced
between 2 inches and 3 inches apart.
11. A method of displaying a plurality of four-way lug wrenches at
a point of sale, each wrench lying in a single plane, the method
comprising: in the case of each one of the plurality of wrenches:
supporting the wrench with an upward force applied at a first point
on a first arm of the wrench; restraining the wrench from moving
laterally by providing a first set of two lateral restraints at the
first point; holding the wrench in equilibrium with a downward
force applied at a second point on the first arm of the wrench;
further restraining the wrench from moving laterally by providing a
second set of two lateral restraints at the second point;
restraining the wrench from moving in a direction from the second
point to ward the first point by positioning a bulbous end of the
first arm adjacent the second set of two lateral restraints;
restraining the wrench from rotating about an axis extending along
the first arm of the wrench; restraining the wrench from moving in
a direction from the second point toward the first point by
positioning a rod adjacent a second arm of the wrench that is
perpendicular to the first arm; and permitting a user to remove the
wrench by rotating the wrench away from the first point, and away
from the second point.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein restraining the wrench from
rotating about the first arm includes positioning a stub adjacent a
second arm of the wrench that is perpendicular to the first
arm.
13. A merchandising rack for displaying a plurality of four-way lug
wrenches, comprising: at least two ribs connected to each other by
at least one connecting rod; at least one upward support element
positioned between and connected to the ribs, wherein the upward
support element includes an upwardly facing surface for preventing
a first arm of the wrench from moving downwards, a leftward facing
element positioned on the right of the upward facing surface, and a
rightward facing surface positioned on the left of the upward
facing surface, wherein the distance between the leftward and
rightward facing surfaces is large enough to allow the first arm to
fit between them; at least one downward support element positioned
between and connected to the ribs, wherein the downward support
element includes a downward facing surface for restraining the
first arm from moving upwards, a leftward facing element positioned
on the right of the downward facing surface, and a rightward facing
surface positioned on the left of the downward facing surface,
wherein the distance between the leftward and rightward facing
surfaces is large enough to allow a first arm of the wrench to fit
between them, but small enough to prevent a bulbous end on the
first arm from passing between them; a stub connected to the rack
and being positioned to restrain from movement a second arm of the
wrench that is perpendicular to the first arm, and thereby to
prevent the wrench from rotating without restraint about an axis
extending along the first arm.
14. The merchandizing rack of claim 13, wherein the stub is
connected to a rib.
15. The merchandizing rack of claim 13, wherein the ribs are formed
from a metal wire, and are shaped to include a generally triangular
shape.
16. The merchandizing rack of claim 15, wherein the stub is an
extension of the metal wire forming a rib.
17. The merchandizing rack of claim 13, wherein the stub extends
horizontally.
18. The merchandizing rack of claim 13, wherein the upward support
member comprises a plate with a U-shaped slot cut into the
plate.
19. The merchandizing rack of claim 13, wherein the downward
support member comprise a plate with an inverted U-shaped slot cut
into the plate.
20. The merchandizing rack of claim 13, further including a foot
plate, configured to restrain a four-way lug wrench from moving
into the rack.
21. The merchandizing rack of claim 13, wherein each downward
support element is positioned lower than the upward support
elements.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] The present invention relates to a merchandising rack for
displaying tools for the automobile industry. Specifically, the
invention relates to a rack for displaying a plurality of four-way
lug wrenches at a point of sale.
[0002] Merchandizing racks for displaying a wide variety of tools
and equipment in the automobile industry are known. The objective
of such display racks is to present a plurality of a certain kind
of tool at a point of sale for potential customers to pick up,
inspect, and replace back in the rack after inspection. Each tool
presents its own problems for display, whether it be caused by
difficulties in efficiently stacking, suspending, aligning, or
otherwise presenting the kind of tool for display, and inspection
by a potential customer.
[0003] In particular, lug wrenches have presented an awkward
problem for point of sale merchandising display, because lug
wrenches are fairly large and heavy, they have a shape that
occupies a large area, and they do not present a stackable shape in
that they have cylindrical components that may cause the wrench to
roll, rotate, or slide if supported on those cylindrical
components. Thus, a stack of wrenches will tend to collapse under
the action of gravity.
[0004] Accordingly, there is a need in the art of tool
merchandising for a display rack that can hold a plurality of
four-way lug wrenches, that is easy to use, that is inexpensive to
manufacture, that is easy to install and maintain, and that yet
allows potential customers to select, inspect, and replace a lug
wrench without dislodging a pile of lug wrenches that collapses to
the floor. The present invention addresses these and other
needs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, there
is described a merchandising display rack that is light weight,
robust, and rigid. It provides a novel and advantageous way of
displaying an unwieldy product in the form of a four-way lug
wrench, and is yet simple to use and inexpensive to make.
[0006] Thus, in a preferred embodiment, the merchandising rack
comprising a plurality of ribs connected to each other by at least
one connecting rod, each rib lying in a single plane. A plurality
of upward support elements is provided, each upward support element
positioned between two ribs. Each upward support element is
configured to both restrain a four-way lug wrench from moving
downwardly and to restrain the wrench from moving laterally. A
plurality of downward support elements is provided, each downward
support element positioned between two ribs. Each downward support
element is configured to restrain a first arm of the wrench from
moving upwardly, and thereby being capable of preventing the wrench
from pivoting without restraint about a corresponding upward
support element; to restrain the wrench from moving laterally; and
to restrain the wrench from moving away from the rack. A plurality
of stubs is provided, each stub being connected to a rib and being
positioned to restrain the wrench from rotating about an axis
extending along the first arm of the wrench.
[0007] In a further preferred aspect of the invention, the ribs are
formed from a metal wire, and are shaped to include a generally
triangular shape. Preferably, each of the plurality of stubs is an
extension of the metal wire forming a rib, and each of the
plurality of stubs extends horizontally. In yet another aspect of
the invention, the plurality of upward support members preferably
comprise a single plate with a plurality of U-shaped slots cut into
the plate, the plate being connected to the rack to extend from one
end of the rack to the other. Furthermore, the plurality of
downward support members may comprise a single plate with a
plurality of inverted U-shaped slots cut into the plate, the plate
being connected to the rack to extend from one end of the rack to
the other. Desirably, the ribs are spaced between 2 inches and 3
inches apart to facilitate the ease with which a user may grasp a
wrench displayed in the rack.
[0008] In another aspect, the invention includes a method of
displaying a plurality of four-way lug wrenches at a point of sale.
The method comprises, in the case of each one of the plurality of
wrenches, supporting the wrench with an upward force applied at a
first point on a first arm of the wrench, and also restraining the
wrench from moving laterally by providing a first set of two
lateral restraints at the first point. Further, the method includes
holding the wrench in equilibrium with a downward force applied at
a second point on the first arm of the wrench, and further
restraining the wrench from moving laterally by providing a second
set of two lateral restraints at the second point. Additionally,
the method includes restraining the wrench from moving in a
direction from the second point toward the first point by
positioning a bulbous end of the first arm adjacent the second set
of two lateral restraints. The method further includes restraining
the wrench from rotating about an axis extending along the first
arm of the wrench and also restraining the wrench from moving in a
direction from the second point toward the first point by
positioning a rod adjacent a second arm of the wrench that is
perpendicular to the first arm. Finally, the method permits a user
to remove the wrench by rotating the wrench away from the first
point, and away from the second point. Following this method allows
a plurality of wrenches to be displayed at a point of sale, while
conveniently allowing a customer to remove the wrench, and
subsequently to replace it after inspection.
[0009] These and other advantages of the invention will become more
apparent from the following detailed description thereof and the
accompanying exemplary drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a
merchandising rack showing features of the invention.
[0011] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the merchandising rack of
FIG. 1, showing a plurality of four-way lug wrenches in the rack
displayed for sale.
[0012] FIG. 3 is a front view of the rack of FIG. 1, with a single
four-way lug wrench displayed in the rack.
[0013] FIG. 4 is a side view of the rack of FIG. 1, with a single
four-way lug wrench displayed in the rack.
[0014] FIG. 5 is a top view of the rack of FIG. 1, with a single
four-way lug wrench displayed in the rack.
[0015] FIGS. 6a-6c show schematic side elevational views, showing a
user inserting a four-way wrench into the rack of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0016] With reference to the Figures, which are provided for
exemplification and not limitation, there is described a
merchandizing rack, generally described by the numeral 20, for
displaying a plurality of four-way lug wrenches, identified by the
numeral 100, at a point of sale.
[0017] As exemplified in FIGS. 1-5, the merchandizing rack of the
present invention includes a plurality of ribs 22 that are
preferably identical to each other. The ribs are preferably made
from a lightweight metal wire, and preferably each rib is bent
around upon itself to described a generally triangular shape with
three straight portions 24, 26, 28 that enclose a space, with one
end point of the wire contacting the wire near the other end point.
Preferably, each rib lies within a single plane. With reference to
the Figures, it is seen that the shape of each triangular wire rib
22 includes a first straight portion 24 that forms a base that is
horizontally oriented when the rack is in use. As used herein, the
terms "horizontal," "vertical," "upwards" and "downwards" are made
with reference to the orientation of the rack when it is in use, as
is shown in the Figures. At the apex of the triangle, the other two
straight portions 26, 28 form an angle A that is preferably between
80 and 100 degrees (best seen FIG. 4), for providing stiffness to
the overall structure. Moreover, at the apex of the triangular rib
22, one end of the straight portions extends onward beyond the
apex, and then bends back to form a relatively short cantilevered
stub 30, extending generally horizontally. The function of the stub
30 will be described below herein.
[0018] Each of the plurality of triangular shaped ribs 22 is
connected to an adjacent rib by means of at least one connecting
rod 32 to form an array of ribs, preferably evenly spaced apart and
parallel to each other. Desirably, more than one connecting rod 32
may be used, to provide rigidity against bending to the rack.
Connection of the ribs to the rods 32 is preferably achieved by a
spot weld, although a clip or adhesive may also be used. Moreover,
a footplate 34 may also be provided to extend between the ribs 22,
and may be connected at more than one point on each of the end
ribs, to provide enhanced tortional rigidity to the rack 20 as a
whole. The footplate 34 also may be positioned to assist with
supporting lug wrenches on display, as explained in more detail
below.
[0019] An important feature of the rack 20 of the present invention
is the presence of two rack support members, namely, an upward
support member 36 and a downward support member 38. The upward
support member is desirably positioned above the downward support
member in order to enhance the stability of support provided. The
function of the upward support member 36 is (a) to support the
weight of each of a plurality of four-way lug wrenches 100 and,
thus, to provide a pivot point about which each wrench may
pivot--by providing an upward facing support surface; and (b) to
restrain each wrench from moving laterally, in the direction of the
connecting rods 32. The function of the downward support member 38
is (a) to restrain a portion of each wrench against upward movement
by providing a downward facing surface, thereby preventing the
wrench from pivoting without restraint about the referenced pivot
point, and (b) to prevent each wrench from sliding away from the
rack, or forward. As used herein, "backward" and "forward" are
defined with reference to FIG. 4, wherein backward is toward the
rack, and forward is away from the rack. Furthermore, the terms
"clockwise" and "anticlockwise" are also to be understood with
reference to FIG. 4. The term "laterally" is to be understood as
being in the direction of a tie rod, or which is the same thing, in
a direction perpendicular to the plane of a wrench that is resting
in the rack.
[0020] To provide these various described functions, in a preferred
embodiment, the upward support member 36 may comprise a flat plate
with a series of U-shaped slots 40 cut into the plate. This plate
may be attached to the rack to extend from one end of the rack to
the other end, so that each slot 40 is positioned between two ribs
22 and opens upwards to allow a first arm 102 of a four-way lug
wrench 100 to be inserted into the U-shaped slot 40 downwardly from
above (see FIGS. 6a-b). The base 41 of the U-shaped slot provides
an upward facing surface or pivot point about which a wrench may
pivot. The vertical sides 45, 47 (seen in FIGS. 3 and 5) of the
U-shaped slot provide the lateral, or horizontal, restraint against
movement perpendicular to the axis of the first arm 102.
[0021] Similarly, the downward support member 38 may comprise a
flat plate with a series of inverted U-shaped slots 42 cut into the
plate. The plate may be connected to the rack to extend from one
end of the rack to the other end as seen in the Figures. Each
inverted U-shaped slot 42 is positioned between two ribs 22 and
opens downwards. This configuration allows the end portion of the
first arm 102 of a four way lug wrench 100 to be inserted into the
inverted U-shaped slot 42 upwardly from below. The high point 43 of
the inverted U-shaped slot provides a downward facing surface for
preventing a wrench from pivoting unrestrained about the pivot
point 41. The vertical sides 49, 51 of the inverted U-shape are
spaced sufficiently far apart to admit a first arm 102 of the
wrench to fit between them, but are sufficiently close together to
prevent a bulbous head 110 at the end of the arm 102 from passing
between them. Accordingly, the vertical sides 49, 51 capture the
bulbous head 110 and prevent the wrench from sliding forward, away
from the rack, after a certain amount of travel.
[0022] In use and in operation of the rack 20 of the present
invention, a user may fill the rack with wrenches 100 in the
following manner, as understood in conjunction with FIGS. 6a-6c.
The user places a first four-way lug wrench into the rack as
follows. He inserts the bulbous head 110 of a first arm 102 (that
is, one of four arms, 102, 104, 106, 108 as best seen in FIG. 4) of
a wrench 100 downwardly in the space defined by two ribs 22 and by
the upward support member 36 and the downward support member 38
(FIGS. 6a and 6b). He then rotates the wrench clockwise (as in FIG.
6c), about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the wrench, so
that the first arm 102 (at a point near the intersection of the
four arms of the wrench) rests on the low point 41 of a U-shaped
slot 40, so that the center of mass of the wrench tends to pivot
downwardly and clockwise (with reference to FIG. 4) about the low
point 41. This tendency to pivot causes an end of the first arm 102
to pivot upwards, until it is arrested from further upward movement
by the downward facing surface 43 of the corresponding inverted
U-shaped slot 42 in the downward support member 38. Once the wrench
is arrested from further movement by both the support members 36,
38, the user may push the wrench downwards toward the rack, until a
lower arm 108 of the wrench comes in contact with either the
footplate 34 (FIG. 2), or one of the connecting rods 32 (FIG. 4)
and the wrench is at its furthest possible point of travel
downwards and into the rack.
[0023] The rack may be filled with further wrenches 100 in a
similar fashion. Importantly, in addition to being supported by the
upward support member 36, the downward support member 38, and the
footplate 34 (or the rod 32), as described above, the cantilevered
stub 30 on each rib restrains a wrench 100 against being rotated
about an axis that extends along the first arm 102. This restraint
may be applied to an upwardly extending arm 104 of the wrench (FIG.
4), after it has rotated by a small amount. (Although it is
desirable to restrain an upwardly extending arm 104, a downwardly
extending arm 108 may equally be restrained by an appropriately
positioned stub attached to a rib.) Thus, the presence of the
cantilevered stub 30 prevents the uncontrolled rotation of a set of
wrenches that may be caused by an accidental bump against one
wrench. Without the cantilevered stub 30, there would be a tendency
for one wrench to rotate and bump into the next wrench, causing
them all to rotate in a chain reaction, or "cascade effect." In the
confines of a store, or other point of sale, this kind of effect
may be highly inconvenient, and the presence of the cantilever stub
30 conveniently reduces such an effect. Thus, once the installed
wrenches are in this position they are in equilibrium, and are
secured against most movements that may be caused by accidental
forces acting on them, such as being bumped by a customer.
[0024] Moreover, the configuration of the merchandizing rack
described presents a potential customer with a well ordered array
of four-way lug wrenches for inspection. Each lug wrench may be of
a different size, so that the customer may view the wrenches
separated from each other, but they may be arrayed close enough to
each other to provide an easy comparison between the wrenches. Once
the customer has identified a wrench for further investigation, he
may grasp an extending third arm 106 of the wrench (FIG. 4), rotate
the wrench slightly anticlockwise (as in FIG. 4) to disengage the
bulbous head 110 on the first arm 102 from its trapped position
behind one of the inverted U-shaped slots 42 in the downward
support member 38, and finally pull the wrench upwardly to remove
it from the rack. Replacement of the wrench in the rack may follow
the steps set forth above.
[0025] Further advantageously, not only does the rack provide a
structure into which it is easy to install wrenches and then to
remove them, the open lattice structure of the rack 20 allows a
customer to see for himself the correct way for removing and
returning the wrench without disturbing the position of any of the
other wrenches. To this end, the spacing of the wrenches on the
rack (and hence the spacing of the ribs) is most desirably set to
allow a man's hand to grasp one wrench without touching an adjacent
wrench. Thus, desirably, the ribs are spaced at between 2 inches
and 3 inches apart. The rack is light weight, rigid, robust,
stable, inexpensive to manufacture, and provides an elegant
solution to the problem of displaying unwieldy four-way lug
wrenches in large numbers.
[0026] Thus, it will be apparent from the foregoing that, while
particular forms of the invention have been illustrated and
described, various modifications can be made without parting from
the scope of the invention which is set forth in the claims.
* * * * *