Shelf assembly

• US 20010020606A1
• Filed: 05/16/2001
• 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 6,439,401 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 dividers extending from front to back on said shelf, an djacent pair of said 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, said front member having projections engaged with receptacles integrally formed in said pair of dividers.

2. 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.

3. The shelf assembly of

claim 1

wherein said pivotal front member is arcuate.

4. The shelf assembly of

claim 1

wherein said pivotal front member is adapted to receive product identifying elements.

5. The shelf assembly of

claim 1

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

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

a generally inclined gravity feed shelf,

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

a front member supported by said adjacent pair of dividers, said front member having projections adapted to engage said adjacent pair of dividers, said front member being pivotal about a horizontal axis and functioning to prevent 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 said top and bottom edges of said front member are caused to rotate about said horizontal axis.

7. The shelf assembly of

claim 6

wherein said top edge of said front member rotates in front of said horizontal axis and 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, an adjacent pair of said dividers and said shelf bottom defining a track for supporting a plurality of products arranged in a column between the pair of adjacent dividers; and

a front member supported above said shelf and at the front of said track, said front member having projections received in receptacles formed in said pair of adjacent dividers, 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 horizontal axis from said track, said front member is caused to pivot about said horizontal axis, and 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 front member is arcuate.

10. The shelf assembly of

claim 8

wherein said horizontal axis is spaced above said bottom of said product holder.

11. The shelf assembly of

claim 8

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

12. The shelf assembly of

claim 8

wherein said pivotal front member is adapted to receive product identifying elements.

13. The shelf assembly of

claim 8

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