US3862784A

US3862784A - Front panel and partition holder for display shelf

Info

Publication number: US3862784A
Application number: US414738A
Authority: US
Inventors: Wilhelm Heinrich
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1973-11-12
Filing date: 1973-11-12
Publication date: 1975-01-28
Anticipated expiration: 1992-01-28

Abstract

Means for mounting front panels and partitions on storage and display shelves comprising an extension laterally arranged on the shelf employing a recess for receiving an inserted attachment which attachment is grooved to support the front panels and the partitions.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 Heinrich FRONT PANEL AND PARTITION HOLDER FOR DISPLAY SHELF [76] Inventor: Wilhelm Heinrich, D-344l Oberhone. Germany [22] Filed: Nov. 12, 1973 [21] Appl. No.:-4I4,738

[52] U.S. Cl. 312/140, 108/108 [51] Int. Cl. A47f 3/00, A47b 9/00 [58] Field of Search 312/140. 140.4, 111;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Kaufman 312/140 I 1 Jan. 28, 1975 3 2l9,4()l 11/1965 Mapson 1 312/140 3,604,670 9/1971 Reeves 103/108 3.765.344 10/1973 Ferdinand 108/108 Primary Examiner-Casmir A. Nunherg Allorney, Agent. or FirmWarren F. B. Lindslcy ABSTRACT Means for mounting front panels and partitions on storage and display shelves comprising an extension laterally arranged on the shelf employing a recess'for receiving an inserted attachment which attachment is grooved to support the front panels and the partitions.

10 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTH] JANZ 8 I975 SHEEI 10F 2 FRONT PANEL AND PARTITION HOLDER FOR DISPLAY SHELF BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Display shelves employed in the merchandising of small articles are usually partitioned to separate items according to type, size, price, etc. Such displays are frequently reorganized to accommodate new or different stock as buyer demand changes with the seasons of the year. Displays are also modified periodically in order to attract buyer attention and interest.

Such frequent reorganizations of displays create a need for separator panel or partition assemblies that may be readily modified and readjustedto provide the desired compartmental dimensions for each new display.

Prior art partition holders for display shelves consisted of simple strips with milled grooves to accommodate the separating partitions. They have proven to be inadequate because such strips soon become warped with the partitions falling out of their holders resulting in unattractive display. Further, this type of partition holder is difficult to reuse.

A co-pending application by the same inventor and entitled Separator Panel Holder For Display Shelves" discloses a holder for mounting separator panels extending from the rear of the shelf to its front. In the storage and display of many small articles, however, it is necessary also to provide windows or panels along the front edge of the individual compartments so that the compartments will be completely enclosed on all four sides, i.e., by the two partitions extending laterally of the shelf, the front panel and the rear building wall against which the shelf is mounted. Frequently, it is also desirable to provide a divider panel running longitudinally of the shelf along its center line and perpendicular to laterally extending partition panels.

SUMMARY OF-THE INVENTION A still further object of this invention is to provide such a panel holder which is attractive in appearance.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved panel holder which is inexpensive to manufacture.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize this invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The present invention may be more readily described by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one shelf of a shelving arrangement employing the novel panel holder interconnecting partitions of the shelf.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the panel holders shown in FIG. I taken along the line 22.

FIG. 3 is an enlargement of one of the partition members illustrating in exploded view how the partition. shelf arm and corner panel holder fit together.

FIG. 4 is a cross section view of FIG. 3 taken along the line 3-3.

FIG. 5 is a top view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a modification of the panel holder shown in FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring more particularly to the drawing by characters or reference, FIGS. I-S disclose a display or storage shelf assembly I0 comprising a pair of known shelf supporting brackets or arms 11, 11A shown more clearly in dash lines in FIG. 3 which are hooked into and supported in a substantially horizontal position on a pair of fixedly mounted vertically positioned

uprights

12, 12A, shown in FIG. I. Uprights 12, 12A are the usual known wall brackets designed for interlocking with and supporting one or more shelf arms in its apertures l3 spacedly arranged along its length.

Each of the arms 11, 11A are provided with an extension 14, 14A comprising -a bifurcated inverted U- shaped member which fits over the upper longitudinal edge of arms 11, 11A, as shown in FIG. 3. Each extension is provided with a pair of spacedly positioned tabs l5, l5 protruding laterally of its longitudinal axis toward the tabs as an adjacent arm for supporting a shelf 16 positioned between the arms, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 5.

The free end of each extension 14, 14A is contoured to receive in interlocking arrangement a panel holder 17. As shown more clearly in FIG. 3, the ends of the extensions 14, 14A are cut away to form a rib 18 extending longitudinally of the extension for receiving over it in interlocking arrangement the panel holder 17.

The panel holders l7 each comprise a rectangular shaped block having two bifurcated portions defining a pair of

grooves

19, 19A which are arranged laterally of each other to receive and hold in place as a corner member the laterally positioned and

engaging panel members

20, 20A, 208, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5. FIG. 2 illustrates that the panel holders comprise two U shaped

channels forming grooves

19 and 19A with channel 19A having a stop or web member 21 extending laterally across the groove forming a stop so that panel holder 17 can fit over rib 18 only a predetermined distance controlled by the position of member 21 along the length of groove 19A.

As noted from the figures of the drawing when the panel holder is inserted on the contoured ends of extensions 14, 14A, the lower ends 17A and 17B of the U- shaped portion forming groove 19A fit snugly into and fill out the indentations 22 and 22' of the contour of these extensions. When panel holder 17 is mounted on extensions 14 and 14A, motion in a horizontal direction of the holder is resisted by interference of the lower ends 17A and 17B with the walls of the contoured ends of extensions 14 and 14A. the vertical surfaces of

grooves

19 and 19A and the lateral extending rib 18 in groove 19A.

Careful examination of the panel holder and the interlocking fit of it with the contoured ends of extensions 14, 14A will reveal that relative motion of any kind between these parts is restrained with the exception that the panel holder may be moved vertically upwardly against the force of gravity to remove the panel holder from the extensions 14 and 14A.

The

grooves

19 and 19A of panel holders 17, 17' are fashioned to receive and support vertically positioned

panel members

20 and 20B and front panel 20A, as shown.

The panel holder 17 is intended for use at the front, left hand corner of the shelf, as shown in FIG. 1 while panel holder 17' is intended for use on the front, right hand corner of the shelf. It should be appreciated, however, if the panel holder is modified, as shown in H0. 6, to comprise a panel holder 23 having grooves 24, 24A and 248 it can be used to support and interconnect to front panel on the end of one extension arm.

FIG. 3 illustrates in dash lines an indentation 25 in the outer side surfaces of extension 14A similar to the indentation formed at the end thereof into which the panel holder 23 is inserted. This indentation is made to receive panel holder 23 with its lower ends 23A and 23B inserted into indentation 25 in the same manner as the lower ends 17A and 17B fit into the contoured end of extension 14 and 14A.

When panel holder 23 is installed at the center of extension 14A and/or extension 14 in similar indentation 25 panel holders 23 provide support for partitions extending longitudinally of the shelf across its center thereby dividing the shelf in further compartments.

The adaptability ofthe disclosed panel holders makes it possible to provide many different types of shelving arrangements with the minimum number of special purpose attachments.

From the foregoing description, it is evident that the invention comprises sturdy means for interlocking panels for dividing shelves into multiple configurations which shelving parts may be erected and re-erected in many different forms without destroying the shelving material.

Although the panels, panel holders and other shelving parts may be formed of synthetic plastic material any suitable material may be used.

Although but a few embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without depart ing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A holder for use in interlocking laterally engaging shelf panels comprising:

a rectangular member having two bifurcated portions defining rectangular grooves opening outwardly of said member one perpendicular to the other,

one bifurcated portion at one end of said member extending beyond the common end of said other of said bifurcated portions for frictionally engaging with the outer surface of a supporting shelf arm, and

a stop positioned in said groove of said one of said bifurcated portions for limiting the sliding engagement of said oneend thereof over the shelf supporting arm, said grooves extend the full length of said member.

2. The holder set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said rectangular member defines three bifurcated portions forming rectangular grooves opening outwardly of said member with two of said grooves being axially aligned and the axis of the third of said grooves being substantially perpendicularly arranged to the axis of said two grooves.

3. The holder set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said stop comprises a web member extending across the groove at a point corresponding to the common end of said other bifurcated portion.

4. A display shelf comprising in combination:

a pair of elongated narrow arms for attachment to a vertical wall at substantially the same level,

an extension for each of said arms comprising bifurcated channel members for insertion over, resting on the top of, and extending beyond the free ends of each of said arms,

each channel member being contoured at its free end for receiving in a sliding fit a panel holder,

a pair of panel holders one for each of said channel members,

said panel holders being conformed for slidingly fitting onto the end of said arms and each being provided with a pair of grooves substantially perpendicularly to each other,

a plurality of panels, the ends of two of said panels being inserted one in a common groove in each of said panel holders and arranged to extend along and rest on the top surface of a different one of said channel members, and

a third panel having a different one of its ends inserted in the other of said grooves in each of said panel holders.

5. The display shelf set forth in claim 4 wherein:

each of said extensions being provided with a pair of tabs extending laterally toward the tabs on the other extensions, and I a flat shelf support between said extensions in a horizontal position on said tabs.

6. The display shelf set forth in claim 5 wherein:

said panel holders each comprise a rectangular member having two bifurcated portions defining rectangular grooves opening outwardly of said member one perpendicular to the other,

one bifurcated portion at one end of said member being provided with cars which extend beyond the common end of said other of said bifurcated portions for frictionally engaging with the contoured surface of an associated extension, and

a stop positioned in said groove of said one of said bifurcated portions for limiting the sliding engagement of said ears of said bifurcated portion over the contoured surface of the supporting extension.

7. The display shelf set forth in claim 6 wherein:

said grooves of said panel holders extend the full length of the rectangular members.

8. The display shelf set forth in claim 6 wherein:

the rectangular members each define three bifurcated portions forming rectangular grooves opening outwardly of each member with two of said grooves being axially aligned and the axis of the third of said grooves being substantially perpendicularly arranged to the axis of said two grooves.

9. The display shelf set forth in claim 6 wherein:

said stop comprises a web member extending across said groove at a point corresponding to the common end of said other bifurcated portion.

10. The display shelf set forth in claim 6 wherein:

the panel holders are formed of plastic material.

Claims

1. A holder for use in interlocking laterally engaging shelf panels comprising: a rectangular member having two bifurcated portions defining rectangular grooves opening outwardly of said member one perpendicular to the other, one bifurcated portion at one end of said member extending beyond the common end of said other of said bifurcated portions for frictionally engaging with the outer surface of a supporting shelf arm, and a stop positioned in said groove of said one of said bifurcated portions for limiting the sliding engagement of said one end thereof over the shelf supporting arm, said grooves extend the full length of said member.

2. The holder set forth in claim 1 wherein: said rectangular member defines three bifurcated portions forming rectangular grooves opening outwardly of said member with two of said grooves being axially aligned and the axis of the third of said grooves being substantially perpendicularly arranged to the axis of said two grooves.

3. The holder set forth in claim 1 wherein: said stop comprises a web member extending across the groove at a point corresponding to the common end of said other bifurcated portion.

4. A display shelf comprising in combination: a pair of elongated narrow arms for attachment to a vertical wall at substantially the same level, an extension for each of said arms comprising bifurcated channel members for insertion over, resting on the top of, and extending beyond the free ends of each of said arms, each channel member being contoured at its free end for receiving in a sliding fit a panel holder, a pair of panel holders one for each of said channel members, said panel holders being conformed for slidingly fitting onto the end of said arms and each being provided with a pair of grooves substantially perpendicularly to each other, a plurality of panels, the ends of two of said panels being inserted one in a common groove in each of said panel holders and arranged to extend along and rest on the top surface of a different one of said channel members, and a third panel having a different one of its ends inserted in the other of said grooves in each of said panel holders.

5. The display shelf set forth in claim 4 wherein: each of said extensions being provided with a pair of tabs extending laterally toward the tabs on the other extensions, and a flat shelf support between said extensions in a horizontal position on said tabs.

6. The display shelf set forth in claim 5 wherein: said panel holders each comprise a rectangular member having two bifurcated portions defining rectangular grooves opening outwardly of said member one perpendicular to the other, one bifurcated portion at one end of said member being provided with ears which extend beyond the common end of said other of said bifurcated portions for frictionally engaging with the contoured surface of an associated extension, and a stop positioned in said groove of said one of said bifurcated portions for limiting the sliding engagement of said ears of said bifurcated portion over the contoured surface of the supporting extension.

7. The display shelf set forth in claim 6 wherein: said grooves of said panel holders extend the full length of the rectangular members.

8. The display shelf set forth in claim 6 wherein: the rectangular members each define three bifurcated portions forming rectangular grooves opening outwardly of each member with two of said grooves being axially aligned and the axis of the third of said grooves being substantially perpendicularly arranged to the axis of said two grooves.

9. The display shelf set forth in claim 6 wherein: said stop comprises a web member extending across said groove at a point corresponding to the common end of said other bifurcated portion.

10. The display shelf set forth in claim 6 wherein: the panel holders are formed of plastic material.