Modular stand and support apparatus for grouping and displaying items

Abstract

A modular stand and support apparatus for grouping and displaying merchandise includes two or more foundations that can intercouple, and which each have a cell in which either a base stand or a riser can be placed. Each riser has a top recess that is also configured to receive a base stand. The base stands are configured to hold an item to be displayed at the cell location, either on the base stand or over the base stand. A user can therefore select a desired arrangement of items by selecting the number of risers in each cell location to elevate an item being displayed at that cell location to a desired height, and the specific item being displayed in each cell location can selected by the user. Because the foundations are intercoupled, the display will tend to stay together when moving the display across a surface.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A modular system for displaying items, comprising:
 a first foundation comprising at least two cells, each cell of the at least two cells defined by a wall surrounding the cell and defining an internal region of the cell, the wall having an external surface, each of the cells and the wall around each cell being a same size, wherein each one of the at least two cells define a bay between contiguous sides of two of the at least two cells;   a second foundation comprising at least one cell, each cell of the at least one cell being the same size as the cells of the first foundation and being defined by a wall surrounding the cell, the wall surrounding each cell of the second foundation having a height that is a same height as a height of the wall around each of the cells of the first foundation;   a plurality of risers, each one of the plurality of risers comprising an extension at a bottom of the riser that is shaped and sized in correspondence with the internal region of each cell, and wherein a body of each one of the risers has an external size and shape matching the external surface of the walls, and each one of plurality of risers having a top including a recess that is identical in size and shape to the internal region of the cells; and   a stand base that is sized and shaped to fit into the recess at the top of the risers, and including a feature to hold an item to be displayed on the stand base.   
     
     
         2 . The modular system of  claim 1 , wherein the feature to hold the item to be displayed is configured to hold a foot of a figure. 
     
     
         3 . The modular system of  claim 2 , wherein the feature comprises opposing portions that extend upward from the stand base and arc toward each other. 
     
     
         4 . The modular system of  claim 1 , wherein the feature to hold the item to be displayed comprises an arm that extends from the stand base and is configured to hold the item above the stand base. 
     
     
         5 . The modular system of  claim 4 , wherein the arm is articulable. 
     
     
         6 . The modular system of  claim 4 , wherein the arm terminates at an upper end in a pair of opposing grasping members that are configured to hold a figure at a waist of the figure. 
     
     
         7 . The modular system of  claim 6 , wherein the arm is configured to hold the figure above the stand base such that the figure is not in contact with the stand base. 
     
     
         8 . The modular system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the cells in the first foundation and the second foundation have a regular hexagonal shape. 
     
     
         9 . The modular system of  claim 1 , further comprising a bottom cover that is configured to fit over an extension at a bottom of a riser of the plurality of risers to conceal the extension. 
     
     
         10 . A modular system for displaying items, comprising:
 a first foundation comprising at least two cells, each cell of the at least two cells defined by a wall surrounding the cell and defining an internal region of the cell, the wall having an external surface, each cell of the at least two cells and the wall around each cell being the same size, wherein each one of the at least two cells define a bay between contiguous sides of at least two of the at least two cells;   a second foundation comprising a plurality of cells, each cell of the plurality of cells being the same size as the cells of the first foundation and being defined by a wall surrounding the cell, the wall surrounding each cell of the second foundation having a height that is a same height as a height of the wall around each of the cells of the first foundation;   wherein in the first foundation and the second foundation, walls that are common between two adjacent cells have a thickness that is twice that of walls that are not common to any other cell;   a plurality of risers, each one of the plurality of risers comprising an extension at a bottom of the riser that is shaped and sized in correspondence with the internal region of each cell, and wherein a body of each one of the risers has an external size and shape matching the external surface of the walls, and each one of plurality of risers having a top including a recess that is identical in size and shape to the internal region of the cells, wherein each one of the plurality of risers is disposed in a respective one of the plurality of cells in either the first foundation or the second foundation; and   a plurality of stand bases, each one of the plurality of stand bases being sized and shaped to fit into the recess at the top of the risers, and including a feature to hold an item to be displayed on the stand base.   
     
     
         11 . The modular system of  claim 10 , wherein, in at least one of the plurality of cells in either the first foundation or the second foundation there are at least two risers stacked vertically in the at least one cell. 
     
     
         12 . The modular system of  claim 10 , wherein the feature to hold the item to be displayed is configured to hold a foot of a figure. 
     
     
         13 . The modular system of  claim 12 , wherein the feature comprises opposing portions that extend upward from the stand base and arc toward each other. 
     
     
         14 . The modular system of  claim 10 , wherein the feature to hold the item to be displayed comprises an arm that extends from the stand base and is configured to hold the item above the stand base. 
     
     
         15 . The modular system of  claim 14 , wherein the arm is articulable. 
     
     
         16 . The modular system of  claim 14 , wherein the arm terminates at an upper end in a pair of opposing grasping members that are configured to hold a figure at a waist of the figure. 
     
     
         17 . The modular system of  claim 16 , wherein the arm is configured to hold the figure above the stand base such that the figure is not in contact with the stand base. 
     
     
         18 . The modular system of  claim 10 , wherein each of the cells in the first foundation and the second foundation have a regular hexagonal shape. 
     
     
         19 . The modular system of  claim 10 , further comprising a bottom cover that is configured to fit over an extension at a bottom of a riser of the plurality of risers to conceal the extension.