US 7172722 B2
A display unit for displaying various flat or flat-packaged articles, such as greeting cards, magazines, brochures, and the like is provided. The display unit includes a molded backboard having a plurality of walls joined to one another by a plurality of horizontal channels and a snap-in retainer for holding the displayed articles which is easily inserted into and removed from the channel of the backboard. Additionally, the present invention relates to a method of making such a molded backboard and a mold insert tool for use in forming the channel of the backboard.
1. A method of vacuum forming a molded article having an undercut channel, said method comprising:
providing a mold containing a mold insert, wherein the mold insert assumes a triangular configuration during molding suitable for molding an undercut channel and wherein said mold insert shifts to a release position upon a withdrawal of said molded article;
placing a thermoplastic blank sheet into said mold;
molding said thermoplastic sheet to form said molded article having an undercut channel; and
removing said molded article from said mold, wherein during said removal, said mold insert collapses into itself to provide a straight release configuration, allowing the molded backboard to be released from the mold.
2. The method according to
3. The method according to
4. The method according to
5. The method of
6. A method for producing a plastic article, the method comprising:
molding a plastic sheet around a triangular surface of a mold insert to form a channel in the plastic sheet, the channel having at least one side wall;
pulling the plastic sheet away from the surface of the mold insert so that the side wall exerts a force on the surface of the mold insert, thereby collapsing the mold insert into itself to a straight configuration; and
removing the plastic sheet from the mold insert once the mold insert is collapsed to the straight configuration.
7. The method of
placing the plastic sheet over the mold; and
creating at least a partial vacuum between the plastic sheet and the mold to cause the plastic sheet to conform to the mold and to the mold insert.
This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/401,217, filed Sep. 22, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,439,399.
The present invention relates to a display unit for displaying various articles such as papers, cards, gift wrap and other products which are typically displayed to consumers. More particularly, the present invention relates to a display unit including a molded backboard with a channel and a snap-in retainer which is easily inserted directly into and removed from the channel of the backboard. Additionally, the present invention relates to a method of manufacturing such a molded backboard and a mold insert tool for use in forming the channel of the backboard.
Greeting cards, wrapping paper, magazines, brochures and other articles have been displayed by a wide variety of display racks. Many of the available display racks comprise a support apparatus and a series of retainers or compartments in which the displayed products rest. The retainers or compartments are either permanently attached to the support apparatus or attached to one another. One of the problems associated with display racks in which the retainers are permanently attached to the support apparatus is that the whole display rack must be replaced in the event that a single retainer is broken. Similarly, those display racks which have multiple retainers attached as a single unit often require that the entire unit be replaced when a single retainer is damaged. Even those display racks in which the retainers are reversibly joined to one another are inconvenient for the user because they require the user to disassemble and reassemble the display rack to replace a broken retainer.
Other types of display racks have retainers or compartments which can be individually attached to a support apparatus, such as a backboard. However, these display racks have the disadvantage that the retainers or compartments are attached to the support apparatus by inserting them at one of the side ends of the apparatus and sliding them into position on the apparatus. As is often the case, the side end may be adjacent to a wall or another display rack, making the side end inaccessible and requiring the entire display unit to be physically moved from its location to engage the new retainer.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a display unit for storing and displaying cards, magazines, and other flat articles. Also provided is a mold insert for use in molding articles having an undercut channel. Further, a method for producing molded articles having an undercut channel is provided.
A display unit for storing and displaying articles is provided which comprises a backboard having a front surface and a rear surface. The front surface has at least two walls joined by an undercut channel extending horizontally along at least some predetermined width of the display unit. The display unit also includes a retainer for maintaining articles in the display unit. The retainer comprises a bracket including first and second extensions such that the retainer may be directly inserted into the undercut channel. The display preferably is formed by vacuum forming a thermoplastic sheet of material such as a high impact polystyrene. The retainer preferably is formed by injection molding a thermoplastic material such as an acrylic.
The display unit further may include one or more integrally molded rear support brackets. Also, the display may also include integrally molded vertical channels.
In the display unit, the opening of the undercut channel is narrower in width than the back wall of said channel. In addition, the retainer preferably engages the molded backboard directly without the necessity of sliding the bracket into the molded backboard channel from one end of the channel.
A mold insert for forming an undercut channel in a molded article is also provided. The mold insert assume a triangular configuration during molding suitable for molding an undercut channel and then shifts to a release position upon withdrawal of the molded article. The mold insert preferably is from a unshaped first section, second, third and fourth hinged sections, and a fifth straight section. The the second hinged section is fixedly joined to said unshaped first section such as by tack welding. The third hinged section is fixedly attached to the second hinged section also such as by tack welding. The fourth hinged section is fixedly attached to the third hinged section and the four hinged section is fixedly attached to the fifth straight section, both by such means as tack welding. The fifth straight section is movably located with the channel of the unshaped first section when assembled. The second, third and fourth hinged sections each include first and second panels connected to each other by a hinge joint and hinge pin.
A method of vacuum forming a molded article having an undercut channel is also contemplated. In the method, a mold containing a mold insert is provided, wherein the mold insert assumes a triangular configuration during molding suitable for molding an undercut channel and wherein the mold insert shifts to a release position upon withdrawal of said molded article. A thermoplastic blank sheet is placed on the mold and the sheet is molded to form the molded article having an undercut channel. The molded article is removed from the mold, wherein during removal, the mold insert shifts into a release configuration, allowing the molded article to be released from the mold.
Preferably in practicing the method, the mold insert automatically returns to the molding position following removal of the molded article. Also, where the mold insert does not automatically return to the molding position upon removal of a molded article, preferably, the mold insert automatically returns to the molding position upon insertion of a thermoplastic blank sheet due to the weight of the sheet on the mold insert. Preferably, the mold insert is a hinged mold insert.
Preferably, this method is practiced to form the molded backboard of the invention which is suitable for displaying products.
These and other features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent upon reading the following description of a preferred exemplified embodiment of the invention and upon reference to the accompanying drawings.
While the invention will be described and disclosed in connection with certain preferred embodiments and procedures, it is not intended to limit the invention to those specific embodiments. Rather it is intended to cover all such alternative embodiments and modifications as fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.
Referring generally to the above figures, the present invention provides a display unit for storing and displaying articles such as greeting cards, wrapping paper, magazines, and other such products to consumers. The display unit includes a unitary molded backboard 1 having a top wall 8, a bottom wall 12, and a plurality of vertical walls 10 arranged in a tiered fashion and a plurality of horizontal channels 3, each of which can engage a snap-in retainer 2. The walls 8, 10, 12 of the molded backboard, in conjunction with the snap-in retainers 2, form a vertical array of compartments in which the displayed products rest and which maintain the products on the display rack. The channel 3 of the molded backboard 1 and the snap-in retainer 2 are formed such that the retainer snaps directly into the channel from the front, allowing for easy insertion and removal of the retainer 2 from the backboard 1. Also, provided is a method for vacuum molding the backboard 1 and a mold insert 40 for use in forming the channel 3 during vacuum molding of the backboard 1.
As seen in
In the vertical direction, the walls 8, 10, 12 are joined to one another such that they form a continuous array of walls arranged in a tiered fashion. Beginning at the top of the molded backboard 1, the top wall 8 is joined to a first wall 10 by a horizontal channel 3 and a sloped wall 9, presenting a pleasing display appearance. The bottom of the top wall 8 continues to form the first horizontal channel 3, which, in turn, continues to form the first sloped wall 9, which continues to form the top of the first wall 10. The first wall 10 is then joined to a second wall 10 by a second horizontal channel 3 and a second sloped wall 9 in the same manner and, likewise, further walls 10 are joined together that same way such that an array of walls is formed ending with a bottom.
In the horizontal direction, the walls 8, 10, 12 are joined by a series of vertical grooves 4, as seen in
As discussed above, the walls 8, 10, 12 are joined to one another via a horizontal channel 3 and a sloped wall 9. The channel 3 of the molded backboard 1 is of a suitable configuration to permit the snap-in retainer 2 to engage and also remain secured to the front surface 5 of the molded backboard 1. Preferably, as shown in
The sloped wall 9 of the molded backboard 1 is formed such that the snap-in retainer 2 rests on the surface of the sloped wall 9 when it is engaged with the channel 3. Preferably, the sloped wall 9 is formed such that it forms from about a 110° to about a 130° angle with the wall 10 immediately below the sloped wall 9. More preferably, the sloped wall 9 forms about a 120° angle with the wall 10 directly below
The molded backboard 1 may be formed from any suitable plastic material that is sufficiently resilient to contain and store the desired articles. Preferably, the plastic material is thermoplastic. Preferably, the molded backboard 1 is formed by vacuum molding, using a thermoplastic material such as described above. Suitable plastics for use in manufacturing the molded backboard include high impact polystyrenes. Preferably, the high impact polystyrene or other thermoplastic has a thickness of about 0.090 inches.
As seen in
In a preferred embodiment shown in
As can be seen in
The snap-in retainer 2 may be formed from any suitable plastic material that is sufficiently resilient to contain the desired articles on the molded rack. Preferably, the plastic material is thermoplastic. One suitable plastic for use in manufacturing the snap-in retainer is acrylic. Preferably, if acrylic is used, the acrylic is mixed with dr blend. The plastic material used to form the retainer 2 may be opaque or translucent and may be colored to any suitable color.
The retainer 2 may be formed in several ways, including profile extrusion and injection molding. Preferably, the retainer 2 is formed by injection molding.
The channel 3 of the molded backboard and the extensions 19, 20 of the snap-in retainer 2 are each preferably of a suitable configuration to permit the retainer to be engaged and remain secured with the channel 3 of the molded backboard 1. One suitable configuration of the channel 3 is illustrated in
The snap-in retainer 2 includes a front wall 16 and a bottom wall 18 having two extensions 19, 20 which permit the retainer 2 to engage the channel 3. Specifically, the retainer 2 is formed such that the first extension 19 contacts the sidewall 13 and the second extension 20 contacts the sidewall 15 when the retainer 2 is engaged with the channel 3.
The retainer 2 is engaged with the undercut channel 3 as shown in
The molded backboard 1 of the present invention also includes a rear surface 6, as shown in
The mold insert 40 is made of several overlapping pieces which are attached to one another and allow the mold insert to assume both the triangular configuration seen in
As shown in
The first hinged section also includes a hinge joint 51 b at an edge 51 c of the first hinged section. The first hinged section is connected to a second hinged section 52 by a hinge pin 53 using the hinge joint 51 b of the first hinged section and a hinge joint 52 b along one edge 52 c of the second hinged section 52. A flat section 52 a f the second hinged section 52 is also joined to a flat section 55 a of a third hinged section 55 by tack welding or other suitable connective method as discussed above.
The third hinged 55 section also includes a hinge joint 55 b at an edge 55 c of the third hinged section. The third hinged section 55 is connected to a fourth hinged section 57 by a hinge pin 58 using the hinge joint 55 b of the first hinged section and a hinge joint 57 b along one edge 57 c of the fourth hinged section 57. A flat section 57 a of the fourth hinged section 57 is also joined to a flat section 61 a of a fifth hinged section 61 by tack welding or other suitable connective method as discussed above.
The fifth hinged section 61 also includes a hinge joint 61 b at an edge 61 c of the first hinged section. The fifth hinged section 61 is connected to a sixth hinged section 62 by a hinge pin 63 using the hinge joint 61 b of the fifth hinged section and a hinge joint 62 b along one edge 62 c of the sixth hinged section 62. A flat section 62 a of the sixth hinged section 62 is also joined to a first end 45 a of a flat shifting section 45 which is positioned within the channel of the U-shaped mounting bracket 41. The flat shifting section 45 includes cut-outs 48 to permit traversal of the flat shifting section 45 past the mounting bolts which mount the mold insert 40 within the mold 35 (
When the mold insert is in the release position, the hinged joints are activated such that the flat shifting section 45 is withdrawn from the U-shaped channel of the mounting section 41 to the extent of its maximum travel. When the mold insert is in its molding position, the flat shifting section 45 is moved into the U-shaped channel of the mounting section 41 to the fullest extent possible until the end 45 c of the flat
The mold insert 40 may be made of any suitable material and preferably is made of a metal such as stainless steel which has sufficient strength for vacuum molding and resists corrosion.
As discussed previously, the molded backboard 1 is preferably formed by vacuum molding using the mold 35 with the mold insert 40. When the blank thermoplastic sheet is inserted onto the mold 35 with the mold insert 40, the mold insert 40 assumes a triangular configuration at the end facing the thermoplastic sheet as shown in
Various additional modifications of the embodiments specifically illustrated and described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art, particularly in light of the teachings of this invention. The invention should not be construed as limited to the specific form shown and described, but instead is set forth in the following claims.