Display unit

• US 5,665,304 A
• Filed: 12/12/1995
• Issued: 09/09/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Warner-Lambert Company (Pfizer Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Warner-Lambert Company (Pfizer Inc.)
• Inventors: Engel, Christian, Heinen, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, HANH VAN
• Application Number:
  US08/570,920
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 312/71, 312/61, 312/114, 312/263, 211/59.3, 211/94, 292/80, 292/19, 108/110
• US Class Current: 312/71
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/126 the pushing device being urged by spring means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0894 Spring arm

Abstract

A rack unit display system is provided to display goods, such as in a retail store, in a well structured and ordered manner. The goods are horizontally stacked in the rack unit. A theft protection member is provided which limits unauthorized access to the goods. The left protection member is adjustable in height to allow the display unit to accommodate different sized goods. The goods are pushed forward in the unit by a slide member where the units can then be removed from the rack in small quantities. The back unit is releasably mounted and secured by a lock mechanism on a base member, which in turn is mounted on a rectangular bar. The rack unit can be released from the base member by means of a key. The slide member can be locked in a rear end position of the display unit when the rack unit is removed from the base member. The unit can be filled or refilled with ease without interference from the slide member. The height of the theft protection member is also adjustable. When the rack unit is mounted on the base member, the slide member is automatically released, thereby pushing goods forward.

Claims

1. A display unit for displaying goods comprising:

a base member;

a rack unit for holding goods, said rack unit being capable of accommodating said goods in a stack, said rack unit having a front wall and at least two side walls and being releasably mountable on said base member;

a slide member connected to said rack unit for pushing a stack of goods forward towards the front of said rack unit, the stacking direction of said goods being parallel with the direction of motion of said slide member;

first lock means for locking said slide member in a backward position, said first lock means being automatically disengaged, by mounting said rack unit on said base member, thereby allowing the slide member to move forward thereby exerting a force in the forward direction on the rear end of a stack of goods;

a theft protection member, said theft protection member being releasably mountable on said rack unit, thereby limiting access to goods in said rack unit;

a second lock means for locking said rack unit on said base member, said second lock means being automatically engagable by mounting said rack unit on said base member, said second lock means being disengaged by a key; and

means to adjust the height of the different levels of said theft protection member to accommodate different sizes of goods, said theft protection member being lockable at one of at least two predetermined height levels, by mounting said rack unit on said base member.

2. The display unit according to claim 4,

said theft protection member comprising a top portion and two side portions, said theft protection member being positioned across the top of said rack unit.

3. A display unit according to claim 2,

the side portions of said theft protection member being disposed in vertical guiding grooves on each side surface of said rack unit in such a way that said means to adjust the height of said theft protection member comprises at least two horizontal slots being vertically aligned in each side portion of said theft protection member, wherein said slots are disposed to engage a pair of projections, thereby fixing the height of said theft protection member, said projections being disposed in said guiding grooves on each side surfaces of said rack unit,

the height of said theft protection member being adjustable, when said rack unit is removed from said base member, by slightly bending apart said side portions of said theft protection member thereby disengaging said grooves from said projections, and

the height of said theft protection member being fixed by when said rack unit is mounted on said base member, wherein constraints, disposed on said base member, prevent said side portions of said theft protection members from being bent apart.

4. A display unit according to claim 1 further comprising a spring to actuate said slide member.

5. A display unit according to claim 1, wherein said slide member is biased by a spiral spring.

6. A display unit according to claim 1, wherein said slide member is mounted on a track, said track being mounted in said rack unit.

7. A display unit according to claim 4,

wherein said base member comprises means to mount said base member on supporting equipment, especially shelves.

8. A display unit according to claim 7,

said means to mount said base member comprising a groove or hooks in its rear end portion, thereby allowing to mount said base member on a rectangular bar.

9. A display unit according to claim 8, said base member comprising side walls, said side walls having an upper portion and a lower portion, said upper portion having rectangular shape and extending over the full length of said base member, and said lower portion of said side walls increasing in area towards the rear end thereof, said rear end of said side wall being one boundary of said groove, said rear end of said boundary abutting against said rectangular bar, thereby providing support to said base member when said base member is mounted on said rectangular bar.

10. A display unit according to claim 1,

wherein said second lock means comprises a number of pairwise interacting protrusions and pawls, said interacting protrusions and pawls automatically engaging, when said rack unit is mounted on said base member, and that said key comprises a corresponding number of fingers to disengage said pawls from said protrusions, thereby releasing said rack unit from said base member and lifting said rack unit from said base member, when said key is pushed into said second lock means.

11. A display unit according to claim 1, said first lock means comprising

at least one downward projection being disposed at the bottom of said slide member;

at least one groove extending on the bottom of said rack unit in the direction of motion of said slide member, thereby allowing said downward projection to slide in said groove;

at least one slit longitudinally extending at the rear end of each of said grooves, the slit and the guiding groove being separated by a barrier, said barrier rising moderately sloped from the bottom of said groove and having a steep drop toward said slit, thereby allowing said slide member to be pulled backward, across said barrier, wherein said downward projection glides up the sloped side of said barrier and is trapped behind that barrier thereafter, thereby preventing said slide member from moving forward;

said base member comprising at least one upward projection corresponding to said at least one slit, said upward projection being disposed to force said downward projection out of said slit, when said rack unit is mounted on said base member, thereby releasing said slide member.

12. A display unit according to claim 1,

wherein the front wall of said rack unit is partly cut away to provide easy access to the goods in said rack unit.

13. A display unit according to claim 1, wherein the side walls of said rack unit are lower in the rear end portion than in the front end portion of said rack unit, thereby allowing easier refilling of said rack units with goods.

14. A display unit according to claim 1, wherein said rack unit and said theft protection member are made at least in part of transparent plastics.

15. A display unit according to claim 1, wherein said base member comprises a pin on one side wall and a hole on the other side wall, said pin and hole capable of engaging their respective counterpart, of an adjacent base member, if two or more base members are placed in adjacent positions.