Display shelving

A floor display for products, in the form of a shelf system having a base, a back wall, side walls, and preferably having a top wall or canopy, although this is an optional feature, and shelves fitted at progressively increasing angles from bottom to top of the display for displaying products in a manner convenient for viewing.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The invention relates to a product display, for use in a retail store, and 
in particular for a product display shelving system for displaying vinyl 
tiles. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Product display shelving and racks are available in a wide variety of 
constructions. Usually they are designed for displaying the maximum amount 
of products in a minimum space, so that the largest number of different 
products can be displayed within a given square footage of retail space. 
Vinyl tiles are conventionally displayed by means of a plurality of 
vertically mounted swinging panels, usually at counter height, so that 
customers may easily view the panels by simply swinging them to and fro. 
Vinyl tiles are secured for example by adhesives on the swinging panels, 
although they may be releasably secured in some cases. 
Such systems lend themselves to erection along the walls of a retail space, 
and have been popular and effective in the past. 
However, it is clearly desirable, when displaying products such as vinyl 
tiles, that the display shall not be confined simply to the walls of the 
retail space. 
In order to use the swinging panel system, for filling a retail space 
relatively substantial intermediate walls must then be erected within the 
retail space. These walls then tend to divide up the retail space into a 
number of relatively small compartments or cubicles, making it awkward for 
customers to move around. 
In addition, the erection of such walls and swinging panels represents a 
substantial cost to the retail establishment. Furthermore, if the 
establishment wishes to re-arrange its displays, it is relatively 
difficult, and expensive, for the establishment to rearrange the display, 
or to move the panels to a different location. 
For all of these reasons therefore it is desirable to provide free standing 
product displays which can readily be placed anywhere on the floor of a 
retail establishment, and, in the case of the display of vinyl tiles, will 
display a very large number of vinyl tiles to prospective customers, 
without the need for swinging vertically hinged panels to and fro. 
Preferably such a free-standing display will display a large number of 
different tiles all of which can simply be viewed by standing in front of 
the display, without the customer having to move anything. 
This will enable a number of customers to be able to view the display 
simultaneously, without interfering with one another's shopping experience 
or view of the display. 
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
With a view to providing a free standing floor display for products, the 
invention comprises a free-standing shelf system having a base, a back 
wall, side walls, and preferably having a top wall or canopy, although 
this is an optional feature. 
The side walls are preferably provided with a large number of releasable 
support pins, and the shelves are formed of a uniform construction so that 
they may be interengaged with the pins on the side walls. 
Preferably, the side walls are formed in a generally upwardly tapering 
fashion, having a rear edge which is linear and vertical, and having a 
forward edge which tapers from a wide region at the base to a narrower 
region at the top, and has an arcuate concave profile. 
The fastenings themselves will also follow the tapering of the forward edge 
of the side walls, so that the support pins are closer together at the top 
and further apart at the bottom. 
Given the fact that the shelves are of uniform shape, this will enable the 
lower shelves to be supported at a relatively low angle, and each 
successive upper shelf will then be supported at a progressively steeper 
angle. The product on the leading edge of each shelf will be readily 
visible to customers, so that customers may see an attractive display in 
which the shelves are arranged in a progressively increasingly angled 
fashion, so that the product on the lower shelves, can be viewed by simply 
looking downwardly at the lower shelves, whereas the product on the upper 
shelves is displayed at an angle of anywhere from 45 to 60 degrees, making 
all of the product readily visible to a customer standing in front of the 
display without the customer having to move anything. 
In the case of vinyl tiles, this will mean that a large number of different 
designs of vinyl tiles can be displayed on the various shelves or trays, 
and the customer will then have the chance to view all of the designs 
displayed, while simply standing at a distance in front of the display 
without having to swing vertical panels, or to move around other customers 
who may also be shopping to select product. 
The invention preferably provides shelves in the form of removable trays 
formed of injection moulded thermoplastic material, which have end edge 
walls, with formations for engaging the support pins on the side walls of 
the display, and there being transverse reinforcing ridges located on the 
underside of the tray, and retaining lip portions on the forward edge of 
the tray. Preferably the trays are reduced in weight by forming a 
plurality of holes through the surface of the tray. 
The display cabinet will have side walls which are upright and linear along 
their rear edge, and along their forward edge are curved so that they 
taper from a wide region at the lower end to a narrow region at the upper 
end, a plurality of support pins are mounted in the side walls, and the 
pins at the lower wider ends of the side walls being spaced further apart 
and the pins are spaced progressively closer together as they continue 
further up the length of the side walls. 
Preferably a canopy is provided on top of the side walls, so that it may 
carry sales promotional material, and provide a finished attractive 
appearance to the display. 
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are 
pointed out with more particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a 
part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its 
operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use, reference 
should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in 
which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the 
invention.

DESCRIPTION OF A SPECIFIC EMBODIMENT 
Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the drawings, as has 
already been mentioned, relate to a free-standing in-store display 
indicated generally as 10. While reference is made to a "free-standing" 
display, it will be appreciated that it could conceivably be mounted 
against a wall and fixed in position, if that were desired, although it is 
believed that its greatest advantages will be achieved as a free standing 
display that can be placed at various locations around the floor of a 
retail space. However, the use of a fixed display 10 is not excluded. The 
display is illustrated here for the purpose of explaining the invention. 
The display unit comprises a pair of side walls 12--12, a bottom panel 14, 
extending between the two side walls 12, and a top or canopy 18, having a 
forward header wall 20. 
The two side walls 12 have linear rear edges 22, and generally curved 
forward edges 24. In this particular embodiment, the forward edge 24 
curves in a generally arcuate concave rearward manner from the lower end 
to the upper end causing the lower ends of the side walls 12 to be wider 
than the upper ends of the side walls 12. In this particular embodiment at 
the upper end the side walls 12 are formed with generally L-shaped 
extensions 26, which support the top or canopy 18 and the forward header 
20. 
The side walls 12 are provided on their inwardly facing sides with a 
plurality of support pins 28 and 30, which are secured at spaced apart 
intervals along the rear and forward edges of the side walls 12. The pins 
may be fixed in position. The pins 28 along the rearward edge are arranged 
along a generally linear vertical axis. The pins 30 along the forward 
edges of the side walls 12, are arranged along a generally curved axis 
corresponding to the curvature of the front edge 24 of the side walls 12. 
It will thus be seen that the pins 28 and 30 at the lower ends of the side 
walls 12 are further apart and the pins 28 and 30 at the upper end are 
closer together, for reasons which will be described below. 
The shelves or trays are indicated generally as 32. The shelves 32 (FIGS. 
3, 4 and 5), have a rear edge 34 and a forward edge 36, and end edges 38. 
Along the end edges 38, there are formed generally vertical end walls. 
Forward and rear retention recesses 42 and 44 are formed in the end walls 
40, and are arranged to engage the support pins 28 and 30 on the side 
walls 12, in the manner shown in FIG. 2. 
The shelves or trays are formed of injection moulded thermoplastic material 
and are formed with a large plurality of generally rectangular openings 46 
to reduce weight. A pair of intermediate spacer walls 48 are formed from 
front to rear of the trays 32, and forward product retention flanges 50 
are formed along the forward edge 36, for retaining product and preventing 
it from sliding off. 
Beneath the trays 32, there are provided elongated longitudinal 
reinforcement walls 52, and there are a plurality of transverse front to 
rear reinforcement walls 54 at spaced intervals. 
To provide additional strengthening and support lengthwise along the trays, 
there are provided two elongated metal support bars 60--60, having end 
flanges 62 bent around, inside end walls 40, and having flange notches 
registering with the notches 40 in the end walls of the trays. 
In this way the length wise support bars provide substantial support across 
the length of the trays, for supporting heavier products. 
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the shelves 32 are placed in position, from 
bottom to top of the side walls, and it will be seen that the shelves 32 
by engaging with the pins 28 and 30 which are progressively closer 
together as they go from the bottom to the top of the side walls, will 
cause the shelves 32 to gradually tilt further and further forward, until 
they are angled almost up to about 60 degrees, at the very top. 
Product such as, vinyl tiles T (FIG. 1), may be placed on the shelves 32. 
The product will then be readily visible to prospective purchasers, being 
displayed on all of the shelves simultaneously. 
The foregoing is a description of a preferred embodiment of the invention 
which is given here by way of example only. The invention is not to be 
taken as limited to any of the specific features as described, but 
comprehends all such variations thereof as come within the scope of the 
appended claims.