Product display stand with reduced movement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12201227-B2
Application number	US-202217805359-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 3, 2022
Priority date	Jun 3, 2022
Publication date	Jan 21, 2025
Grant date	Jan 21, 2025

Abstract

A product display stand for reducing displayed product movement can be used in a retail environment to reduce movement of a product displayed by the product display stand. Such product display stand includes a damping assembly configured to attach to a display platform. The damping assembly includes a housing configured to attach to the display platform. The housing defines a damping chamber. The assembly also includes within the chamber a damping flange and damping material. The product display stand also includes a display post fixed to the damping flange. The display post extends above the display platform and to retain and display a product.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A product display stand for reducing displayed product movement, the product display stand comprising:
a damping assembly configured to directly attach to a first side of a display platform, the damping assembly comprising:
a damping assembly housing configured to attach to the display platform, the damping assembly housing defining a damping chamber;
a damping flange disposed within the damping chamber; and
damping material disposed between the damping flange and walls of the damping chamber; and

a display post fixed to the damping flange, the display post extending from the damping flange to outside of the damping chamber, the display post configured to extend through the display platform and away from a second side of the display platform opposite the first side, and to retain and display a product.

2. The product display stand of claim 1 , wherein the damping material comprises an upper damping material unit and a lower damping material unit,
wherein the lower damping material unit rests on a lower wall of the damping chamber,
wherein the damping flange rests on the lower damping material unit, and
wherein the upper damping material unit is positioned at an opposite side of the damping flange as is the lower damping material unit.

3. The product display stand of claim 2 , wherein the damping material is foam.

4. The product display stand of claim 1 , wherein the damping chamber has a height, and wherein the damping flange and the damping material together have a height equal to the damping chamber height.

5. The product display stand of claim 1 , wherein the damping chamber has a height, and wherein the damping flange and the damping material together have a height greater than the damping chamber height in an unloaded configuration.

6. The product display stand of claim 1 , wherein the damping material is resilient, and is more compressible than the damping flange.

7. The product display stand of claim 1 , wherein the display post is fixed to the damping flange at a center of the damping flange.

8. The product display stand of claim 1 , wherein the display post is removably fixed to the damping flange.

9. The product display stand of claim 1 , wherein in response to a force applied to the display post, the damping flange is configured to compress a first portion of the damping material disposed between the damping flange and a lower wall of the damping assembly housing, and to compress a second portion of the damping material disposed between the damping flange and the display platform,
wherein the first portion of the damping material and the second portion of the damping material are disposed opposite each other about the display post.

10. The product display stand of claim 1 , wherein the damping material is compressed in a stationary configuration.

11. The product display stand of claim 1 , wherein the damping flange comprises damping feet protruding therefrom, the damping feet compressing the damping material to a greater extent than other areas of the damping flange compress the damping material.

12. A product display stand for reducing displayed product movement, the product display stand comprising:
a damping assembly configured to attach to a display platform, the damping assembly comprising:
a damping assembly housing configured to attach to the display platform, the damping assembly housing defining a damping chamber;
a damping flange disposed within the damping chamber; and
damping material disposed between the damping flange and walls of the damping chamber; and

a display post fixed to the damping flange, the display post extending from the damping flange to outside of the damping chamber, the display post configured to extend to an opposite side of the display platform and to retain and display a product,
wherein a lower wall of the damping assembly housing defines an opening therethrough,
wherein the damping flange has a diameter larger than a diameter of the opening, and
wherein a portion of the damping material is disposed between the flange and the lower wall around the opening.

13. The product display stand of claim 12 , wherein the damping flange comprises a protruding portion extending through the opening.

14. The product display stand of claim 12 , wherein a lower end of the display post is accessible through the opening.

15. The product display stand of claim 12 , wherein the display post comprises an attachment member, and wherein the attachment member is received in and couples to a portion of the damping flange protruding through the opening.

16. A product display system for reducing product oscillation, the product display system comprising:
a retail display fixture comprising a display platform defining an opening therethrough, the retail display fixture configured to support displayed products disposed on or above the display platform; and
a display stand comprising:
a damping assembly attached to an underside of the display platform at the opening; and
a display post extending from the damping assembly through the display platform to a position above the display platform, the display post configured to retain a displayed item above the display platform,

wherein the damping assembly absorbs forces applied to the display post to diminish movement of the display post by transmitting the forces to foam within the damping assembly through compression of the foam.

17. The product display system of claim 16 , wherein as the display post oscillates due to forces applied to the display post, a damping flange of the damping assembly tilts back and forth to transmit the forces to the foam and thereby diminish the oscillation of the display post.

18. The product display system of claim 16 , wherein the display post is rigidly coupled to a damping flange contained within a damping chamber of the damping assembly, and
wherein the damping flange is held within the damping chamber by a housing of the damping assembly, and is not directly attached to the display platform.

19. The product display system of claim 16 , wherein the damping assembly is not visible from above the display platform.

20. The product display system of claim 16 , wherein the display post is at least 50 times longer than a diameter of the display post.

21. The product display system of claim 16 , wherein the display post is at least 100 times longer than a diameter of the display post.

22. The product display system of claim 16 , wherein the retail display fixture comprises a plurality of openings therethrough, and
wherein the product display system comprises a plurality of the display stands, the display post of each display stand extending through one of the openings.

23. A method for reducing movement of a product displayed on a display stand, the method comprising:
in response to a force applied to the product, transferring the force through a display post to a damping chamber disposed below a display platform;
absorbing the force by compressing resilient damping material within the damping chamber using movement of a structure disposed within the damping chamber and fixed to the display post, wherein the resilient damping material comprises a first damping material and a second damping material, wherein the second damping material has a different damping characteristic from the first damping material; and
repeating the absorbing step until the product is still,
wherein the first damping material and the

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Wang Eric Weijia
• Ritter Gregory R
• Adams Joshua
• Ching Olivia
• Nambiar Priya K
• Schwalbach Charles A
• Herman David S
• Camp John S
• Schneider Samuel O

Classifications

• F16F15/04

  using elastic means (single elements or their attachment F16F1/00 - F16F13/00); {(F16F15/023, F16F15/03 take precedence)} · CPC title

• F16M11/22

  with approximately constant height, e.g. with constant length of column or of legs (F16M11/42 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16M2200/08

  Foot or support base · CPC title

• F16M13/02

  for supporting on, or attaching to, an object, e.g. tree, gate, window-frame, cycle · CPC title

• F16F2230/0076

  Pivoting · CPC title