Tapeless label holders for flat front face shelves

• US 20060254106A1
• Filed: 04/24/2006
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Fast Mind LLC
• Original Assignee: The Fast Mind LLC
• Inventors: Fast, Jacobs
• Granted Patent: US 7,627,971 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 40/661.30
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/204 specially adapted to be attached to a shelf or the like

Abstract

A label holder including a transparent cover member overlying a main body panel to form a label-receiving pocket connectable to a flat front face shelf without tape. The main body panel faces the front face of the shelf. The label holder includes an attachment structure for attaching the label holder to a horizontally oriented shelf lip by defining a U-shaped slot or gap. The attachment structure includes a concave portion, preferably U-shaped, that is elastically stretchable or deformable. This allows stretching of the attachment structure to accommodate different depths of the shelf lip.

Claims

1. An elongated label holder removably attachable to a merchandise shelf having a substantially horizontally-disposed shelf lip, said label holder carrying and displaying merchandise labels and comprising a back plate having a top edge, a bottom edge, a front surface and a back surface, a transparent cover member having a top edge, a bottom edge, a front surface and a back surface, at least one of the top edges and bottom edges of the back panel and the cover member being resiliently interconnected to define a hinge, a pocket being formed between the front surface of the back panel and the back surface of the cover member for removably receiving labels to be displayed through the cover member, and an attachment structure for attaching the label holder to the shelf lip, said attachment structure integral with said back plate and extending rearwardly to form a generally acute angle with said back plate, said attachment structure having a free end defining a U-shaped return engageable with the shelf lip, said attachment structure stretchable rearwardly and including a bottom leg portion having a front section integral with said back plate, a rear section terminating at said free end and a concave portion between said front and rear sections that is elastically stretchable in a horizontal direction from said back plate such that the label holder tightly engages and is retained to the shelf lip.

2. The label holder of claim 1, wherein said concave portion is U-shaped.

3. The label holder of claim 1, wherein said concave portion is V-shaped.

4. The label holder of claim 1, wherein the cover member and back plate are resiliently interconnected at their top edges.

5. The label holder of claim 1, wherein said cover member and back plate are resiliently interconnected at their bottom edges.

6. The label holder of claim 1, wherein said concave portion is defined by a substantially circular arc between said front section and rear section and is elastically deformable such that the radius of curvature of said arc increases when attached to the shelf lip.

7. A merchandise display apparatus comprising:

a shelf comprising a horizontally-oriented merchandise support surface, a front face extending downwardly therefrom and a bottom lip substantially parallel to the support surface, directed rearwardly, and having a free bottom lip edge;

a label holder for carrying and displaying merchandise labels comprising a back panel and a transparent cover member, said back panel and cover member being resiliently interconnected to define a pocket therebetween for carrying a label, and an attachment structure for attaching the label holder to said bottom lip of the merchandise shelf, said attachment structure including a bottom leg integrally connected with said back panel and extending rearwardly therefrom to define a generally acute angle with said back panel, said bottom leg including a front portion integrally-coupled with said back panel, a rear portion having a free end with an upturned section for receiving said free bottom lip edge of said shelf, and an intermediate portion of generally concave configuration, said bottom leg having a width from the back panel to the free end less than the width of said bottom lip, said bottom leg elastically stretchable at its concave intermediate portion to tightly grip the bottom lip and retain the label holder thereto.

8. The label holder of claim 7, wherein said concave portion is U-shaped.

9. The label holder of claim 7, wherein said concave portion is V-shaped.

10. The label holder of claim 7, wherein the cover member and back panel are resiliently interconnected at their top edges.

11. The label holder of claim 7, wherein said cover member and back panel are resiliently interconnected at their bottom edges.

12. The label holder of claim 7, wherein said concave portion is defined by a substantially circular arc between said front section and rear section and is deformable such that the radius of curvature of said arc increases when attached to said bottom lip.