MODULAR WALL ASSEMBLY FOR A COSMETIC FIXTURE SYSTEM

• US 20150173528A1
• Filed: 12/23/2014
• Published: 06/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal-Mart Stores Texas LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Hester-Redmond, Sunshine Rae
• Granted Patent: US 9,782,018 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/125 with an article-pushing device
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/126 the pushing device being urged by spring means
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/0025 having separate display containers or trays on shelves or on racks
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/08 secured to the wall, ceiling, or the like; Wall-bracket display devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0012 Furniture hospital beds F21V33/0072
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/301 for furniture
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/045 provided with perforations or slots permitting introduction or exit of wires
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/388 in modular walls, e.g. wall panels
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a merchandise display system having a modular wall assembly configured to provide electrical power to one or more shelf assemblies. The wall assembly can include a vertically oriented back panel, a cross bar horizontally and detachably mounted to the back panel, a pair of vertical uprights and a top cap. The pair of vertical uprights can be detachably mounted to the cross bar with each of the vertical uprights having an electrically non-conductive portion and an electrically conductive portion. The electrically conductive portion can be electrically isolated from the cross bar by the electrically non-conductive portion. The top cap can be disposed along an upper edge of the back panel and in electrical contact with electrically conductive portion of each of the vertical uprights.

Claims

1. A modular wall assembly configured to provide electrical power to a shelf assembly, the wall assembly comprising:

a vertically oriented back panel;

a cross bar horizontally and detachably mounted to the back panel;

a pair of vertical uprights detachably mounted to the cross bar, each of the vertical uprights having an electrically non-conductive portion and an electrically conductive portion, the electrically conductive portion being electrically isolated from the cross bar by the electrically non-conductive portion; and

a top cap disposed along an upper edge of the back panel and in electrical contact with electrically conductive portion of each of the vertical uprights.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein each end of the cross bar has a bracket and the back panel is configured to receive the bracket at each end of the cross bar to detachably couple the cross bar to the vertically oriented back panel.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the cross bar includes a plurality of mating members disposed along a length of the cross bar and the pair of vertical uprights each include openings configured to receive the mating members to detachably couple the vertical upright to the crossbar.

4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the electrically non-conductive portion is a frame and the electrically conductive portion is an insert supported by the frame.

5. The assembly of claim 4, wherein the insert has an elongate body that extends a length of the frame and the elongate body includes a plurality of openings distributed along the length, the openings being configured to receive the electrically conductive arms of the shelving assembly to permit positioning the shelving assembly at different heights.

6. The assembly of claim 4, wherein the frame includes a first channel formed along a longitudinal side edge of the frame and includes a second channel opposingly spaced from and open towards a third channel.

7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the first channel is configured to receive a front panel to cover at least a portion of the back panel and the second and third channels are configured to collectively receive the insert.

8. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a power supply mounted to the back panel, the power supply being electrically coupled to the top cap to provide electricity to the top cap.

9. A merchandise display system comprising:

a wall assembly, the wall assembly including;

a vertically oriented back panel;

a cross bar horizontally and detachably mounted to the back panel;

a pair of vertical uprights detachably mounted to the cross bar;

a top cap disposed along an upper edge of the back panel and in electrical contact with the pair of vertical uprights to provide electricity;

the shelf assembly, the shelf assembly including;

an area configured to hold merchandise for display;

a pair of electrically conductive support arms extending from the shelf assembly, shelf assembly being detachably mounted to the wall assembly via the pair of electrically conductive arms so that the pair of electrically conductive arms are in electrical contact with the pair of vertical uprights to receive electricity from one of the vertical uprights; and

circuitry selectively engaging the electrically conductive arms to energize a light source.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein each end of the cross bar has a bracket and the back panel is configured to receive the bracket at each end of the cross bar to detachably couple the cross bar to the vertically oriented back panel.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the cross bar includes a plurality of mating members disposed along a length of the cross bar and the pair of vertical uprights each include openings configured to receive the mating members to detachably couple the vertical upright to the crossbar.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein each of the vertical uprights includes an electrically non-conductive frame and an electrically conductive insert, the electrically conductive insert being electrically isolated from the cross bar by the electrically non-conductive frame.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the top cap is configured to be in electrical contact with the electrically conductive insert of each of the pair of vertical uprights.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the conductive insert has an elongate body that extends a length of the electrically non-conductive frame and the body includes a plurality of openings distributed along the length, the openings being configured to receive the electrically conductive arms of the shelving assembly to permit positioning the shelving assembly at different heights.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the electrically non-conductive frame includes a first channel formed along a longitudinal side edge of the electrically non-conductive frame and includes a second channel opposingly spaced from and open towards a third channel.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first channel is configured to receive a front panel to cover at least a portion of the back panel and the second and third channels are configured to collectively receive the electrically conductive insert.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein the wall assembly further comprises a power supply mounted to the back panel, the power supply being electrically coupled to the top cap to provide electricity to the top cap.

18. The system of claim 9, wherein the wall assembly further comprises a recessed surface of vertically oriented back panel, configured to be recessed with respect to the vertical support structure.

19. The system of claim 9, wherein the wall assembly further comprises a flushed surface of the vertically oriented back panel, configured to be flush with respect to the vertical support structure.

20. The system of claim 9, wherein the cross bar includes a bracket extending outwardly from a recessed surface of the vertically oriented back panel, the bracket being configured to bridge a gap created by the recessed surface.

21. The system of claim 9, wherein the cross bar has a plurality of brackets configured to attached to a plurality of mounting geometries on the vertically oriented back panel.

22. A method of configuring a reconfigurable merchandise display comprising:

securing a cross bar to a vertically oriented back panel;

securing two or more vertical uprights to the cross bar, each of the first vertical uprights having an electrically non-conductive portion and an electrically conductive portion, the electrically conductive portion being electrically isolated from the cross bar by the electrically non-conductive portion;

securing a top cap in electrical contact between two or more of the vertical uprights; and

securing a shelf assembly to two or more of the vertical uprights, the shelf assembly including an area configured to hold merchandise for display, a pair of electrically conductive support arms extending from the shelf assembly, and circuitry selectively engaging the electrically conductive arms,

wherein electricity flows from the top cap through a first one of the vertical uprights to a first one of the electrically conductive arms to supply the electricity to the circuitry and flows from the circuitry through a second one of the conductive arms and a second one of the vertical uprights back to the top cap.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

configuring the cross bar to include a plurality of cross brackets disposed along a front wall of the cross bar;

attaching an attachment member of each of the vertical uprights to the cross brackets, wherein the cross brackets are configured to receive the attachment member to detachably couple the vertical uprights to the cross bar.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

coupling a detachable object support structure having a plurality of settings for modular reconfiguration to the base frame.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the circuitry is held in electrical contact with the electrically conductive arms via a friction fit between the circuitry and the base frame.