US3412485A - Carpet display device - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 26, 1968 e. 1.. REIGLER E AL 3,412,435

CARPET DISPLAY DEVICE Filed Aug. 22, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Guy L. Reig/er William J. Hartley INVENTORS.

United States Patent Ofice 3,412,485 CARPET DISPLAY DEVICE Guy L. Reigler and William J. Hartley, New York, N.Y., assignors to Thomas Pride Mills, Inc., a corporation of New York Filed Aug. 22, 1966, Ser. No. 574,019 10 Claims. (Cl. 35-55) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A carpet sample display device including a structure for supporting carpet samples in observable position and illumination devices selectively actuated for illuminating the carpet samples with various types of illuminations.

This invention generally appertains to improvements in display devices, which are used in showrooms and in wholesale and retail stores or establishments for the purpose of displaying samples and more particularly relates to novel improvements in display devices for displaying swatches or samples of material, particularly carpeting, for use in the furnishing of the interior of a building.

It is extremely difficult to display carpets in a manner so that they will be visually attractive to customers and have the desired psychological impact on the customers whereby the customers will, first of all, be attracted from a distance to the carpets and then, secondly, and most importantly, be able to examine a wide range of carpets of different texture, colors and designs in a manner so that they can appreciate the qualities of the carpets and make a judicious selection of a particular pattern and color, based upon a complete realization of how the carpet will appear under all lighting conditions and how it will appear in relation to various room settings.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a display device for displaying samples or swatches of carpets in an extremely attractive manner, so that a number of samples can be disposed, in a very attractive arrangement, from a visual and psychological standpoint, whereby a potential customer will be attracted to the display from a distance and, having had his attention focused thereon, will become psychologically interested so as to approach the display for a closer examination of carpet samples, with respect to the construction and pattern and color qualities of the carpets.

In line with the foregoing, another important object of the present invention is to provide a display device, which will display any number of swatches or samples of carpets under all lighting conditions upon closer inspection of the display arrangement by the potential customer so that, after the customer is drawn to the display arrangement, the customer can visually inspect various samples or swatches under three different types of lighting elfects, namely, daylight, incandescent and fluorescent. In this respect, each of such lighting effects has a distinctive effect on the coloring of the carpet, actually altering the tone appreciably from one to the other and, therefore, the customer will be able to visualize how the carpet will look when installed in a room, wherein such lighting effects would be present at various times.

A further important object of the present invention is to provide a display device for carpets whereby the customer not only can examine a carpet sample to determine the texture, durability and wearability of the entire carpet but also to have a clear and exact visual indication, from such examination of a sample or swatch, of how the carpet will look under the different types of lighting effects and also to have a rather general visual indication of how the carpet will appear in association with various room settings.

3,412,485 Patented Nov. 26, 1968 Thus, a most comprehensive object of the present invention is to provide a carpet display device that will attract the attention of a potential customer, standing at a distance therefrom so as to draw the customer closer to the displayed carpet samples for a closer inspection thereof and to permit the customer, during such inspection, to obtain a clear and exact visual realization of how selected carpets will look under all lighting conditions and how selected carpets will look in connection with various room settings. Therefore, the display device of the present invention functions, from a psychological standpoint, to serve as an attractive, eye catcher for gaining the attention of a potential customer so as to draw the customer closer to the samples for a close physical examination thereof and to enable, during such close physical examination, the customer to realize, from an examination only of a swatch or sample, as to how the complete carpet, when installed with any given room setting and under any lighting conditions, will appear, thereby permitting the customer to make a judicious, positive and self-satisfying selection of a particular carpet.

An important feature of the present invention is to provide a display device, which includes a vertical housing, mounted on a compartmented storage chest or the like, which has an attractive appearance and to provide a horizontally disposed panel which serves as the top wall of the housing and which overlies the top of the storage device and on the underside of which are disposed at plurality of parallel rails or tracks, from which carpet samples are vertically suspended by means of supports that are slidably mounted on the tracks or rails so that the vertically suspended carpet samples can be extended into various groupings on opposite sides of the housing and can be moved into unexposed positions, in a collective bundle, behind the housing. The samples, by means of removable attached supports or runners, are slidably suspended from the tracks or rails, with the carpet samples being completely removable from the supports or runners whereby a carpet sample may be laid on the floor surface, adjacent the display device, so that a potential customer can walk thereon and otherwise, physically and visually inspect the sample, in a floor position that the complete laid carpet would be disposed.

In line with the foregoing, another important feature of the present invention is to provide a runner construction for slidable engagement with the rails or tracks, the runner construction being provided with means for releasably supporting an elongated section of a carpet, whereby a sample of one carpet can be removed from a runner and a sample of another carpet, which is different in design, color or the like visual aspects and different in quality and texture aspects, can be attached thereto as a replacement for display purposes.

Another important feature of construction of the present invention resides in the provision of a vertical opening in the front wall of the housing, with a display partition being disposed transversely in the housing at the lower end of the opening and on which a swatch or sample of a carpet can be superimposed with a lighting means arranged in the housing and housed thereby in a position overlying the carpet sample or swatch on the display partition, with the rays from the illumination means being cast downwardly directly onto the carpet swatch and over the entire surface thereof, the illumination means including a first incandescent illumination member, a second fluorescent illumination member and a third daylight illumination member, said members being grouped together within the housing and arranged so that illumination rays therefrom are cast directly upon the sample with means being provided and being disposed in a position, easily accessible by a customer standing in front of and gazing upon a sample, for selectively controlling the operation of said illumination members so that the illumination means visually indicates how the colors of the carpet sample will look under incandescent, fluorescent and daylight lighting effects, whereby the purchaser can obtain a clear visual indication from the thusly illuminated samples of how a particular carpet will look under such lighting effects when the carpet is installed. Each of the illumination members has a distinctive effect on the coloring of the carpet sample, actually altering the toning appreciably from one to the other and the overall effect, from a psychological standpoint, will be to give the potential customer a definite realization and appreciation of the tonal qualities of the carpet when it is installed.

A still further important feature of he present invention resides in the provision of visual effect means on the front wall of the housing, above the display partition, which visual effect means is in the nature of a holder for a photographic transparency of any room setting with carpeting installed therein, illumination means being housed in the housing behind the photographic .transparency and the holder being constructed so that any number of photographic transparencies, depicting any number of room settings, can be positioned in place on the front wall of the housing.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a very attractive, compact, inexpensive and most effective and efiicient display device for carpet samples or swatches.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a carpet display device constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical, cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a detailed, fragmentary vertical sectional view of the housing, showing in elevation the illumination means for achieving the various lighting effects on a carpet sample and for illuminating the photographic transparency;

FIGURE 4 is a detailed, transverse sectional view taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a detailed, transverse sectional view, taken on the line S5 of FIGURE 1; and,

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational View illustrating the manner of detachably securing one of the carpet samples to the runner or support, which is slidably mounted in the overhead track or rail.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the display device 10 is particularly intended for use in attractively and effectively displaying samples of carpet but, while this is the preferred environmental use of the device and the same has been shown in such environment in the drawings and will be described hereinafter in such environmental use, it is to be understood that the display device 10 can be used in connection with the displaying of samples of any commercial product, wherein the special attributes and features of construction of the display device 10 would be of significant value in the displaying of such products.

The display device 10 comprises a housing 12, which is vertically orientated and is composed of a vertical back or rear wall 14, vertically disposed side walls 16 and 13, which are in spaced opposing relation, and a front wall 20.

The housing 12 has a top wall 22, which is of substantial length and is substantially rectangular in plan view. The top wall 22 has a front edge portion 24, which overlies or extends beyond the front wall 20 of the housing 12, with the housing being disposed substantially centrally of the top wall 22. The top wall 22 is joined, at its rear edge 26, to a vertical back wall 28, which is coextensive in length with the top wall 22, the top and back walls 22 and 28 being disposed in right angular relationship, with the housing 12 being disposed substantially centrally of the top and bottom walls, which are coextensive in length, as can be appreciated from a consideration of FIGURE 1.

The rear wall 28 has a lower end portion 28a, which forms the back wall for a compartmented chest 30, having sliding drawers 32, for a purpose to be described, and having a flat counter or table top 34, the latter underlying the top wall 24 and having a projecting front end edge 36, which extends beyond the front wall 20 of the housing 12 and extends slightly beyond the outer edge 24 of the horizontal top wall 22.

The housing 12 is disposed vertically between the counter or table top 34 and the top wall 22 and the rear wall 14 thereof is spaced outwardly from the rear wall 28 of the overall device 10. The inner surface of the rear wall 28 may be lined with a decorative and absorbent panel 38, formed from asbestos or the like, and the outer or rear surface of the rear wall 14 of the houing 12 is likewise lined with an asbestos panel 40, the panel linings being provided for absorbent, decorative purposes and for protective purposes with regard to the heat generated by the assorted illumination means to be described.

The undersnrface 22a of the top wall 22 is formed with a plurality of parallel rails or tracks 42, each of which is of channel-shaped construction and has a slotted bottom surface 44. The tracks or rails 42 extend substantially the full length of the top wall 22 and are arranged in parallel, slightly spaced relation between the rear wall 14 of the housing 12 and the inner surface of the rear wall 28 of the display device 10. The number and spacing of the rails or tracks is dependent upon the distance between the housing 12 and the back wall 28 and the number illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2 is merely for exemplary purposes.

A plurality of elongated samples or swatches 46 of carpet are adapted to be suspended from the rails or tracks 42 and are adapted to be moved inwardly and outwardly relative to the housing 12, so that they can be positioned in extended, overlapping display relationship, as shown in FIGURE 1. Also, when desired, they can be moved inwardly so that they will lie substantially behind the housing 12. The samples 46 are of substantially elongated formations and each has a vertical dimension that proximates the distance between the counter top 34 and the undersurface 22a of the top wall 22. Thus, the samples are rather narrow, though there is no restriction on the particular size or shape but it is believed that, if the panels span the distance between the top wall 24 and the counter 34, and are of a width so that they can be extended in staggered, overlapping relationship, they will present a much more attractive and eye catching appearance.

Means is provided for slidably mounting the upper edge 46a of each of the samples on a selected rail or track 42, Thus, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 6, T-shaped carriers or runners 48 are provided and are slidably mounted in the rails or tracks, the head portions 48a being slidably disposed within the channel-shaped tracks or rails and the leg portions 48b extending through the slots in the undersurface 44 of each rail or track and depending therefrom, The leg portions 48b have front faces 50, which are provided with permanently attached connecting strips 52, the strips being very narrow and elongated and extending the full length of the slide or runner 50. One type strip that may be used is that which is well known commercially under the trade name Velcro. A cooperating connecting strip 54 is attached to the rear face of the upper edge 46a of each sample 46, whereby the samples are releasably fastened to the runners or glides and are securely fastened thereto, along the entire upper edges thereof, whereby they may be dependably suspended from the runners or glides. It can be appreciated that, with such type of releasable fastening means, the samples can be easily removed from the runners or glides to observe them on the floor and replacement samples can be attached to the runners or glides.

As can be appreciated from a consideration of FIG- URE 2, the depending leg portions 48b of the runners or glides 48 are spaced apart, so that the carpet samples 46 can move, relative to each other, without any interference, and so that the carpet samples can be separately gripped and moved inwardly and outwardly or can be collectively moved.

As afore generally expressed, one of the primary purposes of the present invention is to display the carpet samples 46 in such a manner that the potential customer can view the samples from a distance and be drawn, through psychological impulse, due to the attractive display arrangement, to a closer examination of the carpet samples 46.

Accordingly, dome lights 56 and 58 are mounted in the top wall 22 and are disposed on opposite sides of the vertical housing 12 and positioned in line with the side walls of the housing, as shown in FIGURE 2, whereby they are disposed in advance of the extended samples 46, as can be appreciated from a consideration of FIGURES 1 and 2. The dome lights 56 and 58 include conventional light bulbs 60, which are encased in dome-like housings 62, the latter being removably secured in suitable vertical openings 46 formed in the top wall, with cover or filter plates 66 being provided and closing off the openings 64 so that the light rays from the light bulbs 60 are softly diffused downwardly and cast evenly over the exposed faces of the vertically disposed and overlapping samples 46.

Means is provided and structurally associated with the housing 12 whereby a selected sample or selected samples or swatches of carpet may be more closely viewed by a customer and, more especially, may be viewed under all lighting conditions or variable lighting circumstances. The means, generally designated by the reference numeral 68, includes the provision of a vertical opening 70 in the front wall of the housing. A display partition 72 is transversely mounted within the housing and disposed between the side walls 16 and 18 and extends from the front wall through the opening 70 at the lower square end edge 74 of the opening. The display partition 72 projects beyond the outer surface of the front wall 20 and terminates in an upstanding retaining ledge or rib 76. The partition 72 is disposed in a downwardly and outwardly inclined or sloped position between the side walls, so that its outer end extends outwardly and downwardly beyond the front wall 20.

The projecting forward portion of the partition 72, inwardly of the ledge 76 is formed with vertical openings 78, adjacent the side edges of the partition, to receive removable retaining binder loops 80, which hold together a number of substantially rectangular swatches 82 of carpet, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. The swatches 82 are superimposed on the inclined upper surface 84 of the display partition and are secured to the partition by the binding loops 80. The draws 32 are utilized to house additional binders 86, as shown in FIGURE 2, the loops 80 having conventional locking means, whereby they can be opened to be attached to the display partition or to remove or insert other swatches 82.

Illumination means 88 is provided for casting rays of daylight, incandescent and fluorescent lighting effects on the swatches 82, as they are exposed on the display partition 72, as shown in FIGURE 2. The illumination means 88, as shown more particularly in FIGURE 3, comprises a daylight light bulb 90, which is screwed into a retaining and electrically conductive socket 92 that is anchored by a bracket 94 to the inner surface of the rear wall 14 of the housing. An incandescent light bulb 96 is removably screwed into a socket 98 which is fixed by a bracket 100 to the rear inner surface of the rear wall 14, the sockets and brackets being coplanar, as shown in FIG- URE 3, so that the bulbs 90 and 96 are positioned at the same vertical distance above the upper surface 84 of the display partition 72. An annular fluorescent light tube 102 is interposed between the bulbs and 96 and is held in place by an anchoring means 104 and attached to a socket 106. The tube 102 is disposed at substantially the same height as the height of the bulbs 90 and 96.

Conductor leads 108, from the socket 92, leads from the socket 98 and leads 112 from the socket 106 are collectively assembled together and attached to a three-way switch 114, which is mounted on a flat reflector panel 116 that extends below the arcuate upper edge 118 of the vertical opening 70 in the front wall 20 of the housing 12. The switch 114 is of conventional construction and is connected with a suitable source of electrical energy, in any conventional fashion. The switch is actuated by a rotatable shaft 118 that has an insulated knob 120 provided on its outer end and disposed in front of the panel 116 in a very readily accessible position so that a customer can actuate the switch with one hand, while flipping the swatches 82 with the other hand.

The actuation of the switch 114 permits the exposed swatch, such as the swatch 82a, in FIGURE 2, to be illuminated with light rays from the daylight illumination means 90, incandescent illumination means 96, and fluorescent illumination means 102, each of these illumination means or lighting means having a distinctive effect on the coloring of the swatch 82a, actually altering the toning thereof appreciably from one color to the other.

In association with the visual inspection of the swatches 82, under the selective lighting conditions for appreciating the tonal qualities of the swatches, means is provided, whereby the customer can, at the same time, have a visual appreciation of how the carpet will appear in various room settings. For this purpose, a frame 122 is mounted on the outer surface of the front wall 12 and surrounds an opening 124 formed therein. The frame is adapted to slidably receive and retain a photographic transparency 126 of any room setting. The transparency is illuminated by a light source 128, which includes a conventional light bulb 130 mounted in a socket 132 that is fixed on a transverse wall 134 in the housing 12. The partition wall 134, with the pertinent portions of the front, side, rear and top walls, defines a housing 136 for the illumination means 128, with the rear wall being provided with openings 138 in the housing 136 for the dissipation of heat rays from the bulb 130. Of course, the top wall, above the housing, could also be provided with suitable vent openings.

' The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A display device particularly for displaying samples of carpet material; said device comprising a vertical housing having a front wall formed with a vertical opening, a display partition provided transversely in the housing and disposed adjacent the lower end of the opening, means for positioning a carpet sample on the display partition in a manner so that the upper surface of the carpet sample is visible, illumination means positioned in the housing above the opening in the front wall and disposed above the display partition so that light rays emanating from the illumination means will be cast evenly over the upper surface of a carpet sample disposed on the partition, said illumination means including a first incandescent illumination member, a second fluorescent illumination member and a third daylight illumination member, said illumination members being grouped and arranged together within the housing and means accessible exteriorly of the front wall of the housing and selectively controlling the operation of said illumination members.

2. The invention of claim 1, and including means binding a number of samples together and said means for positioning a carpet sample on the display partition including said binding means and the provision of means on the display partition removably receiving said binding means.

3. The invention of claim 1, wherein said last means includes a three-way switch rotatably positioned on the housing and electrically connected to the illumination members.

4. The invention of claim 1, wherein said device includes a top wall overlying the housing and extending outwardly from opposing sides of the housing and rearwardly thereof, track means mounted on the underside of the top wall, runner means connected to carpet samples, said runner means being slidable in the track means.

5. The invention of claim 4 and illumination means carried by the top wall on opposite sides of the housing for casting light rays over carpet samples hanging in slidable fashion from the underside of the top Wall.

6. The invention of claim 4 and including means releasably attaching said carpet samples to the runner means.

7. The invention of claim 4, wherein said runner means includes a substantially T-shaped glide member having its head portion slidably mounted on the track means and releasable cooperative fastening strips on the leg portion of each glide member and on the carpet samples.

8. The invention of claim 4, wherein said device further includes a multidrawer chest having a counter top underlying the top wall with the housing mounted substantially centrally between the top wall and the counter top.

9. The invention of claim 4, wherein said device further includes a multidrawer chest having a counter top underlying the top wall with the housing mounted substantially centrally between the top wall and the counter top, and said housing having a rear wall spaced outwardly from said rear wall of the device with the track means including parallel tracks disposed between the rear walls and extending substantially the full length of the top wall.

10. The invention of claim 1, wherein said housing is formed with an illumination chamber above the illumination means, said chamber having an opening formed through the front wall of the housing, and holder means for photographic transparencies surrounding the chamber opening.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,085,180 6/1937 Bevis 3559 2,828,554 4/1958 Harris 35-53 3,135,058 6/1964 Haas et al. 3553 3,205,594 9/1965 Gilbert 35-53 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

H. S. SKOGQUIST, Assistant Examiner.

Images