Retail Merchandise Shelving System And Deck Panels For Same
Patent No. US12357114 (titled "Retail Merchandise Shelving System And Deck Panels For Same") was filed by Fasteners For Retail Inc on Dec 6, 2024.
What is this patent about?
’114 is related to the field of retail shelving systems, specifically focusing on the design and construction of deck panels used to support merchandise on shelves. The background acknowledges the limitations of traditional steel or aluminum shelves, such as corrosion, weight, cost, and failure to meet NSF certification requirements for direct food contact.
The underlying idea behind ’114 is to create a lightweight and durable deck panel for retail shelving, made from plastic, with a specific arrangement of strengthening ribs on the underside and a unique aperture pattern on the top surface. The ribbing provides structural support, while the plastic material addresses the shortcomings of metal shelves. The aperture pattern is designed to accommodate various merchandising accessories and improve airflow.
The claims of ’114 focus on a shelf comprising a frame with front and rear support bars, and a plastic deck panel supported by these bars. The deck panel features a specific arrangement of apertures in rows, where some rows have apertures elongated parallel to the horizontal axis of the shelf, while others have apertures elongated perpendicular to this axis. The claims also specify the relative positioning and spacing of these aperture rows, particularly focusing on the third, fourth, and fifth rows.
In practice, the deck panel is manufactured from a plastic material like ABS, allowing for NSF certification and easy cleaning. The strengthening ribbing on the bottom surface provides rigidity, preventing sagging under load. The border region around the ribbing rests on the support arms, distributing the weight evenly. The specific aperture pattern allows retailers to customize the shelf with dividers, fences, and lighting elements, enhancing product presentation.
The design differentiates itself from prior art by using a plastic deck panel with a specific ribbing and aperture configuration. Unlike solid metal shelves, the plastic construction is lighter, corrosion-resistant, and can be NSF certified. The unique aperture arrangement , with alternating rows of horizontally and vertically elongated apertures, provides greater flexibility for mounting accessories compared to shelves with uniformly sized and spaced holes. The border region, free of projections, ensures a stable and flush contact with the support arms.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical landscape at the time
In the early 2020s when ’114 was filed, retail shelving systems typically used vertical support structures with mounting rails to support shelves. These shelves were often made of steel or aluminum, presenting challenges related to corrosion, weight, cost, and NSF certification for direct product contact.
Novelty and Inventive Step
The examiner approved the application because the closest prior art, Fox and Kim et al., did not teach or suggest modifying Fox to include the specific combination of structural and functional limitations present in the applicant's claimed invention.
Claims
This patent contains 16 claims, with independent claims numbered 1, 7, and 16. The independent claims generally focus on a shelf comprising a frame and a deck panel with specific aperture arrangements. The dependent claims generally elaborate on and add features to the independent claims, such as additional apertures, fences, ribbing, and specific aperture shapes and positioning.
Key Claim Terms New
Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.
Patent Family
File Wrapper
The dossier documents provide a comprehensive record of the patent's prosecution history - including filings, correspondence, and decisions made by patent offices - and are crucial for understanding the patent's legal journey and any challenges it may have faced during examination.
Date
Description
Get instant alerts for new documents
US12357114
- Application Number
- US18972631
- Filing Date
- Dec 6, 2024
- Status
- Granted
- Expiry Date
- May 5, 2041
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO, Google Patents