Display device with price-change cartridges

• US 4,262,436 A
• Filed: 11/20/1979
• Issued: 04/21/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MEAD Corporation (Meadwestvaco Corporation)
• Original Assignee: MEAD Corporation (Meadwestvaco Corporation)
• Inventors: Clement, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitrelli, John F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Skillington, G. Lee
• Application Number:
  US06/095,970
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• Field of Search: 40/10 R, 40/10 D, 40/16, 40/16.2, 40/16.4, 40/518, 40/385, 40/611, 40/605, 40/618, 40/620, 40/622, 40/489, 40/490, 40/491, 40/117, 40/575, 40/576 , 40/5, 40/610
• US Class Current: 40/518
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 11/29 of a band other than endless
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/20 for adjustable, removable, or interchangeable labels
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 7/02 Signs, plates, panels or boards using readily-detachable elements bearing or forming symbols

Abstract

A display device such as is used to display information relating to the description and price of goods for sale comprises a facia panel (10) to which is attached one or more cartridges (20) each carrying self-coiling information strips (29,30,31) readily adjustable so that the information regarding the goods may be quickly and easily changed, the attaching means (27,28) provided on the cartridge (20) and the attaching means (13,14,15,16) provided on the facia panel (10) co-operating to provide a push-pull connection.

Claims

1. A display device comprising a facia (10) of translucent material, a cartridge (20) attached to the rear surface of said facia and including a carrier, at least one self-coiling information strip (29) bearing a series of characters and being mounted on said carrier for slidable adjustment whereby the characters can be sequentially displayed and are observable through the translucent material, and complementary attaching means provided on the rear surface of said facia and on said cartridge for attaching said cartridge to said facia, characterized in that said cartridge comprises a carrier of generally U-shaped cross section including a support surface (24) on which an uncoiled portion of said self-coiling strip displays a character, side walls (25, 26) extending rearwardly from said support surface, said side walls together with said support surface defining a storage cavity in which the coiled ends of said information strip are accommodated, and resilient legs (27, 28) extending from said support surface in a direction opposite to that of said side walls and arranged to engage said attaching means provided on the rear surface of said facia.

2. A display device according to claim 1 wherein the facia is a continuous translucent panel whereby a character displayed on the carrier is observable through the translucent material.

3. A display device according to claim 1 wherein each side wall includes a recess provided by a cut-away part of that wall, a portion of each information strip adjacent its coiled ends being received in the recess to restrain movement of the strip along the cartridge.

4. A display device according to claim 3 wherein a plurality of recesses are formed in the side walls whereby a series of strips can be carried by the cartridge in side by side relationship.

5. A display device according to claim 1 wherein the complementary attaching means includes at least one pair of projections provided on the rear surface of said facia and being spaced apart so as to provide a snap-on connection between the legs and the projections.

6. A display device according to claim 5 wherein an insert is slideably received between said pair of projections and interposed between said panel and said cartridge, each insert having a surface for displaying information observable through the translucent material and at least one recess defining a window area sized such that when the cartridge and insert are appropriately located on the panel a character displayed on the carrier is presented in the window and observable through the translucent material.

7. A display device according to claim 5 in which said projections comprise parallel rails extending across the back face of the facia and in which said legs are resiliently deformable, the legs of each pair being squeezed together, inserted between the rails and released so that the legs resiliently spring apart into abutment with the rails to provide a snap-on attachment between the carrier and the facia.