Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SHELF DIVIDER SYSTEM
Scope of the Invention
[0001] This invention relates to a shelf divider, and in particular, to a
shelf divider system
for mounting to a wall or office partition.
Background of the Invention
[0002] Shelf dividers are known to provide partitions between different types
of articles
on a single shelf. Examples of shelf dividers are shown in U.S. Design Patent
No. 285,152 to
Smith and U.S. Design Patent No. 308,394 to Smith. These shelf dividers
comprise: (1) a
panel; and (ii) a structure for maintaining the panel in an upright plane when
resting on the
upper surface of a shelf. A user places the shelf divider on the upper surface
of a shelf at the
desired location in order to serve as a partition between different types of
articles.
[0003] Another example of a known shelf divider is shown in U.S. Patent No.
6,705,477
to Narkis et al. As shown in Figure 1 and 2 of Narkis et al., the shelf
divider comprises a
divider panel having a pair of tabs extending from the panel's lower edge.
This pair of tabs
can be inserted into a corresponding pair of slots appearing at various
longitudinal locations
along the shelf.
Summary of the Invention
[0004] To at least partially overcome the disadvantages of previously known
shelf
dividers, the present invention provides a shelf divider system which
comprises a shelf and a
divider member which is mounted to a slide member positioned at an edge
portion of the
shelf, wherein the divider member is slidable along the slide member to any
desired
longitudinal location along the shelf.
[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an improved shelf
divider system.
[0006] Another object of the present invention is to provide a shelf divider
system
wherein the divider panel can be adjusted to any desired longitudinal location
along a shelf.
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[0007] A further object of the present invention is to provide a shelf divider
system
wherein the divider panel resists being moved from its position extending in a
direction
normal to the front and rear edge portions of the shelf.
[0008] A further object of the present invention is to provide a shelf divider
system,
wherein the divider panel is securely mounted to the shelf and is not easily
removed from the
shelf by accidental physical contact.
[0009] A further object of the present invention is to provide a shelf divider
system
wherein the divider panel is, when desired, easily detachable from the shelf.
[0010] Another object of the present invention is to provide a shelf divider
system
wherein the divider panel is, when desired, easily mounted to the shelf.
[0011] A further object of the present invention is to provide a shelf divider
system
which provides a mechanism for preventing articles stored on the upper surface
of the shelf
from contacting a wall or office partition to which the shelf is mounted.
[0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide a shelf divider
system
wherein the mechanism for allowing the divider panel to slide is protected
from being
damaged.
[0013] In one aspect the present invention provides a shelf divider system
comprising: a
shelf comprising a forward edge portion, a rear edge portion, two side edge
portions, an
upper surface and a lower surface; an elongated slide member having a
longitudinally
extending channel formed therein, said slide member being positioned at one of
said edge
portions of said shelf such that said slide member and its channel extends
longitudinally
along said edge portion at which said slide member is positioned, a divider
member having a
generally planar divider panel and a coupling member, the coupling member
coupling the
divider member to the slide member in a plurality of different positions
longitudionally along
the channel with in each of these positions the divider member supported on
the upper
surface with the divider panel disposed in an upright plane extending away
from the slide
member over the upper surface and generally normal to the upper surface, the
channel having
an access opening thereinto open outwardly away from said edge portion at
which said slide
member is positioned and inwardly over the upper surface, inside the channel
inwardly from
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the access opening the channel extending above the access opening, the
coupling member
carrying a finger member projecting generally upwardly to a distal end which
finger member
extends though the access opening and upwardly into the channel above the
access opening
to secure the coupling member in the channel, the finger member engaging the
channel
member at locations longitudinally spaced along the channel member to maintain
the upright
plane of the divider panel at a relatively fixed angulation relative the
channel and the upper
surface.
[0014] In another aspect, the present invention provides a shelf divider
system
comprising: a shelf comprising a forward edge portion, a rear edge portion,
two side edge
portions, an upper surface and a lower surface; an elongated slide member
having a
longitudinally extending channel formed therein, said slide member being
positioned at one
of said edge portions of said shelf such that said slide member extends
longitudinally along
said edge portion at which said slide member is positioned, and such that said
channel faces
away from said edge portion at which said slide member is positioned; a
divider member
having a divider panel, said panel being disposed in an upright plane and
extending over the
upper surface of said shelf; and a finger attached to the divider member,
wherein the finger
projects generally upwardly; wherein said slide member has an elongated
longitudinally
extending tab projecting generally downwardly over a portion of the channel.
The finger
attached to the divider member and the tab on the slide member cooperate to
mount the
divider member to the slide member, and allow the divider member to easily
slide along the
channel.
[0015] In a preferred embodiment, the edge portion at which said slide member
is
positioned is the rear edge portion of said shelf.
[0016] The divider member is preferably detachable from the slide member.
Specifically, the divider member can be detached from the slide member by
pivoting the
divider member such that the attached finger passes underneath the tab of the
slide member
and is removed from the channel.
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[0017] The divider member preferably also comprises a laterally projecting
foot member
which rests on the upper surface of the shelf and supports the divider member
such that the
divider panel is maintained in an upright plane.
[0018] In one preferred embodiment, the shelf is mounted to an office
partition such that
the slide member of the shelf divider system is adjacent to a rear edge of the
surface of the
partition and acts as a stop mechanism to prevent articles on the shelf from
contacting the
surface of the partition.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0019] Further aspects and advantages will become apparent from the following
description taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shelf divider system in accordance with a
first
preferred embodiment of the present invention, wherein the shelf divider
system is mounted
to an office partition;
Figures 2 and 3 are bottom and top pictorial views, respectively, of the
divider
member shown in Figure 1 with an attached finger;
Figure 4 is a side view of the shelf divider system shown in Figure 1, where
the
divider member is in the process of being mounted to the slide member;
Figure 5 is an enlarged view of the circled region of Figure 4;
Figure 6 is a side view of the shelf divider system shown in Figure 1, where
the
divider member has been mounted to the slide member;
Figure 7 is an enlarged view of the circled region of Figure 6;
Figure 8 is a perspective view of a shelf divider system in accordance with a
second preferred embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 9 is a perspective view of a shelf divider system in accordance with a
third
embodiment mounted in a cabinet;
Figure 10 is a view the same as Figure 5 but of a fourth embodiment of the
invention;
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Figure 11 is a view the same as Figure 7 but of the fourth embodiment of
Figure
10; and
Figure 12 is a view the same as Figure 11 but of a fifth embodiment of the
present
invention.
[0020] Throughout all the drawings in the disclosure, similar parts are
indicated by the
same reference numerals.
Description of the Preferred Embodiment
[0021] Reference is made to Figures 1 to 10 which show preferred embodiments
of the
present invention.
[0022] In a first preferred embodiment of the present invention shown in
Figures 1 and 4
to 7, a shelf 10 is mounted to an office partition 12 by a first pair of
brackets 40 attached to
the rear edge portion 18 of the shelf 10 and extending between two removable
covers 14 of
the office partition 12 for connection to an internal framework of the office
partition 12. A
pair of angled support members 16 extend diagonally from the front edge
portion 44 of the
shelf 10. A second pair of brackets 42 are attached to the upper end of the
angled support
members 16 and extend inwardly above the removable cover 14 for connection to
an internal
framework of the office partition 12.
[0023] The first and second pair of brackets 40 and 42 used for mounting the
shelf 10 to
the office partition 12 are shown in Figures 4 and 6. A first pair of brackets
40 is attached to
the rear edge portion 18 of the shelf. A second pair of brackets 42 is
attached to the angled
support member 16. The partition 12 shown in Figure 1 is of the type described
in U.S.
Patent 5,406,760 to Edwards issued April 18, 1995 with a vertical post 11 at
each end
spanned by pairs of horizontal beams 13 on each outer side of the post 11.
Both the first and
second pair of brackets 40 and 42 are adapted to clamp onto the horizontal
beams 11 for
mounting the shelf 10 to the office partition 12. Specifically, each bracket
40, 42 comprises
an upper jaw 46 and a lower jaw 48. The upper jaw 46 and lower jaw 48 clamp
onto the
horizontal beams 13 of the internal framework of the office partition 12 such
that the beams
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13 are positioned in between the upper jaw 46 and the lower jaw 48. Thus, the
shelf 10 is
securely mounted to the office partition 12.
[0024] The shelf 10 has a front edge portion 44, a rear edge portion 18, and
two side edge
portions 50. The length of the shelf 10 between each of the edge portions 50
is not
particularly limited. Similarly the width of the shelf 10 between the front
edge portion 44
and the rear edge portion 18 is not particularly limited. The shelf divider
system of the
present invention can be designed to accommodate shelves of any length. The
shelf 10 has a
flat upper surface 52 and a flat lower surface 54.
[0025] The rear edge portion 18 includes an elongated slide member 20 which
extends
longitudinally along the rear edge portion 18. A divider member 22 is mounted
to the slide
member 20 and rests on the upper surface 52 of the shelf 10.
[0026] Figures 2 and 3 illustrate the divider member 22 in greater detail. The
divider
member 22 includes a divider pane124, and a laterally projecting foot member
26. In the
preferred embodiment, the divider member 22 is manufactured from a single
metal sheet.
The metal sheet is bent at a 90 angle about a fold line 25 to define the
divider panel 24 and
the laterally projecting foot member 26 on each side of the fold line with a
bottom edge of
the divider panel 24 joined to a side edge of the foot member 26. At the rear
end of the foot
member 26, the sheet is bent up at a 90 angle about a fold line 27 to form a
back wall 56
with a rear edge of the foot member 26 joined to a lower edge of the back wall
56. When the
divider member 22 is placed on the upper surface 52 of the shelf 10, as shown
in Figure 1,
the foot member 26 rests flat on the upper surface 52 of the shelf 10 and
supports the divider
member 22 such that the divider panel 24 is disposed in an upright plane.
Secured to the
bottom of the front member 26 as by adhesive are two slider plates 80 each
preferably of low
friction plastic material which serve the purpose of assisting the front
member 26 to the slid
over the upper surface 52 of the shelf 10.
[0027] The back wall 56 and a finger carrying member 70 mounted to the back
wall 56
together form a coupling member for coupling the divider member to the slide
member. The
finger carrying member is best seen in side view in Figure 7 is an extruded
member having a
U-shaped clamp portion formed from a forward arm 71 and a rearward arm 72
joined by an
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upper bight 73 and adapted to fixedly receive the back wall 56 between its
forward arm 71
and rear arm 72 as in a friction fit against removal. The rear arm 72 carries
a finger member
28 which is joined at a front end to the rear arm 72 and extends upwardly and
rearwardly
therefrom to a distal end 75 forming a gap 58 rearward of the finger member 28
and forward
of the rear arm 72.
[0028] The finger member 28 projects generally upwardly when the divider
member 22
is placed on the upper surface 52 of the shelf 10 with the divider pane124
disposed in an
upright plane.
[0029] Figures 4 to 7 illustrate how the divider member 22 is securely mounted
to the
slide member 20. As best seen in Figures 5, the slide member 20 has a rear
wall 60, a top
wall 62 and a tab 32 of the slide member 20. The rear wall 60 is attached to
and extends
upwardly from the rear edge portion 18 of the shelf 10 above the upper surface
52. The slide
member is bent at a 90 angle between the rear wall 60 and the top wall 62.
The top wall 62
extends horizontally forwardly away from the rear edge portion 18 spaced above
the upper
surface 52 of the shelf 10. The slide member 20 is bent at a 90 angle between
the top wall
62 and a front wall or tab 32 projects generally vertically downwardly to a
lower distal end
33. An access opening 34 is provided between the lower distal end 33 of the
tab 32 and the
upper surface 52 of the shelf 10. The slide member 20 defines a longitudinally
extending
channel 30 therein. The channel 30 is formed inside the slide member 20
bounded by the
upper surface 52, the rear wall 60, the top wall 62 and the tab 32. The access
opening 34 of
the channel 30 opens outwardly. The channel 30 faces away from the rear edge
portion 18
out the opening 34 and inwardly across the upper surface 52 of the shelf 10.
As seen in
Figure 6, inside the channel, inwardly from the access opening 34 the channel
extends above
the access opening upwardly past the distal end of the tab 32.
[0030] To mount the divider member 22 to the slide member 20, as shown in
Figures 4
and 5, the divider member 22 is tilted and moved rearwardly such that the
finger member 28
is inserted underneath the tab 32 through the opening 34 and into the
channe130 with the tab
32 to become received in the gap 58 between the finger member 28 and the back
wall 56. To
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finish mounting the divider member 22 to the slide member 20, the divider
member 22 is
then pivoted clockwise as seen to the position shown in Figures 6 and 7.
[0031] As illustrated in Figures 6 and 7, the divider member 22 rests on the
upper surface
52 of the shelf 10 with the foot member 26 on the upper surface 52. The finger
member 28
on to the divider member 22 cooperates with the tab 32 of the slide member 20
to securely
mount the divider member 22 to the slide member 20. The tab 32 is received
preferably in a
snug fit, into the gap 58 between the finger 28 and the back wall 56 of the
divider member
22. In this configuration, the divider panel 24 is maintained normal to the
rear edge portion
18 as well as generally vertical, and while securely mounted to the slide
member 20, resists
being moved from normal to the rear edge portion 18.
[0032] The finger carrying member 70 with the finger member 78 and it's
associated gap
58 are shown to extend longitudinally on the back wall member that is with the
finger
member engaging the channel at longitudinally spaced locations along the
channel to
maintain the upright right plane of the divide panel at a relatively fixed
angulation relative
the channel and the upper surface. Providing increased length of longitudinal
engagement
between the tab 32 of the slide member 20 and the finger carrying member 70 is
advantageous in maintaining the divider panel 24 to extend forwardly normal to
the slide
member 20 even if there may be a slip fit of the tab 32 within the gap 58. The
interaction of
the tab 32 and the finger member 28 and the gap 58 may be characterized as a
removable clip
structure. The divider member 22 may be located in any one of a plurality of
different
positions longitudinally along the slide member 20. The engagement of the
finger carrying
member 70 with the slide member 20 may preferably in the use position of
Figures 6 and 7
permit the divide member 22 to be slid longitudinally relative the slide
member 20 to any
position along the slide member 20. Alternatively, when in the temporary
raised position of
Figures 6 and 7 the finger carrying member 70 and the slide member 20 may
engaged so as
to prevent longitudinal sliding and the divide member 22 must be tilted to
assume the
temporary raised position of Figures 4 and 5 in which the divider member 27
may side
longitudinally relative the slide member 20 for repositioning.
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[0033] The divider member 22 is present on the upper surface 52 of the shelf
10 and
mounted to the slide member 20. The foot member 26 rests flat on the upper
surface 52 of
the shelf 10 such that the divider panel 24 is disposed in an upright plane.
The divider
member 22 is mounted to the slide member 20 such that the divider panel 24
extends
forwardly over the upper surface 52 of the shelf 10 in a direction normal to
the rear edge
portion 18 of the shelf 10.
[0034] While mounted to the slide member 20, the longitudinal location of the
divider
member 22 can be manually adjusted by sliding the divider member 22 along the
slide
member 20. For example, the divider member 22 can be moved from the middle
longitudinal
location shown in Figure 1 to a right hand longitudinal location simply by
manually sliding
the divider member 22 to the right.
[0035] Advantageously, the shelf divider system of the present invention
allows for the
divider member 22 to be slid to any desired longitudinal location along the
upper surface 52
of the shelf 10. Further, the cooperation between the finger 28 member and the
tab member
32 securely mount the divider member 22 to the slide member 20 such that the
divider
member 22 is not susceptible to being accidentally knocked off of the shelf
10. The finger
member 28 and the tab 32 cooperate to also prevent the divider panel 24 from
being moved
from its position of extending in a direction normal to the rear edge portion
18 of the
shelf 10.
[0036] If desired, even though the divider member 22 is securely mounted on
the slide
member 20, the divider member 20 can also be easily detached from the slide
member 20.
Beginning at the position shown in Figure 6, the divider member 22 is manually
pivoted to
the position shown in Figure 4, such that the finger member 18 can pass
through the opening
34 underneath the tab 32 of the slide member 20, and the divider member 22 is
thus removed
from the channel 30.
[0037] The shelf divider system of the present invention allows for both easy
mounting
of the divider member 22 to the slide member 20 and easy detachment of the
divider member
22 from the slide member 20.
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[0038] An advantage of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention
is that the
slide member 20 serves as an effective rear stop mechanism at the rear edge
portion 18 of the
shelf 10. As seen in Figure 1, the slide member 20 extends upwardly above the
upper surface
52 of the shelf 10 along the rear of the shelf 10 presenting a forwardly
directed stop surface.
An article such as a book which may be placed on the upper surface 52 of shelf
10 and slide
rearwardly will come to engage the tab 32 of the slide member 20 with the tab
32 acting as a
forwardly directed surface of as a stop shoulder. This prevents articles on
the upper surface
52 of the shelf 10 from contacting, for example, the surface of an office
partition 12 to which
the shelf 10 is mounted, as in Figure 1, as can be advantageous to prevent
books and the like
on the shelf being pushed rearwardly into potentially damaging contact with
the cover 14.
[0039] In the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, the slide
member 20 is
positioned at the rear edge portion 18 of the shelf 10. The slide member 20
when located is
along the rear edge portion as contrasted with along the front edge portion of
the shelf, has
the advantage that the rear edge portion is less exposed and therefore, less
likely to be
damaged by physical contact as by dropping heavy books on the like on top of
the slide
member 20. Furthermore, the presence of articles such as books on the upper
surface 52 of
the shelf 10 provides additional protection to the slide member 20 on the rear
edge portion
from physical contact. A similar slide member 20 to that shown in Figures 1 to
7 could in
another embodiment be placed along the forward edge portion 44.
100401 Reference is made to Figures 10 and 11 illustrating another embodiment
of the
invention which is the same as the embodiment shown in Figures 5 and 7 however
in which
the back plate member 26 includes inner leg portion 90, a horizontal flange 91
which extends
rearwardly to a downwardly extending rear tab 93. The back plate member 26
with inner leg
portion 90, its top flange 91 and rear tab 92 serve as a coupling member or
finger member
which is received in the channel 30 by tilting the divide member 22 from the
temporary
raised portion of Figure 10 to the rear position of Figure 11. The rear tab 92
may preferably
flare rearwardly at its lower end such that the width between the front
surface of the inner leg
portion 90 and the rear surface of the rear tab 92 will exceed the width of
the channel 30
between the tab 32 and the rear wall 60 to provide a friction fit against
longitudinally sliding
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in the use position. As seen in Figures 10 and 11 the back plate member 26
provides finger
member in the form of an outwardly and downwardly open hook member with the
back plate
member 26 forming an inner leg portion 90 merging with the top flange 90 as a
bight portion
from which an outer leg, the rear tab 92, extends downwardly.
[00411 Figure 12 illustrates another embodiment of the invention in a view the
same as
Figure 11 in which the back plate member 26 is bent to form an inwardly and
downwardly
open hook member with the back plate member 26 having an outer leg portion 94
with a
bight portion 94 extending inwardly to an inner leg portion 96. In Figure 12
the guide
member 20 may also be characterised as a hook member with an outer support leg
portion,
the rear wall 60; a bight portion, the top wall 62, and an inner leg, the tab
32, with the access
opening 34 between the inner leg and the upper surface 52. Further
modification of the guide
member 20 and the finger member may be provided, as for example with the
embodiment of
Figure 12 modified to eliminate the bight portion 95 and the inner leg portion
96 and the
channel 30 merely having a width between the tab 32 and the rear wall 60 equal
to the width
of the outer leg portion 94.
[0042] Figure 8 illustrates a second preferred embodiment of the shelf divider
system of
the present invention. The embodiment of Figure 8 has a construction of the
slide member 20
and the divide member 22 identical to that in the first embodiment of Figures
1 to 7. As
illustrated in Figure 8, two or more divider members 22 can be mounted to the
same slide
member 20, thus dividing the shelf 10 into three or more separate sections. In
Figure 8, the
two divider members 22 have been positioned one at a left hand longitudinal
location and the
other at a middle longitudinal location. Figure 8 differs from Figure 1 in
that brackets 64 are
attached to the two side edge portions 50 of the shelf 10. Each side bracket
64 has a back
edge 66 from which a pair of tabs 68 extend. These tabs 68 are adapted to be
engaged into
corresponding slots 67 provided in the posts 11 on each end of the office
partition laterally of
the cover panels 14 as seen in Figure 2 to which the shelf 10 may be mounted.
Such tab and
slot arrangements are well known and slot carrying channels may for example be
mounted to
building walls, in cabinets, or other furniture items.
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[0043] Whereas the first embodiment of Figures 1 to 7 is adapted for off-
modular
connection between posts 11 of the partition, the embodiment of Figures 8 is
for modular
connection spanning longitudinally between the posts 11.
[0044] Reference is made to Figure 9 which schematically shows a pictoral view
of a
storage cabinet 80 having two forward open horizontal upper shelves 81 and 82
and a filing
drawer 83 therebelow adopted to be slid horizontally between an extended
position as shown
and a retracted storage position not shown within the confines of the cabinet
80. Four divider
members 22 in accordance with the invention are schematically illustrated as
coupled to the
cabinet 80 via four corresponding guide member 20. On the top shelve 81 a
first guide
member 20 extends along one side edge of the shelf 81 with its divide member
22 to the
slideable forwardly and rearwardly. Another guide member 20 extends along a
rear edge of
the shelf 85 with its divider member 22 to be slidable laterally side to side.
The drawer 83
has a bottom support surface 85 with one guide member 20 extending along a
side edge of
the bottom surface 85 and its divider member 22 slidable forwardly and
rearwardly and
another guide member 20 extending along a forward edge of the bottom surface
85 with its
divider member 22 slidable laterally side to side.
[0045] The finger member 28 may have many different forms than that shown in
the
various embodiments. It may be attached to the divider member 22 by various
methods
including welding, an adhesive, screws or the like. In the preferred
embodiment shown in
Figure 2, the finger 28 is attached to the back wall 56 of the divider panel
22.
[0046] Although this disclosure has described and illustrated preferred
embodiments of
the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to
these particular
embodiments. Rather, the invention includes all embodiments that are
functional or
mechanical equivalents of the specific embodiments and features that have been
described
and illustrated herein. Many modifications and variations will now occur to
those skilled in
the art. For a definition of the invention, reference is made to the following
claims.
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