RETAIL SIGNAGE FIXTURE ATTACHMENT

Abstract

The present invention is an improvement for retail customer experience. Stores that use an Electronic Shelf Label to displays a price (also known as ESL) need an apparatus to draw a customer's attention to products on sale or promoted. The invention is a flag for indicia that quickly attaches to ESLs with an elastic. The flag's indicia increases the ESL's visibility to shoppers and store personnel, and makes the product more noticeable. The flag can be made out of one piece of material or two, and can accommodate indicia. The flag can also incorporate a mechanical gripper to hold indicia. The flag can be installed or removed very simply with one hand, and self-adjusts to be congruent to the ESL, without any obstructions that would cause the flag to be dislodged by an accidental bump from a shopper or cart. The flag can be made of any printable material.

Claims

1. A retail signage attachment assembly comprising an upper and lower portion two elongations extending from said upper portion, said elongations adapted to contour a rear portion of an electronic shelf label (“ESL”) an elastic element mounted into said elongations, said elastic element adapted to be looped over a portion of said ESL, and wherein said lower portion of said retail attachment assembly is adapted to display indicia.

2. A retail signage attachment assembly according to claim 1, wherein said upper portion comprises an adhesive strip.

3. A retail signage attachment assembly according to claim 1, wherein said lower portion comprises an adhesive strip.

4. A retail signage attachment assembly according to claim 1, wherein said lower portion comprises a right-angle shelf talker.

5. A retail signage attachment assembly according to claim 1, wherein said elastic elements are mounted into said elongations through sealed holes in said elongations.

6. A retail signage attachment assembly according to claim 1, wherein said elastic elements are mounted into said elongations through slotted holes in said elongations.

7. A retail signage attachment assembly according to claim 1, wherein said upper portion comprises a mechanical gripper for retail indicia.

8. A retail signage attachment assembly according to claim 1, wherein said assembly can be displayed above an ESL.

9. A retail signage attachment assembly according to claim 1, wherein said assembly can be displayed below an ESL.

10. A retail signage attachment assembly according to claim 1, wherein said assembly can be displayed on a side of an ESL.

11. A retail signage attachment assembly according to claim 1, wherein said lower portion comprises a sleeve for accepting said indicia.

12. A retail signage attachment assembly according to claim 1, wherein said assembly is made of a material suited to withstand extreme heat and cold environments.

13. A retail signage attachment assembly according to claim 13, wherein said material is printable media.

14. A retail signage attachment assembly according to claim 13, wherein a thickness of said material is between 0.010″ and 0.040″.

15. A retail signage attachment assembly according to claim 1, wherein said elongations have a configuration adapted to conform and match the shape of a model of said ESL.

16. A retail signage attachment assembly for installation by a store employee comprising an upper and lower portion two elongations extending from said upper portion, said elongations adapted to contour a rear portion of an electronic shelf label (“ESL”) an elastic element mounted into said elongations, said elastic element adapted to be looped over a portion of said ESL, wherein said lower portion of said retail attachment assembly is adapted to display indicia.

17. A retail signage attachment assembly for installation by a store employee according to claim 18, wherein said assembly can be displayed below an ESL.

18. A retail signage attachment assembly for installation by a store employee according to claim 18, wherein said assembly can be displayed above an ESL.

19. A retail signage attachment assembly comprising two elongations extending from said retail signage assembly, said elongations adapted to contour a rear portion of an electronic shelf label (“ESL”) an elastic element mounted into said elongations, said elastic element adapted to be looped over a portion of said ESL, and wherein said retail attachment assembly is adapted to display indicia.

20. A retail signage attachment assembly according to claim 19, wherein said assembly comprises a mechanical gripper for retail indicia.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a front view of an embodiment of the present invention with indicia.

[0026] FIG. 2 shows a front view of another embodiment of the present invention with an adhesive strip without an elastic tie.

[0027] FIG. 3 shows FIG. 2 with an elastic tie.

[0028] FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of FIG. 2 to accommodate an elastic band.

[0029] FIG. 5 shows FIG. 4 with an elastic band.

[0030] FIG. 6 shows FIG. 1 during insertion of indicia.

[0031] FIG. 7 shows the invention shown on FIG. 1 displayed above an Electronic Shelf Label (“ESL”).

[0032] FIG. 8 shows the invention shown on FIG. 1 displayed below and ESL, with products on a shelf.

[0033] FIG. 9 shows a rear view of the invention shown on FIG. 1 attached to an ESL by an elastic tie.

[0034] FIG. 10 shows the invention as seen on FIG. 9 prior to installation onto an ESL.

[0035] FIG. 11 shows a side view of a gripper used to hold indicia.

[0036] FIG. 12 shows the invention as seen on FIG. 3 with a gripper attached.

[0037] FIG. 13 shows the invention as seen on FIG. 12 attached to an ESL.

[0038] FIG. 14 shows the invention as seen on FIG. 13 with indicia inserted into gripper.

[0039] FIG. 15 shows the invention as seen on FIG. 3 with a longer gripper.

[0040] FIG. 16 shows a front view of a one-piece monolithic embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] FIG. 17 shows a rear view of FIG. 16 prior to installation onto an ESL.

[0042] FIG. 18 shows the invention shown on FIG. 7 with a shelf talker.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0043] The present invention is a tab-like attachment or flag that affixes onto an Electronic Shelf Label (ESL) in a retail environment to draw attention of customers to a specific product that may be on Sale or Promotion. It can also be used to draw attention of store staff to communicate inventory status and other internal information relating to a specific product.

[0044] The invention can be installed and removed very quickly by store staff, and self-aligns to the ESL. Once installed, the invention is discreetly affixed to the ESL, and resists dislodging from its position by typical every-day store activities such as being bumped by a shopping cart or accidentally snagged by a passing-by customer or a store staff member.

[0045] Referring now to drawings, FIG. 1 shows the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, namely an ESL flag 2, comprising an upper portion 6 and lower portion 8. Upper portion 6 comprises two elongations 10 extending above upper portion 6's distal ends, each elongation 10 comprising curves 16 sloping downwards towards the middle of upper portion 6. Each elongation 10 comprises a hole 12 to accommodate an elastic tie retainer 19, and an elastic tie 18 spans both elongations 10. Lower portion 8 comprises a clear window for display of indicia 20.

[0046] FIG. 2 shows a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, wherein ESL flag 2 comprises only an upper portion 6 without lower portion 8, and wherein an adhesive strip is affixed onto upper portion 6. Adhesive strip 6 can accommodate any desirable indicia 20. FIG. 3 shows the second embodiment with an elastic tie 18 spanning elongations 10, wherein distal ends of elastic tie 17 are attached to retainers 19. Each retainer 19 is inserted into hole 12 to anchor elastic tie 17 into holes 12.

[0047] FIG. 4 shows a variant of the second preferred embodiment, wherein each hole 12 is accommodated with slit 14 running from hole 12 to each outer distal end of elongation 10 at an angle. As seen on FIG. 5, a standard elastic band 18 can be inserted into slits 14 and immobilized in holes 12.

[0048] FIG. 6 shows installation of indicia 20 into lower portion 8's window. In the preferred embodiment, lower portion 8 can be either a clear envelope, sleeve, or another means to retain indicia 20 such as a flat C-shape in cross-section.

[0049] FIG. 7 demonstrates ESL flag 2 affixed on top of ESL 4, with indicia 20 displayed, clearly identifying which product 30, priced according to ESL's front 22, is on Sale. Contour 26 of ESL 4's housing 25 is also seen on FIG. 7. FIG. 8 shows flag 2 displayed below ESL 4, which is attached to shelf 28 holding products 30.

[0050] FIG. 9 shows the rear view of ESL flag 2 attached to ESL 4. Housing 25, accommodating ESL 4's electronics, protrudes from ESL back 24, and its shape is a substantially elongated oval. Housing 25 comprises a contour 26 (as clearer seen on FIG. 7), and curves 16 of elongations 10 snugly mate with a portion of contour 26. Elastic tie 17 resiliently mates with the portion of contour 26 that is not mated to curves 16. Flag 2 can be oriented either above ESL 4 (FIG. 7) or below ESL 4 (FIG. 8), whereby contour 26 mates with curves 16 and elastic tie 17 equally snugly, irrespective of flag 2's orientation above or below ESL 4. In another model of ESL 4, (not shown) housing 25 is substantially rectangular, and curves 16 are substantially right angles to accommodate contour 26's rectangular shape.

[0051] FIG. 10 demonstrates flag 2 prior to installation onto ESL 4. Curves 16 are substantially the shape of half of contour 26 of housing 25, which protrudes from ESL 4's back portion 24. Elastic tie 17 resiliently affixes flag 2 to the portion of housing 25's contour 26 that is not touching curves 16.

[0052] FIG. 11 is a side view of the second preferred embodiment's gripper 32, made of a resilient material with staggered teeth to hold indicia 20. Other variants of gripper 32 are possible. FIG. 12 demonstrates gripper 32 affixed substantially in the middle of upper portion 6 of flag 2. Gripper 32 can be held in place with adhesive or other means, or can be manufactured as an integrated monolithic structure with flag 2.

[0053] FIG. 13 shows the second preferred embodiment affixed to ESL 4, whose front 22 displays pricing information. FIG. 14 shows indicia 36, comprising a visual element that is larger than flag 2, attached to gripper 32, displayed below ESL 4's front 22. FIG. 15 shows a variant of the second preferred embodiment as disclosed on FIG. 12 with a longer gripper 32 on upper portion 6. Gripper 32 can be held in place with adhesive or other means, or can be manufactured as an integrated monolithic structure with flag 2.

[0054] FIG. 16 shows a one-piece or monolithic embodiment of the present invention, wherein elongations 10, upper portion 6, and lower portion 8 are fused into one and monolithic element, displaying indicia 20. FIG. 17 shows the embodiment of FIG. 16 prior to installation onto housing 25 of ESL 4's back 24.

[0055] FIG. 18 shows the invention as displayed on FIG. 7 with a right-angle shelf talker 38. Shelf talker 38 is at a right angle to indicia 20, so that it juts out into the store's aisle on the vertical plane away from shelf 28 (seen on FIG. 8) and makes eye contact with a passing-by shopper.

[0056] In practice, at the beginning of a promotional period, a store staff member will circulate throughout the store to find the products that are on Sale or being Promoted. This is usually done before the store opens to the public, and the relevant ESLs will be flashing to alert the staff member which items need to be flagged. The staff member will attach flag 2 to ESL 4 by stretching elastic tie 17 or band 18 past ESL front 22, until tie 17 or band 18 makes contact with contour 26. The staff member will then pull flag 2's upper portion 6 past ESL front 22 so that flag 2's curves 16 make contact and mate with ESL housing 25's contour 26.

[0057] Flag 2 will geometrically self-align itself to ESL 4 due to the snug relationship between contours 16 and contour 26, remaining in place due to elastic tie 17 or band 18. Upon correct installation, it is impossible for flag 2 to appear askew with ESL 4 due to snug mating of curves 16 and contour 26. Even if accidentally disturbed by a customer or cart, flag 2 will correctly coordinate with ESL 4 due to the snug mating of contours 16 and contour 26.

[0058] Removal of flag 2 is the reverse of installation: staff member pulls flag 2 away from ESL unseating curves 16 away from contour 26, and pulls elastic tie 17 or band 18 off ESL front 22.

[0059] As mentioned, different ESL models have different geometries of housing 25's contour 26. If contour 26 is rectangular or square, curves 16 must match the shape of contour 26. Depending on the ESL model, elongations 10 can be longer or shorter, and curves 16 can vary to accommodate contour 26 of ESL 4.

[0060] For the embodiment seen on FIGS. 11 to 15, a mechanical gripper 32 can be either adhered to upper portion 6's adhesive strip 34 (seen on FIG. 5), or mechanically fused to flag 2's upper portion 6 by heat welding or other methods. Indicia 36 is securely retained by gripper 32's teeth (seen on FIG. 11).

[0061] The embodiment shown on FIGS. 16 and 17 comprises a one-piece flag 3, wherein all essential parts are manufactured out of one piece of material, namely elongations 10, upper portion 6 and lower portion 8, all comprise a unitary body.

[0062] FIG. 18 shows a shelf talker 38 forming an extension of insignia 20. Shelf talker 38 folds on the vertical plane outwardly from shelf front 28 in order to be spotted by a shopper walking straight down a store's aisle rather than facing shelf front 28.

[0063] It is an important feature of the present invention that flag 2 has a resilient member such as elastic tie 17 or band 18 to facilitate quick installation/removal and self-correcting characteristics. Any resilient member can be substituted for elastic tie 17 or band 18, such as a spring. Flag 2 can be mounted either above, below, or on the side of ESL 4.