Patent Publication Number: US-10765235-B1

Title: Shelf cover with price tag holder

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation in part of and claims priority to a patent application, U.S. Ser. No. 16/520,101, filed Jul. 23, 2019, entitled “Shelf Cover with Price Tag Holder”, by Barry A. Awalt, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Display shelving for retail sales is well known in the art. Such shelving is typically placed in aisles, with multiple tiers of shelving. A typical style of such shelving is known as gondola shelving. Gondola shelving may be single-sided, with horizontal shelves extending outward from a vertical backing into an aisle. Gondola shelving may also be double-sided, with horizontal shelves extending outward from either side of the vertical backing into adjacent aisles. Shelving also may wrap around the ends, forming end caps. 
     Most shelving also makes use of price tags to identify the product placed thereon as well as the price and unit cost. Price tags are typically affixed to the front of shelving, in a substantially vertical orientation. Such placement results in difficulty in reading price tags that are affixed to shelves that are significantly below or above eye level. 
     For purposes of durability, retail shelving is typically made of metal. The shelving is typically painted in a monochrome color. 
     Retail establishments, such as supermarkets, traditionally perform center store remodels based on the aesthetics or appearance of their metal gondola shelving, not strictly because of functionality. That is, shelving slated for remodeling typically can still support and display product; the appearance, though, is deemed unacceptable. This is because, during use, shelving can over time become dirty, scratched, and dented. Colors may fade, or the finish may become chipped. While dirt can be cleaned, cleaning shelves in place is inconvenient, while bringing shelves to a proper cleaning facility requires disassembly of the entire shelving unit, as would refurbishment. Ad hoc changes to the aesthetics of the shelving, for example, to display holiday colors, is difficult, if not impossible. Replacing tired looking shelving units can be quite costly. 
     It is thus shown that there is a need for an improved shelving system that enables shelving units to retain high quality aesthetics and to allow for quick and easy maintenance and refurbishment. It is also shown that there is a need for better display of price tags on shelving. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention discloses a shelf cover which is placed onto each shelf of a shelving unit. The shelf cover is made of a substantially rigid, durable ABS plastic and can have any color or design desired. The shelf cover can be easily removed for cleaning or replacement, or to change aesthetics seasonally, and easily replaced onto the shelving unit. Integrated with the shelf cover is a removable price tag holder. 
     The present invention provides substantial advantages over the traditional means for refurbishing shelving. Because the shelving does not need to be replaced, the costs of transporting away entire old shelving systems and transporting in entire new shelving systems is avoided. The disposal of entire old shelving systems is avoided, reducing costs as well as environmental harm. The labor involved in completely disassembling old shelving systems and reassembling new shelving systems is eliminated. The time it would take to remodel an entire retail establishment is drastically shortened. Most importantly, the cost to remodel shelving is greatly reduced. 
     The present invention provides substantial advantages over the traditional means in regards to maintenance, as well. The shelving covers can be easily removed and brought to a facility for thorough cleaning. This improves the cleanliness of the shelving system over the traditional method of simply wiping down shelving surfaces. The price tag holder can also be removed and brought to a cleaning facility and power washed to remove adhesives. This is an improvement over scraping old price tags off of shelving. 
     Other features and advantages of the invention are described below. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  is a top perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention, depicting the product support member with integrated price tag support member. 
         FIG. 1B  is a top perspective view of the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 1A , depicting the price tag support member partially removed from the product support member. 
         FIG. 2  is a top perspective view of the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 1A , depicting multiple product support members joined together by a single elongated price tag support member. 
         FIG. 3A  is a top plan view of the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 3B  is a top plan view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 4A  is a side plan view of the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 1A  depicting the price tag support member attached to the front edge of the product support member. 
         FIG. 4B  is an enlarged side plan view of area i of the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 4A . 
         FIG. 5A  is a side plan view of the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 4A  depicting the price tag support member detached from the front edge of the product support member. 
         FIG. 5B  is an enlarged side plan view of area ii of the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 5A . 
         FIG. 6A  is a side plan view of the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 4A , wherein the price tag support member is pivoted slightly upward to provide a better view of the price tags when the shelf cover is placed on a shelf below eye level. 
         FIG. 6B  is a side plan view of the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 4A , wherein the price tag support member is pivoted perpendicular to the product support member to provide a better view of the price tags when the shelf cover is placed on a shelf at eye level. 
         FIG. 6C  is a side plan view of the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 4A , wherein the price tag support member is pivoted slightly downward, to provide a better view of the price tags when the shelf cover is placed on a shelf above eye level. 
         FIG. 7  is a side plan view of the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 4A , wherein the attachment flange of the product support member has a rounded section and the channel of the price tag support member has a rounded cross section. 
         FIG. 8  is a side plan view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention, wherein the attachment flange of the product support member has a triangular cross section and the channel of the price tag support member has a triangular cross section. 
         FIG. 9A  is a side plan view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention shown depicting the price tag support member attached to the front edge of the product support member. 
         FIG. 9B  is an enlarged side plan view of area i of the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 9A . 
         FIG. 10A  is a side plan view of the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 9A  depicting the price tag support member detached from the front edge of the product support member. 
         FIG. 10B  is an enlarged side plan view of area ii of the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 10A . 
         FIG. 11  is a side plan view of a gondola shelving unit with the shelf covers of the present invention placed onto the shelves of the shelving unit. 
         FIG. 12  is a top plan view of two shelves of a gondola shelving unit, depicting the placement of one shelf cover of the present invention onto one shelf of the shelving unit and a second shelf cover already in place on a second shelf. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION 
     In one embodiment of the present invention, a shelf cover  1  is disclosed. The shelf cover  1  is intended for use on a shelving unit  10 , such as gondola shelving. The shelving unit  10  must have at least one shelf  20  having a depth and oriented substantially horizontally, and a backing element  30  oriented substantially vertically. The shelf  20  of the shelving unit  10  is attached to the backing element  30  of the shelving unit  10  at approximately a ninety degree angle. Dividers  40  may be present between horizontally adjacent shelves  10 . The shelving unit  10  may have shelves  20  located on both sides of the backing element  30 . There may also be multiple tiers of shelves  10 . See  FIG. 11 . The shelf cover  1  of the present invention is configured to be placed onto a shelf  20  of the shelving unit  10 . See  FIGS. 11 and 12 . 
     In one embodiment, the shelf cover  1  comprise a product support member  100  having an integrated a price tag support member  200 . The product support member  100  is substantially planar and rigid, though some minor flexing might occur. Its thickness is relatively small in relation to its width and depth. Its depth is just slightly greater than the depth of the shelf  20  of the shelving unit  10 . See  FIGS. 1A and 1B . The product support member  100  may be made of any suitable material; preferably, it is made from Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) plastic. While the product support member  100  may have any suitable thickness, in the preferred embodiment it has a thickness of between 1/32 inch and ¼ inch, with the most preferred thickness being 1/16 inch. 
     The shelf cover  1  is placed onto a shelf  20  of the shelving unit  10  such that the product support member  100  of the shelf cover  1  rests on the top surface of the shelf  20 . See  FIG. 12 . Product  50  placed onto the shelf cover  1  also helps secure the shelf cover  1  to the shelf  20  merely by its weight. 
     The price tag support member  200  of the shelf cover  1  is located along the front edge  130  of the product support member  100 . It is capable of supporting a price tag  60  thereon. The price tag support member  200  extends beyond the front edge  26  of the shelf  20  of the shelving unit  10 . See  FIGS. 11 and 12 . 
     The shelf cover  1  of the present invention may be configured in any number of ways. In the preferred embodiment, the product support member  100  of the shelf cover  1  is substantially rectangular. Other suitable shapes are also contemplated. In another embodiment, the product support member  100  of the shelf cover  1  is monochrome; alternatively, it may be multi-colored. It may have one or more graphic designs placed on its surfaces, or text, or a combination of both. Such variations allow for different shelf covers  1  to be used during different seasons and holidays, if desired. 
     In yet another embodiment, the product support member  100  of the shelf cover  1  may comprise a plurality of apertures  140 . See  FIGS. 3A and 3B . Each of the apertures  140  passes all the way through the thickness of the product support member  100 . These apertures  140  allow components of the shelving unit  10 , such as dividers, “pushers”, tags, and the like, to be attached to a shelf  20  that is covered by the shelf cover  1  through the apertures  140  formed into the shelf cover  1 . In one variant each aperture  140  is substantially circular, and one or more rows of multiple apertures  140  are located on the product support member  100 . See  FIG. 3A . In another variant, each aperture  140  is elongate. See  FIG. 3B . Other configurations of the apertures  140  are also contemplated. 
     In embodiments where the product support member  100  of the shelf cover  1  comprises a plurality of apertures  140 , one or more fasteners  300  may be used. Each fastener  300  is configured to pass through an aperture  140  of the product support member  100  and into a corresponding aperture  28  in the shelf  20 . See  FIGS. 11 and 12 . The fasteners  300  help stabilize the shelf cover  1  and limit lateral movement thereof. In the preferred embodiment, the fasteners  300  are configured to fit into the apertures  140  of the product support member  100  and into the apertures  28  of the shelf  20  with very tight tolerances, thereby causing a friction fit of the fasteners  300  into the apertures  28 , 140 . Such eliminates the need for a securing member to hold the fastener  300  in place, simplifying installation and de-installation of the shelf cover  1 . 
     In one embodiment, the product support member  100  and the price tag support member  200  are comprised of a monolithic unit. As such, the shelf cover  1  can be thermos-formed or extruded or otherwise created in one piece with a minimum of labor required. In the preferred embodiment, though, the price tag support member  200  is removably attached to the front edge  130  of the product support member  100 . In this embodiment, the product support member  100  comprises an attachment flange  150  located along its front edge  130 , and the price tag support member  200  comprises a channel  210  which accommodates the attachment flange  150  of the product support member  100 . See  FIGS. 4B, 5B, 6A, 6B, 6C, 7, 8, 9B, and 10B . So configured, the price tag support member  200  is attached to the product support member  100  by inserting the attachment flange  150  of the product support member  100  into the channel  210  of the price tag support member  200 . See  FIG. 1B . 
     The price tag support member  200  need not have a length equal to the width of the product support member  100 . In one embodiment the price tag support member  200  may be significantly longer than the width of the product support member  100 . See  FIG. 2 . A longer price tag support member  200  can be placed onto the attachment flanges  150  of more than one product support member  100  at a time, thereby providing a means for securing multiple shelf covers  1  to each other. See  FIG. 2 . In the same manner, a price tag support member  200  may be shorter than the width of the product support member  100 , to fill in the end gap of a line of shelves (see, e.g., the relatively short portions of shelf covers  1  left exposed in  FIG. 2 ). 
     The attachment flange  150  of the product support member  100  and the channel  210  of the price tag support member  200  must be configured symmetrically in order to allow the price tag support member  200  to be attached to the product support member  100 . In one embodiment, the attachment flange  150  of the product support member  100  is convex. It has an outer surface  152  curved along an arc of a circle of more than one hundred eighty degrees. See  FIG. 7 . The corresponding channel  210  of the price tag support member  200  is concave, having an inner surface  212  curved along an arc of the circle of more than one hundred eighty degrees. The arc of the inner surface  212  of the channel  210  is less than the arc of the outer surface  152  of the attachment flange  150 . The attachment flange  150  and the channel  210  are dimensioned with tight tolerances so that the attachment flange  150  fits snugly within the channel  210 , retaining the price tag support member  200  in a fixed relative orientation to the product support member  100 . So configured, the price tag support member  200  is able to pivot about the attachment flange  150 . See  FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C . 
     In another embodiment, the attachment flange  150  of the product support member  100  is convex, with a triangular cross section. It has an upper surface  154 , a front surface  156 , and a lower surface  158 , with the upper surface  154  oriented at an acute angle to the front surface  156  and the lower surface  158  oriented at an acute angle to the front surface  156 . See  FIG. 8 . The corresponding channel  210  of the price tag support member  200  is concave with a triangular cross section. It has an inner surface  212  having an upper surface  214 , a front surface  216 , and a lower surface  218 , with the upper surface  214  oriented at an acute angle to the front surface  216  and the lower surface  218  oriented at an acute angle to the front surface  216 . The acute angles of the channel  210  correspond to the acute angles of the attachment flange  150 . This configuration allows the price tag support member  200  to be held in a single fixed orientation relative to the product support member  100 . Other geometric configurations of the attachment flange  150  and channel  210  are also contemplated (such as partial hexagons and partial octagons), allowing for limited multiple relative orientations between the price tag support member  200  and the product support member  100 . 
     The price tag support member  200  may be configured in any number of ways. In one embodiment, it is comprised of an elongate body  230  having a back face  240 , an upper front face  252 , a lower front face  254 , a top side  260 , a bottom side  270 , an upper lip  282 , and a lower lip  284 . See  FIGS. 6A and 6B . The back face  240  of the body  230  of the price tag support member  200  is oriented substantially vertically, the upper front face  252  of the body  230  of the price tag support member  200  is oriented at an angle and spaced apart from the back face  240  of the body  230 , the lower front face  254  of the body  230  of the price tag support member  200  is oriented substantially vertically, is adjacent to the lower portion of the upper front face  252  of the body  230 , and is spaced apart from the back face  240  of the body  230 , the top side  260  of the body  230  of the price tag support member  200  is oriented substantially horizontally and joins the top portion of the upper front face  252  of the body  230  to the back face  240  of the body  230 , and the bottom side  270  of the body  230  of the price tag support member  200  is oriented substantially horizontally and joins the lower front face  254  of the body  230  to the back face  240  of the body  230 . This configuration results in the body  230  of the price tag support member  200  being hollow; as such, it may be manufactured by an extrusion process. 
     In this embodiment, the upper lip  282  of the price tag support member  200  is formed into the top portion of the upper front face  252  of the body  230  of the price tag support member  200 . It extends forward and downward from the upper front face  252  of the body  230 . The lower lip  284  is formed into the lower portion of the upper front face  252  of the body  230  of the price tag support member  200 . It extends forward and upward from the upper front face  252  of the body  230 . See  FIG. 6B . A channel  290  is formed upon the upper front face  252  of the body  230  between the upper lip  282  and the lower lip  284 . An elongate, planar price tag  60  can be inserted into the channel  290  and held in place by the upper lip  282  and lower lip  284 . See  FIG. 7 . 
     In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the attachment flange  150  of the product support member  100  is angled substantially ninety degrees from the product support member  100  in a downward direction. See  FIGS. 9A and 10A . Alternatively, the attachment flange  150  may be angled between 60 degrees and 120 degrees from the product support member  100  in a downward direction. The attachment flange  150  should have a uniform thickness. Preferably, the attachment flange  150  is rectangular in shape. The price tag support member  200  in this embodiment is configured as an elongate body oriented substantially vertically. The elongate body has a back surface, a front surface, a top portion, a bottom portion, an upper lip  282 , and a lower lip  284 . The back surface of the body of the price tag support member  200  is oriented towards the attachment flange  150  of the product support member  100 , the channel  210  of the price tag support member  200  is located along the back surface of the body of the price tag support member  200  proximate to the bottom portion of the body, the upper lip  282  is located along the front surface of the body proximate to the top portion of the body and extends forward and downward from the top portion of the body, and the lower lip  284  is located along the front surface of the body proximate to the bottom portion of the body and extends forward and upward from the bottom portion of the body. See  FIG. 10B . A channel  290  is formed upon the front surface of the body, into which an elongate, planar price tag  60  can be inserted and held in place by the upper lip  282  and lower lip  284 . The channel  210  of the price tag support member  200  is concave with a “U” cross section. See  FIG. 10B . The lower portion of the attachment flange  150  is configured to snugly fit into the channel  210  of the price tag support member  200 , such that it is retained in place by frictional forces. In the most preferred embodiment, located within the concavity of the channel  210  of the price tag support member  200  is a plurality of gripping flanges  220 . Each gripping flange  220  extends inward from the inner surface of the channel  210  into the concavity of the channel  210 , and is further oriented downward towards the bottom of the channel  210 . See  FIG. 10B . This configuration improves the retention of the attachment flange  150  within the channel  210 . 
     What has been described and illustrated herein are preferred embodiments of the shelf cover of the present invention along with some it its variations. The terms, descriptions and figures used herein are set forth by way of illustration only and are not meant as limitations. Those skilled in the art will recognize that many variations are possible within the spirit and scope of the invention in which all terms are meant in their broadest, reasonable sense unless otherwise indicated. Other embodiments not specifically set forth herein are also contemplated.