Supports: racks – Elements – Adjustable partitions
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-20
2001-10-23
Stodola, Daniel P. (Department: 3634)
Supports: racks
Elements
Adjustable partitions
C211S043000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06305559
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to merchandise display shelves and particularly to an improved design for facilitating, organizing and dividing display shelves to accommodate products varying in widths at different points of time.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In recent years there has been a growing trend toward self service merchandise and this requires a quick and easy way of making an orderly display of consumer products on the display shelves. It is desirable to provide an improved appearance for consumer friendly shopping and if the shelves can be made easily adjustable and readily mountable to virtually all standard shelving this would greatly facilitate the orderly display of products.
Previous designs took up a substantial portion of the depth at the front of the shelving to allow for the engagement of the product divider and its connection to the front retainer. It would be desirable to provide a new shelving system that permits quick and easy adjustment when reorganizing shelves for changes in product size and yet utilize a minimal amount of shelf depth for the management of the product divider and product identification or pricing.
Typically, an elongated shelf having a standard length will be subdivided by a series of vertical walls or dividers to provide separate bins of suitable widths to accommodate the various products being displayed therein. Each bin should be readily able to carry easily visible information relating to pricing, advertising or consumer information for the particular product contained therein. Product shapes and sizes vary greatly and since inventory, promotions and sales are consistently changing there is need for virtually an infinite number of adjustable positions for the shelf dividers.
Conventional shelving is made of sheet metal or in some instances wood and therefor is designed for relatively long term use and requires substantial financial investment. Obviously, it is not feasible to replace such shelving whenever changes in organization of the product being displayed are required. There thus exists a need for an improved and relatively inexpensive organizer system that can be readily used with existing support structure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a shelf organizer structure that may be readily attached to existing conventional shelving yet, include a shelf divider construction that is capable of virtually infinite adjustablity.
Briefly, the shelf organizer comprises a two element assembly, namely a front stop rail and a vertical divider. A plurality of such dividers is adapted to be slidably and releasably retained relative to the stop rail. The stop rail includes a horizontal leg attachable to an existing shelf and a vertical front face. The front face is located in the upper portion of the stop rail and includes curved opposing sections that define with the front face a longitudinal channel adapted to receive product indicia and the front portion of vertical dividers that divide the shelf into separate bins.
The divider assembly includes a front plate portion that is disposed normal to the divider section of the assembly and is receivable in the longitudinal channel. The curved opposing section of the channel includes inwardly extending legs that define the entry into the channel section. In the primary embodiment one of the legs has secured thereto a longitudinally extending bead portion that is flexible to receive and retain the divider in its vertical position when so disposed. In the preferred embodiment the bead is made of a flexible polyvinyl chloride. Thus, the vertical height of the divider is designed so that when it is disposed in the vertical position relative to the channel section a portion of it fits within the rubber bead and thus is retained in position relative to the stop rail. It can be appreciated that with this construction a mere twisting of the shelf divider would free it from the rubber bead and it can be slid along the channel section and reinserted to provide what ever spacing desired relative to an adjacent divider to form a bin with minimum effort to accommodate a particular package width. Both elements of the organizer are preferably made of extruded or molded available clear plastic. As a result the stop rail channel serves the dual function of supporting the vertical divider and retention of product information cards, which are readily legible to the customer and yet protected from intentional or inadvertent abuse or damage.
In a second embodiment each of the legs have secured thereto longitudinally extending rubber bead portions. Numerous other advantages and features of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention, from the claims, and the accompanying drawings.
In both of the embodiments there may be provided a transversely extending ledge portion that presents a larger contact surface with the inwardly extending flanges to assist in maintaining the dividers in the vertical position.
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Novosad Jennifer E.
RTC Industries, INC
Stodola Daniel P.
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