Stairstep display rack

Claim 2

A stairstep display rack for displaying items in a stairstep arrangement on a horizontal surface comprising: an outer casing; a support member adapted to be mounted within said casing; said member having a generally planar support panel, means for supporting said support panel so that it is inclined relative to the horizontal surface and exposed in said casing when said member is mounted in said casing, and a plurality of aligned slots in said support panel; at least one generally channel shaped pocket means for receiving a quantity of items to be displayed; said pocket means including a front panel, two side panels attached to opposite side edges of said front panel and two back panels respectively connected to the remaining side edges of said side panels, said pocket means further including at least two legs extending downwardly from the lower edge thereof and adapted to be received in said aligned slots, and wherein the lower edges of said side panels are inclined upwardly towards said back panels, with the angle of inclination of the lower edges of said side panels being equal to the angle of inclination of said support panel such that the lower edges of said side panels rest against the upper surface of said support panel thereby maintaining said pocket means in a vertical orientation; and said casing, support member and pocket means each being in the form of a flat, planar sheet of material which may be folded to its assembled configuration; whereby said casing, support member and pocket means may be stored and shipped in a flat configuration, and assembled easily on location without any preassembly.

Claim 3

A stairstep display rack according to claim 1 wherein said outer casing comprises a back panel, a bottom panel, two side panels and a front panel; said side panels are attached to said back panel at opposite side edges thereof, first and second fold lines extend between said side panels and said back panel; said bottom panel is attached to said back panel at a lower edge thereof, a third fold line extends between said back and bottom panels; said front panel has inner and outer sections, said outer section is attached to the edge of said bottom panel opposite said back panel, a fourth fold line extends between said bottom panel and said outer section, said inner section is attached to the edge of said outer section opposite said bottom panel, a double fold line extends between said inner and outer sections; latching means on said front panel inner section and said bottom panel to latch the edge of said inner section opposite said outer section to said bottom panel adjacent said fourth fold line; lateral extensions projecting from the edges of said side panels opposite said back panel and adjacent said bottom panel, fifth and sixth fold lines extend between said lateral extensions and said side panels, the dimension of at least a portion of each lateral extension in a direction substantially parallel to said fifth and sixth fold lines being approximately equal to the dimension of each of said inner and outer sections of said front panel in a direction substantially perpendicular to said fourth and double fold lines; whereby said lateral extensions may be entrapped between said inner and outer front panel sections when said outer casing is folded.

Claim 4

A stairstep display rack according to claim 2, wherein said latching means comprises at least one tab extending from the edge of said inner section opposite said outer section and at least one opening in said bottom panel adjacent said fourth fold line adapted to receive said tab.

Claim 5

A stairstep display rack according to claim 2, wherein generally triangular side flaps are attached to the edges of said side panels opposite said back panel and adjacent said side extensions, double fold lines extend between said side flaps and said side panels; whereby said side flaps reinforce and lie against the inside surfaces of said side panels when said outer casing is folded.

Claim 6

A stairstep display rack according to claim 2, wherein generally rectangular bottom flaps are attached to lower edges of said side panels, seventh and eighth fold lines extend between said bottom flaps and side panels and are generally perpendicular to said first and second fold lines; said bottom flaps having a dimension in a direction substantially parallel to said seventh and eighth fold lines substantially equal to the distance between said third and fourth fold lines; whereby said bottom flaps are adapted to lie against said bottom panel with edges of said bottom flaps contacting said front panel inner section adjacent said latching means and said back panel adjacent said third fold line when said outer casing is folded.

Claim 7

A stairstep display rack according to claim 1, wherein said support panel is generally rectangular and has two side panels attached to opposite side edges thereof, fold lines extend between said side panels and said support panel; each side panel having a portion generally in the form of a right triangle with the hypotenuses thereof coextensive with their respective fold lines.

Claim 8

A stairstep display rack according to claim 6, wherein front and back panels are attached to opposite ones of the remaining edges of said support panel; fold lines extend between said front and support panels and between said back and support panels.

Claim 9

A stairstep display rack according to claim 1, wherein said outer casing includes a back panel; and further comprises a unitary header card having an upper display portion and a lower attachment portion attachable to said back panel; said lower attachment portion having two elongated slits which divide said lower portion into three sections, each section attached directly to said upper display portion.

Claim 10

A stairstep display rack according to claim 1, wherein said aligned slots are arranged in a plurality of rows and columns.

Claim 11

A stairstep display rack according to claim 1 wherein the front panel of said pocket means further includes a cutout along the upper edge thereof to provide maximum exposure of the items to be displayed.

Claim 12

A stairstep display rack comprising a generally planar support panel; means for supporting said support panel at an angle relative to a generally planar surface on which the rack is to be mounted; a plurality of aligned slots in said support panel; a plurality of generally channel shaped pocket means said pocket means including a front panel, two side panels attached to opposite side edges of said front panel, and two back panels respectively connected to the remaining side edges of said side panels, said pocket means further including at least two legs extending downwardly from the lower edge thereof and adapted to be received in said aligned slots, and wherein the lower edges of said side panels are inclined upwardly towards said back panels, with the angle of inclination of the lower edges of said side panels being equal to the angle of inclination of said support panel such that the lower edges of said side panels rest against the upper surface of said support panel to maintain said pocket means in a vertical orientation; at least some of said pocket means arranged in a line extending up the incline of said support panel; whereby said pocket means are arranged in a stairstep manner.

Claim 13

A stairstep display rack comprising a generally planar support panel; means for supporting said support panel at an angle relative to a generally planar surface on which the rack is to be mounted; a plurality of aligned slots in said support panel; a plurality of generally channel shaped pocket means said pocket means including a front panel, two side panels attached to opposite side edges of said front panel, and two back panels respectively connected to the remaining side edges of said side panels, said pocket means further including at least two legs extending downwardly from the lower edge thereof and adapted to be received in said aligned slots, and wherein the lower edges of said side panels are inclined upwardly towards said back panels, with the angle of inclination of the lower edges of said side panels being equal to the angle of inclination of said support panel such that the lower edges of said side panels rest against the upper surface of said support panel to maintain said pocket means in a vertical orientation; at least some of said pocket means arranged in a line extending up the incline of said support panel; whereby said pocket means are arranged in a stairstep manner.