Modular constructional units for a combined storage bin and display assembly

Modular constructional units are used to form a combined storage bin and display assembly for rolls of decorative paper such as wallpaper. The modular constructional units are vertically stacked and horizontally adjoined by interlocking surfaces while the units extend along an essentially straight-line path and form storage bins and displays disposed at an angle with respect to the straight-line path. Each constructional unit includes three mutually-adjoined side walls to a square prism which defines the shape of the bin. These side walls define a horizontal bin floor, a vertical bin rear end wall and a vertical longitudinal bin side wall. An outwardly-facing vertical display wall is projected from the bin side wall beyond the forward edge of the bin floor. The display wall and the bin side wall form a side wall for a horizontally-adjacent storage bin. The display wall includes a horizontal rib and a recess with upper and lower support surfaces to engage a display panel at its opposite sides in a vertical stack of the constructional units. An end strip is attached to the outer edge of the display panel and the display wall.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to an improved construction and arrangement of parts 
to provide modular constructional units to form a combined storage area 
and display assembly for rolls of decorative paper and the like; and more 
particularly, the present invention relates to such modular constructional 
units uniquely constructed for vertical stacking and horizontal adjoining 
to extend along an essentially straight-line path while forming storage 
bins and displays at an angle with respect to the straight-line path. 
The customary practice of thumbing through sample books to select an 
appealing decorative paper such as wallpaper has been replaced to a large 
extent by more recent advancements to the merchandizing of wallpaper on a 
serve-yourself-basis. The use of sample books demands the time and expense 
of a salesperson to take an identifying number from a sample of wallpaper 
in the display book and locate the corresponding roll of wallpaper from 
inventory. The more recent serve-yourself-concept is to permit the 
customer to browse around the store and pick rolls of wallpaper or other 
decorative material directly from storage bins. 
A particularly useful solution to the problem of displaying samples of 
various wallpaper within the bins is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,986,756. 
In this patent, there is disclosed an angular arrangement between a 
straight-line path and the storage bins with a display area adjacent each 
bin. The storage bins and display areas are formed by spaced, 
vertically-extending side partitions disposed at an angle with respect to 
the straight-line path along which a platform extends for supporting the 
partitions. Bins are formed by shelves that span the space between each 
adjacent pair of parallel partitions. The forward and rear edges of the 
shelves are perpendicular to two bounding partitions but the forward edge 
of each shelf does not extend beyond the forward edge of one of the two 
bounding partitions. This arrangement of partitions and shelves has the 
distinct advantage of maximizing the use of available floor space to 
provide both bins and display areas for a sample of wallpaper directly 
adjacent the storage bin. 
However, the construction of parts necessary to form the storage bins and 
display areas is a costly and time-consuming operation requiring the use 
of skilled labor. The vertical partitioned walls for a stack of bins at 
each side thereof are an integral part of the assembly which are not 
easily dismantled for rearrangement or reconstruction at other locations 
as may be desired or necessary from time-to-time. These and other 
disadvantages and shortcomings are overcome by the modular constructional 
units of the present invention. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of the present invention to provide a combined storage bin 
and display assembly for decorative paper and the like wherein the 
assembly is comprised of vertically-stacked and horizontally-adjoined 
modular constructional units that are constructed for arrangement along an 
essentially straight-line path while forming storage bins and displays 
disposed at an angle with respect to the straight-line path. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide modular 
constructional units for vertical stacking and horizontal adjoining to 
form a combined storage bin and display assembly wherein the 
constructional units each takes the form of a unitary member that is 
readily formable from molded plastic material and readily assembled and 
disassembled without the need for fasteners or skilled labor. 
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a 
combined storage bin and display assembly for decorative paper and the 
like wherein the assembly is comprised of vertically-stacked and 
horizontally-adjoined modular constructional units each essentially 
including a horizontal wall section to define in a vertical stack of 
constructional units at least a bin ceiling or a bin floor, a side wall 
section extending vertically from the horizontal wall section along two 
intersecting peripheral edge portions thereof, the side wall section 
defining a rear end wall and a longitudinal bin side wall, the 
longitudinal bin side wall having an outwardly-facing vertical display 
area extended beyond the forward edge of the horizontal wall section, the 
horizontal wall section and the side wall section each having support 
surfaces to interlock for either vertical stacking or horizontal adjoining 
of modular constructional units. 
In another aspect of the present invention, the aforesaid combined storage 
bin and display assembly is defined wherein each of the storage bins has a 
shape of a square prism and the modular constructional units essentially 
include three mutually-adjoined bin side walls comprised of a horizontal 
side defining a bin floor in a vertical stack of constructional units, a 
first vertical side defining a bin rear end wall and a second vertical 
side defining a longitudinal bin side wall, the modular constructional 
units each further including an outwardly-facing vertical display wall 
projected from the longitudinal bin side wall beyond the forward edge of 
the bin floor, the longitudinal bin side wall and the display wall forming 
an entire side wall for a horizontally-adjacent storage bin, the bin floor 
and the longitudinal bin side wall having interlocking surfaces for 
vertical stacking and horizontal adjoining of modular constructional units 
at an angle along the straight-line path. 
The modular constructional units of the present invention preferably 
include spaced-apart support posts extending vertically along the side 
wall sections thereof. The support posts have end portions adapted to 
interlock with recesses arranged at the outer periphery of the bin floor 
provided by a unit therebelow. A display panel is preferably employed to 
carry a sample of the decorative wallpaper for removable attachment to the 
display area of a modular constructional unit. For this purpose, fastener 
means are used to removably support the display panel on the display area. 
The display area has a horizontal support rib extending outwardly along a 
substantial portion of its length to provide a support surface for 
engagement by one of the opposite longitudinal sides of the 
vertically-spaced display panels. The spacing between the support ribs 
relative to the distance between the two opposed sides of the display 
panel is such that the display panel can be lifted from a lower support 
surface and then lowered to remove the display panel from the upper 
support rib. In the modular constructional units, the display walls extend 
outwardly from the bin floors by an equal distance so that the outer edges 
of the display panels are positioned on the straight-line path. The 
projected lengths of the display walls from the bin floors define the 
angular disposition of the constructional units while vertically stacked 
and horizontally adjoined.

With reference to FIG. 1, the modular constructional units of the present 
invention are employed to form a storage bin and display assembly that 
extends along a straight-line path in a store room. Typically, an aisle is 
formed by arranging two storage bins and display assemblies along 
spaced-apart and parallel straight-line paths along which customers may 
browse to select rolls of wallpaper or other material directly from the 
storage bins. 
The modular constructional units forming the storage bin and display 
assembly of the present invention are constructed in a manner that enables 
the use of a portion of a modular constructional unit to form support 
bases for adjoined stacks of constructional units as described in greater 
detail hereinafter. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 identifies 
constructional units which have been modified to form raised support 
bases. The constructional units in their assembled form define 
spaced-apart, vertically-extending side partition walls 12 which are all 
disposed at an angle with respect to a straight-line path of travel 
identified in FIG. 1 by reference numeral 14. Spanning the space between 
each adjacent pair of parallel partition walls 12 are shelves 16 which 
form bins 18 for rolls of wallpaper or other decorative material. The 
angular arrangement of the storage bin and display assembly minimizes the 
amount of store floor space required. One side wall 12 for each stack of 
bins extends outwardly from the forward edge of the floor of the bin and 
defines, by its face surface, a display area 20 where a sample of 
wallpaper or other decorative material is displayed at the front of each 
of the bins. The modular constructional units 24 are shown in detail by 
FIGS. 2-7. The storage bins 18 each has the shape of a square prism. The 
constructional units 24 are essentially a unitary member with three 
mutually-adjoined walls, namely a horizontal wall 26 forming a bin floor 
16, a vertical side wall forming a rear bin end wall 28 and a vertical 
side wall forming a longitudinal bin side wall 30. Depending upon the 
particular location of a constructional unit in a stack thereof, the 
horizontal wall 26 defines a bin ceiling or a bin floor or both. 
The display area 20 in the assembly of FIG. 1, is formed by an extended 
wall portion 32 of the longitudinal bin side wall 30 as shown in FIG. 2. 
The extended wall portion 32 forms a vertical display wall which projects 
outwardly beyond the forward terminal edge of the bin floor formed by the 
horizontal wall 26. When constructional units are horizontally adjoined, 
the longitudinal bin side wall 30 and the extended wall portion 32 form an 
entire side wall for a horizontally-adjacent storage bin which lies at the 
opposite side thereof from the display area 20. As is apparent from FIG. 
2, walls 28 and 30 project downwardly from the horizontal wall 26. It is 
within the scope of the present invention to arrange walls 26, 28 and 30 
such that walls 28 and 30 project upwardly from wall 26. At the junction 
between walls 28 and 30, a vertically-arranged post 33 extends from the 
horizontal wall 26 to the lower edge of walls 28 and 30 and below which 
the post 33 is provided with a tapered projection 34. A post 35 extends 
along the opposite vertical edge of wall 28 where a tapered projection 36 
extends from its lower end. A third vertically-arranged post member 37 
extends along the side wall portion 30 at the forward terminal edge of 
horizontal wall section 26. A tapered projection end 38 extends from the 
lower end of post 37. As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 6, the tapered projected 
portions 34, 36 and 38 of the post members are received in 
correspondingly-shaped socket recesses 39, 40 and 41 that extend below the 
top surface of the horizontal wall section 26 of a modular constructional 
unit that is disposed below the post members. The tapered projected 
portions and recesses into which they are received form one system of 
interlocking surfaces for the vertical stacking and horizontal adjoining 
of the modular constructional units. Another system of interlocking 
surfaces is formed by a tapered projecting rib 42 that extends from the 
lower edge of side wall 30 and from the lower edge of side wall 28. When 
the constructional units are stacked, the tapered projecting rib is 
received within a trough-like recess 43 formed in the top surface of the 
horizontal wall section 26. Recess 43 extends about three of the outer 
peripheral edges, namely side edge portions 26A, 26B and 26C (FIGS. 2, 5, 
6 and 7). Moreover, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 7 along side edge portion 
26A, there is a second recess 44 into which the lower edge of a display 
panel 45 is received and supported. The horizontally-adjacent recess 43 
receives the tapered rib 46 projecting from the lower edge of wall portion 
32 in the stacked and adjoined arrangement of modular constructional 
units. In this regard, when stacking and adjoining modular units, the 
tapered rib 46 of a modular unit located above and to the right of a 
modular unit as one views FIG. 1 engages in recess 43 while the recess 44 
provides a support trough into which the lower edge of a display panel 45 
is supported. The upper edge of the display panel is retained within a 
recess 47 formed by a projecting rib section 48 as best shown in FIGS. 2, 
3 and 4. Recess 47 is relatively deep, as compared to recess 44, so that a 
display panel 45 is easily removed by lifting the panel from recess 44 
deeper into recess 47 and then moved outwardly and downwardly from recess 
47. The recesses and projections used for interlocking support are the 
preferred manner by which constructional units are held together. However, 
adhesives may be used with or without interlocking surfaces. Thus, for 
example, adhesives are useful between face surfaces in mutual contact for 
support. 
The forward edge 32A of each wall portion 32 extends to the straight-line 
path 14 and since wall portion 32 also forms a side wall for a 
horizontally-adjacent bin, the corner at the intersection of side edge 
portion 26A and front edge of a bin floor of an adjoining modular unit 
also extends to the straight-line path. Thus, it can be seen that the 
horizontally-extended length of wall portion 32 defines the angular 
relation of the display areas and bins with respect to the straight-line 
path. If desired, a side strip 50 having two channels therein is used to 
provide added support and retain the display panel 45 on the extended wall 
portion 32. One channel in strip 50, as shown in FIG. 2, receives an outer 
vertical edge of the display panel while the remaining channel is passed 
over the forward edge 32A of wall portion 32. 
As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the top surface of rib section 48 has a 
trough-like recess 51 into which there is received a 
correspondingly-shaped projection 52 which extends downwardly from the 
bottom surface of horizontal wall 26 along the side edge portion 26A. The 
interlocking relation between recess 51 and projection 52 occurs when 
modular units are horizontally adjoined. To provide raised support bases 
10 for the modular constructional units, the height of a constructional 
unit is reduced by cutting along a desired parting line such as is 
indicated by reference numeral 10A in FIG. 2. A front kick panel 10B may 
be conveniently formed from the lower cut-off portion and glued or 
otherwise held in place. When the constructional units are horizontally 
adjoined, the outermost unit as one side is provided with a rectangular 
end panel 55. A channel stripping having recesses 43 and 44 on one side 
and projection 52 on the opposite side is used between modular 
constructional units in the first stack of a row since there is no 
horizontal adjoining unit to fill the gap between the top edge of one unit 
and the lower edge of a unit stacked thereabove. It is preferred to 
produce the modular units from molded polystyrene structural foam 
reinforced with glass fibers. 
Although the invention has been shown in connection with a certain specific 
embodiment, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that 
various changes in form and arrangement of parts may be made to suit 
requirements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.