Beverage display rack with head locking keyway

• US 6,234,325 B1
• Filed: 07/17/2000
• Issued: 05/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Display Industries LLC
• Original Assignee: Display Industries LLC
• Inventors: Robertson, James David, Higgins, Mark A., Whiten, James Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Stodola, Daniel P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOVOSAD, JENNIFER ELEANORE
• Application Number:
  US09/617,195
• Time in Patent Office: 309 Days
• Field of Search: 211/74-75, 211/71.01, 211/85.18, 211/85.29, 211/85.31, 211/196, 211/205, 211/94.01, D 7/701-702, D 7/704, D 7/707-708, D 6/566, D 6/462-465, D 6/458, 206/427, 248/152
• 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 single upright panel with a plurality of keyways. Each keyway receives and holds a beverage bottles by its neck ring. Each keyway has an arcuate upper portion, and arcuate lower portion smaller in dimension than the upper portion, and a generally straight intermediate portion connecting the upper and lower portions. Each keyway limits upward movement of one head of one bottle inserted therein while allowing the body of the bottle to tilt downward.

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 comprising:

a single upright panel;

means on said upright panel for receiving and holding said plurality of beverage bottles by said protruding ring of each bottle, said means including a plurality of keyways for receiving and holding said plurality of beverage bottles, each of said keyways having an arcuate upper portion, an arcuate lower portion smaller in dimension than said upper portion, and a straight intermediate portion connecting said upper and lower portions, each of said keyways limiting upward movement of said head of one bottle inserted therein while allowing said body of said one bottle to be cantilevered and to tilt downward; and

support means for supporting said upright panel and vertically positioning said keyways.

2. 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 comprising:

a first upright panel having first and second upright panel segments connected to one another, said first upright panel having a first vertically extending distal edge along an edge of said first upright panel segment and a second vertically extending distal edge along an edge of said second upright panel segment, said first and second uptight panel segments forming an angle relative to one another to hold said first upright panel upright;

a second upright panel having first and second upright panel segments, said second upright panel having a first vertically extending distal edge along an edge of said first upright panel segment and a second vertically extending distal edge along an edge of said second upright panel segment; and

a first connecting member having first and second vertically extending longitudinal grooves, said first groove receiving therein said first distal edge of said first upright panel, and said second groove receiving therein said first distal edge of said second upright panel.

3. 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 comprising:

a first upright panel having first and second upright panel segments connected to one another, said first panel having a first vertically extending distal edge along an edge of said first upright panel segment and a second vertically extending distal edge along an edge of said second upright panel segment;

a second upright panel having first and second upright panel segments, said second upright panel having a first vertically extending distal edge along an edge of said first upright panel segment and a second vertically extending distal edge along an edge of said second upright panel segment; and

a first connecting member having first and second vertically extending longitudinal grooves, said first groove receiving therein said first distal edge of said first upright panel, and said second groove receiving therein said first distal edge of said second upright panel; and

means on each of said upright panels for receiving and holding said plurality of beverage bottles by said protruding ring of each bottle, said means including a plurality of keyways for receiving and holding said plurality of beverage bottles, each of said keyways having an arcuate upper portion, an arcuate lower portion smaller in dimension than said upper portion, and a straight intermediate portion connecting said upper and lower portions, each of said keyways limiting upward movement of said head of one bottle inserted therein while allowing said body of said one bottle to tilt downward.

4. A display rack, as set forth in claim 3, wherein each of said first and second upright panels are spaced apart a distance sufficient to avoid interference between bottles when bottles are inserted in said keyways.

5. A display rack, as set forth in claim 3, wherein said first and second panel segments of said first upright panel are connected to one another forming an angle relative to one another to hold said first upright panel upright.

6. A display rack, as set forth in claim 3, including a second connecting member having first and second vertically extending longitudinal grooves, said first groove receiving said second vertically extending distal edge of said first upright panel, said second groove receiving said second vertically extending distal edge of said second upright panel.