IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,390,024
Granted Patent B2
US 12,390,024 · App. 18/972,016 · Granted Aug 19, 2025

Retail shelving system

Inventors: Shane Obitts (North Ridgeville, OH); Billy Mertz (Cincinnati, OH); Matt Grubbs (Union, KY)
Assignee: Fasteners for Retail, Inc.
A47F5/0043A47B57/42A47B96/021A47B96/027A47B96/028A47F5/0018A47F5/103A47B57/04A47B57/34A47B96/024A47B96/061A47B96/07A47B96/1408A47F5/005
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,390,024
App. No.
18/972,016
Granted
Aug 19, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A shelving system is provided. The shelving system includes an upper rail, and optionally a lower rail, from which one or more upright supports extend. The upright supports are slidable within the upper and lower rails so that a user may vary their location. A shelf mounts to the upright supports. The shelf includes interlocking deck panels and selectively removable support bars so that it may be assembled onto the upright supports.

Claims (39)

1. A shelf comprising:

a frame including:

first and second support arms;

a front support bar extending parallel to a horizontal axis and between the first and second support arms; and

a rear support bar extending parallel to the horizonal axis and between the first and second support arms, the rear support bar being positioned rearward of the front support bar;

a plurality of deck panels including a first deck panel and a second deck panel, the second deck panel being positioned horizontally adjacent the first deck panel, the plurality of deck panels being supported by the front and rear support bars, the first deck panel having a first width measured parallel to the horizontal axis, each deck panel being plastic, the first deck panel having a first upper support surface for supporting merchandise, the first upper support surface defining a first edge, the second deck panel has a second upper support surface for supporting merchandise, the second upper support surface defining a second edge, the first and second edges are adjacent to one another at an interface between the first and second deck panels;

a front fence extending parallel to the horizontal axis, the front fence having a second width measured parallel to the horizontal axis, the second width being greater than the first width such that the front fence engages at least two of the plurality of deck panels, the front fence including:

a top wire portion extending horizontally;

a bottom wire portion extending horizontally, the bottom wire portion being spaced from the top wire portion;

an intermediate wire portion that is positioned between the top and bottom wire portions, the intermediate wire portion zig-zags between the top and bottom wire portions, the intermediate wire portion being connected to the top wire portion in a plurality of locations and being connected to the bottom wire portion in a plurality of locations;

a plurality of vertically directed wire portions that extend downward below the bottom wire portion and away from the top wire portion, a first vertically directed wire portion of the plurality of vertically directed wire portions being adjacent the first deck panel and a second vertically directed wire portion of the plurality of vertically directed wire portions being adjacent the second deck panel, an intermediate section of the bottom wire portion extends horizontally between the first and second vertically directed wire portions, the intermediate section extends across the first and second edges and the interface between the first and second deck panels; and

when the first deck panel, second deck panel, front fence and frame are assembled, with the front fence engaged with the first and second deck panels, the first and second deck panels are horizontally interlocked with one another.

2. A shelf comprising:

a frame including:

a front support bar extending parallel to a horizontal axis; and

a rear support bar extending parallel to the horizonal axis, the rear support bar being positioned rearward of the front support bar;

a plurality of deck panels including a first deck panel and a second deck panel, the second deck panel being positioned horizontally adjacent the first deck panel, the plurality of deck panels being supported by the front and rear support bars, the first deck panel having a first width measured parallel to the horizontal axis, the first deck panel having a first upper support surface for supporting merchandise, the first upper support surface defining a first edge, the second deck panel having a second upper support surface for supporting merchandise, the second upper support surface defining a second edge, the first and second edges are adjacent to one another at an interface between the first and second deck panels; and

a front fence extending parallel to the horizontal axis, the front fence having a second width measured parallel to the horizontal axis, the second width being greater than the first width such that the front fence engages at least two of the plurality of deck panels, the front fence includes:

a top wire portion extending horizontally:

a bottom wire portion extending horizontally, the bottom wire portion being spaced from the top wire portion, the bottom wire portion has an intermediate section that extends horizontally between the first and second vertically directed wire portions, the intermediate section extends across the first and second edges and the interface between the first and second deck panels;

an intermediate wire portion positioned between the top and bottom wire portions, the intermediate wire portion zig-zags between the top and bottom wire portions, the intermediate wire portion being connected to the top wire portion in a plurality of locations and the intermediate wire portion being connected to the bottom wire portion in a plurality of locations;

a plurality of vertically directed wire portions that extend downward from the bottom wire portion and away from the top wire portion, a first vertically directed wire portion of the plurality of vertically directed wire portions being adjacent the first deck panel and a second vertically directed wire portion of the plurality of vertically directed wire portions being adjacent the second deck panel.

3. The shelf of claim 2 , wherein:

the first deck panel has a first upper support surface for supporting merchandise, the first deck panel has a first front wall that defines a first front face that faces away from the front and rear support bars;

the second deck panel has a second upper support surface for supporting merchandise, the second deck panel has a second front wall that defines a second front face that faces away from the front and rear support bars;

the front fence being positioned rearward of the first and second front faces.

4. The shelf of claim 3 , wherein:

the front fence is positioned between the first front wall and the front support bar;

the front fence is positioned between the second front wall and the front support bar;

the rear support bar is positioned rearward of the front support bar.

5. The shelf of claim 2 , wherein:

when the shelf is fully assembled, the front fence engages the first and second deck panels; and

when the shelf is fully assembled, the first and second deck panels are horizontally interlocked with one another.

6. The shelf of claim 2 , wherein:

when the first deck panel, second deck panel, front fence and frame are assembled, the front fence engages the first and second deck panels;

when the first deck panel, second deck panel, front fence and frame are assembled, the first and second deck panels are horizontally interlocked with one another.

7. The shelf of claim 2 , wherein the second deck panel has a third width measured parallel to the horizontal axis, the third width being less than the second width.

8. The shelf of claim 7 , wherein the second width is greater than the first width plus the third width.

9. The shelf of claim 8 , wherein the third width is equal to the first width.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 10, 2024
From: OBITTS, SHANE; MERTZ, BILLY; GRUBBS, MATT
To: FASTENERS FOR RETAIL, INC.
Reel/Frame 069538/0671 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 17826769 · May 27, 2022
Continuation 16222722 · Dec 17, 2018
Related Publication 20250120521A1 · Apr 17, 2025
References Cited (66)
US 2305244A · Erickson · 1942 [cited by applicant]
US 2933195A · Radek · 1960 [cited by examiner]
US 3237779A · Eger · 1966 [cited by applicant]
US 3285428A · Scheck · 1966 [cited by applicant]
US 3297374A · Radek · 1967 [cited by applicant]
US 3298503A · Field et al. · 1967 [cited by applicant]
US 3302800A · Zdanowski · 1967 [cited by applicant]
US 3358847A · Magnuson · 1967 [cited by applicant]
US 3403787A · Browning · 1968 [cited by applicant]
US 3465891A · Rose · 1969 [cited by applicant]
US 3610427A · Maziarka et al. · 1971 [cited by applicant]
US 3827574A · Craig, Sr. · 1974 [cited by examiner]
US 3832957A · Mendenhall · 1974 [cited by examiner]
US 4078664A · McConnell · 1978 [cited by applicant]
US 4250679A · Burg · 1981 [cited by applicant]
US 4467927A · Nathan · 1984 [cited by applicant]
US 4540222A · Burrell · 1985 [cited by applicant]
US 4665838A · Minshall · 1987 [cited by applicant]
US 4760930A · Fox · 1988 [cited by examiner]
US 4815394A · Ettlinger et al. · 1989 [cited by applicant]
US 4955490A · Schäfer · 1990 [cited by applicant]
US 5279431A · Highsmith et al. · 1994 [cited by applicant]
US 5310066A · Konstant · 1994 [cited by applicant]
US 5433152A · Henry · 1995 [cited by applicant]
US 5529192A · Conen et al. · 1996 [cited by applicant]
US 5628415A · Mulholland · 1997 [cited by applicant]
US 6006926A · O'Reilly et al. · 1999 [cited by applicant]
US 6021908A · Mathews · 2000 [cited by applicant]
US 6105798A · Gruber et al. · 2000 [cited by applicant]
US 6257425B1 · Liu · 2001 [cited by applicant]
US 6257427B1 · Schneid · 2001 [cited by applicant]
US 6705477B1 · Narkis et al. · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 7478731B1 · Mason · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 7784413B2 · Gabriel et al. · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 7810487B2 · Johnston · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 8141723B2 · Whalen et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 8517191B2 · Paeth · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 9027767B2 · Buckley et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 9375102B2 · Troyner et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9538859B1 · Johnson · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 10123637B1 · DeSena et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 10206506B1 · Lai et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10334970B2 · Buck et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US D875448S · Reinhart et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 10709238B1 · Thompson · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 11246396B2 · Boos · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 11268284B2 · Ohrstrom · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 11304546B1 · Boos · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 11389015B2 · Smedley et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 11612245B2 · Meiser · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20090107941A1 · Liao · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 20100065523A1 · Northrup, Jr. et al. · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 20100116760A1 · Fazzone · 2010 [cited by examiner]
US 20100133219A1 · Sun · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 20110147323A1 · Sainato · 2011 [cited by examiner]
US 20110186533A1 · Thrush · 2011 [cited by examiner]
US 20120285915A1 · O'Quinn et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 20140263128A1 · Garrett et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20160106235A1 · Mason · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20190116977A1 · Lindblom et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190387902A1 · Peck et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
CN 104433528A · 2015 [cited by applicant]
CN 207921581U · 2018 [cited by applicant]
FR 2988279A1 · 2013 [cited by applicant]
JP 2014212874A · 2014 [cited by examiner]
KR 20070109517A · 2007 [cited by applicant]