US 4,762,235 · Granted 1988-08-09
The Modular Display Rack That Lets Stores Swap Shelves in Seconds
Imagine a store shelf system made of interlocking metal frames that snap together like Lego blocks. Instead of bolting shelves permanently to walls, you can slide trays in and out to rearrange displays instantly—perfect for seasonal sales or rotating products.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers an integrated display fixture built from C-shaped rigid frames connected by spacer elements, where merchandise trays slide in and lock between the vertical spines of adjacent frames. What's protected here is the specific geometry and interlocking method that lets retailers quickly insert, remove, and reconfigure display trays without tools or permanent fasteners.
Why it matters
In retail, speed and flexibility are money. This patent locks down a system that lets store managers swap out entire sections of merchandise displays in minutes instead of hours, enabling faster response to trends, seasonal changes, and inventory clearance. For a company like Sara Lee, which sold both food and consumer goods, this meant their retail partners could optimize shelf space in real time without calling in a contractor.
Real-world use
Walk into a department store during a holiday sale and you'll see these frames holding rotating displays of seasonal goods—the sleek metal skeleton that holds perfectly aligned product trays and swaps them out between promotions.
Original USPTO abstract
An integrated modular store fixture system provided with a plurality of C-shaped rigid frame members, each having two horizontal arms and a vertical spine connecting the two arms and disposed at a rear portion of the unit and a plurality of rigid spacer elements connecting the frame members together in a spaced apart parallel relationship. A plurality of trays for holding merchandise to be displayed are releasably mounted between successive spines.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 4,762,235
- Filing date
- 1986-07-09
- Grant date
- 1988-08-09
- Assignee
- Sara Lee Corporation
- Inventor(s)
- HOWARD; FRED, EDSON; SYDNEY
- CPC class
- A47B57/46
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