Product Display

Abstract

An apparatus and method for displaying retail products is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a product tray which itself includes a platform member for supporting one or more products, at least one lighting element and connector means for electrically connecting the lighting element to a power source when the platform member of the product tray is releasably secured to a product tray support.

1 . Apparatus for displaying retail products, comprising:
 a product tray comprising a platform member for supporting one or more products, at least one lighting element, and connector means for electrically connecting said lighting element to a power source simultaneously with said product tray being releasably secured to a product tray support.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the product tray comprises one or more support member and the platform member is secured to the support member so as to be slideable with respect to the support member. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the connector means is arranged to connect the lighting element to the power source only when the platform member of the product tray is secured to the product tray support. 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said connector means comprises at least one electrically conducting abutment element electrically connected to said lighting element and arranged to abut and thereby electrically contact an electrically conducting abutment surface of the tray support when the tray is releasably secured to the tray support, said abutment surface being connected to the power source. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said connector means comprises at least one sliding contact arranged to make sliding contact with an electrically conducting abutment surface of the tray support when the tray is releasably secured to the tray support, said abutment surface being connected to the power source. 
   
   
       6 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 5  wherein said sliding contact is resiliently biased. 
   
   
       7 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 4  wherein said connecting means is connected to said lighting element via control circuitry arranged to selectively supply power to said at least one lighting element. 
   
   
       8 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said at least one lighting element comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes. 
   
   
       9 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 8  wherein said plurality of light emitting diodes comprises a plurality of multi-coloured light emitting diodes. 
   
   
       10 . The apparatus a claimed in  claim 8  wherein said plurality of light emitting diodes comprises a plurality of high intensity light emitting diodes. 
   
   
       11 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said product tray further comprises a display panel located at a front edge region of said platform member and at least one lighting element is arranged to backlight said display panel when said tray is releasably secured. 
   
   
       12 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said product tray is arranged to support one or more products resting directly on an upper surface of the platform member. 
   
   
       13 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said product tray is arranged to support one or more products hanging from a lower surface of the platform member. 
   
   
       14 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said product tray is arranged to support one or more products when those products are located in one or more product organising devices, said tray being adapted to locate one or more of said product organising devices on a surface of the platform member. 
   
   
       15 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said product tray further comprises:
 at least one bracket element including securing elements for releasably securing the bracket element to a tray support and a platform member supporting surface arranged to releasably secure the platform member to the bracket element.   
   
   
       16 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 15  wherein said platform member is slidably mounted with respect to the bracket element. 
   
   
       17 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising at least one tray support locatable at a target location and including a plurality of product tray locating elements arranged to receive, and thereby locate, at least one product tray. 
   
   
       18 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 17  wherein the tray support comprises at least one power track extending along a length of said tray support for supplying power to any product tray located by said locating elements. 
   
   
       19 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 18  wherein a portion of said power track provides an electrically conducting abutment surface. 
   
   
       20 . Apparatus for supporting at least one product tray, comprising:
 at least one elongate frame;   a plurality of product tray locating elements disposed longitudinally along at least a portion of said frame; and   an elongate power source comprising at least one power track; wherein   said elongate power source and said locating elements of said elongate frame are arranged to provide power to a product tray simultaneously with said tray being releasably secured to said frame.   
   
   
       21 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 20  wherein said locating elements comprise a plurality of locating holes each arranged to receive mating portions of a product tray and releaseably secure a product tray at a desired location. 
   
   
       22 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 20  wherein said locating elements comprise a plurality of mating pins each extending outwardly from the elongate frame and arranged to mate with a respective at least one locating hole of a product tray to thereby releaseably secure a product tray at a desired location. 
   
   
       23 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 20  wherein said at least one elongate frame comprises a pair of elongate frames arranged to be located in an upright position at a target location, and to each support a respective one of two ends of a product tray. 
   
   
       24 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 23  wherein each said elongate frame houses at least one elongate power track. 
   
   
       25 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 24  wherein each said elongate frame houses a positive power track and a negative power track. 
   
   
       26 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 24  wherein each said elongate frame comprises an insulating member arranged to electrically insulate said frame from each power track. 
   
   
       27 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 21  wherein each locating hole includes a locating element door which is arranged to open to receive a mating portion of a product tray but which at least partially prevents ingress of a finger or dirt when not locating a product tray. 
   
   
       28 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 20  wherein said power supply comprises an AC and/or DC power supply. 
   
   
       29 . A method for displaying a plurality of products, the method comprising:
 locating at least one product tray, at a desired location by releasably securing said product tray to a product tray support; and   supplying power to at least one lighting element of said product tray simultaneously with said tray being secured.   
   
   
       30 . The method as claimed in  claim 29  further comprising placing products on said located product tray. 
   
   
       31 . The method as claimed in  claim 29  further comprising placing one or more product organising devices, each holding one or more products, on said product tray subsequent to said act of securing said product tray to the tray support. 
   
   
       32 . The method as claimed in  claim 29  further comprising:
 releasably securing at least one bracket element to the product tray support; and   releasably securing a platform member of the product tray to the bracket element.   
   
   
       33 . The method as claimed in  claim 32  further comprising sliding the platform member of the product tray towards the product tray support until the product tray is located at the desired location. 
   
   
       34 . The method as claimed in  claim 29  further comprising verifying that a product tray is releaseably secured at said desired location by determining if at least one lighting element on the product tray is illuminated. 
   
   
       35 . The method as claimed in  claim 29  further comprising placing at least one product tray support in an upright position at a target location prior to said act of locating at least one product tray via securing said product tray to the product tray support. 
   
   
       36 . (canceled) 
   
   
       37 . (canceled)