Stackable shelving system

• US 4,653,651 A
• Filed: 12/09/1983
• Issued: 03/31/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Paul Flum Ideas, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Paul Flum Ideas, Inc.
• Inventors: Flum, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Britts, Ramon S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Johnson, Blair M.
• Application Number:
  US06/559,968
• Time in Patent Office: 1,208 Days
• Field of Search: 211/59.4, 211/71, 211/72, 211/74, 211/188, 211/194, 108/55.1, 108/55.3, 108/56.3, 108/53.1, 108/53.3
• US Class Current: 211/59.4
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 7/281 for vertically-stacked containers; Stabilising means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 71/70 Trays provided with projections or recesses in order to assemble multiple articles, e.g. intermediate elements for stacking

Abstract

A product display shelving system for holding product containers in a stackable arrangement thereon comprising a base shelf member adaptable to be supported on a support structure and a plurality of additional shelf members each adaptable to rest upon and to be supported by respective layers of product containers positioned on and between the base shelf member and the additional shelf members, the base shelf member and the additional shelf members each having a surface contour defining a plurality of adjacent product support areas thereover, each of the product support areas being adaptable for locating and supporting at least one product container positioned thereon, each of the plurality of additional shelf members including a plurality of surface portions formed on the lower surface thereof to engage and to be supported by the product containers positioned therebelow. The present shelving system may also include an optical storage member for holding a plurality of shelf members when not in use. Various display stand applications utilizing the present shelf members including a palletized arrangement are disclosed.

Claims

1. A product display shelving system adaptable for holding products or product containers in a stackable arrangement thereon comprising a plurality of shelf members each including opposed front and rear wall portions, opposed side wall portions, and a floor portion extending therebetween, said floor portion having a plurality of spaced product holding cavities extending downwardly therefrom, at least one of said plurality of shelf members being adaptable to be supported on a support surface, the other of said shelf members each including means associated with the product holding cavities for enabling said shelf members to rest upon and to be supported by the upper portions of products or product containers positioned on a shelf member located therebelow, said shelving system including a storage member adaptable for storing some of said plurality of shelf members when not in use, said storage member including an elongated member having an elongated upwardly opening cavity therein of a length at least equal to the length of one of the sides of said shelf members to hold said shelf members in an upright position when placed therewithin, said storage member further including means cooperatively engageable with said one of said plurality of shelf members adaptable to be supported on a support surface for holding said storage member and said one shelf member in side by side attached condition, said one shelf member adaptable to be supported on a support surface including a peripheral space extending therearound between the front, rear and side wall portions thereof and the product holding cavities which lie respectively adjacent thereto, said cooperatively engageable means on said storage member engaging said peripheral space.

2. The product display shelving system of claim 1 wherein said means associated with each of said product holding cavities includes a downwardly extending annular projection, said projections being spaced and arranged to be in alignment with the upper portion of the respective products or product containers therebelow.

3. The product display shelving system of claim 1 wherein the front, rear and side walls of said plurality of shelf members have bottom edges and said product holding cavities have base wall portions substantially coplanar with the bottom edges of said front, rear, and side walls.

4. The product display shelving system of claim 1 wherein said product holding cavities are arranged in parallel rows and columns across said floor portions.

5. The product display shelving system of claim 1 wherein each of said product holding cavities is contoured to conform to the contour of the bottom portion of the products or product containers to be positioned therein.

6. A product display shelving system for holding products in a stackable arrangement thereon comprising a base shelf member adaptable to be supported on a support structure and a plurality of additional shelf members each adaptable to rest upon and to be supported by the products positioned on the shelf member located therebelow, said base shelf member including spaced front and rear wall portions, spaced side wall portions, and a floor portion extending therebetween, said base floor portion having upper and lower surfaces and a plurality of spaced upstanding wall portions extending upwardly from the upper surface thereof, said plurality of upstanding wall portions being arranged in a grid-like pattern and forming a plurality of adjacent product support areas adaptable for locating and supporting products positioned respectively thereon, each of said plurality of shelf members having product support areas contoured similar to the product support areas of the base shelf member and including means formed on the lower surface thereof for engaging and being supported by products positioned therebelow, said shelving system including a storage member adaptable for retaining and storing a plurality of shelf members when not in use, said storage member having a cavity therewithin adaptable for holding said shelf members in an on edge condition, said storage member also including means cooperatively engageable with said base shelf member for use in concert therewith, said base shelf member including a peripheral groove extending therearound between the side edge of the lower floor surface and the adjacent front, rear and side wall portions thereof, said means on said storage member cooperatively engaging said peripheral groove.

7. The product display shelving system of claim 6 wherein said cooperatively engageable means on said storage member includes an upwardly projecting flange along one of the sides thereof.

8. A product display shelving system for holding products in a stackable arrangement thereon comprising a base shelf member to be supported on a support structure and a plurality of additional shelf members each adaptable to rest upon and to be supported by the products positioned on the shelf member located therebelow, said base shelf member including spaced front an rear wall portions, spaced side wall portions, and a floor portion extending therebetween, said base floor portion having upper and lower surfaces and a plurality of spaced upstanding wall portions extending upwardly from the upper surface thereof, said plurality of upstanding wall portions being arranged in a grid-like pattern and forming a plurality of adjacent product support areas for locating and supporting products positioned respectively thereon, each of said product support areas being substantially flat and each being dimensioned to receive and hold a multi-pack arrangement of products positioned thereon, each of said plurality of shelf members having spaced front, rear and side wall portions and a floor portion extending therebetween and each having product support areas contoured similar to the product support areas of said base shelf member, and each of said plurality of shelf members including means in the form of a plurality of downwardly extending annular flanges located on the lower surface of said floor portion for engaging and being supported by the upper portions of the products positioned therebelow, a storage member for retaining and storing a plurality of shelf members when not in use, said storage member having a cavity therewithin of sufficient dimension to receive at least one of the wall portions of said plurality of shelf members for holding said shelf members in a substantially upright position when placed therewithin, said storage member including means cooperatively engageable with said base shelf member for use in concert therewith, said base shelf member including a peripheral groove extending therearound between the front, rear and side wall portions thereof and the side edges of the lower surface of said floor portion which lie adjacent thereto, said means on said storage member cooperatively engaging said peripheral groove.

9. A product display shelving system for holding products or product containers in a stackable arrangement thereon comprising a plurality of shelf members each including opposed front and rear wall portions, opposed side wall portions, and a floor portion extending therebetween, said floor portion having a plurality of spaced product holding cavities extending downwardly therefrom, at least one of said plurality of shelf members being supported on a support surface, the other of said shelf members each including means associated with the product holding cavities for enabling the shelf members to rest upon and to be supported by the upper portions of products or product containers positioned on a shelf member located therebelow, said shelving system further comprising a storage member for storing at least some of said plurality of shelf members when not in use, said storage member having an elongated upwardly opening cavity therewithin of sufficient dimension to receive at least one of said front, rear and/or side wall portions of said plurality of shelf members to hold said shelf members in a substantially upright position when placed therewithin, said storage member further including means cooperatively engageable with said one of said plurality of shelf members being supported on a support surface for holding said storage member and said one shelf member in side-by-side attached condition, said cooperatively engageable means on said storage member including an upwardly projecting flange.