U.S. patent application number 11/914290 was filed with the patent office on 2008-10-02 for merchandising/display element.
This patent application is currently assigned to CADBURY SCHWEPPES PLC. Invention is credited to Max Mathew Davidson, Brett Mornay Horn, Paul David Humphreys, Paul Charles Miller, Derek Victor Keith Woodhouse.
Application Number | 20080237164 11/914290 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34708128 |
Filed Date | 2008-10-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080237164 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Davidson; Max Mathew ; et
al. |
October 2, 2008 |
Merchandising/Display Element
Abstract
A merchandising/display element for a merchandising/display
system is in the form of a shelf having a rear part and front part,
the parts being interengaged with the front part being slidable
backwards and forwards relative to the fixed rear part to vary the
shelf depth/length. Moreover the width of the shelf is also
adjustable by means of slidable wire slides. The adjusted front
part can be locked in position by detents thereof engaged by grips,
whilst the adjusted wire slides can be locked in position when
adjusted by lock bars with detents
Inventors: |
Davidson; Max Mathew;
(Durban, ZA) ; Miller; Paul Charles; (Durban,
ZA) ; Humphreys; Paul David; (Durban, ZA) ;
Horn; Brett Mornay; (Durban, ZA) ; Woodhouse; Derek
Victor Keith; (Durban, ZA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HOFFMANN & BARON, LLP
6900 JERICHO TURNPIKE
SYOSSET
NY
11791
US
|
Assignee: |
CADBURY SCHWEPPES PLC
London
UK
|
Family ID: |
34708128 |
Appl. No.: |
11/914290 |
Filed: |
May 12, 2006 |
PCT Filed: |
May 12, 2006 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/GB06/01753 |
371 Date: |
May 23, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
211/134 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47F 5/04 20130101; A47F
5/0093 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
211/134 |
International
Class: |
A47F 3/00 20060101
A47F003/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 13, 2005 |
GB |
0509801.7 |
Claims
1. A merchandising/display element, having attachment means for
attaching it, in use, to a mount, and adjustment means for
adjusting at least one of the width and the depth/length of at
least part of the element.
2. The element of claim 1, wherein the or each adjusted dimension
part of the element is releasably locked in position after
adjustment.
3. The element of claim 1, in the form of a shelf.
4. The element of claim 3, wherein at a part thereof which is
rearmost, in use, are provided said attachment means.
5. The element of claim 4, wherein the attachment means comprises a
pair of spaced apart quadrant-like flanges having respective
aligned rows of openings therein on respective arcs struck about
respective centers of respective aligned further openings in the
flanges.
6. The element of claim 5, wherein, in use, a screw is passed
through the aligned further openings and through respective aligned
openings in respective opposite sides of a mounting post or
equivalent disposed between the flanges.
7. The element of claim 6, wherein the post has identical aligned
rows of such openings along its length and once the shelf has been
set to a selected one of a series of pre-set angles defined by the
holes in the flanges respectively, a further screw is passed
through those pair of openings in the flanges which are aligned
with the respective openings in respective opposite sides of the
post.
8. The element of claim 7, wherein there are three openings in each
row of openings in the flanges so that there are three pro-set
angular positions possible for the shelf relative to the post.
9. The element of claim 1, wherein for widthwise adjustment of the
element there is provided at one side thereof a slidable
member.
10. The element of claim 9, wherein the slidable member is in the
form of a wire slide.
11. The element of claim 10, in which the wire slide, which forms a
widthwise extension to the element when slid out of a front part of
the element, is slidably adjustable stepwise by an end thereof
being engageable in a selected detent of a multiplicity of detents
in a lock bar in said front part of the element.
12. The element of claim 1 wherein the lock bar is conveniently
movable normal to the sliding movement of the slide when the
extension of the slide widthwise is to be altered.
13. The element of claim 12, wherein said movement normal to the
siding movement of the slide is against spring bias.
14. The element of claim 12, wherein said movement of the lock bar
is carried out by manipulation thereof by an implement in an
opening of the lock bar accessible at an upper surface of the front
part of the element.
15. The element of claim 11, wherein the front part of the element
has two of said lock bars therein for adjusting two of said wire
slides at respective opposite sides of the front part.
16. The element of claim 10, in which the wire slide, which forms a
widthwise extension to the element when slid out of a rear part of
the element, is slidably adjustable stepwise by an end thereof
being engagable in a selected detent of a multiplicity of detents
in a lock bar in said rear part of the element.
17. The element of claim 10, in which the wire slide, which forms a
widthwise extension to the element when slid out of a rear part of
the element, is frictionally retained in position after sliding
adjustment in a direction into or out of a side of the rear
part.
18. The element of claim 10, in which the wire slide, which forms a
widthwise extension to the element when slid out of a front part of
the element, is frictionally retained in position after sliding
adjustment in a direction into or out of a side of the front
part.
19. The element of claim 11, wherein the or each lock bar has a
leaf spring.
20. The element of claim 15, wherein the lock bars have respective
leaf springs, and the leaf spring of one lock bar engages a rear
surface of the other lock bar free of detents, and vice versa.
21. The element of claim 1, wherein for length/depth adjustment of
the element there can be relative slidable movement between front
and rear parts of the element.
22. The element of claim 21, wherein the front part has one or more
rear legs arranged to slide in one or more openings extending
forwards from the front of the rear part of the element.
23. The element of claim 22, wherein at least one flexible guide
extends forwards from the rear part to engage with a rear leg of
the front part.
24. The element of claim 23, wherein the or each rear leg is
provided with a series of detents along its length, and a
projection on the or each flexible guide is selectively engageable
in a detent as the front and rear parts are relatively adjusted
towards or away from one another.
25. The element of claim 24, wherein a manually actuable part of
the or each flexible guide can be operable to flex the guide so as
to move the projection out of a detent in order to allow for
relative sliding adjustment movement between the front and rear
parts.
26. The element of claim 24, wherein the or each rear leg is
provided with a series of detents at its underside.
27. A merchandising/display unit comprising at least one
merchandising/display element as claimed in claim 1.
Description
[0001] This invention relates to a merchandising/display element
intended to form part of a merchandising/display system. Such a
system is particularly intended to be visible to consumers in a
retail environment and typically the system is in the form of a
free-standing unit or a unit provided at a customer check-out
counter, i.e. adjacent a till.
[0002] Known point of sale stands, for example confectionary
stands, have been provided in specific fixed sizes. Thus the stand
can only accommodate a certain number of the confectionary items
and if the confectionary item proves successful a further stand or
a new, larger stand system must be obtained to accommodate more
product. Moreover such known systems have generally been limited as
to where they can be positioned at the sale counter.
[0003] An object of the invention is to provide a
merchandising/display element which is more versatile compared to
known equivalent elements.
[0004] According to a first aspect of the present invention there
is provided a merchandising/display element, having attachment
means for attaching it, in use, to a mount, and adjustment means
for adjusting at least one of the width and the depth/length of at
least part of the element.
[0005] In one embodiment the or each adjusted dimension part of the
element is releasably locked in position after adjustment.
[0006] Preferably the element is in the form of a shelf, and more
preferably at a part thereof which is rearmost, in use, are
provided said attachment means. In one embodiment the attachment
means comprises a pair of spaced apart quadrant-like flanges having
respective aligned rows of openings therein on respective arcs
struck about respective centres of respective aligned further
openings in the flanges. In use, a screw is passed through the
aligned further openings and through respective aligned openings in
respective opposite sides of a mounting post or equivalent disposed
between the flanges. The post has identical aligned rows of such
openings along its length and once the shelf has been set to a
selected one of a series of preset angles defined by the holes in
the flanges respectively, a further screw is passed through those
pair of openings in the flanges which are aligned with the
respective openings in respective opposite sides of the post.
Conveniently there are three openings in each row of openings in
the flanges so that there are three pre-set angular positions
possible for the shelf relative to the post.
[0007] For widthwise adjustment of the element there is provided at
one side thereof a slidable member, preferably in the form of a
wire slide. In one embodiment, the wire slide, which forms a
widthwise extension to the element when slid out of a front part of
the element, is slidably adjustable stepwise by an end thereof
being engagable in a selected detent of a multiplicity of detents
in a lock bar in said front part of the element. The lock bar is
conveniently movable normal to the sliding movement of the slide
when the extension of the slide widthwise is to be altered. This
normal movement is against spring bias, and is desirably carried
out by manipulation of the lock bar by means of a tool or other
implement in an opening of the lock bar accessible at an upper
surface of the front part of the element.
[0008] Conveniently the front part of the element has two such lock
bars therein for adjusting two such wire slides at respective
opposite sides of the front part. By this means the front part of
the shelf can be extended at its opposite sides.
[0009] Whilst the same adjustment arrangement could be provided at
a rear part of the element, in one embodiment the or each wire
slide is not locked by the use of a lock bar, but is merely
frictionally retained after sliding adjustment in a direction into
or out of the side or respective sides of the rear part. However
the lock bar arrangement could be used at both the front and rear
parts of the element or at neither, or indeed only at the rear part
instead of only at the front part. Preferably the lock bars have
respective leaf springs and in one embodiment the leaf spring of
one lock bar engages a rear surface of the other lock bar free of
detents, and vice versa.
[0010] For length/depth adjustment of the element the front part is
slidable towards and away from the (fixed) rear part. However in
another embodiment there could be relative sliding with neither
part fixed. In the preferred embodiment the front part has one or
more rear legs which is or are arranged to slide in one or more
openings extending forwards from the front of the rear part of the
element. At least one flexible guide extends forwards from the rear
part to engage with a rear leg. Preferably the or each rear leg is
provided with a series of detents along its length, for example at
its underside, and a projection on the flexible guide is
selectively engagable in a detent as the front part is moved
towards or away from the rear part. A manually actuable part of the
flexible guide can be operable to flex the guide so as to move the
projection out of a detent in order to allow for sliding adjustment
of the front part.
[0011] According to a further aspect of the invention there is
provided a merchandising/display unit comprising at least one
merchandising/display element of said first aspect of the
invention.
[0012] The invention will now be described, by way of example, in
which:
[0013] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view from above of a
merchandising/display element of the invention, in a fully closed,
minimum size condition,
[0014] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view from below of the element
of FIG. 1, with side panels omitted.
[0015] FIG. 3 is a view, like FIG. 1, of the element, but without
side panels and to a smaller scale,
[0016] FIG. 4 is a view like FIG. 1, but with the element extended
in depth/length,
[0017] FIG. 5 is a view like FIG. 2 of the element shown extended
in FIG. 4,
[0018] FIGS. 6 and 7 are respectively a side view and a front view,
to a smaller scale, of the element of FIGS. 4 and 5,
[0019] FIG. 8 is a view like FIG. 4, with the element extended
widthwise,
[0020] FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of how a side panel
is fitted to a side of a front part of the element,
[0021] FIG. 10 is a fragmentary top plan view of the element
showing width adjustment means,
[0022] FIG. 11 is an exploded view of the element,
[0023] FIG. 12 is an assembly view of an upright for mounting an
element of the invention,
[0024] FIG. 13 shows an element of FIG. 3 and how three such
elements are mounted on the upright of FIG. 12,
[0025] FIG. 14 is a front perspective view of the mounted three
elements of FIG. 13, with side panels added and shown,
[0026] FIG. 15 is a side view of three elements mounted on another
upright, with the depth/length of the elements extended,
[0027] FIG. 16 is a front perspective view of the FIG. 15
arrangement, with the width of the elements extended,
[0028] FIG. 17 shows elements mounted on an upright at a counter
with a till,
[0029] FIG. 18 shows a counter and till like FIG. 17, with the
elements ceiling mounted, and
[0030] FIG. 19 shows elements mounted at a free standing unit.
[0031] A merchandising/display element of the invention is shown in
the drawings as being in the form of a shelf 10 comprising a rear
part 11 and a front part 12 which, as will be described
hereinafter, are inter-engaged so that the front part can be slid
backwards and forwards relative to the fixed rear part so as to
vary the depth/length of the shelf in order to accommodate
additional merchandise, in use. Preferably both the rear part and
the front part are of plastics material and are formed by injection
moulding. The respective surfaces of the rear part and the front
part which are indeed to be uppermost, in use, are generally flat
and in the same plane, the generally flat surface of the rear part
11 being indicated by the numeral 13 and the generally flat upper
surface of the front part 12 being denoted by the numeral 14.
Various injection moulding openings are shown in the surfaces 13
and 14 in the drawings, and whilst these do not interfere with
merchandise carried by the shelf, in that such merchandise is
normally in a carton or box, these openings can be covered, if
required, by suitable sheets of material. However as will be
described, various ones of the openings shown, for example in FIG.
1, need to be accessible for assembly and operation of the shelf,
in use.
[0032] From FIGS. 1 to 6 and 13 in particular, it can be seen at
the rear surface of the rear part 11 there is provided attachment
means in the form of a pair of spaced apart, parallel quadrant-like
flanges 15, 16 respectively which are integral with the rear part
11. As can be seen from these Figures, and in particular from FIG.
6, the bottom of each flange extends generally below the level of
the remainder of the underside of the rear part 11 and each flange
also projects somewhat normally beyond the rear surface of the rear
part 11. At the upper corner of each flange remote from the
remainder of the rear part 11 there is a circular through-opening
17, the two openings 17 in the respective flanges 15 and 16 being
aligned for reception therethrough of a fixing screw or fixing bolt
as will be described hereinafter. Along the curved bottom part of
each flange, i.e. directly below the opening 17 is a row of
openings 18, these openings lying on an arc struck about the
opening 17. Respective nuts (e.g. machined metal inserts) are
pressed into the openings 17 and 18 in flange 15. Again the row of
openings 18 in one flange are aligned with the row of openings in
the other flange so that again, as will be described, fixing
members such as screws or bolts can be received through selected
pairs of aligned openings 18 in the respective flanges 15, 16 so
that, as shown in FIG. 13, a shelf can be fixed to an upright or
post 19 at a selected one of three possible angles. The openings 17
are used to position the shelf at a particular height along the
upright 19 with a bolt, screw or similar fixing means being
inserted and screwed up from flange 16 into flange 15 through said
aligned openings 17 in the flanges and also through aligned
openings 20 in respective opposite sides of the post. The angle of
inclination of the shelf is then adjusted by rotating it around the
bolt or screw through the aligned openings 17 until one pair of
aligned openings 18 is in line with a pair of openings in the
respective opposite sides of the post so that a bolt or screw can
be received not only through the selected pair of aligned openings
18 from flange 16 into flange 15, but also the aligned openings 20
in the upright 19. Once the angle of the shelf has thus been fixed
in this way, the bolt or screw through the openings 17 can be
tightened, as can similarly the bolt or screw through the aligned
openings 18, thereby firmly holding the shelf in its angularly
adjusted position. As shown in FIG. 13, an upright 19 can typically
accommodate three shelves, in this example all at the same angle of
inclination, and equally spaced along the length of the upright. It
will be understood that the adjustment means could be of any other
suitable form, and there could be more or less than three positions
of adjustment.
[0033] To adjust the width of the rear part of the shelf 10 there
are fitted in the interior of the rear part 11 a pair of slidable
components in the form of two wire slides 21, 22 respectively, the
slides being arranged to slide towards and away from the remainder
of the rear part 11 at respective opposite sides thereof.
Preferably each slide is made of 6 mm powder-coated mild steel
wire, but it will be understood that other sizes and other
materials could be used. As shown best in FIG. 11, it can be seen
that each wire slide 21 or 22 is generally formed with a pair of
spaced, parallel elongate sections 23, 24 which are joined together
at one end of the slide by an integral upstanding U-shaped part 25.
At the opposite end of the slide the end of the section 23 is
turned through 90.degree. to form a short hook 25'. The interior of
the rear part 11 is formed with suitable surfaces and projections
which guide the elongate sections 23, 24 of each of the two wire
slides when these are slid inwardly and outwardly of the rear part
11, the sliding occurring linearly and generally normal to the
respective opposite sides of the rear part 11. As can be seen from,
for example, FIGS. 1 and 4, the two wire slides are slightly offset
with the wire slide 22 being nearer the front of the rear part 11
than the wire slide 21 so that the two slides do not interfere with
each other when, for example, they are both slide into the rear
part 11.
[0034] As can be seen, for example, from FIGS. 1 and 4 the flat
upper surface 13 of the rear part 11 is provided at generally
diagonally opposed corners with a generally L-shaped slot, this
being shaped to match the end of an elongate section 23 with its
short hook 25' to enable assembly of the two wires slides into the
rear part 11. As shown in FIG. 8, these two slides can be extended
laterally of the rear part 11 to form a widthwise extension of the
rear part 11 with merchandise in cartons, boxes, or otherwise being
able to be received not only on the flat upper surface 13 of the
rear part 11, but also on the extension wire slides 21 and 22, the
retention of the slides in the rear part 11 ensuring that the
slides are stable and able to accept appropriate loading of
merchandise. As will be understood from the above description, the
wire slides are freely extendable and retractable and, as
described, are not associated with any locking means in the rear
part 11, resistance to sliding being provided, if necessary, by
friction between the wire slides and the interior plastics
materials surfaces and components of the remainder of the rear part
11. However as will be described in relation to the front part 12,
it would be possible to provide positive lock means in this rear
part 11 as well as with the front part 12, or alternatively in the
rear part 11 alone, or in neither part.
[0035] Finally with regard to the rear part 11, it can be seen best
from FIGS. 4, 5, 8 and 11 that extending forwardly from, and
generally normally to, a planar front surface 26 of rear part 11
are four guides 27 which are parallel to one another and
substantially equi-spaced along said surface 26. As will be
described, these guides are for engagement with respective legs 28
extending rearwardly from the front part 12 in order to enable the
front part to be slid towards and away from the rear part 11 to
adjust the depth/length of the shelf, as will be described. In
particular the inner two guides 27 are flexible and are provided at
their respective ends remote from the surface 26 with respective
manual engagement means in the form of respective grips, 29, 30 on
the side of the guide facing an outer guide. Thus as will be
described below, pushing the grips 29, 30 inwards releases the
middle two guides 27 from their engagement with their associated
legs 28 of the front part 12 to enable the front part 12 to slide
relative to the rear part 11.
[0036] Turning now to the front part 12 in detail, it can be seen
from FIG. 5 that each of the legs 28 continues linearly at the
underside of the front part 12. Moreover from FIG. 5 it can be seen
that for the inner two legs 28 the underside thereof, i.e. the part
of the leg which is lowermost, in use, is provided with a row of
detents 31 each in the form of a recess between a pair of
projections, the detents extending from substantially the front of
the front part 12 to the free end of the leg. As described above,
each leg 28 is slidable against a surface of a respective aligned
guide 27 of the rear part 11 with the two left side legs 28 shown
in FIG. 5 sliding against the respective outwardly facing surfaces
of their associated guides, with the reverse being true for the
right hand legs 28 which slide against respective outwardly facing
surfaces of their associated guides. Each of the inner two guides
27, at the position of their respective grips 29, 30, carries a
projection (not shown) which when the guide is unflexed, i.e. in
its FIG. 5 position, is adapted to engage in a selected detent 31
to lock the front part 12 against sliding movement towards or away
from the rear part 11. Accordingly by pushing the two grips 29, 30
inwardly towards one another, respective projections at said grips
are released from their respective detents, thus allowing the front
part 12 to be slidingly adjusted, i.e. moved towards or away from
the rear part 11. The outer two legs 28 merely slide against their
respective guides inwardly or outwardly without there being any
locking means in the form of detents, although these could be
provided in a similar way for the inner guides and legs if
required. Thus an efficient, quick and convenient method of
adjusting the depth/length of the shelf is provided by the use of
said flexible inner guides with their grips 29, 30 cooperating with
the detents 31 provided for the inner two legs of the front part
12.
[0037] For adjusting the width of the front part 12 of the shelf
10, a similar arrangement is used that for the rear part 11, namely
slidable components in the form of wire slides identical to the
slides 21, 22. As shown best in FIG. 11, the two wire slides for
the front part 12 are denoted by the numerals 32, 33 respectively.
Since these wire slides are the same shape as the wire slides 21,
22, the respective parts thereof are numbered by the same numerals
23 to 25, with the suffix a.
[0038] However instead of the wire slides 32, 33 being merely
`frictionally` retained in an adjusted position, the front part 12
is provided with a pair of lock bars 34, 35 respectively which are
retained in the front part 12 against lateral movement. As can be
seen best from FIG. 11, each lock bar is of elongated generally
rectangular form. The lock bars have respective flat planar rear
surfaces 36, 37 from which extend respective leaf springs 38, 39.
With the arrangement shown in FIG. 11, the rear surfaces face one
another, so that the leaf spring on one lock bar engages against
the rear surface of the other lock bar so as to urge the two lock
bars apart in their normal position of use. Respective front
surfaces 40, 41 of the lock bars 34, 35 are provided with a row of
detents 42, 43 respectively which are engageable with the hooks
25'a at the end of the wire slide sections 23a.
[0039] Accordingly whilst the wire slides 21, 22 can be relatively
freely slid into and away from the rear part 11, the slides 32, 33
are locked in their respective adjusted positions relative to the
front part 12 and can only be moved into the front part 12 or away
from it when the locking between the hook parts 25'a and a
respective associated detent is released. Thus whilst the
adjustment of each slide 21, 22 is in effect stepless, the
adjustment of the slides 32, 33 is stepped according to the
arrangement of the row of detents 42, 43. To release a hook 25'a
from a detent 42, 43, it is necessary to move the lock bar
providing the detent in a direction away from the hook, and in the
embodiment described and illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 11, this
involves moving the lock bar 34 towards the front of the front part
12, whilst for the lock bar 35 the movement is in the opposite
direction, i.e. away from the front of the front part 12. In other
words to release the locking between a wire slide and a lock bar,
the lock bar in question is moved towards the other lock bar, the
lock bar then returning to its previous position by virtue of the
force of its associated leaf spring. The means of accomplishing
this movement is shown, for example, in FIG. 10 where it can be
seen that the respective upper surfaces of the lock bars 34, 35 are
provided with respective holes or other openings 44, 45 which are
accessible through a slot 46 in the upper surface 14 of the front
part 12. All that is necessary to carry out the release of the
locking bar, is to insert an implement/tool, for example a pen tip,
into the selected hole and pulling the lock bar engaged by the
implement towards the other hole, i.e. towards the other lock bar.
Whilst this pulling force is maintained, it is possible to move the
wire slide associated with the adjusted lock bar to a new adjusted
position by moving it inwards or outwards of the front part 12. The
other wire shelf can then be similarly adjusted, with release of
the implement allowing the respective lock bar to return to its
unadjusted locking position with the two lock bars spaced apart
again in the front part 12. Assembly of the wire slides for both
the front and the rear parts of the shelf involves inserting the
ends of the slide remote from the U-shaped part into the respective
opposite sides of the front or rear part with the hook being
engaged in the L-shaped opening referred to above in the upper
surfaces 13, 14 of the rear and front parts. The hooks are then
manipulated to lower them into the interior of the rear or front
part. This arrangement prevents accidental/inadvertent release of a
wire slide from the front or rear part of the shelf. FIG. 8 shows
all four wire slides in their outermost adjusted positions
respectively so that in this position the width of the shelf is at
a maximum. FIG. 8 also shows the front and rear parts at their
maximum degree of separation, i.e. with the shelf in its maximum
depth/length condition.
[0040] The wire slides 32, 33 are provided with respective end caps
47, 48 and, in this embodiment, attached to said end caps are
respective side panels 49, 50. Like the lock bars 34, 35, the end
cap is preferably formed of plastics material, for example by
injection moulding, each end cap being formed in two parts 51, 52
respectively, the parts being secured together by screws 53. The
two parts 51, 52 of each end cap sandwich between them part of the
U-shaped end of the respective wire slides 32, 33 as shown best in
FIG. 9. As will be described, the end cap carries out two
functions. Firstly the end caps mount the side panels 49, 50, in
that each end cap has at its outer side a tab 54. The tab is at the
`rear` end of the end cap, whilst at its enlarged curved front end
it is formed with a front mounting groove 55. Each side panel is
essentially in the form of a shaped sheet, having a cut out 56 for
engagement over the tab 54 and having its front edge surface shaped
to engage in the mounting groove 55, this being assisted by way of
a small cut out 57 engaging a tag at the groove. Moreover aside
from these mechanical connections, the inner surface of the side
panel can be adhesively secured to the outer side of the end cap so
that it is positioned as shown best in FIGS. 1, 4 and 8. It will be
noted that in the `closed` position of the shelf in FIG. 1, i.e.
when the shelf is in its minimum depth/length position each side
panel substantially covers the wire slides 21, 22. However when the
shelf is extended as shown in FIG. 4, these wire slides are not
longer covered by the panels and are exposed to view. In addition
to providing a side stop for merchandise on the shelf in the
extended position shown in FIG. 4, the side panels can also be used
to carry advertising/merchandising information relating to the
product being displayed, and it will be understood that these side
panels can be easily changed so that information relating to
different merchandised products carried by the shelf can be
substituted.
[0041] The other function of the end caps is to retain at a front
surface 58 of the front part 12 an indicator strip 59 which is
preferably of extruded plastics material and which can, for
example, be provided with information about the merchandised
product, for example it can serve as a price indicator strip. This
strip 59 can be cut to length so as to extend across the whole of
the width of the shelf when this is adjusted accordingly and the
respective opposite ends of the strip are received in respective
mounting grooves at respective interior end surfaces of the end cap
parts 51, the shape of the front surface 58 being in correspondence
with the general C-shape of the indicator strip so that the strip
is disposed, in use, as shown in, for example, FIGS. 1, 4, 7 and 8
of the drawings.
[0042] FIG. 12 shows an upright 19 to which a shelf of the
invention can be mounted, the upright having, as described, a row
of equi-spaced openings 20 in a pair of opposite sides. FIG. 12
shows how a header end cap 60 is received in the upper open end of
the upright 19 to mount a header panel 61 which can, for example,
as shown in FIG. 17, be for carrying advertising information
relating to the displayed product.
[0043] Whilst FIG. 13 shows three shelves equally spaced apart
vertically and at the same angle, clearly the shelves can be spaced
apart vertically by any required distance and each shelf can be
angularly adjusted differently from the other shelf or shelves.
Whilst FIG. 13 does not show the side panels 49, 50 these are shown
in FIG. 14 with each of the three shelves in their minimum
width/length condition. In contrast FIG. 15, which is similar to
FIG. 13, shows each shelf in its maximum depth/length adjusted
condition so that the side panels do not cover the wire slides 21,
and 22. FIG. 16 shows the arrangement to FIG. 15, with each shelf
also adjusted widthwise to its maximum, for both the wire slides
21, 22 and also the wire slides 32, 33.
[0044] Finally FIGS. 17 to 19 show various display systems using
the shelf of the present invention. FIG. 17 shows a counter 62 with
a till 63, and a display/merchandising unit 64 utilising three of
the shelves 10 of the invention. FIG. 18 differs in that the unit
64 is ceiling mounted, whilst FIG. 19 shows the unit 64 as a free
standing display. Here it will be understood that the uprights are
spaced apart so that accordingly the shelves are mounted to the
uprights at their respective opposite ends rather than with the
arrangement shown in, for example, FIG. 1, where the flanges 15, 16
are at the centre of the rear unit. It is intended that the units
64 shown in FIGS. 17 to 19 can hold and display outers of gum,
medicated cough drops, mints and possibly chocolates, it will be
understood that other merchandise can be displayed by a shelf of
the invention.
[0045] It will be understood that many variations to the
embodiments described are possible, and for example the wire slides
could be locked in place by a further clip for added
tamper-proofing. When combined with various accessories, e.g.
expanding wire baskets and mounting accessories, the shelves as a
display/merchandising unit can be ceiling mounted, pole mounted,
counter mounted, act as a power wing on another shelving system or
be free standing. Although, as described, the movement of the front
part of a shelf towards or away from the rear part is stepped, by
means of the detents 31, it will be understood that in an
alternative arrangement the adjustment could be stepless with
suitable locking means provided if required/necessary. Moreover it
may be possible to provide a series of adjustable shelf parts so
that the length/depth of a shelf could be extended consecutively
rather than by the movement of a single front part relative to the
rear part. In other words a further `front part` could be slidable
towards and away from the front part 12 in the same manner using
legs and guides. As shown in FIG. 11, additional `single` wire
slides 65, 66, could be provided at the forward part of the front
end, each having a downturned end held in an end cap 47 or 48.
* * * * *