Abstract:
A shelf wedge can be used to display products. The shelf wedge can have an adjustable length which can be selectively established by moving a base section relative to a back section, for example by sliding the base section on projections extending from the body of the back section. A method of displaying products is also provided.

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM 
       [0001]    The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/941,659, filed on Feb. 19, 2014, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    A store selling products generally stores and displays the products on a shelf or hanging from a rack. However, such arrangements typically do not satisfactorily show the features of the products. Some products have specific devices configured for the particular features of the product and that facilitate display of the product. However, such devices are not compatible with all display shelves and may not be usable with certain shelves or may provide an awkward display with some shelves, for example hanging off the front of the shelf, pushed back from the front of the shelf, or otherwise having a size that is not aligned with the size of the shelf. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    The present invention relates to a shelf system, and more particularly to a shelf or shelf insert, and still more particularly to a shelf or shelf insert that can be used in an existing shelf system. 
         [0004]    Accordingly, in a general embodiment, the present disclosure provides an apparatus for displaying products. The apparatus comprises: a base section comprising a first end and a second end that are opposite ends of the base section from each other, the first end defining a front face and having a height greater than the second end; and a back section comprising a body movably connected to the second end of the base section, and the base section is configured to slide on a portion of the back section toward and away from the body of the base section. 
         [0005]    In an embodiment, the back section comprises a first projection that extends from the body of the back section, and the base section is configured to slide on the first projection. 
         [0006]    In an embodiment, the second end of the base section comprises a first channel, and at least a portion of the first projection has a size and a shape complementary to at least a portion of the first channel. 
         [0007]    In an embodiment, the base section comprises an inner wall that forms a side of the first channel, the back section comprises a second projection, and the inner wall of the base section inserts between the first and second projections. 
         [0008]    In an embodiment, the base section comprises first and second side walls, and the first side wall forms a side of the first channel opposite to the side of the first channel formed by the inner wall. 
         [0009]    In an embodiment, the base section comprises a top surface that extends from the first end to the second end, the top surface is flat, and the inner wall and the first and second side walls extend downward from the top surface. 
         [0010]    In an embodiment, the base section comprises a bottom surface from which the inner wall and the first and second side walls extend upward to the top surface, and the bottom surface is flat. 
         [0011]    In an embodiment, the front face and the bottom surface form an angle that is less than ninety degrees. 
         [0012]    In an embodiment, the first end of the base section comprises a clip arrangement configured to hold printed material on the front face. 
         [0013]    In another embodiment, the present disclosure provides a method of displaying a product on a shelf. The method comprises: positioning an apparatus on the shelf, the apparatus having a length and comprising a base section comprising a first end and a second end that are opposite ends of the base section from each other, the first end defining a front face and having a height greater than the second end, the apparatus further comprising a back section comprising a body movably connected to the second end of the base section; adjusting the length of the apparatus by moving the base section toward or away from the body of the back section; and positioning the product on a top surface of the base section. 
         [0014]    In an embodiment, the adjusting the length of the apparatus comprises positioning the front face of the base section in vertical alignment with a front edge of the shelf. 
         [0015]    In an embodiment, the adjusting the length of the apparatus comprises positioning a rear face of the back section in vertical alignment with a back edge of the shelf. 
         [0016]    In an embodiment, the adjusting the length of the apparatus comprises sliding the base section on a portion of the back section. 
         [0017]    In an embodiment, the length of the apparatus is the distance from the front face of the base section to a rear face of the back section. 
         [0018]    In an embodiment, the method comprises attaching printed material to the front face using a clip arrangement connected to the first end of the base section. 
         [0019]    In an embodiment, the method comprises removing an additional shelf from a position above the shelf before positioning the apparatus on the shelf. 
         [0020]    In another embodiment, the present disclosure provides a system for displaying merchandise. The system comprises: a base section comprising a first end and a second end that are opposite ends of the base section from each other, the first end defining a front face and having a height greater than the second end, the base section comprising a top surface that extends from the first end to the second end; a back section comprising a body movably connected to the second end of the base section, and the base section is configured to slide on a portion of the back section toward and away from the body of the base section; and a product removably positioned on the top surface of the base section. 
         [0021]    In an embodiment, the top surface of the base section comprises a cavity having a size and a shape that are complementary to at least a portion of the product. 
         [0022]    In an embodiment, the product is one of a plurality of products that are positioned on the top surface. 
         [0023]    In an embodiment, the base section and the back section form an apparatus having a length that is the distance from the front face of the base section to a rear face of the back section, and the apparatus is configured such that sliding the base section toward and away from the body of the base section decreases and increases the length of the apparatus, respectively. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0024]      FIG. 1A  is a front perspective view of an embodiment of a shelf wedge provided by the present disclosure. 
           [0025]      FIG. 1B  is a side plan view of the embodiment of the shelf wedge shown in  FIG. 1A . 
           [0026]      FIG. 1C  is an above plan view of the embodiment of the shelf wedge shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B . 
           [0027]      FIG. 1D  is a front plan view of the embodiment of the shelf wedge shown in  FIGS. 1A-1C . 
           [0028]      FIG. 2A  is a front perspective view of an embodiment of a base section of a shelf wedge provided by the present disclosure. 
           [0029]      FIG. 2B  is a side plan view of the embodiment of the base section shown in  FIG. 2A . 
           [0030]      FIG. 2C  is an above plan view of the embodiment of the base section shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B . 
           [0031]      FIG. 2D  is a front plan view of the embodiment of the base section shown in  FIGS. 2A-2C . 
           [0032]      FIG. 2E  is a back plan view of the embodiment of the base section shown in  FIGS. 2A-2D . 
           [0033]      FIG. 3A  is a front perspective view of an embodiment of a back section of a shelf wedge provided by the present disclosure. 
           [0034]      FIG. 3B  is a side plan view of the embodiment of the back section shown in  FIG. 3A . 
           [0035]      FIG. 3C  is an above plan view of the embodiment of the back section shown in  FIGS. 3A and 3B . 
           [0036]      FIG. 3D  is a front plan view of the embodiment of the back section shown in  FIGS. 3A-3C . 
           [0037]      FIG. 4  is a front perspective view of an exemplary shelving area in which a shelf wedge provided by the present disclosure can be used. 
           [0038]      FIG. 5  is a front perspective view of the exemplary shelving area shown in  FIG. 4 , with a shelf removed therefrom to accommodate the shelf wedge. 
           [0039]      FIG. 6  is a front perspective view of an embodiment of a shelf wedge provided by the present disclosure positioned in the exemplary shelving area shown in  FIG. 5 . 
           [0040]      FIG. 7  is a front perspective view of an embodiment of a shelf wedge provided by the present disclosure positioned in the exemplary shelving area shown in  FIG. 6 , with the shelf wedge adjusted to have a length corresponding to the length of the shelf. 
           [0041]      FIG. 8  is a front perspective view of an embodiment of a shelf wedge provided by the present disclosure positioned in the exemplary shelving area shown in  FIG. 7 , with products positioned on the shelf wedge. 
           [0042]      FIG. 9  is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method provided by the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0043]      FIGS. 1A-1D ,  2 A-E and  3 A-D illustrate a non-limiting embodiment of a shelf wedge  10  of the present invention.  FIGS. 4-8  illustrate a non-limiting application as to how to use the shelf wedge  10  of the present invention. 
         [0044]    Referring again to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a shelf wedge  10  is illustrated as a multi-piece system; however, the shelf wedge  10  can be formed of a single component. The size, shape and material of the shelf wedge  10  are non-limiting. The shelf wedge  10  is illustrated as including a base section  20  and a back section  30 . The base section  20  is illustrated as being a wedge-shaped section with side walls  28 , 29  having a continuously decreasing height as they extend from the front face  23  to the thinner end  27  of the base section  20 . The top surface  25  of the base section  20  is illustrated as being generally flat; however, this is not required. The thinner end  27  of the base section  20  is designed to be connected to the back section  30 . The back section  30  can be designed to be permanently or releasably connected to the base section  20 . 
         [0045]    The front face of the body of the back section  30  can comprise an upper front face  31  and a lower front face  33 . The upper front face  31  can slope downward such that the thickness of the back section  30  (i.e., the distance from the upper front face  31  to the rear face  32 ) increases as the distance from the top of the back section  30  increases. 
         [0046]    The back section  30  can comprise one or more projections  41  that can extend from the body of the back section  30 , and each of the one or more projections  41  can have a shape and size that are complementary to one or more channels  40  in the base section  20 . Although the figures show four of the projections  41  and four of the channels  40 , any number of the projections  41  and any number of the channels  40  can be used in the shelf wedge  10 , although a preferred embodiment has a number of the projections  41  that is equal to the number of the channels  40 . As shown in the figures, the one or more projections  41  and the one or more channels  40  can be rectangular, but the shelf wedge  10  is not limited to a specific shape of these components. 
         [0047]    The channels  40  can be formed by inner walls  42  of the base section  20 . For example, the inner walls  42  can extend between the top surface  25  and the bottom surface  26  of the base section  20 . The gaps between the inner walls  42  can form the channels  40 . One or more of the channels  40  can be partially formed by one of the side walls  28 , 29 . 
         [0048]    The front face  23  of the thick end of the base section  20  can optionally include a clip arrangement  24  that can be used to hold a label, advertising literature, etc. As illustrated in FIG.  2 , the front face  23  of the base section  20  can be sloped for improved viewing of the material inserted in the clip arrangement  24 ; however this is not required. 
         [0049]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , the projections  41  of the back section  30  are illustrated as having a generally uniform thickness; however, this is not required. The projections  41  and/or the top surface  25  of the base section  20  can include a plurality of cavities  45  that are designed to each receive a product to be inserted therein. The size, depth and shape of the cavities  45  are non-limiting. As mentioned above, the base section  20  can be permanently or releasably connected to the back section  30 . The back section  30  is illustrated as having a wedge-shaped configuration. 
         [0050]    Referring now to  FIGS. 4-8 , an application of the shelf wedge  10  is disclosed. As shown in  FIG. 4 , a shelving area  100  can be configured for the display of one or more products. As shown in  FIG. 5 , one or more shelves can optionally be removed from the shelving area  100  to accommodate the shelf wedge  10 , for example to provide clearance for the shelf wedge  10  (e.g., thirty inches of clearance above the shelf on which the shelf wedge is positioned). As shown in  FIG. 6 , the shelf wedge  10  can be positioned on a shelf of the shelving area  100 . As shown in  FIG. 7 , the base section  20  of the shelf wedge  10  can be moved relative to the back section  30 , preferably by sliding the base section  20  on the projections  41  of the back section  30 , to decrease or increase the length of the shelf wedge  10 . In an embodiment, the base section  20  of the shelf wedge  10  can maintain connection to the back section  30  through lengths of the shelf wedge  10  from twenty-two inches to thirty inches. The front face  23  of the shelf wedge  10  can be positioned in vertical alignment with the pricing channel  101  of the shelving area  100 . An illustration as to how products  200  can be displayed on the shelf wedge  10  is shown in  FIG. 8 . 
         [0051]      FIG. 9  is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method  100  provided by the present disclosure. In Step  102 , the location where the shelf wedge  10  will be installed is selected. In Step  104 , one or more shelves can optionally be removed from the shelving area  100  to accommodate the shelf wedge  10 , for example to provide clearance for the shelf wedge  10  (e.g., thirty inches of clearance above the shelf on which the shelf wedge is positioned). In Step  106 , the shelf wedge  10  can be positioned on a shelf of the shelving area  100 . In Step  108 , the base section  20  of the shelf wedge  10  can be moved relative to the back section  30  to decrease or increase the length of the shelf wedge  10 , and/or the front face  23  of the shelf wedge  10  can be positioned in vertical alignment with the pricing channel  101  of the shelving area  100 . In Step  110 , products  200  can be displayed on the shelf wedge  10  by positioning the products  20  on the top surface  25  of the base section  20 . 
         [0052]    It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained, and since certain changes may be made in the constructions set forth without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. The invention has been described with reference to preferred and alternate embodiments. Modifications and alterations will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the detailed discussion of the invention provided herein. This invention is intended to include all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the present invention. It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween. The invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. These and other modifications of the preferred embodiments as well as other embodiments of the invention will be obvious from the disclosure herein, whereby the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the invention and not as a limitation. It is intended to include all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims.