Gondola shelf system displaying both signage and product

Abstract

A gondola shelving product and signage display system allows both product and the signage to be projected into the store aisle for potential customers to view and purchase. The signage is placed at about 90 degrees to the aisle pathway, making it difficult for customers to miss. Product is prominently displayed in the aisle space and can be replenished quickly on a preloaded cartridge basis by store employees. The gondola shelving display system provides a flexible, low cost means to display smaller, highly profitable items. The gondola shelving display system can use various attachment mechanisms for attachment to the gondola shelving.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A bracket assembly comprising:
 a main body;   a mounting portion extending form a rear end of the main body;   a swing arm hingedly attached to a front end of the main body, the swing arm movable between an open configuration and a closed configuration;   a channel formed between a sign mount portion and a main bracket portion of the main body, the channel communicating with the front end of the main body; and   a sign retention mechanism operable to retain a sign between a swing arm inside face of the swing arm and a main body inside face when the swing arm is in the closed configuration.   
     
     
         2 . The bracket assembly of  claim 1 , wherein one of the swing arm inside face and the main body inside face includes indents and the other one of the swing arm inside face and the main body inside face includes protrusions, the indents receiving the protrusions when the swing arm is in the closed configuration. 
     
     
         3 . The bracket assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a replenishment door movable between an open position and a closed position, the open position permitting access to the channel from the front end of the main body, the closed position preventing removal of a loop end of a product display hanger. 
     
     
         4 . The bracket assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a latch extending from a distal end of the swing arm, the latch fitting into a slot formed in the main body when the swing arm is in the closed configuration. 
     
     
         5 . The bracket assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the mounting portion includes:
 a top plate member extending from a rear end of the main body;   shelf hole tabs disposed from top plate member, facing downward, wherein the shelf hole tabs are operable to fit into holes disposed along an edge of a gondola shelf;   a shelf facing surface operable to be disposed against a front face of the gondola shelf; and   a bottom tab operable to fit under the gondola shelf to help prevent inadvertent lifting of the bracket assembly.   
     
     
         6 . The bracket assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the mounting portion includes:
 an angled back face operable to be placed on a front edge of a gondola shelf;   a lower tab extending from a bottom of the back face, the lower tab operable to be disposed under the gondola shelf to prevent inadvertent lifting of the bracket assembly;   a shelf guide wire  64  extending through a hole in the gondola shelf;   a protrusion extending from the main body such that the protrusion is adjacent to the shelf guide wire;   a tab extending from a distal end of the swing arm operable to sandwich the shelf guide wire between itself and the protrusion when the swing arm is in the closed configuration; and   a latch extending from the tab and fitting into a hole in the protrusion to secure the bracket assembly in a desired position along the gondola shelf.   
     
     
         7 . The bracket assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a product display hanger having a loop end fitting into the channel and a hanger body portion hanging from the loop end. 
     
     
         8 . The bracket assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the hanger body portion includes a plurality of hanging elements. 
     
     
         9 . The bracket assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the hanging elements includes at least one of hooks and spring clips. 
     
     
         10 . The bracket assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the hanger body portion includes spring clips and the spring clips are resiliently opened against a force of a urethane spring. 
     
     
         11 . The bracket assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the urethane spring fits into recesses in a clip member and a body member of the spring clip. 
     
     
         12 . A bracket assembly comprising:
 a main body;   a mounting portion extending form a rear end of the main body;   a swing arm hingedly attached to a front end of the main body, the swing arm movable between an open configuration and a closed configuration;   a channel formed between a sign mount portion and a main bracket portion of the main body, the channel communicating with the front end of the main body;   a replenishment door movable between an open position and a closed position, the open position permitting access to the channel from the front end of the main body, the closed position preventing removal of a loop end of a product display hanger;   a latch extending from a distal end of the swing arm, the latch fitting into a slot formed in the main body when the swing arm is in the closed configuration; and   a sign retention mechanism operable to retain a sign between a swing arm inside face of the swing arm and a main body inside face when the swing arm is in the closed configuration, wherein one of the swing arm inside face and the main body inside face includes indents and the other one of the swing arm inside face and the main body inside face includes protrusions, the indents receiving the protrusions when the swing arm is in the closed configuration.   
     
     
         13 . The bracket assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the mounting portion includes:
 a top plate member extending from a rear end of the main body;   shelf hole tabs disposed from top plate member, facing downward, wherein the shelf hole tabs are operable to fit into holes disposed along an edge of a gondola shelf;   a shelf facing surface operable to be disposed against a front face of the gondola shelf; and   a bottom tab operable to fit under the gondola shelf to help prevent inadvertent lifting of the bracket assembly.   
     
     
         14 . The bracket assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the mounting portion includes:
 an angled back face operable to be placed on a front edge of a gondola shelf;   a lower tab extending from a bottom of the back face, the lower tab operable to be disposed under the gondola shelf to prevent inadvertent lifting of the bracket assembly;   a shelf guide wire  64  extending through a hole in the gondola shelf;   a protrusion extending from the main body such that the protrusion is adjacent to the shelf guide wire;   a tab extending from a distal end of the swing arm operable to sandwich the shelf guide wire between itself and the protrusion when the swing arm is in the closed configuration; and   a latch extending from the tab and fitting into a hole in the protrusion to secure the bracket assembly in a desired position along the gondola shelf.