Technical field The invention relates to shelf arrangement comprising a base part, which is designed to be mounted substantially vertically on a wall, a stand, a rack or the like, and at least one shelf part, which is designed to be fixed releasably to the base part. The shelf arrangement is suitable for, among other things, presentation of goods in a shop. The shelf arrangement can, for example, be mounted on the outside of ordinary shelves found in the shop, for special display of selected goods.

Background and prior art

In convenience stores, for example, goods are often presented on ordinary shop shelves, which are typically arranged along aisles in the shop. The ordinary shop shelves are usually optimized to provide a large storage space and easy access to the goods . It may be desirable in some circumstances to give certain selected goods extra exposure to the customers. For this purpose, the selected goods can be placed on special shelf arrangements that are placed at selected locations in the shop that are clearly visible to customers . GB 2 436 885 A discloses an example of special shelf arrangements of this type. This shelf arrangement is designed to be placed free-standing on a floor and comprises a self-supporting and free-standing base part and a plurality of shelf parts made from a foldable cardboard material. The base part is made in one piece and comprises a rear wall and two side walls. The shelf parts are fixed to the base part by means of projecting tabs on the shelf parts being inserted into corresponding recesses in the side walls of the base part .

US 4,955,488 discloses another type of shelf arrangement. This arrangement is intended for the storage of flat articles. The arrangement comprises wall brackets, which are designed to be fixed vertically on a wall, and a number of compartments that can be fixed to the wall brackets. For this purpose, the compartments have projecting hooks, which can be brought into engagement with corresponding slits arranged in the wall brackets.

Brief disclosure of the invention

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved shelf arrangement that is suitable for special display of selected goods in a shop. Another object is to provide a shelf arrangement of this type that has considerable strength even when produced using relatively weak materials.

A further object is to provide a shelf arrangement of this type that is easy to assemble and put into place.

Yet another object is to provide a shelf arrangement of this type that is easy and relatively inexpensive to produce .

A further object is to provide a shelf arrangement of this type that takes up relatively little space during storage and transport . These and other objects are achieved with a shelf arrangement that is of the type specified in the preamble of claim 1 and that has the special technical features indicated in the characterizing part of the claim. The shelf arrangement comprises a base part, which is designed to be mounted substantially vertically on a wall, a stand, a rack or the like, and at least one shelf part, which is designed to be fixed releasably to the base part. The base part is made from a sheet-like material and has a longitudinal direction and, at right angles to the longitudinal direction, a generally U-shaped cross section with a rear wall and two forwardly projecting side walls, which side walls are each connected to the rear wall along a respective connection line which is parallel to the longitudinal direction. The shelf part is made from a sheet- like material and has a bottom wall and a front wall, which is not parallel to the bottom wall. The shelf arrangement also comprises rear fixing means for fixing the shelf part releasably to the base part. The rear fixing means comprise two first slits formed in the base part, which first slits are formed at and parallel to a respective one of said connection lines, and two first tabs projecting laterally on opposite sides of the shelf part, which first tabs, in the assembled state, are designed to be received and supported by a respective first slit and, in this position, to be oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the base part.

Since the base part and the shelf part are made from a sheet- like material, the component parts of the shelf arrangement can be produced in a simple and cost- effective manner. The bottom wall of the shelf part is designed to support the goods that are to be placed on the shelf arrangement. The front wall of the shelf part is not parallel to the bottom part and forms a further support for goods placed on the bottom wall and avoids the goods sliding off or tipping forward. The fact that the first slits of the rear fixing means are arranged at and parallel to the longitudinal connection lines results in a high degree of stiffness and strength of the assembled shelf arrangement under loads acting parallel to the longitudinal direction of the base part. As the assembled shelf arrangement is suspended or otherwise mounted such that the longitudinal direction of the base part is vertical, this means that relatively heavy articles can be held by the shelf parts, even if the base part and also the shelf parts are made of relatively thin and weak materials. This in turn means that relatively inexpensive and easily worked materials can be used to produce shelf arrangements that withstand heavy loads.

The shelf arrangement can comprise front fixing means for releasably fixing the shelf part to the base part, which front fixing means comprise at least two second slits formed in the base part, which second slits are formed respectively in one of said side walls, and two second tabs projecting laterally on opposite sides of the shelf part, which second tabs, in the assembled state, are designed to be received and supported by a respective second slit and, in this position, to be oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the base part . This results in further increased stiffness and strength of the assembled shelf arrangement. Since the second tabs are designed to be oriented in the longitudinal direction of the base part, they have a high degree of stiffness in the direction in which gravity acts when the shelf arrangement is mounted substantially vertically. This results in substantial load-bearing and strength in the vertical direction.

The shelf part can comprise a flange projecting substantially at right angles from a rear edge of the bottom wall of the shelf part, wherein the first tabs are arranged at a respective end of said flange. Such a flange contributes to increasing the stiffness and therefore the load-bearing capacity of the shelf part. The placement of the first tabs at the ends of the flange also facilitates the production of the shelf element . The second tabs can be arranged at a respective side edge of the front wall of the shelf part. This results in further increased stiffness of the assembled shelf arrangement . The placement of the second tabs also fixes the position of the front wall of the shelf part, which further reduces the risk of goods sliding off the shelf part or tipping forward.

The second tabs can comprise hook elements which are designed in such a way that, when in engagement with at least one base part region arranged around the respective second slit, they prevent the two side walls from being moved in a direction away from each other. In this embodiment, the side walls are therefore prevented from bending or flexing in a direction away from each other, and this further contributes to increased stiffness and strength of the assembled shelf arrangement. The side walls, laterally fixed in this way, also reduce the risk of goods placed on the shelf part rolling in one of the lateral directions.

The second slits can be designed to permit insertion of the respective second tab when the shelf part is oriented in a first rotation position relative to a rotation axis extending between the two second tabs of the shelf element, and to allow the hook elements of the second tabs to engage with the respective base part region when the shelf part is rotated about said rotation axis to a second rotation position. This permits simple mounting of the shelf part on the base part, while at the same time ensuring reliable engagement between the hook elements and corresponding base part regions . The shelf arrangement can comprise a plurality of shelf parts and a corresponding number of first and second slits formed in pairs in the base part. This permits simple production of a shelf arrangement having a desired number of shelves.

The base part can be made in one piece by thermal bending and punching from a sheet- like plastic material. This permits simple and relatively inexpensive production of the base part.

The side walls of the base part can be arranged diverging from each other in a forward direction from the rear wall. This allows several base parts to be stacked in a way that saves space, with a first base part being received between the side walls of a second base part. This space-saving stacking reduces the costs of transport and storage of the base parts . The base part can alternatively be made in one piece from a sheet- like plastic material, and the connection lines between the rear wall and the side walls are formed as fold lines in order to allow the base part to be stored and transported flat. Such an embodiment further reduces the space needed for transport and storage of the base parts .

The shelf part or the shelf parts can also be made in one piece from a thermally bent and punched plastic material. This permits simple and relatively production of the shelf part or the shelf parts.

The base part can comprise at least two third slits and at least two third tabs, in order to allow a first base part to be fixed to a second base part by means of the third tabs of the first base part engaging in the third slits of the second base part. It is thus possible, by simple means, for several shelf arrangements to be arranged one after the other in a row parallel to the longitudinal direction of the base parts . Brief description of the figures

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to the attached figures, of which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a shelf arrangement according to one embodiment of the invention, seen obliquely from the front. Fig. 2 is a perspective view, obliquely from the front, of a base part included in the shelf arrangement shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing, on an enlarged scale, a shelf part included in the shelf arrangement shown in Fig. 1.

Detailed description of embodiments An illustrative embodiment of a shelf arrangement according to the invention is shown in Figures 1-3. The illustrative shelf arrangement 1 comprises a base part 10 and mutually identical shelf parts 20, which are releasably fixed to the base part 10. It will be appreciated, however, that the shelf arrangement can be designed to comprise any desired number of shelf parts.

The base part 10 is made from a sheet- like plastic material that has been thermally bent and punched to give the shape shown in Fig. 2. In the example shown, the material is polyvinyl chloride (PVC) . Another suitable material for the embodiment shown is polyethylene terephthalate (PET) . These two materials have good strength combined with suitable elasticity and can also be made transparent, which may be desirable for many uses. The base part 10 is elongate and has a longitudinal direction. The base part also has a cross section at right angles to the longitudinal direction, which cross section is generally U-shaped. As can be seen best from Fig. 2, the cross section defines a rear wall 11 and two side walls 12, 13. The two side walls 12, 13 are connected to the rear wall 11 along a respective connection line 12a, 13a. The two connection lines extend along almost the entire length of the base part and parallel to the longitudinal direction of the base part 10. In the example shown, the front edge of the two side walls 12, 13 is cut such that the side walls are given a decorative undulating shape .

The shelf parts 20 are each made in one piece from a sheet-like plastic material that has been thermally bent and punched to the shape shown in Fig. 3. In the example shown, the material used is PVC. Like the base part, the shelf parts can also alternatively be made of PET in the embodiment shown in the figures. The shelf parts 20 have a bottom wall 21 and a front wall 22.

In the example shown, the bottom wall 21 is designed to have a horizontal orientation in the assembled state when the base part 10 is vertically suspended, for example, on a wall, a stand, a shop shelf or the like. The bottom wall 21 has a width, in the lateral direction of the shelf arrangement, that substantially corresponds to the distance between the side walls 12, 13 of the base part 10. The front wall 22 is non-parallel to the bottom wall 21. In the example shown, the front wall 22 is at right angles to the bottom wall 21. However, the front wall can assume other angles in relation to the bottom wall 21. Typically, however, the front wall is arranged such that it is angled upward from the bottom wall 21 when the shelf arrangement 1 is suspended or otherwise set up for use. The upwardly angled front wall thus prevents goods placed on the bottom wall from sliding off the shelf arrangement in the forward direction. In cases where the front wall 22 is angled upward at right angles, as is shown in the figures, or approximately at right angles, the front wall also provides a support that prevents goods placed on the bottom wall 21 from tipping or rolling forward.

The shelf parts also comprise a flange 23 projecting downward from the rear edge of the bottom wall 21. The flange 23 extends along the full length of the shelf part 20 in the lateral direction of the shelf arrangement 1. The flange 23 constitutes a reinforcement of the bottom wall 21 and avoids the bottom wall bending or sagging down when heavy goods are placed on the bottom wall 21.

The shelf arrangement also comprises means for releasably fixing the shelf arrangements 20 to the base part 10. These means comprise rear fixing means for rear fixing of the shelf parts 20 and front fixing means for front fixing of the shelf parts 20 to the base part 10.

The rear fixing means comprise a number of first slits 14, 15 formed in the base part. The first slits 14, 15 are arranged in pairs, such that one slit 14 in each pair is formed on one connection line 12a, and the second slit 15 in the pair is formed on the second connection line 13a. The two first slits 14, 15 in each pair are also arranged at substantially the same height of the base part 10, i.e. on one and the same line at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the base part 10. In the example shown, four such pairs of first slits 14, 15 are arranged pair by pair along the length of the base part. Each first slit 14, 15 is formed all the way through the base part 10, at a respective connection line 12a, 13a. The first slits 14, 15 are elongate and extend parallel to the connection line 12a, 13a.

The rear fixing means also comprise first tabs 24, which are arranged on the shelf parts 20. Each shelf part 20 comprises two first tabs 24, although the figures show only one of the two first tabs 24 on each shelf part 20. On each shelf part 20, a first tab 24 is designed as a part of a respective end of the flange 23 projecting past the bottom wall 21. The thickness of the first tabs 24 is defined by the material thickness of the sheet-like material from which the shelf part is produced. The first tabs 24 also have a general plane of extension that is parallel to the plane of extension of the flange 23. The plane of extension of the first tabs 24 is therefore arranged substantially at right angles to the plane of extension of the bottom wall 21 and parallel to the rear wall 11 of the base part, when the shelf part is fixed to the base part. The first tabs 24 thus have a cross section at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the flange 23, which cross section is partially defined by the material thickness. The first tabs 24 have an upper, obliquely cut edge 24a, such that the height of the cross section of the first tabs 24 decreases in the direction away from the bottom wall 21. Along the entire length of the first tabs 24 projecting from the bottom wall 21, the cross section has a height parallel to the plane of extension of the tabs 24 and of the flange 23, which height is substantially greater than the width of the cross section of the tabs 24 defined by the thickness of the material . The front fixing means comprise second slits 16, 17, which are formed in the side walls 12, 13 of the base part 10, and second projecting tabs 25, 26, which are arranged on each shelf part 20. The second slits 16, 17 are arranged in pairs, such that one slit 16 in each pair is formed in one side wall 12 (the left-hand one in the figures) of the side walls, and the other slit 17 of the pair is formed in the second side wall 13 (the right-hand one in the figures) . The two second slits 16, 17 in each pair are also arranged at substantially the same height of the base part 10, i.e. on one and the same line at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the base part 10. In the example shown, four such pairs of first slits 16, 17 are arranged pair by pair along the length of the base part. Each first slit 16, 17 is formed all the way through the respective side wall 12, 13 of the base part 10 near the front edge of the side wall, at a wave crest. Each second slit 16, 17 has the general shape of an equilateral triangle, of which the height direction is arranged at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the base part. Thus, when the base part is mounted vertically, the height direction of the triangular slits 16, 17 is arranged horizontally. The orientation of the triangular slits 16, 17 is also such that the base is arranged closest to the front edge of the respective side wall, while the apex points in the rearward direction toward the rear wall of the base part. The height of the triangular slits 16, 17 is also considerably greater than their base.

The second tabs 25, 26 are laterally projecting continuations of the front wall 22 of the shelf parts 20. Each second tab 25, 26 has a general plane of extension that is parallel to the front wall 22 of the respective shelf part 20. The second tabs 25, 26 therefore have a cross section that is partially defined by the thickness of the material of the shelf part 20. Each second tab 25, 26 is symmetrical with respect to a line connecting the two second tabs 25, 26 of one shelf part 20. Each second tab 25, 26 has an inner waist portion 25a, 26a arranged closest to the front wall 22, an intermediate double-tipped portion 25b, 26b with a maximum extension parallel to the plane of extension of the tab, and an outer convexly curved portion 25c, 26c. The inner waist portions 25a, 26a and intermediate portions 25b, 26b of the second tabs 25, 26 thus form respective hook elements. The extension of the second tabs 25, 26 parallel to their general plane of extension is, at the waist portion, equal to or slightly smaller than the base of the triangular second slits 16, 17 and, at the intermediate portion 25b, 26b, equal to or slightly smaller than the height of the triangular second slits 16, 17.

When a shelf part 20 is to be fixed to a vertically mounted base part 10, the shelf part 20 is first turned so that the front wall 22 is parallel to the horizontal plane, wherein the general plane of extension of the second tabs 25, 26 is parallel to the height direction of the triangular second slits 16, 17. It is thus possible to insert the second tabs 25, 26 into a respective second slit 16, 17 of one pair of second slits in the side walls 12, 13 of the base part. To permit insertion of the second tabs, the front wall 22 of the shelf part can be bent slightly such that it yields elastically, wherein the distance between the convexly curved portions 25c, 26c of the two second tabs decreases in order to permit insertion of the front wall between the two side walls 12, 13 of the base part. Alternatively or in combination, the front portions of the two side walls 12, 13 can be bent elastically outward in the direction away from each other. When the second tabs 25, 26 have been inserted into a respective second slit 16, 17, the shelf part 20 is rotated about a rotation axis defined by a horizontal line between the two second lists 25, 26. The shelf part 20 is rotated such that the first tabs 24 are moved in the direction toward the rear wall 11 of the base part 10. The laterally projecting first tabs 24 thus come into contact with the side walls of the base part 10. Under elastic deformation of the side walls and/or of the bottom wall 21 and flange 23 of the shelf part 20, the rotation can be continued until the second tabs 24 snap- fit into a respective first slit 14, 15 of the base part 10.

The shelf part 20 has in this way been fixed releasably to the base part 10. In this fixed position, as is shown in Fig. 1, the bottom wall 21 of the shelf part is oriented horizontally and the front wall 22 is oriented vertically. As a result of the rotation of the shelf part about its rotation axis, the hook elements 25a-b, 26a-b of the second tabs 25, 26 have come into engagement with the material portions of the side walls 12, 13 of the base part 10 that are arranged around, or more specifically directly above and below, the triangular second slits 16, 17. This engagement prevents the side walls 12, 13 of the base part from bending outward from each other. This provides a substantial degree of stiffness and stability of the assembled shelf arrangement. The engagement between the second tabs 25, 26 and the second slits 16, 17 also means that the front wall is held firmly in place, even if it is exposed to considerable loads in the forward direction, for example on account of goods placed on the bottom wall 21 of the shelf part tipping forward, and in the rearward direction. It should also be noted that the general plane of extension of the first tabs 24 and also of the second tabs 25, 26 is arranged in the vertical plane. In this way, the shelf arrangement will have a considerable load-bearing capacity in the vertical direction, i.e. in the direction of gravity, even if both the base part 10 and also the shelf parts 20 are made of relatively thin and weak sheet-like materials. The fact that the first slits 14, 15 have a vertically elongate shape and are formed on the connection line 12a, 13a between the rear wall of the base part 10 and the side walls 12, 13 also contributes to increasing the load-bearing capacity and strength of the shelf arrangement parallel to the longitudinal direction of the base part, i.e. in the direction of gravity when the shelf arrangement is mounted vertically. With the first and second fixing means designed and oriented according to the invention, the load-bearing capacity and strength of the shelf arrangement is optimized with respect to the material thickness .

The base part 10 also has a pair of third slits 18a, 18b, which are formed in a respective connection line 12a, 13a near the upper end of the base part. A pair of laterally protruding third tabs 19a, 19b are also arranged at the lower end of the rear wall of the base part 10. By inserting the third tabs 19a, 19b of a first base part into the third slits 18a, 18b of a second base part, the two base parts can be coupled together one after the other in the longitudinal direction. It will be appreciated that any desired number of base parts can be coupled together in this way. Like the first and second slits and tabs, the thirds slits and tabs are also arranged parallel to the longitudinal direction of the base part . In the same way as for the first and second fixing means, this permits a coupling between two or more shelf arrangements which, even in the case of relatively thin and weak materials, copes with relatively heavy loads in the direction of gravity, when the shelf arrangements are arranged vertically. The base part 10 additionally has a suspension recess 18c which is formed all the way through the rear wall, near the upper end of the base part and centrally between the two side walls 12, 13. With the aid of the suspension recess 18c, the shelf arrangement can be easily suspended on a hook, a spike or the like, which is fixed to a wall, a shelf stack, a console or some other structure on which the shelf arrangement is to be suspended.

An illustrative embodiment of a shelf arrangement according to the invention has been described above . The invention is not limited to this embodiment and instead can be varied freely within the scope of the attached claims. For example, the side walls of the base part can be designed such that the distance between them increases slightly in the direction from the rear wall. This makes it possible for several base parts to be easily stacked one inside another to save space. It is also possible that the base part, instead of being formed as a thermally bent and relatively dimensionally stable element, can also be foldable . In this case, the connection line between the rear wall of the base part and the two side walls expediently form fold lines. The base part can then be stored and transported completely flat. During assembly, the side walls are folded out forward, such that they become substantially parallel to each other. After one or more shelf parts have been releasably fixed in the manner described above, the engagement between the second fixing means allows the side walls to be fixed in a position corresponding to the position illustrated in the figures. The shelf parts can also be made as foldable flat elements, in which case the lines connecting the flange 23 to the bottom wall and connecting the bottom wall to the front wall constitute fold lines. In such embodiments, the shelf parts too can be transported and stored completely flat. When shelf parts of this kind have been folded to a shape corresponding to the shape illustrated in the figures, this shape is fixed by the engagement between the first and second fixing means. Foldable base parts and shelf parts of this kind, which can be stored and transported flat, are expediently made of polypropylene (PP) or cardboard. The design of the wave-shaped side walls illustrated in the figures can of course be varied freely in order to obtain any desired shape.