GB2289154A - Display apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Display apparatus comprises a wall mounting (10, Figure 1) having a T-shaped channel 12 therein. Card dispensers 11 are removably mounted in the mounting (10) by way of a curved support member 21. The configuration of the channel 12 and support member 21 allow the dispensers 11 to be mounted in the mounting (10) with minimal space therebetween. <IMAGE>

Description

DISPLAY APPARATUS This invention relates to a display apparatus and more particularly a display board which mounts a number of removable receptacles or dispensers.

Display apparatus of-the abovementioned type is known, however usually with these apparatus the means for removably mounting the receptacles or dispensers onto the apparatus is such as to prevent adjacent receptacles or dispensers from being mounted in very close positions to each other, thereby resulting in non-utilisation of some of the available space on the apparatus.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a display apparatus which is capable of mounting a number of removable receptacles or dispensers with a minimum of wasted space therebetweeen.

According to the present invention therefore there is provided a display apparatus for mounting of multiple receptacles or dispensers removably thereon, said mounting being such as to enable each said receptacle or dispenser to be mounted in close proximity to adjacent receptacles or dispensers.

With this arrangement it is possible to achieve maximum utilisation of the available space on a display apparatus.

Preferably said dispenser is a dispenser for dispensing business cards of the kind in which a supply of such cards is contained within the dispenser on a spring biassed dispensing surface whereby as cards are removed from the dispenser, the remaining cards are biassed upwardly to the dispenser outlet. Alternatively, cards bearing any other desired information may be stored in the dispenser.

Preferably said receptacles or dispensers are provided with attachment means which cooperate with fixing means on the apparatus to removably secure the receptacle to the apparatus.

Preferably said attachment means comprises an attachment member which extends substantially along an upper edge of a rear surface of the dispenser or receptacle and in this case said securing means may comprise a suitably configured groove, slot or aperture to receive said member. In a particularly preferred embodiment said attachment member is curved upwardly away from said upper edge and is generally of arcuate form and said securing means comprises a generally L-shaped or T-shaped groove.

Alternatively said attachment member and said securing means may take any form as desired or as appropriate, the only requirement being that the receptacles or dispensers are fixed removably to the apparatus in close proximity to each other.

Whilst it is envisaged that the display apparatus may be used wholly or substantially wholly for the removable attachment of dispensers or receptacles, it is within the scope of the present invention for the dispensers or receptacles to be provided over certain predetermined areas of the display apparatus, say, for example, the remaining areas can be used for advertising material or material identifying a particular type of material displayed or dispensed from the receptacles or dispensers in each predetermined area, e.g. gardening services, home services, financial services, etc.

The invention will now be described further by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of one form of display apparatus according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of one form of dispenser of the apparatus of Figure 1, to a larger scale; and Figure 3 is a sectional side view of a part of the apparatus of Figure 1, to a larger scale, showing the attachment of the dispenser to the apparatus in more detail.

Referring now to the figures, there is shown in Figure 1 a display apparatus comprising a wall mounting 10 to which are removably attached multiple card dispensers 11.

The wall 10 has a generally T-shaped channel 12 formed therein at spaced intervals from a top to a bottom thereof. The channels extend substantially from side to side of the wall and are generally parallel to each other.

Each card dispenser 11 comprises a generally translucent moulded plastics box structure, having an opening 1 3 into the interior of the box structure. The opening is formed by front and top walls 14, 16 terminating short of a front edge 17 of the box structure. Cards to be dispensed are supported on a support member 1 8 which is biassed towards the opening 13 under the action of a spring 19. Thus, upon removal of a card from the dispenser 11, the remaining cards are biassed towards the opening whereby the next card can be removed.

Formed integrally with the dispenser 11 and extending substantially along a rear top edge thereof, is a downwardly curved support member 21 which, in use, cooperates with the channel 12 in the wall to removably locate the dispenser 11 relative to the wall mounting 10. Whilst it is stated above that the support member 21 is formed integrally with the dispenser 11 it can, of course, alternatively be attached thereto as a separate piece in any suitable manner. Furthermore, whilst in Figure 3 the support member 21 is show biassed upwardly towards an outlet of the dispenser at the top thereof, the outlet can alternatively be provided at a front thereof and in this case the support member 21 can be biassed forwadly.

In use, the wall mounting 10 can be mounted for display, for example in any retail outlet and can be wall mounted or mounted in any other way as desired or as appropriate. Once the wall mounting 10 has been suitably mounted, multiple dispensers 11 can be removably mounted on the wall mounting 10 in close side by side disposition with very little space therebetween by insertion of the respective support member 21 into the channel 12 whereby the member 21 bears against a lower arm 23 of the channel 12 to locate the dispenser relative to the wall mounts 10. By suitable spacing of the chanels 12 in the wall mounting 10, the spacing between adjacent dispensers 11 can be minimised to 1-2mm or even less to the extent that adjacent dispensers are in abutting contact with each other.

The ability to mount the dispensers 11 in such close proximity to each other on the wall mounting 10 arises due to the fact that the removable connection between the dispenser 11 and the wall mounting 10 occupies no space on the mounting 10 which could be occupied by a dispenser 11.

Thus, for a given dispenser size and available wall mounting size, a more efficient and better utilisation of the available space can be achieved due to the type of mounting used in the present invention.

Thus, for example, in the case where the dispensers are used to dispense business cards, a charge may be made to a person or company whose services are advertised by way of the card to have their cards in the display apparatus and, it will be appreciated that in circumstances such as this, the revenue to be obtained from such an apparatus is maximised by maximising the amount of dispensers provided in the apparatus as a consequence of reducing wasted space.

As shown in Figure 1, advertising space or information relating to the particular types of service covered in dispensers in a particular area of the apparatus (shown at 22) may be interposed between the dispensers to assist a person consulting the apparatus to identify a particular type of service.

However, even in these circumstances, the number of dispensers which can be mounted on the available space is still maximised.

It is of course to be understood that the invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above embodiment which are described by way of example only.

Claims (10)

1. Display apparatus for mounting of multiple receptacles or dispensers removably thereon, said mounting being such as to enable each said receptacle or dispenser to be mounted in close proximity to adjacent receptacles or dispensers.

2. Display apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said dispenser is a dispenser for dispensing business cards of the kind in which a supply of such cards is contained within the dispenser on a spring biassed dispensing surface whereby as cards are removed from the dispenser, the remaining cards are biassed upwardly to the dispenser outlet.

3. Display apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said receptacles or dispensers are provided with attachment means which cooperate with fixing means on the apparatus to removably secure the receptacle to the apparatus.

4. Display apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said attachment means comprises an attachment member which extends substantially along an upper edge of a rear surface of the dispenser or receptacle.

5. Display apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said securing means comprises a suitably configured groove, slot or aperture to receive said member.

6. Display apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 5 wherein said attachment means is curved upwardly away from said upper edge and is generally of arcuate form and said securing means is a generally L-shaped or T-shaped groove.

7. Display apparatus according to any preceding claim in which substantially the whole thereof is used for removable attachment of dispensers.

8. Display apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein predetermined areas of said display apparatus are used for removable mounting of receptacles, remaining areas being used for advertising material or material identifying a particular type of material displayed or dispensed from the receptacles or dispensers in each predetermined area.

9. Display apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

10. A receptacle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings.