This invention relates to merchandise display systems or racks of a type which support a plurality of vertically spaced, horizontally extending shelves for displaying merchandise such as soft drinks. More specifically, this invention relates to replacement covers for repairing or refurbishing the damaged rear walls or shelves of such merchandise racks, which shelves are characterized by having a generally large flat surface and at least one adjacent, relatively narrow edge.
In recent years, the merchandising of articles for sale, such as soft drinks, food, drug or general purpose items, has developed to the point that retailers purchase free standing metallic shelving on which are displayed such products. Such free standing shelving generally falls into one of two types. The first type is the "gondola" type in which the rack includes a forwardly tilted, flat, or rearwardly inclined wedge-shape bottom shelf and an upwardly extending, structural rear wall from which one or more intermediate or upper shelves are suspended, such intermediate or upper shelves being supported only at or along the rear edge thereof by said rear wall. The other type of merchandise shelving which has achieved a substantial commercial position in the market is the "four-posted" display rack, which is a metal frame having four upstanding corner posts and no structural rear wall. A plurality of shelves are attached at each corner at spaced horizontal positions to provide a plurality of racks upon which merchandise is displayed.
Such gondola and four-posted displays, when new, are very attractive and present a most pleasing merchandising rack. However, due to extensive use and continued placement and removal of relatively heavy items (cartons of soft drinks) therefrom, the shelves become damaged, dented, and otherwise unsightly after a relatively short period of time. The retailer is then left in the position of either utilizing the unsightly display rack or replacing it which is fairly expensive.
Presently, there is no known system or product available for repairing or refurbishing damaged shelves in such racks. Even the replacement of damaged shelves is an expensive undertaking.
The present invention, on the other hand, is directed to a technique whereby merchandise displays can be quickly repaired or refurbished to look like new without replacement of individual shelves. Toward this end, the present invention employs replacement covers for repairing or refurbushing damaged rear walls or shelves of merchandise racks of the type described hereinabove. Such covers include a planar member having a generally large flat surface of substantially the same dimension as said wall or shelf to be repaired, one or more flanges depending downwardly from edges of the aforesaid planar member, and means for securing the planar member and/or flanges to the damaged shelf or wall. The means for securing the flanges and/or planar member may include resilient flanges which grip the underlying structural surfaces, inturned lips on such flanges which underlie the structural members beneath the cover, adhesive strips on the underneath side of the planar member or rear side of the flanges, or combinations of the above. Some types of covers are specifically designed and constructed to fit the shelves or rear walls of gondola type display racks and other types of covers are specifically designed and constructed to fit the shelves of four-posted displays.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a technique for repairing or refurbishing the damaged rear walls or shelves of merchandise racks.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a technique for repairing or refurbishing racks of the type described wherein the repair or refurbishment is effected by the emplacement of cover members onto or over existing damaged shelves and walls and are secured thereto.