Wedge apparatus for retail device display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11147397-B1
Application number	US-202117173910-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Feb 11, 2021
Priority date	Feb 11, 2021
Publication date	Oct 19, 2021
Grant date	Oct 19, 2021

Abstract

This document describes a wedge apparatus for retail device display. The techniques described herein provide a seamless graphic panel on an attachment surface that can be used to present any one of a plurality of different hardware devices on a complex plastic-injection molded assembly. The attachment surface of the wedge apparatus includes a single surface with a plurality of hole patterns, each usable for mounting a different hardware device for retail display. The wedge apparatus provides connection points for attachment of an interchangeable graphic panel, which includes a single hole-pattern accommodating one of the plurality of devices to be displayed. The seamless joining of the various parts of the wedge apparatus enables the graphic panel to be wrapped around the wedge apparatus without a seam being visible through the material of the graphic panel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wedge apparatus for retail device display, the wedge apparatus comprising: a body having a tapered cross section including a bottom side for attachment to a mounting surface, a rear side connected to the bottom side, and a front side connected to both the rear side and the bottom side;
a faceplate assembled to the front side of the body, the faceplate defining a plurality of hole patterns including at least first and second hole patterns, the first hole pattern corresponding to a first configuration of mounting hardware for a first retail device, the second hole pattern corresponding to a second configuration of mounting hardware for a second retail device that is different than the first configuration, the faceplate oriented at an acute angle relative to the bottom side to enable presentation of corresponding retail devices at a predefined angle from the mounting surface; and
an interchangeable graphic panel configured to wrap around the body to substantially cover the front side, the bottom side, and the rear side, the graphic panel including a hole pattern that is substantially the same shape and size as one of the plurality of hole patterns on the faceplate.

2. The wedge apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the faceplate comprises a panel that is slidably assembled to the front side of the body via one or more flanges on the body.

3. The wedge apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the graphic panel is configured to:
cover the front side and the faceplate; and
provide access to only the one of the plurality of hole patterns on the faceplate that corresponds to the hole pattern in the graphic panel.

4. The wedge apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the acute angle is between approximately 45 degrees and approximately 89 degrees for a semi-vertical presentation of the mounted retail device; or
the acute angle is between approximately 10 degrees and approximately 45 degrees for a semi-horizontal display of the mounted retail device.

5. The wedge apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the rear side includes an access panel connected to the body via a hinged connection and configured to provide access to an interior of the body.

6. The wedge apparatus of claim 5 , wherein:
the body includes a first set of protrusions located on an inner surface of the body, on the rear side, and proximate to the access panel;
the access panel includes a second set of protrusions located on an inner surface of the access panel; and
the first and second sets of protrusions are configured to protrude through mounting holes defined at opposing ends of the graphic panel to secure the graphic panel to the body.

7. The wedge apparatus of claim 6 , wherein:
the access panel includes opposing first and second edges;
the first edge is connected to the hinged connection; and
the second set of protrusions is located proximate to the second edge.

8. The wedge apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the access panel provides tension to the graphic panel when the access panel is closed.

9. The wedge apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
first and second end caps configured to cover opposing sides of the body that are substantially orthogonal to the front side, the bottom side, and the rear side, wherein:
at least one of the first and second end caps is configured to secure the faceplate to the body; and
each end cap of the first and second end caps includes an interior surface having a push tab extending from the interior surface, the push tab configured to removably secure the end cap to the body.

10. The wedge apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the body is plastic-injection molded.

11. The wedge apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the faceplate is a metal material.

12. The wedge apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the graphic panel defines additional holes to accommodate at least one of:
a set of mechanical fasteners used to attach the wedge apparatus to the mounting surface via threaded inserts located on the bottom side of the body; or
an adhesive attached to the bottom side of the body to bond the bottom side to the mounting surface.

13. The wedge apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the graphic panel defines the additional holes to accommodate both the set of mechanical fasteners and the adhesive.

14. The wedge apparatus of claim 12 , wherein:
the additional holes correspond to the adhesive attached to the bottom side of the body; and
the additional holes are elongated in a lengthwise direction of the graphic panel.

15. The wedge apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the body includes the threaded inserts on the bottom side of the body and additional threaded inserts on the rear side of the body to enable the wedge apparatus to be mounted to the mounting surface in either a vertical orientation for a semi-vertical presentation of the corresponding retail devices or a horizontal orientation for a semi-horizontal presentation of the corresponding retail devices.

16. The wedge apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the graphic panel is a flexible plastic.

17. The wedge apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the graphic panel covers hole patterns of the plurality of hole patterns in the faceplate that do not correspond to the corresponding retail devices.

18. The wedge apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first and second hole patterns overlap one another.

19. The wedge apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the hole pattern in the graphic panel matches the first hole pattern corresponding to the first configuration of mounting hardware for the first retail device; and
the graphic panel is interchangeable with a second graphic panel having a different hole pattern that matches the second hole pattern corresponding to the second configuration of mounting hardware for the second retail device.

20. The wedge apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the body has a width sufficient to accommodate at least one additional mountable retail device;
the graphic panel includes at least one additional hole pattern that does not overlap the hole pattern corresponding to the one of the plurality of hole patterns on the faceplate; and
the at least one additional hole pattern corresponds to a mounting-hardware configuration of the at least one additional mountable retail device.

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Tewksbury Christopher Graham
• Lee Kelvin
• Satola Sherry L
• Lam Robin C
• Kool Darren Nicholas

Classifications

• A47F2005/165

  with inclined display surface · CPC title

• A47F5/16 Primary

  Platform-type show stands with flat, inclined, or curved upper surface · CPC title