Electronic product display system

• US 20060084508A1
• Filed: 10/04/2004
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Inventors: Nielsen, Blake, Guiden, Aaron, Scholen, Jonah M., Romerio, Raul S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,549,925 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/46
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/90 Constructional details or arrangements of video game devices not provided for in groups A63F13/20 or A63F13/25, e.g. housing, wiring, connections or cabinets

Abstract

An electronic product display system comprises a housing, a support plate, and a tilt mechanism. The housing includes a pair of side walls defining a cavity and defining an opening to the cavity. The support plate is configured to support an electronic product. The support plate extends between the side walls of the housing and includes a pair of opposite sides mounted to the side walls of the housing via the tilt mechanism. The tilt mechanism is configured to enable the support plate to move relative to the housing between a first position in which the support plate extends within the cavity of the housing generally upward at a non-perpendicular angle relative to a generally horizontal plane, and a second position in which the support plate extends partially out of the cavity generally parallel to the generally horizontal plane.

Claims

1. An electronic product display system comprising:

a housing defining a cavity for containing an electronic product and including a pair of side walls disposed within the cavity; and

a support plate configured to support the electronic product, the support plate extending between the side walls of the housing and including a pair of opposite sides mounted to the side walls of the housing via a tilt mechanism,

wherein the tilt mechanism is configured to enable the support plate to move relative to the housing between a first position in which the support plate extends generally upward within the cavity at a non-perpendicular angle relative to a generally horizontal plane, and a second position in which the support plate extends generally parallel to the generally horizontal plane.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein in the first position, a front portion of the support plate extends within the cavity of the housing to maintain the electronic product within the cavity, and in the second position, the front portion of the support plate extends partially outward from the housing through an opening in the housing to enable access to the cavity below the support plate.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the tilt mechanism comprises:

a first slidable pivot mechanism positioned at a midportion of the support plate and a front portion of the side walls of the housing, and a second slidable pivot mechanism positioned at a rear portion of the support plate and a rear portion of the side walls.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the first slidable pivot mechanism comprises:

a pair of first protrusions disposed on the opposite sides of the support plate at the midportion of the support plate and extending through a first angled slot in the front portion of each of the side walls of the housing, wherein each of the first protrusions are slidably movable through, and pivotal relative to, the respective first angled slots of the side walls of the housing; and

wherein the second slidable pivot mechanism comprises a second pair of protrusions disposed on the opposite sides of the support plate at the rear portion of the support plate and extending through a second generally vertical slot in the rear portion of each of the side walls of the housing, the second protrusions being slidably movable through, and pivotal relative to, the respective second generally vertical slot of the side walls of the housing.

5. The display system of claim 4 wherein the first pivot mechanism and the second pivot mechanism are spaced and positioned relative to each other so that in the first position of the support plate, the first protrusion is positioned in a lower portion of the first angled slot and the second protrusion is positioned in an upper portion of the second generally vertical slot, and in the second position of the support plate, the first protrusion is positioned in an upper portion of the first angled slot and the second protrusion is positioned in a lower portion of the second generally vertical slot.

6. The display system of claim 5 wherein the first angled slot and the second slot of the side walls of the housing are spaced from each other to cause, during movement between the first position and the second position of the support plate, the first protrusion to slide along the first angled slot between the upper portion and the lower portion of the first angled slot and to pivot relative to the first angled slot, and the second protrusion to slide along the second generally vertical slot between the upper portion and the lower portion of the first angled slot and to pivot relative to the second generally vertical slot.

7. The display system of claim 5 wherein the first angled slot comprises an upper portion and a lower portion joined together at a generally obtuse angle with the upper portion being positioned in closer proximity to the second generally vertical slot than the lower portion, and the lower portion being generally parallel to a generally horizontal plane.

8. The display system of claim 4 wherein the support plate comprises a central support surface extending between the opposite sides of the support plate, and each of the opposite sides of the support plate comprising a side portion that extends upward generally perpendicular relative to the support surface, with each side portion of the support plate supporting one of the pair of first protrusions of the first pivot mechanism.

9. The display system of claim 1 and further comprising:

a transparent cover removably mounted on the housing and positioned to extend across an opening of the housing to prevent access to the cavity.

10. The display system of claim 9 wherein the cover comprises a bottom portion removably insertable into a receiving portion of the housing and a top portion configured for selective locking relative to the housing when the bottom portion of the cover is inserted into the portion of the housing, wherein the cover is configured to be lockable relative to the housing when the support is in the first position, and configured to be unlocked and removed from the housing when the is moved into the second position.

13. The display system of claim 1 and further comprising:

a video display monitor disposed on an exterior surface of the housing above, and spaced from, the support plate.

14. The display system of claim 1 wherein the electronic product comprises a video game console.

11. The display system of clam 1 wherein the housing comprises a rear portion and a top portion, wherein each of the rear portion and the top portion include a vent to enable passive flow of heat from an interior of the housing out through the vent in the top portion of the housing.

12. The display system of claim 11 and further comprising a fan mounted within the interior of the housing and positioned between the vent in the top portion and the vent in the rear portion to cause active air flow through the interior of the housing from the vent in the rear portion to the vent in the top portion.

15. A method of displaying an electronic product, the method comprising:

supporting an electronic product within a housing upon a support surface with a transparent cover extending over an opening of the housing to enclose the electronic product and support surface within an interior of the housing;

positioning the support surface in a first position in which the electronic product extends generally upward within the interior of the housing at a non-perpendicular angle relative to a generally horizontal plane; and

periodically removing the transparent cover from the housing, and maneuvering the support surface to a second position in which the electronic product extends generally parallel to the generally horizontal plane and partially out of the interior of the housing, thereby enabling access to the interior of the housing below the support surface.

16. The method of claim 15 and further comprising:

maneuvering the support surface into the first position, and reinstalling the transparent cover across the opening of the housing.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein maneuvering the support surface between the first position and the second position comprises:

pivotally and slidably mounting a midportion of the support surface and a rear portion of the support surface relative to the housing, so that in the first position, the rear portion of the support surface is elevated above the midportion of the support surface, and in the second position, the rear portion of the support surface is located below the midportion of the support surface.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein pivotally and slidably mounting comprises disposing a first protrusion extending from the midportion of the support surface within a first angled slot in a front portion of the housing, and disposing a second protrusion extending from the rear portion of the support surface within a second generally vertical slot in rear portion of the housing.

19. A display system comprising:

means for supporting a video game console within an interior of a housing;

means for blocking access to the interior of the housing while permitting visual access to the video game console; and

means for maneuvering the video game console between a first position in which the video game console extends within the interior of the housing in a non-vertical, upwardly tilted position and a second position in which the video game console extends partially out of the interior of the housing in a generally horizontal position.

20. The display system of claim 19 wherein the means for supporting comprises a support plate, the means for blocking access comprises a transparent cover removably mountable over an opening of the housing adjacent the interior of the housing, and the means for maneuvering the video game console comprises a pivot mechanism configured to enable slidable pivoting movement of the support plate relative to the interior of the housing.