ELONGATED PACKAGE DISPLAY DEVICE

Abstract

The device is designed to be suspended from a rack to display multiple packaged products. It includes an elongated flexible plastic body with multiple, uniformly spaced truncated elongated pyramid-like raised portions. The raised portions have top surfaces. An opening in each top surface is defined in part by an edge. A member with an unattached end portion extends from the edge, in alignment with the opening. The unattached edge portion of the member is spaced from the top surface. The member end is adapted to be received within an opening in a product package such that the package is supported by the device in a manner which provides easy loading of the device at the factory, efficient shipping of the loaded device to a retail establishment, easy removal of one or more packages from the device and in which at least a portion of each displayed package is visible.

Claims

1. A device for displaying a product package of the type having an opening therein, said device comprising an elongated body having a surface, an opening in said surface, said surface opening being defined in part by an edge, a member extending from said edge of said surface opening in alignment with said surface opening, said member having an unattached end portion at least partially spaced from said surface, said member being adapted to be received in the package opening such that the package is supported by said device.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said member is arcuate when viewed from the side.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said member comprises a side and at least one protrusion extending from said side.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein said member has a second side and further comprises a second protrusion extending from said second side in a direction substantially opposite of said at least one protrusion.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said body has a base situated in a plane and further comprising a portion extending from said base, said extending portion comprising said surface.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein said surface is spaced from said base plane.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein said surface and said base are connected by an inclined surface.

8. The device of claim 6 wherein said surface and said base are connected by spaced, oppositely inclined surfaces.

9. The device of claim 6 wherein said surface and said base are connected by two sets of spaced, oppositely inclined surfaces.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein said surface opening comprises a section adjacent said edge and a section spaced from said edge and wherein one of said sections is wider than the other of said sections.

11. The device of claim 5 wherein said extended portion has a truncated elongated pyramid-like shape.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein said body has an end and wherein said end is wider than the remainder of said body.

13. The device of claim 1 adapted for use with a display rack of the type having a support rod, wherein said device has a support rod receiving opening adapted to receive said support rod.

14. The device of claim 1 wherein said body has a second surface and further comprising a part extending from said second surface.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein said part has a portion substantially parallel to and spaced from said second surface.

16. A device for displaying a plurality of product packages each having an opening therein, said device comprising an elongated body having a plurality of surfaces, each of said surfaces being situated in a plane, an opening in each of said surfaces, each of said surface openings being defined in part by an edge, a member extending from said edge of each of said surface openings, each of said members having an unattached end at least partially spaced from said plane of the surface from which it extends, each of said members being adapted to be received within the opening in a different one of the packages such that the packages are supported by the device.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein each of said members has a side and is arcuate when viewed from said side.

18. The device of claim 16 wherein each of said members comprises protrusion extending from said side.

19. The device of claim 18 wherein each of said members has a second side and further comprising a second protrusion extending from said second side.

20. The device of claim 16 wherein said body has a base and further comprising a plurality of portions extending from said base, said extending portions each comprising one of said surfaces with a surface opening.

21. The device of claim 20 wherein said each of said surfaces is spaced from said base.

22. The device of claim 20 wherein each of said extending portions has a truncated elongated pyramid-like shape.

23. The device of claim 20 wherein said surfaces are co-planar.

24. The device of claim 16 wherein each of said surface openings comprises a section adjacent said edge and a section spaced from said edge, wherein one of said sections is wider than the other of said sections.

25. The device of claim 16 wherein said body has an end and wherein said body end is wider than the remainder of said body.

26. The device of claim 16 adapted for use with a display rack of the type having a support rod, wherein said support rod is received within the package openings.

27. The device of claim 16 wherein said body has a second surface and further comprising a part extending from said second surface.

28. The device of claim 27 wherein said part has a portion substantially parallel to and spaced from said second surface.

29. In combination, a display rack of the type having a support rod and a device for displaying a product package of the type having an opening, said device comprising an elongated body having a surface with an opening, said surface opening being defined in part by an edge, a member extending from said edge, said member having an unattached end at least partially spaced from said surface, said member being adapted to be received within said package opening such that the package is supported by said device, said body being adapted to engage said support rod of said display rack.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF DRAWINGS

[0040] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the display device of the present invention as it would appear mounted on the support rod of a display rack, with a product package suspended from the device;

[0041] FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the display device;

[0042] FIG. 3 is a rear elevation view of the display device;

[0043] FIG. 4 is an elevation view of one side of the display device;

[0044] FIG. 5 is an elevation view of the other side of the display device;

[0045] FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the raised portions of the device.

[0046] FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the display device;

[0047] FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view of the display device; and

[0048] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the display device taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0049] The present invention relates to a device for displaying product packages. The device includes an elongated body, generally designated A, which retail establishments use to display multiple packaged products, generally designated B, such as packages of potato chips, from a display rack, generally designated C.

[0050] Body A is preferably formed of a single piece of stamped or molded plastic, using conventional fabrication techniques and equipment. The plastic material and cross-sectional shape of the device make the device flexible enough to be folded for efficient shipping and at the same time strong enough to be used repeatedly. However, the device can be manufactured inexpensively enough to be disposable.

[0051] The device includes a series of integral raised portions 12 uniformly spaced along the length of the device. Preferably, each of the raised portions 12 has a truncated elongated pyramid-like shape and includes a substantially planar top surface 14 and two sets of outwardly inclined opposing side surfaces 16. The top surface 14 of each of the raised portions 12 is situated in a plane which is spaced from the plane of the device body. Preferably, top surfaces 14 are co-planar.

[0052] The top surface 14 of each raised portion 12 has an opening 18 therein. Each opening 18 includes a narrow portion 18a and a wide portion 18b.

[0053] As is clear from FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, body A is not planar. The raised portions, with their inclined sides and planar top surfaces, add strength to the device without additional material or weight.

[0054] Aligned with each opening 18 is an arcuate member 20 which extends outwardly from the edge of the opening 18 and is integral with body A. Because of the curved shape of members 20, the unattached end of each member is situated in a plane which is spaced from the plane of the top surface 14 from which it extends, as best seen in FIG. 6. Each member 20 is adapted to engage an opening 22 in a different one of the product packages B being displayed.

[0055] The raised portions with the outwardly extending unattached ends of the package engaging members and align openings allow for easy loading of the device with product packages and easy removal of the product packages, as compared to conventional display devices fabricated in a single plane. Further, the vertical orientation of the device with spaced package engaging members situated at different levels assures that at least a portion of each product package is always visible to a prospective purchaser.

[0056] Each package engaging member 20 includes first and second integral protrusions 30 outwardly extending in different directions from the sides thereof. The protrusions serve to properly position a product package on the member.

[0057] Protrusions 30, and the portion of member 20 therebetween, align with the wide portion 18b of opening 18. The unattached end of the member aligns with the narrow portion 18a of opening 18.

[0058] The body A has an enlarged, generally rectangular- shaped upper portion 24 with a round hole 26. Hole 26 is designed to receive a support rod 28 extending from display rack C such that the device may hang from the display rack, as illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0059] The device also has a part 32 aligned with an opening 34 situated proximate the enlarged upper portion 24 of body A. As best seen in FIGS. 4, 5, 7 and 8, part 32 extends outwardly and downwardly from the rear surface of body A.

[0060] Part 32 includes an inclined portion 32a and a portion 32b. Portion 32a is situated between the device and portion 32b. Portion 32b is substantially parallel to but spaced from the rear surface of the body. Part 32 and the rear surface of the body together form a recess 36. Recess 36 is adapted to receive the upper portion of the upstanding wall of a display to suspend the device. This configuration allows the device to be used with display rack having a support rod, as illustrated in FIG. 1, and with displays with upstanding walls, without modification.

[0061] While only a single preferred embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed for purposes of illustration, it is obvious that many modifications and variations could be made thereto. It is intended to cover all of those modifications and variations which fall within the scope of the present invention, as defined by the following claims.