QUICK SECURE SHELVING

• US 20090294392A1
• Filed: 10/23/2008
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Inventors: Stafford, William Y., Weshler, Benjamin, Trinh, Nick Quang
• Granted Patent: US 8,087,522 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 211/153
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/0025 having separate display containers or trays on shelves or on racks
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/10 Adjustable or foldable or dismountable display stands foldable racks in general A47B43/00; dismountable racks in general A47B47/00; assemblies of elements of the same kind, e.g. stackable A47B87/00; publicity panels G09F15/0068
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/16 Platform-type show stands with flat, inclined, or curved upper surface
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 7/00 Show stands, hangers, or shelves, adapted for particular articles or materials A47F5/0006 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A shelving system includes a product, a base, a tray insert, a template, and a placement clip. The base has a top surface forming a receptacle and includes a hanger assembly for releasably securing the base to a shelving unit positioned in a retail environment. The tray insert is releasably secured into the receptacle formed in the top surface of the base. The tray insert has a plurality of slots spaced along a length of the tray insert. The template is received over the tray insert to cover the tray insert. The template has a plurality of openings through the tray insert to selectively expose a desired subset of slots. The placement clip is releasably secured through one of the openings in the template into a pair of the desired subset of slots. The placement clip acts to releasably secure the template to the tray insert and is adapted to maintain the product.

Claims

1. A shelving system comprising:

a product;

a base having a top surface forming a receptacle and including a hanger assembly for releasably securing the base to a shelving unit positioned in a retail environment;

a tray insert releasably secured into the receptacle formed in the top surface of the base, the tray insert having a plurality of slots spaced along a length of the tray insert;

a template received over the tray insert to cover the tray insert, the template having a plurality of openings through the tray insert to selectively expose a desired subset of slots; and

a placement clip releasably secured through one of the openings in the template into a pair of the desired subset of slots, the placement clip acting to releasably secure the template to the tray insert and being adapted to maintain the product.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the base defines a front edge and a rear edge, the hanger assembly being positioned at the rear edge, and the hanger assembly includes at least two brackets each having a keyed portion adapted to be releasably secured into a vertically aligned column of slots.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of slots in the tray insert includes a front portion and a rear portion, the front portion being substantially wider than the rear portion.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the placement clip includes a pair of vertically extending legs, each leg having a hooked portion adapted to be secured in place in a respective one of the desired subset of slots.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the placement clip includes a base portion from which the pair of vertically extending legs projects, the base portion having a substantially larger footprint than the one of the openings through which the placement clip is secured into the pair of the desired subset of slots.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the placement clip includes a transparent cover substantially enclosing the product.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the base forms a front product tier and a rear product tier for supporting products, the front product tier including the receptacle and the rear product tier being at a substantially higher vertical position than the front product tier.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the front product tier is angled forwardly downwardly and the rear product tier extends substantially horizontally relative to the front product tier.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the placement clip includes a cup portion and the product is releasably received in the cup portion.

9. The system of clam 1, wherein the product is adhered to the placement clip.

11. A method of shelving products, the method comprising:

securing a shelf to a shelf base fixture, the shelf including a leading support platform and a trailing support platform, the trailing support platform being substantially flat overall and the leading support platform being angled forwardly relative to the trailing support platform;

supporting a first plurality of products with the trailing support platform; and

securing a second plurality of products to the leading support platform using a plurality of product holders such that the products are displayed at a forward angle directed toward a viewer standing in front of the shelf.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising assembling the shelf by securing a cover strip having a plurality of windows over a slotted plate and securing the slotted plate to a support unit.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein each of the second plurality of products is maintained by a support article having tabs, and further wherein securing the cover strip over the slotted plate includes securing the tabs into the slotted plate.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising adhering each of the second plurality of products to a corresponding one of the support articles.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the shelf is secured to the shelf base fixture by releasably securing a keyed bracket of the adjustable shelving unit into a substantially vertically aligned set of slots.

16. The method of claim 11, performed in a retail store.

17. A display system comprising:

means for securing shelving to a base fixture, the shelving including a first support platform and a second support platform, the first support platform being substantially flat overall and the second support platform being angled forwardly relative to the first support platform;

means for supporting a first plurality of retail articles with the first support platform; and

means for securing a second plurality of retail articles to the second support platform such that the second plurality of retail articles are displayed at a forward angle directed toward a viewer standing in front of the shelving.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the shelving unit further includes means for adjusting a forward position of the shelving.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the means for adjusting a forward position of the shelving includes a slider base and a slider cap.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the means for adjusting a forward position of the shelving includes a depressible button for selectively locking the shelving in a plurality of different positions.