Abstract:
An improved product display adaptable to standard gondola systems. The improvement increases the retail sales space available by providing for the recovery of unused space traditionally existing below the original base deck of the display. This improvement comprises a new free-standing base deck to replace the original base deck. The free-standing base deck positionally registers in the space where the original base deck was located. The free-standing base deck rests directly on the floor surface beneath the product display thus reclaiming the unused space beneath the original base deck. The improvement includes an additional means for maintaining the product display&#39;s base brackets parallel to assist in retaining and positionally registering the free-standing base deck, and an additional means for maintaining the aesthetic appearance of the product display&#39;s base brackets by covering the exposed portions that were once hidden by the original base deck.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present invention relates generally to a display shelving system. More specifically, the invention relates to a modification to a retail sales display gondola that allows for the replacement of the standard base deck with a free-standing base deck. This modification can be made to numerous different gondola systems manufactured by different manufacturers, but accomplishes the same goal of adding shelf space to the gondola. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Retail display shelving commonly used in grocery stores, department stores, discount stores, and other retail outlets that display items on shelves, are manufactured by numerous companies in a plethora of models and design choices. The units that are typically found in a grocery store to display items for sale, such as bags of salty snacks, are typically referred to in the industry as gondola units. These units are typically self-contained with multiple shelves. A list of some of the manufacturers offering these gondolas includes Lozier, Madix, the Thorco Division of Marmon Group, and Syndic Systems Division of Legget and Platt. 
         [0005]    Although there are variations amongst the gondola units offered by different manufacturing companies, the basic design is fairly well established and there are many common features shared industry wide. A typical example of a gondola system is illustrated in  FIGS. 1A and 1B . The particular gondola system illustrated in these figures is manufactured by Lozier, but is illustrative of many others offered by other manufacturers.  FIG. 1A  presents an exploded perspective view of the basic components of the prior art while  FIG. 1B  shows a perspective view of an assembled unit as one would encounter in a retail environment. 
         [0006]    The core of the prior art gondola is a back panel  102  which is vertically oriented and is held in position by connection to at least one upright  104 , which is also vertically oriented. In the embodiment shown, the connection to the upright  104  is accomplished by at least a bottom rail  108 , a center rail  110 , and a top rail  122 , although more of such horizontal rails  108 ,  110 , and  122  can be used for this purpose. The vertical uprights  104  are stabilized by at least one, and typically two, base legs or brackets  106 . One or more shelves  112  can be horizontally positioned in numerous locations relative to the back panel by virtue of connections between the shelf  112  and the uprights  104 . A base deck or shelf  114  is maintained off of the surface upon which the entire unit sits by being supported by the base brackets  106 . A closed base front  116  encloses the space beneath the base deck in conjunction with base deck  114  and base bracket trim  118 , when said base and trim also covers the base brackets  106 . The gondola unit may have other trim components such as the upright and trim  120  that covers the upright  104 . A disadvantage of the gondola system illustrated in  FIGS. 1A and 1B  is that, since the base deck  114  is elevated off of the flooring to the approximate height of the base leg or bracket  106 , the display space that could be used is limited by the displacement beneath. In certain applications, a modification to the system may be desired that positions the base deck as close as possible, and perhaps even resting on, the flooring. It would be desirable to have a single modification unit that could be used with a variety of gondola systems. 
         [0007]    Nothing in the prior art addresses the problem associated with maximizing the available retail sales space on a typical gondola. Because retailers have a fixed amount of floor space with which to display retail merchandise, a need exists for a means to maximize the available space. A further need exists for a means to reclaim the retail sales space that is wasted below the bottom shelf of most gondolas. Because retailers typically utilize gondolas from multiple vendors, a further need exists for a means to maximize the retail shelving space that works universally with many different brands of gondolas. The present invention fills these needs and other needs as detailed more fully below. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a means for reclaiming wasted retail shelving space present in most typical retail display shelving systems (referred to in the industry as “gondolas”). The lower base deck of a typical gondola unit sits several inches above the floor surface. This space beneath the base deck is merely hidden and unutilized. The present invention comprises a free-standing base deck that replaces the fixed base deck, and is positioned entirely within the space that originally held the fixed base deck. This free-standing base deck aligns with the gondola&#39;s back panel and base brackets without physical attachments to the gondola. One embodiment of the present invention includes a stretcher device to serve as a means to couple with and maintain proper spacing of the gondola&#39;s base brackets, allowing the free-standing base deck to sit directly on the surface of the floor beneath the gondola. 
         [0009]    One preferred embodiment of the present invention is made of the same or similar materials as the original base deck which it replaces. The preferred embodiment is metal, preferably 18 Ga. cold rolled steel, which affords the free-standing base deck sufficient durability to withstand the abuse of the retail sales environment. All other components are made of similar materials to ensure proper rigidity of the gondola structure as well as proper operation of the entire gondola unit. 
         [0010]    The invention accordingly comprises the features described more fully below, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims. Further objects of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    The novel features characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof, will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1A  illustrates an exploded perspective view of a prior art design for a typical prior art retail display shelving or “gondola” unit. 
           [0013]      FIG. 1B  illustrates a perspective view of an assembled prior art design for a typical prior art retail display shelving or “gondola” unit as one would encounter in a typical retail sales establishment. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2A  illustrates an exploded perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention utilizing a “stretcher” in conjunction with a typical gondola unit. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2B  illustrates a cutaway perspective view of an assembled first embodiment of the present invention utilizing a “stretcher” in conjunction with a typical gondola as one would encounter in a retail sales establishment. The cutaway portion shows the interoperability of the various components. 
           [0016]      FIG. 3A  illustrates an exploded perspective view of a second embodiment of the present invention utilizing a “spanner” in conjunction with a typical gondola unit. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3B  illustrates a cutaway perspective view of an assembled second embodiment of the present invention utilizing a “spanner” in conjunction with a typical gondola as one would encounter in a retail sales establishment. The cutaway portion shows the interoperability of the various components. 
       
    
    
       [0018]    Like reference numerals represent equivalent parts throughout the several drawings. 
       REFERENCE NUMERALS 
       [0000]    
       
           102  back panel 
           104  upright 
           106  base bracket 
           108  bottom rail 
           110  center rail 
           112  shelf 
           114  base deck 
           116  base front 
           118  base bracket trim 
           120  upright end trim 
           122  top rail 
           202  free-standing base deck 
           204  stretcher 
           206  leg cap 
           304  spanner 
       
     
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0034]    Referring now to the provided drawings, similar reference numerals represent the equivalent component throughout the several views of the drawings.  FIG. 2A  shows an exploded perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention while  FIG. 2B  shows a cutaway portion of a typical assembled gondola unit modified by the first embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 3A  shows an exploded perspective view of a second embodiment of the present invention while  FIG. 3B  shows the respective cutaway portion of the second embodiment modified by the present invention. The present invention comprises a free-standing base deck  202  (shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 ) that serves as a direct replacement for the original base deck  114  (shown in  FIG. 1 ) of the prior art gondola unit. 
         [0035]    Because the original base deck  114  is normally directly attached to the back panel  102  and both base brackets  106  and possibly the base front  116 , removal of the original base deck  114  and base front  116  requires a spacing device for maintaining the parallel alignment of the base brackets  106 . In the first embodiment as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the spacing device chosen is a stretcher  204  while in  FIG. 3 , which shows a second embodiment, a different spacing device known as a spanner  304  is chosen. 
         [0036]    With respect to  FIG. 2 , to maintain proper base bracket  106  alignment, the ends of the stretcher  204  removably attach to the forward most ends of the respective base bracket  106  thus ensuring the base brackets  106  remain fixed in a parallel fashion. The stretcher  204  also restores overall rigidity to the gondola unit that is lost due to the removal of the original base deck  114  and base front  116 , and maintains the overall structural integrity of the gondola with regards to the gondola&#39;s load bearing capability. 
         [0037]      FIG. 3  shows a second embodiment that uses a spanner  304  that serves in the same capacity as the stretcher  204 . The spanner  304  and stretcher  204  (shown in  FIG. 2 ) both demonstrate that a different spacing device can be chosen without departing from the inventive concept. It is even possible, on some gondola units, to leave the base front  116  in place. However, removal of the original base deck  114  and installation of the free-standing base deck  202  will result in a lower shelf for the gondola unit having increased vertical space (due to the use of the improvement) but being “walled-in” by the still existing base front  116 . Thus, it may be more aesthetically pleasing to remove the base front  116  and install either a stretcher  204  or a spanner  304  in its place. 
         [0038]    In  FIG. 2  the free-standing base deck  202  takes the place of the original base deck  114  by occupying the space between the back panel  102 , base brackets  106  and stretcher  204 , with no physical attachments to any portion of the gondola. The free-standing base deck  202  thus positionally registers itself between the back panel  102 , base brackets  106  and stretcher  204 . By sitting on the floor beneath the gondola, the free-standing base deck  202  thus reclaims the retail shelving space that is the difference between the height of the original base bracket  114  from the floor and the height of the free-standing base bracket  202  from the floor. In the embodiment shown, the free-standing base deck  202  is approximately 3 inches in height. The original base deck  114  of a representative gondola unit is approximately 6 inches or greater from the top of the base deck to the floor. Thus, the present invention can reclaim as much as 3 inches or more in additional shelving height over the unmodified gondola unit. This additional space translates into increased retail shelving space for display and sales of a greater quantity of retail product per modified gondola. 
         [0039]    Once the original base deck  114  is removed, portions of the base brackets  106  may become exposed. Consequently, a concealing device for restoring and maintaining the aesthetic qualities of the gondola unit is required. The concealing device chosen in both the first embodiment of  FIG. 2  and second embodiment of  FIG. 3  is a leg cap  206 . This leg cap  206  replaces the base bracket trim  118  and effectively covers any exposed portions of the base bracket  106 . 
         [0040]    In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , the free-standing base deck  202  and leg caps  206  are constructed from metal, preferably 18 Ga. cold rolled steel. This material is commonly used in the display shelving industry and thus should not require retooling or special machinery to manufacture. It is also durable and relatively inexpensive to use compared to other metals. In addition, this material is easily bent or folded using a metal brake and can also be welded. Thus, the free-standing base deck  202  and leg caps  206  can be manufactured using the same or similar process used to manufacture the other components of a standard gondola unit. Because there is no significant retooling required to manufacture the preferred embodiment of the present invention, manufacturing costs can be kept to a minimum. Alternative materials, such as plastic or fiberglass, can also be used in the construction of the free-standing base deck  202  and leg caps  206 . Material selection can be based on the particular needs of the existing gondola unit. 
         [0041]    The free-standing base deck  202  can be manufactured to essentially any width/depth/height combination depending on the requirements of the base deck  114  that it is replacing. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , the free-standing base deck  202  measures approximately 46¾ inches in width by approximately 23½ inches in depth by approximately 3 inches in height. It is formed from three pieces of 18 Ga. cold rolled steel; one piece for the base deck top surface and one piece for each of the two sides. One method for manufacturing this embodiment would be to take a single sheet of the preferred material, cut to the preferred dimensions with approximately 4½ inches added to the depth in order to form the front and back edges. The front edge could be formed by bending approximately 1½ inches of the depth dimension downward using a metal brake such that the finished edge forms an angle of approximately 105 degrees with the bottom surface of the base deck material. In a similar fashion, the rear edge of the base deck could be formed by bending approximately 3 inches of the depth dimension downward using a metal brake such that the finished edge forms an angle of 90 degrees with the bottom surface of the base deck material. The dimension of this rear edge establishes the height that the completed free-standing base deck top surface maintains from the floor. The two sides of the base deck can then be formed from pieces of the same preferred material, cut to the profile of the previously formed free-standing base deck with formed front and back edges. These two side pieces can then be welded into place (using any welding process suitable for the material being used) on the respective sides of the free-standing base deck  202 , thus completing its construction. 
         [0042]    The embodiments shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3  each utilize a free-standing base deck  202  with a raised lip on its front edge to provide positive retention of items placed on the top surface. This lip runs the width of the free-standing base deck  202  and has a triangular shaped cross section. It is also possible to use a free-standing base deck  202  without the lip or else with a traditional wire-framed fence as is commonly used in display shelving. To accommodate a traditional wire-framed fence, the free-standing base deck  202  can have suitable perforations in its top surface to accept the fence&#39;s mating tabs. The free-standing base deck  202  shown in the provided drawings has perforations in its top surface near the rear edge to illustrate this. With minor modifications, any display shelving product retention means is possible without straying from the inventive concept. 
         [0043]    The leg cap  206  can be manufactured using the same process and materials as the free-standing base deck, and can be essentially any width/depth/height combination as well. Because the leg cap  206  is meant as a decorative cover to replace the displaced base bracket trim  118 , the width/depth/height combination of any leg cap  206  should be chosen to hide any exposed surfaces of the original gondola base bracket  106 . This is aesthetically necessary because the free-standing base deck  202  exposes the inner surfaces of the original base bracket  106  that were once hidden by the now displaced original base deck  102 . Each leg cap  206  can be manufactured from a single sheet of the same or similar material used for the free-standing base deck  202  by bending the two longest sides downward to form a channel that is sufficiently wide enough to slip over the top of a base bracket  106 . The end of the leg cap  206  that would be opposite the upright  104  could then be closed by welding an appropriate sized rectangular piece of the same or similar material over the opening of the channel. The finished leg cap  206  should be sufficiently wide enough to fit over a base bracket  106 ; sufficiently long enough to cover the length of the base bracket  106 ; and sufficiently tall enough to cover the vertical height of the exposed portions of the base bracket  106 . 
         [0044]    The stretcher  204  in the preferred embodiment of  FIG. 2  is constructed from metal, preferably 16 Ga. cold rolled steel. Likewise, in  FIG. 3 , the spanner  304  is constructed of the same material. Heavier materials can be used for the stretcher  204  or spanner  304  because it adds to the structural integrity of the gondola on which it is installed. The stretcher  204  in the first embodiment is comprised of three components formed from three pieces of the chosen material. One component measures approximately 46⅞ inches in length by 1½ inches in width. The piece can be bent on a metal brake such that it forms a “U” shaped channel along the length; the bottom of the channel measuring approximately ¾ inches in width and the two sides of the channel measuring approximately ½ inch in height. Thus, this first piece of the stretcher  204  establishes the width of the space between the two parallel base brackets  106  upon which the stretcher  204  will eventually attach. The other two components that comprise the stretcher  204  are the two upright pieces that provide the physical attachment with the base bracket  106 . These upright pieces can be made from two identical pieces of the same material as the first piece of the stretcher, measuring approximately 4 inches in length by approximately 1⅔ inches in width. The upright pieces in the first embodiment are formed into a “J” shape by bending them along their length such that the bottom and side of the “J” are approximately ½ inches long. To complete the stretcher  204 , the two upright components are attached to the longer center component by welding. Thus, the completed stretcher  204  will provide a positive, physical attachment with each respective base bracket  106 , maintaining the base brackets  106  parallel in order to allow adequate spacing and maintain alignment for the free-standing base deck  202 . In addition, the stretcher  204  allows adequate spacing between itself and the back panel  102  to properly retain the free-standing base deck  202 . 
         [0045]    The spanner  304  in the second embodiment of  FIGS. 3A and 3B  is comprised of a single sheet of the same chosen material, which is bent in such a fashion to create the necessary rigidity and removably attachable end pieces to allow it to serve the same spacing device means as the stretcher  204 . The ends of the spanner  304  are essentially “tabs” that are bent inward to create a feature similar to a standard spring clip that allows for the ends to attach to a particular gondola&#39;s base brackets  106 . Thus, with minor modifications to the chosen spacing device means it is possible to adapt the spacing device to accommodate essentially any commercial gondola. 
         [0046]    All of the dimensions provided for the two described embodiments can be easily varied in order to meet the needs of any particular gondola unit. While there are many standard sizes of commercial gondolas, there can be significant variations that would necessitate adjustments to the required dimensions. While specific embodiments of the invention have been disclosed, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that one can modify the dimensions and particulars of the embodiments without straying from the inventive concept.