Reinforcing members for display shelves

Abstract: A reinforcing member includes a metallic plate mounted to an upper edge of a back plate of a display shelf. The plate includes at least one first retainer piece extending outwardly from a first side thereof and at least one second retainer piece extending outwardly from a second side thereof in a direction parallel to the extending direction of the first retainer piece. A lateral distance between the first retainer piece and the second retainer piece is equal to a width of the upper edge.

Description: The present invention relates to reinforcing members for display shelves, especially for video tapes, audio tapes, compact disks, laser discs, etc. Video tapes, audio tapes, compact disks, and laser disks are widely used in daily lives, and the retailers or lenders thereof often place them on shelves for display purpose. US 3 895 720 discloses rack structures comprising modular, one-piece rack sections adapted to be assembled in multiple. Each rack section comprises a back panel integrally comprising an elongated tongue at its upper end, a wing extending from the back plate in an acute angle, and a lower portion comprising a matching groove and connecting the back panel and the wing. A space is provided between the back panel and the wing to receive cards or the like to be displayed. The tongue of a rack section is adapted to be received in the groove of an adjacent rack section interlocked thereupon by means of a slide-in joint of the tongue in the groove. A finishing cap comprising a matching groove may be attached to the upper end of the back panel of the uppermost rack section in a rack structure, and a combined label holder and divider can be attached to the distal end of the wing. Fig. 9 of the drawings illustrate a conventional display shelf which includes two side posts 2 and a plurality of vertically spaced racks 1 disposed between the side posts 2. Fig. 10 illustrate another type of conventional display shelf which includes a plurality of horizontally spaced posts 2 and a plurality of vertically spaced racks 1 mounted to the posts 2 and extending between the two outermost posts 2. Fig. 11 illustrates a further type of conventional display shelf which includes two spaced posts 2, a bracket 6 projecting outwardly from each post 2, and a back plate 5 mounted between the brackets 6. In addition, a bottom plate 4 as well as two side plates 3 are attached to the back plate 5. The side plates 3 reinforce the bottom plate 4 and the back plate 5 and prevent the displayed commodities from falling. The shelf in Fig. 11 allows the customers to pick out the displayed commodities more easily. The back plate 5 and the bottom plates 4 are formed by means of bending a thin steel plate to form an "L" shaped structure. However, the side plates 3 results in an obstacle to customers' eyesight, and thus are detrimental to god retailing of the items therein. Fig. 12 illustrates a further conventional display shelf which is made from synthetic resin (e.g., polypropylene, acrylonitril butadiene styrene, etc) for reducing the cost (the cost for the steel plates is relatively high). The shelf in Fig. 12 includes a back plate 5, a bottom plate 4, and a plurality of reinforcing ribs 11 extending along a rear side of the back plate 5 and an underside of the bottom plate 4. In addition, the back plate 5 is thickened in an upper edge 51 thereof while the bottom plate 4 is thickened in the front edge 41 thereof to assist in the reinforcing function. Yet, the supporting effect is found unsatisfactory. As shown in Fig. 13, when the shelf is loaded with commodities with a total weight of "W", the back plate 5 and the bottom plate 4 bend (see the phantom lines in Fig. 13). This is because the back plate 5 and the bottom plate 4 may be considered as a plate 12 (see Fig. 14) which is subjected to two forces (each of a magnitude of 1/2 W) respectively loaded on two lateral ends thereof and thus results in a bending. The present invention is intended to provide an improved display shelf which mitigates and/or obviates the above problems. A display shelf arrangement comprising at least one display shelf of the type comprising a back plate having an upper edge and a bottom plate having a front edge. According to the invention, each display shelf further comprises at least one reinforcing member that is adapted to be securely attached along the length of either said upper edge of the back plate or alternatively to said front edge of the bottom plate. Advantageously, the reinforcing member is a metallic reinforcing member. Preferably, the reinforcing member comprises a metallic plate that can be securely attached to the upper edge of the back plate or alternatively to the front edge of the botom plate. In a first embodiment, the plate may include at least one first retainer piece extending outwardly from a first side thereof and at least one second retainer piece extending outwardly from a second side thereof in a direction parallel to the extending direction of the first retainer piece. A lateral distance between the first retainer piece and the second retainer piece is equal to a width of the upper edge of the back plate or the front edge of the bottom plate of the display shelf. In a second embodiment, the reinforcing member may comprise a U-shaped metallic plate mounted to an upper edge of a display shelf. The plate includes a first retainer piece extending outwardly along a length of a first side thereof and a second retainer piece extending outwardly along a length of a second side thereof. A lateral distance between the first retainer piece and the second retainer piece is equal to a width of the upper edge of the back plate or the front edge of the bottom plate of the display shelf. Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a first embodiment of a reinforcing member in accordance with the present invention for a display shelf; Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an alternative application of the first embodiment; Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a second embodiment of a reinforcing member in accordance with the present invention for a display shelf; Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an alternative application of the second embodiment; Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a reinforcing member not covered by the appended claims; Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view illustrating another example of a reinforcing member not covered by the appended claims; Fig. 7 is an exploded perspective view illustrating another example of a reinforcing member not covered by the appended claims; Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a still further example of a reinforcing member not covered by the appended claims; Fig. 9 is a perspective view illustrating a conventional display shelf according to prior art; Fig. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a further conventional display shelf according to prior art; Fig. 11 is a perspective view illustrating another conventional display shelf according to prior art; Fig. 12 is a perspective view illustrating still another conventional display shelf according to prior art; Fig. 13 is a schematic view illustrating bending of the display shelf in Fig. 12; and Fig. 14 is a schematic view illustrating bending of the display shelf in Fig. 13. Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings illustrate different embodiments of reinforcing members of the present invention for a display shelf 1 of the type having a back plate 5 and a bottom plate 4 mounted to a lower side of the back plate 5. Referring to Fig. 1, a first embodiment of the present invention includes a metallic plate 71 attached to an upper edge 51 of the back plate 5. The plate 71 includes a first retainer piece 72 extending outwardly from a first side thereof and a second retainer piece 73 extending outwardly from a second side thereof in a direction parallel to the extending direction of the first retainer piece 72. The first and second retainer pieces 72 and 73 are respectively mounted to two opposite sides of the back plate 5, thereby providing a reinforced strength for the back plate 5 and the bottom plate 4. The plate 71 may extend to at least a portion of the longitudinal length of the upper edge 51. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, there are two first retainer pieces 72 respectively formed on two ends of the first side of the plate 71, and there is one second retainer piece 73 formed at a mediate portion of the second side of the plate 71. A lateral distance between the first retainer pieces 72 and the second retainer piece 73 is equal to a width of the upper edge 51 and thus allows the upper edge 51 to be fittingly received therebetween. The rigidity of the metal plate 71 may eliminate the bending of the back plate 5 and the bottom plate 4. Alternatively, the metallic plate 71 may be attached to a front edge 41 of the bottom 4, as shown in Fig. 2, which also provides the required reinforcing function. Referring to Fig. 3, the first retainer piece 72 and the second retainer 73 in Fig. 1 may extend along the overall length of the plate 71, thereby forming a U-shaped structure (see 72' and 73'). Thus, the plate 71 in Fig. 3 may be securely attached to the upper edge 51 of the back plate 5. Alternatively, the metallic plate 71 may be attached to the front edge 41 of the bottom plate 4, as shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 5 illustrates an example, in which the upper edge 51 of the back plate 5 may include three slots 52 (only one is shown) defined therein, while the plate 71 may include three protrusions 78 extending outwardly therefrom for being respectively received in the slots 52, thereby providing the required reinforcing function. In an embodiment of the invention, two of the slots may be defined adjacent to two ends of the upper edge 51 and the remaining one may be defined in a mediate portion of the upper edge 51. Fig. 6 illustrates a further example for display shelves, wherein the reinforcing member may include a protrusion 54 projecting upwardly from the upper edge 51 of the back plate 5 . In addition, the back plate 5 includes a recess 56 defined in a bottom thereof. Thus, two vertically disposed display shelves 1 may be interconnected by means of inserting the protrusion 54 into the recess 56, which also may provide the required reinforcing function. Fig. 7 illustrates another example for display shelves, wherein the upper edge 51 of the back plate 5 includes a first recess 53 therein, while the back plate 5 includes a second recess defined in a bottom thereof (see "56" in Fig. 6). In addition, a reinforcing member 8 is provided to interconnect two vertically disposed display shelves 1. The reinforcing member 8 may include an upper section 83 fittingly received in the second recess 56 of the upper one display shelf, a lower section 82 fittingly received in the first recess 53 of the lower one display shelf, and a flange 84 formed in a mediate portion thereof and having a size greater than that of the first and second recesses. This also provides the required reinforcing function. Fig. 8 illustrates a further example for display shelves, wherein the upper edge 51 of the back plate 5 includes a slot 58 defined therein, and a reinforcing member, in the form of a plate 81, may vertically extend through the slots 58 of the vertically disposed display shelves 1. This also provides the required reinforcing function. Although the invention has been explained in relation to preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Claims: A display shelf arrangement comprising at least one display shelf (1) of the type comprising a back plate (5) having an upper edge (51) and a bottom plate (4) having a front edge (41), characterized in that each display shelf further comprises at least one reinforcing member (71, 8, 81) that is adapted to be securely attached along the length of either said upper edge (51) of the back plate (5) or alternatively to said front edge (41) of the bottom plate (4). The display shelf arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the reinforcing member (71, 8, 81) is a metallic reinforcing member. The display shelf arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the reinforcing member comprises a metallic plate (71) having a first side and a second side, the plate (71) comprising at least one first retainer piece (72) extending outwardly from the first side of the plate (71) and at least one second retainer piece (73) extending outwardly from the second side of the plate (71) in a direction parallel to the extending direction of said at least one first retainer piece (72), and in that a lateral distance between said at least one first retainer piece (72) and said at least one second retainer piece (73) is equal to a width of said of said upper edge (51) of the back plate (5) or said front edge (41) of the bottom plate (4). The display shelf arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the reinforcing member comprises a U-shaped metallic plate (71) having a first side and a second side, the U-shaped plate (71) comprising a first retainer piece (72') extending outwardly along a length of the first side and a second retainer piece (73') extending outwardly along a length of the second side, and in that a lateral distance between said at least one first retainer piece (72) and said at least one second retainer piece (73) is equal to a width of said of said upper edge (51) of the back plate (5) or said front edge (41) of the bottom plate (4).

Inventors: SHIMADA TOMOHARU, SHIMADA, TOMOHARU
Applicants: SOFT SERVICE INC, SOFT SERVICE, INC.
Application year: 1996
Main classification: A47B96
IPC codes: A47B96, A47F5, A47B81, A47B87, A47F7