Patent Application
20070221103
This invention is directed toward a shelving assembly, and more particularly a shelving assembly that can be dismantled for cleaning.
Shelving for retail stores and the like is well known in the art. For example, in grocery stores a shelf panel has a brace welded to the under surface and brackets on the ends that are removably connected to shelf supports. Presently, proposed by the National Sanitation Code, is a guideline requiring that a shelf be dismantled and cleaned. With braces that are spot-welded to the under surface, dirt accumulates underneath the brace that is difficult to remove and clean. Should the National Sanitation Code adopt the new guideline, it is questionable whether existing shelving would be in violation. Therefore, a need exists in the art for a shelving assembly that addresses this concern.
An objective of the present invention is to provide a shelving assembly that is easy to assemble and dismantle.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a shelving assembly that is easy to clean.
These and other objectives will be apparent to those skilled in the art based on the following written description.
A shelving assembly having a shelf panel with a plurality of clips on the bottom surface of the panel. Removably received within the clips is a shelf brace that extends along the length of the panel. Removably attached to the brace are a pair of brackets. The brackets have a pair of prongs that extend outwardly and have a plurality of grooves that are in angled alignment that permits the shelf to be pitched at a desired angle when connected to a shelf support.
Referring to the figures, a shelf assembly 10 has an elongated shelf panel 12. The panel is of many types and preferably has a price tag molding 14 on the front edge, a bracket 16 on the back edge, and folded flaps 18 on the side edge. On the bottom surface 20 of the panel 12 are a plurality of clips or tabs 22. The clips 22 are positioned in spaced relation and are formed to receive a shelf brace 24.
The shelf brace 24 is of many types including, preferably a bent metal member having spaced contact portions 26 that engage the panel 12, raised portions 28 that extend outwardly from the contact portion, and a center slot 30 positioned between the contact portions 24 and in spaced relation to panel 12. The contact portions are formed such that they fit within clips 22.
Removably attached to the shelf brace 24 are a pair of brackets 32. The brackets 32 have a top edge 34 with a pair of slots 36 that are positioned to receive the brace 24. The bottom edge 38 of the bracket 32 tapers from the back edge 40 to a narrower width at the front edge 42. The back edge has a slot 44 that receives the bracket 16 on the back edge of the panel 12. Extending outwardly from the back edge 40 of the bracket 32 is a first prong 46, a second prong 48, and a lock tab 50. Both the first prong 46 and second prong 48 have slots 46A, 46B, 46C, and 48A, 48B, 48C that are in angled alignment along dotted lines A, B, C, of
To assemble the shelf 10, the contact portion 26 of the brace 24 is slid within one set of clips 22. The opposite contact portion 26 is then slid with a second set of clips 22 spaced from the first. The brackets 32 are then attached to the brace 24 by fitting the raised portion 28 within slots 36 on the top edge 34 of the bracket. The assembled shelf 10 is then attached to supports (not shown) by inserting prongs 46 and 48 within retaining slots on the supports. The pitch of the shelf is determined by the respective slots 46A, B, C, and 48A, B, C, that engage the support.
From this description, a shelf assembly that, at the very least meets all the stated objectives, has been shown.
