Illuminated shelf

• US 7,434,951 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2007
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gemtron Corporation (SSW Holding Company Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Gemtron Corporation (SSW Holding Company Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bienick, Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): Sawhney; Hargobind S
• Application Number:
  US11/649,259
• Publication Number:
  US 20070109764A1
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• Field of Search: 362/602, 362/605, 362/606, 362/608, 362/609, 362/610, 362/611, 362/612, 362/613, 362/614, 362/615, 362/551, 362/555, 362/559, 362/565, 362/33, 362/127, 362/133, 362/225, 362/240, 362/800, 362/812, 312/408, 312/112, 312/117, 312/116, 312/140, 312/122, 312/223.5
• US Class Current: 362/92
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 97/00 Furniture or accessories for furniture, not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 11/10 Arrangements of light sources
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/0043 Show shelves shelves in general A47B96/02; brackets or similar shelf-supporting means A47B96/06; advertising or price indication G09F
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0044 Household appliances, e.g. washing machines or vacuum cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/305 for refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2325/022 Shelves made of glass or ceramic
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/40 Refrigerating devices characterised by electrical wiring
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 25/02 by shelves
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 27/00 Lighting arrangements in general F21
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0028 Light guide, e.g. taper
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0086 Positioning aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0095 Light guides as housings, housing portions, shelves, doors, tiles, windows, or the like

Abstract

An illuminated shelf includes a tempered transparent glass panel having edges each housed in a slot of a housing defining a chamber through which and/or in which light is generated to illuminate the transparent panel. Each housing is preferably snap-secured together to access the chamber interior for purposes of replacement and/or repair. Each housing can be totally or partially encapsulated and the encapsulation includes conductors which are operative in any position of vertical adjustment or sliding adjustment of the shelf.

Claims

1. A shelf comprising a product support adapted to be disposed substantially horizontally in an associated compartment whereby products can be supported thereon, means for effecting selective vertical adjustable support of said product support relative to a wall portion of an associated compartment, means for effecting horizontal sliding movement of said product support relative to said vertical adjustable support means, means carried by said product support for creating illumination, first means defined at least in part by said product support for receiving electrical current from an electrical current source, and second means for defining a sliding electrical contact between said electrical current receiving means and said illumination creating means whereby illumination is created at substantially any position of horizontal sliding movement of said product support relative to said vertical adjustable support means.

2. The shelf as defined in claim 1 wherein said product support includes a support panel, said vertical adjustable support means includes at least one shelf bracket having means for selectively vertically adjusting said at least one shelf bracket relative to a wall portion of an associated compartment, said support panel having a border along at least one edge portion of said support panel, and said second sliding electrical contact means is defined by electrical contacts carried by each of said border and shelf bracket in sliding contact with each other.

3. The shelf as defined in claim 2 wherein said support panel is substantially transparent.

4. The shelf as defined in claim 2 wherein said illumination means directs illumination into an edge portion of said support panel.

5. The shelf as defined in claim 2 wherein said illumination means directs illumination into said support panel through one of two opposite upper and lower surfaces.

6. The shelf as defined in claim 2 wherein said electrical contacts include at least a pair of elongated conductors.

7. The shelf as defined in claim 2 wherein said border is a polymeric/copolymeric in situ encapsulation at said at least one edge portion of said support panel.

8. The shelf as defined in claim 2 wherein said border is a polymeric/copolymeric in situ encapsulation at said at least one edge portion of said support panel, and said border electrical contacts are at least in part in situ encapsulated by said in situ encapsulation.

9. The shelf as defined in claim 2 wherein said electrical contacts include at least a pair of elongated conductors disposed in substantially parallel relationship to each other.

10. The shelf as defined in claim 2 wherein said electrical contacts include at least a pair of elongated conductors disposed in substantially parallel relationship to each other along said shelf bracket.

11. The shelf as defined in claim 3 wherein said electrical contacts include at least a pair of elongated conductors.

12. The shelf as defined in claim 11 wherein said border is a polymeric/copolymeric in situ encapsulation at said at least one edge portion of said support panel.

13. The shelf as defined in claim 11 wherein said border is a polymeric/copolymeric in situ encapsulation at said at least one edge portion of said support panel, and said border electrical contacts are at least in part in situ encapsulated by said in situ encapsulation.

14. The shelf as defined in claim 11 wherein said electrical contacts include at least a pair of elongated conductors disposed in substantially parallel relationship to each other.

15. The shelf as defined in claim 1 wherein said product support includes a support panel, said vertical adjustable support means includes a pair of shelf brackets each having means for selectively vertically adjusting said pair of shelf brackets relative to a wall portion of an associated compartment, said support panel having a border along at least each of two opposite side edge portions of said support panel, and said second sliding electrical contact means are defined by electrical contacts carried by at least one of said borders and one of said shelf brackets in sliding contact with each other.

16. The shelf as defined in claim 15 wherein said support panel is substantially transparent.

17. The shelf as defined in claim 15 wherein said electrical contacts include at least a pair of elongated conductors.

18. The shelf as defined in claim 15 wherein each border is a polymeric/copolymeric in situ encapsulation at each of said two opposite side edge portions of said panel.

19. The shelf as defined in claim 16 wherein each border is a polymeric/copolymeric in situ encapsulation at each of said two opposite side edge portions of said panel.

20. The shelf as defined in claim 18 wherein said electrical contacts include at least a pair of elongated conductors.