Article organization and display system

• US 5,762,211 A
• Filed: 01/15/1997
• Issued: 06/09/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ensign, Lance
• Original Assignee: Ensign, Lance
• Inventors: Ensign, Lance
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARFIELD, ANTHONY DERRELL
• Application Number:
  US08/784,240
• Time in Patent Office: 510 Days
• Field of Search: 211/70.6, 211/4, 70/59, 70/61, 70/62
• US Class Current: 211/70.6
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/0861 Anti-theft means therefor

Abstract

An article organizer and display system constructed with a front display panel having a plurality of constricted apertures in an array and a plurality of suspension tethers each having one end that engages nd is retained by a selected constricted aperture and an opposite end that attaches to an article such as a tool or sale item to display the item against the panel, the system including a backing panel with a plurality of studs aligned with the constricted apertures with a displacement mechanism to displace the backing panel to a position proximate the display panel locking the tethers on the display panel.

Claims

1. An article organizer and display system comprising:

an article display panel having a front display surface sized to display a plurality of articles against the front display surface, and an array of constricted apertures through the display panel distributed substantially over the entire front display surface and spaced to display a plurality of articles in an arrangement for determination by a user; and

,

a plurality of tether members each tether member having a line with first and second ends, an enlargement at the first end and an article attachment means at the second end for attaching articles to be displayed on the front display surface of the display panel;

wherein the constricted aperture and the enlargement of the tether members are cooperatively sized and configured to releasably retain the first end of the tether member when the display panel is vertically oriented and the enlargement is passed through one of the constricted apertures in the display panel wherein articles attached to the second end of the tether member retained in the constricted apertures are suspended against the front display surface.

2. The article organizer and display system of claim 1 wherein the constricted apertures each have a first portion sized to pass the enlargement at the first end of the line of the tether members, and a second portion sized to pass the line of the tether member and retain the enlargement of the tether member, wherein the front display surface of the display panel is substantially vertical and the first portion of the constricted aperture is above the second portion of the constricted aperture.

3. The article organizer and display system of claim 2 wherein at least the first portion of the constricted aperture has chamfer means for facilitating placement of the enlargement of the tether member through the constricted aperture.

4. The article organizer and display system of claim 2 wherein the first portion of the constricted aperture is circular and the second portion of the constricted aperture is slot-like, the two portions forming a constricted aperture that is configured in the form of a keyhole.

5. The article organizer and display system of claim 1 wherein the array of constricted apertures are arranged in multiple uniform rows.

6. The article organizer and display system of claim 1 in combination with a backing panel positionable proximate the display panel, the backing panel having means for locking the retained enlargement of the tether members when the enlargements are passed through the constricted apertures in the display panel.

7. The article organizer and display system of claim 6 wherein the backing panel is displaceable from the display panel a distance permitting the enlargement of the tether member to be located between the display panel and backing panel.

8. The article organizer and display system of claim 6 wherein the backing panel has an array of projecting studs aligned with the constricted apertures of the display panel and the means for interconnecting the backing panel to the display panel includes displacement means for displacing the backing panel relative to the display panel whereby the enlargements of tether members installed between the display panel and the backing panel are retained when the backing panel is proximate the display panel.

9. The article organizer and display system of claim 1 wherein the article attachment means comprised a noose with locking means.

10. The article organizer and display system of claim 1 wherein the article attachment means comprises an adhesive pad.

11. The article organizer and display system of claim 1 wherein the article attachment means comprises an enlargement similar to the enlargement at the first end of the line.

12. The article organizer and display system of claim 1 wherein the article attachments means comprises a cross-bar.

13. The article organizer and display system of claim 1 wherein the article attachment means comprises a loop of heat shrinkable band.

14. The article organizer and display system of claim 1 wherein the article attachment means comprises a segment of adhesive tape.

15. The article organizer and display system of claim 14 wherein the segment of tape is wrapped around an element of an article to be displayed, the article attachment means comprising, in addition, a loop at the end of the line having a slip ring for tightening the loop around the wrapped tape on the article.

16. The article organizing and display system of claim 1 wherein the article attachment means comprises a tether integrally manufactured into an article to be displayed.

17. An article organizer and display system comprising:

a display panel having a front surface and an array of constricted apertures through the display panel distributed over the front surface; and

,

a plurality of tether members each tether member having a line with first and second ends, an enlargement at the first end and an article attachment means at the second end for attaching articles to be displayed on the front surface of the display panel;

wherein the constricted aperture and the enlargement of the tether members are cooperatively sized and configured to releasably retain the first end of the tether member when the enlargement is passed through one of the constricted apertures in the display panel and wherein the display panel is combined with a backing panel and means for interconnecting the backing panel to the display panel wherein the backing panel has an array of projecting studs aligned with the constricted apertures of the display panel and the means for interconnecting the backing panel to the display panel includes displacement means for displacing the backing panel relative to the display panel whereby the enlargements of tether members installed between the display panel and the backing panel are retained when the backing panel is proximate the display panel.