Shelving, shelf assembly and components thereof

• US 6,490,983 B1
• Filed: 12/09/1999
• Issued: 12/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Anthony Incorporated (Dover Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Anthony Incorporated (Dover Corporation)
• Inventors: Ondrasik, V. John, Nicholson, Jeffery
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Lanna
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, HANH VAN
• Application Number:
  US09/458,463
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 108/106, 108/107, 108/110, 108/108, 108/137, 108/143, 108/60, 108/61, 211/175, 211/187, 211/59.2, 211/59.3, 211/184, 211/151, 211/37, 211/38, 193/35.R, 193/35.S, 193/37, 193/38
• US Class Current: 108/106
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/12 dispensing from the side of an approximately horizontal stack A47F1/087 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/0486 for charging, displaying or discharging the articles
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/0031 made of tubes or wire
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/0037 being rotatable or tiltable
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/0056 made of tubes or wire
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/01 made of tubes or wire A47F5/0807 takes precedence foldable or adjustable A47F5/13
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/137 having wheels

Abstract

A shelving system includes components that are easily retrofit on existing shelves for improved product presentation, stocking and maintenance. The shelves may include adjustable product stops and dividers, and rollers for automatic advance of product.

Claims

1. A roller assembly for a shelf, the assembly comprising:

a roller tray including at least one wall having an axle support wall and an outwardly projecting element for engaging a rail of a wire shelf;

a groove portion defined in a portion of the at least one wall for accepting a wire support of a wire shelf; and

a roller having an axle extending in a first direction and resting in and supported by the axle support wall, and wherein the outwardly projecting element extends outwardly in the first direction.

2. A roller assembly for a shelf, the assembly comprising:

a roller tray including a first wall having a first axle support wall and a second wall having a second axle support wall and further including a first outwardly projecting element extending from the first wall and a second outwardly projecting element extending from the second wall for engaging a respective rail of a wire shelf extending in a first direction;

a groove portion defined in a portion of at least one of the first and second walls for accepting a wire support of a wire shelf extending in a second direction different from the first direction; and

a roller having an axle resting in and supported by the axle support wall.

3. A shelf and roller assembly, the assembly comprising:

a shelf having at least first and second side elements defining at least one longitudinally extending opening, wherein the first and second side elements include respective upper and lower surfaces;

a roller support for supporting at least two rollers having first and second sides, and the roller support having a first roller support side having an inner surface extending along the first side of the at least two rollers and an outer surface facing in the first direction away from the first side of the at least two rollers, the outer surface including at least one projection extending in the first direction outwardly away from the first side of the at least two rollers for contacting the lower surface of the first side element of the shelf, the roller support further including a first shelf contact surface extending in the first direction outwardly away from the outer surface of the first roller support side for contacting the first side element of the shelf and a second shelf contact surface for contacting the second side element of the shelf and for preventing the roller support from passing completely through the opening; and

a first roller supported by the roller support and a second roller supported by the roller support.

4. The assembly of claim 3 wherein the roller support has a length and the first shelf contact surface is a flange that extends the length of the roller support.

5. The assembly of claim 3 wherein the roller support has a length and the projection extends the length of the roller support.

6. The assembly of claim 3 wherein the side elements are wires.

7. The assembly of claim 3 wherein the roller support includes a bottom and the assembly further comprising grooves in the bottom of the roller support.

8. The assembly of claim 3 wherein the rollers are supported from a location below the shelf contact surface.

9. The assembly of claim 3 wherein the rollers are supported from a location above the shelf contact surface.

10. The assembly of claim 3 wherein the rollers are grooved.

11. The assembly of claim 10 wherein the grooved rollers are interleaved.

12. A shelf and product roller assembly, the assembly comprising:

a shelf having a first longitudinally extending wire and a first transversely extending wire; and

a roller assembly, including a first wall extending longitudinally and including an axle support wall, a roller having an axle resting in the axle support wall, the first wall including a projection for contacting the first longitudinally extending wire, the first wall further including a second receiving wall for receiving the transversely extending wire.

13. The assembly of claim 12 further comprising a plurality of rollers having respective axles wherein the roller assembly includes a plurality of axle support walls for respective axles on the rollers.

14. The assembly of claim 13 further comprising a second longitudinally extending wall with axle support walls for respective axles and wherein there is at least one roller on opposite sides of the second receiving wall.

15. The assembly of claim 12 further comprising a second longitudinally extending wall and at least one projection for contacting the longitudinally extending wire and wherein the projections engage a lower surface of the wire and help to hold the assembly in stationary relative to the shelf.

16. The assembly of claim 12 wherein the projection extends longitudinally with the first wall.

17. The assembly of claim 12 further comprising a second longitudinally extending wall and at least one projection extending longitudinally on the second longitudinally extending wall for contacting the wire.

18. The assembly of claim 12 further comprising a plurality of grooved rollers.

19. The assembly of claim 18 wherein at least two grooved rollers are adjacent each other and include respective ridges and grooves and wherein the ridges of one roller engage the grooves of the adjacent roller.

20. The assembly of claim 18 wherein each of the rollers include respective axle'"'"'s resting on axle support walls in the first wall and wherein the wire is positioned between the axle support walls and the projection.

21. The assembly of claim 18 further including a second longitudinally extending wall for supporting the roller assembly on the first longitudinally extending wire.

22. A shelf assembly comprising:

a shelf having a first side portion and a second side portion defining an opening there between; and

a roller assembly having at least one roller and a first wall for supporting and axle of the roller and a second wall having a portion extending from the first wall away from one side of the at least one roller and over the first side portion of the shelf for supporting the roller assembly on the shelf and a third wall having a portion extending from an opposite side of the at least one roller in a direction opposite the second wall and over the second side portion of the shelf for supporting the roller assembly on the shelf.

23. The shelf assembly of claim 22 wherein the first side portion and the second side portion of the shelf are wires.

24. The shelf assembly of claim 23 wherein the roller assembly includes a tray having side walls containing the first wall for supporting the roller and wherein the second and third walls extend substantially perpendicular to the side walls of the tray.

25. The shelf assembly of claim 24 further including a projection on each side wall of the tray for engaging the shelf wires.

26. The shelf assembly of claim 24 further comprising a wall in a bottom of the tray extending transverse to the tray for accepting a wire.

27. The shelf assembly of claim 23 wherein the at least one roller is grooved.

28. The shelf assembly of claim 27 wherein the grooved roller includes an axle positioned at least partly above the second and third walls.