Display shelf with adjustable divider walls

Abstract

A divider wall for use with a gravity-fed shelf assembly includes an elongate wall portion and a first front leg extending from a first end of the wall portion. The first front leg has a body portion and an engagement protrusion extending from the body portion. The divider wall further includes a rear leg extending from a second end of the wall portion. The first front leg and the rear leg are each adapted to be received into a front slot and a rear slot, respectively, of the shelf assembly. Gravity acts on the divider wall and displaces it within the front and rear slots toward a front end of the shelf assembly such that an undersurface of the shelf assembly adjacent the front slot is in contact with or immediately adjacent to the engagement protrusion to prevent the removal of the first front leg from the front slot.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A divider wall for use with a gravity-fed shelf assembly, the divider wall comprising:
 an elongate wall portion extending along a longitudinal axis, the wall portion having a first end and a second end;   a first front leg extending from the wall portion adjacent the first end, the first front leg extending normal to the longitudinal axis of the wall portion, the first front leg having a body portion and an engagement protrusion extending from the body portion, the engagement protrusion extending in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis towards the first end of the wall portion; and   a rear leg extending from the wall portion adjacent the second end, the rear leg extending normal to the longitudinal axis of the wall portion,   wherein the first front leg is adapted to be received into a front slot disposed at or adjacent to a front end of the shelf assembly and the rear leg is adapted to be received into a rear slot disposed at or adjacent to a rear end of the shelf assembly,   and wherein gravity acting on the divider wall causes the divider wall to displace within the front slot and the rear slot toward the front end of the shelf assembly such that an undersurface of the shelf assembly adjacent the front slot is in contact with or immediately adjacent to the engagement protrusion to prevent the removal of the first front leg from the front slot.   
     
     
         2 . The divider wall of  claim 1 , wherein the front leg and the rear leg each extend from a bottom edge of the wall portion. 
     
     
         3 . The divider wall of  claim 1 , further comprising an intermediate leg extending from the wall portion between the first end and the second end, the intermediate leg extending normal to the longitudinal axis of the wall portion. 
     
     
         4 . The divider wall of  claim 1 , wherein the wall portion is substantially planar. 
     
     
         5 . The divider wall of  claim 1 , wherein the wall portion includes a rigidifying portion that longitudinally extends along the wall portion. 
     
     
         6 . The divider wall of  claim 5 , wherein the rigidifying portion comprises a single intermediate oblique portion. 
     
     
         7 . The divider wall of  claim 5 , wherein the rigidifying portion comprises a top oblique portion, a bottom oblique portion, and an intermediate planar portion extending between the top oblique portion and the bottom oblique portion. 
     
     
         8 . The divider wall of  claim 1 , further comprising a second front leg extending from the wall portion adjacent the first end, the second front leg having a body portion and an engagement protrusion extending from the body portion, the engagement protrusion extending in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis towards the first end of the wall portion, and wherein the first front leg is coupled to a first surface of the wall portion and the second front leg is coupled to a second surface of the wall portion. 
     
     
         9 . The divider wall of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first front leg and the rear leg is integrally formed with the wall portion. 
     
     
         10 . The divider wall of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first front leg and the rear leg is coupled to the wall portion. 
     
     
         11 . A divider wall for use with a gravity-fed shelf assembly, the divider wall comprising:
 an elongate wall portion extending along a longitudinal axis, the wall portion having a first end and a second end, the wall portion adapted to be removably coupled to the shelf assembly; and   a rigidifying portion longitudinally disposed along the wall portion, the rigidifying portion reducing transverse deformations of the wall portion when the wall portion is subjected to lateral loads.   
     
     
         12 . The divider wall of  claim 11 , wherein the rigidifying portion comprises a single intermediate oblique portion that extends between top planar portion of the wall portion and a bottom planar portion of the wall portion. 
     
     
         13 . The divider wall of  claim 11 , wherein the rigidifying portion comprises a top oblique portion, a bottom oblique portion, and an intermediate planar portion extending between the top oblique portion and the bottom oblique portion. 
     
     
         14 . The divider wall of  claim 11 , wherein the rigidifying portion extends from the first end of the wall portion to the second end of the wall portion. 
     
     
         15 . The divider wall of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a first front leg extending from the wall portion adjacent the first end, the first front leg extending normal to the longitudinal axis of the wall portion, the first front leg having a body portion and an engagement protrusion extending from the body portion, the engagement protrusion extending in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis towards the first end of the wall portion; and   a rear leg extending from the wall portion adjacent the second end, the rear leg extending normal to the longitudinal axis of the wall portion,   wherein the first front leg is adapted to be received into a front slot disposed at or adjacent to a front end of the shelf assembly and the rear leg is adapted to be received into a rear slot disposed at or adjacent to a rear end of the shelf assembly,   and wherein gravity acting on the divider wall causes the divider wall to displace within the front slot and the rear slot toward the front end of the shelf assembly such that an undersurface of the shelf assembly adjacent the front slot is in contact with or immediately adjacent to the engagement protrusion to prevent the removal of the first front leg from the front slot.   
     
     
         16 . A shelf system for supporting containers, the shelf system comprising:
 a shelf assembly coupled to a support frame, the shelf assembly having a plurality of transversely-aligned rear slots at or adjacent to a rear end of the shelf assembly and a plurality of transversely-aligned front slots disposed at or adjacent to a front end of the shelf assembly, wherein the front end of the shelf assembly is disposed vertically lower than the rear end of the shelf assembly; and   a divider wall adapted to be removably coupled to the shelf assembly, the divider wall comprising:
 an elongate wall portion extending along a longitudinal axis, the wall portion having a first end and a second end; 
 a first front leg extending from the wall portion adjacent the first end, the first front leg extending normal to the longitudinal axis of the wall portion, the first front leg having a body portion and an engagement protrusion extending from the body portion, the engagement protrusion extending in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis towards the first end of the wall portion; and 
 a rear leg extending from the wall portion adjacent the second end, the rear leg extending normal to the longitudinal axis of the wall portion, 
 wherein the first front leg is adapted to be received into one of the plurality of front slots and the rear leg is adapted to be received into one of the plurality of rear slots, 
 and wherein gravity acting on the divider wall causes the divider wall to displace within the one of the plurality of front slots and the one of the plurality of rear slots toward the front end of the shelf assembly such that an undersurface of the shelf assembly adjacent the one of the plurality of front slots is in contact with or immediately adjacent to the engagement protrusion to prevent the removal of the first front leg from the one of the plurality of front slots. 
   
     
     
         17 . The shelf system of  claim 16 , wherein the shelf assembly includes a plurality of transversely-aligned intermediate slots disposed between the plurality of front slots and the plurality of rear slots, and wherein the wall divider further comprises an intermediate leg extending from the wall portion between the first end and the second end, the intermediate leg extending normal to the longitudinal axis of the wall portion, and wherein the intermediate leg is adapted to be received into one of the plurality of intermediate slots. 
     
     
         18 . The shelf system of  claim 16 , wherein the wall portion includes a rigidifying portion that longitudinally extends along the wall portion. 
     
     
         19 . The shelf system of  claim 18 , wherein the rigidifying portion comprises a single intermediate oblique portion. 
     
     
         20 . The shelf system of  claim 18 , wherein the rigidifying portion comprises a top oblique portion, a bottom oblique portion, and an intermediate planar portion extending between the top oblique portion and the bottom oblique portion. 
     
     
         21 . A spill tray for use with a shelf assembly adapted to support a plurality of containers, the spill tray comprising:
 a planar bottom wall that extends along a longitudinal axis from a first end of the spill tray to a second end of the spill tray, the bottom wall being laterally defined by a first side edge and a second side edge, the first side edge and the second side edge each being parallel to the longitudinal axis and each extending from the first end of the spill tray to the second end of the spill tray;   a planar first side channel wall extending from the first side edge of the bottom wall such that the first side channel wall forms an acute angle with the bottom wall, the first side channel wall extending from the first end of the spill tray to the second end of the spill tray;   a planar first top channel wall extending from a top portion of the first side channel wall such that the first top channel wall forms an acute angle with the first side channel wall, the first top channel wall extending from the first end of the spill tray to the second end of the spill tray;   a planar first side wall upwardly extending from an outermost portion of the first top channel wall, the first side wall extending from the first end of the spill tray to the second end of the spill tray;   a planar second side channel wall extending from the second side edge of the bottom wall such that the second side channel wall forms an acute angle with the bottom wall, the second side channel wall extending from the first end of the spill tray to the second end of the spill tray;   a planar second top channel wall extending from a top portion of the second side channel wall such that the second top channel wall forms an acute angle with the second side channel wall, the second top channel wall extending from the first end of the spill tray to the second end of the spill tray;   a planar second side wall upwardly extending from an outermost portion of the second top channel wall, the second side wall extending from the first end of the spill tray to the second end of the spill tray; and   a front lip extending normal to the longitudinal axis along the first end of the spill tray, the front lip establishing a first gap adjacent to the first side channel wall and a second gap adjacent to the second side channel wall,   wherein the first top channel wall and the second top channel wall are each adapted to support a lateral portion of the shelf assembly adapted to support the plurality of containers, and   wherein fluid spilled onto a top surface of the bottom wall is adapted to exit the spill tray through one or both of the first gap and the second gap when the first end of the spill tray is disposed vertically lower than the second end of the spill tray.   
     
     
         22 . The spill tray of  claim 21 , wherein the front lip is planar and is normal to the bottom wall. 
     
     
         23 . The spill tray of  claim 22 , wherein the front lip extends from a front edge of the bottom wall, the front lip being laterally defined by a first side edge and a second side edge, wherein each of the first side edge and the second side edge intersects the front edge of the bottom wall at a right angle. 
     
     
         24 . The spill tray of  claim 23 , wherein the first gap is at least partially defined by the first side edge of the front lip and the first side channel wall and the second gap is at least partially defined by the second side edge of the front lip and the second side channel wall. 
     
     
         25 . The spill tray of  claim 21 , wherein each of the first top channel wall and second top channel wall is parallel to the bottom wall. 
     
     
         26 . The spill tray of  claim 21 , wherein the first top channel wall, the first side channel wall, and a portion of the bottom wall adjacent to the first side edge form a Z-shape when viewed along the longitudinal axis, and wherein the second top channel wall, the second side channel wall, and a portion of the bottom wall adjacent to the second side edge form a Z-shape when viewed along the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         27 . The spill tray of  claim 21 , wherein the spill tray is symmetrically formed about the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         28 . The spill tray of  claim 21 , wherein each of the first side wall and the second side wall is normal to the bottom wall.