Shelf management device

Abstract

The present invention comprises a shelf management device that may be used to organize and secure merchandise on a retail shelf. The device can function as either a shelf divider or a fence and is reusable. The device may have a unitary structure preferably fabricated from plastic and requires no hardware or adhesive for installation. It has a unique arrangement of clips or anchors that engage the perforations formed in a shelf. The anchors may include rounded catches that fit into the perforations and engage the underside of the shelf to keep the device in place. The device can engage various shapes of perforations, including round, square, rectangular or diamond.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is as follows: 
     
         1 . A shelf management device for organizing products on a retail shelf having a display surface and perforations formed therein comprising:
 a vertical partition; and   a base panel extending perpendicular to said vertical partition, said base panel securable to the shelf using a plurality of anchors, each of said anchors having a trunk fixedly attached to said base panel and a catch extending away from said trunk, said trunk having a rectangular transverse cross section and said catch attached to a planar first side of said trunk, said planar first side of said trunk angled between zero and ninety degrees with respect to a longitudinal centerline of said base panel, said trunk and said catch receivable in a perforation formed in the display surface, said catch being located below the display surface when said base panel is secured to the shelf.   
     
     
         2 . The shelf management device as in  claim 1  wherein said catch extends beyond a periphery of said perforation when said base panel is secured to the shelf. 
     
     
         3 . The shelf management device as in  claim 2  wherein said trunk is integrally formed with said base panel as a unitary structure. 
     
     
         4 . The shelf management device as in  claim 3  wherein said catch is rounded. 
     
     
         5 . The shelf management device as in  claim 4  wherein said plurality of anchors is located proximate said longitudinal centerline of said base panel. 
     
     
         6 . The shelf management device as in  claim 5  wherein said shelf management device is constructed of plastic. 
     
     
         7 . The shelf management device as in  claim 6  wherein said vertical partition is attached to an edge of said base panel to form an L-shaped structure. 
     
     
         8 . A shelf management device for use on a retail shelf having perforations formed therein comprising:
 a base panel having a bottom surface;   a vertical partition extending upwardly from said base panel; and   an anchor fixedly attached to said bottom surface of said base panel, said anchor adapted to secure said shelf management device in a perforation formed in the shelf, said anchor having a planar first side and a planar second side opposite and generally parallel to said first side, wherein said planar first side is proximate a first side of said perforation and said planar second side is proximate a second side of said perforation that is opposite said first side of said perforation when said shelf management device is secured in said perforation, wherein the distance between said planar first side and said planar second side is less than the shortest distance between said first and second sides of said perforation, said anchor having a protuberance extending away from said planar first side, wherein the distance between an outer surface of said protuberance and said planar second side is greater than said shortest distance between said first and second sides of said perforation.   
     
     
         9 . The shelf management device as in  claim 8  wherein said protuberance is spaced below said bottom surface by a distance that is greater than the depth of said perforation. 
     
     
         10 . The shelf management device as in  claim 9  wherein said anchor is located proximate a longitudinal centerline of said bottom surface. 
     
     
         11 . The shelf management device as in  claim 10  wherein said anchor is integrally formed with said base panel as a unitary structure. 
     
     
         12 . The shelf management device as in  claim 11  wherein said anchor is proximate a first end of said base panel. 
     
     
         13 . The shelf management device as in  claim 12  further comprising a second anchor attached to said bottom surface of said base panel proximate a second end of said base panel. 
     
     
         14 . The shelf management device as in  claim 13  wherein said shelf management device is constructed of plastic. 
     
     
         15 . The shelf management device as in  claim 14  wherein said vertical partition is attached to an edge of said base panel to form an L-shaped structure. 
     
     
         16 . A shelf management device for use on a retail shelf having generally square or generally circular perforations formed therein comprising:
 a vertical partition;   a horizontal base panel having a bottom surface and an upper surface, said upper surface sloping downwardly away from said vertical partition; and   an anchor integrally formed with said base panel as a unitary structure, said anchor adapted to secure said shelf management device to the shelf, said anchor comprising a trunk and a protuberance extending away from said trunk, said trunk having a rectangular transverse cross section and said protuberance attached to a planar first side of said trunk, said planar first side of said trunk angled between zero and ninety degrees with respect to a longitudinal centerline of said bottom surface, said trunk and said protuberance receivable in a perforation formed in said shelf, said protuberance being located below said perforation and extending beyond a periphery of said perforation when said shelf management device is secured to the shelf.   
     
     
         17 . The shelf management device as in  claim 16  wherein said anchor is proximate a first end of said base panel. 
     
     
         18 . The shelf management device as in  claim 17  further comprising a second anchor attached to said bottom surface of said base panel proximate a second end of said base panel. 
     
     
         19 . The shelf management device as in  claim 18  wherein said shelf management device is constructed of plastic. 
     
     
         20 . The shelf management device as in  claim 19  wherein said vertical partition is attached to an edge of said base panel to form an L-shaped structure.