Beverage display rack with head locking keyway

• US 6,173,845 B1
• Filed: 06/14/1999
• Issued: 01/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Display Industries LLC
• Original Assignee: Display Industries LLC
• Inventors: Whiten, James Douglas, Robertson, James David, Higgins, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stodola, Daniel P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOVOSAD, JENNIFER ELEANORE
• Application Number:
  US09/332,464
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 211/74.75, 211/71.01, 211/181.1, 211/85.18, 211/85.31, 211/85.29, 211/106, 211/119, 211/59.2, 248/153, 248/175, D 6/566, D 6/462-465, D 6/458, D 7/701, D 7/704
• US Class Current: 211/74
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 7/28 for containers, e.g. flasks, bottles , tins, milk packs racks or containers with dispensing arrangements A47F1/04; for lipsticks or markers A47F7/0021; for audio/video cassettes or booklike articles A47F7/14

Abstract

A display rack for displaying all sizes of beverage bottles has a bottom, laterally extending cross member, a top, laterally extending cross member spaced from and above the bottom cross member, and vertical support members for supporting the top and bottom cross members. The top cross member has at least one keyway for receiving the head of a beverage bottle and holding the beverage bottle. The keyway limits upward movement of the bottle the associated bottom cross member limits downward movement of the bottle.

Claims

1. A display rack for a plurality of beverage bottles, each of said plurality of beverage bottles having a body, a shoulder atop said body, a neck, a protruding ring about said neck, and a head atop said neck, said display rack holding said bottles by said protruding ring when inserted into said display rack, said display rack comprising:

a support base;

a left upright member attached to said support base and having front, rear, left and right vertical surfaces, said right vertical surface defining a longitudinal groove;

a right upright member attached to said support base and having front, rear, left and right vertical surfaces, said left vertical surface defining a longitudinal groove;

a plurality of bottom cross members spaced from one another and extending laterally between said left and right upright members;

a plurality of top cross members spaced from one another and extending laterally between said left and right upright members each top cross member being positioned at a higher elevation than an associated bottom cross member; and

means on said plurality of top cross members for receiving and holding said plurality of beverage bottles by said protruding ring of each bottle, said means including at least one keyway on each of said top cross members for receiving and holding one of said plurality of beverage bottles, said at least one keyway limiting upward movement of said one bottle inserted therein and an associated one of said bottom cross members limiting downward movement of said one bottle thereby allowing the bottle to tilt downwardly.

2. A display rack, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said keyway abuts said neck ring to retain said bottle on said rack.

3. A display rack, as set forth in claim 2, wherein said keyway has a semicircular portion.

4. A display rack, as set forth in claim 1, including a decal panel seated in said longitudinal grooves and extending between said upright members above said top and bottom cross members.

5. A display rack, as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said top and bottom cross members are seated in said longitudinal grooves.

6. A display rack, as set forth in claim 1, including a plurality of vertical members, each of said vertical members being positioned adjacent a respective keyway.

7. A display rack, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said upright members are attached to said support base near a midpoint of said support base.

8. A display rack, as set forth in claim 1, including a plurality of additional cross members extending laterally between said left and right upright members, and a shelf attached to said additional cross members.

9. A display rack, as set forth in claim 1, including a vertical side panel on one of said left vertical surface of said left upright member and said right vertical surface of said right upright member.

10. A display rack, as set forth in claim 9, wherein said side panel has a contour simulating a beverage bottle.

11. A display rack, comprising:

a bottom, laterally extending cross member;

a top, laterally extending cross member spaced from and above said bottom cross member;

support means for supporting said top and bottom cross members; and

means on said top cross members for receiving and holding a beverage bottle, said means including at least one keyway on said top cross member for holding a beverage bottle inserted therein, said at least one keyway limiting upward movement of said bottle, and said bottom cross member limiting downward movement of said bottle thereby allowing the bottle to tilt downwardly.

12. A display rack, as set forth in claim 11, wherein said keyway abuts said neck ring to retain said bottle on said rack.

13. A display rack, as set forth in claim 12, wherein said keyway has a semicircular portion.

14. A merchandising device for beverage bottles each having a body, a shoulder atop said body, a neck, a protruding ring about said neck, and a head atop said neck, comprising a display rack for holding a plurality of said bottles in a tilted position with said head at a higher elevation than said body with upward movement of said head and downward movement of said body restrained by said display rack, said display rack comprising:

a support base;

a left upright member attached to said support base and having front, rear, left and right vertical surfaces, said right vertical surface defining a longitudinal groove;

a right upright member attached to said support base and having front, rear, left and right vertical surfaces, said left vertical surface defining a longitudinal groove;

a plurality of bottom cross members spaced from one another and extending laterally between said left and right upright members;

a plurality of top cross members spaced from one another and extending laterally between said left and right upright members, adjacent ones of said top and bottom cross members forming a pair of cross members, each pair of cross members having at least one keyway, said keyway limiting upward movement of a bottle inserted therein and said bottom cross member of said pair of cross members limiting downward movement of said bottle thereby allowing the bottle to tilt downwardly.

15. A merchandising device, as set forth in claim 14, including a decal panel seated in said longitudinal grooves and extending between said upright members above said cross members.

16. A merchandising device, as set forth in claim 14, wherein said cross members are seated in said longitudinal grooves.

17. A merchandising device, as set forth in claim 14, including a plurality of vertical members, each of said vertical members being positioned adjacent a keyway.

18. A merchandising device, as set forth in claim 14, wherein said upright members are attached to said supporting base near a midpoint of said supporting base.