Rotatable connector for a display system
According to one embodiment, a method comprises coupling to a slotted tube a member having a passage. The method further comprises aligning a passage of an arm with the member's passage, and coupling a through-surface coupling mechanism through the aligned passages, wherein the through-surface coupling mechanism forms an axis about which the arm can rotate. According to another embodiment, a system comprises a slotted frame comprising female slots. The system further comprises a member coupled to the slotted frame, the member comprising a first through-surface coupling portion. The system further comprising an arm comprising a second through-surface coupling portion, and a through-surface coupling mechanism for coupling through the first through-surface coupling portion and the second through-surface coupling portion, thereby providing an axis about which the arm can rotate.
Latest Exhibitgroup/Giltspur, a division of viad Corp Patents:
The present application is related to concurrently filed and commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No. 66477-P003US-10601572) titled “MODULAR RETAIL MERCHANDISE DISPLAY SYSTEM”, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe following description relates generally to display systems, such as display systems employed in retail stores for merchandising, and more particularly to coupling an arm to a slotted display such that the arm is rotatable (or pivots about an axis).
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONVarious types of hangers, hooks, shelving, etc. are commonly used in retail stores for displaying merchandise and/or information. Various types of support systems to which such hangers, hooks, brackets, shelving, etc. can be coupled to form a display are also known. For instance, peg boards, slotted displays (e.g., slotted standards, slotted tubing, etc.), and other types of supports (or “frames”) are available for coupling hangers, etc. to. Merchandise and/or information can then be provided on the hangers, hooks, or other display mechanisms that are coupled to the support frame. As an example, slotted standards are commonly used for forming a support frame, where brackets for supporting shelves thereon are coupled to slots in the slotted standards.
Generally, the mechanisms coupled to the support frame have a fixed orientation relative to the support frame when so coupled. For instance, brackets for supporting shelves are generally coupled in a perpendicular orientation to a slotted standard. Similarly, hooks, hangers, and other merchandise display items that may be coupled to a support frame are generally fixedly oriented relative to the support frame.
Such fixed orientation is often disadvantageous. For instance, if the display mechanisms (e.g., hangers, brackets for supporting shelves, etc.) extend outward into the aisle of a store, they are prone to damage by accidental knocks from passing customers. Also, the merchandise being displayed thereby may be damaged or displaced by such knocks. Further, such display mechanisms may injure a shopper who knocks into them.
Moreover, the fixed orientation provides limited flexibility for a vendor to organize a display as may be desired. Particularly in retail merchandising units (RMUs), efficient utilization of space for displaying merchandise and information is very desirable. Many businesses use RMUs to establish an effective storefront through which they can conduct retail sales in public areas, such as shopping malls, theme parks, sports arenas, and a wide variety of other public venues. An RMU may, for example, be implemented as a kiosk or other structure. RMUs may be employed for a vendor (e.g., retailer) to market its merchandise to prospective customers and conduct sales transactions with customers. For instance, an RMU generally includes shelves (or other display mechanisms) for displaying the vendor's merchandise to prospective customers when the RMU is open for business. RMUs also generally include at least some amount of storage space for storing the vendor's inventory of merchandise. Typically, RMUs further include a cash register and/or other equipment (e.g., computer, credit card processing equipment, etc.) for conducting point of sale (POS) transactions with customers. Thus, generally RMUs effectively provide a self-contained storefront for vendors, much like traditional retail stores.
RMUs often provide a relatively low-cost alternative for a vendor to obtain a storefront in a public area. That is, an RMU may be used by a vendor to establish a storefront in a public area (which may be a highly desirable area with high visibility and customer traffic, such as a busy shopping mall) with much less overhead than is associated with traditional retail stores. For instance, while RMUs do not provide the amount of retail space that is afforded by a traditional retail store, RMUs may be arranged in walkways (e.g., halls of shopping malls, etc.) or other available space. Traditional retail stores commonly have 1000 square feet of space (and much more in many instances), while RMUs generally consume from approximately 10 square feet to approximately 150 square feet. Because RMUs generally do not consume a large amount of space (as compared to traditional retail stores) and because the RMUs can often be placed in otherwise unused areas, RMUs may incur very economical rent and utility costs. Further, an owner of a given space, such as a shopping mall, may benefit by allowing RMUs to be arranged within the otherwise unused portions of such space to increase the offerings of goods/services within the space and to realize income from the rental of such RMUs which would not otherwise be realized from such unused portions of the space. Many types of businesses can be effectively run without requiring the space afforded by a traditional retail store, and may instead be capable of effectively displaying and conducting sales of their merchandise in an RMU. RMUs thus offer such businesses a relatively low-cost alternative for establishing a storefront in a desirable area.
Because of the relatively limited space provided by RMUs, it is often desirable to utilize the space available within the RMU in a most efficient manner for displaying merchandise and/or information. Thus, a fixed orientation of display mechanisms (such as brackets for supporting shelves, hangers, etc.) undesirably limit the vendors options as to how best to arrange the display for efficiently utilizing the available space.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention is directed to a system and method which provide a connector for enabling an arm to be rotatably connected to a slotted frame for forming a display. According to one embodiment, a method of forming a display comprises coupling to a slotted tube a member having a passage. The method further comprises aligning a passage of an arm with the member's passage, and coupling a through-surface coupling mechanism through the aligned passages, wherein the through-surface coupling mechanism forms an axis about which the arm can rotate. In certain embodiments, the member is a bracket comprising a male connector for coupling with a female slot of the slotted tube. In other embodiments, the member is an end cap that caps an end of the slotted tube. The through-surface coupling mechanism may be, as examples, a nut, bolt, pin, rod, or any combination thereof.
In certain embodiments, the member is a bracket that is capable of being removably connected to any of a plurality of different slots in the slotted tube. Thus, the bracket can be connected to slotted tube at a desired position, and the arm coupled to the bracket can be rotated about the axis formed by the through-surface coupling mechanism to a desired orientation relative to the slotted tube. That is, the arm is not restricted to a fixed positioned relative to the slotted tube. For instance, the arm is not required to be positioned perpendicular to the slots of the slotted tube. Rather, the arm can be rotated about the axis to a desired position, which may be advantageous for forming a display within given space constraints (such as within the space constraints of a retail merchandising unit), for example.
According to another embodiment, a system comprises a slotted frame comprising female slots. The system further comprises a member coupled to the slotted frame, wherein the member comprises a first through-surface coupling portion. The system further comprises an arm comprising a second through-surface coupling portion, and a through-surface coupling mechanism for coupling through the first through-surface coupling portion and the second through-surface coupling portion, thereby providing an axis about which the arm can rotate. In certain embodiments, the member comprises a bracket having a male connector portion for mating with at least one of the female slots of the slotted frame. In other embodiments, the member comprises an end cap that caps a column of the slotted frame.
Embodiments of the present invention provide an arm that is rotatably connected to a slotted display frame, which advantageously provides a vendor flexibility as to how best to orient the arm to most effectively utilize available display space. This is particularly advantageous when employed within a RMU in which display space is relatively limited.
The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present invention.
For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:
System 10 may be a modular display support system, such as that described in concurrently filed and commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No. 66477-P003US-10601572) titled “MODULAR RETAIL MERCHANDISE DISPLAY SYSTEM”, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. For instance, system 10 may comprise various modular parts that are coupled together, such as vertical portions 104A-104C that interconnect to form column 101A. Each of the columns may be capped with a cap component having a base plate 501, such as described further below with
Further, in this example, a second through-surface coupling portion 202 is coupled (e.g., welded) to an opposite end of elongated arm portion 203 from the end to which through-surface coupling portion 201 is coupled. Through-surface coupling portion 202 comprises a hole 205 therethrough. For instance, in this example, through-surface coupling portion 202 is a hollow tube. Another mechanism, such as a shelf for displaying merchandise, can therefore be coupled to arm 20 via through-surface coupling portion 205, such as discussed further below with the exemplary display system shown in
In this example, elongated arm portion 203 is thicker in height adjacent through-surface coupling portion 201 than it is adjacent through-surface coupling portion 202. For instance, height H1 adjacent through-surface coupling portion 201 is larger than height H2 adjacent through-surface coupling portion 202. Of course, in other embodiments, elongated arm portion 203 may be implemented in any configuration, including one having constant height from end-to-end and one in which H2 is larger than H1 as examples.
While an exemplary arm 20 is shown in
In this example, a first arm 20A is coupled to a slotted tube portion 71 via a bracket, such as bracket 30 of
Also, in the example of
In certain embodiments, the arms may be locked to a desired position. For instance, the through-surface coupling mechanism (e.g., bolt), such as through-surface coupling mechanism 401 of
Although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of the present invention, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present invention. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.
Claims
1. A method comprising:
- coupling to a slotted tube a member having a passage;
- aligning a passage of an arm with the member's passage; and
- coupling a through-surface coupling mechanism through the aligned passages, wherein the through-surface coupling mechanism forms an axis about which the arm can rotate.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the member is a bracket comprising a male connector for coupling with a female slot of the slotted tube.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the passage of the bracket is on an end of the bracket opposite the male connector.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the through-surface coupling mechanism comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of: nut, bolt, pin, rod, and any combination of the foregoing.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the coupling the member to the slotted tube comprises:
- coupling a male connector of a bracket to the slotted tube.
6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:
- selecting any one of a plurality of different slots in the slotted tube to which the male connector of the bracket is to be coupled.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the coupling the member to the slotted tube comprises:
- coupling an end cap to an end of the slotted tube.
8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
- arranging the slotted tube in a retail merchandising unit.
9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
- connecting a plurality of slotted tube portions together to form the slotted tube.
10. A system comprising:
- a slotted frame comprising female slots;
- a member coupled to the slotted frame, the member comprising a first through-surface coupling portion;
- an arm comprising a second through-surface coupling portion; and
- a through-surface coupling mechanism for coupling through the first through-surface coupling portion and the second through-surface coupling portion, thereby providing an axis about which the arm can rotate.
11. The system of claim 10 wherein the member comprises:
- a bracket comprising a male connector portion for mating with at least one of the female slots of the slotted frame.
12. The system of claim 10 wherein the member comprises an end cap that caps a column of the slotted frame.
13. The system of claim 12 wherein the end cap comprises an M-shaped portion that inserts into the column of the slotted frame.
14. The system of claim 10 wherein the through-surface coupling mechanism comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of: nut, bolt, pin, rod, and any combination of the foregoing.
15. A system comprising:
- a slotted frame comprising female slots;
- a bracket comprising a) a male connector portion for mating with at least one of the female slots of the slotted frame, and b) a first through-surface coupling portion;
- an arm comprising a second through-surface coupling portion; and
- a through-surface coupling mechanism for coupling through the first through-surface coupling portion and the second through-surface coupling portion, thereby providing an axis about which the arm can rotate.
16. The system of claim 15 further comprising:
- the second through-surface coupling portion being aligned with the first through-surface coupling portion.
17. The system of claim 15 wherein the slotted frame comprises a slotted standard.
18. The system of claim 15 wherein the slotted frame comprises a slotted tube.
19. The system of claim 15 wherein the male connector portion can be selectively mated with any of a plurality of the female slots.
20. The system of claim 19 wherein the male connector portion enables the bracket to be removably mated to the slotted frame.
21. The system of claim 15 wherein the slotted frame comprises:
- at least one row of female slots.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 24, 2006
Publication Date: Aug 30, 2007
Applicant: Exhibitgroup/Giltspur, a division of viad Corp (Phoenix, AZ)
Inventors: Samuel R. Chamberlain (Frisco, TX), Christine A. Courtney (Irving, TX)
Application Number: 11/361,709