[0010] The above-described drawing is incorporated into and forms part of the specification to illustrate several exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Throughout the drawing, like reference numerals designate corresponding elements. This drawing, together with the description, serves to explain the principles of the invention and is only for the purpose of illustrating preferred and alternative examples of how the invention can be made and used. The drawing is not to be construed as limiting the invention to the illustrated and described examples.

[0011] In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 the display shelf comprises a mounting or support panel 10 which has a first face 11 lying in a substantially vertical plane and defining lower edge 12, first and second laterally opposed end edges 13, 14 and upper edge 15. Floor 20 is supported on the support panel and has a top face 21 which lies in a plane substantially normal to the plane of first face 11 and intersects the plane of the first face 11 well below the upper edge 15 of the support panel. The support panel 10 does not extend directly above the floor 20 for a substantial lateral portion thereof between the laterally opposed edges 13, 14 of the support panel 10 so that products supported on floor 20 may be placed directly adjacent the wall on which the shelf is mounted.

[0012] A containment wall 30 extends upwardly from the top face 21 of the floor 20. A major portion of wall 30 is spaced horizontally from the plane of first face 11 of the support panel 10. The ends of the containment wall join the support panel 10 to define a open-topped cavity 31 defined by floor 20, containment wall 30 and the transparent wall 50 (see FIG. 2) on which the display shelf is mounted. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the ends of containment wall 30 join support panel 10 at positions interiorly spaced from first and second edges 13, 14 and the support panel 10 extends upwardly from the plane of top face 21 of the floor 20 and outwardly from the ends of the containment wall 30 to define flanges 33, 34. Flanges 33, 34 thus form coplanar spaced apart portions of support panel 10.

[0013] In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 the containment wall 30 defines a plurality of joined vertically extending semi-cylindrical sections shaped to define individual containment compartments for a plurality of individual vertically arranged cylindrical or otherwise vertically extending products or packages. Each section 36 defines a semi-cylindrical arc extending upwardly from the floor 20. Each of the arcuate sections 36 is shaped to define a containment compartment for cylindrical objects such as cans, bottles, etc. Obviously, shapes other than arcuate or semi-cylindrical may be employed, depending on the shape and dimensions of the product units to be displayed. Furthermore, it is to be understood that terms such as “containment wall” and “containment compartment” as used herein are meant to describe structures which restrain lateral movement of an object placed within the boundaries thereof and are not intended to describe fully enclosed compartments. For example, the semi-cylindrical sections 36 of wall 30 do not define enclosed containment compartments but define boundaries for supporting substantially cylindrical objects vertically and act as containment walls or the like for limiting lateral movement of individual products positioned on the display shelf Therefore, sections 36 need not be joined to form a continuous wall structure. Accordingly, a first horizontal row or layer of vertically arranged products such as beverage cans 40 (see FIG. 2) may be placed in the open-topped cavity 31 with each can 40 confined to the surface area bordered by one of the semi-cylindrical sections 36 and transparent wall 50. One face 41 of each can 40 is thus held adjacent and visible through transparent wall 50. The can 40, however, may be withdrawn vertically from the shelf as desired.

[0014] Many products and product containers are nestable or stackable so that one row or layer of such products may be stacked on another row or layer and the stacked arrangement remain at least somewhat stable. The terms “stackable” and “nestable” are used interchangeably herein to refer to any product package or container which has a top end adapted to receive the bottom end of a like product package or container so that the product package or container may be vertically stacked to form a substantially stable vertical column. The mating top and bottom ends may be in the form of mating male and female ends as currently found in beverage cans, mating beads and recesses as found in many food containers, or any other arrangement wherein the bottom end of the product package or container nests in or on the top end of a like product package or container.

[0015] In order to support a second row or layer of stackable products on a first row as described above, the display shelf of the invention includes a retaining wall 25 supported by the support panel 10 above and substantially in register with containment wall 30. As illustrated in FIG. 1, retaining wall 25 is preferably formed of joined vertically extending semi-cylindrical sections shaped to complement the shape of the product to be retained therein. In the case of cylindrical products such as cans 40, each section 26 is semi-cylindrical and supported above and in register with a similar semi-cylindrical section 36 in containment wall 30. It will be readily recognized, however, that the shelf of the invention is not limited to use with cylindrical products. The shape of containment wall 30 and/or retaining wall 25 may be varied as desired to accommodate various other shapes of stackable products. Furthermore, since the products are nestable, the containment wall 30 and retainer wall 25 need not be particularly shaped to accommodate such products. Instead, containment wall 30 and/or retainer wall 25 may be simple flat walls. Retainer wall 25, however, should be vertically spaced above and substantially in register with containment wall 30 to prevent products stacked on the first row of products from falling off the product on which it rests.

[0016] In each of the embodiments illustrated, the first face 11 of support panel 10 is positioned parallel with the surface of a transparent wall 50 on which the shelf is mounted and below the floor 20 of the shelf. Thus first face 11 may conveniently be used to support advertising or the like which is visible through the transparent wall 40 immediately below the product supported by the shelf 20. Positioning the support panel 10 to extend the full length of and past the outer edges of floor 20 provides rigid support for the floor 20 and permits display of advertising or other information associated with the displayed product on the support panel 10 without obstructing view of the displayed product.

[0017] The outer edges of support panel 10 terminate in flanges 33, 34 as described hereinabove. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the flanges 33 and 34 may include slots 51 for mounting the support panel 10 adjacent the inner surface of a transparent wall 50 as shown in FIG. 2. Various means for securing the support panel 10 to the transparent wall, such as suction cups 60 or the like, may be used. As illustrated in FIG. 2, suction cups 60 each have a shank 61 which extends through a slot 50 to support the first face 11 of support panel 10 parallel with a surface of transparent wall 50. While the use of suction cups is illustrated in FIG. 2, it will be readily appreciated that various other means such as adhesives, clamps, magnets, bolts and the like may be used to attach the display shelf to a transparent wall.

[0018] In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, slots 51 are formed adjacent the inner edges of flanges 33. If desired (and to permit more secure mounting of the shelf) slots 51 may be formed in the lower edge of support panel 10 and arranged so that the entrance of each slot 51 is at the lower edge of support panel 10. Alternatively (or in conjunction with other slots, holes or the like), slots 51 may be formed in flanges 33, 34 and arranged to have their entrances at the outer edge of the flange. It will be appreciated that various other combinations and arrangements of slots, holes and the like may be used to mount the display shelf adjacent a transparent wall.

[0019] The retaining wall 25 should be spaced from and above the containment wall 30 a sufficient distance that it does not interfere with removal of stacking product from the bottom row when there is no product directly above it. Preferably, the vertical height of the retaining wall 25 is substantially less than the vertical height of the stackable product and the retaining wall positioned to engage the stackable product 40 near the upper end thereof as illustrated in FIG. 2. Since each stackable product to be placed on the floor has a finite height, the retaining wall 25 should be spaced from the floor 20 a distance greater than the finite height of the product so that product 40 placed directly on floor 20 may be removed without interference by retainer wall 25. In this position, the upper stackable product may be easily removed as desired. The lower stackable product 40 in the same column may then be removed without interference by adjacent columns of product or the retaining wall 25.

[0020] To further aid in removal of product from the display shelf of the invention the upper surface of each section 26 of retaining wall 25 and/or section 36 of containment wall 30 may be slotted or recessed to form an access opening 33 (see FIG. 3). The access opening 33 may, of course, take many forms but essentially reduces the vertical height of a small section of the wall to permit each grasping of the product 40 for removal. The vertical height of the wall can be reduced by forming an access opening 33 in the upper edge of the wall or forming a similar access opening 34 in the lower edge of the wall. A similar access opening 35 may be formed in the floor 20 as shown in FIG. 3.

[0021] It will be apparent from the foregoing that the principles of the invention may be used to form display shelves which support stackable products such as bottles, cans and the like stacked vertically horizontally extending rows. In each case first row is supported on the floor of the shelf and visible through the transparent wall on which the shelf is mounted and the second row is nestably stacked vertically on the first row. The second row is held in place by a retaining wall which holds a face of each product in the second row adjacent and visible through the transparent wall and prevents the second row of product form falling off the shelf.

[0022] It is to be understood that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the invention have been set forth in the foregoing description together with details of the structure and function of the invention, this disclosure is to be considered illustrative only. Various changes and modifications may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, arrangement and combination of parts, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.