SHELF DIVIDER SYSTEM

• US 20130213916A1
• Filed: 10/26/2011
• Published: 08/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Checkmate International Pty Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Checkmate International Pty Ltd.
• Inventors: Leahy, John, Oretti, John
• Granted Patent: US 9,549,622 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 211/151
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/04 Racks or containers with arrangements for dispensing articles , e.g. by means of gravity or springs
• 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: Y10T 428/2457 Parallel ribs and/or grooves

Abstract

A shelf divider system that includes a shelf base (12) defining a support for multiple products, which base has a front (16) and a rear (18) and multiple parallel elongate slots (50) in the base. The slots extend in a direction from front to rear in multiple sets (53) of at least two aligned slots. An upstanding transversely extending front stop (26) mounted to the base at the front has an upper edge (31) and at or adjacent the upper edge respective seats (46) associated with the sets of at least two aligned slots. A plurality of dividers (28) each have a bottom edge (36) with a more rearward rearwardly extending protrusion (42) and a more forward depending tab means (48), and a front edge (32) with an upper forwardly extending protrusion (44), whereby each divider is selectively releasably engageable with any of the sets of at least two aligned slots by locating the rearwardly extending protrusion under a rear edge of a rear slot and pivoting the divider downwardly to locate the tab means in a front slot and the forwardly extending protrusion in an associated seat on the front stop, whereupon the divider is not disengagable except by reversing the pivoting action.

Claims

1. A shelf divider system comprising:

a shelf base defining a support for multiple products, which base has a front and a rear and multiple parallel elongate slots in the base, which slots extend in a direction from front to rear in multiple sets of at least two aligned slots;

an upstanding transversely extending front stop mounted to the base at said front, having an upper edge and at or adjacent the upper edge respective seats associated with said sets of at least two aligned slots; and

a plurality of dividers each having a bottom edge with a more rearward rearwardly extending protrusion and a more forward depending tab means, and a front edge with an upper forwardly extending protrusion;

whereby each divider is selectively releasably engageable with any of said sets of at least two aligned slots by locating said rearwardly extending protrusion under a rear edge of a rear slot and pivoting the divider downwardly to locate the tab means in a front slot and the forwardly extending protrusion in an associated seat on the front stop, whereupon the divider is not disengagable except by reversing said pivoting action, and wherein the tab means includes a protrusion which locks when the divider is pushed down.

2. A shelf divider system according to claim 1 wherein the shelf base is an integral slip mat having a multiplicity of spaced parallel ribs aligned front to rear to provide a slip surface along which products may slide, which ribs define said elongate slots between them.

3. A shelf divider system according to claim 2 wherein said integral slip mat further has plural support beams below said slip surface extending transversely to and being integrally joined to said ribs, whereby to define said multiple sets of at least two aligned slots and wherein said rearwardly extending protrusion of each divider locates under a shoulder of a first support beam of said plural support beams.

4. A shelf divider system according to claim 3 wherein said integral slip mat further includes at least one transversely extending fracture line of reduced thickness segments adjacent respective said first support beams.

5. A shelf divider system according to claim 4 wherein said dividers include dividers of different lengths to accommodate different depths of said slip mat before and after fracture of the slip mat along the or each said fracture line.

6. A shelf divider system according to claim 3 wherein said tab means include at least one slotted tab and said integral slip mat further includes formations on a second support beam of said plural support beams that deepen said slots adjacent the second support beam for firmly seating a said slotted tab pressed onto the second support beam.

7. A shelf divider system according to claim 6 wherein said integral slip mat further includes at least one transversely extending fracture line of reduced thickness segments adjacent respective said first support beams, and said dividers include dividers of different lengths to accommodate different depths of said slip mat before and after fracture of the slip mat along the or each said fracture line, and wherein said slip mat has plural said second support beams to match different slotted tab locations on such dividers of different lengths.

8. A shelf divider system according to claim 2 wherein said upstanding transversely extending front stop is mounted to the slip mat by releasable slidable engagement with an outstanding integral rail at the front of the slip mat.

9. A shelf divider system according to claim 1 wherein said seats on the upstanding transversely extending front stop comprise respective notches in the upper edge of the stop.

10. A shelf divider system according to claim 1 wherein each said divider is not slidable in said direction from front to rear or vice-versa when the tab means is located in the front slot and the forwardly extending protrusion is located in its associated seat on the front stop.

11. A shelf divider system according to claim 10 wherein said forwardly extending protrusions each have a downturned or return portion for firmly locating the upstanding transversely extending stop between the downturned or return portion and the front edge of the divider.

12. A shelf divider system according to claim 1 wherein each said divider is a flat panel.

13. A shelf divider system according to claim 1 wherein said rearwardly extending protrusion is of hook-like form.

14. A shelving system including a shelf divider system therefore according to claim 1.

15. A shelving system according to claim 14 including a shelf that comprises the shelf base of the assembly.

16. A shelving system according to claim 14 including a shelf for receiving the shelf base of the assembly, wherein the shelf base is an integral slip mat having a multiplicity of spaced parallel ribs aligned front to rear to provide a slip surface along which products may slide, which ribs define said elongate slots between them.

23. A shelf divider system according to claim 2, wherein the protrusion on the tab means is a lateral protrusion that engages under a said rib to assist in preventing upward movement of the divider.

24. A shelf divider system according to claim 23, wherein said lateral protrusion is one of two lateral protrusions that engage under ribs on either side of the divider.

17. A divider for a shelving system having a bottom edge with a more rearward rearwardly extending protrusion and a more forward depending tab means, and a front edge with an upper forwardly extending protrusion, whereby the divider is selectively releasably engageable with a set of at least two aligned slots in a shelf base by locating said rearwardly extending protrusion under a rear edge of a rear slot and pivoting the divider downwardly to locate the tab means in a front slot and the forwardly extending protrusion in an associated seat on an upper edge of an upstanding transversely extending stop mounted to the shelf base at its front, and wherein the tab means includes a protrusion which locks when the divider is pushed down.

18. A divider according to claim 17 wherein said forwardly extending protrusions each have a downturned or return portion for firmly locating the upstanding transversely extending stop between the downturned or return portion and the front edge of the divider.

19. A divider according to claim 17 wherein said divider is a flat panel.

20. A divider according to claim 17 wherein said rearwardly extending protrusion is of hook-like form.

25. A divider according to claim 17, wherein the protrusion on the tab means is a lateral protrusion that engages under a rib to assist in preventing upward movement of the divider.

26. A divider according to claim 25, wherein said lateral protrusion is one of two lateral protrusions that engage under ribs on either side of the divider.

21. An integral slip mat comprising:

a multiplicity of spaced parallel ribs aligned front to rear of the mat to provide a slip surface along which products may slide;

plural support beams below said slip surface extending transversely to and being integrally joined to said ribs, whereby to define multiple elongate slots between the ribs arranged in multiple sets of at least two aligned slots;

at least one transversely extending fracture line of reduced thickness segments adjacent respective first support beams of said plural support beams, and

formations on at least one second support beam of said plural support beams that deepen said slots adjacent the second support beam for firmly seating a slotted tab of a divider pressed onto the second support beam.

22. A shelf assembly, including:

a moulded mat for placement on a supporting shelf, the mat having a plurality of walls running from the front to the rear of the mat and defining a plurality of channels, the walls including spaced notches;

a plurality of stub rollers having a stub at each end, the plurality of stub rollers positioned in the channels with the stubs engaged in the notches;

a plurality of longitudinal locking members positioned over said walls to lock said stub rollers in said channels.