Display Apparatus and Method

• US 20100326939A1
• Filed: 06/30/2009
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Inventors: Cheney, David, Whittier, Michael A., Clark, Jeremy A., Werth, Justin, Pittelkow, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 7,997,430 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 211/153
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 2005/0075 Headers for show stands, shelves, racks or cases
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/0025 having separate display containers or trays on shelves or on racks
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/0846 Display panels or rails with elongated channels; Sliders, brackets, shelves, or the like, slidably attached therein
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 7/08 the elements being secured or adapted to be secured by means of grooves, rails, or slits
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 7/18 Means for attaching signs, plates, panels, or boards to a supporting structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

Some embodiments of a product display apparatus may include a plurality of product shelves and a product display sign coupled to a support arm in an elevated position above the product shelves so as to define a viewing gap at a selected height. The viewing gap can provide consumers with see-through visibility toward an adjacent aisle. The product display sign may be releasably secured in an elevated support arm that also receives one or more display containers in a position forward of the display sign and above the product shelves.

Claims

1. A product display apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of product display shelves extending in a generally horizontal direction between opposing divider walls and positioned forward of a rear wall, each of the product display shelves defining an upper surface to support a plurality of products;

an elevated signage portion mounted above the plurality of product display shelves, the elevated signage portion including a horizontal support arm that is spaced above an upper edge of the rear wall, the horizontal support arm defining a plurality of channels that each extend in the generally horizontal direction; and

a signage display panel extending substantially the entire distance between the opposing divider walls and releasably engaged with one of the channels of the horizontal support arm so that an image-bearing surface of the signage display panel is retained in a generally vertical orientation; and

a display container toollessly mounted to one of the channels of the horizontal support arm and retained in a position above the product display shelves and forward of the image-bearing surface of the signage display panel, the display container defining a space to releasably receive a plurality of products.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elevated signage portion is mounted above the plurality of product display shelves so as to define a see-through visibility gap between the elevated signage portion and the product display shelves, wherein the see-through visibility gap is substantially unobstructed so as to provide viewability to an opposing side of the display apparatus.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the horizontal support arm of the elevated signage portion is spaced above the upper edge of the rear wall to define the see-through visibility gap therebetween.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein a bottom edge of the see-through visibility gap is arranged at a height of about 54 inches to about 68 inches.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the see-through visibility gap has a vertical dimension of about 4 inches to about 18 inches.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the horizontal support arm of the elevated signage portion defines at least a pair of outer channels and a pair of inner channels that each extend in the generally horizontal direction.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein at least one of the inner channels comprises opposing channel walls separated by a width, wherein the opposing channel walls frictionally engage a lower edge portion of the signage display panel to retain the signage display panel in the generally vertical orientation.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the display container includes a mounting bracket extending from a container base, the mounting bracket mating with at least a portion of one of the outer channels so that the container base is positioned above the product display shelves and forward of the signage display panel.

9. A product display apparatus, comprising:

a shelf support section separating a first store aisle from a second store aisle and extending generally parallel to the first and second store aisles, the shelf support section including a base, an upper edge opposite the base, and a vertical array of product support surfaces extending in a horizontal direction between a plurality of vertical side supports, the vertical array of product support surfaces being positioned above the base and below the upper edge;

a sign support member mounted to and generally parallel to the upper edge of the shelf support section such that the sign support member and the shelf support section cooperatively define a viewing gap, the bottom edge of the viewing gap being positioned at a height of about 54 inches to about 68 inches and wherein the viewing gap extends vertically for a distance of about 4 inches to about 18 inches; and

a product display sign removably mounted to the sign support member in an elevated position above the upper edge of the shelf support section, the product display sign including one or more images on a front surface that is retained in a generally vertical orientation when the product display sign is removably mounted to the sign support member;

wherein the viewing gap is substantially unobstructed so as to provide line-of-sight viewing between the first and second aisles.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a display container removably mounted to the sign support member in an elevated position above the upper edge of the shelf support, the display container being suspended above the vertical array of product support surfaces and being positioned forward of the front surface of the product display sign.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the display container defines a space to releasably receive a plurality of products in the position suspended above the vertical array of product support surfaces, the display container having a shape that is different from the product support surfaces.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the sign support member is mounted to the upper edge of the shelf support section by one or more vertical supports.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the product display sign includes one or more cavities formed in the front surface, further comprising a display window box removably received by each of the one or more cavities such that a front face of the display window box is positioned forward of the front surface of the product display sign, the display window box carrying one or more products or product images.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein at least a portion of the front face of the display window box is generally transparent so as to show the one or more products arranged in an internal space of the display window box.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the sign support member defines a plurality of horizontal channels, the product display sign comprising a lower edge portion that frictionally engages with one of the horizontal channels of the sign support member.

16. A method for displaying products, comprising:

arranging a product display apparatus between a first store aisle and an adjacent store aisle, the product display apparatus including a first set of horizontal shelf surfaces facing toward the first store aisle, a second set of horizontal shelf surfaces facing toward the adjacent store aisle, and at least one rear wall separating the first and second sets of horizontal shelf surfaces;

placing a plurality of products on the first and second sets of horizontal shelf surfaces so that the plurality of products are accessible from at least one of the first store aisle and the adjacent store aisle;

mounting an image-bearing panel in an elevated position above the rear wall of the product display apparatus so as to define a see-through opening between the image-bearing panel and the rear wall, the see-through opening providing visibility at a selected height range from the first store aisle to the adjacent store aisle, the image-bearing panel including a front surface having images related to at least one of the products accessible from at least one of the first store aisle and the adjacent store aisle; and

inserting one or more embedded display window structures into one or more corresponding cavities formed in a front surface such that a front face of each embedded display window structure is positioned forward of the front surface of the image-bearing panel, each embedded display window structure carrying one or more products or images related to at least one of the products accessible from at least one of the first store aisle and the adjacent store aisle.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising mounting a horizontal sign support arm to vertical support mounts extending above an upper edge of the rear wall so that the horizontal sign support arm is spaced above the upper edge of the rear wall, the horizontal sign support arm defining a plurality of channels that each extend in a generally horizontal direction, at least one of the channels configured to retain the image-bearing panel in a vertical orientation in the elevated position above the rear wall.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising toolessly mounting a product display container to the horizontal sign support arm in an elevated position above the upper edge of the rear wall so that the product display container is positioned above the first or second set of horizontal shelf surfaces and forward of the front surface of the image-bearing panel, wherein the product display container defines a space to releasably receive one or more products.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein at least a portion of one embedded display window structure is generally transparent so as to show the one or more products arranged in an internal space of the embedded display window structure.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein mounting the image-bearing panel in the elevated position above the rear wall of the product display apparatus defines the see-through opening at the selected height range from about 54 inches to about 68 inches above a base of the product display apparatus.