Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02516243 2005-08-18
STOCK SHELVING SYSTEM
Field of the Invention
3 This invention relates to the field of shelving generally and in particular
to an
adjustable slide-out shelving system for retail stores having high stock
turnover such as retail
~~rocery stores, pharmacies and the like.
Background of the Invention
In retail stores, 8t)% of the product is sold from 2(l% of the store. For
example,
a store with ten aisles will have two of those aisles producing 80% of the
store total sales.
These sections are known as high traffic areas. Because 80% of the stores'
sales originate from
the high traffic area, 80% of the stoeki.ng costs are spent replenishing 20%
of the store. With
any business, inventr~ry control is a key in~~redient in deriving profits from
operations.
Pharmacies and other retailers of consumable products must ensure that their
inventory is
properly rotated (old inventory sold before new inventory) each time the shelf
is stocked.
Conventional shelving units seen in the retail market typically comprise a
flat
board used as a shelf, brackets with tangs, and vertical supports or
standards. The bracket
tangs are inserted into slots in the vertical supports, and the flat board
typically rests on these
brackets. Conventional standards are manufactured by Loz~ier TM (see Figure
1), Hussman rM
(ss Figure 2 ), and Tyler TM (see Figure 3). The prior art also contains
designs and systems for
sliding, extensible or slide-out shelves and drawers, and in this regard
applicant is aware of the
following L.Tnited States Patents: 5,720,230; 6,021,908; 6,497,185; 6.364,136;
6,375,015;
5,4$7,525; and, 4,620,489.
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It is one object of the present invention to provide for the
interchangeability of
shelves and tangs with standards regardless of the spacing of the standards or
the lacauon of
the apertures or slots in the standards.
Summa of the Invention
Th.e shelving system of the present invention provides an adjustable slide-out
shelf for shopkeepers so as to improve the ergonomics of the restocking
process, reduce labour
and time; and to provide for easier inventory counts, and better quality
uyntrol. These
IO combined advantages reduce operating costs.
The adjustable slide-out stock shelving system of the present invention makes
the re-stacking process more efficient by removing the step of having t.o take
the old product.
off the conventional :fixed shelf and placing, if on the floor. only to have
tcs return it back. onto
the shelf once the new product is loaded onto the rear of the shelf. This also
potentially
reduces the amount of bending a worker has to perform. By eliminating the
stage of having to
put the old product on the floor and then putting it back after unpacking and
placing the new
product on the shelf, the shelving system of the present invention speeds up
this otherwise
laborious process.
The shelving system of the present invention mounts to existing shelving
standards, saving the cost of a full replacement of both shelves and
standards.
The present invention is both a novel hardware system for retro-fitting slide-
out
shelves onto existing standards, and for improved modular shelf construction,
and is also a
novel method. The method of the present invention is for installing and
operating selectively
extendable and retractable pullout shelves constructed according to the
present invention.
Each of the shelves may include:
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(a) a substantially planar shelf which may be modularly constructed to
adjust its depth and to provide cun~ed or flat t~ont edges: and.
{b) mounted tc> thc. shelf, at and beneath longitudinally opposite ends of the
shelf, so as to be disposed substantially entirely beneath the opposite
ends of the shelf; an opposed pair of drawer runners or slides
{hereinafter slides) extending across the ends of the shelf for selective
translation of the shelf from a retracted position adjacent a
corresponding pair of shelving standards., to which are mounted the pair
1 () of drawer slides an mounting brackets, to an c:xtendc.~d position
extended
cantilevered from the pair o1' shelving standards on the pair of drawer
slides wherein at least one of the slides is slidably mounted to the
underside of the shelf for sliding adjust~x~ent lcml,~ituciinally along the
underside of the shelf;
{c) one or more pairs of vertically adjustable hooked-tautg keys mounted to
the ends of the brackets adjacent the standards wherein each pair of keys
are vertically spaced apart relative to each other and selectively
adjustable to selectively vary the spacing between the keys in each pair
of keys, the keys and slides thus adjustable to align the tangs on the keys
with existed mounting slots in the columns of the standards.
Further advantageously the pullout shelves of the present invention are
mountable to the shelving standard in closely spaced array, side-by-side
between adjacent
standards.
In summary the present invention according to one aspect is a shelving system
for mounting to at least one pair of parallel, substantially vertical,
laterally spaced apart
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shelving standards, cohere the standards are latcrall_y spaced apart a first
distance. The system
includes:
a) at least two pairs of keys, each pair of keys of said two pairs of keys
S having vertically spaced apart opposed facing upper and lower keys
having opposed facing tangs, that is a downwardly inclined tang
extending: cantilevered from the upper key and an upwardly inclined
tang extending cantilevered from the lower key in opposed facing
relation tcz the downwardly inclined tang for releasably interlocking
mating with corresponding vertically spaced apart slots in each stand
column in the pair of standards,
b) at least one: pair of rigid bracket arms mounted or mountable to the keys,
each bracket arm mounted or mountable to a corresponding pair of
1 S vertically spaced keys.
c) manually extendable slides, mounted or mountable to each bracket arm,
translatable in a lateral direction between a retracted position and an
extended position cantilevered froze each bracket arm,
d) a rigid substantially planar shelf mounted or mountable onto the slides,
at opposite ends of the shelf, and so as to extend longitudinally between
the slides when the slides are mounted to each pair of bracket arms and
the bracket arms to the standards, wherein the shelf has a first len~,~th
2S measured longitudinally froze and between each end of the shelf,.
wherein at least one of the slides is slidably mounted to the
corresponding end of the shelf for selectively adjustable sliding
longitudinally relative to the shelf so as to adjust the longitudinal
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distance between the two pairs of keys. when mounted to the bracket
arms. to correspond to the first distance when the first length is greater
than the first distance.
A selectively actuable actuator such as a threaded member including a shaft or
bolt may be provided which is mountable to each pair of vertically spaced keys
fir selectively
engaging and tightening each opposed facing pair of tangs onto the
corresponding standard
when each pair of keys are mounted thereto. The actuator tightens the tangs
into snug mating
engagement in the corresponding slats in the standard and thereby increases
the rigidity of the
F O hooked mating of the tangs into the slats in the standards. In one
embodiment the actuator
includes a threaded member rotatably journalled through corresponding pairs of
bares in the
vertically spaced pairs of keys so that one key of each pair i.s threadably
mounted to the
threaded member where the elongate member is threadably mounted to that key by
engaging
threads in the corresponding bore for sliding translation of the threaded
member relative to the
key. The other key in each pair of keys lnay be: rigidly mounted to the end of
the mounting
bracket and the threaded-bore key slidably mounted to the end of the mounting
bracket so that
turning the threadc,-~d member causes adjustment of the spacing between the
upper and lower
keys in each pair of keys.
The shelf may include modularly interlocking shelf members which arc
releasably mountable to one another. Thus a shelf depth perpendicular to the
first length may
be adjusted by removing or installing the shelf members From or onto the shelf
respectively.
The shelf members may also include a front member mountable at a distal end of
the each pair
of rigid bracket arms. distal. to opposite ends of the each pair of frigid
bracket arms mountable
to the corresponding keys. The front member may include electronic
merchandising means
mounted within the front member.
In a further aspect, the method according to the present invention of mounting
a
shelving system according to the present invention includes the steps of
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a) providing a pair of parallel, substantially vertical, laterally spaced
apart
shelving standards laterally spaced apart a first distance:
b) providing at least two pairs of vertically spacc;d apart keys releasably
mated with the pair of standards, one vertically spaced apart pair of keys
per standard
c) providing a pair of rigid bracket arms mounted to the pairs of keys, each
bracket arm of the pair of rigid bracket arms mounted to a
corresponding pair of vertically spaced apart keys. wherein at least one
of the keys in each pair is a slidable key sliclably mounted to the end of
the bracket ann adjacent the corresponding standard for vertical sliding
relative to the bracket arrn,
d) providing manually extendable slides, mounted to the each bracket axm,
translatable between a retracted position and an extended position
cantilevered from the each bracket arm,
e) providing a rigid substantially planar shelf mounted onto the slides, at
opposite ends of the shelf, and so as to extend between the slides when
the slides are mounted to the pair of rigid bracket arms, wherein the
shelf has a first length measured from each end of the opposite ends,
fj providing a threaded member for each pair of keys threadably mounted
thereto for actuating vertical sliding of the siidable key along the end of
the bracket ann,
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g) adjusting the vertical distance between each pair of keys, when nac~unt~d
to the pair of rigid bracket arrr~s. to correspond to the vertical spacing
between vertical spaced and vertically aligned slots in the standard and
adjusting the horizontal distance between the pair of slides and
i corresponding pair of mounting brackets to e;orrespond to the first
distance,
h;) inserting the pairs of tangs corresponding to the pairs of keys into the
corresponding slots in the standard and turning the threaded member so
1 E) as to tighten the tangs in to snug mating engagement in the slots.
'fhe method may also include the steps of:
(a) laterally translating in a first direction the shelf fiom the retracted
1 ~ position tc> the extended position.
{b) laterally translating old product on the shelf in the fast direction so as
to
abut arid face the old product against a second or forward edge of the
shelf opposite to the first or rearmost edge,
{c) stock nc:w product can the shelf behind the old product on the shelf' so
as
to position the new product adjacent the cold product between the oId
product and the rearmost edge of the shelf:
(d) laterally translate the shelf in a second direction opposite to the first
direction from the extended position to the retracted position.
The method may also include the step of providing flanges mounted to forward
and/or rear edl;es of the shelf, where each flange extends vertically upwards.
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Brief Description of the Drawings
Figure t is. in perspective view, a prior art shelving standard as
manufactured
by Lozier T~'~
Figure ? is, in perspective view, a prior art shelving standard as
manufactured
by Hussman T'~.
Figure. 3 is, in perspective view., a prior art shelving st~u~dard as
manufactured
by Tyler T'~.
Figure 4 is, in top perspective view, the shelving system according to the
present invention shown mounting a Lazier standard, the shelf in the fully
extended position.
i5
Figure 5 is, in top perspective view, the shelving system according to the
presort invention mounted to a pair of Lozier standards, the shelf in the
partially retracted
position.
Fi~,rure 6 is, in top perspective view, the shelving system according to the
present invention mounted to a pair of Hussman standards.
Figure 7 is the shelving system according to the present invention mounted to
a
pair of Tyler standards.
Figure 8 is a right rear bottom perspective view of the shelving system of
Figure 4.
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Figure 9 is a lets rear bottol~. perspective view of the shelving system of
Figure
8.
Figure l t) is, in elevation view, a mounting bracket, slide and Icey clamp of
the
shelving system according to the present invention.
Figure 11 is, in perspective view. an upper key block of the key clamp of
Figure
10.
I0 Figure l? is, in perspective view. at lower key slide of the key clamp of
Figure
1 (3.
Figure l 3 is, in perspective view, a key of the key clamp of Figure 10.
I S Figure 14 is. in elevation view, the key of Figure 13 illustrating typical
dimensions.
Figure 15 is, in top perspective view, an alternative embodiment of the shelf
according to the present invention with a rounded fiont.
Figure 16 is, in front top perspective view, a further embodiment of the
shelving system according to the present invention.
Figure 17 is, in partially cut away bottom perspective view, the shelving
system
of Figure I6.
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Detailed Desc:rit~tion of Emhadiments of the Inventian
The shelving system of the present invention streamlines the re-stocking
process into five steps which follow onto how the stock on a shelf' is
typically left by
..S consumers taking product from the shelf:
Step I } Move; new product to the vicinity of slide-out stack shelf 1 () ready
to be
stacked onto shelf. l ().
1 () Step 2} Pull shelf I () forward so as to cantilever shelf 1 () from its
support
standard 12 thereby allowing easy access to the old product on the shelf.
Step 3} M.ave old product forward on the shelf, thereby facing the shelf at
the
same time.
IS
Step 4} Place new product behind ald product .
Step 5} Push shelf l~ back into place flush with c>the.~r shelves.
20 With reference to the drawings wherein similar characters of reference
denote,
corresponding parts in each view, the shelving system of the present invention
includes one or
more laterally translatable shelves 1 d. Herein, lateral translation refers to
pulling out or
pushing in a shelf on its slides and longitudinal refe,~rs to th.e direction
of the longitudinal axis
of the shelf. The shelves may be retro-fitted for mounting to a spaced apart
pair of generally
?S vertical and parallel standards. The shelves slide in and. out between a
pair- of mounting
brackets 14 supporting the shelf. Brackets I4 are cantilevered from the pair
of standards. The
sliding in and out of the shelves facilitates re-stocking of shelves 10 as old
product on shelves
may be moved frontwards and new product placed rearwards on the shelves
without
necessitating the prior removal of old product from the shelves.
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Each shelf 1() lies horizontally flat between the corresponding pair of
mounting
brackets 14. IV(ounting brackets 14 are mounted to a corresponding pair of
drawer slides Ifs.
Slides 16 are mounted under the oppositely disposed ends of shelf 1E).
Brackets 14 themselves
mount to conventional shelving standards 12 by the use of a pair of keys 22.
Keys 22 mate
~~ith apertures or slots 18 wherein elongate, T-shaped etc. (herein
collectively referred to as
slots) in standards 12. At least one of the slides 16 is adjustably mounted to
the underside of
shelf 1U, for example by the use of bolts (not shown) engaging slots ?4a in
longitudinally
extending beams ?4 mounted under and along so as to support shelf 10 when
under load. Slots
?4a allow for the selective adjustment of the spacing between fhe pair of
mounting brackets
and corresponding pair of slides on opposite iat~.~ral ends of each shelf 10.
Thus the spacing
may be adjusted t«r different spacing between different pairs of standards 12,
and allows ler a
retro-fit mating of shelves 10 onto pre-existing shelving standards 2() where
the standard
uprights have apertures or slots into which the key tangs 2?a of keys 2? mate.
Keeping in mind that it is one object of the present invention to provide a
single
mounting bracket, slide and shelf design to provide a universal fit for
existing standards such
as found in conventional retail outlets, the sliding shelf must be capable of
hearing a relatively
heavy load when pulled outwardly on the slides so as to be fully cantilevered
from the
?0 standards. without harming the standards due to the load. In particul~~r,
the bending moment
applied to the standard at the adjacent end of the mounting bracket cannot be
so ~,~reat as to
deform or tear the metal of the standard. If in one example the retail
establishment is a grocery
store, it would not be unusual to find one pound items such as a four hundred
fifty gram
container of sour cream, stacked four high, f ve deep, and ten wide, that is,
te,Yn along tl~e length
?5 of shelf 10. These two hundred containers would thus weigh approximately
two hundred
pounds centered over shelf 10. Presuming that th.e product is being routinely
faced against the
forward edge of shelf l 0 after product has been removed by consumers from the
shelf: the
centex of gravity of the remaining product taken as a whole shifts .from the
longitudinal
centreline of the shelf towards the forward edge. Thus if the center of
gravity of produca on
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shelf 10, when fully extended on slides 16, is cantilevered approximately two
feet from
standard 12, then when loaded with an evenly distributed two hundred pounds,
the mounting
brackets will exert a moment of approximately four hundred foot-pounds on
standards 12.
evenly distributed between the pair of mounting brackets, where the mounting
brackets mate
onto the corresponding pair of standards.
As described above, keys ?2 are mounted to the end of mounting brackets 14
adjacent standards 12 so as to engage tangs 22a extending from keys 22, into
mating
engagement in slots I8 in standards I?. Because it is desirable to have a
single key and tang
1 () design fit most if not all existing stzndards, and in particular so that
tangs 22a fit into most if
not all existing slots I 8 in those standards, tang 22a can he no larger than
the smallest of slats
18. Thus for example if the height of slots I 8 in the Hussman''ris standard
of Figure 2 is one
half inch and the height of slot 18 in the L ozier ~' standard of Figure 1 is
three duarters of an
inch, then a tang 22a must be able to fit into the smaller Hussman TM slot 18
as well as into the
I S larger Lfozier TM slot. Further, if the width of a sI<rt 18 in the Lc>zior
TM standard is three
sixteenths of an inch, and the width of a slot 18 in the Tyier TM standard of
Figure 3 is one
eighth of an inch, then again tangs 22a cannot be any wider than one eighth of
an inch so a.5 to
fit into not only the Lazier TM but also the Tyler ~r~M standards. This limits
the surface area of
each tang 22a which may be hrought to hear on the corresponding Ic>ad bearing
surfaces in
20 slots I 8 of standards I2. By way of example, the dimensions of key 22 and
tang 22a may be
as set out in Figure 14 wherein the linear dimensions are in inches and the
angular dimensions
are in degrees, and wherein, although not illustrated, a1.1 sharp edges on
surfaces in contact
with the surfaces of a slot 18, are slightly rounded or bevelled.
25 An upper key block and a lower key slide are mounted onto each mounting
bracket 14. A vertically alilmed pair of keys 22 are rigidly mounted onto
upper key blocle 26
and lower key slide 28 respectively as by welding, bolting or the like. The
keys are arranged
so that tang 22a on the key 22 mounted to the upper key block 26 is inclined
downwardly into
opposed facing relation with an upwardly inclined tang 22a on the key 22
mounted to the
I2
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lower key slide 28. Upper key block 2Ei has a channel 26a extending along the
le~ng~th of the
block. Channel 26a is sized so as to snugly slide over the upper corner 14a
of' the base end of
each of mounting brackets 14 so that upper key block 26 may be rigidly mounted
thereto.
Cha~tu~el '?ba extends vertically upwardly from the lower end of~ upper key
block 2fi. Upper
key block 26 also has a vertically extending bore 26b which extends the
vertical length of
upper key block 2fi. A bolt 3U having a non-threaded upper portion 3s fully
journalled through
bore 26b so as to reside slidably in bore 26b. Bolt 30 has a lower threaded
portion which
threadably engages a correspondingly threaded bore 28b in lower key slide 28.
Lower key slide 28 is also mounted to the base end of bracket I 4 by means of
a
vertical channel 28a. Channel 28a extends the entire vertical height of key
slide 28 so as to
slidably mount key slide 28 onto the lower rear corner 14b of the base end
ofmounting bracket
14. Thus with a lower key slide 28 slidably mounted onto each mounting bracket
14 by
slidably mounting lower rear corners 14b into sliding engagement in channels
28a, bore 28b
on key slide 28 and bore 26b on key block 2Ei mounted to upper corners 14a are
vertically
aligned so as to receive bolt 3U journalled through the bores so that the
lower threaded portion
of'boit 30 threadably engages the threads in bore 28b.
Thus vc~ith bolt 30 journalled through bores 26b and 28b, turning bolt 3U
selectively adjusts the vertical separation distance a between the ends of the
opposed facing
tangs 22a. In use then, bolt 30 is turned so as to adjust distance "a", for
example, so as to be
slightly greater than the spacing between two slots 18, shown as distance "b"
in Figure 1.
With distance "a" so set. thE. opposed facing pair of tangs 22a on the
corresponding pair of
upper key block 26 and lower key slide 28 may be inserted into the
corresponding slots 18,
labelled 18' and l8" in Figure 1. Tangs 22a are inserted fully into slots 18'
and 18" and bolt 3U
then turned so as to close distance "a" by retracting lower key slide 28
towards upper key
block 2fi until the tangs 22a are snugly mated with standard 12 by mugging
shoulders 22b
against the corresponding load bearing edges. respectively 18a' and 18a" of
slots 18' and 18".
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In the example iliustratecl, bolt 30 is approximately four inches long. It has
been found that the greater the spacing between upper key block 26 and lower
key slide 28.
that is, the ~meater distance "a" when the upper key block and the lower key
slide ~~ro mated to
a standard 12. the greater the load hearing capacity of shelf i0 without
deforming standard 12
when shelf 10 is fully extended cantilevered outwardly on mounting brackets 14
and slides l 6.
Thus it was found that increasing the length of bolt 30 from approxi2nately
three inches to
approximately four inches, increased the load bearing capacity approximately
one hundred
pounds, apparently because the longer bolt 30 allowed the upper key block and
lower key slide
to be mounted into a pair of slots 18 spaced further apart from one another;
for example. into
l0 slots 18' and 18" leaving one slot l8 un-used therebetween. Using a four
inch bolt, it was
found that; with shelves 10 having a nominally two hundred fifty pound load
capacity and
extended fully away from the standards, the Hussman TM standards failed at
approximately a
twc> hundred thirty pound loading on shelf 10 and the Lozier T~ standards
failed at
approximately a t~.vo hundred ninety pound loading on shelf 10.
I>
In the embodiment illustrated, the head of bolt 3p is 'formed for mating with
an
alien key wrench. Other embodiments intended to be included within the sccspe
of the present
invention include the use of bolts ~(> having thumb screw heads which allow
for a manual
turning of bolt ;() without the need far a wrench or other tools.
2()
As seen in Figure I5, in one embodi~n~;nt of the present invention. the front
edge IOa of the shelf may be curved, which although illustrated as being a
convex curvature_ is
not intended to be so limited, and is intended to merely illustrate that the
front edge may be
curvilinear including whether convex or concave.
In the embodiments of Figures 1 fl and 17, support beams 24 axe notched at
their
ends so that shelf l 0 may be mounted down flush onto the upper edges of
mounting brackets
14.
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As will be apparent to these skilled in the art in the Iight of~ the foregoing
disclosure. many alterations and modifications are possible in the practice of
this invention
without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. Accordingly. the scope of
the invention is
to be construed in acc<mdance with the substance defined by the tt~llowing
claims.
