Mounting device

• US 5,237,767 A
• Filed: 10/29/1992
• Issued: 08/24/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: News America Marketing Properties LLC (News Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Actmedia
• Inventors: Richardson, James E., Kringel, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorner, Kenneth J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Green, Brian K.
• Application Number:
  US07/970,603
• Time in Patent Office: 299 Days
• Field of Search: 40/642, 40/651, 40/611, 40/666, 40/652, 40/653, 40/649, 40/658, 248/74.4, 248/231.6, 248/316.6, 248/229, 248/231.4, 29/325, 29/335, 29/459, 29/527, 29/528, 211/74, 312/234.4, 81/128, 81/142-149, 269/210
• US Class Current: 40/652
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/201 Enclosures enveloping completely the labels G09F3/203 - G09F3/207 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/204 specially adapted to be attached to a shelf or the like

Abstract

A mounting device is provided for attaching promotional displays, dispensers, or other objects to a shelf in a grocery or other retail store shelf. The mounting device has resilient first and second jaws that are forced into engagement with the shelf by a locking slide. In one preferred embodiment, first jaw and second jaw are oriented at slightly less a 90° angle relative to the body of the mounting device. The body has a vertical slot into which a rack attached to the second jaw slides and a horizontal channel into which a locking slide is inserted to cooperate with the rack. The rack has teeth which mesh with cooperating teeth on a locking slide to move the jaws together. In addition, the body has, for example a price channel, to which an advertising or promotional display device such as a shelftalker, or other object can be mounted.

Claims

1. A mounting device for detachably affixing a display to a mounting surface, comprising:

first jaw means having;

a body and

a first jaw having a substantially planar gripping surface extending away from said body,

said body having;

a slot formed therein, said slot oriented in substantially non-parallel relation to the planar surface of said first jaw,

a channel formed therein, said channel oriented to enable movement therealong in a direction substantially non-parallel to said slot, and

an attachment means comprising a price channel for mounting the display on said body;

second jaw means having;

a rack having a plurality of first teeth;

a second jaw having a planar gripping surface extending away from said rack and disposed in substantially non-parallel relation to said rack;

substantially planar slide means, adapted to be moved along said channel, for cooperating with said channel, said substantially planar slide means having second teeth for cooperating with said first teeth to force said first and second jaws into engagement with, or to release said first and second jaws from engagement, with the mounting surface as said slide means is moved along said channel; and

wherein said first jaw means and said second jaw means are engaged with the mounting surface by moving said substantially planar slide means in said channel and said first jaw means and said second jaw means are disengaged from the mounting surface by moving said substantially planar slide means in an opposite direction in said channel.

2. The mounting device of claim 1, wherein said surface is a shelf.

3. The mounting device of claim 1, wherein said display device is a shelftalker.

4. The mounting device of claim 1, wherein said first and second jaws have resilience for their engagement with the surface.

5. The mounting device of claim 1, wherein the planar gripping surface of said first and second jaws comprise distal and proximate ends, said first and second jaws being inclined at an angle relative to the surface such that the distal ends of said first and second jaws are in closer proximity to the surface than the proximal ends of said first and second jaws, and wherein their resilience enables them to deform as increasing gripping pressure is applied to said first and second jaws to allow progressively greater areas of the planar surfaces of said first and second jaws to engage the mounting surface.

6. The mounting device of claim 1 wherein said first jaw is located on one side of said body and wherein said first teeth are disposed on an opposite side of said body and wherein said slide means is mounted on said one side.

7. A mounting device for detachably affixing a display to a surface, comprising:

a first jaw having

a body and

a substantially planar first jaw element, disposed at an acute angle relative to said body,

said body having;

a slot formed therein, said slot being oriented to extend away from said first jaw element in substantially non-parallel relation to said first jaw element,

a channel formed therein, said channel oriented in substantially parallel relation to said first jaw element, and

an attachment means comprising a price channel means for affixing the display on said body, said attachment means being located distally from said first jaw element;

a second jaw having;

a rack,

a substantially planar second jaw element located on one side of said rack and disposed at an acute angle relative to said rack;

said rack having first teeth disposed on an opposite side of said rack;

a substantially planar locking slide, adapted to be moved in said channel, said substantially planar locking slide having second teeth disposed on the surface of said substantially planar locking slide adjacent said first teeth for cooperating with said first teeth to force said first and second jaw elements into engagement with the mounting surface or release therefrom as said substantially planar locking slide is moved in said channel; and

wherein said first and second jaws are engaged with the surface by moving said substantially planar locking slide means in said channel and said first and second jaws are disengaged from the surface by moving said substantially planar locking slide means in the opposite direction in said channel.

8. The mounting device of claim 7, wherein said object is a shelftalker.

9. The mounting device of claim 7, wherein said first and second jaw elements have resilience for their engagement with the mounting surface.

10. The mounting device of claim 7, wherein said first and second jaw elements are normally inclined at an angle relative to the surface and wherein their resilience enables them to deform as increasing gripping pressure is applied to the mounting device to allow progressively greater areas of said first and second jaws to engage the surface.

11. A mounting device for detachably fixing, relative to a shelf, a section of a price channel for mounting a shelftalker on the edge of a shelf, comprising:

a fixed jaw having;

a body and

a first jaw, having a substantially planar gripping surface disposed at an acute angle relative to said body,

said body having;

a slot formed therein, said slot being oriented in substantially perpendicular relation to said first jaw,

a channel formed therein, said channel being disposed in substantially perpendicular relation to said slot,

a section of a price channel, oriented on said body for mounting the shelftalker on said mounting device;

a movable jaw having;

a rack,

a second jaw having a substantially planar gripping surface disposed at an acute angle relative to said rack, and substantially parallel to the planar gripping surface of said fixed jaw,

said rack having first teeth disposed on one side surface of said rack;

a substantially planar locking slide adapted to move along said channel, said locking slide having second teeth, for cooperating with said first teeth to force said fixed and movable jaws into engagement with the mounting surface or release therefrom as said locking slide is moved along said channel; and

wherein fixed and moveable jaws are engaged with the shelf by moving said substantially planar locking slide means in said channel and said fixed and moveable jaws are disengaged from the shelf by moving said substantially planar locking slide means in the opposite direction in said channel.

12. The mounting device of claim 11, wherein said fixed and movable jaws have resilience for their engagement with the mounting surface.

13. The mounting device of claim 11, wherein the planar gripping surfaces of said fixed and movable jaws are normally inclined at an angle relative to the mounting surface and wherein their resilience enables them to deform as increasing gripping pressure is applied to the mounting device so as to allow progressively greater areas planar gripping surfaces of said first and second jaws to engage the mounting surface.

14. A mounting device for removable attaching an object to a structure, comprising:

first means and second means being adapted to engage the structure;

said first means comprising a body having;

a price channel formed therein for connecting the object to said mounting device,

a slot formed therein to receive said second means, and

a channel formed therein;

said second means comprising a rack having a plurality of first teeth disposed on one side of said rack;

substantially planar slide means, adapted to move in said channel, and comprising second teeth, said substantially planar slide means cooperating with said channel to develop a mechanical advantage in association with said first teeth force said first means and said second means into engagement with the structure over a substantial range of movement of said slide means in said channel;

wherein said second teeth cooperate with said first teeth to prevent reversal of the direction of movement of said first means from said second means unless the direction of movement of said substantially planar slide is also reversed;

wherein said first and second means are engaged with the structure by moving said substantially planar slide means in said channel and said first and second means are disengaged from the structure by reversing the direction of movement of said substantially planar slide means in said channel.

15. The mounting device of claim 14, wherein said object is an advertising display device.

16. The mounting device of claim 14, wherein said object is a shelftalker.

17. The mounting device of claim 14, wherein said first means further comprises a resilient first gripping means and said second means further comprises a second gripping means to prevent slippage and facilitate adhesion to both smooth and irregular surfaces.

18. The mounting device of claim 17, wherein said first gripping means and said second gripping means cooperate to engage the structure in gripping engagement.

19. The mounting device of claim 14, wherein said slide means develops sufficient mechanical advantage to securely yet removably affix said first and second means relative to the structure.