System for displaying a sample of a product

Abstract

A system for exhibiting a sample of a product. The system comprises a rail and a display unit. The rail extends from a first end to a second end, and includes at least one display unit engaging portion. The display unit can be removably mounted on the rail, and has a display surface, formed on the front of the display unit, on which the sample of the product can be mounted. The display unit also has at least one rail engaging portion, the at least one rail engaging portion being removably engagable with the at least one display unit engaging portion. The display unit can be removably mounted on the rail directly at a predetermined location between the first end and the second end of the rail through a snap-fit connection between the at least one rail engaging portion and the at least one display unit engaging portion.

1 . A system for exhibiting a sample of a product, the system comprising: 
 a rail that extends from a first end to a second end, and including at least one display unit engaging portion; and    a display unit that can be removably mounted on the rail, the display unit having a display surface, formed on the front of the display unit, on which the sample of the product can be mounted, and having at least one rail engaging portion, the at least one rail engaging portion being removably engagable with the at least one display unit engaging portion,    wherein the display unit can be removably mounted on the rail directly at a predetermined location between the first end and the second end of the rail through a snap-fit connection between the at least one rail engaging portion and the at least one display unit engaging portion.    
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the rail has a face with an upper edge and and lower edge, and the at least one display unit engaging portion comprises a first display unit engaging portion located proximate to the upper edge of the face, and a second display unit engaging portion located proximate to the lower edge of the face.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one rail engaging portion comprises a first rail engaging portion and a second rail engaging portion, the first rail engaging portion extending from the display unit and being removably engagable with the first display unit engaging portion, the second rail engaging portion extending from the display unit and being removably engagable with the second display unit engaging portion.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the display unit comprises written indicia provided on the display surface providing information on the sample.  
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the rail includes a face having an upper edge and a lower edge, and forms a substantially continuous surface bounded by the first end of the rail, the second end of the rail, the upper edge of the face, and the lower edge of the face.  
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the face is oriented at an angle with respect to the vertical.  
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the angle at which the face is oriented is formed such that the lower edge of the face extends further towards a front of the system than the upper edge of the face.  
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the first display unit engaging portion comprises a groove that is formed proximate to the upper edge of the face and runs substantially continuously from the first end of the rail to the second end of the rail.  
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the first rail engaging portion comprises a tab that is removably engagable with the groove.  
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the second display unit engaging portion comprises a protrusion that is formed proximate to the lower edge of the face and runs substantially continuously from the first end of the rail to the second end of the rail.  
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the second rail engaging portion comprises a cam surface that is removably engagable with the protrusion.  
   
   
       12 . A display unit for exhibiting a sample of a product, the display unit having a front side, a rear side, an upper end, and a lower end, wherein the rear side of the display unit is removably mountable on a rail, the display unit comprising: 
 at least one rail engaging portion that is removably engagable with the rail, and is formed such that the display unit can be removably mounted on the rail directly at a predetermined location on the rail, without sliding the display unit along the rail to the predetermined location; and    a sample mounting member having a front surface exposed to the front side of the display unit and a rear surface exposed to the rear side of the display unit, wherein the sample mounting member is adapted such that the sample of the product can be mounted to the front surface of the sample mounting member by one or more fasteners that pass through the sample mounting member.    
   
   
       13 . The display unit of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one rail engaging portion comprises: 
 a first rail engaging portion that extends from the display unit proximate to the upper end of the display unit, the first rail engaging portion being removably engagable with the rail; and    a second rail engaging portion that extends from the display unit proximate to the lower end of the display unit, the second rail engaging portion being removably engagable with the rail.    
   
   
       14 . The display unit of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one rail engaging portion is formed such that when the display unit is removably mounted on the rail, the display unit can be removed from the rail without sliding along the rail.  
   
   
       15 . The display unit of  claim 12 , wherein the sample mounting member includes a solid member, and one or more holes can be drilled in the solid member to enable the one or more fasteners to pass through the sample mounting member.  
   
   
       16 . The display unit of  claim 12 , wherein the sample mounting member includes a mesh member that forms a plurality of mesh openings, and the one or more fasteners can be driven through the mesh openings of the mesh member to mount the sample of the product to the sample mounting member.  
   
   
       17 . The display unit of  claim 12 , wherein the rear surface of the sample mounting member is corrugated to better engage the one or more fasteners.  
   
   
       18 . The display unit of  claim 12 , further comprising written indicia on the front side of the display unit that provides information on the sample.  
   
   
       19 . A system for exhibiting a sample of a product, the system comprising: 
 a rail;    a first display unit engaging portion provided on the rail;    a second display unit engaging portion provided on the rail;    a display unit formed from a resilient plastic material;    a first rail engaging portion provided on the display unit, the first rail engaging portion being removably engagable with the first display unit engaging portion such that the display unit can pivot, relative to the rail, about the engagement between the first rail engaging portion and the first display unit engaging portion; and    a second rail engaging portion provided on the display unit such that pivoting the display unit about the engagement between the first rail engaging portion and the first display unit engaging portion brings the second rail engaging portion into contact with the second display unit engaging portion so that the second rail engaging portion is resiliently flexed so as to be moved into releasably locking relationship with the second display unit engaging portion.    
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 19 , further comprising a cam surface provided on the second rail engaging portion that contacts the second rail engaging portion to provided the releasably locking relationship therebetween.  
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the second display unit engaging portion includes a protrusion provided on the rail.  
   
   
       22 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the first rail engaging portion includes a tab that extends from the display unit.  
   
   
       23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the first display unit engaging portion includes a groove provided in a surface of the rail.  
   
   
       24 . The system of  claim 19 , further comprising written indicia provided on a front surface of the display unit, the written indicia providing information on the sample.