GB2430300A

GB2430300A - An injection moulded display unit

Info

Publication number: GB2430300A
Application number: GB0518844A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Bruce Goddard
Original assignee: CPI UK Ltd
Current assignee: CPI UK Ltd
Priority date: 2005-09-15
Filing date: 2005-09-15
Publication date: 2007-03-21
Also published as: GB0518844D0

Abstract

A display unit 1 is formed as a single component by injection moulding that is capable of holding items on both sides of a central barrier 3 by means of a plurality of tabs 7, 11 on both sides of the central barrier. Each tab 7, 11 projects transversely from a support 5, 9 that protrudes a distance from the central barrier 3 in direction parallel to the line of draw of the injection mould tool 20. The portion of the central barrier 3 aligned with each tab 7, 11 along the line of draw is missing to allow shut-outs 21 from each side of the tool to extend through the central barrier and form the tabs on the opposite side of the barrier.

Description

TITLE

An Injection Moulded Display Unit

DESCRIPTION

The invention relates to injection moulded display units and their method of manufacture.

BACKGROUND

In order that products in retail outlets may be shown in a manner that is both visually appealing and convenient for customers they arc often displayed in display units that are designed specifically for a particular product. The size, construction and cost of the units depend on the item that is intended to he displayed in them. Most display * units are at Jeast semi-permanent and are intended to be refilled as the products displayed within them are diminished. As these display units are used for a long period of time they are usually made of materials that can withstand this prolonged: : : :* use. Despite this, it is nearly always preferable that these display units are as cheap as possible as they are not intended to he sold to customers and thus the retailers or::: manuihcturers of the product being displayed must bear their cost. This is especially.. : true when the item being displayed is being given away for free, for example information leaflets or colour sample cards for paints.

For products that are oniy produced in small numbers display units are often custom built to a specific retailer's specifications. However, for mass produced items that are available all over a country the display units are often also mass produced in order to provide economies of scale and to provide a consistent nationwide branding for the product. In this case manufacturers oflen provide the retailers with suitable massproduced display units within which to display their products. For small items the display units are oten also small and are usually either designed to be mounted on walls or racks or to he placed directly on counters. These mass produced display units -7 - for small and cheap items are usually produced in the simplest and cheapest way possible, in order to minimise cost.

in many cases it is also preferable that if one of the products in a display unit completely runs out because all the items have been sold or given away it is immediately obvious to the retailer, and possibly any customer, which item should be being displayed. It is important the retai icr can tell which item has run out so that as SOOfl as it they notice that the display is emptied of a particular item they know which item the display should he replenished with. The cases where it is important that the customer should also he able to recognise the missing product are where it is usual !ractice to only display a small number of the available stock of an item at any one time. This is common practice in the case of infbrmation leaflets and colour sample cards as retailers do not want too much valuable floor space being taken up by items which do not earn a retailer any money.

S S

En the case of information leaflets and colour sample cards this is commonly achieved in one of two ways. l'he display unit may be marked in some way so as to denote: : : :* what should be contained within it. For example at the back of each section of a display unit there may he a picture or other representation of the item that should he displayed in the section. I'he picture would normally he positioned such that it is not *: visible when the section is not empty. Alternatively the display unit may he constructed so that it contains a sample of each item that is meant to be displayed in it.

It would normally he positioned behind the section that is meant to contain the same item. Furthermore the sample would also normally be fixed such that it visible to a customer when the stocks of the sampled item run out hut they can't remove it. In this way when a section of the display unit is emptied the customer can clearly see an actual sample of what item would normally be contained within that section. This is a common way of displaying colour information cards.

Paint colour cards are usually produced by paint manufhcturers to he given away as a free guide as to the colours of paints that they manufttcture. l'hcy are displayed in l)IY shops near the range of paints that they represent. Current display units for colour information cards that function in the above manner are usually relatively simple in order to minimise cost and are designed to be mounted on a wall or a display rack SO that they may he placed near paints. l'hey are usually fbrmed from a transparent polymer by injection moulding. I'hey generally consist of a flat vertical panel with a number of channels lbrmed on the panel's front face. These channels are also vertical and are designed such that a stack of cards may he slotted downwards illt() each of them and such that an individual card may easily be removed by a customer. These channels are commonly open at the top, hounded on three sides by ribs and the cards are held in place at the *front by either ridges that are formed on the outer edge of the ribs and extend across a portion of the front of the channel or by a number of tabs formed in a similar manner. In order to retain a single sample of each card there are also a number of channels formed behind the central panel in a similar manner. Each o.f these channels is positioned directly behind a channel on the front * fice of the central panel. As these channels are designed to hold only a single sample card they are much shallower than the channels on the front of the panel.

When in use the display units are mounted on a wall or display rack, stacks of colour: * : : : cards are placed in the front channels and a single sample card is placed in each of the shallow channels formed behind the central panel. When all the cards are removed: :.

from a front channel the sample card in the shallow channel directly behind the empty * channel can he seen through the transparent central panel. however, as the display unit is mounted against a surface it is very difficult, if not impossible for a customer to remove the visible sample card. Display units *for colour cards foinied in this way have heeii found to he effective and convenient to use.

Colour card display units like those described above are usually formed by injection moulding two or more components and then fixing the components together. It has not yet been PoSsible to produce such a display unit by injection moulding as a single component. The flict that they must he Formed from multiple injection moulded components that arc lixed together means they have possible weaknesses at the points where the components are joined. It would be preferable to manufacture the units as a single injection moulded component as this could lessen the risk of weak points.

Furthermore manufacturing them as a single component would significantly reduce manufacturing costs because only a single injection moulding tool needs to be made and there is no assembly step.

SUMMARY 01' l'HE INVENTION

l'he invention provides a display unit formed as a single component by injection moulding that is capable of holding items on both sides of a central barrier by means of a plurality of tabs on both sides of the central harrier, wherein each tab is formed on a support that protrudes a distance from the central barrier in direction parallel to a predetermined direction and each tab projects from its support in at least one direction that is transverse to the predetermined direction. I.

l'he predetermined direction is decided upon based upon the specific design of each display stand. As the direction of the supports and the tabs are dependent upon the predetermined direction it is a direction that is primarily determined by function. That is, the predetermined direction is defined as a direction which would enable the: * lormation of supports and tabs oI an appropriate size and shape to safely hold the items intended to be displayed. or example if the central harrier is substantially fiat: : : the predetermined direction could be a direction that is generally perpendicular to the central harrier.

The specific design of each display unit depends upon both the intended use of the unit and the size and numbers of items which are to be displayed in it. The size and shape of the central barrier, the distance the supports protrude from each side of' the central barrier the positioning of the tabs and supports and the distance each tab protrudes from its support all depend on these variables. l'or example there must be sufficient tabs and supports of an appropriate size to safely and securely hold the displayed items.

l'here a number ol ways display units according to the current invention could be used. They could be made to display items either side of the central barrier and lheii positioned such that both sides of the central barrier are easily accessible.

Alternatively a display unit could he positioned such that only one side of the unit is easily accessible. In this case the accessible side may hold items that are wished to be seen and the other side may hold back-up supplies of the accessible items, a single sample of each accessible item, or even entirely different items.

Ihe size and positioning of the tabs and supports is largely determined by the items to he held. As stated above there must he sufficient tabs and supports of an appropriate size to safely hold the displayed items in the position in which they are going to he displayed. However the size and positioning of the tabs and supports also depends on how securely the items need to be held. Ihe tabs and supports could be such that each displayed item is securely held and difficult to remove. Alternatively the labs and supports could he such that each item. is only loosely held and can easily: . be removed. Obviously there could also be a combination of these two features, with:..;: some objects being semi-permanently fixed and others being only loosely held to the same (liSplay unit. *1 * * . I...

Furthermore it is also possible that each set of supports and tabs is designed to hold a * large number of removable items to a display unit. For example a large number of leaflets could be held in a display unit by a number of tabs. In this case the tabs would have to he strong enough to hold the large number of leaflets hut would also need to he suitably positioned and sized to hold a single leaflet should the rest of the leaflets he removed. it is to be understood that a person skilled in the art would understand all these considerations and would adapt the specific design of the invention to their own needs.

En order to Iheilitate the manufacture of the display unit as a single component it is preferable that the portion of the central harrier aligned with each tab in the direction parallel to the predetermined direction is missing. Furthermore for the same reason it is also preferable that the tabs are off et such that the no two tabs on opposite sides of the central barrier are aligned in a direction ptrilIel to the predetermined direction. lii this way a simple injection moulding tool comprising two parts can he used to manufacture each display unit, thereby minimising the cost of manufacture of each display unit. In this case the predetermined direction defines the line of draw of the injection moulding tool used to manufacture each display unit.

Preftrably a simple injection moulding tool is used to manufacture display units according to the invention. Such injection moulding tools comprise Iwo parts that may be separated by withdrawing them from each other along the line of draw. Ihe line of draw is necessarily parallel to the predetermined direction of the display unit. Each part of the tool has a plurality of shut-outs that, when the tool is assembled, each protrude through a central void and into cooperative voids formed in the other part of the tool. 1)uring the moulding process the central barrier of each display unit will he formed in the central void and the tabs and supports will he formed in the spaces in the cooperative voids that are not filled by the shut-outs. Therefore the sections of' the; central barrier that are aligned with each tab in the draw direction (predetermined: : :: direction) will be missing as these arc the areas where the shut-outs protrude through the central void. * , *

In some cases it may he preferable that the central harrier of the display unit is substantially a flat sheet. For example, in the case where only one side ol' the display: unit is meant to be accessible a flat central barrier enables the display unit to he easily fixed to vertical surfaces such as walls or shop's display racks. I laying a flat central harrier may also make it easier for flat objects to be held in a display unit. A flat central barrier may also he preferred as it is the simplest possible design and is therefore cheaper to manufacture. However, other configurations such as a curved central harrier are possible, provided that the curvature is not so great that parts of the barrier become hidden when viewed along the predetermined direction.

In some cases it iiiay be preferable that the display unit is formed from a substantially transparent polymer, br example crystal styrene. If the display unit is transparent this enables a user to see through the central barrier. FhLts when a section of such a display unit on one side of' the central barrier is emptied a user can then see through the ccnti'al barrier to the items held on the aligned section of' the display unit on the other Si(1C of the central harrier. This may be useful in a number of situations. For example, if similar items are being displayed on both sides of the central barrier and both sides are accessible to the user it could show the user what products were being held on the alternative side of the Ufl it.

It may also be preferable that the objects are held in aligned positions on either side of the central harrier. This is particularly the case if the display unit is Formed from a transparent polymer and the same items are being held on both sides of the display unit. This would mean that when a section of the display unit is emptied on one side of the central harrier the user would immediately see that the same item is being held on the other side of the harrier.

Furthermore it may also he preferable that the display unit is designed such that a stack of items may he removably displayed on one side of the central harrier and a single reference sample of the same item may he held in a coincident position on the ether side. it would be preferable that such a display unit would he fhrmed from a transparent polymer and when it in use it is positioned such that only the side holding the stacks of items is accessible to the intended user. l'his would mean that when a section of the display unit on the accessible side is emptied of items the i.iser would he: able to see through the central barrier and would see which item would normally he held in that empty section.

it may he prefrabie to lorm display units such that the supportS upon which some ol the tabs are formed are ribs that protrude from the central harrier in a direction parallel to the predetermined direction and extend along the lhce of the central barrier beyond the extend of the tab or tabs which project from it. Ribs such as these may seive a number of purposes. They may help support the displayed items in positions where there are no labs. l'his is particularly the case when there are a limited number of tabs or the tabs are limited in size. Ribs may also make a display unit more sturdy and resilient. l'hey may also help define the position that each item should be held in and thereby make the insertion of each displayed item in the display unit easier. For example there may be parallel ribs on either side of the central harrier that define channels for positioning the items to he held.

I) R A WING S ligure 1 shows a perspective view of the front side of the preferred embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 shows a plan view ol the front side of the preferred embodiment of the in vent ion; Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the rear side of the preferred embodiment of the invention; Figure 4 shows a plan view of the rear side of the preforred embodiment of the invention; ligure 5 shows a top view of the preferred embodiment of the invention; 1igure 6 shows a side cross section of the prelèrred embodiment of the invention as:. . seen through line E-E on Figure 2; * ; . Figure 7 shows a side view of the preferred view of the invention; Figure 8 shows a close up of the circled area of Figure 7; Figure 9 shows a second embodiment of the invention; ligure I 0 shows the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 9 holding two objects; Figure 11 is a schematic showing cross-sections of the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 9 and I 0 and the injection moulding tool used to produce it.

DETAILED DESCRIP'I'ION A preferred embodiment of the invention is described herein with reference to the figures 110 8.

Flie preferred embodiment of the invention as shown in the Figures is a unit for displaying paint colour cards. It is designed to be mounted vertically on a wall or display rack and is shown in the Figures 1 to 4 and 6 to 8 in the upright position in The display unit I is formed from transparent crystal styrene as a single component by injection moUlding. As shown in Figures I and 2 there are live channels 2 formed on the front side of a flat central harrier 3. Each channel 2 may hold a stack of paint colour cards (not shown). The central barrier 3 is flat so that it may be mounted against a flat surlhce and so that the paint colour cards may he held against it more easily. Each of the five channels 2 is hounded by a rib 4, 5 on three of its four sides with the upper end being left open SO that cards may easily be slotted in and out of the channels. I'here is a horizontal lower rib 4 which protrudes from the lower edge of the central harrier 3 and bounds the lower edge of' each of the live channels 2, thereby supporting the lower end of any paint colour cards placed in any of the five channels 2. Each channel 2 is hounded on its two vertical sides by two of the six vertical ribs 4.

l'hese ribs 4 define the channels and act as supports for the tabs 7. Ihe horizontal rib:. . 4 and vertical ribs 5 have protruding from them a number of tabs 7. l'he tabs 7 extend from the front edge of the ribs 4, 5 a distance across the *front lace of each channel 2 and thereby hold any paint colour cards placed in the channel in position. [he sections of the central harrier 3 aligned with each tab 7 are missing as a result of' the formation * : : process, which is described later. The five channels 2 are each of' equal width, height and depth and as such are each designed to receive paint colour cards of the same size.

l'he rear side of' the display unit 1 is shown in Figures 3 and 4. l'he rear side also has five channels 8 formed on it. These channels 8 are formed in an identical way to the front channels 2. [hat is they arc hounded by a rib 9, 1 0 on three of their four sides with the upper end being left open so that a card may easily he slotted in and out.

l'here is a horizontal lower rib I 0 which protrudes f'rorn the lower edge of' the i'ear tice of' the central harrier 3 and hounds the lower edge of each of' the five channels 8.

Each channel 8 is hounded on its two vertical sides by two of' the six vertical i'ihs 9.

[bus the vertical ribs 9 define the channels 8. All the ribs 9, 10 act as supports for tabs II l'he tabs Ii extend from the front edge ol' the ribs 9, 1 0 a distance across the rear facc of each channel 8 and thereby hold any paint colour cards placed in the channel in position. Furthermore both the vertical ribs 9 and horizontal rib 1 0 that are formed on the rear side of the display unit I are also directly aligned with their counterparts formed on the front side. That is. the front channels 2 and rear channels 8 are directly aligned.

[he channels 8 on the rear side of the display unit I are much shallower than those ()fl the front. The rear channels 8 arc designed to hold only a single reference paiiit colour card and so are only slightly deeper than the thickness of a single card. The relative thickness of the channels on either side of the central barrier 3 can clearly he seen in Figures 5 to 8.

In the same way as for the front side of the display unit I the sections of the central barrier 3 aligned with each of the tabs I I formed on the ribs 9, 10 on the rear side of the central barrier 3 are missing as a result of the formation process. however, the:.

positions of the tabs 11 formed on the ribs 9, 10 on the rear side of the central harrier 3 do not overlap the positioning of the tabs 7 formed on the ribs on the front side in any way. [his ensures that the missing sections of the central harrier 3 due to the tabs: on either side of the central harrier do not overlap and the unit can he manulhctured as * a single component as described below. Moreover, the positions of the tabs 7 are spaced from one another SO that not so many areas of the central barrier 3 are missing that it lacks structural integrity.

On each of the two vertical ribs 9 formed at each side of the rear side of the central barrier 3 there are two mounting hooks 12 formed. A single mounting hook 12 is shown in close-up in Figure 8. The rnoi ulting hooks 12 extend a substantaI distance out froni the ribs 9 beyond the depth of the channels. They are generally flat and formed as extensions of the ribs 9 upon which they are mounted. They are positioned so that the display unit I can be simply mounted by being slotted into Cooperatively l.iositioned holes in a suitable display rack (not shown). They may, of course, he used to mount the display unit I in other ways, for example they could he slotted on to horizontal rods or ridges protruding from any substantially vertical surlhce.

When the display unit I is in use stacks of paint colour cards are placed in the front channels 2, wherein the cards in each channel are identical and are initially in the same orientation. A single reference card is placed in each of the rear channels 8. 1'he refCrence cat-d in each rear channel 8 matches that in the aligned front channel 2 and will he in the same orientation. The display unit I is then mounted using the mounting hooks 12 on its rear side and users arc then free to remove the desired card from the stacks in the front channels 2. As each display unit I is formed from a transparent polymer when the supply of cards in one of the front channels 2 is exhausted users can see the reference card in the aligned rear channel 8 through the clear central barrier 3 hut they can not remove it. 1'his enables them to still see what colour paints are available even when all the paint colour cards in one front channel 2 have been removed. The unit also has the advantage that the reference cards can easily he replaced. This means if a new paint range is produced and a new set of paint cards is made available there is no need tbr a new display unit. : [he method of producing the invention by injection moulding as a single component can be understood with reference to Figures 9, I 0 and 11. Figure 9 schematically shows a second, simpler, embodiment of the invention 13. l'he ICatures of this second: embodiment I 3 have been exaggerated in order that its construction can he better * understood [he display unit shown in Figure 9 will be described in the orientation it is shown in the Figures. The display unit 1 3 has four equally sized channels 14, two formed on each side of the central barrier 15. Each channel 14 is hounded on two parallel and \R-'rI ici I Ini'e'c by ri 1 ( t1iit PV I P11(1 frnrn tIi rr'ntrci I hi rr e'r 1 4 I he' e'h i ii ne'I 1 4 "----""-" left open at either end so that objects to be held in the display unit 13 can he slid in and out of them. I'he upper channels are each bounded on their lower thee by the central barrier 1 5 and on their upper ftce by thur tabs 1 7 that extend from the upper edge of the upper ribs. The lower channels are each bounded on their lower face by two tabs 1 8 that extend from the lower edge of the lower ribs and on their upper face by the central barrier I 5. There are vacant sections of the central barrier 19 where the - 12- central barrier is aligned with either an upper tab 1 7 or a lower tab 1 8. The tipper tabs I 7 and the lower tabs 1 8 are not aligned in the vertical direction SO that the vacant sections of the central barrier 1 9 do not overlap and the display unit 1 3 has structural integrity.

[he display unit is formed by conventional injection moulding using the injection moulding tool 20 represented schematically in Figure I I. Three cross-sections 01 the tool 20 and display unit I 3 are shown. Each crosssection shows the tool 20 with its two parts separated, a cross-section of the display unit 13 at that point and a cross- section of the display unit in the tool. The cross-sections are taken through the lines A, 13 and C shown in Figure 9. In cross-section A there are ribs I 6 that extend from either side of the central harrier 1 5, there are upper tabs I 7 formed at the upper edge of the upper ribs and there are vacant sections of the central barrier 19 aligned with these upper tabs. The tabs 1 7 are formed in the voids formed between the upper part of the tool and shut-outs 21 projecting from the lower part of the tool. Fhese shut-outs: * 21 are formed on the lower part of the tool and project into cooperative voids 22 in: the upper part of the tool when it is closed. The shut-outs 21 necessarily project through the central void of the tool 23, i.e. through the space where the central barrier is fOrmed, thereby creating the vacant sections in the central barrier 1 9. 20. .

l'he same reasoning is true fOr the cross-section C except that, as the lower tabs 1 8 are, ,.

fOrmed on the lower edge of the lower ribs, the shut-outs 21 are formed on the upper part of the tool and project into cooperative voids 22 in the lower part of the tool.

There are no tabs fOrmed at cross-section 1.3 so there are no shut-outs fOrmed in either +,S.I r...i,......-. .-. e LI l I I VV L'I iI L) I LI I LUJ1 cIIJU Li11. LU1 LlL aI L 1 IIJ V (LLLti1L)LL'LIUI1 U I LI IL central harrier 1 5. At this point the central harrier 1 5 extends across the full width of the display unit 13.

I'he use of the display unit shown in Figures 9 and 11 can be seen in Figure I 0. Here two objects 24 have been placed in the channels formed in the unit and are removably held by the ribs 16, tabs 17, 18 and central barrier 15. The objects 24 may still be removed by being pushed or pulled out of the channels. - 14-

Claims

Claims: 1. A display unit formed as a single component by injection

moulding that is capable of holding items on both sides of a central barrier by means of a plurality of tabs on both sides of the central barrier, wherein each tab is lbrmed on a support that rotrucles a distance from the central harrier in direction parallel to a predetermined direction and each tab projects from its support ill at least one direction that is transverse to the predetermined direction.

2. A display unit according to claim I wherein the tabs are offset such that no two tabs on opposite sides of the central harrier are aligned in the predetermined direction.

I A display unit according to claim 2 wherein the portion of the central harrier aligned with each tab in the predetermined direction is missing.

15:. . 4. A display unit according to any preceding claim wherein the central harrier is substantially a flat sheet.

5. A display unit according to any preceding claim that is formed from a substantially transparent polymer. . . - 6. A display unit according to claim 5 that is formed from crystal styrene.

7. A display unit according to any preceding claim wherein the of the items held either side of the central harrier are aligned in the predetermined direction.

8. A display unit according to claim 7 wherein a stack of items may he removably displayed on one side ol the central barrier and a single reference sample of' the items may he held on the other side of' the central harrier.

9. A display unit according to any preceding claim wherein the support upon which at least one of the tabs is formed is a rib that protrudes from the central harrier in a direction parallel to the predetermined direction and extends along a face of the central harrier beyond the extent of the tab which projects from it.

1 0. A display unit according to claim 9 wherein there are parallel ribs on either side ol' the central barrier and these ribs define channels or positioning the items to he held.

11. A display unit according to any preceding claim wherein the items to he held are cards.

I 2. A method of producing a display unit according to claim 3 by injection moulding using an injection moulding tool comprising two parts that may he separated by withdrawing them from each other along a line of' draw that is Parallel to the predetermined direction of the display unit, wherein each part of the tool has a plurality of shut-outs that, when the tool is assembled, each protrude through a central: . void and into cooperative voids brined in the oilier part of the tool, and wherein * : during injection moulding the tabs and supports of the display unit are ftrmcd in the spaces in the cooperative voids that are not filled by the shut-outs and the central barrier of the display unit is formed in the central void. . . 20. . . 13. A display unit as substantially described above and illustrated in the drawings.