Digital price displayer and ESL system comprising the same

• US 8,698,606 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2010
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ATEC IOT Company Limited
• Original Assignee: LG Innotek Company Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Choi, Jaeyeon, Oh, Yongtaek, Park, Jubong
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, VERNAL U
• Application Number:
  US12/913,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20110102155A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,266 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.6, 340/12.54, 235/375, 345/1.1, 705/20
• US Class Current: 340/10.6
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/16 by clamps
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/204 specially adapted to be attached to a shelf or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/208 Electronic labels, Labels integrating electronic displays
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/35 being liquid crystals G09F9/302 takes precedence; liquid crystal materials C09K19/00; liquid crystal panels comprising a number of electrodes in a single cell per se G02F1/13

Abstract

A digital price displayer and an ESL system comprising the same are provided. The displayer includes a power supplier mounted on a product-displayed shelf for supplying a power; a display main body attachable to and detachable from the shelf and receiving power supplied from the power supplier, and outputting a price, a specification and an advertisement image of a product displayed on the shelf; an accommodator provided at the shelf, formed at one side with an anode and formed at the other side with a cathode for the display main body to be electrically connected to the power supplier if the display main body is fixed to the accommodator; and a coupler provided at the display main body to be slidingly coupled with the accommodator for electrical connection with the anode and the cathode and to prevent from being separated from the accommodator.

Claims

1. A digital price displayer, comprising:

a power supplier mounted on a product-displayed shelf for supplying a power;

a display main body attachable to and detachable from the shelf and receiving power supplied from the power supplier, and outputting a price, a specification and an advertisement image of a product displayed on the shelf;

an accommodator provided at the shelf, formed at one side with an anode and formed at the other side with a cathode for the display main body to be electrically connected to the power supplier if the display main body is fixed to the accommodator; and

a coupler provided at the display main body to be slidingly coupled with the accommodator for electrical connection with the anode and the cathode and to inhibit from being separated from the accommodator,

wherein the coupler comprises;

a pin-shaped first piece accommodated into the accommodator;

second pieces each discretely formed at each side of the first piece to correspond to a width of the accommodator to allow an elastic deformation and an elastic restoration; and

a first hook provided at a distal end of the second piece to be slidingly hitched by the accommodator and to inhibit the display main body from being separated,

wherein an outside of the second piece is provided with an electrode terminal contacting the anode and the cathode to be electrically connected to the power supplier.

2. The digital price displayer of claim 1, wherein the shelf is installed with a fence to fix the display main body as the coupler is coupled to the accommodator, wherein the accommodator is formed lengthwise of the fence.

3. The digital price displayer of claim 1, wherein the power supplier comprises:

a charger electrically connecting the anode, the cathode and an outside power line, and an overload preventing circuit installed between the outside power line and the charger to prevent the charger from being damaged by overload.

4. The digital price displayer of claim 3, further comprising a DC adapter between the overload preventing circuit and the outside power line to convert an AC (Alternating Current) supplied from the outside power line to a DC (Direct Current).

5. The digital price displayer of claim 1, wherein the display main body receives the price, the specification and the advertisement image of the product displayed on the shelf from a sever via a wired network or a wireless network.

6. The digital price displayer of claim 5, wherein the display main body comprises:

a body fixed at the shelf, a display module embedded in the body to change and output the price, the specification and the advertisement image of the product displayed on the shelf, a communication module embedded in the body to communicate with the server via a wired network or a wireless network, an MPU (Micro Processor Unit) embedded in the body to control a screen output of the display module and communication with the communication module, and a charger embedded in the body to supply a power for driving the display module, the communication module and the MPU.

7. The digital price displayer of claim 2, wherein the accommodator is a slit-shaped rail or a plurality of holes, where the rail or the holes are provided at one side with an anode and at the other side with a cathode along a lengthwise direction of the fence.

8. The digital price displayer of claim 1, wherein the first hook is formed with a slope narrowing toward the first piece side as it goes to a distal end thereof.

9. The digital price displayer of claim 2, wherein the display main body further comprises:

a fixture slidingly coupled to the coupler and fixed across the fence to prevent separation from the coupler, wherein the fixture is coupled in a state the accommodator and the coupler are fastened.

10. The digital price displayer of claim 9, wherein the coupler may be a protrude piece protruded to correspond to the rail and through which a slit passes in an orthogonal direction from a direction of forming the rail.

11. The digital price displayer of claim 10, wherein the coupler is at least one protruder protruded to correspond to the hole and through which a slit passes in an orthogonal direction from a lengthwise direction of the fence.

12. The digital price displayer of claim 11, wherein the fixture comprises:

a third piece longer than or equal to the slit, fourth pieces each corresponding to a width of the slit and each discretely formed across the third piece to allow an elastic deformation and an elastic restoration, a fixture piece fixing one end of the third piece and one end of the fourth piece to be fixed at one side of the slit, and a second hook provided at the other end of the fourth piece.

13. The digital price displayer of claim 12, wherein the second hook is formed with a slope narrowing toward the third piece side as it goes to a distal end thereof.