Shelf-front assembly for labeling and retaining products

• US 6,796,445 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2003
• Issued: 09/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Issac Cyrluk
• Original Assignee: Issac Cyrluk
• Inventors: Cyrluk, Issac
• Primary Examiner(s): NOVOSAD, JENNIFER ELEANORE
• Application Number:
  US10/449,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20030196979A1
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 211/183, 211/119.003, 211/59.2, 211/184, 211/134, 211/59.4, 406/610.3, 406/420.2, 406/49, 406/51, 108/60, 108/61, 108/27
• US Class Current: 211/183
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/204 specially adapted to be attached to a shelf or the like

Abstract

Methods for making, etc., a shelf-front assembly, including, in some embodiments, extruding a plastic strip having 1) a generally horizontal floor and 2) an upward wall extending up from the generally horizontal floor; cutting a length of the plastic strip, attaching the length of the plastic strip on a shelf by sliding a portion of the generally horizontal floor under an overhanging member, and laying the generally horizontal floor on a generally horizontal portion with a blocking element in front of a retaining surface of the strip.

Claims

1. A method of making a shelf-front assembly, comprising the steps of:

extruding a plastic strip having

     1) a generally horizontal floor and

     2) an upward wall extending up from said generally horizontal floor;

cutting a length of said plastic strip;

attaching the length of the plastic strip on a shelf by sliding a portion of said generally horizontal floor in a depthwise direction under an overhanging member and laying said generally horizontal floor with a blocking element in front of a retaining surface of said strip;

wherein when attached to said shelf said upward wall is located substantially over said shelf.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said overhanging member overhangs a rear end of said floor and further including overhanging said overhanging member over a rear end of said floor.

3. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of a) extruding a modified strip that is similar to said strip with an upward wall that is a different height than said upward wall of said strip;

b) removing said strip from said shelf and attaching said modified strip to said shelf to provide a different height upward wall.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said blocking element is also a snap-fit element and further including the step of snap-fitting said blocking element to said strip.

5. The method of claim 1, further including retaining items for sale on said shelf by said upward wall.

6. The method of claim 1, further including forming said upward wall with a height of between ½

inch and 6 inches.

7. The method of claim 1, further including forming said generally horizontal floor with a depth of less than 3 to 5 inches.

8. The method of claim 1, further including forming said generally horizontal floor with a depth of between ¼

inch to 2 inches.

9. The method of claim 1, further including forming said generally horizontal floor with a depth of between ½

inch to about 1 inch.

10. The method of claim 1, further including forming said strip with a length of at least 2 feet long.

11. A method of making a shelf-front assembly, comprising the steps of:

a) locating an elongated strip, which has a floor and an upward wall with a substantially narrower depth than said floor, proximate a front of a shelf, said shelf having an overhanging member extending lengthwise along said shelf; and

b) placing an edge of said floor under said overhanging member by moving said elongated strip depthwise over said shelf without substantial movement lengthwise over said shelf;

c) wherein when attached to said shelf said upward wall is located substantially over said shelf.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said placing includes sliding said edge of said floor rearwardly under said overhanging member.

13. The method of claim 11, further including integrally forming said overhanging member as a unitary piece with said shelf.

14. The method of claim 13, further including providing said shelf as a metal shelf.

15. The method of claim 14, further including roll-forming said shelf and said overhanging member together.

16. The method of claim 11, further including providing said elongated strip as an extruded strip.

17. The method of claim 16, further including providing said elongated strip as a plastic strip.

18. The method of claim 11, further including retaining items for sale on said shelf by said upward wall.

19. The method of claim 18, further including providing said upward wall as generally transparent to facilitate viewing of said items therethrough.

20. The method of claim 11, further including forming said upward wall with a height of between ½

inch and 6 inches.

21. The method of claim 11, further including forming said generally horizontal floor with a depth of less than 3 to 5 inches.

22. The method of claim 11, further including forming said generally horizontal floor with a depth of between ¼

inch to 2 inches.

23. The method of claim 11, further including forming said generally horizontal floor with a depth of between ½

inch to about 1 inch.

24. The method of claim 11, further including forming said strip with a length of at least 2 feet long.

25. A method of assembling a shelf-front assembly with plural retaining walls that are interchangeable by depthwise movement without substantial lengthwise movement, comprising the steps of:

a) locating an elongated strip, which has a floor and an upward retaining wall over said floor with a substantially narrower depth than said floor, proximate a front of a shelf, said shelf having an overhanging member extending lengthwise along said shelf;

b) placing an edge of said floor under said overhanging member by moving said elongated strip depthwise over said shelf without substantial movement lengthwise over said shelf; and

c) further including the steps of a) providing a modified strip that is similar to said strip with an upward retaining wall that is a different height than said upward retaining wall of said strip;

b) removing said strip from said shelf and attaching said modified strip to said shelf to provide a different height upward retaining wall.

26. A method of making a shelf-front assembly, comprising the steps of:

a) locating an elongated strip, which has a floor and an upward wail over said floor with a substantially narrower depth than said floor, proximate a front of a shelf, said shelf having an overhanging member extending lengthwise along said shelf; and

b) placing an edge of said floor under said overhanging member by moving said elongated strip depthwise over said shelf without substantial movement lengthwise over said shelf; and

c) wherein said edge of said floor under said overhanging member is a rearmost end of said floor.

27. A method of making a shelf-front assembly, comprising the steps of:

a) extruding a plastic strip having

     1) a generally horizontal floor and

     2) an upward wall extending up from said generally horizontal floor;

b) cutting a length of said plastic strip;

c) attaching the length of the plastic strip on a shelf by sliding one end of said generally horizontal floor under an overhanging member and laying said generally horizontal floor with a blocking element in front of a retaining surface of said strip;

d) further including the steps of i) extruding a modified strip that is similar to said strip with an upward wall that is a different height than said upward wall of said strip and ii) removing said strip from said shelf and attaching said modified strip to said shelf to provide a different height upward wall.