Adjustable shelf organizer units having frangible side and rear portions

• US 4,801,025 A
• Filed: 09/12/1986
• Issued: 01/31/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Presence From Innovation, LLC (Jahabow Industries, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Paul Flum Ideas, Inc.
• Inventors: Bidwell, Christopher C., Flum, Paul L.
• Primary Examiner(s): GIBSON, ROBERT W
• Application Number:
  US06/907,056
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 211/59.2, 211/134, 211/60.1, 211/126, 211/186, 211/11, 211/188, 211/153, 211/128, 312/42, 312/45
• US Class Current: 211/59.2
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/00 Show stands, hangers, or shelves characterised by their constructional features
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/005 Partitions therefore horizontally adjustable A47B57/58; constructional details of drawers A47B88/90

Abstract

An adjustable shelf unit adaptable to be supported on a support structure including frangible side and rear portions which can be easily detachably removed therefrom for adjusting both the depth and/or width of the unit to facilitate use on existing shelf structures having varying depths and widths. Removal of one or both of the frangible side portions provides shelf width adjustment whereas removal of the frangible rear portion provides shelf depth adjustment. The present shelf units are specifically designed for use both as a single shelf unit to more effectively organize and merchandise products therefrom and are likewise particularly adapted to be arranged in spaced apart relationship one above the other to form a two-tier product merchandising display system, which two-tier arrangement effectively doubles the avilable shelf capacity. The present shelf units can be conveniently supported in either a flat position or in an inclined position for gravity feeding products therefrom and are adaptable for use in many display applications.

Claims

1. A one-piece shelving unit for merchandising products arranged in rows comprising a base member having a front wall portion, a rear edge, opposed side walls and a floor portion extending therebetween, spaced parallel upstanding walls extending upwardly from said floor portion dividing said floor portion into adjacent portions extending in one direction from said front wall towards said rear edge, said upstanding walls defining therebetween a plurality of channels for receiving and supporting products positioned therewithin, and means extending transversely across said base member between said opposed side walls at an intermediate location between said front wall and said rear edge for weakening said base member whereby said base member can be broken along said weakening means into separate front and rear portions.

7. The shelving unit defined in claim 1 including other means for weakening said base member adjacent to one of said upstanding walls whereby said base member can be broken along said other weakening means into separate portions on opposite sides thereof.

8. The shelving unit defined in claim 1 wherein each of said channels in said base member has spaced openings formed therethrough.

9. The shelving unit defined in claim 1 including track means positioned in and extending along each of said channels, said track means including spaced upstanding ribs upon which products are supported for sliding movement therealong.

10. The shelving unit defined in claim 1 including means for mounting at least two of said shelving units in spaced parallel relationship one above the other.

11. The shelving unit defined in claim 1 wherein said means for weakening said base member include means forming an aligned region of reduced cross-section capable of being ruptured when portions of the base member on opposite sides thereof are deflected angularly relative to one another.

13. The shelving unit defined in claim 9 wherein said track means are formed from a mixture of materials including a high density polyethylene and a fatty amide.

14. The shelving unit defined in claim 9 wherein the said upstanding ribs have triangularly shaped cross-sections extending from an upper apex to a base, the height of said ribs being substantially greater than the width thereof at said base.

15. The shelving unit defined in claim 14 wherein the height of the triangularly shaped cross-sectional ribs are at least twice as great as the width thereof at said base.

33. The shelving unit defined in claim 1 including a plurality of removable tab members positioned generally adjacent to said weakening means.

34. The shelving unit defined in claim 33 wherein at least some of said plurality of tab members are located above said floor portion.

35. The shelving unit defined in claim 33 wherein at least some of said plurality of tab members are located below said floor portion.

36. The shelving unit defined in claim 7 including a plurality of removable tab members positioned generally adjacent to said other weakening means.

37. The shelving unit defined in claim 36 wherein at least one of said plurality of tab members is located above said floor portion.

38. The shelving unit defined in claim 36 wherein at least one of said plurality of tab members is located below said floor portion.

2. A shelf unit adaptable to be supported on a support surface comprising a base member having front, rear and opposed side walls and a floor portion extending therebetween, said floor portion including a plurality of upstanding walls defining a plurality of channels extending between said front and rear walls, track means positioned within and extending along each of said channels for supporting products positioned thereon, means forming a fracture line of reduced cross-section extending transversely across said base member between said opposed side walls at an intermediate location between said front and rear walls whereby said base member can be severed along said fracture line into separate front and rear portions, spaced wall members extending transversely across and downwardly from the bottom surface of said shelf unit, and a leg support member having a first lower end portion for resting on the support surface and a second upper end portion, said second upper end portion being cooperatively engageable with said spaced wall members to support said shelf unit thereat in spaced relationship above the support surface.

16. The shelf unit defined in claim 2 including other means forming a fracture line of reduced cross-section across said base member between said front and rear walls and adjacent to one of said upstanding walls whereby said base member can be severed along said other fracture line into separate portions on opposite sides thereof.

17. The shelf unit defined in claim 16 wherein at least one of said channels is located between said other fracture line and one of said opposed side walls.

18. The shelf unit defined in claim 2 wherein the second upper end portion of said leg support member is acutely angularly related to said first lower end portion.

19. The shelf unit defined in claim 2 wherein the second upper end portion of said leg support member includes optional means for adhesive attachment to the shelf unit.

3. A product merchandising display unit comprising a pair of similar shelf members to be arranged in spaced parallel relationship one above the other, each of said shelf members having a front, rear and opposed side edges and a plurality of bracket receiving openings extending transversely across at least a portion of the bottom surface thereof from the opposed side edges, a plurality of support brackets each including spaced parallel end portions and a central connecting portion therebetween, each of the said parallel end portion being oriented at an angle acutely related to the longitudinal dimension of said central connecting portion, the cross-sectional dimension of the bracket members substantially corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the bracket receiving openings whereby when the respective end portions of each bracket member are positioned extending into corresponding bracket receiving openings in the spaced shelf members the bracket members will maintain said pair of shelf members in spaced parallel relation, one of said shelf members being offset relative to the other by the angular relationship between the parallel end portions of each of said bracket members and the longitudinal dimension of said central connecting portions.

20. The product merchandising display unit defined in claim 3 including at least one center support bracket positioned between said spaced shelf members at an intermediate location, each of said shelf members having bracket engaging means located at an intermediate location on the upper and lower surfaces thereof.

21. The product merchandising unit defined in claim 3 wherein the parallel end portions on each of the bracket members are angularly oriented in a range from about 16°

to about 17°

relative to the longitudinal dimension of the central connecting portion.

22. The product merchandising display unit defined in claim 20 wherein the bracket engaging means on the lower surface of at least one of said shelf members includes stop means for limiting the movement of said center support bracket when engaged therewith.

23. The product merchandising display unit defined in claim 3 wherein each of said shelf members includes means extending transversely across said member between said opposed side edges at an intermediate location spaced from said front and rear edges for weakening said member whereby each of said members can be broken along said weakening means into separate front and rear portions.

24. The product merchandising display unit defined in claim 3 wherein each of said shelf members includes other means for weakening said member extending in a direction substantially parallel to and spaced from said opposed side edges between said front and rear edges whereby each of said members can be broken along said other weakening means into separate portions on opposite sides thereof.

25. The product merchandising display unit defined in claim 3 wherein said bracket receiving openings are integral with said shelf members.

26. The product merchandising display unit defined in claim 3 wherein said shelf members include track means for supporting products positioned thereon.

27. The product merchandising display unit defined in claim 3 wherein said transverse bracket receiving openings are defined in part by spaced wall members extending transversely across and downward from the bottom surface of each shelf member, and a leg support member having a first lower end portion for resting on a support surface and a second upper end portion, said second upper end portion being cooperatively engageable with said spaced wall members to support the shelf member thereat in spaced relationship above the support surface.

28. The product merchandising display unit defined in claim 27 wherein the second upper end portion of said leg support member is acutely angularly related to said first lower end portion.

29. The product merchandising display unit defined in claim 27 wherein the second upper end portion of said leg support member includes optional means for adhesive attachment to the shelf member.

4. A product merchandising display unit comprising a pair of similar shelf members and means for maintaining said shelf members in spaced parallel relationship, each of said shelf members having a top surface, a bottom surface, and front, rear and opposed side edges, a plurality of transverse bracket receiving passages associated with each of said shelf members and extending transversely across at least a portion of the bottom surface thereof, a plurality of bracket members for cooperative engagement with said bracket receiving passages to connect said shelf members together in spaced relation, each of said bracket members including an elongated member having a cross-sectional shape defined by a width dimension and a thickness dimension, said width dimension being substantially greater than said thickness dimension, each of said elongated members having first and second end portions and a connection portion extending therebetween, the orientation of said first and second end portions being such that when the width dimensions thereof are oriented in a horizontal plane the connection portion will be oriented at an angle relative to the vertical, one of the end portions of each of said bracket members being positioned extending into said bracket receiving passages on one of said shelf members and the other of said bracket end portions be positioned extending into the corresponding bracket receiving passages in said other shelf member, each of said shelf members having a reduced cross-sectional portion extending transversely thereacross whereby the portions thereof on opposite sides of said reduced cross-sectional portion can be angularly displaced relative to each other to separate said shelf portions into separate portions on opposite sides thereof.

30. The product merchandising display unit defined in claim 4 wherein each of said shelf members includes a second portion of reduced cross-section extending between the front and rear edges thereof whereby the portions thereof on opposite sides of said reduced cross-sectional portion can be angularly displaced relative to each other to separate said shelf member into separate portions.

31. The product merchandising display unit defined in claim 4 wherein each of said shelf members includes a plurality of spaced wall portions extending between the front and rear edges thereof to define product carrying channels therebetween, each of said product carrying channels including a plurality of upstanding ribs having triangular shaped cross-sections extending from an upper apex to a base, the height of said ribs being substantially greater than the width thereof at said base.

32. The product merchandising display unit defined in claim 31 wherein the height of the triangularly shaped cross-sectional ribs are at least twice as great as the width thereof at said base.

5. A shelving unit for merchandising products arranged in rows comprising a base member having a front wall portion, a rear edge, opposed side walls and a floor portion extending therebetween, spaced parallel upstanding walls extending upwardly from said floor portion dividing said floor portion into adjacent portions extending in one direction from said front wall towards said rear edge, said upstanding walls defining therebetween a plurality of channels for receiving and supporting products positioned therewithin, means extending transversely across said base member between said opposed side walls at an intermediate location between said front wall and said rear edge for weakening said base member whereby said base member can be broken along said weakening means into separate front and rear portions, track means positioned in and extending along each of said channels, said track means including spaced upstanding ribs upon which products are supported for sliding movement therealong, said track means further including means cooperatively engageable with said base member.

12. The shelving unit defined in claim 5 wherein said cooperatively engageable means include spaced yieldable means on said track means engageable with spaced surfaces on said base member whereby said yieldable means become engaged with said base member by being cammed outwardly during assembly.

6. A shelving unit for merchandising products arranged in rows comprising a base member having a front wall portion, a rear edge, opposed side walls and a floor portion extending therebetween, spaced parallel upstanding walls extending upwardly from said floor portion dividing said floor portion into adjacent portions extending in one direction from said front wall towards said rear edge, said upstanding walls defining therebetween a plurality of channels for receiving and supporting products positioned therewithin, first means extending transversely across said base member between said opposed side walls at an intermediate location between said front wall and said rear edge for weakening said base member whereby said base member can be broken along said first weakening means into separate front and rear portions, and second means for weakening said base member adjacent to at least one of said upstanding walls whereby said base member can be broken along said second weakening means into separate portions on opposite sides thereof.