US20060278782A1

US20060278782A1 - Display system

Info

Publication number: US20060278782A1
Application number: US11/151,106
Authority: US
Inventors: Thomas Lockwood; Thomas Lang
Original assignee: Rock Tenn Shared Services LLC
Current assignee: Rock Tenn Shared Services LLC
Priority date: 2005-05-31
Filing date: 2005-06-13
Publication date: 2006-12-14

Abstract

A display system having an improved support structure to reduce the display profile and consequent shipping costs and an improved display hook for mounting on the display grid. A support structure, such as an easel, is formed with or attached to the rear side of the display grid to support the grid in an elevated position. Unlike prior displays that must be shipped with bulky support structures, the easel of this invention is collapsible, allowing the display to retain its relatively thin profile. To install the display in the store, the easel may be quickly and easily formed and locked into place to support the display. The easel may be formed and collapsed as necessary, facilitating both shipping of the display as well as transporting the display in the store. This invention also relates to an improved display hook capable of releasably engaging the grid at three locations and thereby distributing the product load carried by the hook and reducing the likelihood that the hook with be pulled from or otherwise disengage the grid.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION DATA

This application claims priority to a provisional patent application No. 60/686,578 entitled Display System, filed in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on May 31, 2005 and which is herein incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to display systems, and more particularly, to self-supporting displays on which display hooks may be mounted.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Displays for displaying products in retail stores come in all shapes and sizes. To perform their intended function, many displays require that hooks be mounted on the display. The desired products can then be mounted on the hooks and made available to the customer in this way. Many times the hooks disengage from the display under the product loads, leading to display failure. Thus, lack of stability of product-bearing display hooks is a serious problem in the industry, and a need exists for a display that is capable of supporting a variety of hooks in a firm and stabilized manner.
Moreover, regardless of the type of display, all displays must be provided with support structure for retaining the displays in an upright position so that the products on display remain in the customer's line of sight. For example, display stands are provided to elevate the displays from the floor. Other structures are used to prop displays resting on counters. These support structures, which are typically shipped with the displays, are bulky and occupy significant shipping capacity, which in turn leads to increased shipping costs. Thus, a need exists to provide a compact support structure to minimize shipping costs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention addresses the problems of previous display systems by providing a display system having an improved support structure to reduce the display profile and consequent shipping costs and an improved display hook for mounting on the display grid. A support structure, such as an easel, is formed with or attached to the rear side of the display grid to support the grid in an elevated position. Unlike prior displays that must be shipped with bulky support structures, the easel of this invention is collapsible (the easel preferably collapses into a plane substantially parallel to the grid), allowing the display to retain its relatively thin profile. Thus, when the display is shipped with its associated easel in a collapsed position, more displays may be palletized in a shipping carton, resulting in reduced shipping costs. To install the display in the store, the easel may be quickly and easily formed and locked into place to support the display. The easel may be formed and collapsed as necessary, facilitating both shipping of the display as well as transporting the display in the store.
This invention also relates to an improved display hook capable of releasably engaging the grid at three locations and thereby distributing the product load carried by the hook and reducing the likelihood that the hook with be pulled from or otherwise disengage the grid. The hook may be positioned and repositioned anywhere on the grid. Moreover, if desired, a cover panel (preferably upon which product information, advertisements, or other graphics may be printed or otherwise provided) may be releasably attached to the front surface the display grid. The cover panel can easily be removed, allowing the grid, easel, and hooks of the display to be re-used with different products.
In addition to display hooks, dividers may also be mounted on the grid to help organize the products hanging from the hooks and prevent them from moving laterally and becoming entangled, which can often happen during shipping and when the display is positioned in an upright, but tilted position.
It is an object of this invention to provide a display system that includes a compact support structure, such as a collapsible easel, mounted on a display grid.
It is another object of this invention to provide a display hook for a display grid that is structured to firmly mount on a display grid and prevent unintended disengagement from the grid.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of one embodiment of the self-supporting display of this invention.
FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the grid of the display of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the grid of FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 5 is a plan view of the blank used to form the easel of FIG. 1.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the blank of FIG. 5 in partially folded condition.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the blank of FIG. 5 in partially folded condition.
FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the display of FIG. 1.
FIG. 9 is a rear perspective view of the display of FIG. 1.
FIG. 10 is a front perspective view of one embodiment of the display hook of this invention.
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the hook of FIG. 10.
FIG. 12 is a rear perspective view of the hook of FIG. 10.
FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the hook of FIG. 10 mounted on the grid of FIG. 1.
FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing engagement of the hook of FIG. 10 with the grid of FIG. 1.
FIG. 15 is an exploded viewing showing attachment of one embodiment of the cover panel of this invention to the display of FIG. 1.
FIG. 16 is a plan view of the blank used to form an alternative embodiment of the cover panel.
FIG. 17 is an exploded view showing attachment of the cover panel of FIG. 16 to the display of FIG. 1.
FIG. 18 is a partially exploded view showing attachment of one embodiment of the dividers to the display of FIG. 17.
FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing the display of FIG. 18 stocked with toothbrushes.
FIG. 20 is a plan view of the blank used to form one embodiment of the dividers of this invention.
FIG. 21 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the filler of this invention.
FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the filler of FIG. 21 positioned on the stocked display of FIG. 19.
FIG. 23 is a plan view of the blank used to form the filler of FIG. 21.
FIG. 24 is a perspective view showing the display of FIG. 22 loaded into a shipping carton with one embodiment of the carrier of this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of the self-supporting display 300 of this invention. The display 300 may be provided in any desired dimensions and may be placed on any surface, including atop a counter or on a floor. The display 300 includes a rack or grid 302 and a support structure, such as easel 304, for elevating and supporting the grid 302 in an upstanding position.
One embodiment of grid 302 is shown in FIGS. 2-4. As seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, grid 302 is comprised of a plurality of horizontal ribs 306 intersected by a plurality of vertical ribs 308 to form a plurality of slots or apertures 310 for receiving product bearing hooks therein, as will be discussed. Ribs 306, 308 can be enclosed by a peripheral frame 312 to strengthen the stability of the grid 302 and prevent damage during shipping and use. Moreover, any of the sides of the grid 302 may be provided with elongated slots (such as elongated slots 16 disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/942,057, filed Aug. 28, 2001 and entitled “Display Rack and Hook Combination,” the entirety of which is herein incorporated by this reference).
While grid 302 may be formed from any material exhibiting structural integrity, such as plastic, metal, wood, etc., forming the grid 302 from a molded plastic has proven particularly cost-effective. Moreover, any size grid 302 may be used in the display and any number of apertures 310 may be provided in the grid 302. Apertures 310 need not be rectilinear, but rather may be formed of any shape capable of receiving and retaining the display hooks, screws, and other fasteners discussed below. Moreover, apertures 310 of different dimensions and/or shapes may be provided in the same grid 302.
As shown in FIG. 4, horizontal ribs 306 preferably have an upper portion 314 and a lower portion 316 narrower than the upper portion 314. In this way, a ridge 318 is formed on the underside of the upper portion 314. This ridge 318 helps to retain hooks for displaying products, as will be explained below. Depending on the desired orientation of the display hooks on the grid, ridges 318 may be provided on either or both of horizontal and vertical ribs 306, 308.
The embodiment of FIG. 1 includes a support structure in the form of easel 304 attached to the rear side of grid 302 to support the grid 302 in an elevated position. The easel 304 may elevate and support the grid 302 completely vertically but, as shown in FIG. 1, may also position and retain the grid 302 at an incline. While not necessary, maximum display support may be realized if the easel 304 has similar dimensions (i.e., height and width) to those of the grid 302.
The easel 304 may be formed of any material rigid enough to support a product-laden grid 302, such as plastic, metal, wood, or certain types of paper. Easel 304 may even be integrally formed with grid 302. However, reduced manufacturing and shipping costs may be realized by forming the easel 304 from suitably rigid paperboard, such as corrugated board. In this way, a blank used to form the easel (such as the easel blank 320 shown in FIG. 5) may be easily and quickly stamped from the board and attached to the rear side of the grid 302. Moreover, materials such as corrugated board are printable and thus information and/or decorative designs may be provided on the easel 304.
One embodiment of the easel 304 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 5-8. FIG. 5 illustrates an easel blank 320 for folding and attaching to the rear side of grid 302, dashed lines a-d indicating the folds for forming the easel 304. The easel blank 320 includes side mounting portions 322 attached to first side wings 324 which are attached to second side wings 326 which are in turn attached to the central body 328 of the easel 304. The central body 328 includes an upper portion 330 including a foldable lip 332 and a lower portion 334 with a foldable ledge 336. To form the easel 304, the second side wings 326 are folded along dashed line a in direction A (see FIGS. 5 and 6). The first side wings 324 are then folded relative to the second side wings 326 along dashed line b in direction B (see FIGS. 5 and 7). The foldable lip 332 (which need not be provided on the easel, but can contribute to the structural integrity of the easel) is folded down along dashed line c (FIG. 5), and the easel blank is ready for mounting on the grid 302.
The easel blank 320 is positioned on the grid 302 in the desired location and secured in place with any of a variety of mounting means, including glue and screws, bolts, nails, clips or other types of fasteners. Screws (especially clear plastic screws which are not as noticeable) have proven particularly useful in this application as they are cheap and may be installed quickly. After the easel blank 320 is positioned on the grid 302, screws 400 are simply inserted through the side mounting portions 322 and into the grid apertures 310 (if the screws 400 are entering from the rear side of the grid 302) or into the grid apertures 310 and through the side mounting portions 322 (if the screws 400 are entering from the front side of the grid 302, as shown in FIG. 8) to secure the easel blank 320 to the grid 302. Naturally, the screws must be sized to be retained in the apertures 310. The screws may be received in any of the plurality of apertures 310, enabling the easel blank 320 to be positioned in a variety of locations on the grid 302. Moreover, any number of screws (limited, of course, by the number of apertures 310 on grid 302) may be used to firmly secure the easel blank 320 to the grid 302. Pre-cut screw holes 338 may be provided in the side mounting portions 322 of the easel blank 320 to help the display assembler align the easel blank 320 with the apertures 310 and to obviate the need to drive the screws through the easel blank material.
After attachment, the easel blank 320 may be easily formed into the easel 304. To do this, the first and second wings 324, 326, which are currently collapsed into an fan-like structure, are extended outwardly (such as through use of a handhold cut-out 340 that can be, but does not have to be, provided in the easel blank 320) and the ledge 336 of the lower portion 334 of the central body 328 is bent along dashed line d in direction C and folded inwardly (see FIGS. 5 and 9). Teeth 342 having indentations 344 and peeks 346 are provided on the upper edge of ledge 336. The indentations 344 engage the vertical ribs 308 while the peeks 346 are able to rest upon the horizontal ribs 306 to hold the ledge 336 in place relative to the grid 302. In this way, the easel blank 320 is formed into an easel 304 and retained in that form to support the grid 302. The easel 304 may easily be collapsed by merely folding the ledge 336 upwardly to disengage the teeth from the grid and collapsing the first and second wings 324, 326.
Display hooks for hanging products on grid 302, including those disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/942,057, may be mounted on grid 302. FIGS. 10-14 illustrate an alternative display hook 348 for use on display 300. Display hook 348 is preferably molded from plastic and includes a base 350 and an elongated support member 352 extending from the base 350.
The base 350 includes a front surface 354 and a rear surface 356. Support member 352, which can be provided in any desired length, extends from the front surface 354 of base 350 and is preferably angled slightly upwardly. Support member 352 preferably includes an upturned portion 358 at its outer end. Products for sale can be mounted on the support member 350, whose upward angling and upturned portion 358 facilitates retention of the product on display hooks 348. Gussets 360 may also be provided at the juncture of support member 352 and base 350 to increase the support member's load-bearing capacity.
Base 350 is preferably, but does not have to be, dimensioned so as to cover substantially the entirety of adjacent apertures 310 when the display hook 348 is mounted on grid 302. For example, when the hook 348 is mounted on the grid 302, the base 350 may cover nine apertures 310, three across and three down (see FIG. 13). Of course, the base 350 need not be rectilinear, but can be formed in other shapes provided that structure for engaging the grid 302 may still be accommodated on base 350.
Structure for engaging the grid 302 is provided on the rear surface 356 of base 350. As seen in FIGS. 11 and 12, a hook portion 362 having a substantially vertical lip 364 extends from the upper end of rear surface 356 of base 350. At least one prong 366 extends from the lower end of the rear surface 356 of the base 350. A downward opening recess 368 is formed between the prong 366 and the rear surface 356 of the base 350. While only one prong 366 need be used, the hook 348 preferably includes at least two prongs 366 (see, e.g., FIG. 12) to facilitate retention of the hook 348 in apertures 310. Hook portion 362 and prongs 366 are preferably distributed on the rear surface 356 of the base 350 so that when the hook 348 is mounted on grid 302, they will best distribute the load of the products supported by the hook 348 and thus resist disengagement of the hook 348 from the grid 302 under such loads. One example of such distribution is illustrated in FIG. 12, where the hook portion 362 is positioned in the upper middle of the rear surface 356 of base 350 and each prong 366 is distributed in a lower corner of the rear surface 356 of the base 350 so as to form a triangular pattern on the rear surface 356 of the base 350. The hook portion 362 and prongs 366 are positioned on the rear surface 356 of the base 350 so that each will align with an aperture 310 in the grid 302 during hook 348 installation. In this way, the hook 348 is engaged to the grid 302 in three separate locations.
Any number of hooks 348 can be mounted on grid 302 between adjacent horizontal and vertical ribs 306, 308. To install the hook 348 on the grid 302, hook portion 362 enters aperture 310. The lip 364 of hook portion 362 engages the ridge 318 of one of the horizontal ribs 306 so that the lip 364 is substantially parallel to and abuts the ridge 318. Prongs 366 snap-fit into an aperture 310 (each preferably at least one aperture removed from the aperture into which hook portion 362 extends and preferably at least one aperture removed from each other) so that the recess 368 surrounds the upper portion 314 of other of the horizontal ribs 306. Through engagement of hook portion 362 and prongs 366 with horizontal ribs (or vertical ribs 308 if it is desired to suspend the hooks 348 so that they are rotated 90 degrees), hook 348 is firmly secured to grid 302. Moreover, the hooks 348 can quickly and easily be removed from and repositioned on the grid 302.
It may be aesthetically desirable to hide the front side of the grid 302 by attaching a cover panel 370 to the front side of the grid 302 (see FIG. 15). The cover panel 370 may be made from any material, but preferably is made of a material that is capable of being printed, such as cardboard or paperboard which have proven to be the most cost-effective. In this way, the cover panel 370 can be printed with desirable graphics to correspond to the product to be displayed and then die-cut and mounted on the grid. As will be obvious to one of skill in the art, the cover panel 370 may be provided in any shape (not just rectilinear) and size, although it often may be desirable for the cover panel 370 to have the same dimensions as the grid 302 so as to cover the entirety of the grid.
As with the easel 304, the cover panel 370 can be mounted on the grid 302 in any of a variety of ways but screws have proven to be the easiest and most cost-effective way. Indeed, if a cover panel 370 is used, the same screws or fasteners 400 that secure the cover panel 370 to the grid 302 may be used (but do not have to be used) to secure the easel 304 to the grid 302, as shown in FIG. 15. While metal screws could be used, clear plastic screws are preferable as they essentially disappear on the display 300 façade. Screw cut-outs 372 may be stamped from the cover panel 370 during manufacture to assist the display assembler in positioning the cover panel 370 on the grid 302. As discussed above, corresponding screw cut-outs 338 may be provided on the easel blank 320 to assure alignment of the cover panel 370, grid 302, and easel 304. Hook cut-outs 374 are also provided on the cover plate 370 to accommodate the desired number of hooks to be used with the display 300.
Because the screws are easily removable, the cover panel 370 can easily be replaced when desirable by simply removing the screws and substituting the old cover panel for a new cover panel. In this way, the grid 302, easel 304, and hooks 348 of the display 300 are entirely re-usable with different products.
While the cover panel 370 may be completely flush with the front side of the grid 302, as shown in FIG. 15, the cover panel 370 may be provided with structure to impart a three-dimensional look to the cover panel 370. FIGS. 16 and 17 illustrates a cover panel blank 375 for imparting a sloped surface 376 to the front surface of the cover panel 370. The sloped surface 376 is formed by an upper portion 378, middle portion 380, and lower portion 382. During cover panel 370 installation, the upper portion 378 is bent outwardly along dashed line e, the middle portion 380 is bent inwardly along dashed line f, and the lower portion 382 is bent upwardly along dashed line g so that it is flush with the plane of the grid 302. Screws or other fastening means 400 are then used to secure the lower portion 382 to grid 302, as shown in FIG. 17.
In addition to display hooks 348, it may be desirable to provide additional structure on the display 300 to help organize the products hanging from the hooks 348 and prevent them from moving laterally and becoming entangled, which can often happen during shipping and when the display 300 is positioned in an upright, but tilted position. In FIGS. 18 and 19, dividers 384 are provided to perform this function. Products, such as toothbrushes 386, can hang from the hooks 348 and extend in slots 388 formed between adjacent dividers 384. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the dividers 384 are triangles extending from the display 300. However, the dividers 384 may be provided in any shape. Moreover, while each divider 384 may be provided and attached separately to the display 300, it saves time and ensures that the dividers 384 are properly spaced on the display 300 if at least some of the dividers 384 are integrally formed.
The dividers 384 may be made from any material suitably rigid to serve effectively as a barrier between adjacent products on the display 300, but are preferably made from plastic (such as polyvinylchloride) which is relatively cheap and more preferably from a clear plastic, which allows the dividers 384 essentially to disappear into the display 300 façade and thus not interrupt the graphical flow provided on the cover panel 370. Plastic sheets may be stamped into the divider blank 389 shown in FIG. 20, which, in turn, may be folded to create the dividers 384. Fastener cut-outs 390 are provided in the divider blank 389, as are slot cut-outs 392 that create the slots 388 between adjacent dividers 384. While divider blank 389 is provided with seven dividers 384, any number of dividers 384 may be provided in a divider blank 389. To form the dividers 384 from the divider blank 389, divider blank 389 is folded along dashed lines h-j so as to form an apex along dashed line i and so that each fastener cut-out 390 provided on the top of the blank 389 is aligned with and abuts the corresponding fastener cut-out 390 on the bottom of the blank 389. Fasteners or other securing means 400 may then be threaded through the fastener cut-outs 390 and snapped in apertures 310 of grid 11 at any location, as shown in FIG. 17.
After the easel 304, hooks 348, cover panel 370 (if desired), and dividers 384 (if desired) are mounted on the grid 302, the display 300 is ready to be stocked with product and shipped. While assembly of the display 300 may be done on site at the store, the benefits of this invention are fully realized when the display 300 is fully-stocked prior to shipping. Unlike prior displays that must be shipped with bulky support structures, display 300 includes a collapsible support structure, easel 304, that enables the display 300 to be shipped flat on its back (see FIG. 24). Given their low profile, more displays 300 may be palletized in a shipping carton, resulting in reduced shipping costs.
If the display 300 is stocked with product prior to shipment, it may be desirable to further stabilize the products before shipment. FIGS. 21 and 22 show one device (fillers 394) for stabilizing toothbrushes 386 loaded on the display 300. However, the fillers 394 may be designed to accommodate any product to be displayed on display 300. For use with toothbrushes 386, fillers 394 include partitions 396 that define cavities 398 for receiving the heads or handles of the packaged toothbrushes 386. The fillers 394 slide between the heads and/or feet of the toothbrushes, as shown in FIG. 22. Holes 400 accommodate the support members 352 (particularly the upturned portion 358) of display hooks 348. The fillers 394 are preferably made from a material suitably rigid to serve effectively as a barrier between adjacent products on the display 300, such as plastic or cardboard. In this way, the partitions 396 are able to help prevent lateral movement of the products while the front face 402 of the filler 394 prevents the products from dismounting from the display hooks 348.
FIG. 23 shows one embodiment of a filler blank 404 that may be formed into the fillers 394 shown in FIGS. 21 and 22. To form a filler 394, the filler blank 404 is folded along folding lines k-n to form a substantially rectangular structure so that the lower panel 406 abuts the upper panel 408. The lower and upper panels 406, 408 are preferably fixed together, such as with glue or a staple, so that the filler 394 retains its shape. The filler 394 can then be used to pack the display 300 for shipping.
To ship a display 300, the fully-stocked display 300 is first placed in a shipping carton 410. As shown in FIG. 24, one or more carriers 412 may be used to support the display 300 during packing. The carrier 412, which may be made from any material sufficiently strong to support a stocked display 300, may include hand cut-outs 414 for the packer to grip. The carrier(s) 412 is preferably left in the shipping carton 410 to help display 300 removal at the store.
The foregoing is provided for purposes of illustrating, explaining, and describing embodiments of the present invention. Further modifications and adaptations to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. A self-supporting display system comprising:

a. a grid having a height and a width and comprising:

i) a plurality of horizontal ribs;

ii) a plurality of vertical ribs;

iii) apertures formed between adjacent horizontal and vertical ribs;

iv) a front side; and

v) a rear side; and

b. a support structure attached to the rear side of the grid, wherein the support structure is adapted to assume an extended position whereby the support structure supports the grid in an elevated position and to assume a collapsed position whereby the support structure collapses into a plane substantially parallel to the rear side of the grid.

2. The self-supporting display system of claim 1, wherein the grid further comprises a peripheral frame.

3. The self-supporting display system of claim 1, wherein the grid comprises plastic.

4. The self-supporting display system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the horizontal ribs comprises an upper portion having an underside and a lower portion narrower than the upper portion and extending from the underside of the upper portion, wherein a ridge is formed on the underside of the upper portion.

5. The self-supporting display system of claim 1, wherein the support structure comprises an easel.

6. The self-supporting display system of claim 5, wherein the easel comprises paperboard.

7. The self-supporting display system of claim 5, wherein the easel is attached to the grid with at least one fastener positioned in a grid aperture.

8. The self-supporting display system of claim 5, wherein the easel comprises a central body comprising a height and a width substantially identical to the height and the width of the grid.

9. The self-supporting display system of claim 5, wherein the easel comprises a plurality of side wings adapted to extend for the easel to assume the extended position and adapted to fold for the easel to assume the collapsed position.

10. The self-supporting display system of claim 9, wherein the easel comprises side mounting portions for attaching the easel to the rear side of the grid, first side wings proximal the side mounting portions, and second side wings proximal the first side wings and adjacent to a central body.

11. The self-supporting display system of claim 5, wherein the easel comprises a central body having a ledge comprising teeth for engaging the grid when the easel assumes the extended position.

12. The self-supporting display system of claim 1, further comprising:

c. at least one removable display hook comprising:

i) a base having a front surface and a rear surface;

ii) an elongated support member extending from the front surface of the base;

iii) a hook portion provided on the rear surface of the base, wherein the hook portion defines a substantially vertical lip;

iv) at least one prong provided on the rear surface of the base; and

v) at least one recess formed between the at least one prong and the rear surface of the base.

13. The self-supporting display system of claim 12, wherein the elongated support member comprises an upturned portion on an end distal the base.

14. The self-supporting display system of claim 12, wherein the at least one prong comprises at least two prongs.

15. The self-supporting display system of claim 12, wherein a plurality of the horizontal ribs each comprises an upper portion wider than a lower portion and having an underside and wherein, when the display hook is mounted on the front side of the grid, the hook portion engages one of the horizontal ribs so that the lip of the hook portion abuts a portion of the underside of the upper portion of a horizontal rib.

16. The self-supporting display system of claim 15, wherein, when the display hook is mounted on the front side of the grid, the at least one recess at least partially surrounds the upper portion of a horizontal rib.

17. The self-supporting display system of claim 1, further comprising a cover panel releasably attached to the front side of the grid.

18. The self-supporting display system of claim 17, wherein the cover panel comprises a height and a width substantially identical to the height and the width of the grid.

19. The self-supporting display system of claim 1, further comprising display hooks mounted on the front side of the grid for supporting products and organizing means positioned between products supported on adjacent display hooks.

20. A self-supporting display system comprising:

a. a plastic grid comprising:

i) a plurality of horizontal ribs, each comprising an upper portion having an underside and a lower portion narrower than the upper portion and extending from the underside of the upper portion, wherein a ridge is formed on the underside of the upper portion;

ii) a plurality of vertical ribs;

iii) apertures formed between adjacent horizontal and vertical ribs;

iv) a front side; and

v) a rear side;

b. an easel attached to the rear side of the grid, wherein the easel is adapted to assume an extended position whereby the easel supports the grid in an elevated position and to assume a collapsed position whereby the easel collapses into a plane substantially parallel to the rear side of the grid; and

c. at least one display hook removably mountable on the grid comprising:

i) a base having a front surface and a rear surface;

ii) an elongated support member extending from the front surface of the base;

iv) at least two prongs provided on the rear surface of the base; and

v) at least one recess formed between each of the at least two prongs and the rear surface of the base,

wherein, when the display hook is mounted on the front side of the grid, the hook portion engages one of the horizontal ribs so that the lip of the hook portion abuts the ridge formed on the underside of the upper portion of the horizontal rib and the at least one recess at least partially surrounds the upper portion of a horizontal rib.