Shelf unit for a retail store display fixture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9538859-B1
Application number	US-201514870576-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 30, 2015
Priority date	Sep 30, 2015
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

A shelf unit includes a base frame having first and second shelf brackets, lengthwise supports extending from the first shelf bracket to the second shelf bracket and widthwise strips extending between the lengthwise supports. A plurality of shelf skins are spaced apart from each other and mounted to the base frame. Each shelf skin surrounds at least a portion of a top, a bottom and a front of the base frame so that a portion of each widthwise strip of the base frame is exposed between the shelf skins.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A shelf unit comprising:
a base frame including first and second shelf brackets, lengthwise supports extending from the first shelf bracket to the second shelf bracket and widthwise strips extending between the lengthwise supports; and
a plurality of shelf skins spaced apart from each other and mounted to the base frame, each shelf skin surrounding at least a portion of a top, a bottom and a front of the base frame so that a portion of each widthwise strip of the base frame is exposed between the shelf skins.

2. The shelf unit of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of shelf skins comprise a right hand shelf skin, a middle shelf skin and a left hand shelf skin.

3. The shelf unit of claim 2 , wherein each shelf skin comprises a top member having an exterior top surface and a bottom member an exterior bottom surface, wherein the exterior top surface of the top member is spaced apart from the exterior bottom surface of the bottom member by substantially a same distance in each shelf skin.

4. The shelf unit of claim 3 , wherein the top member of the right hand shelf skin further comprises an exterior right side surface.

5. The shelf unit of claim 3 , wherein top member of the left hand shelf skin further comprises an exterior left side surface.

6. The shelf unit of claim 3 , wherein the bottom member of each shelf skin further comprises an opening that extends between an interior bottom surface of the bottom member and exterior bottom surface and a channel that covers the opening so that each channel of the bottom member houses a light fixture that includes a plurality of downward oriented lights.

7. The shelf unit of claim 3 , wherein the right hand shelf skin covers a portion of the first shelf bracket and the left hand shelf skin covers a portion of the second shelf bracket.

8. The shelf unit of claim 7 , wherein the bottom member of the right hand shelf skin includes an elongated slot that extends from a back of the bottom member of the right hand shelf skin to an end point so as to receive the portion of the first shelf bracket.

9. The shelf unit of claim 7 , wherein the bottom member of the left hand shelf skin includes an elongated slot that extends from a back of the bottom member of the left hand shelf skin to an end point so as to receive the portion of the second shelf bracket.

10. The shelf unit of claim 3 , wherein the exterior top surfaces of each top member of each shelf skin are in alignment with each other and the exterior bottom surfaces of each bottom member of each shelf skin are in alignment with each other.

11. A shelf unit that mounts to uprights in a gondola display fixture, the shelf unit comprising:
a plurality of display platforms wrapped around at least a portion of a top, a bottom and a front of a base frame mounted to the uprights of the gondola display fixture with first and second shelf brackets, the plurality of display platforms being spaced apart from each other;
wherein the plurality of display platforms include top surfaces located a distance above the top of the base frame, the top surfaces being in alignment with each other;
wherein the plurality of display platforms include bottom surfaces located a distance below the bottom of the base frame, the bottom surfaces being in alignment with each other; and
wherein each display platform includes a channel that couples to bottom members of each display platform and houses a light fixture that includes a plurality of downward oriented lights.

12. The shelf unit of claim 11 , wherein the base frame comprises a plurality of cross supports that run lengthwise from the first shelf bracket to the second shelf bracket and a plurality of plates that run widthwise between the plurality of cross supports.

13. The shelf unit of claim 12 , wherein at least a portion of the plurality of plates are exposed between the plurality of display platforms.

14. The shelf unit of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of display platforms comprise a right hand display platform, a middle display platform and a left hand display platform.

15. The shelf unit of claim 14 , wherein the right hand display platform covers a portion of the first shelf bracket and the left hand display platform covers a portion and the second shelf bracket.

16. The shelf unit of claim 14 , wherein bottom surfaces of the right hand display platform and the left hand display platform include elongated slots that extend from a back of each bottom surface to an end point so that the right hand display platform receives the portion of the first shelf bracket and the left hand display platform receives the portion of the second shelf bracket.

17. A shelf unit comprising:
a base frame including first and second shelf brackets, lengthwise supports extending from the first shelf bracket to the second shelf bracket and widthwise plates extending between the lengthwise supports; and
a plurality of display platforms spaced apart from each other and wrapped around at least a portion of a top, a bottom and a front of the base frame, wherein exterior top surfaces and exterior bottom surfaces of each of the display platforms are in alignment with each other so that the display platforms appear to be multiple floating shelves mounted separately from each other, but are all mounted together using the first and second shelf brackets located on the base frame.

18. The shelf unit of claim 17 , wherein each display platform comprises a height that is greater than a thickness of the base frame.

19. The shelf unit of claim 18 , wherein each display platform comprises a bottom member having an opening that extends between an interior bottom surface of the bottom member and an exterior bottom surface of the bottom member and a channel that covers the opening in the bottom member so that each channel houses a light fixture that includes a plurality of downward oriented lights.

Assignees

• Target Brands Inc

Inventors

• Johnson Jason W
• Zobel Erin L
• Vardaro Enzo

Classifications

• A47B96/021

  Structural features of shelf bases · CPC title

• A47F5/0043 Primary

  Show shelves (shelves in general A47B96/02; brackets or similar shelf-supporting means A47B96/06; advertising or price indication G09F) · CPC title

• A47F5/103

  Display shelving racks with the uprights aligned in only one plane · CPC title

• A47F11/10

  Arrangements of light sources · CPC title

• A47B2220/0077

  Lighting for furniture, e.g. cupboards and racks · CPC title