Bottle neck-hanging display device adaptable for different neck sizes

• US 6,360,901 B1
• Filed: 11/17/1997
• Issued: 03/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MEAD Corporation (Meadwestvaco Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Display Industries LLC
• Inventors: Parham, Dennis E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin-Shue, Alvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, KHOA H
• Application Number:
  US08/971,332
• Time in Patent Office: 1,590 Days
• Field of Search: 211/74, 211/59.2, 211/59.3, 211/175, 211/126.15, 211/49.1, 211/151, 211/162, 211/192, 211/193, 211/183, 211/182, 211/189, 312/42, 312/35, 312/45, 248/312, 248/312.1, 248/243, 221/298
• US Class Current: 211/59.2
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 7/285 Show stands having fixation means, e.g. hanging means, slidable fixations, frictional retaining means, theft prevention

Abstract

A merchandising device is useful to display flanged bottles. The device includes an elongate track for supporting a row of flanged bottles such that the bottles in the row are suspended by their neck flanges for movement along the track and are removable from the track through the front end of the track. The track comprises a track body including a pair of opposed side walls extending along the track, and a pair of rail members detachably attached respectively to the side walls of the body to be disposed substantially parallel to each other. Each rail member comprises a connector panel extending alongside a respective one of the side walls and a supporting ledge joined to and extending along the panel. The ledges of the rail members project laterally of the panels toward each other and are disposed with a gap therebetween to receive in the gap the necks of the bottles such that the bottles are slidably engaged at the undersides of their neck flanges with the ledges.

Claims

1. A merchandising device including a row of bottles with each of said bottles having an annular neck flange, and an elongate track for supporting said row of bottles such that said bottles are suspended by said neck flanges thereof for movement along said track and are removable from said track through a front end of said track, said track comprising:

an elongated track body including a pair of opposed elongated side walls extending along longitudinally said track, a top wall interconnecting upper edges of said side walls to form an elongate channel structure, and a pair of track flanges joined to said side walls along lower edges thereof and projecting laterally toward each other, said track flanges being disposed with a gap therebetween;

a pair of rail members attachable to said side walls to be disposed substantially parallel to each other and spaced from each other, each of said rail members comprising a connector panel extending alongside a respective one of said side walls and a supporting ledge joined to and extending along said connector panel, said track flanges projecting laterally toward each other along undersides of said supporting ledges to support said rail members when said rail members are attached to said side walls, said supporting ledges projecting laterally of said connector panels toward each other when attached to said side walls and disposed with a gap therebetween to receive in said gap necks of said bottles such that said bottles are slidably engaged at undersides of said neck flanges with said supporting ledges, said between said supporting ledges being smaller than said gap between said track flanges to accommodate bottles with smaller neck flanges between said supporting ledges than between said track flanges; and

means for detachably attaching said connector panels of said rail members to said side walls for installing and removing said rail members.

2. The merchandising device according to claim 1, wherein said attaching means comprises at least one locking element formed on said each rail member and at least one cooperating locking aperture formed in said respective side wall to receive said one locking element of said each rail member.

3. The merchandising device according to claim 2, wherein said at least one locking aperture in said respective side wall is a plurality of keyhole apertures formed along lower edge of said respective side wall, and said at least one locking element of said each rail member is a plurality of headed projections.

4. The merchandising device according to claim 2, wherein said one locking aperture of said respective side wall is formed adjacent to a front edge of said respective side wall, said each rail member has a front end projecting forwardly of said front edge of said respective side wall, and said one locking element of said each rail member is a latch extending rearwardly from said front end of said each rail member to engage perimeter of said one locking aperture in said respective side wall.

5. The merchandising device according to claim 1, wherein each said side wall has an inside surface facing inwardly of said channel structure, and said panel of said each rail member is disposed alongside said inside surface of said respective side wall.

6. A merchandising device including a row of bottles with each of said bottles having an integrally formed annular neck flange, and an elongate track for supporting said row of bottles such that said bottles are suspended by said neck flanges thereof for movement along said track and are removable from said track through a front end of said track, said track comprising:

a single piece track body including a of opposed side walls extending along said track and a top wall interconnecting upper edges of said side walls to form a continuous elongate channel;

a pair of rail members removably received in said channel and disposed alongside and abutting inside surfaces of said side walls to provide a pair of spaced parallel supporting ledges for receiving therebetween necks of said bottles such that said bottles are slidably engaged at undersides of said neck flanges with said ledges; and

means for slidably connecting said rail members to said side walls for sliding movement of said rail members along said track.

7. The merchandising device according to claim 6, wherein said connecting means comprises a plurality of slots formed in each of said side walls and arranged longitudinally along each of said side walls and a pair of flanges joined respectively to said side walls along lower edges thereof and extending along undersides of said ledges, said slots in said each side wall are disposed to cooperate with said flange on said each side wall to slidably receive a respective one of said rail members for sliding movement along said track.

8. The merchandising device according to claim 6, wherein said track further comprises connecting means for locking said rail members in said channel structure, said connecting means comprising at least one locking element formed on each of said rail members and at least one cooperating locking aperture having a perimeter and being formed in said respective side wall adjacent to a front edge thereof to receive said one locking element of said each rail member, wherein said each rail member has a front end projecting forwardly of said front edge of said respective side wall, and said one locking element of said each rail member is a latch extending rearwardly from said front end of said each rail member to engage said perimeter of said one locking aperture in said respective side wall.