US3856148A

US3856148A - Convertible gondola display for stores

Info

Publication number: US3856148A
Application number: US00355810A
Authority: US
Inventors: R Olinick
Original assignee: JENTZEN MILLER CO
Current assignee: JENTZEN MILLER CO
Priority date: 1973-04-30
Filing date: 1973-04-30
Publication date: 1974-12-24
Anticipated expiration: 1991-12-24

Abstract

A convertible gondola island display for stores includes a unit molded plastic base having a monoplanar top platform and a honeycomb skeleton body which includes parallel spaced monoplanar side and end walls and a series of interconnected partitions therebetween. The partitions and end walls define a pair of openended tubular passages at the ends of the platform and body which receive upright tubular supports frictionally disposed therein and which extend above said platform. The top platform includes a pair of outwardly opening slots which supportably receive and retain a pair of upright back panels on said platform nested between said supports. The tubular supports on their opposite sides have longitudinally spaced slots adapted to supportably receive bracket hooks at the ends of shelves adjustably positioned against and upon said supports.

Description

United States Patent 1191 Olinick CONVERTIBLE'GONDOLA DISPLAY FOR STORES [75] Inventor: Robert F. Olinick, Warren, Mich.

[73] Assignee: The Jentzen-Miller Company,

Madison Heights, Mich.

[221 Filed: Apr. 30, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 355,810

[52] US. Cl ..2l1/148, l 08 /108, 1 08/5 1 [51] Int. Cl. A47f 5/00 [58] Field of Search 312/114, 117; 108/51, 53,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,092,284 6/1963 Stout 220/72 X 3,159,437 12/1964 Jentzen 211/148 X 3,173,723 3/1965 Hoven et al. 297/445 X 3,185,115 5/1965 Rand 211/148 X 3,186,363 6/1965 Moore 211/148 X 3,307,504 3/1967 Cloyd et al. 108/51 X 3,330,228 7/1967 Donnelly 108/51 3,601,256 8/1961 Bowers, Jr. et al. 211/148 3,640,389 2/1972 Snyder 211/148 3,680,495 8/1972 Pike 108/53 3,685,464 8/1972 Ranno 108/51 Dec. 24, 1974.

3,719,342 3/1973 Kupersmit 108/55 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,154,589 6/1969 Great Britain [08/51 Primary Examiner-Roy D. Frazier Assistant Examiner-Peter A. Aschenbrenner Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Robert A. Sloman [57] ABSTRACT A convertible gondola island display for stores includes a unit molded plastic base having a monoplanar top platform and a honeycomb skeleton body which includes parallel spaced monoplanar side and end walls and a series of interconnected partitions therebetween. The partitions and end walls define a pair of open-ended tubular passages at the ends of the platform and body which receive upright tubular supports frictionally disposed therein and which extend above said platform. The top platform includesa pair of outwardly opening slots which supportably receive and retain a pair of upright back'panels on said platform nested between said supports. The tubular supports on their opposite sides have longitudinally spaced slots adapted to supportably receive bracket hooks at the ends of shelves adjustably positioned against and upon said supports; t

2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures Pmamsn w w SHLU 2 [IF 2 CONVERTIBLE GONDOLA DISPLAY FOR STORES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION I-Ieretofore, various types of gondola island displays have been provided for stores of a complicated construction adapted for the display of merchandise and, wherein, involved assemblies were required for the mounting of display racks or shelves.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide in an island display for stores, a unit molded plastic base of a suitable structural foam plastic to provide a flat top platform and a downwardly opening honeycomb body construction.

It is a further object to form the platform and body as to provide passages therethrough within which upright supports may be frictionally disposed and anchored for the mounting of display panels and or 'shelving.

It is the further object to provide a convertible gondola island display which may be used in various ways, either for supporting back panels for the mounting and display of goods alone or in conjunction with vertically adjustable shelving adjustably connected to and projecting from the supports on said platform.

These and other objects will be seen from the following specification and claims in conjunction with the appended drawings.

THE DRAWINGS;

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the present convertible gondola island display for stores;

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of the platform-and base for said island display, on a reduced scale;

FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of the top platform and body corresponding to FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section taken in the direction of arrows 44 of FIG. 2 on an increased scale;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary section taken in the direction of arrows 5--5 of FIG. 2 on an increased scale.

It will be understood that the above drawings illustrate merely a preferred embodiment of the invention, and that-other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the claims hereafter set forth.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to the drawings, the present convertible gondola island display for stores is generally indicated at 11, FIG. 1, and includes a unit plastic molded base 13 constructed of a suitable structural foam plastic such as polystyrene, polypropanate or equivalent mate rial.

Said base includes a top monoplanar platform 15 and depending therefrom the honeycombed downwardly opening skeleton body 17. Said body includes opposed parallel spaced side walls 19 and corresponding spaced end walls 21 together with a series of right-angularly related integral interconnected partitions 23, joined to said walls, as best shown in FIG. 3.

Said skeleton structure includes partitions which define with the respective end walls 21 a pair ofopenended upright tubular passages 25 which extend throughout the height of the platform and body as shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5. A pair of parallel spaced elongated outwardly opening grooves 27 are fonned within the top platform, with the ends of said grooves merging with the upright channels 25.

As a convertible gondola island display for stores, the platform and base body structure may be employed by itself, FIG. 2, for displaying bulk merchandise and the like and without the addition of the super structure shown in FIG. 1.

Additional functions may be achieved with the use of Q the unit molded base, wherein a pair of upright tubular supports 33 of a cross section corresponding to the channels 25 at their one ends are frictionally projected and nested down into said channels throughout their height. Said tubular supports extend above said top platform in FIG. 1, and may be connected at their upper ends by the transverse top cap channel 37 which spans the supports 33 overlying the upper ends thereof and suitably secured thereto. A sign holder is centrally positioned upon the top cap at 39-for use as desired. Under some conditions, to provide an open appearance. to the gondola display assembly, the top cap may be omitted, since the tubular supports 33 will be stabilized by the application thereto of one or more shelving assemblies 41.

On opposite sides of the supports 33 are provided opposed longitudinally spaced slots 35, which in a conventional fashion are adapted to interlockingly receive the rearwardly extending vertically spaced hooks 43 at the ends of a rectangular shelf 41. Such shelf is secured to and projects laterally outward from said tubular supports.

It is contemplated that more than one shelf assembly may be employed projecting from the same side or from opposite sides of the respective tubular. supports anchored thereto as at 43, FIG. 1. Shelves of this type are known to have conventional type of hook bracket 43 arranged in pairs adapted to be projected into and interlock with a corresponding pair of aligned slots in the respective supports.

To provide a modified display, a pair of spaced upright back panels 45 are interposed between the supports 33 and below cap 37, if employed, with their lower edges nested and retained within the correspondboard construction for the display of carded merchandise.

In addition to the unit molded base and top platform being used alone, FIG. 2, it may be employed with the supports 33 with or without the top cap 37 and with or without one or more or a series of laterally extending shelves 41 projecting from one or both sides of the said supports.

Additionally, with or without the'shelves 41 and as a part of the convertible structure of the present gondola island display, there may be employed the opposed pair of parallel spaced back panels 45 nested within the slots 27 in the top platform and retained within the framework defined by supports 33 and cap 37.

Referring to the dotted line 49 shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the present unit plastic molded platform and base may be formed of a one half construction as a half unit for use against a wall or at the end of a full unit.

The contruction is exactly the same except that the skeleton structure and partitions rearwardly of the dotted line 49 will be omitted.

As a versatile convertible gondola island display, its

various uses may be as follows:

1. with no vertical structure, it can be used as a platform for displaying bulk merchandise, etc.;

2. with the addition of the pair of vertically slotted supports 33 and a top cap, two back panels and two panel retainers, it becomes a display gondola to which shelving or other special display fixtures may be assembled;

3. if the panels used are of a pegboard construction, various hardware can be used for displaying carded merchandise;

4. the main uniqueness of the gondola is that the platform and base is of a honeycomb one-piece assembly of a structural foam plastic for ease of assembly and low cost production and lightness;

5. the other features are convertibility from platform to gondola, capability of using changing color and other features of back panels and ability to use shelving, hangers and many other display fixtures that fit into the slotted tubing supports;

6. it may be used as a platform with a pair of slotted vertical support members only to give an open display effect to the unit;

7. it may be used as a full unit or as a half unit for use against walls, or at the end of a full unit.

Having described my invention, reference should now be had to the following claims.

I claim:

1. A convertible gondola island display for stores comprising a unit molded base of structural foam plastic material and of rectangular shape in plan having a monoplanar flat top platform, and a honeycomb downwardly opening skeleton body depending therefrom, including parallel spaced monoplanar side and end support walls and a series of interconnected right angularly related partitions therebetween, said walls and partitions being of uniform height with their lower edges in a single plane;

said partitions and end walls defining therebetwee a pair of open-ended spaced upright tubular'passages of rectangular cross section at opposite ends and throughout the height. of said platform and body; upright tubular supports of similar cross section nested and disposed within said passages and frictionally retained therein, and extending above said platform;

a cap extending between and overlying said supports and secured thereto; said top platform having therein a pair of spaced outwardly opening slots at their ends merging with said passages;

and a pair of upright parallel back panels nested within and between said tubular supports and cap and at their lower ends nested and retained within said slots respectively, inwardly directed panel retainers projecting from said tubular supports retainingly engaging said panels along their height. 2. In the display of claim I, said tubular supports having'a series of opposed longitudinally spaced slots extending through opposite sides thereof; and at least one vertically adjustable shelf spanning and projecting laterally from said supports, with vertically spaced bracket hooks at each end retainingly nested and interlocked within corresponding support slots.

Claims

1. A convertible gondola island display for stores comprising a unit molded base of structural foam plastic material and of rectangular shape in plan having a monoplanar flat top platform, and a honeycomb downwardly opening skeleton body depending therefrom, including parallel spaced monoplanar side and end support walls and a series of interconnected right angularly related partitions therebetween, said walls and partitions being of uniform height with their lower edges in a single plane; said partitions and end walls defining therebetween a pair of open-ended spaced upright tubular passages of rectangular cross section at opposite ends and throughout the height of said platform and body; upright tubular supports of similar cross section nested and disposed within said passages and frictionally retained therein, and extending above said platform; a cap extending between and overlying said supports and secured thereto; said top platform having therein a pair of spaced outwardly opening slots at their ends merging with said passages; and a pair of upright parallel back panels nested within and between said tubular supports and cap and at their lower ends nested and retained within said slots respectively, inwardly directed panel retainers projecting from said tubular supports retainingly engaging said panels along their height.

2. In the display of claim 1, said tubular supports having a series of opposed longitudinally spaced slots extending through opposite sides thereof; and at least one vertically adjustable shelf spanning and projecting laterally from said supports, with vertically spaced bracket hooks at each end retainingly nested and interlocked within corresponding support slots.