Display stand made of folding material
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a display stand made of folding material having a tubular base, on the top of which there is a counter for the display and reception of merchandise. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Such display stands are also known as immediate displays and have proven successful in practice. A basic embodiment for such a display stand is described by German Offenlegungsschrift No. 2,902,573 by the applicant, FIGS. 8 and 9 therein. They have the quite considerable advantage for practical purposes that the base can be wrapped around the assembled, usually cuboid counter to a certain extent in a U-shaped or L-shaped manner to save space, so that the counter filled with the articles concerned can be shipped together with its base in a space saving way. At the point of sale, for example in a store, the display stand is then assembled by a few manipulations, in which the base need only be brought into its extended position, whereupon it is swung under the counter. The base is opened up automatically in this swinging proceedure because the distance between its front wall and rear wall is increased to the distance of the position for use in the aforementioned swinging operation. 
     Whereas, in the Offenlegungsschrift mentioned, the connection between the base and the counter is made by means of two separate adhesive flaps, the first European publication No. 54,884 describes a similar display stand in which the connection between the base and the counter is made by means of a top section which to a certain extent covers the front and rear wall of the base. The present invention can be used for all types of such display stands according to the publications mentioned as well as for similar display stands. 
     Common to both the aforementioned display stands is that the bottom of the counter is flat. The articles kept in the counter are therefore on the same level. However, for reasons of sale psychology, it is advantageous if the articles are displayed to the customer in a row rising from front to back. 
     In this context, the display stand according to U.S. Pat. No. 3,164,350 already proposes a serviceable solution as there the rear wall of the base and the adjoining section of the two side walls are extended upwards. Appropriate slits are provided in the bottom and in the rear wall of the associated counter, so that the counter can be mounted on top of the base in such a way that the extensions of the two side walls pass through the bottom of the counter and protrude to a certain extent inside the counter, in its rearward portion. A flat blank is then formed from above onto the protrusions thereby produced. Furthermore, the counter is subdivided into a rear and a front compartment by means of a blank bent in an L-shape when viewed from the side, the rearward dividing wall of which rests against the front edges of the extensions of the side walls. 
     The L-shaped blank is inserted in the counter loosely from above. 
     One disadvantage of this is that this know display stand is not designed as an immediate display. 
     This means that the erection of the display stand is relatively involved because, once the base has been assembled, the separate counter must be mounted on top of the base. Another disadvantage is that there is a danger that the L-shaped section could slip backwards during transit, in particular when there are only loosely packed articles in the counter. Such a displacement to the rear is possible during transit because the counter is separate from the base. During subsequent assembly, there is therefore the danger that the upper edges of the rear sections of the side walls of the base, which form the steps, could collide with the horizontal panel of the L section, so that the assembly operation cannot be carried out properly. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention avoids these disadvantages. It is based on the object of proposing a display stand which, whilst retaining the advantages of this so-called immediate display described at the start, permits the articles in the counter be displayed on several steps, it being intended that the steps are perfectly formed automatically in the assembly operation, i.e. without additional manipulations. 
     This object is achieved by the features of claim 1. 
     If the base is folded out of its flatly folded, outstretched position underneath the counter, the extensions of the side walls pass upwards through the abovementioned punched clearances in the bottom of the counter and form steps, together with the blank strips laid on the steps, in the compartments of the counter formed by the dividers. The articles in the counter are raised during this operation so that they are displayed to the viewer in a stepped arrangement rising from the front to the back. The assembly operation is performed automatically without any further action, partly because the ends of the dividers are fixed to the side walls of the counter and therefore cannot slip. 
     The number of steps is open to decision based on the particular circumstances, in particular the type and size of articles packed in the counter. At least one step must be provided and, in general, one or two such steps are sufficient. In principle, however, the number of steps is arbitrary. 
     Fixing the dividers to the counter, an important aspect of the invention, is preferably performed by designing the side walls of the counter as two-ply card walls, the dividers also being two-ply and having, at their ends, retaining flaps bent off at right angles to receive the side walls between the plies. The two-ply design of the side walls, including the rear wall and in some cases the front wall, of the counter can also be utilized for mounting advertising boards and the like in one or more corresponding slits in the rear wall of the counter. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be described in more detail below with reference to an exemplary embodiment exhibiting further important features. The figures show a display stand according to the invention having three counter compartments, corresponding to three steps. Erection of the display stand with more or less compartments and steps is basically the same. 
     In the drawings: 
     FIG. 1 shows a side view of a display stand according to the invention in the assembled state; 
     FIG. 2 shows the display stand according to FIG. 1 from an oblique perspective view from the front; 
     FIG. 3 shows the upper part of the display stand, in which the stepped extensions of the side walls of the base are just before entry in the counter, the view being looking at the bottom of the counter obliquely from below; 
     FIG. 4 shows, in a likewise oblique perspective view from above, the stepped extensions of the side walls of the base passed through the punched clearances in the bottom of the counter; 
     FIG. 5 shows the front part of one of the side walls of the counter in partially assembled position to illustrate fixing the ends of the dividers in the side walls. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The base has a front wall 1, side walls 2 and a rear wall 3. Continuous longitudinal folding lines 4 are formed in the centre of the side walls from top to bottom. Furthermore, a lower transverse folding line 5, and above it an upper transverse folding line 6, are formed in all walls of the base. Emulating the two Offenlegungsschriften discussed at the start, the upper transverse folding line at 6 can in some cases by dispensed with, for it is only provided as a folding line for one of the adhesive flaps. 
     A top section 7 (see FIG. 3) is hinged at the front wall 1 and at the back wall 3. The folding lines provided for this purpose are located, in the case of the front wall, on the upper edge of the front wall and, in the case of the rear wall, preferably on the same level, that is to say at a distance 8 from the top edge of the rear wall. FIG. 1 shows that the counter of the display stand is arranged horizontally in the position for use; however, if the counter is to assume a position inclined slightly forwards, the distance 8 is reduced appropriately. 
     The top section 7 is subdivided into a front part 10 and a rear part 11 by a folding line 9 running continuously in the transverse direction. A bottom 12 of the counter 13 mentioned is glued to the front part 10 of the top section. 
     The counter consists of the bottom, two side walls 14 or upright and, in some cases, a front wall 15 or upright, which can however, as FIG. 2 shows in particular, be cut out; it also can be dispensed with entirely. 
     FIG. 3 shows in particular that the rear wall or rear upright 3 of the base is extended upwards by the distance 8. The adjoining part of the side walls 2 of the base is also correspondingly extended and thereby forms a top step 16. A middle step 17 adjoins thereto, and thereto in turn a front step 18. As already mentioned, the side walls can also be formed with two steps, four steps etc. 
     Punched clearances 19 are provided in the bottom 12 of the counter 13 and allow the steps 16, 17 of the side walls of the base to pass through during the assembly operation. In the rear wall of th counter, the punched clearances 19 turn into slits 20, which end at a specified distance underneath the top edge of the rear wall of the counter. 
     The counter is subdivided into several compartments by means of dividers 21 which extend in the transverse direction. FIG. 4 shows in particular that one of the dividers in each case is located in front of each of the steps 16, 17. FIG. 5 reveals that the dividers 21 are two-ply and have at their ends retaining flaps 22 bent off at right angles. One of the plies of the side walls 14 has slits 23 in the region of the dividers 21. Thus, the card walls designed in this way allow the ends of the dividers 21 to be fixed well to the side walls 14 of the counter. 
     FIG. 5 also shows that the rearmost divider 21 has cut-outs 24 on its underside for the step 17 to pass through. 
     Flat blank sections or strips, which are somewhat smaller than the compartments created by the dividers 21, the side walls and the rear wall or front wall of the counter (FIG. 4 shows a total of three such compartments), are laid on the top edges of the steps 16, 17. The articles concerned are thus stacked up on these flat blank sections. 
     If the folded up base is assembled, the extensions or steps 16, 17 of the side walls pass through the punched clearances 19 in the bottom of the counter and the flat blank sections resting on these steps are raised together with the articles on them, so that the articles are displayed to the customer on a number of steps. 
     The rear wall, and in some cases, the front wall of the counter are also two-ply. One or more slits can therefore be provided in the rear wall of the counter, into which retaining tabs of a further blank can be inserted from above. This blank either stands vertically upwards on the rear wall and can be used as an advertising board and/or it can be swung forward, then acting in the manner of a cover and protecting the articles packed in the counter. In this case, this blank should be about the size of the basic outline of the counter.