Double socket product merchandising display unit

A shelf member for use in a display unit for accommodating the storage of products thereon comprising:

• an upper shelf portion, a lower shelf portion, and a floor portion for positioning products thereon;
• a plurality of upper full sockets associated with said upper shelf portion and a plurality of lower full sockets associated with said lower shelf portion, each of said upper and lower full sockets being configured to receive one end portion of an elongated support member for attaching said shelf member in spaced vertical relationship to a substantially similarly constructed shelf member;
• a plurality of upper partial sockets associated with said upper shelf portion and a plurality of lower partial sockets associated with said shelf lower portion, said plurality of upper and lower partial sockets being configured to receive at least a portion of one end portion of an elongated support member for attaching said shelf member in side-by-side horizontal relationship to a substantially similarly constructed shelf member;
• at least some of said upper and lower partial sockets associated with one of said shelf members being positioned in abutting relationship with at least some of the upper and lower partial sockets associated with another one of said shelf members when two of said shelf members are positioned in side-by-side horizontal relationship to each other, said abutting upper and lower partial sockets in combination being adapted to receive one end portion of the elongated support member.

A display unit for accommodating the storage of products thereon comprising:

• a plurality of substantially similar shelf members each having an upper and lower portion and a floor portion extending therebetween for positioning products thereon;
• a plurality of elongated support members having opposed end portions;
• a plurality of upper full sockets associated with the upper portion of each of said shelf members and a plurality of lower full sockets associated with the lower portion of each of said shelf members, said plurality of upper and lower full sockets being positioned at spaced locations on the respective upper and lower portions of said shelf members, each of said upper and lower full sockets being cooperatively engagable with the opposed end portions of said elongated support members for permitting said shelf members to be vertically stackably arranged in spaced apart relationship one above the other;
• a plurality of upper partial sockets associated with the upper portion of each of said shelf members and a plurality of lower partial sockets associated with the lower portion of each of said shelf members, said plurality of upper and lower partial sockets being positioned at spaced locations on the respective upper and lower portions of said shelf members, each of said upper and lower partial sockets being cooperatively engagable with at least a portion of the opposed end portions of said elongated support members to permit said shelf members to be joined in side-by-side relationship one adjacent the other when at least some of said upper and lower partial sockets associated with one of said shelf members are positioned in abutting relationship with at least some of the upper and lower partial sockets associated with an adjacently positioned shelf member;
• the opposed end portions of each of said elongated support members being cooperatively engagable with the abutting upper and lower partial sockets associated with the adjacently positioned shelf members.

A display unit for accommodating the storage of products thereon comprising:

• a plurality of substantially similar shelf members, each of said shelf members having an upper portion, a lower portion, and a floor portion for positioning products thereon;
• a plurality of elongated support members having opposed end portions;
• a plurality of split sockets associated with the upper portion of each of said shelf members and a plurality of split sockets associated with the lower portion of each of said shelf members, said plurality of upper and lower split sockets being positioned at spaced locations on the respective upper and lower portions of said shelf members;
• each of said upper and lower split sockets being configured to cooperatively engage at least a portion of the opposed end portions of said elongated support members in two different orientations;
• in one orientation, at least some of said plurality of elongated support members are positioned and arranged so as to engage at least some of the upper and lower split sockets associated with at least two shelf members to permit said shelf members to be vertically stackably arranged in spaced apart relationship one above the other;
• in another orientation, at least some of said plurality of elongated support members are positioned and arranged so as to engage at least some of the upper and lower split sockets associated with at least two shelf members positioned in side-by-side relationship to each other to permit said shelf members to be arranged in substantially the same horizontal plane one adjacent the other.

A method for assembling a display unit including first and second bottom shelf members, first and second top shelf members, and a plurality of elongated support members, wherein each of said shelf members includes a plurality of upper and lower full sockets and a plurality of upper and lower partial sockets, the method comprising:

• aligning, in substantially the same plane, the first and second bottom shelf members in side-by-side relationship on one side thereof to align the upper partial sockets of the first bottom shelf member with the upper partial sockets of the second bottom shelf member so as to form upper aligned pairs of the upper partial sockets;
• attaching one end portion of the elongated support members to the upper full sockets associated with the outer perimeter of the first and second bottom shelf members;
• attaching one end portion of additional elongated support members to the upper aligned pairs of the upper partial sockets of the first and second bottom shelf members thereby joining the first and second bottom shelf members;
• aligning, in substantially the same plane, the first and second top shelf members in side-by-side relationship on one side thereof to align the lower partial sockets of the first top shelf member with the lower partial sockets of the second top shelf member so as to form lower aligned pairs of the lower partial sockets;
• attaching the opposite end portion of the elongated support members attached to the outer perimeter of the first and second bottom shelf members to the lower full sockets associated with the outer perimeter of the first and second top shelf members;
• and
• attaching the opposite end portion of the additional elongated support members attached to upper aligned pairs of the upper partial sockets of the first and second bottom shelf members to the lower aligned pairs of the lower partial sockets of the first and second top shelf members thereby joining the first and second top shelf members to the first and second bottom shelf member.