Abstract:
A shelf bracket is provided for use in retail shelving systems having shelves supported on brackets attached to slotted uprights which stand vertically either independently or by attachment to a wall or other vertical surface. The bracket includes a proximal end portion, a distal end portion, and a middle portion configured to support a shelf. The proximal end portion includes a hook portion and a positioning tab that is vertically spaced from the hook portion.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/232,164 filed Sep. 24, 2015, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to retail shelving systems and, in particular, to a shelf bracket for such systems. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Retail shelving systems typically feature slotted uprights which stand vertically either independently or by attachment to a wall or other vertical surface. Shelves are supported on a pair of brackets that engage the slots of a pair of the slotted uprights. The uprights feature multiple slots so that the height of the brackets, and thus the shelf supported thereon, may be selected and adjusted. 
         [0004]    Retail establishments typically require that the shelves be oriented with the top surface of the shelf at an angle of just under ninety degrees with respect to the vertical plane of the uprights. This permits items on the shelves to be easily viewed but also reduces the chances that an item may fall off of the front of the shelf. 
         [0005]    A shelf bracket typically features at least one hook portion at the proximal end that engages the slots of a corresponding upright. The hook portion includes a least one abutting surface that engages the outer surface of the upright when the hook portion is in engagement with a slot. An issue exists, however, in that the thickness of the material of the uprights, which is usually metal or steel, varies between different types of uprights. Such a variance impacts the angle that the top surface of the shelf makes with respect to the vertical plane of the upright. A need exists for a shelf bracket that addresses this issue. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a partial side elevational view of the proximal end portion  10  of an embodiment of a shelf bracket of the present technology; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a side elevational view of the shelf bracket of  FIG. 1  installed on a slotted upright having a slotted wall first thickness; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3A  is a perspective view of the shelf bracket of  FIG. 1  prior to being installed on a pair of slotted uprights of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3B  is a perspective view of the shelf bracket of  FIG. 1  installed on the slotted uprights of  FIG. 3A ; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3C  is a side elevational view of the shelf bracket of  FIG. 1  installed on the slotted uprights of  FIG. 3A ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3D  is a detail view of the circled area of  FIG. 3B , showing the shelf bracket of  FIG. 1  installed on the slotted uprights of  FIG. 3A ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a side elevational view of the shelf bracket of  FIG. 1  installed on a slotted upright having a slotted wall second thickness; 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a side elevational view of the shelf bracket of  FIG. 1  installed on a slotted upright having a slotted wall third thickness; 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a side elevational view of the shelf bracket of  FIG. 1  installed on a slotted upright having a slotted wall fourth thickness and an alternative slot spacing; 
           [0015]      FIG. 7A  is a perspective view of the shelf bracket of  FIG. 1  prior to being installed on a pair of slotted uprights of  FIG. 6 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 7B  is a perspective view of the shelf bracket of  FIG. 1  installed on the slotted uprights of  FIG. 7A ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 7C  is a side elevational view of the shelf bracket of  FIG. 1  installed on the slotted uprights of  FIG. 7A ; and 
           [0018]      FIG. 7D  is a detail view of the circled area of  FIG. 3B , showing the shelf bracket of  FIG. 1  installed on the slotted uprights of  FIG. 7A . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       [0019]      FIGS. 1-7  illustrate one embodiment of a shelf bracket  20  of the present technology. 
         [0020]      FIG. 1  shows the proximal end portion  10  of the shelf bracket  20 . The shelf bracket  20  may be preferably formed from a sheet of steel or metal, but any suitable strong and at least semi-rigid material may be used. As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the proximal end portion  10  of the shelf bracket  20  includes a hook portion  22 . The hook portion  22  includes an upwardly extending safety stop  24  and a downwardly extending hook engagement member  26 . A hook recess  32  is provided beneath the hook portion  22  of the bracket, adjacent to the hook engagement member  26 . A positioning tab  34  is provided and located a vertical distance  36  (indicated by arrow) down from the top edge  38  of the hook recess. A guide surface  42  extends between the hook recess  32  and the positioning tab  34 . The middle portion  61  of the bracket is configured and adapted to support a shelf  64 . 
         [0021]    With reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , a pair of shelf brackets of the type illustrated in  FIG. 1  may be used to support a shelf  64  upon a pair of slotted uprights  50  and  52 . The slotted uprights may stand upright on their own or with support of a shelving system, wall or other vertical surface. Each of the slotted uprights  50  and  52  include a number of vertical slots. Using upright  50  as an example, the upright includes a number of vertical slots  54  formed in wall  62  separated by dividers  56 . 
         [0022]    The shelf bracket  20  may be installed upon the uprights  50  and  52  as shown in  FIGS. 3A-3D . Using upright  50  as an example, the shelf bracket  20  may be tilted with the distal end portion  60  (in  FIG. 3 ) slightly elevated above the proximal end portion  10 , so that the stop  24  may pass through a slot  54  of the upright. The hook engagement member  26  may then be passed through the upright slot as the distal end portion  60  of the shelf bracket is rotated downwards so that it is approximately level with the proximal end portion  10 . The entire shelf bracket  20  may then be lowered so that the hook recess  32  receives the top edge of the upright divider below the upright slot  54  through which the shelf bracket hook portion stop  24  and hook engagement member  26  passed. As a result, the bracket guide surface  42  abuts, generally along its entire length, the exterior surface of the wall  62  of the slotted upright  50 . Furthermore, as best shown in  FIG. 2 , the positioning tab  34  of the bracket is positioned within one of the slots  54  of the upright beneath the slot  54  through which the shelf bracket hook portion stop  24  and hook engagement member  26  passed. 
         [0023]    With reference to  FIG. 2 , the bracket  20  may cause the top surface  64  of the shelf  44  to form a first angle  66 , with the slotted wall  62  of the upright when the slotted wall  62  has a first thickness  68 . As an example only, first angle  66  of  FIG. 2  could be 88.1° when first thickness  68  is 0.190 inches. 
         [0024]    Returning to  FIG. 3 , a second bracket identical to bracket  20 , the hook portion of which is indicated at  69 , supports the shelf  64  on the second slotted upright  52  in the same fashion as described for bracket  20  and upright  50 . 
         [0025]    With reference to  FIG. 4 , the bracket  20  is shown engaging an upright, indicated in general at  70 . The upright  70  features a wall  72 , having vertical slots  74  separated by dividers  76  (in a manner similar to upright  50  of  FIGS. 2 and 3 ). 
         [0026]    The shelf bracket  20  may be installed upon the upright  70  by tilting the bracket with the distal end portion  60  slightly elevated above the proximal end portion  10  so that the stop  24  may pass through a slot  74  of the upright. The hook engagement member  26  may then be passed through the upright slot as the distal end portion  60  of the shelf bracket is rotated downwards so that it is approximately level with the proximal end portion  10 . The entire shelf bracket  20  may then be lowered so that the hook recess receives the top edge of the upright divider below the upright slot through which the shelf bracket hook portion stop  24  and hook engagement member  26  passed. The lower portion of the bracket guide surface  42  abuts the exterior surface of the wall  72  of the slotted upright  70 , while the top portion of the guide surface  42  is slightly spaced from the exterior surface of upright wall  72 . As a result, a wedge-shaped gap is formed between the bracket guide surface  42  and the outer surface of the wall  72  of the upright. Furthermore, as best shown in  FIG. 4 , the positioning tab  34  of the bracket is positioned within one of the slots  74  of the upright. 
         [0027]    With reference to  FIG. 4 , the bracket  20  may cause the top surface  78  of a shelf supported by the bracket (in cooperation with a neighboring bracket as in  FIG. 3 ) to form a second angle  82  with the slotted wall  72  of the upright when the slotted wall  72  has a second thickness  84 . As an example only, second angle  82  of  FIG. 2  could be 88.8° when second thickness  84  is 0.165 inches. 
         [0028]    With reference to  FIG. 5 , the bracket  20  is shown engaging an upright, indicated in general at  90 . The upright  90  features a wall, indicated in general at  92 , having vertical slots  94  separated by dividers  96  (in a manner similar to upright  50  of  FIGS. 2 and 3 ). 
         [0029]    The shelf bracket  20  may be installed upon the upright  90  by tilting the bracket with the distal end portion  60  slightly elevated above the proximal end portion  10  so that the stop  24  may pass through a slot  94  of the upright. The hook engagement member  26  may then be passed through the upright slot as the distal end portion  60  of the shelf bracket is rotated downwards so that it is approximately level with the proximal end portion  10 . The entire shelf bracket may then be lowered so that the hook recess receives the top edge of the upright divider below the upright slot through which the shelf bracket hook portion stop  24  and hook engagement member  26  passed. The lower portion of the bracket guide surface  42  abuts the exterior surface of the wall  92  of the slotted upright  90 , while the top portion of the guide surface  42  is slightly spaced from the exterior surface of upright wall  92 . As a result, a wedge-shaped gap is formed between the bracket guide surface  42  and the outer surface of the wall  92  of the upright. Furthermore, as best shown in  FIG. 2 , the positioning tab  34  of the bracket is positioned within one of the slots  94  of the upright. 
         [0030]    With reference to  FIG. 5 , the bracket  20  may cause the top surface  97  of a shelf supported by the bracket (in cooperation with a neighboring bracket as in  FIG. 3 ) to form a third angle  98  with the slotted wall  92  of the upright when the slotted wall  92  has a third thickness  99 . As an example only, third angle  98  of  FIG. 5  could be 89.5° when the third thickness  99  is 0.140 inches. 
         [0031]    With reference to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , a pair of shelf brackets of the type illustrated in  FIG. 1  may be used to support a shelf  104  upon a pair of slotted uprights  106  and  108 . The slotted uprights may stand upright on their own or with support of a shelving system, wall or other vertical surface. Using upright  106  as an example, the upright includes a number of vertical slots  110  formed in wall  112  separated by dividers  114 . 
         [0032]    The shelf bracket  20  may be installed upon the upright  106  by tilting the bracket with the distal end portion  120  (in  FIG. 7 ) slightly elevated above the proximal end portion  10  so that the stop  24  may pass through a slot  110  of the upright. The hook engagement member  26  may then be passed through the upright slot as the distal end portion  60  of the shelf bracket is rotated downwards so that it is approximately level with the proximal end portion  10 . The entire shelf bracket may then be lowered so that the hook recess receives the top edge of the upright divider below the upright slot through which the shelf bracket hook portion stop  24  and hook engagement member  26  passed. In this situation, however, the positioning tab  34  abuts a divider  114  so that the bracket guide surface  42  is spaced along its entire length from the exterior surface of the wall  112  of the slotted upright  106 . This permits the shelf to be mounted to the upright at the desired angle even though the thickness of the upright slotted wall  112  may be thin (as compared to other types of uprights, such as those of  FIGS. 2-5 ). 
         [0033]    With reference to  FIG. 6 , the bracket  20  may cause the top surface  116  of the shelf to form a fourth angle  118 , with the slotted wall  112  of the upright when the slotted wall  112  has a fourth thickness  120 . As an example only, fourth angle  118  of  FIG. 6  could be 89° when fourth thickness  120  is 0.104 inches. 
         [0034]    Returning to  FIG. 7 , a second bracket identical to bracket  20 , the hook portion of which is indicated at  122 , supports the shelf  104  on the second slotted upright  108  in the same fashion as described for bracket  20  and upright  106 . 
         [0035]    While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.