Cooler door display rack

• US 5,486,044 A
• Filed: 04/29/1994
• Issued: 01/23/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: James L. Bennett
• Original Assignee: James L. Bennett
• Inventors: Bennett, James L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Saether, Flemming
• Application Number:
  US08/235,644
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 312/126, 312/129, 312/130, 312/234.1, 312/234.4, 312/234.5, 312/321.5, 312/408, 40/597, 40/611, 40/649, 211/74, 211/75, 211/88, 248/206.3, 248/206.4
• US Class Current: 312/321.5
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/0486 for charging, displaying or discharging the articles
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/08 secured to the wall, ceiling, or the like; Wall-bracket display devices
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/04 with special compartments, e.g. butter conditioners
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2331/805 Cans
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/36 Visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2023/0033 on refrigerated containers
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 7/10 and slideably mounted

Abstract

A cooler door display rack includes an elongated support shelf of a shape for supporting a plurality of beverage containers generally in a row, the shelf having front and back edges. An advertisement display device is operatively associated with the support shelf for removably and replaceably receiving and supporting advertising indicia in upright relation adjacent the front edge of the support shelf. The advertisement display device is of a size and shape such that advertising indicia supported therein substantially span the length of the shelf. A retention device operatively associated with the support shelf retains beverage containers on the support shelf and obstructs sliding movement of beverage containers off of the shelf. Finally, a securement device for securing the shelf to the inside surface of a transparent door of a cooler is included, the shelf arranged such that advertising indicia supported on the advertisement display device are arranged adjacent to and visible through the transparent door of the cooler.

Claims

1. A cooler door display rack for a cooler having a frame at least partially defining a cooling compartment, a transparent door pivotally mounted on said frame and having interior and exterior faces, storage racks mounted in vertically spaced apart relation within the cooling compartment and in horizontally spaced relation from the door, the space between the door and the storage racks defining a cooling air flow zone, the cooler door display rack comprising,

an elongated support shelf of a shape for supporting a plurality of beverage containers generally in a row, said shelf having front, back and side peripheral edges,

retention means operatively associated with said support shelf for retaining beverage containers thereon and obstructing sliding movement of beverage containers off of said shelf, said retention means including a first front wall, rear retention means and side retention means, said first front wall attached to said elongated support shelf adjacent said front edge, said first front wall extending upwardly from said elongated support shelf,

said first front wall having a greater surface area than said rear retention means and said side retention means,

advertising display means operatively associated with said support shelf for removably and replacebly receiving and supporting advertising indicia in upright relation adjacent said front edge,

said advertising display means being of a size and shape such that advertising indicia supported therein cover at least half the area of said first front wall, and

securement means for securing said shelf to the inside surface of a transparent door such that advertising indicia supported on said advertising display means is arranged adjacent to and visible through the transparent door.

2. The cooler door display rack of claim 1 wherein said advertisement display means extends upwardly from said support shelf at least as high as said securement means.

3. The cooler door display rack of claim 1 wherein said rear and side retention means each further comprise a first rear wall and two side walls, respectively, said walls attached to said elongated support shelf adjacent, respectively, said back edge and said side perpheral edges, said walls extending upwardly from said elongated support shelf thereby forming an open top box having a bottom, front, rear and two sides.

4. The cooler door display rack of claim 1 wherein said advertising display means comprises an upright rigid second front wall mounted in horizontally spaced relation from and generally parallel to said first front wall of said display rack and thereby defining a front message receiving space between said first and second front walls and wherein said second front wall is constructed of a material being generally transparent such that the advertising indicia placed within the space defined by the first front wall of said display rack and said second front wall may be seen through a transparent door of a cooler.

5. The cooler door display rack of claim 4 further comprising an upright rigid second rear wall mounted in horizontally spaced relation from and generally parallel with said first rear wall of said display rack, thereby defining a rear message receiving space between said first and second rear walls and wherein said second rear wall is constructed of a material being generally transparent such that advertising indicia placed in said rear message receiving space are visible through said second rear wall.

6. The invention of claim 4 wherein said message placard is an electronic message board.

7. The cooler door display rack of claim 1 wherein said elongated support shelf further comprises a plurality of holes therethrough for drainage of any condensation accumulating on said shelf surface.

8. The cooler door display rack of claim 1 wherein said securement means comprises at least one suction cup operative to secure said display rack to an interior face of a cooler door.

9. The cooler door display rack of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of said cooler door display racks.

10. The cooler door display rack of claim 1 wherein said retention means comprises a container retaining shelf being of generally the same dimension as said elongated support shelf and mounted in vertically spaced relation above and generally parallel with said elongated support shelf and having openings therethrough such that a product may be received through such openings and rest upon said elongated support shelf.

11. In combination,

a cooler comprising a frame at least partially defining a cooling compartment, a transparent door pivotally mounted on said frame and having interior and exterior faces, storage racks mounted in vertically spaced relation within the cooling compartment and in horizontally spaced relation from the door, the space between the door and the storage racks defining a cooling air flow zone;

and

a cooler door display rack, comprising;

an elongated support shelf of a shape for supporting a plurality of beverage containers generally in a row, said shelf having front and back edges,

a first front wall attached to said shelf surface adjacent the front edge thereof and extending upwardly from said shelf surface, said front wall having front and back surfaces,

a sheet-like advertising placard of a size having a front surface of an area at least half of the area of said front surface of said front wall such that such placard is of a size to readily convey advertising information thereon to consumers,

slot means connected to said front wall for slidably and removably receiving and supporting said advertising placard in upright relation adjacent said front wall,

retention means operatively associated with said support shelf for retaining beverage containers thereon and obstructing sliding movement of beverage containers off of said shelf, and

securement means for securing said shelf to the inside surface of a transparent door such that an advertising placard supported in said slot means is arranged adjacent to and visible through the transparent door.

12. In combination,

a cooler comprising a frame at least partially defining a cooling compartment, a transparent door pivotally mounted on said frame and having interior and exterior faces, storage racks mounted in vertically spaced relation within the cooling compartment and in horizontally spaced relation from the door, the space between the door and the storage racks defining a cooling air flow zone;

and

a cooler door display rack, comprising,

an elongated support shelf of a shape for supporting a plurality of beverage containers generally in a row, said shelf having front, back and side peripheral edges,

retention means including a first front wall and a first rear wall, said walls attached to said elongated support shelf adjacent, respectively, said front edge and said back edge, said walls extending upwardly from said elongated support shelf,

said first front wall having a greater surface area than said first rear wall,

advertising display means including an upright second front wall mounted in horizontally spaced relation from and generally parallel to said first front wall of said display rack and thereby defining a front message receiving space between said first and second front walls such that the advertising indicia placed within the space defined by the first front wall of said display rack and said second front wall may be seen through the transparent door of a cooler,

said advertising display means being of a size and shape such that advertising indicia supported therein cover at least half the area of said first front wall, and

securement means for securing said shelf to the inside surface of a transparent door such that advertising indicia supported on said advertising display means is arranged adjacent to and visible through the transparent door.

13. A cooler door display rack for a cooler having a frame at least partially defining a cooling compartment, a transparent door pivotally mounted on said frame and having interior and exterior faces, storage racks mounted in vertically spaced apart relation within the cooling compartment and in horizontally spaced relation from the door, the space between the door and the storage racks defining a cooling air flow zone, the cooler door display rack comprising,

an elongated support shelf of a shape for supporting a plurality of beverage containers generally in a row, said shelf having front, back and side peripheral edges,

retention means operatively associated with said support shelf for retaining beverage containers thereon and obstructing sliding movement of beverage containers off of said shelf, said retention means including a first front wall, said first front wall attached to said elongated support shelf adjacent said front edge, said first front wall extending upwardly from said elongated support shelf,

said first front wall having a greater surface area than said elongated support shelf,

advertising display means operatively associated with said support shelf for removably and replaceably receiving and supporting advertising indicia in upright relation adjacent said front edge,

said advertising display means being of a size and shape such that advertising indicia supported therein cover at least half the area of said first front wall, and

securement means for securing said shelf to the inside surface of a transparent door such that advertising indicia supported on said advertising display means are arranged adjacent to and visible through the transparent door.