US4958739A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Composite organizer and gravity feed shelf
Assignee: Display Industries LLC
•
Filing: 1989-10-02
•
Granted: 1990-09-25
•
Expires: 2009-10-02
Abstract
Abstract A composite structure for use as an organizer or gravity feed shelf is constructed with a flat bottom for mounting on a flat surface and includes main and auxiliary support units each having rectangular planar elements with complementary edges, a plurality of fastening projections formed along the complementary edges of the rectangular planar elements for disjointably connecting and for reassembling the planar elements so as to form a composite shelf unit, and a plurality of low friction longitudinal ribs integrally formed with the support units and their associated fastening projections.
Inventors
- 👤 William S. Spamer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 07:17
CPC Classifications
A; A47; A47F; A47F1/00; A47F1/04; A47F1/12
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
130 words
A composite shelf arranged for mounting on a flat surface for supporting and displaying articles and comprising a main support unit including a main rectangular planar element having front, rear and opposed side edges, an auxiliary support unit including an auxiliary rectangular planar element having front, rear and opposed side edges one edge of which is of a configuration which is complementary to one edge of said main rectangular planar element, a first plurality of spaced projections formed along said one edge of said main planar element and disposed in the plane thereof, and a plurality of spaced projections formed along said one edge of said auxiliary planar element and in the plane thereof and interspersed between said spaced projections formed along said one edge of said main planar element.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
130 words
A composite shelf arranged for mounting on a flat surface for supporting and displaying articles and comprising a main support unit including a main rectangular planar element having front, rear and opposed side edges, an auxiliary support unit including an auxiliary rectangular planar element having front, rear and opposed side edges one edge of which is of a configuration which is complementary to one edge of said main rectangular planar element, a first plurality of spaced projections formed along said one edge of said main planar element and disposed in the plane thereof, and a plurality of spaced projections formed along said one edge of said auxiliary planar element and in the plane thereof and interspersed between said spaced projections formed along said one edge of said main planar element.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
39 words
A composite shelf according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of low friction longitudinal ribs are disposed atop said main and said auxiliary planar elements and in overlying relation with said first and said second plurality of spaced projections.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
A composite shelf according to claim 1 wherein at least some of said first and said second pluralities of spaced projections are of rectangular configuration.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
A composite shelf according to claim 1 wherein at least some of said projections extending from one of said planar elements are of keyhole configuration.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
A composite shelf according to claim 4 wherein cutaway areas of keyhole configuration are formed in the other of said planar elements for receiving said projections which are of keyhole configuration.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
41 words
A composite shelf according to claim 1 wherein the end portions of the projections which extend from one of said planar elements are spaced longitudinally from the end portions of the projections which extend from the other of said planar elements.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
56 words
A composite shelf according to claim 1 wherein said main and said auxiliary planar elements are provided with a plurality of spaced aligned guide rails defining a plurality of channels for receiving rows of displayed articles and wherein said spaced aligned guide rails are severable near the junction between said main and said auxiliary planar elements.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
A composite shelf according to claim 7 wherein a removable break-out tab is formed in said spaced aligned guide rails.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
A composite shelf according to claim 1 wherein said main and said auxiliary planar elements are formed with flat planar bottom surfaces.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
139 words
A composite shelf arranged for mounting on a flat surface for supporting and displaying articles and comprising a main support unit having front, rear and opposed side edges and a flat bottom surface, an auxiliary support unit including front, rear and opposed side edges and a flat bottom, one edge of said auxiliary support unit being complementary to one edge of said main support unit, a plurality of fastening projections extending from said one edge of one of said support units and disposed in the plane thereof, and a plurality of apertures formed in the other of said support units along said one edge thereof and oriented to receive in fastening relation corresponding ones of said fastening projections so as to hold said support units together in a common plane, said projections being removable and reinsertable into said apertures.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
139 words
A composite shelf arranged for mounting on a flat surface for supporting and displaying articles and comprising a main support unit having front, rear and opposed side edges and a flat bottom surface, an auxiliary support unit including front, rear and opposed side edges and a flat bottom, one edge of said auxiliary support unit being complementary to one edge of said main support unit, a plurality of fastening projections extending from said one edge of one of said support units and disposed in the plane thereof, and a plurality of apertures formed in the other of said support units along said one edge thereof and oriented to receive in fastening relation corresponding ones of said fastening projections so as to hold said support units together in a common plane, said projections being removable and reinsertable into said apertures.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
18 words
A composite shelf according to claim 10 wherein said fastening projections and said apertures are of keyhole configuration.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
35 words
A composite shelf according to claim 11 wherein said support units are secured together while mounted on a flat surface but are severable upon removal of one of said support units from said flat surface.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3513786A
Cited
US3452959A
Cited
US3832957A
Cited
US4460096A
Cited
US4478337A
Cited
US4690287A
Cited
US4724968A
Cited
US4801025A
Cited
US4785943A
Cited
US4782959A
Cited
US4785945A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-09-24 | 1994-03-26 | 1994-09-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-09-24 | 1998-03-26 | 1998-09-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-09-24 | 2002-03-26 | 2002-09-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |