EP0105577A1

EP0105577A1 - Modular shelf system for displaying articles

Info

Publication number: EP0105577A1
Application number: EP19830304212
Authority: EP
Inventors: Vincent James Gambello
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-09-30
Filing date: 1983-07-20
Publication date: 1984-04-18

Abstract

A modular shelf system forthe display of articles such as books (46) comprises a hanger panel (36) having a plurality of regularly spaced retention holes, and a display platform (10) including a retention portion and at least one compartment portion. The retention portion has regularly spaced affixing tabs (22a, 22b, 24) which engage the retention holes to support the display platform on the hanger panel, and each compartment portion has a plurality of restraining walls (30a, 30b) for frictionally engaging and compressing the displayed articles. The restraining walls may be obliquely angled with respect to the hanger panel when the display platform is supported on the hanger panel, and dividing walls (32) may be provided.

Description

This invention relates generally to a modular shelf system, and more particularly to an apparatus principally used for the sales display of books. Such a system finds use in any environment where it is desired to store and display a multitude of articles in a flexible, yet efficient and attractive manner. Thus, such a system is particularly useful in retail establishments, including book stores, department stores, discount stores, and drug stores, among others.
Conventionally, articles such as books and packaged goods are stored and displayed in shelf assemblies which permit viewing of only a single side of the article and/or are generally inflexible to configuration changes. These conventional shelf assemblies have drawbacks in that it is desirable to view an article from mars than one side, for example, the cover and spine of a book, and maximum configuration flexibility is most useful.
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages associated with prior shelf display fixtures, by providing a modular shelf system which permits viewing of the displayed articles from more than one side, for example, the spine and cover of a book, and maintains maximum flexibility of configuration.
Considered broadly, the modular shelf system includes two sections. First, a display platform for supporting the articles to be displayed. Second, a hanger panel for supporting the display platforms in the desired configuration. The hanger panel has a plurality of regularly spaced holes which engage with matching affixing tabs forming a part of the display platform for securely maintaining the display platforms in place until such time as their removal is desired. The display platform has an obliquely angled compartment portion which holds the articles to be displayed at a suitable angle,permitting more than one side to be viewed at a time. The compartment portion also has restraining walls which frictionally engage and compress the displayed articles when the compartment portion is substantially fully loaded, thereby holding them secure.
It is an object of this invention to provide a modular shelf system for the display of articles at an oblique angle such that more than one side of the article can be viewed at a time.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a modular display system, wherein individual removable display platforms are securely maintained in place on a hanger panel until such time as removal is desired.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a modular display system wherein articles are frictionally and compressively secured while displayed.
It is still a further object of this invention to provide a modular display system which can be flexibly adapted to a variety of configurations.
The above objects, aspects and advantages of the invention as well as others will become apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention considered in conjunction with the drawings, which should be construed as illustrative and not in a limiting sense, as follows:

_FIG. 1 is a plan view of a display platform in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the display platform shown in FIG. 1;
_FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the display platform shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of two display platforms mounted in vertical alignment on a hanger panel containing books on display;
FIG. 5 is a section view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a front elevation view of a complete display stand, partly broken away to show the support structure;
FIG. 7 is a plan view of a complete display stand, partly broken away to show the support structure;
FIG. 8, 9 and 10 are section views taken on line 10-10 of FIG. 5,showing the method of mounting a display platform on a hager panel taken in three steps;
FIG. 11 is a front elevation view of an alternative hanger panel having three display platforms mounted therein; and,
FIG. 12 is a section view of a display platform taken on line 12-12 showing a display platform mounted on an alternative hanger panel.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a display platform 10 having an integral retention portion 12 and two integral compartment portions 14a and b is seen. The retention portion 12 has a triangular brace platform 16, a support rib 18, a back wall 20, upper affixing tabs 22a and b and a lower affixing tab 24. Each of the upper affixing tabs 22a and b has an engaging ridge 26a and b. The upper affixing tabs 22a and b are generally L-shaped and extend rearwardly and upwardly from the back wall 20. The lower affixing tab 24 has a first portion 25 coplanar with and extending downwardly from the back wall 20 and a second _L-shaped portion 27 extending rearwardly and downwardly from the first portion 25.
The compartment portions 14a and b are each obliquely disposed with respect to the back wall 20 at substantially the same angle. Although any oblique angle may be selected, it has been found that an angle of approximately 15⁰ to approximately 45° is most effective. Since each of compartment portions 14a and b is substantially identical, only compartment 14a will be described in detail. The compartment 14a includes a trapezoidal compartment platform 28, side restraining walls 30a and b, a central dividing wall 32 and a rear wall 34. The trapezoidal compartment platform 28 extends parallel to but offset from the triangular brace platform 16 in a plane intersecting the back wall 20 at a right angle. The shorter base of the trapezoidal compartment platform 28 is adjacent to the triangular brace platform 16 closed by rear wall 34, while the longer base is open and has a receiving edge 31. The two nonparallel sides of the trapezoidal compartment platform 28 are closed by the side restraining walls 30a and b. The side restraining walls 30a and b, the central dividing wall 32 and the rear wall 34 each are substantially bisected by and extend along planes perpendicular to the trapezoidal compartment 32 of the display platform immediately above. Further, since the compartment platform 28 is trapezoidal and has its longer base at the open receiving edge 31, when a substantially full load of books 46, packaged goods or other articles are placed on the compartment platform 28 and moved towards the rear wall 34 they are compressed and frictionally retained by the side restraining walls 30a and b. The height of the side restraining walls 30a and b and central brace 32 is such that if only a single book 46 or other article were placed on a trapezoidal compartment platform 28, the vertical distance between the upper edge of each side restraining wall 30a and b and central brace 32 and its analogous member in the next higher display platform 10 is sufficiently less than the height of the book 46 or other article being displayed that the book 46 or other article will remain generally upright, even when displayed alone.
Since the rear wall 34, side restraining walls 30a and b and central brace 32 are obliquely angled with respect to the back wall 20, two sides of the books 46 or other articles can be viewed simultaneously, that is, in the case of displayed books, at all times the spines 48 and at least one cover 50 of the books 46 contained in any given compartment are visible.
As seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, a plurality of hanger panels 36. may be mounted on a support structure 40 tab 24 is brought into alignment with its matching hole 39. As shown in FIG. 9, the lower affixing tab 24 is then guided through its hole 39 and, as shown in F_IG. 10, the display platform 10 is guided downwardly and locked in place. When locked into place, the display platform 10 cannot be easily dislodged by jarring since the upper affixing tabs 22a and b are vertically longer than the holes 38, 39 of the hanger panel 36. Accordingly, the only way to remove a display platform 10 from a hanger panel 36 once it is locked into place is to perform the foregoing three steps in reverse. The engaging ridges 26a and b of the upper affixing tabs 22a and b abut and deform the rear surface of the hanger panel 36 to provide added stability. A display platform 10 mounted in the alternative hanger panel 42 is shown in FIG. 12.
Referring to FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 7, a typical configuration of hanger panels 36 with mounted display platforms 10 holding books 46 is seen. The display platforms 10 are mounted in vertical alignment and spaced at vertical integrals slightly greater than the height of the books 46 or other articles being displayed. Accordingly, books 46 or other articles placed on a given trapezoidal compartment platform 28 are supported from below by the trapezoidal compartment platform 28 and on the sides both by the side retaining walls 30a and b and central dividing wall 32 of the display platform immediately above. Further, since the compartment platform 28 is trapezoidal and has its longer base at the open receiving edge 31, when a substantially full load of books 46, packaged goods or other articles are placed on the compartment platform 28 and moved towards the rear wall 34 they are compressed and frictionally retained by the side restraining walls 30a and b. The height of the side restraining walls 30a and b and central brace 32 is such that if only a single book 46 or other article were placed on a trapezoidal compartment platform 28, the vertical distance between the upper edge of each side restraining wall 30a and b and central brace 32 and its analogous member in the next higher display platform 10 is sufficiently less than the height of the book 46 or other article being displayed that the book 46 or other article will remain generally upright, even when displayed alone.
Since the rear wall 34, side restraining walls 30a and b and central brace 32 are obliquely angled with respect to the back wall 20, two sides of the books 46 or other articles can be viewed simultaneously, that is, in the case of displayed books, at all times the spines 48 and at least one cover 50 of the books 46 contained in any given compartment are visible.
As seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, a plurality of hanger panels 36 may be mounted on a support structure 40 in any convenient configuration. A generally rectangular configuration is shown, but the configurations may take any shape, including hexagonical, triangular, etc.
It should be understood that the embodiment described herein is only illustrative of the present invention. Thus, for example, a display platform may include only one compartment portion, or it may contain three or more compartment portions. By further example, the angle at which the compartment portion is disposed with respect to the back wall may be varied. It is also possible to delete the central brace of the compartment portion. Accordingly, it should be understood that various modifications and alterations may be made without departmeng from the spirit and scope of the invention set forth in the claims.

Claims

1. A modular shelf system for display of articles comparising:

a hanger panel having a plurality of regularly spaced retention holes; and

a display platform incuding a retention portion and a compartment portion, said retention portion having a plurality of regularly spaced affixing tabs adapted to engage said retention holes to support said display platform on said hanger panel, and said compartment portion having a plurality of restraining walls for frictionally engaging and compressing the displayed articles.

2. A modular shelf system for display of articles comprising:

a hanger panel having a plurality of regularly spaced retention holes; and

a display platform including a retention portion having a plurality of regularly spaced affixing tabs adapted to engage said retention holes to support said display platform on said hanger panel, and said compartment portion having a plurality of restraining walls obliquely angled with respect to said hanger panel when said display platform is supported on said hanger panel.

3. A modular shelf system as claimed in claim. 1 or 2, wherein:

said display platform has at least two compartment portions.

4. A modular shelf system as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

said oblique angle is at least approximately 15° and not more than approximately 45°.

5. A modular shelf system as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising:

a second display platform, identical to said first display platform, and adapted to be supported on said hanger panel in vertical alignment with said first display platform and spaced so that articles placed between said first and second display platforms are supported both from below and from above.

6. A modular shelf system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein:

at least one of said affixing tabs includes an engaging rib to abut and deform the rear surface of the hanger panel for added stability.

7. A modular shelf system for displaying articles as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein:

at least one of said affixing tabs is vertically longer than its corresponding retention hole.

8. A display platform (10) as defined in any preceding claim, for use with a hanger panel or the like (36,42) having a plurality of retention holes (38,39).

9. The features herein described, or their equivalents, in any novel selection.