Product display system

Abstract

A product display system ( 10 ) constructed in accordance with the principles of a preferred embodiment of the present invention and configured for displaying products above a conventional clothing rack (R) is disclosed. The inventive display system ( 10 ) broadly includes a base assembly ( 12 ) for supporting the other system components above the rack (R), a plurality of product display trays (14-28) supported on the base assembly ( 12 ) for displaying the products (P), and a sign assembly ( 30 ) supported on the base assembly ( 12 ) for displaying product information and advertising indicia. The inventive display system ( 10 ) enables cross-merchandising at the point of sale by utilizing previously unusable space above the conventional circular rack (R) while still complying with display requirements of most mass marketing retail stores. In the preferred embodiment, the base assembly ( 12 ) is formed of modular truss sections ( 32 - 46 ) that interconnect to form a sloped tray-supporting surface ( 12 a ) that extends radially beyond the perimeter of the rack (R) to place the products (P) supported thereon at an optimum position for viewing and access by the consumer. The preferred display trays ( 14 - 28 ) are uniquely configured to enable them to be arranged in a polygonal arrangement on the base assembly ( 12 ) to maximize product storage. The preferred modular base sections ( 32 - 46 ) and display trays ( 14 - 28 ) are complementally configured to enable the trays ( 14 - 28 ) to “nest” in the complemental modular sections ( 32 - 46 ) for easy and convenient shipping, as well as space-efficient storage of the components when not in use.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A product display apparatus for displaying products above a clothing rack wherein the clothing rack includes a generally circular hangrail for removably supporting clothing hangers by their hooks, said product display apparatus comprising: 
 a base assembly adapted to be received on the clothing rack,    said base assembly defining an outer-most margin radially spaced from the longitudinal center of the rack when the base assembly is received on the rack,    said base assembly including a tray-supporting surface spaced a hanger dimension above the hangrail when the base assembly is received on the rack wherein said hanger dimension is greater than the height of the hanger hooks so that the hooks can be removed from the hangrail when the base assembly is received on the rack; and    at least one display tray supported on the tray-supporting surface and defining an outer-most edge radially spaced from the center of the rack when the base assembly is received on the rack,    at least a portion of either said outer-most margin or said outer-most edge extending radially beyond the hangrail when the base assembly is received on the rack.    
     
     
         2 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , at least a portion of both of said outer-most margin and said outer-most edge extending radially beyond the hangrail when the base assembly is received on the rack.  
     
     
         3 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , said tray-supporting surface presenting said outer-most margin.  
     
     
         4 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 3 , said outer-most margin being generally circular in shape.  
     
     
         5 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 3 , said tray-supporting surface sloping downwardly from the center thereof toward the outer-most margin.  
     
     
         6 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , said base assembly including a plurality of removably interconnected modular truss sections, each of said truss sections forming a portion of said tray-supporting surface.  
     
     
         7 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 6 , each of said truss sections including a lateral arm adapted to support the respective truss section on the hangrail when the base assembly is received on the rack and a longitudinal arm suspended within the hangrail when the base assembly is received on the rack.  
     
     
         8 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 7 , each of said longitudinal arms being spaced from the rack when the base assembly is received on the rack so that the base assembly is entirely supported on the rack by the engagement of the lateral arms and the hangrail.  
     
     
         9 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 7 , said base assembly further including an endless washer element encircling at least a portion of each of the longitudinal arms to thereby interconnect said longitudinal arms.  
     
     
         10 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 6 , said plurality of truss sections including eight sections wherein each of the eight sections forms a generally equal portion of said tray-supporting surface.  
     
     
         11 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , said display tray being removably supported on the tray supporting surface.  
     
     
         12 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 11 , said tray-supporting surface presenting said outer-most margin and sloping downwardly from the center thereof toward the outer-most margin, said display tray including at least one retaining tab removably received through said tray-supporting surface to generally prevent said display tray from sliding down said surface.  
     
     
         13 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 1;  and 
 a plurality of additional display trays supported on the tray-supporting surface and each defining an outer-most edge radially spaced from the center of the rack and extending radially beyond the hangrail when the base assembly is received on the rack.  
 
     
     
         14 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 13 , 
 each of said first-mentioned and additional display trays defining an inner-most edge adjacent the center of the rack when the base assembly is received on the rack and further defining an intermediate bin section defined between said innermost and outer-most edges and adapted to receive products.    
     
     
         15 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 14 , 
 each of said intermediate bin sections presenting at least one bin width dimension, each of said inner-most edges presenting an inner edge width dimension, and each of said outer-most edges presenting an outer edge width dimension wherein said bin width dimension is greater than both of said inner and outer edge widths dimensions so that each display tray tapers from the intermediate bin section toward the edges.    
     
     
         16 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 13 , 
 said base assembly including a plurality of removably interconnected modular truss sections wherein each of said truss sections forms a generally equal portion of said tray-supporting surface,    each of said truss sections being associated with a corresponding one of said display trays.    
     
     
         17 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 16 , 
 each of said display trays including at least one retaining tab extending through the equal portion of said tray-supporting surface formed by the corresponding truss section.    
     
     
         18 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 16 , 
 each of said equal portions of said tray-supporting surface being generally triangular in configuration,    each of said truss sections including a pair of side walls that extend downwardly from said equal portion of said tray-supporting surface.    
     
     
         19 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 18 , 
 each of said display trays being configured to fit within the side walls of the corresponding truss section.    
     
     
         20 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 14;  and 
 a sign supported on the tray-supporting surface between the inner-most edges of said display trays,  
 said sign extending above said display trays.  
 
     
     
         21 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , 
 said display tray including a rear-wall panel having a rear-wall height and a rear-wall width and front-wall panel having a front-wall height and a front-wall width wherein the front-wall height is smaller than the rear-wall height and the front-wall width is at least as wide as the rear-wall width.    
     
     
         22 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 21 , 
 said display tray further including a pair of spaced side-wall panels that define an internal storage bin adapted to store products.    
     
     
         23 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 22 , 
 said side-wall panels tapering inwardly generally from the middle toward the rear-wall to define a tapered rear section and tapering inwardly generally from the middle toward the front-wall to define a tapered front section.    
     
     
         24 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 23 , 
 said side-wall panels each including at least one retaining tab removably retaining the display tray in an operative position on the tray-supporting surface.    
     
     
         25 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 24;  and 
 a plurality of additional display trays each being configured similarly to the first-mentioned display tray wherein the tapered rear sections of the display trays are positioned adjacent one another to form a generally polygonal arrangement.  
 
     
     
         26 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , 
 said base assembly being formed of a corrugated material.    
     
     
         27 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 26 , 
 said corrugated material being paper.    
     
     
         28 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , 
 said base assembly being formed substantially of wire.    
     
     
         29 . A method of displaying a plurality of first products on the same display with a plurality of second products wherein the first products differ from the second products, said method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) supporting the first products on a display rack;    (b) removably supporting a modular display base on top of the display rack;    (c) removably supporting a plurality of display bins on the display base so that at least a portion of each display bin extends over the outer perimeter of the display rack; and    (d) supporting the second products in the display bins.    
     
     
         30 . The method as claimed in  claim 29 , 
 step (a) including the steps of supporting the first products on hangers and supporting the hangers on the display rack.    
     
     
         31 . The method as claimed in  claim 30 , 
 said display rack including a generally circular hangrail,    said hangers being slidably received on said hangrail.    
     
     
         32 . The method as claimed in  claim 31 , 
 said at least a portion of each display bin comprising an outer-most edge thereof radially spaced from the center axis of the circular hangrail when said display bins are supported on the display base,    said outer-most edges extending radially beyond the hangrail,    step (b) including the step of supporting the display base on the hangrail and spacing at least a predominate portion of the display base from said hangrail to permit the hangers to be slidably received on the hangrail under said predominate portion of said display base.    
     
     
         33 . The method as claimed in  claim 29 , 
 step (b) including the steps of removably interconnecting a plurality of modular truss sections to form said display base and arranging the truss sections so that each section forms a generally equivalent portion of a generally circular bin-supporting surface at the top of said display base.    
     
     
         34 . The method as claimed in  claim 33 , 
 said bin-supporting surface defining an outer-most margin that extends radially beyond the outer perimeter of the display rack.    
     
     
         35 . The method as claimed in  claim 34 , 
 said bin-supporting surface sloping downwardly from the center axis thereof toward the outer-most margin,    step (c) including the steps of forming at least one retaining tab in each of the display bends and placing the retaining tabs through the bin-supporting surface to prevent the display bins from sliding down the bin-supporting surface.    
     
     
         36 . The method as claimed in  claim 33 , 
 step (b) including the step of forming the modular truss sections out of corrugated paper.    
     
     
         37 . The method as claimed in  claim 29 , 
 step (c) including the steps of forming at least six display bins wherein each of the bins presents a generally hexagonal horizontal cross sectional shape and arranging the display bins adjacent one another on the display base in a generally polygonal arrangement.    
     
     
         38 . A modular product display apparatus comprising: 
 at least one product display tray defining an internal product display bin,    said display tray including side-wall panels tapering inwardly toward the rear of the display bin; and    a support platform for supporting the display tray on a product display rack,    said display tray including at least one retaining tab engagingly received in the support platform to thereby retain the display tray in an operative position on a support platform,    said support platform including a plurality of intercommunicating support segments that cooperate to form the support platform and each being adapted to receive the retaining tab,    said support segments being positioned in a substantially circular or polygonal configuration on the product display rack.    
     
     
         39 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 38 , 
 said support platform including eight of the support segments.    
     
     
         40 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 38 , 
 said support platform further including a retaining washer engagingly received on the support segments to thereby retain the support segments in their substantially circular or polygonal configuration.    
     
     
         41 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 38 , 
 said support platform defining a tray-supporting surface,    said tray-supporting surface presenting a substantially outwardly downward slope towards an outer perimeter of the product display rack.    
     
     
         42 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 38 , 
 said display tray further including a rear-wall panel presenting a rear-wall height and a rear-wall width and front-wall panel presenting a front-wall height and a front-wall width wherein the front-wall height is smaller than the rear-wall height and the front-wall width is at least as wide as the rear-wall width.    
     
     
         43 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 38;  and 
 an information display unit adapted to display indicia on at least one side thereof.  
 
     
     
         44 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 43 , 
 said support platform further including a central portion,    said information display unit being supported on said central portion.    
     
     
         45 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 44 , 
 said central portion of said support platform being generally conical in shape.    
     
     
         46 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 45 , 
 said product display rack comprising a substantially cylindrical clothes hanging rack for supporting hanging clothes,    said rack including an upper circular clothes hanger support structure and at least two legs extending laterally from said hanger support structure,    said support segments being supported on said hanger support structure.    
     
     
         47 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 43 , 
 said indicia on the information display unit including product information indicia.    
     
     
         48 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 43 , 
 said indicia on the information display unit including advertising indicia.    
     
     
         49 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 38 , 
 said internal display bin presenting a tapered rear section defined between the tapering side-wall panels and the rear of the bin.    
     
     
         50 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 49;  and 
 a plurality of additional product display trays each being similarly configured to the at least one product display tray,  
 the tapered rear sections of the product display trays being positioned adjacent one another to present a generally circular or polygonal arrangement.  
 
     
     
         51 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 38 , 
 at least one of said support segments including a tab-receiving support slot,    said display tray including a bottom panel,    said retaining tab being substantially coplanar with one of the side-wall panels and non-coplanar with the bottom panel and extending there below to be engagingly received in said support slot.    
     
     
         52 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 38 , 
 said support segments being formed from corrugated paper.    
     
     
         53 . The display apparatus as claimed in  claim 38 , 
 said support segments being substantially formed of wire.