Swing arm display rack

Abstract

A display rack is described, which has a plurality of swing arms to support elongated, foldable wares. The swing arms extend pivotably from a wall mountable bracket and can be spread apart to extend and display the wares.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

INCORPORATED-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC

Not Applicable

ABSTRACT OF THE INVENTION

A display rack is described, which has a plurality of swing arms to support elongated, foldable wares. The swing arms extend pivotably from a wall mountable bracket and can be spread apart to extend and display the wares.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of the Invention

This invention is directed to a rack for displaying elongated, foldable wares in a compact manner that permits them to be temporarily extended for a customer to fully view.

Merchants need to display their wares in a manner that permits customers to fully view such wares and appreciate how they would appear in the context of their use. This creates a problem when the wares are large. Hammocks, for instance, are not bulky; but when extended, as they are in use, they take up much floor space. A merchant can have an inventory of many hammocks, compactly folded and packaged. But such packaged hammocks do not permit a customer to fully view and appreciate how the hammocks would look when extended.

Most merchants do not have the space for many floor models (fully extended hammocks on hammock stands).

It is accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide a display rack, which supports numerous hammocks on swing arms that can be spread apart, to extend the hammock into a position resembling the context of its use.

(2) Description of Related Art

Applicant is aware of no prior art directly related to this invention.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, a display rack has a plurality of swing arms, which support elongated, foldable wares, such as hammocks. The swing arms extend pivotably from a support bracket mounted on a wall or similar vertical surface. The swing arms can be spread apart to extend the hammocks (or other such wares) into a position resembling the context of its use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of the support bracket for the swing arm display rack.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the mounted swing arm display rack.

FIG. 3 is a side plan view of the cleat mounting bracket for the display rack.

FIG. 4 is a side plan view of the display rack with swing arms installed.

FIG. 5 is a side perspective view of one swing arm.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings.

FIG. 1 illustrates the rack 4, as mounted on wall 1 and without the swing arms. The rack 4 is affixed to wall 1. The rack 4 includes an outer side panel 9 at the end of rack 4, opposite the wall. A back panel 7, extends between the wall and side panel 9. A top shelf 5 extends outwardly from the top edge of back panel 7. A bottom shelf 6 extends outwardly from the bottom edge of back panel 7. A lower support 10, extends diagonally beneath bottom shelf 6.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, a cleat 2 is affixed to wall 1. An “L” shaped base unit lip 8 is affixed to the bracket 3, and extends outwardly and downwardly therefrom. The downward turned end of base unit lip 8 fits snugly into cleat 2. The lip 8 is not permanently secured in cleat 2. Bottom support 10 keeps the rack 4, in a position parallel to wall 1. The gravitational pull of lip 8 is straight down into cleat 2. This method of attaching rack 4 to wall 1 is advantageous because it is a solid secure support, but it can be easily and quickly attached and detached.

It should be appreciated that the combination of the bracket 3, the cleat 2, lip 8, and lower support 10 assures that the rack 4 is very well anchored and firmly supported. This is important because, in use, the rack will support and display wares, the cumulative weight of which is substantial.

One swing arm 11 is illustrated in FIG. 5. It comprises top elements 12a and 12b extending vertically outward from back element 14. A support strut 13 extends from a lower portion of back element 14 to an outer portion of top elements 12a and 12b. At the outer ends of top elements 12a and 12b, are swing arm hooks 17a and 17b, which functions to keep the displayed wares from sliding off the top element 12a and 12b.

The back element 14 has an upper end 14a, which extends above the juncture with top element 12, and a lower end 14b, which extends below the juncture with support strut 13. Top element 12a is approximately 2 inches shorter than top element 12b. Top element 12 is approximately two inches longer than top element 12a, as a result of which hook 17b is spaced approximately two inches away from hook 17a. To appreciate the benefit of such spacing it must be understood that the terminal clew ring of a hammock can be hung on the hooks 17a and 17b. Such clew rings are proximately two inches in diameter. The clew ring of one hammock would be hung on hook 17a. The clew ring of another hammock would be hung on hook 17b. If top elements 12a and 12b were of the same length, the clew rings hung on hooks 17a and 17b would be directly adjacent to one another, increasing the thickness of the cumulative swing arms when in closed position. But because of the spacing between hooks 17a and 17b, such clew rings are not directly adjacent, but instead side by side so as to decrease the thickness of the cumulative swing arms in closed position.

As illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, there are a series of seven apertures 15 formed at equidistant intervals along top shelf 5. As illustrated in FIG. 1, a corresponding series of apertures 16 are formed at equidistant intervals along bottom shelf 6. The upper ends 14a of the swing arms back element 14, fit into and are rotatably engaged in apertures 15. The lower ends 14b fit into and are rotatably engaged in apertures 16.

The apertures 15 are closer to back panel 7, than are the apertures 16, so the back elements 14 are mounted at an angle. Therefore, the top element 12a and 12b are at a slight upward angle from back element 14.

The angled position of a swing arm 11 also facilitates its function of swinging open and away from an adjacent swing arm. Reference numeral 18, in FIG. 2, shows the projected arc movement of a swing arm 11. Gravitational force facilitates the downward swing of the arm 11.

In use, a plurality of hammocks (or similar elongated, foldable wares) are supported by the rack. Each hammock is suspended between two adjacent swing arms. Thus suspended and folded in half, a substantial number of hammocks can be stored in a relatively small space. However, each hammock can individually be shown by swinging apart the two adjacent arms, thus displaying the hammock in an extended manner simulating how it might appear in the context of its use.

It will be further apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and verifications of this invention provided they come with the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A structure for supporting and displaying elongated, foldable wares comprising:

a wall attachable mounting bracket

a support bracket extending vertically outward from said mounting bracket

a rack having an outer side and an inner side, extending between and supported by said support bracket on its outer side and by a wall mounting on its inner side;

said rack including a bottom shelf and a top shelf;

a plurality of swing arms, rotably engaged with and supported by said bottom and top shelves.

2. The structure of claim 1, wherein the wall attachable mounting bracket includes a cleat attached to a wall, and a base unit tip extending from the rack and fitting down into the cleat.

3. The structure of claim 1, wherein each of said swing arms, includes a back element, a top element extending outwardly from the top portion of said back element and a support strut extending from the lower portion of said back element to the outer portion of said top element

4. The structure of claim 3, wherein said top element is positioned so as to extend at a slightly upward angle to plane

5. The structure of claim 3, wherein the top element has as its outer end at least one support hook.

6. The structure of claim 3, wherein said top element comprises two parallel rods, one longer than the other and both having a support hook on its outer end.