US20110114578A1 - Universal product display - Google Patents

Abstract

A universal cooler product display generally used for displaying any of various products, such as dairy products inside a store cooler, includes an adjustable frame supporting adjustable shelves having HDPE trays that allow products to slide forward under gravity and a drainage system to dispose of unwanted liquids.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
• This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/262,066, filed Nov. 17, 2009, which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
• 1. Field
• This disclosure pertains generally to product displays, and in particular to adjustable commercial product displays for use within a cooler.
• 2. Related Art
• U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,478,337; 4,762,235; 5,490,600 and 5,673,801 disclose embodiments of product displays. A need exits in this field for product displays that (1) are more durable, (2) allow for greater mobility, (3) have increased and simplified adjustability, (4) allow for more versatile and more efficient product capacity, (5) provide greater accessibility for consumers and stockers, (5) exhibit enhanced frictional properties in cool and moist environments, (6) provide improved disposition of unwanted liquids, and/or (7) are easier to clean.
SUMMARY
• In one embodiment disclosed herein there is described a product display, such as for displaying dairy products in a commercial cooler, that includes a support frame, at least one shelf supported by the support frame, and at least one elongated divider extending from the front edge of the shelf to the rear edge. The divider is slidably adjustable side-to-side of the shelf to a plurality of positions along a width of the shelf while mounted to the shelf. These positions include a continuous, non-discrete range of positions. In some of these embodiments, the divider can be releasably fastenable to the shelf at any of the plurality of positions.
• In some of these embodiments, the shelf also includes left and right side wall members and front and rear divider support members. Each divider support member connects the left side wall member to the right side wall member. The divider includes a first end portion and a second end portion, and the first end portion is slidably engaged with the front divider support member and the second end portion is slidably engaged with the rear divider support member. The shelf also includes at least one fastening device for releasably fastening the second end portion of the divider to the rear divider support member.
• In some of these embodiments, the rear divider support member includes an elongated slot extending along its length that defines the continuous, non-discrete range of positions for the divider and includes a fastening device that extends from the second end portion of the divider through the elongated slot in the rear divider support member. In some of these embodiments, each divider support member includes a channel extending along its length. The first end portion of the divider is slidably engaged within the channel of the front divider support member and the second end portion of the divider is slidably engaged within the channel of the rear divider support member.
• In some embodiments of the product display, the frame includes a plurality of elongated, vertically disposed shelf support columns, each column including a plurality of vertically aligned slots for supporting the shelf at different heights. At regular intervals along the plurality of vertically aligned slots, certain slots are marked for easy indexing with corresponding slots in the other columns. The shelf can be supported by the plurality of shelf support columns at a plurality of height positions, a plurality of tilt angles, and a plurality of fore-aft positions relative to the shelf support columns.
• Some of these embodiments of the product display also include a plurality of shelf support brackets. Each bracket has at least one slot hook for attaching to one of the slots in the shelf support columns and at least one shelf hook for supporting the shelf.
• Some embodiments of the product display frame also include two upper cross braces extending from the top of one shelf support column to the top of another shelf support column. These cross braces can be adjustable to a plurality of height positions relative to the shelf support columns.
• In other embodiments of the product display, the shelf includes a high-density polyethylene tray having an upper sliding surface for supporting products that can slide from the rear end to the front end of the shelf under gravity. The tray includes a plurality of drainage grooves formed in the upper surface of the tray extending lengthwise of the tray, a collection groove in a front end portion of the tray in liquid communication with each of the drainage grooves, and at least one drain hole passing through the tray and in liquid communication with the collection groove. In these embodiments, liquid in the drainage grooves is directed to flow by gravity through the drainage grooves into the collection groove and through the drain hole.
• In some of these embodiments, the drainage grooves are substantially parallel to one another and spaced apart from one another widthwise of the tray. The collection groove is arced such that left and right ends of the collection groove are closer to the front end of the tray than a middle portion of the collection groove, and each end of the collection groove terminates in a drain hole. The tray also includes a rear handle in some embodiments for removing and inserting the tray from the rear of the shelf.
• In still other embodiments, the product display includes a support frame and a plurality of shelves supported one above the other by the frame in a tilted position with a rear end of each shelf higher than a respective front end of each shelf. Each shelf includes a tray having a plurality of grooves in an upper surface of the tray and at least one drain hole adjacent a front end portion of the tray, such that the grooves are in liquid communication with the drain hole. A drip pan is also included that is coupled to the frame below the front end of a lowermost shelf such that liquid in the grooves of each tray is directed to flow by gravity through the grooves, through the drain hole in the tray, through the drain holes in any lower trays, and into the drip pan.
• Some of these embodiments also include an arced collection groove adjacent the front edge of the tray that is in fluid communication with the plurality of grooves and the two drain holes in the tray, such that the arced collection groove directs fluid from the plurality of grooves towards the two drain holes in the tray. In some of these embodiments, each shelf also includes a shelf frame that supports the tray and includes at least one drain opening. Here, the drain hole in the respective tray is aligned above the opening in the shelf such that liquid passing through the drain hole in the tray also passes through the opening in the shelf frame.
• In some of the embodiments having a drip pan, the drip pan is adjustable fore and aft to position the drip pan at a selected position relative to the front end of the lowermost shelf and the drip pan is removable from the frame for emptying and cleaning.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a universal product display, according to one embodiment.
• FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the universal product display ofFIG. 1, shown loaded with products.
• FIG. 3A is another perspective view of the universal product display ofFIG. 1.
• FIGS. 3B-3H are enlarged views of several features of the universal product display ofFIG. 3A.
• FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the frame of the universal product display ofFIG. 1.
• FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the frame ofFIG. 4.
• FIG. 6 is a detailed side view of a section of a frame corner member of the universal product display ofFIG. 1, showing notched slots.
• FIG. 7 is a side view of a shelf bracket of the universal product display ofFIG. 1.
• FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional side view of a section of a top cross brace extender of the frame of the universal product display ofFIG. 1.
• FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a door stop of the universal product display ofFIG. 1.
• FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a drip pan of the universal product display ofFIG. 1.
• FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a shelf of the universal product display ofFIG. 1.
• FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of a shelf ofFIG. 11.
• FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the shelf ofFIG. 11, shown without a tray or dividers.
• FIG. 14 is a bottom view of the shelf ofFIG. 11, shown without a tray or dividers.
• FIG. 15A is a perspective view of a front divider support member of the shelf ofFIG. 11.
• FIG. 15B is a cross-sectional end view of the front divider support member taken alongline15B-15B ofFIG. 15A.
• FIG. 16A is a perspective view of a rear divider support member of the shelf ofFIG. 11.
• FIG. 16B is a cross-sectional end view of the rear divider support member taken alongline16B-16B ofFIG. 16A.
• FIG. 17A is a perspective view of a tall divider of the shelf ofFIG. 11.
• FIG. 17B is a perspective view of a short divider of the shelf ofFIG. 11.
• FIG. 17C is a detailed perspective view of the rear end of the dividers ofFIGS. 17A and 17B, showing a rear flange and flange neck.
• FIG. 18A is a top view of a removable tray of the shelf ofFIG. 11.
• FIG. 18B is an enlarged, partial cross-sectional view of the tray ofFIG. 18A taken alongline18B-18B ofFIG. 18A, showing grooves in the tray.
• FIG. 19 is a bottom view of a V-brace of the shelf ofFIG. 11.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
• FIG. 1 shows a universalcooler product display2 generally used for displaying any of various products, such as dairy products inside a store cooler. Thedisplay2 could also be used for displaying various other non-dairy items, including non-food items. Thedisplay2 could also be used in other environments outside of a cooler. Thedisplay2 generally includes asupport frame4 and one ormore shelves6 that are easily adjustable in various manners. Thedisplay2 can be placed side-by-side withother displays2 in a cooler.
• FIG. 2 shows thedisplay2 loaded withproducts8 of multiple sizes, which comprise jugs of milk in the illustrated embodiment. Theshelves6 can be supported on theframe4 in multiple positions front-to-back (fore and aft), at multiple heights, and/or at multiple tilt angles relative to the frame. Theshelves6 can also include one or more adjustable dividers to accommodate products of various widths. Theframe4 can be made of a rigid material such as metal to maintain structural integrity under heavy product loading.
• Thedisplay2 can include many useful features, as shown inFIG. 3. These features can include: notchedslots34 for easy height indexing (seeFIG. 3B), easily adjustable dividers80 (seeFIG. 3C), shelf tilt and fore-aft adjustability (seeFIG. 3D), locking casters18 (seeFIG. 3E), an adjustable andremovable drip tray26 and an adjustable bumper24 (seeFIG. 3F), corner shelf drains114 (seeFIG. 3G), and height-adjustable top cross braces30 (seeFIG. 3H). Each of these features is described in detail below. Embodiments of thedisplay2 can include one or more of these features.
• Theframe4, as best shown inFIGS. 4 and 5, can be constructed of rigid, elongate members, desirably fully boxed metal tubing, connected generally at right angles and set onlockable casters18 for easy movement. A rectangular assembly of members can form a base10 which can form the bottom of theframe4 and support four upstanding corner members12 (also referred to as shelf-support columns) extending upward from the corners of thebase10. The front pair ofcorner members12 can be connected to the rear pair of corner members by a pair of cross braces16. The upper ends of thefront corner members12 can be connected to each other by atop cross brace30. The upper ends of therear corner members12 can also be connected by a respectivetop cross brace30.
• Ahandle14 can be attached to each of therear corner members12. Each handle can be C-shaped and vertically disposed and extend rearwardly from a single corner member. When positioned in this manner, thehandles14 are conveniently and advantageously positioned so as not to block access to any of the shelves at the rear of thedisplay2. In other embodiments, other handles can be used, such as a shopping cart-like handle that extends horizontally across from one rear corner member to the other.
• Theframe4 can rest on a set ofcasters18, preferably four casters, that can be attached to thebase10. One or more of the casters can have acaster brake20 to prevent thedisplay2 from unwanted movement. Adoor stop22 can be attached to thebase10 and extend forward from the base. Abumper24 made of a resilient and/or elastomeric material (e.g., rubber) can be attached to the front of the door stop. Adrip tray26 can be mounted on top of thedoor stop22 and positioned under the front of theshelves6 to collect liquid that drains from the shelves. The drip tray can be removable without tools for easy draining and cleaning.
• FIG. 6 shows a detailed view of a section of one of thecorner members12. Thecorner members12 can include a plurality of vertically alignedrectangular slots32,34. The slots can be sized and shaped to receive the corner member hooks, or slot hooks,36 ofshelf brackets28, one of which is shown inFIG. 7. Theshelf brackets28 can be used to supportshelves6 at selected heights along the length (height) of thecorner members12. The corner member hooks36 of ashelf bracket28 can be inserted into respective adjacent slots of acorner member12 for mounting the shelf bracket at that position on the corner member. In other embodiments, theshelf brackets28 can have a different number of corner member hooks36 and/or the hooks can be spaced such that they can be inserted into non-adjacent slots of acorner member12.
• The slots can be regularly marked for ease of indexing. In the embodiment shown, every third slot is a notchedslot34. Thecorner members12 can each have matching notchedslots34 that are at the same heights on each corner member. In this manner, two ormore slots32 ondifferent corner members12 that are at the same height can easily be identified by the respective positions of the closest notchedslots34 at the same height on the different corner members. The desiredslot32 can be either a notchedslot34, one below a notched slot, or one above a notched slot. This feature can expedite shelf alignment. As depicted inFIG. 4, a plurality ofshelf brackets28 can be mounted at predetermined locations on eachcorner member12, depending on the desired height of eachshelf6.
• Eachshelf bracket28 can have one or more corner member hooks36 and ashelf hook38, as shown inFIG. 7. The corner member hooks36 can be supported by theslots32,34 in thecorner members12 and theshelf hook38 can support ashelf6. In the illustrated embodiment, the shelf bracket has twocorner hook members36 and theshelf hook38 contacts ashelf side member66 for supporting the shelf6 (seeFIG. 13). Each shelf desirably is supported by fourshelf brackets28, each mounted on adifferent corner member12.
• Referring toFIG. 5, each of the top cross braces30 can include two downwardly extendingcross brace extenders40 at opposite ends thereof that can telescope with respect to the top of acorresponding corner member12. Eachcross brace extender40, as shown inFIG. 8, can include aspring clip46 and aspring clip stop44, mounted inside thecross brace extender40. One end of thespring clip46 can be fixed to thespring clip stop44 and the other end can abut an inner surface of thecross brace extender40 opposite thestop44. The spring clip can also include a resiliently biasedbutton48 extending laterally from the spring clip and protruding through anaperture49 in thecross brace extender40. As shown inFIG. 3H, thebutton48 can be pushed in to allow thetop brace extender40 to telescope into and out of the top of acorner member12. Thecorner members12 can includeapertures51 sized to receive thebutton48. In use, thebuttons48 of eachtop brace extender40 for a particulartop cross brace30 are aligned with a selectedapertures51 of correspondingcorner members12 and the bias of the spring clips46 forces thebuttons48 to extend through the selectedapertures51 and lock thetop cross brace30 at the desired height.
• Thedoor stop22 can be constructed from of a single piece of material that forms a general U-shape, as shown inFIG. 9. Twolegs52 ofdoor stop22 can include slots to enable the door stop to attach to thebase10 via screws or bolts. The front part of the door stop22 can be bent downward to form abumper connection portion50. A bumper24 (FIG. 5) can be attached to theconnection portion50 and comprise the front most portion of thedisplay2.
• Adrip tray26 can be coupled to the base10 or thedoor stop22 to collect liquids falling from theshelves6. For example, thedrip tray26 can be placed on top of thedrop stop22. The drip tray can include a broad,lipped collection portion56 that is sloped inward toward a recessedbasin54, as shown inFIG. 10. Thedrip tray26 can be easily removable to be emptied frequently with no tools.
• Theframe4 can support a plurality ofshelves6 at various positions by adjusting theshelf brackets28 todifferent slots32,34 on thecorner members12. As shown inFIGS. 11 and 12, eachshelf6 can generally include ashelf frame59 that supports a respective shelf floor, or tray,86. As best shown inFIGS. 12-14, eachshelf frame59 includes left andright angle members60,62, oriented in the front-to-rear direction, that can be connected by a pair of transverse inner braces64. The inner braces64 can also support left and right shelfside wall members66 oriented in the front-to-rear direction. A V-shaped brace68 (shown in detail inFIG. 19) can also connect theangle members60,62, as shown from the bottom inFIG. 14. The front portions of theangle members60,62 and/or the apex of the V-shapedbrace68 can support a frontdivider support member70. A reardivider support member72 can be supported above the rear end portions ofangle members60,62 and the rearmosttransverse brace64. The left and rightside wall members66 can define opposing side edges of the shelf while the front and reardivider support members70,72 can define opposing front and rear edges, respectively, of the shelf.
• The frontdivider support member70, as best shown inFIG. 15, can include a pair oflips90 that form afront channel88 and a pair ofbent flanges92 at either end that can attach to respective end portions ofside walls66 of the shelf. The frontdivider support member70 can support a front angle member76 (FIG. 12) that can be used to display price tags or other information. Thefront angle member76 can be attached to the front of the frontdivider support member70 by welding, mechanical fasteners, or other conventional techniques or mechanisms. A transparent window member74 (seeFIGS. 11 and 12) can be supported between thefront members70 and76. Thewindow member74 can, for example, be made of a polycarbonate material to provide for transparency and can be taller than thefront members70 and76. Thewindow member74 can act as a front stop to reduce the risk ofproducts8 tipping over the front of theshelf6. Thewindow member74 can be slid in and out of position betweenmembers70 and76 to facilitate easy replacement when a different height stop is needed, such as for ataller product8.
• The reardivider support member72, as shown inFIGS. 16A and 16B, can be similar in construction to the frontdivider support member70 and additionally can include anelongated slot98 extending along its length. The twodivider support members70 and72 can cooperate to support one or more dividers between them.
• FIGS. 17A and 17B show an exemplarytall divider78 and ashort divider80, respectively. Each divider can include afront flange102 at a front end portion and arear flange104 at a rear end portion that are bent perpendicular to thedivider body101. Eachflange102,104 can include aneck portion105, as shown inFIG. 17C, such that thefront flange102 can slideably engage into thefront channel88 of the frontdivider support member70 and therear flange104 can slideably engage into therear channel94 of the reardivider support member72. Theneck portions105 of the front and rear flanges can slide between thelips90 and96 of thedivider support members70 and72, respectively. The flange and channel relationship can allow each divider to slideably adjust side-to-side across the width of ashelf6 and can further provide for an infinite lateral adjustability of the dividers to accommodateproducts8 of various widths. The length of theelongated slot98 in the reardivider support member72 can define a continuous, non-discrete range of possible positions to which each divider can be adjusted.
• To secure a divider in a given position, a releasable fastener member, such asbolt82, can pass through ahole106 in therear flange104 and through theslot98 in the reardivider support member72 and can be fastened with anut84 on the rear of theshelf6. The nut and bolt in other embodiments can be replaced with various other equivalent releasable fastening mechanisms. Thenut84, as shown inFIG. 12, can be a wing nut. Alternatively, thenut84 can have a bulbous handle for easier manipulation without the need for any tools.
• The fastener member extending through theelongated slot98 can slide along the elongated slot until the fastener member contacts either end of the slot. The range of possible lateral positions for the divider can be defined by the positions of the divider when the fastener member contacts either end of the slot. For example, in the illustrated embodiment,channels88,94 extend substantially the entire length of thesupport members70,72 such that a divider can be positioned at any position in a range extending substantially the entire width of the shelf. Theslot98 desirably extends at least the length ofchannel94 so that the divider can be secured to therear support member72 by thefastener82 at any of the positions of the divider within the range of positions.
• More than one divider can be provided with theshelf6 to allow for the display of products of multiple different widths. Thetall divider78 can be used forproducts8 having a relatively higher center of gravity and theshort divider80 can be used forproducts8 having a relatively lower center of gravity. The dividers can help prevent theproducts8 from tipping over sideways or rotating on the shelf and provide for a neater, more aligned appearance of the products on the shelf.
• Theside walls66 can support the reardivider support member72 between the side walls such that a rectangular gap85 (seeFIG. 13) is formed between the bottom of the reardivider support member72, the top of the rearmostinside brace64, and the twoside walls66. Thisgap85 allows for thetray86 to be inserted into the shelf from the rear via thegap85. Once inserted, the sides of thetray86 can rest on top of the left andright angle members60 and62, and can rest below the dividers and the reardivider support member72. Thetray86 can be restricted from moving sideways by the twoside walls66 and restricted from moving forward by either the frontdivider support member70, thewindow74, or thefront angle member76.
• As shown inFIG. 18, thetray86 can have a rectangular body having ahandle108 adjacent the rear and a series of laterally spaced, longitudinally extendingdrainage grooves110 on the tray's upper surface. A cross section of the grooves is shown inFIG. 18B. Thegrooves110 can allow for liquids to be directed below the bottom surfaces of products resting on thetray86. As theshelves6 are typically installed within theframe4 such that the front of the shelves are tilted lower than the rear, thegrooves110 can also allow liquids to gravitationally flow towards the front of thetray86. An arced orangled collection groove112 adjacent the front of the tray can fluidly connect all of thegrooves110 and direct liquids to one or more drain holes114 in the tray. Thetray86 can have asingle drain hole114 adjacent the front edge of the tray or multiple drain holes to allow liquid to pass downwardly through the tray. In the embodiment shown, twodrain holes114 are included adjacent either front corner of thetray86. These two drain holes are fluidly connected to either end of an arcedcollection groove112.
• Theshelf6 can be arranged such that when thetray86 is fully inserted, the drain holes114 of the tray align withdrain holes115 in the front portions of the left andright angle members60 and62 (seeFIG. 12). In this manner, liquids can flow under gravity down the series ofdrainage grooves110, collect in thecollection groove112, and flow downwardly through the drain holes114 and115 ofmultiple shelves6 and into thedrip tray26.
• Thedrainage grooves110 can comprise a series of parallel, linear grooves as shown, which can increase the ability of products supported by the tray to slide toward the front end of the tray under gravity without rotating or toppling over.
• Thetray86 can be made of rigid material having a high absorption resistance and a low coefficient of friction. In some embodiments, the tray is constructed from a slab of high density polyethylene (“HDPE”). HDPE is desirable due to a decreased coefficient of friction at lower temperatures, such as within a dairy cooler. HDPE also offers high rigidity and low liquid absorption properties. In other embodiments, thetray86 can be comprised of one or more additional or other materials, such as silicone, polystyrene, polycarbonates, various nylons, vinyl compositions and/or polyesters. In certain embodiments, the tray can comprise a base layer and an upper layer formed from a material having a relatively lower coefficient of friction that the base layer.
• When used to display and dispense products, aslick tray86 can allow a row ofproducts8 to gravitationally slide toward the front of ashelf6 when the front-most product is removed. Theparallel grooves110 running in the front-to-back direction also help increase the slidability ofproducts8 toward the front of theshelf6.
• When a product row slides toward the front of a shelf, thewindow74 can act as a stop to prevent the front-most product from tipping forward over the front of the shelf due to the momentum of the whole row of products. The dividers can also abut the side of a row of products to keep the row aligned while the products slide forward.
• The front-to-back tilt angle of theshelf6 can be adjusted by adjusting the position of theshelf brackets28 on the corner members. Each shelf can be supported by four shelf brackets, namely, tworear brackets28 attached to thecorner members12 at the rear of theframe4 and twofront brackets28 attached to thecorner members12 at the front of theframe4. For a steeper tilt angle, therear shelf brackets28 can be attached to therear corner members12 athigher slots32,34 relative to thefront shelf brackets28. The evenly spaced apart notchedslots34 function as visual indicia that help identify the slot of onecorner member12 that is at the same height as a slot of another corner member on the opposite side of the frame.
• Theside walls66 of eachshelf6 can include a series of longitudinally spacedtilt notches67 near the front of the side walls, as shown inFIG. 13, that can engage the shelf hooks38 of thefront shelf brackets28. Engaging the shelf hooks38 to a morerearward tilt notch67 allows the shelf to protrude farther forward from theframe4. The rear of the shelf can slideably engage the rear shelf hooks38 to allow for adjustments to be made as to whichtilt notch67 is engaged to the front shelf hooks38. In the illustrated embodiment, selecting adifferent tilt notch67 to adjust the fore-aft position of a shelf relative to the frame does not change the tilt angle of the shelf.
• The frame can support a plurality ofshelves6, each at different heights, tilt angles, and/or fore-aft positions. Dispensing different products on each shelf can require different orientations of each shelf. The top braces30 can be adjusted up or down depending on the height of the top-most shelf and the height of the products on that shelf. As the rear of the shelf is typically higher than the front of the shelf, the reartop brace30 can be adjusted higher than the front top brace. To adjust either top brace up or down, thespring clip button48 is first pushed inside of the corner member button hole49 (seeFIG. 3H). Once thebutton48 is sufficiently depressed, thetop brace30, along with thetop brace extenders40 can be raised or lowered to a desired position where thebutton48 can spring back out of a different cornermember button hole49 and thereby re-fix the height of the top brace.
• Eachshelf6 can hold multiple rows ofproducts8 and one ormore dividers78,80 to separate the products of one row with an adjacent row. Each row of products can have different widths. Thedividers78,80 can be used to create rows of different widths on each shelf. To adjust the width of the rows, such as when different products are to be displayed, the dividers can be easily slid side-to-side. In addition, additional dividers can be added to created more rows, or dividers can be removed to create fewer, wider rows. To adjust a divider side-to-side, the nut orknob84 is first loosened. Next, the divider can be manually moved sideways, causing theflanges102 and104 to slide along thechannels88 and94, and thebolt82 or other fastening device to slide along theslot98 until the divider is at the desired position. The nut orknob84 can then be retightened to re-secure the divider. A divider can be removed by sliding the divider all the way to one side of the shelf such that the flanges move to the far end of the channels. At the ends of the front and reardivider support members70 and72, thelips90 and96 can terminate sufficiently far enough from thebent flanges92 and100 to allow theflanges102 and104 of a divider to disengage from thechannels88 and94 of the divider support members.
• Thetray86 can be removed from theshelf6 by pulling the tray by thehandle108 out through thegap85. Thetray86 can slide in and out of the shelf without any fasteners, rollers, latches or other aids or inhibitors. Gravity can be used to hold thetray86 in place when installed in ashelf6. If, for example, aproduct8 leaks and spills on thetray86, the tray can be pulled out of theshelf6, cleaned, and re-inserted without adjusting any other components of thedisplay2. The material of thetray86 can have a low coefficient of friction to reduce the force needed to remove and insert the tray from and into the shelf. The V-shapedbrace68 can facilitate the insertion of thetray86 into theshelf6. If the tray were to bow downward between the left and right angle members during insertion, the V shape of the brace can help to gradually urge the bowedtray86 back into a flat shape as the tray is moved forward.
• In view of the many possible embodiments to which the principles disclosed herein may be applied, it should be recognized that the illustrated embodiments are only preferred examples and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the disclosure.

Claims (21)

1. A product display, comprising:

a support frame;

at least one shelf supported by the support frame, the shelf comprising opposing front and rear edges, and opposing side edges; and

at least one elongated divider extending from the front edge to the rear edge, the divider being slidably adjustable side-to-side of the shelf to a plurality of positions along a width of the shelf while mounted to the shelf, wherein at least some of the plurality of positions comprises a continuous, non-discrete range of positions.

2. The product display ofclaim 1, wherein the divider is releasably fastenable to the shelf at any of the plurality of positions.

3. The product display ofclaim 2, wherein:

the shelf further comprises left and right side wall members and front and rear divider support members, each divider support member connecting the left side wall member to the right side wall member;

the divider comprises a first end portion and a second end portion, the first end portion being slidably engaged with the front divider support member and the second end portion being slidably engaged with the rear divider support member; and

the shelf further comprises at least one fastening device for releasably fastening the second end portion of the divider to the rear divider support member.

4. The product display ofclaim 3, wherein the rear divider support member comprises an elongated slot extending along its length that defines the continuous, non-discrete range of positions, and the fastening device extends from to the second end portion of the divider through the elongated slot in the rear divider support member.

5. The product display ofclaim 3, wherein each divider support member comprises a channel extending along its length, and wherein the first end portion of the divider is slidably engaged within the channel of the front divider support member and the second end portion of the divider is slidably engaged within the channel of the rear divider support member.

6. The product display ofclaim 1, wherein the frame comprises a plurality of elongated, vertically disposed shelf support columns, each column comprising a plurality of vertically aligned slots for supporting the shelf at different heights.

7. The product display ofclaim 6, wherein at regular intervals along the plurality of vertically aligned slots certain slots are marked for indexing with corresponding slots in the other columns.

8. The product display ofclaim 6, wherein the shelf can be supported by the plurality of shelf support columns at a plurality of height positions, a plurality of tilt angles, and a plurality of fore-aft positions relative to the shelf support columns.

9. The product display ofclaim 6, further comprising a plurality of shelf support brackets, each bracket comprising at least one slot hook for attaching to one of the slots in the shelf support columns and at least one shelf hook for supporting the shelf.

10. The product display ofclaim 9, wherein the shelf further comprises left and right side wall members each having a plurality of longitudinally spaced notches for receiving a shelf hook of one of the brackets to position the shelf at a selected fore-aft position relative to the shelf support columns.

11. The product display ofclaim 1, wherein the frame comprises at least one cross brace extending from one shelf support column to another shelf support column, the cross brace being adjustable to a plurality of height positions relative to said one shelf support column and said another support column.

12. A product display, comprising:

a support frame; and

at least one shelf supported by the frame in a tilted position with a rear end of the shelf higher than a front end of the shelf;

the shelf comprising a high-density polyethylene tray having an upper sliding surface for supporting products that can slide in a direction from the rear end to the front end of the shelf under gravity.

13. The product display ofclaim 12 wherein the tray further comprises:

a plurality of drainage grooves formed in the upper surface of the tray, the drainage grooves extending lengthwise of the tray;

a collection groove in a front end portion of the tray and in liquid communication with each of the drainage grooves;

at least one drain hole passing through the tray and in liquid communication with the collection groove;

wherein liquid in the drainage grooves is directed to flow by gravity through the drainage grooves into the collection groove and through the drain hole.

14. The product display ofclaim 13, wherein the drainage grooves are substantially parallel to one another and spaced apart from one another widthwise of the tray.

15. The product display ofclaim 13, wherein the collection groove is arced such that left and right ends of the collection groove are closer to the front end of the tray than a middle portion of the collection groove, and wherein each end of the collection groove terminates in a drain hole.

16. The product display ofclaim 12, the tray further comprising a handle at the rear end of the tray.

17. A product display, comprising:

a support frame;

a plurality of shelves supported one above the other by the frame in a tilted position with a rear end of each shelf higher than a respective front end of each shelf;

each shelf comprising a tray, each tray comprising a plurality of grooves in an upper surface of the tray and at least one drain hole adjacent a front end portion of the tray, the grooves being in liquid communication with the drain hole; and

a drip pan coupled to the frame below the front end of a lowermost shelf;

wherein liquid in the grooves of each tray is directed to flow by gravity through the grooves, through the drain hole in the tray, through the drain holes in any lower trays, and into the drip pan.

18. The product display ofclaim 17, wherein each tray comprises at least two drain holes, one each adjacent left and right sides of the front edge portion of the tray.

19. The product display ofclaim 18, wherein each tray further comprises an arced collection groove adjacent the front edge of the tray that is in fluid communication with the plurality of grooves and the two drain holes in the tray, and wherein the arced collection groove directs fluid from the plurality of grooves towards the two drain holes in the tray.

20. The product display ofclaim 17, wherein each shelf further comprises a shelf frame that supports the tray, the shelf frame comprising at least one opening, and wherein the drain hole in the respective tray is aligned above the opening in the shelf such that liquid passing through the drain hole in the tray also passes through the opening in the shelf frame.

21. The product display ofclaim 17, wherein the drip pan is adjustable fore and aft to position the drip pan at a selected position relative to the front end of the lowermost shelf, and wherein the drip pan is removable from the frame for emptying and cleaning.

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