Supports: racks – Shelf type – Of sheet material
Patent
1995-08-15
1997-12-30
Gibson, Jr., Robert W.
Supports: racks
Shelf type
Of sheet material
211186, 211189, 108180, A47F 500
Patent
active
057020116
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a thin flat panel construction and method for the provision of light modular knock-down structures designed to support a wide range of modern lightweight merchandising or display systems and products (hereinafter referred to as "Merchandising Products") currently used in the retail industry but also suitable for many other diverse applications where support structures or integrated support means are required to create free standing load bearing structures for diverse usage in the retail industry and elsewhere.
Prior Art constructions of free standing structures in the retail industry fall broadly into the following general categories:
(a) Metal frames with sheet metal cladding
(b) Metal frames with wire mesh cladding
(c) Metal frames with timber cladding
(d) Timber frames with timber cladding
(e) Timber or metal frames with glass cladding
Despite many advances and innovative developments in all these traditional construction methods, many inherent disadvantages still remain rendering the structures unsuitable for the support of the Merchandising Products for some of or all the following reasons:
Referring to the latter, the use of clear plastic sheet materials, e.g. acrylic, for merchandising and display systems and products has escalated in recent years due to the suitability of the material for the purpose and the introduction of new innovative modular designs offering major benefits to the retailer in terms of:
Merchandising Products were heretofore designed to hang on or be supported by traditional in store shelving systems found in the majority of retail outlets, thus restricting their use to locations where existing structures were in place and available for use.
The main object of the present invention is towards providing a construction system to support merchandising products which system is itself modular, light weight, flexible in use and capable of being used, in its own right, as a merchandising and/or display system. Also, the object of the invention is to provide a construction which is cheap and efficient to manufacture, ideally, on similar equipment used in the manufacture of the Merchandising Products referred to.
FR-A-2585090 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,261 disclose the prior art relating to the precharacterising portion of the following statements of invention.
The present invention provides a construction comprising at least two thin panels of a lightweight material of a planar or non-planar configuration disengageably connected together by a connector means, said connector means including a connector having two portions, characterised in that one portion is rigidly secured to the first panel and the other portion is disengageably connected to the second panel through an orifice provided in the second panel.
Advantageously, the first portion of the connector is in the form of a socket securable to a formation on the first panel and the second portion is in the form of a resilient clip extendable through the orifice and resiliently engageable across the thickness of the second panel.
Preferably, the formation on the first panel comprises a tongue formed between two slots, and the socket is engageable over the tongue and is securable thereto by an interference fit, glue, mechanical or any other suitable fixing means.
Conveniently, the socket includes two pairs of flanges, one at each side thereof, with each flange extending beyond the slots forming the tongue on the first panel so as to reinforce the tongue and consequently the structure.
Advantageously, a plug, cap, or similar element is inserted into the orifice to prevent disengagement of the two panels.
Alternatively, the formation on the first panel comprises a slot and the socket is engageable with the slot by complementary fixing means, such as snap-fit teeth, the first panel being provided with a cut out portion in its edge into which the socket nests to provide a flush edge in the finished construction.
Preferably, the structure formed by the panels connected together is provided with additional mean
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Carroll Products and Designs Limited
Gibson , Jr. Robert W.
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