This invention relates to a merchandising/display element intended to form part of a merchandising/display system. Such a system is particularly intended to be visible to consumers in a retail environment and typically the system is in the form of a free-standing unit or a unit provided at a customer check-out counter, i.e. adjacent a till.

Known point of sale stands, for example confectionary stands, have been provided in specific fixed sizes. Thus the stand can only accommodate a certain number of the confectionary items and if the confectionary item proves successful a further stand or a new, larger stand system must be obtained to accommodate more product. Moreover such known systems have generally been limited as to where they can be positioned at the sale counter.

An object of the invention is to provide a merchandising/display element which is more versatile compared to known equivalent elements.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a merchandising/display element, having attachment means for attaching it, in use, to a mount, and adjustment means for adjusting at least one of the width and the depth/length of at least part of the element.

In one embodiment the or each adjusted dimension part of the element is releasably locked in position after adjustment.

Preferably the element is in the form of a shelf, and more preferably at a part thereof which is rearmost, in use, are provided said attachment means. In one embodiment the attachment means comprises a pair of spaced apart quadrant-like flanges having respective aligned rows of openings therein on respective arcs struck about respective centres of respective aligned further openings in the flanges. In use, a screw is passed through the aligned further openings and through respective aligned openings in respective opposite sides of a mounting post or equivalent disposed between the flanges. The post has identical aligned rows of such openings along its length and once the shelf has been set to a selected one of a series of preset angles defined by the holes in the flanges respectively, a further screw is passed through those pair of openings in the flanges which are aligned with the respective openings in respective opposite sides of the post. Conveniently there are three openings in each row of openings in the flanges so that there are three pre-set angular positions possible for the shelf relative to the post.

For widthwise adjustment of the element there is provided at one side thereof a slidable member, preferably in the form of a wire slide. In one embodiment, the wire slide, which forms a widthwise extension to the element when slid out of a front part of the element, is slidably adjustable stepwise by an end thereof being engagable in a selected detent of a multiplicity of detents in a lock bar in said front part of the element. The lock bar is conveniently movable normal to the sliding movement of the slide when the extension of the slide widthwise is to be altered. This normal movement is against spring bias, and is desirably carried out by manipulation of the lock bar by means of a tool or other implement in an opening of the lock bar accessible at an upper surface of the front part of the element.

Conveniently the front part of the element has two such lock bars therein for adjusting two such wire slides at respective opposite sides of the front part. By this means the front part of the shelf can be extended at its opposite sides.

Whilst the same adjustment arrangement could be provided at a rear part of the element, in one embodiment the or each wire slide is not locked by the use of a lock bar, but is merely frictionally retained after sliding adjustment in a direction into or out of the side or respective sides of the rear part. However the lock bar arrangement could be used at both the front and rear parts of the element or at neither, or indeed only at the rear part instead of only at the front part. Preferably the lock bars have respective leaf springs and in one embodiment the leaf spring of one lock bar engages a rear surface of the other lock bar free of detents, and vice versa.

For length/depth adjustment of the element the front part is slidable towards and away from the (fixed) rear part. However in another embodiment there could be relative sliding with neither part fixed. In the preferred embodiment the front part has one or more rear legs which is or are arranged to slide in one or more openings extending forwards from the front of the rear part of the element. At least one flexible guide extends forwards from the rear part to engage with a rear leg. Preferably the or each rear leg is provided with a series of detents along its length, for example at its underside, and a projection on the flexible guide is selectively engagable in a detent as the front part is moved towards or away from the rear part. A manually actuable part of the flexible guide can be operable to flex the guide

so as to move the projection out of a detent in order to allow for sliding adjustment of the front part.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a merchandising/display unit comprising at least one merchandising/display element of said first aspect of the invention.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, in which:

Figure 1 is a front perspective view from above of a merchandising/display element of the invention, in a fully closed, minimum size condition,

Figure 2 is a front perspective view from below of the element of Figure 1, with side panels omitted.

Figure 3 is a view, like Figure 1 , of the element, but without side panels and to a smaller scale,

Figure 4 is a view like Figure 1 , but with the element extended in depth/length,

Figure 5 is a view like Figure 2 of the element shown extended in Figure 4,

Figures 6 and 7 are respectively a side view and a front view, to a smaller scale, of the element of Figures 4 and 5,

Figure 8 is a view like Figure 4, with the element extended widthwise,

Figure 9 is an exploded perspective view of how a side panel is fitted to a side of a front part of the element,

Figure 10 is a fragmentary top plan view of the element showing width adjustment means,

Figure 11 is an exploded view of the element,

Figure 12 is an assembly view of an upright for mounting an element of the invention,

Figure 13 shows an element of Figure 3 and how three such elements are mounted on the upright of Figure 12,

Figure 14 is a front perspective view of the mounted three elements of Figure 13, with side panels added and shown,

Figure 15 is a side view of three elements mounted on another upright, with the depth/length of the elements extended,

Figure 16 is a front perspective view of the Figure 15 arrangement, with the width of the elements extended,

Figure 17 shows elements mounted on an upright at a counter with a till,

Figure 18 shows a counter and till like Figure 17, with the elements ceiling mounted, and

Figure 19 shows elements mounted at a free standing unit.

A merchandising/display element of the invention is shown in the drawings as being in the form of a shelf 10 comprising a rear part 11 and a front part 12 which, as will be described hereinafter, are inter-engaged so that the front part can be slid backwards and forwards relative to the fixed rear part so as to vary the depth/length of the shelf in order to accommodate additional merchandise, in use. Preferably both the rear part and the front part are of plastics material and are formed by injection moulding. The respective surfaces of the rear part and the front part which are indeed to be uppermost, in use, are generally flat and in the same plane, the generally flat surface of the rear part 11 being indicated by the numeral 13 and the

generally flat upper surface of the front part 12 being denoted by the numeral 14. Various injection moulding openings are shown in the surfaces 13 and 14 in the drawings, and whilst these do not interfere with merchandise carried by the shelf, in that such merchandise is normally in a carton or box, these openings can be covered, if required, by suitable sheets of material. However as will be described, various ones of the openings shown, for example in Figure 1, need to be accessible for assembly and operation of the shelf, in use.

From Figures 1 to 6 and 13 in particular, it can be seen at the rear surface of the rear part 11 there is provided attachment means in the form of a pair of spaced apart, parallel quadrant-like flanges 15, 16 respectively which are integral with the rear part 11. As can be seen from these Figures, and in particular from Figure 6, the bottom of each flange extends generally below the level of the remainder of the underside of the rear part 11 and each flange also projects somewhat normally beyond the rear surface of the rear part 11. At the upper corner of each flange remote from the remainder of the rear part 11 there is a circular through-opening 17, the two openings 17 in the respective flanges 15 and 16 being aligned for reception therethrough of a fixing screw or fixing bolt as will be described hereinafter. Along the curved bottom part of each flange, i.e. directly below the opening 17 is a row of openings 18, these openings lying on an arc struck about the opening 17. Respective nuts (e.g. machined metal inserts) are pressed into the openings 17 and 18 in flange 15. Again the row of openings 18 in one flange are aligned with the row of openings in the other flange so that again, as will be described, fixing members such as screws or bolts can be received through selected pairs of aligned openings 18 in the respective flanges 15, 16 so that,

as shown in Figure 13, a shelf can be fixed to an upright or post 19 at a selected one of three possible angles. The openings 17 are used to position the shelf at a particular height along the upright 19 with a bolt, screw or similar fixing means being inserted and screwed up from flange 16 into flange 15 through said aligned openings 17 in the flanges and also through aligned openings 20 in respective opposite sides of the post. The angle of inclination of the shelf is then adjusted by rotating it around the bolt or screw through the aligned openings 17 until one pair of aligned openings 18 is in line with a pair of openings in the respective opposite sides of the post so that a bolt or screw can be received not only through the selected pair of aligned openings 18 from flange 16 into flange 15, but also the aligned openings 20 in the upright 19. Once the angle of the shelf has thus been fixed in this way, the bolt or screw through the openings 17 can be tightened, as can similarly the bolt or screw through the aligned openings 18, thereby firmly holding the shelf in its angularly adjusted position. As shown in Figure 13, an upright 19 can typically accommodate three shelves, in this example all at the same angle of inclination, and equally spaced along the length of the upright. It will be understood that the adjustment means could be of any other suitable form, and there could be more or less than three positions of adjustment.

To adjust the width of the rear part of the shelf 10 there are fitted in the interior of the rear part 11 a pair of slidable components in the form of two wire slides 21 , 22 respectively, the slides being arranged to slide towards and away from the remainder of the rear part 11 at respective opposite sides thereof. Preferably each slide is made of 6mm powder-coated mild steel wire, but it will be understood that other sizes and other materials could be used. As shown best in Figure 11 , it can be seen that each wire slide 21 or

22 is generally formed with a pair of spaced, parallel elongate sections 23, 24 which are joined together at one end of the slide by an integral upstanding U- shaped part 25. At the opposite end of the slide the end of the section 23 is turned through 90° to form a short hook 25' . The interior of the rear part 11 is formed with suitable surfaces and projections which guide the elongate sections 23, 24 of each of the two wire slides when these are slid inwardly and outwardly of the rear part 11 , the sliding occurring linearly and generally normal to the respective opposite sides of the rear part 11. As can be seen from, for example, Figures 1 and 4, the two wire slides are slightly offset with the wire slide 22 being nearer the front of the rear part 11 than the wire slide 21 so that the two slides do not interfere with each other when, for example, they are both slide into the rear part 11.

As can be seen, for example, from Figures 1 and 4 the flat upper surface 13 of the rear part 11 is provided at generally diagonally opposed corners with a generally L-shaped slot, this being shaped to match the end of an elongate section 23 with its short hook 25' to enable assembly of the two wires slides into the rear part 11. As shown in Figure 8, these two slides can be extended laterally of the rear part 11 to form a widthwise extension of the rear part 11 with merchandise in cartons, boxes, or otherwise being able to be received not only on the flat upper surface 13 of the rear part 11 , but also on the extension wire slides 21 and 22, the retention of the slides in the rear part 11 ensuring that the slides are stable and able to accept appropriate loading of merchandise. As will be understood from the above description, the wire slides are freely extendable and retractable and, as described, are not associated with any locking means in the rear part 11 , resistance to sliding being provided, if necessary, by friction between the wire slides and the

interior plastics materials surfaces and components of the remainder of the rear part 11. However as will be described in relation to die front part 12, it would be possible to provide positive lock means in this rear part 11 as well as with the front part 12, or alternatively in the rear part 11 alone, or in neither part.

Finally with regard to the rear part 11 , it can be seen best from Figures 4, 5, 8 and 11 that extending forwardly from, and generally normally to, a planar front surface 26 of rear part 11 are four guides 27 which are parallel to one another and substantially equi-spaced along said surface 26. As will be described, these guides are for engagement with respective legs 28 extending rearwardly from the front part 12 in order to enable the front part to be slid towards and away from the rear part 11 to adjust the depth/length of the shelf, as will be described. In particular the inner two guides 27 are flexible and are provided at their respective ends remote from the surface 26 with respective manual engagement means in the form of respective grips, 29, 30 on the side of the guide facing an outer guide. Thus as will be described below, pushing the grips 29, 30 inwards releases the middle two guides 27 from their engagement with their associated legs 28 of the front part 12 to enable the front part 12 to slide relative to the rear part 11.

Turning now to the front part 12 in detail, it can be seen from Figure 5 that each of the legs 28 continues linearly at the underside of the front part 12. Moreover from Figure 5 it can be seen that for the inner two legs 28 the underside thereof,, i.e. the part of the leg which is lowermost, in use, is provided with a row of detents 31 each in the form of a recess between a pair of projections, the detents extending from substantially the front of the front

part 12 to the free end of the leg. As described above, each leg 28 is slidable against a surface of a respective aligned guide 27 of the rear part 11 with the two left side legs 28 shown in Figure 5 sliding against the respective outwardly facing surfaces of their associated guides, with the reverse being true for the right hand legs 28 which slide against respective outwardly facing surfaces of their associated guides. Each of the inner two guides 27, at the position of their respective grips 29, 30, carries a projection (not shown) which when the guide is unflexed, i.e. in its Figure 5 position, is adapted to engage in a selected detent 31 to lock the front part 12 against sliding movement towards or away from the rear part 11. Accordingly by pushing the two grips 29, 30 inwardly towards one another, respective projections at said grips are released from their respective detents, thus allowing the front part 12 to be slidingly adjusted, i.e. moved towards or away from the rear part 11. The outer two legs 28 merely slide against their respective guides inwardly or outwardly without there being any locking means in the form of detents, although these could be provided in a similar way for the inner guides and legs if required. Thus an efficient, quick and convenient method of adjusting the depth/length of the shelf is provided by the use of said flexible inner guides with their grips 29, 30 cooperating with the detents 31 provided for the inner two legs of the front part 12.

For adjusting the width of the front part 12 of the shelf 10, a similar arrangement is used that for the rear part 11 , namely slidable components in the form of wire slides identical to the slides 21, 22. As shown best in Figure 11 , the two wire slides for the front part 12 are denoted by the numerals 32, 33 respectively. Since these wire slides are the same shape as

the wire slides 21, 22, the respective parts thereof are numbered by the same numerals 23 to 25, with the suffix a.

However instead of the wire slides 32, 33 being merely 'frictionally' retained in an adjusted position, the front part 12 is provided with a pair of lock bars 34, 35 respectively which are retained in the front part 12 against lateral movement. As can be seen best from Figure 11 , each lock bar is of elongated generally rectangular form. The lock bars have respective flat planar rear surfaces 36, 37 from which extend respective leaf springs 38, 39. With the arrangement shown in Figure 11 , the rear surfaces face one another, so that the leaf spring on one lock bar engages against the rear surface of the other lock bar so as to urge the two lock bars apart in their normal position of use. Respective front surfaces 40, 41 of the lock bars 34, 35 are provided with a row of detents 42, 43 respectively which are engageable with the hooks 25 'a at the end of the wire slide sections 23a.

Accordingly whilst the wire slides 21, 22 can be relatively freely slid into and away from the rear part 11, the slides 32, 33 are locked in their respective adjusted positions relative to the front part 12 and can only be moved into the front part 12 or away from it when the locking between the hook parts 25 'a and a respective associated detent is released. Thus whilst the adjustment of each slide 21 , 22 is in effect stepless, the adjustment of the slides 32, 33 is stepped according to the arrangement of the row of detents 42, 43. To release a hook 25 'a from a detent 42, 43, it is necessary to move the lock bar providing the detent in a direction away from the hook, and in the embodiment described and illustrated in Figures 5 and 11 , this involves moving the lock bar 34 towards the front of the front part 12, whilst for the

lock bar 35 the movement is in the opposite direction, i.e. away from the front of the front part 12. In other words to release the locking between a wire slide and a lock bar, the lock bar in question is moved towards the other lock bar, the lock bar then returning to its previous position by virtue of the force of its associated leaf spring. The means of accomplishing this movement is shown, for example, in Figure 10 where it can be seen that the respective upper surfaces of the lock bars 34, 35 are provided with respective holes or other openings 44, 45 which are accessible through a slot 46 in the upper surface 14 of the front part 12. All that is necessary to carry out the release of the locking bar, is to insert an implement/tool, for example a pen tip, into the selected hole and pulling the lock bar engaged by the implement towards the other hole, i.e. towards the other lock bar. Whilst this pulling force is maintained, it is possible to move the wire slide associated with the adjusted lock bar to a new adjusted position by moving it inwards or outwards of the front part 12. The other wire shelf can then be similarly adjusted, with release of the implement allowing the respective lock bar to return to its unadjusted locking position with the two lock bars spaced apart again in the front part 12. Assembly of the wire slides for both the front and the rear parts of the shelf involves inserting the ends of the slide remote from the U-shaped part into the respective opposite sides of the front or rear part with the hook being engaged in the L-shaped opening referred to above in the upper surfaces 13, 14 of the rear and front parts. The hooks are then manipulated to lower them into the interior of the rear or front part. This arrangement prevents accidental/inadvertent release of a wire slide from the front or rear part of the shelf. Figure 8 shows all four wire slides in their outermost adjusted positions respectively so that in this position the width of the shelf is at a maximum. Figure 8 also shows the front and rear parts at

their maximum degree of separation, i.e. with the shelf in its maximum depth/length condition.

The wire slides 32, 33 are provided with respective end caps 47, 48 and, in this embodiment, attached to said end caps are respective side panels 49, 50. Like the lock bars 34, 35, the end cap is preferably formed of plastics material, for example by injection moulding, each end cap being formed in two parts 51, 52 respectively, the parts being secured together by screws 53. The two parts 51, 52 of each end cap sandwich between them part of the U-shaped end of the respective wire slides 32, 33 as shown best in Figure 9. As will be described, the end cap carries out two functions. Firstly the end caps mount the side panels 49, 50, in that each end cap has at its outer side a tab 54. The tab is at the 'rear' end of the end cap, whilst at its enlarged curved front end it is formed with a front mounting groove 55. Each side panel is essentially in the form of a shaped sheet, having a cut out 56 for engagement over the tab 54 and having its front edge surface shaped to engage in the mounting groove 55, this being assisted by way of a small cut out 57 engaging a tag at the groove. Moreover aside from these mechanical connections, the inner surface of the side panel can be adhesively secured to the outer side of the end cap so that it is positioned as shown best in Figures 1, 4 and 8. It will be noted that in the 'closed' position of the shelf in Figure 1 , i.e. when the shelf is in its minimum depth/length position each side panel substantially covers the wire slides 21, 22. However when the shelf is extended as shown in Figure 4, these wire slides are not longer covered by the panels and are exposed to view. In addition to providing a side stop for merchandise on the shelf in the extended position shown in Figure 4, the side panels can also be used to carry advertising/merchandising information

relating to the product being displayed, and it will be understood that these side panels can be easily changed so that information relating to different merchandised products carried by the shelf can be substituted.

The other function of the end caps is to retain at a front surface 58 of the front part 12 an indicator strip 59 which is preferably of extruded plastics material and which can, for example, be provided with information about the merchandised product, for example it can serve as a price indicator strip. This strip 59 can be cut to length so as to extend across the whole of the width of the shelf when this is adjusted accordingly and the respective opposite ends of the strip are received in respective mounting grooves at respective interior end surfaces of the end cap parts 51 , the shape of the front surface 58 being in correspondence with the general C-shape of the indicator strip so that the strip is disposed, in use, as shown in, for example, Figures 1, 4, 7 and 8 of the drawings.

Figure 12 shows an upright 19 to which a shelf of the invention can be mounted, the upright having, as described, a row of equi-spaced openings 20 in a pair of opposite sides. Figure 12 shows how a header end cap 60 is received in the upper open end of the upright 19 to mount a header panel 61 which can, for example, as shown in Figure 17, be for carrying advertising information relating to the displayed product.

Whilst Figure 13 shows three shelves equally spaced apart vertically and at the same angle, clearly the shelves can be spaced apart vertically by any required distance and each shelf can be angularly adjusted differently from the other shelf or shelves. Whilst Figure 13 does not show the side

panels 49, 50 these are shown in Figure 14 with each of the three shelves in their minimum width/length condition. In contrast Figure 15, which is similar to Figure 13, shows each shelf in its maximum depth/length adjusted condition so that the side panels do not cover the wire slides 21, and 22. Figure 16 shows the arrangement to Figure 15, with each shelf also adjusted widthwise to its maximum, for both the wire slides 21, 22 and also the wire slides 32, 33.

Finally Figures 17 to 19 show various display systems using the shelf of the present invention. Figure 17 shows a counter 62 with a till 63, and a display /merchandising unit 64 utilising three of the shelves 10 of the invention. Figure 18 differs in that the unit 64 is ceiling mounted, whilst Figure 19 shows the unit 64 as a free standing display. Here it will be understood that the uprights are spaced apart so that accordingly the shelves are mounted to the uprights at their respective opposite ends rather than with the arrangement shown in, for example, Figure 1, where the flanges 15, 16 are at the centre of the rear unit. It is intended that the units 64 shown in Figures 17 to 19 can hold and display outers of gum, medicated cough drops, mints and possibly chocolates, it will be understood that other merchandise can be displayed by a shelf of the invention.

It will be understood that many variations to the embodiments described are possible, and for example the wire slides could be locked in place by a further clip for added tamper-proofing. When combined with various accessories, e.g. expanding wire baskets and mounting accessories, the shelves as a display /merchandising unit can be ceiling mounted, pole mounted, counter mounted, act as a power wing on another shelving system

or be free standing. Although, as described, the movement of the front part of a shelf towards or away from the rear part is stepped, by means of the detents 31 , it will be understood that in an alternative arrangement the adjustment could be stepless with suitable locking means provided if required/necessary. Moreover it may be possible to provide a series of adjustable shelf parts so that the length/depth of a shelf could be extended consecutively rather than by the movement of a single front part relative to the rear part. In other words a further 'front part' could be slidable towards and away from the front part 12 in the same manner using legs and guides. As shown in Figure 11, additional 'single' wire slides 65, 66, could be provided at the forward part of the front end, each having a downturned end held in an end cap 47 or 48.