APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING AND DISPLAYING PAINT COLOR CARDS

• US 20150122753A1
• Filed: 01/12/2015
• Published: 05/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Benchmarc Display, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Benchmarc Display, Inc.
• Inventors: Fanning, Louis D. Jr., Miller, Edwin Paul
• Granted Patent: US 9,357,859 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 211/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/0823 Article supports for peg-boards
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 7/0007 for stacked articles; Stabilising means therefor for cans or bottles A47F7/281
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 7/0042 for flat articles, e.g. panels, tiles A47F7/0014, A47F7/14, A47F7/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 7/147 being individually detachable
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 7/163 in the form of flat shaped samples G09F5/02; sample cards G09F5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 5/042 in paper, paperboard, or the like

Abstract

A bracket for supporting and displaying a planar object comprises an elongated body member including a planar web and a front wall and a rear wall extending from the longitudinal edges of the web. An end wall extends transversely with respect to and engages the distal ends of the web, the front wall and the rear wall such that the web and the front and rear walls and the end wall define a longitudinal channel open at the proximal end and closed at the distal end for supporting the objects. A pair of arms extend rearwardly from the body member. At least one of the arms is resiliently deflectable for engagement and retention of the lugs in an aperture of a mounting substrate. During connection, lugs on the arms are adapted to engage the portion of the mounting substrate defining the aperture for moving the arms inwardly so that the lugs pass through the aperture for permitting the arms to move outwardly and the lugs to engage the mounting substrate. The channels of adjacent brackets face each other for receiving and supporting at least a portion of the planar objects extending between the facing channels for visual observation and ease of removal of the objects for inspection.

Claims

1. An apparatus for supporting and displaying a planar object when connected to a mounting substrate defining at least one aperture, the supporting and displaying apparatus comprising:

an elongated body member having a longitudinal axis, the body member comprising

a planar web terminating in longitudinal edges,

a front wall and a rear wall extending from the longitudinal edges of the web and terminating in longitudinal edges, the front wall and the rear wall extending the length of the web, the web, the front wall and the rear wall terminating at their proximal ends in free edges, and

an end wall extending transversely with respect to and engaging the distal ends of the web, the front wall and the rear wall such that the web and the front and rear walls and the end wall define a longitudinal channel open at the proximal end and closed at the distal end for supporting the objects; and

a pair of arms extend rearwardly from the body member, the arms are formed on their ends with lugs extending transversely in opposite directions, at least one of the arms resiliently deflectable in a direction transversely of the longitudinal axis of the body member for engagement and retention of the lugs in the at least one aperture of the mounting substrate,

wherein during connection of the supporting and displaying apparatus to the mounting substrate the lugs are adapted to engage the portion of the mounting substrate defining the at least one aperture for moving the at least one of the arms inwardly so that the lugs pass through the aperture for permitting the arms to move outwardly and the lugs engage the mounting substrate to releasably connect the body member to the mounting substrate, and

wherein to disconnect the body member the arms are moved inwardly causing disengagement of the lugs from the mounting substrate so that the lugs pass through the opening allowing the body member to be moved away from the mounting substrate.

2. The supporting and displaying apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the distance between the front wall and the rear wall is sufficient to hold a plurality of planar objects.

3. The supporting and displaying apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the front wall and the rear wall are joined to the web intermediate the longitudinal edges of the front and rear walls, such that the web, the front wall and the rear wall and the end wall define opposed longitudinal channels.

4. The supporting and displaying apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein a first arm of the pair of arms is adjacent the closed distal end of the body member, and the second arm of the pair of arms is longitudinally spaced toward the open proximal end of the body member, and wherein the lug on the first arm is spaced a lesser distance from the body member than the lug on the second arm such that when connected to the mounting substrate the closed distal end of the body member is closer to the mounting substrate than the open proximal end of the body member.

5. The supporting and displaying apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the pair of arms are coplanar and longitudinally spaced.

6. The supporting and displaying apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising a flange extending rearwardly from adjacent the closed distal end of the body member and terminating in a longitudinal edge transverse to the longitudinal axis of the body member, and a downwardly extending planar edge portion integral with the longitudinal edge of the flange and terminating in a longitudinal edge, wherein the planar edge portion of the flange is adapted to be received in the at least one aperture in the mounting substrate.

7. The supporting and displaying apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising at least one shoulder extending rearwardly of the body member and adapted for engagement with the mounting substrate to prevent movement of body member toward the mounting substrate.

8. The supporting and displaying apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising a plate member extending longitudinally rearwardly from the rear wall of the body member adjacent to the closed distal end of the body member to a point intermediate the length of the rear wall, the plate member tapering outwardly from the closed distal end of the body member, and wherein the pair of arms extending rearwardly from the plate member.

9. The supporting and displaying apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein a first arm of the pair of arms is adjacent the closed distal end of the body member, and the second arm of the pair of arms is longitudinally spaced toward the open proximal end of the body member such that the lug on the first arm is spaced a less distance from the body member than the lug on the second arm.

10. The supporting and displaying apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising a retention wall extending from the web adjacent to and only partially coextensive in length with the rear wall and terminating in a angularly directed tab, the web, rear wall and retention wall defining a slot for receiving a planar object, the tab adapted to engage the planar object for urging the planar object against the rear wall.

18. The supporting and displaying system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a plate member extending longitudinally rearwardly from the rear wall of the brackets from adjacent to the closed distal end of the brackets to a point intermediate the length of the rear wall, the plate member tapering outwardly from the closed distal end of the brackets, and wherein the pair of arms extending rearwardly from the plate member.

19. The supporting and displaying system as recited in claim 18, wherein a first arm of the pair of arms is adjacent the closed distal end of the brackets, and the second arm of the pair of arms is longitudinally spaced toward the open proximal end of the brackets such that the lug on the first arm is spaced a less distance from the brackets than the lug on the second arm.

11. A system for supporting and displaying planar objects, the supporting and displaying system comprising:

a substrate having a mounting surface defining a plurality of spaced openings

a plurality of brackets for receiving and supporting the objects, each bracket comprising

an elongated body member having a longitudinal axis, the body member including

a planar web terminating in longitudinal edges,

a front wall and a rear wall extending from the longitudinal edges of the web and terminating in longitudinal edges, the front wall and the rear wall extending the length of the web, the web, the front wall and the rear wall terminating at their proximal ends in free edges, and

an end wall extending transversely with respect to and engaging the distal ends of the web, the front wall and the rear wall such that the web and the front and rear walls and the end wall define a longitudinal channel open at the proximal end and closed at the distal end for supporting the objects; and

a pair of arms extend rearwardly from the body member, the arms are formed on their ends with lugs extending transversely in opposite directions, at least one of the arms resiliently deflectable in a direction transversely of the longitudinal axis of the body member for engagement and retention of the lugs in the at least one aperture of the mounting substrate,

wherein during connection of the brackets to the substrate the lugs are adapted to engage the mounting surface defining the at least one opening for moving the at least one of the arms inwardly so that the lugs pass through the opening permitting the arms to move outwardly and the lugs to engage the substrate to releasably connect the brackets to the substrate in spaced relationship with the channels of adjacent brackets facing each other for receiving and supporting at least a portion of the planar objects extending between the facing channels of the brackets for visual observation and ease of removal of the objects for inspection, and

wherein to disconnect the bracket the arms are moved inwardly causing disengagement of the lugs from the substrate so that the lugs pass through the opening allowing the bracket to be moved away from the substrate.

12. The supporting and displaying system as recited in claim 11, wherein the distance between the front wall and the rear wall is sufficient to hold a plurality of planar objects.

13. The supporting and displaying system as recited in claim 11, wherein the front wall and the rear wall are joined to the web intermediate the longitudinal edges of the front and rear walls, such that the web, the front wall and the rear wall and the end wall define opposed longitudinal channels.

14. The supporting and displaying system as recited in claim 11, wherein a first arm of the pair of arms is adjacent the closed distal end of the bracket, and the second arm of the pair of arms is longitudinally spaced toward the open proximal end of the bracket, and wherein the lug on the first arm is spaced a lesser distance from the bracket than the lug on the second arm such that when connected to the substrate the closed distal end of the bracket is closer to the substrate than the open proximal end of the bracket.

15. The supporting and displaying system as recited in claim 11, wherein the pair of arms are coplanar and longitudinally spaced.

16. The supporting and displaying system as recited in claim 11, further comprising a flange extending rearwardly from adjacent the closed distal end of the brackets and terminating in a longitudinal edge transverse to the longitudinal axis of the brackets, and a downwardly extending planar edge portion integral with the longitudinal edge of the flange and terminating in a longitudinal edge, wherein the planar edge portion of the flange is adapted to be received an opening in the substrate.

17. The supporting and displaying system as recited in claim 11, further comprising at least one shoulder extending rearwardly from the brackets and adapted for engagement with the substrate to prevent movement of brackets toward the substrate.

20. The supporting and displaying system as recited in claim 11, further comprising a retention wall extending from the web adjacent to and only partially coextensive in length with the rear wall and terminating in a angularly directed tab, the web, rear wall and retention wall defining a slot for receiving a planar object, the tab adapted to engage the planar object for urging the planar object against the rear wall.

21. The supporting and displaying system as recited in claim 11, wherein the brackets are sized for displaying an upper portion of a major surface of the objects.

22. The supporting and displaying system as recited in claim 11, wherein at least a portion of the brackets are arranged on the substrate such that the longitudinal axes of the brackets are disposed substantially vertically.

23. The supporting and displaying system as recited in claim 11, wherein at least a portion of the brackets are arranged on the substrate such that the longitudinal axes of the brackets are disposed substantially horizontally.

24. The supporting and displaying system as recited in claim 11, wherein at least a portion of the brackets are arranged on the substrate in a partially overlapping shingled relationship.