CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation-in-part of my co-pending patent application Ser. No. 10/255,497; filed Sep. 26, 2002; titled SHELF LINER.
FIELD OF INVENTION The present invention relates to display shelves, and more specifically, to a display shelf panel and a display shelf liner for a product display shelf, the display shelf panel and the display shelf liner each including a panel having a plurality of display areas thereon for displaying information.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT None
REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX None
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The use of shelf liners is known in the art. Shelf liners permit users, such as those in the department or grocery store industry, to decoratively organize their products for display and sale. Shelf liners typically comprise a base for supporting products thereon and some type of barrier located at the edge of the base of the shelf liner to help retain the product thereon. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,227,385 discloses a shelf tray system having an insert secured to the front track of the shelf tray system for retaining product behind the front track with the insert being made of a clear acrylic so that the insert does not interfere with a shopper's view of the product.
It is also know in the art to place signs containing information regarding the product being displayed, such as the brand name of the product and the price of the product, within the vicinity of the shelf liner for informative purposes. Typically, these signs are placed just above the products or on the base of the shelf liner along with the product, which often blocks the view of the product due to the size constraints of the shelves.
The present invention provides for a display shelf panel and a display shelf liner, which can be used in conjunction with a display shelf to provide support for products being display such as those in a department or grocery store while also providing an enhanced product information region for the display of information such as information regarding the product being support thereon without interfering with a viewer's view of the product being displayed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly, the present invention is a display shelf panel and a display shelf liner. The display shelf panel and the display shelf liner each include a panel having at least two display areas for securing and displaying information thereon. In regards to the display shelf panel, the display shelf panel further includes an attachment member for securing the panel in a spaced condition from the product display shelf. The display shelf panel also includes an extension secured to the panel to retain products on the product display shelf and from the panel.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows a perspective front view of a shelf liner of the present invention;
FIG. 2 shows a side view of the shelf liner of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 shows a side view of a shelf liner supported on a horizontal shelf;
FIG. 4 shows a side view of a shelf liner supported on a downwardly angling shelf;
FIG. 5 shows a sidewall divider for securing along the sides of base of the shelf liner;
FIG. 6 shows an alternative embodiment of a sidewall divider comprising an elongated member and a pair of securing members both having extended second lips;
FIG. 7 shows an alternative embodiment of a sidewall divider comprising an elongated member and one securing member.
FIG. 8 shows a perspective front view of a shelf liner having a pair of sidewall dividers secured along the sides of the base of the shelf liner forming a compartment therebetween;
FIG. 9 shows a perspective rear view of a shelf liner having a pair of sidewall dividers secured along the sides of the base of the shelf liner forming a compartment therebetween;
FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a plurality of shelf liner connected to each other by a plurality of sidewall dividers;
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a display shelf panel of the present invention;
FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a display shelf panel secured to a face of a product display shelf;
FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 12 taken along the lines 13-13 showing a display shelf panel secured to a face of a product display shelf;
FIG. 14 is a side view of a display shelf panel comprising a panel having an attachment member located proximal a first end of the panel; and
FIG. 15 is a side view of a display shelf panel comprising a panel having an attachment member attached to a backside of the panel between a first end and a second end of the panel
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 identifies a shelf liner of the present invention. Shelf liner 10 comprises a rigid, rectangular base 11 for supporting products thereon and a panel 16 for displaying information thereon, such as information regarding the product support by base 11. Base 11 includes a first end 12 (shown in FIG. 2), a second end 13, a first side 14 and a second side 15. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, panel 16 includes a first upper edge 17, a second lower edge 18, a first elongated display area 19 and a second elongated display area 20. Panel 16 also includes a first panel lip 21 and a second panel lip 22 with first panel lip 21 being spaced from second panel lip 22. Also located on panel 16 and spaced between first panel lip 21 and a second panel lip 22 is a T-shaped lip 23. T-shaped lip 23 is more clearly shown in FIG. 2. T-shaped lip 23 is shown in FIG. 1 coacting with first panel lip 21 to slidingly secure a first information strip 24 to the first display area 19 and coacting with second panel lip 22 to slidingly secure a second information strip 25 to second display area 20.
Although the embodiment of FIG. 1 shows panel 16 having two display areas 19 and 20, alternative embodiments of the present invention may include a panel having more than two display areas for the display of information. As such, the number of information strips and the number of panel lips will correspond to the number of display areas that the panel of the alternate embodiment may contain.
In addition, instead of the use of information strips for the displaying of information on the display areas, alternative embodiment of the present invention may include a panel having display areas composed of an erasable medium such as a slate board or an erasable marker board for the displaying of information thereon which may later be changed or erased.
FIG. 2 shows a side view of FIG. 1. In FIG. 2, a L-shaped member 54 is shown securing base 11 to panel 16 with base 11 positioned at an acute angle with respect to the portion of panel 16 located proximate the first end 17 of panel 16 and with base 11 positioned at an obtuse angle with respect to the portion of panel 16 located proximate the second end 18 of panel 16. L-shaped member 54 functions not only for securing base 11 to panel 16 but also for aiding to retain products being supported by base 11 thereon.
Alternatively, instead of base 11 being secured to panel 16 by L-shaped member 54, alternative embodiments may have base 11 directly secured to panel 16 to provide panel 16 with the dual purpose of aiding to retain products on base 11 while also providing for the display of information thereon. Although the embodiment of FIG. 2 shows the first display area 19 having a larger surface area than the second display area 20, alternative embodiments may include the first display area having a smaller surface area then the second display area or the first display area and the second display area having surface areas of the same or similar size.
FIG. 3 is a side view showing shelf liner 10 supported on a horizontal shelf 24. As shown in FIG. 3, due to the non-perpendicular positioning of base 11 with respect to the panel 16, display areas 19 and 20 will be slanted at an angle with respect to a horizontal plane 25 so as to allow a viewer looking from above shelf liner 10 to obtain a clear view of display areas 19 and 20.
FIG. 4 is a side view showing shelf liner 10 supported on a downwardly angling shelf 26. As shown in FIG. 4, the non-perpendicular positioning of base 11 with respect to the portion of panel 16 compensates for the downwardly angling shelf 26 to hold the panel 16 in a vertical condition.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, when shelf liner 10 supports a product on the shelves 24 and 26, a downward force F created by the weight of the product will not dislodge the shelf since the frictional resistance between the shelf and the base is sufficient to maintain shelf liner 10 in place on shelves 24 and 26. In addition, if desired a fastener can be used to further secure base 11 to shelf 26.
Referring to FIG. 5, FIG. 5 shows a sidewall divider 27 for securing to shelf liner 10 along the sides 14 and 15 of base 11 (shown in FIGS. 1 and 2). As shown in FIG. 5, sidewall divider 27 comprises a first securing member 29 having a first resilient lip 29A and a second resilient lip 29B, a second securing member 30 having a first resilient lip 30A and a second resilient lip 30B and an elongated member 28 located between first securing member 29 and second securing member 30. Securing members 29 and 30 are designed to secure sidewall divider 27 along the sides 14 and 15 of base 11. Sidewall divider 27 is secured along sides of base 11 through the frictional engagement of the first resilient lip 29A and second resilient lip 29B of the first securing member 29 to opposite faces of one of the sides of rigid base 11 and through the frictional engagement of the first resilient lip 30A and second resilient lip 30B of the second securing member 30 to opposite faces of the other side of rigid base 11. Although FIG. 5 shows sidewall divider 27 having lips for securing sidewall divider 27 to the shelf liner, alternative embodiments of the sidewall divider may include other methods for securing sidewall divider to the shelf liner such as through the use of pegs and lock or locking slots.
FIGS. 6 and 7 both show alternative embodiments of a sidewall divider. FIG. 6 shows a sidewall divider 31 having a first securing member 32 comprising a first resilient lip 32A and a second resilient lip 32B for frictionally engaging the base of a shelf liner and a second securing member 33 comprising a first resilient lip 33A and a second resilient lip 33B for frictionally engaging the base of a shelf liner. As shown in FIG. 6, the second resilient lip 32B of the first securing member 32 and the second resilient lip 33B of the second securing member 33 both have extended length such that both of their lengths are longer than the length of the first resilient lip 32A of first securing member 32 and the length of the first resilient lip 33A of the second securing member 33. The extended lengths of resilient lips 32B and 33B provide additional support for the securement of sidewall divider 31 along sides 14 and 15 of base 11. While both lips are described as being resilient, the present invention also works if only one of the lips is resilient.
Referring to FIG. 7, FIG. 7 shows for an alternative embodiment of a sidewall divider 34 having an elongated member 25 and one securing member 36. Sidewall divider 34 is design for use in which a user does not want to secure a second shelf liner to the sidewall divider 34 or in situation in which the presence of a second lip would prevent the use of the shelf liner due to a space constraint of the shelf.
Referring to FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, FIG. 8 shows a perspective front view and FIG. 9 shows a perspective rear view of a shelf liner 10 having a first sidewall divider 38 and a second sidewall divider 42 secured to shelf liner 10 along sides 14 and 15 of base 11 forming a compartment therebetween. As further shown in FIG. 9, securing member 39 of first sidewall divider 38 frictionally secures first sidewall divider 38 along the first side 14 of base 11 and the first securing member 43 of the second sidewall divider 42 frictionally secures second sidewall divider 42 along the second side 15 of base 11. The securement of the sidewall dividers 38 and 42 along the sides of base 11 results in an elongated member 41 of the first sidewall member 38 and an elongated member 45 of the second sidewall member 42 forming a compartment therebetween. Additional shelf liners may be secured to either a second securing member 40 of the first sidewall divider 38 or the second securing member 44 of the second sidewall divider 42 to form a series of shelf liner for supporting a plurality of products.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an assembly of shelf liners comprising a first shelf liner 47, a second shelf liner 49, a third shelf liner 51 and a forth shelf liner 53 secured to each other by a first sidewall divider 48, a second sidewall divider 50, and a third sidewall divider 52 to form a series of shelf liners for the support and the display of a plurality of products thereon. As shown in FIG. 10, shelf liners of varying sizes may be used in forming the series of shelf liners. For example, FIG. 10 show shelf liner 47 having a width W1 and shelf liner 49 having a width of W2 where W1 is longer than W2.
Referring to FIG. 11, FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of a display shelf panel 53 comprising a panel 54 having a first end 55, a second end 56, and a first display area 57 and a second display area 58 for receiving and displaying product information thereon. Panel 54 also includes a first panel lip 59 and a second panel lip 60 with first panel lip 59 being spaced from second panel lip 60. Also located on panel 54 and spaced between first panel lip 59 and a second panel lip 60 is a T-shaped lip 61. Although not shown, similar to the shelf liner 10 of FIGS. 1-4, T-shaped lip 61 functions by coacting with the first panel lip 59 to slidingly secure a first information strip to the first display area 57 and coacting with second panel lip 60 to slidingly secure a second information strip to the second display area 58. Alternatively, first panel lip 59 can also coact with second panel lip 60 to slidingly secure a single information strip across both first display area 57 and second display area 58.
Although the embodiment of FIG. 11 shows panel 54 having two display areas 57 and 58, alternative embodiments of the present invention may include a panel having as few a one (1) display area to a plurality of display areas for the display of information thereon. As such, the number of information strips and the number of panel lips will correspond to the number of display areas that the panel of the alternate embodiment may contain. Further note that the plurality of display areas can each comprise of display areas of the same size or alternatively, of different sizes. For example, although display shelf panel 53 shows panel 54 with the first display area 57 having a larger surface area than the second display area 58, alternative embodiments of display shelf panel 53 can comprise a panel with a first display area having a smaller surface area than a second display area.
In addition, similar to the panel 16 of the shelf liner 10 of FIGS. 1-4, instead of the use of information strips for the displaying of information on the display areas, alternative embodiment of the display shelf panel 53 of the present invention can include panels having display areas composed of an erasable medium such as a slate board or an erasable marker board for the displaying of information thereon, which may later be changed or erased.
Display shelf panel 53 also includes an attachment member for connecting and/or securing panel 54 to a portion of the product display shelf. Although the attachment member of the display shelf panel of the present invention can comprise various types fasteners including but not limited to clips, hooks, adhesives, and nails for securing panel 54 to the product display shelf, the embodiment of FIG. 11 shows the attachment member of the display shelf panel 53 comprising a flexibly resilient jaw 62 having a first tooth 63 and a second tooth 64 for connecting and/or securing panel 54 to a portion of the product display shelf Note that alternative embodiment of the present invention can further include an attachment comprising a base for the support of products thereon.
The display shelf panel of the present invention can also include an extension for connecting the attachment member to the panel while also aiding to retain products on the product display shelf and away from panel. In the embodiment of FIG. 11, the extension of the display shelf panel 53 is shown comprising a curve shaped member 65 linking flexibly resilient jaw 62 with panel 54 with curve shaped member 65 shown positioning flexibly resilient jaw 62 axially between the first end 55 and the second end 56 of the panel 54.
Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, FIG. 12 is a perspective view and FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines 13-13 showing display shelf panel 53 secured to a face 67 of a product display shelf 66. In regards to the product display shelf 66, is note that conventional product display shelf such as product display shelf 66 usually include a concave face 67 for receiving information strips for the displaying of product information. The information strips usually comprise a strip of paper 80 containing product information such as product weight and product price thereon. In order to maintain the information strips thereon, the concave face 67 of the product display shelf 66 usually also include a first hooking end 68 and a second hooking end 69 for securing the information strips to the concave face 67 of the product display shelf 66.
The attachment member of the display shelf panel 53 of FIGS. 11-15 uses the above features of the product display shelf 66, namely the concaved face 67 and hooking ends 68 and 69, to secure the display shelf panel thereto. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 13, display shelf panel 53 is secured to a concave face 67 of product display shelf 66 by the attachment member comprising flexibly resilient jaw 63 with the first tooth 63 of the flexibly resilient jaw 62 of the display shelf panel 53 shown matingly engaging a first hooking end 68 of the concave face 67 and the second tooth 64 of the flexibly resilient jaw 62 of the display shelf panel 53 shown matingly engaging a second hooking end 69 of the concave face 67.
The above-mentioned connection of the display shelf panel 53 to the concave face 67 of product display shelf 66 is accomplished by the squeezing of the flexibly resilient jaw 62 in a condition to fit within the curvature of the concave face 67 of the product display shelf 66 after which the flexibly resilient jaw 62 is allowed to return back to it's original form so that the teeth 63 and 64 of the flexibly resilient jaw 62 can engage the hooking ends 68 and 69 of the concave face 67. As shown in FIG. 13, the securement of the flexibly resilient jaw 62 of the display shelf panel 53 to the concave face 67 of product display shelf 66 results in panel 54 being located in a spaced condition from product display shelf 66.
Referring to FIGS. 14 and 15, FIG. 14 shows a side view of an alternative embodiment of a display shelf panel 70 comprising a panel 71 having an attachment member comprising a flexibly resilient jaw 72 located proximal the first end 73 of the panel 70. It is noted that flexibly resilient jaw 72 can either be secured to panel 70 such as by an adhesive or integrally formed with panel 70. It is further noted that the connection of display shelf panel 70 to the concave face of the product display shelf results in the first end 73 of the panel 71 being located at a position that is closely level with the supporting surface of the product display shelf.
FIG. 15 also shows a side view of an alternative embodiment of a display shelf panel 74 comprising a panel 75 having an attachment member comprising a flexibly resilient jaw 76 attached to a back side 77 of the panel 75 between a first end 78 and a second end 79 of the panel 75 to provide panel 75 with the dual purpose of aiding to retain products on the product display shelf while also providing for the display of information thereon when the display shelf panel 74 is secured the face of the product display shelf via the flexibly resilient jaw 76. Similar to the flexibly resilient jaw 72, flexibly resilient jaw 76 can either be secured to panel 75 such as by an adhesive or integrally formed with panel 75. It is note that although the positioning of the flexibly resilient jaw 76 with respect to the panel 75 will result in the panel 75 positioned at a right angle with respect to the product display shelf when the display shelf panel 74 is secured thereto, alternative embodiments of display shelf panel 74 can include a panel positioned at an acute or obtuse angle with respect to the product display shelf when the display shelf panel is secured thereto.
