Shelf assembly

• US 20010020604A1
• Filed: 03/07/2001
• Published: 09/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: L&P Property Management Company (Leggett & Platt Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: L&P Property Management Company (Leggett & Platt Incorporated)
• Inventors: Battaglia, Joseph M., Bustos, Rafael T.
• Granted Patent: US 6,439,400 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 211/59.2
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/12 dispensing from the side of an approximately horizontal stack A47F1/087 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/005 Partitions therefore horizontally adjustable A47B57/58; constructional details of drawers A47B88/90
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 7/28 for containers, e.g. flasks, bottles , tins, milk packs racks or containers with dispensing arrangements A47F1/04; for lipsticks or markers A47F7/0021; for audio/video cassettes or booklike articles A47F7/14

Abstract

A shelf assembly for organizing and merchandising a plurality of products. The shelf assembly comprises a shelf having a bottom, plurality of dividers extending from front to back, a pair of dividers and the bottom forming a track in which a column of products are arranged. A front member pivotal about a stop, or pivotally engaged with the dividers, prevents the forwardmost product within the column from falling off the front of the shelf. The pivotal front members enable product to be pulled forwardly off the shelf, minimizing the spacing necessary between adjacent shelves.

Claims

1. A shelf assembly for organizing and merchandising a plurality of products, said shelf assembly comprising:

a generally inclined gravity feed shelf,

a plurality of wire dividers extending from front to back on said shelf, an adjacent pair of said wire dividers and said shelf defining a track, said track supporting a plurality of products arranged in a column, and

a front stop member supported by said pair of dividers, said front stop member being pivotal about a horizontal axis and adapted to abut a forwardmost one of said products in said column, said horizontal axis being positioned such that as said forwardmost one of said products is removed from said track by pulling a top portion of said forwardmost one of said products over said front member, said front member is caused to pivot about said horizontal axis and move a top edge of said front member forwardly so as to enable said forwardmost one of said products to be moved forwardly over said front stop member.

2. The shelf assembly of

claim 1

wherein said front member is arcuate.

3. The shelf assembly of

claim 1

wherein said front member is caused to return to its original position upon a product behind said forwardmost one of said products sliding forwardly on said shelf and contacting said front member.

4. A shelf assembly for organizing and merchandising a plurality of products, said shelf assembly comprising:

a generally inclined gravity feed shelf,

a plurality of wire dividers extending from front to back on said shelf, an adjacent pair of said wire dividers and said shelf defining a track, said track supporting a plurality of products arranged in a column, and

a front member pivotal about a horizontal axis, said front member preventing product from falling off a front edge of said shelf, whereby upon a forwardmost product in said column of products being pulled over said front member, top and bottom edges of said front member are caused to rotate about said horizontal axis.

5. The shelf assembly of

claim 4

wherein said top edge of said front member rotates in front of said horizontal axis when said forwardmost one of said products is removed from said track.

6. The shelf assembly of

claim 4

wherein said front member has at least one lip so as to retain a product identifying element.

7. The shelf assembly of

claim 4

wherein said bottom edge of said front member rotates behind said horizontal axis when said forwardmost one of said products is removed from said track.

8. A shelf assembly comprising:

a generally inclined gravity feed shelf,

a plurality of dividers,

a stop extending between an adjacent pair of said dividers at a front of said shelf, said adjacent pair of dividers, said stop and said shelf defining a track for supporting a plurality of products arranged in a column; and

a front member supported above said shelf at the front of said shelf, said front member being pivotal about a horizontal axis and having top and bottom edges located respectively above and below said horizontal axis such that upon a forwardmost one of said products being pulled over said stop, said front member is caused to pivot about said horizontal axis, said in the course thereof, said bottom edge of said front member is moved rearwardly in said track and said top edge of said front member is moved forwardly.

9. The shelf assembly of

claim 8

wherein said dividers are wires.

10. The shelf assembly of

claim 8

wherein said front member has at least one lip so as to retain a product identifying element.

11. The shelf assembly of

claim 8

wherein said front member has two opposed side lips to retain a product identifying element on an outer surface of said front member.

12. The shelf assembly of

claim 8

wherein said front member has a pair of cutout portions adapted to receive said wire stop.

13. The shelf assembly of

claim 8

wherein said front member has a concave inner surface and a convex outer surface.

14. A shelf assembly comprising:

a generally inclined gravity feed shelf,

a plurality of wire dividers extending from front to back on said shelf,

a stop secured to an adjacent pair of said wire dividers at a front of said shelf, an adjacent pair of said wire dividers, said stop and said shelf defining a track for supporting a plurality of products arranged in a column between the pair of adjacent wire dividers; and

at least one front member pivotally secured to said stop such that upon forwardmost product within a column of products being removed by pulling said forwardmost product over said stop, said front member is caused to pivot about a horizontal axis.

15. The shelf assembly of

claim 14

wherein said stop is a wire.

16. A shelf assembly comprising:

a plurality of wire dividers extending from front to back,

a wire stop secured to an adjacent pair of said wire dividers,

a front member having top and bottom edges and being pivotally engaged with said wire stop such that as a forwardmost product within a column of products is removed by pulling a top portion of said forwardmost product over said wire stop, said front member is caused to rotate about a horizontal axis such that said top edge of said front member moves forwardly.

17. The shelf assembly of

claim 16

wherein said front member has a pair of cutout portions adapted to receive said wire stop.

18. The shelf assembly of

claim 16

wherein said horizontal axis is defined by a portion of said wire stop.

19. The shelf assembly of

claim 16

wherein front member has an upper lip, a lower lip and two opposed side lips to retain a product identifying element.