Merchandise accentuator

• US 5,220,739 A
• Filed: 06/06/1991
• Issued: 06/22/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DCI Marketing Inc (IMI PLC)
• Original Assignee: DCI Marketing Inc (IMI PLC)
• Inventors: Marheine, David M., Chich, Robert H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorner, Kenneth J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bonifanti, J.
• Application Number:
  US07/711,289
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: 40/541, 40/550, 40/564, 40/574, 40/579, 40/650, 248/316.7
• US Class Current: 40/564
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/04 Signs, boards or panels, illuminated from behind the insignia

Abstract

A merchandise accentuator for a store shelf having a molding along the forward edge thereof, the molding forming a channel strip of uniform cross-section having flanges laterally bounding a web portion and providing mutually opposed grooves forwardly of the web portion, the accentuator including a board having a circuit on one side for electrically developing display drive signals, a display mounted on said one side of said board and being operatively connected to said circuit for providing a visual representation corresponding to said drive signals, an independent voltage source mounted on the other side of said board and being operatively connected to the circuit, the accentuator being mounted in the board in the channel in the molding.

Claims

1. A merchandise accentuator adapted to be mounted on a price channel mounted on the edge of a shelf, said accentuator, comprising a unitary structure including

a board and a pair of clips supported on said board, said board and clips together configured for holding a DC voltage source;

a circuit supported on said board for electrically developing display drive signals;

a number of light emitting diodes responsive to the display drive signals for providing a visual representation corresponding to the display drive signals;

conductors supported on said board for electrically connecting the voltage source to said circuit; and

a cover mounted on the price channel, said cover including a number of apertures with said light emitting diodes protruding through said apertures.

2. The accentuator of claim 1, wherein said board has a pair of opposed faces, and said display is disposed on one of said pair of faces, and said clips and said conductors are disposed on the other of said pair of faces.

3. A merchandise accentuator, comprising a unitary structure configured and dimensioned to fit a price channel mounted on the edge of a shelf, including:

circuit means for electrically developing display drive signals, said circuit means being supported on a board having a pair of opposed faces;

connector means disposed on one of said faces, a battery supported on said board by said connector means, electrically connecting said source to said circuit means;

display means mounted on said board and being responsive to said display drive signals for providing a visual display corresponding to said display drive signals, said display means including at least one light emitting diode disposed on said other of said faces of said board; and

means for supporting the accentuator in a spaced relation to the shelf, said supporting means including a holder having a circular section for enclosing said battery, a pair of side walls having grooves for engaging said board and a pair of sides having flanges at the outer end for engaging said price channel.

4. The accentuator according to claim 3 wherein said connector means includes a pair of clips mounted on said board, said voltage source includes one or more batteries supported on said board by said clips and said electrical connecting means including a pair of conductive tabs positioned to connect the ends of said batteries to said circuit means.

5. A merchandise accentuator for a price channel mounted on the front edge of a shelf, said accentuator comprising a unitary structure configured and dimensioned to fit within the price channel including (a) circuit means for electrically developing display drive signals, said circuit means including a circuit board having a pair of side faces;

(b) connector means, mounted on one of said side faces, for holding and electrically connecting a DC voltage source to said circuit means;

(c) display means, responsive to said display drive signals, for visually representing said signals, said display means including a plurality of light emitting diodes mounted on said other of said side faces of said board; and

(d) a cover mounted on the price channel to enclose said unitary structure, said cover engaging the edges of said board and further including apertures aligned with said light emitting diodes.