Support for a sign adapted to be secured to a shelf with a narrow edge

• US 6,793,185 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2002
• Issued: 09/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Store Electronic Systems Electronic Shelf Label
• Original Assignee: Store Electronic Systems Electronic Shelf Label
• Inventors: Joliey, Bernard
• Primary Examiner(s): Braun, Leslie A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MORRISON, NASCHICA SANDERS
• Application Number:
  US10/315,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20030122047A1
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: 248/300, 248/548, 248/558, 248/220.21, 248/220.22, 248/222.13, 248/222.51, 248/228.2, 248/229.21, 248/231.31, 248/231.9, 248/316.7, 248/909, 248/923, 406/610.3, 406/51, 406/58, 406/50, 406/540.1, 406/49, 406/420.2, 211/119.003, 211/94.01
• US Class Current: 248/220.21
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/204 specially adapted to be attached to a shelf or the like
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/909 Frangible component, e.g. having a score line or groove

Abstract

A sign support comprises a rear portion (1) and a front portion (2) interconnected by a flexible hinge (3), and means for adjusting the inclination of the front portion (2) relative to the rear portion (1). An abutment element (12) is connected by a breakable connection (13) to one of said rear and front portions (1 and 2) and defines with the latter a trough (12) of which one free edge constitutes an abutment to define a first position, substantially vertical, of the front portion (2), said abutment element (12) being adapted to be removed by rupture of the breakable connection (13) to define a second position of the front portion (2) of downward inclination.

Claims

1. Support for a sign comprising:

a rear portion (1) adapted to be fixed to a shelf with a narrow edge and a front portion (2) adapted to receive a sign and connected to the rear portion (1) by a flexible hinge (3) located in an upper region of said front and rear portions (2 and 1), and means for adjusting the inclination of the front portion (2) relative to the rear portion (1), characterized in that said adjustment means comprise a first abutment element (12), which is connected in a single piece by a first breakable connection (13) to one of said rear and front portions (1 and 2) and which defines with the latter a trough (12) of which a free edge constitutes a first abutment against or with which said front portion (2) bears by gravity on the rear portion (1) to define a first substantially vertical position of the front portion (2) relative to the rear portion (1), said first abutment element (12) being adapted to be removed by sectioning or rupture of the first breakable connection (13) to define a second position of the front portion (2) in which the latter bears by gravity against the rear portion (1) to adopt a downward inclination.

2. Support according to claim 1, characterized in that the rear portion (1) comprises a vertical tongue (11) adapted to be positioned before the edge of the shelf and the first abutment element (12) is connected by the first breakable connection (13) to the lower end of the vertical tongue (11) of the rear portion (1).

3. Support according to claim 1, characterized in that the first abutment element in the form of a trough (12) has, on the side of the free edge of the trough (12), a substantially horizontal rim (16) against or with which said front portion (2) bears to define said first position.

4. Support according to claim 3, characterized in that said rim (16) is connected to said trough (12) by a second breakable connection (18) and can be removed by sectioning or rupturing said second breakable connection (18) to define a third position, intermediate said first and second positions, of said front portion (2).

5. Support according to claim 1, characterized in that said adjustment means comprise a second abutment element (4) comprising two branches (40, 41) forming an angle between them, of which one of the branches (41) is adapted to be inserted and resiliently held in the trough (12) formed by the first abutment element, and of which the other branch (41) has a length such that the other branch is adapted to extend beyond the free edge of the trough (12), in the direction of the other of said front and rear portions (2 and 1), and to constitute a second abutment to define a fourth position of the front portion (2) in which the latter bears by gravity on the rear portion (1), against or with the second abutment, by adopting an upward inclination.

6. Support according to claim 5, characterized in that the two branches (40, 41) of the second abutment element (4) form an angle such that said other branch extends substantially perpendicularly to the other of said front and rear portions (2 and 1) when said front portion (2) is in the fourth position.

7. Support according to claim 5, characterized in that the branches (40, 41) of the second abutment element (4) are of different lengths, such that said front portion (2) can have two possible orientations upwardly, by insertion of one or the other branch of the second abutment element (4) into the trough (12).

8. Support according to claim 5, characterized in that at least one of the two branches (40, 41) of the second abutment element (4) comprises a line of weakening such that the length of the branch comprising the line of weakening can be shortened by bending said branch along the line of weakening or by removal of an external portion of said branch by sectioning or rupture along the line of weakening, to decrease the inclination of the front portion upwardly.

9. Support according to claim 2, characterized in that the vertical tongue (11) comprises at least one opening (15) in which can be emplaced an attachment (6) for the securement of the support to an edge directed vertically downwardly of a shelf in bent metal.

10. Support according to claim 9, characterized in that when the support is adapted to be positioned before a shelf whose vertical edge is bent so as to provide a groove (51) having a C cross-section, said attachment (6) comprises a head (60) connected by a short rod (61) to a cam (62) having a symmetrical contour relative to the axis of the rod (61), such that, in a first angular position of the cam (62), the latter is adapted to be engaged in said groove (51) with a C cross-section and, in a second annular position of the cam (62), obtained by rotation of said cam (62) by about 90°

, the latter is wedged in said groove (51) of C cross-section.

11. Support according to claim 10, characterized in that the cam (62) has a contour with two large sides (65) parallel to each other and connected to each other, at each of their ends by a series of facets (64) whose distance relative to the axis of the rod (61) increases from one large side (65) to the other large side (65) of said contour.

12. Support according to claim 11, characterized in that said attachment (6) is monobloc, said opening (15) is rectangular with sides of said rectangular opening of large dimension disposed horizontally, and the head (60) of the attachment (6) has a rectilinear contour whose large sides are of a length less than that of the large sides of said rectangular opening (15) and larger than that of the small sides of said rectangular opening (15) and whose sides of small dimension have a length smaller than that of the small sides of said rectangular opening (15).

13. Support according to claim 10, characterized in that said attachment (6) is in two parts adapted to be assembled permanently to each other, after passage of the rod (61) of the attachment (6) through the opening (15) of the vertical tongue (11) of said rear portion (1), by snapping in of said rod, which is secured to one of the two portions of the attachment (6), into the other of the two portions of the attachment (6).

14. Support according to claim 13, characterized in that the head (60) of the attachment (6) has a contour of larger dimension than that of the opening (15) of the vertical tongue (11) of said rear portion (1).

15. Support according to claim 1, characterized in that the rear portion (1) comprises a horizontal tongue (10) adapted to be positioned on the top of the shelf.

16. Support according to claim 15, characterized in that a portion of said horizontal tongue (10) is detachable along a breakable connection (14).

17. Support according to claim 1, characterized in that the rear portion (1) of the support comprises two horizontal tongues (10, 17) constituting with an upper portion of the vertical tongue (11) a gripper of a configuration adapted to be disposed forcibly astride the edge of the shelf.

18. Support according to claim 17, characterized in that the two horizontal tongues (10, 17) of the rear portion (1) have, on their mutually facing surfaces, anti-slip formations and/or coating preventing a movement of said gripper toward the front of the shelf.

19. Support according to claim 1, characterized in that the front and rear portions (2 and 1) of the support are constituted by a profile co-extruded with the flexible hinge (3) and sectioned to a desired length.

20. Support according to claim 19, characterized in that the front portion (2) has the overall shape of a rail segment constituted by a bottom (20) and by two upper and lower wings (21 and 22) perpendicular to said bottom (20) and comprising hooking and retention means for at least one electronic sign.