Retail merchandise tray

• US 10,034,557 B1
• Filed: 12/01/2017
• Issued: 07/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fasteners for Retail Incorporated (FFR DSI Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Southern Imperial, LLC
• Inventors: Nagel, Thomas O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Troy, Abigail E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barnett, Devin K
• Application Number:
  US15/829,623
• Time in Patent Office: 242 Days
• Field of Search: 211 592, 211 593, 211 594, 211119003, 211 8802, 21112616, 312 45, 312 60, 312 61, 312 71, 312 72, 108 61
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 57/58 with means for adjusting partitions horizontally book-ends A47B65/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/04 Racks or containers with arrangements for dispensing articles , e.g. by means of gravity or springs
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/12 dispensing from the side of an approximately horizontal stack A47F1/087 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/126 the pushing device being urged by spring means
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/0025 having separate display containers or trays on shelves or on racks
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/005 Partitions therefore horizontally adjustable A47B57/58; constructional details of drawers A47B88/90

Abstract

A retail merchandise tray is provided. The retail merchandise tray includes a pair of load bearing members, a front stop mounted to the load bearing members, a wire support structure removably attached to the front stop and load bearing members, a pusher that slides along the wire support structure, and a pair of movable divider assemblies.

Claims

1. A retail merchandise tray for storing products therein, comprising:

a pair of opposed load bearing members configured to mount the merchandise tray to a support structure;

a front stop wall mounted to the pair of load bearing members;

a wire support frame having opposed first and second ends, the wire support frame removably attached at the first end to the front stop wall and removably attached at the second end to the pair of load bearing members;

a pusher mounted to the wire support frame, the pusher movable along the wire support frame toward and away from the front stop wall along a first axis;

at least one divider assembly movable relative to the pair of opposed load bearing members along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis to adjust a width of the retail merchandise tray, wherein the at least one divider assembly includes a divider wall;

a pair of spacers extending perpendicular relative to the first axis and interposed between the pair of load bearing members below the wire support frames;

a baffle bottom plate connected to the pair of spacers, wherein the baffle bottom plate is below the pair of spacers, the baffle bottom plate including a pair of clips extending upwardly therefrom, wherein one clip of the pair of clips grasps one spacer of the pair of spacers, and the other clip of the pair of clips grasps the other spacer of the pair of spacers in order to secure the baffle bottom plate to the retail merchandise tray;

wherein the front stop wall, the wire support frame, and each divider wall define borders to confine the products within the retail merchandise tray.

2. The retail merchandise tray of claim 1, wherein the at least one divider assembly includes a pair of divider assemblies movable along the second axis and arranged such that the pair of load bearing members are interposed between the pair of divider assemblies.

3. The retail merchandise tray of claim 1, wherein the at least one divider assembly further comprises a pair of wire supports, each pair of wire supports removably attached to a corresponding divider wall by a resilient connection.

4. The retail merchandise tray of claim 3, wherein each divider wall includes an upright portion having opposed sides, wherein a flange extends from at least one of the opposed sides perpendicular to each upright portion.

5. The retail merchandise tray of claim 4, wherein the at least one divider assembly includes a baffle plate extension connected to each flange by a slidable connection, and wherein each baffle plate extension is mounted to each of the pair of spacers by a slidable connection such that each baffle plate extension is slidable relative to the pair of spacers and each divider wall respectively.

6. The retail merchandise tray of claim 5, wherein the slidable connection between each baffle plate extension and each flange comprise a tab depending downwardly from each flange and a slot formed in each baffle plate extension which receives a respective tab of a corresponding flange, and wherein the slidable connection between each baffle plate extension and the pair of spacers includes a pair of second clips formed on each baffle plate extension, with one clip of the pair of second clips connected to one spacer of the pair of spacers, and the other clip of the pair of second clips connected to the other spacer of the pair of spacers.

7. The retail merchandise tray of claim 1, wherein the front stop wall includes a mounting portion and an upright portion, wherein the mounting portion is one of integrally formed with the upright portion as a rigid one piece component or formed as a separate piece from the upright portion with a hinge formed between the upright portion and the mounting portion such that the upright portion is rotatable about the hinge relative to the mounting portion.

8. The retail merchandise tray of claim 1, wherein the wire support frame includes a lateral element and at least one longitudinal element extending from the lateral element, wherein the lateral element includes a pair of opposed ends with a key formed adjacent to each one of the opposed ends, wherein each key is arranged to pass through a key hole formed in each one of the pair of load bearing members, respectively, such that the pair of load bearing members are interposed between the keys of the lateral member.

9. A retail merchandise tray for storing products therein, comprising:

a pair of opposed load bearing members configured to mount the merchandise tray to a support structure;

a front stop wall mounted to the pair of load bearing members;

a wire support frame including a lateral element and at least one longitudinal element extending from the lateral element, the at least one longitudinal element extending parallel to the pair of load bearing members and interposed between the pair of load bearing members;

a pusher mounted to the wire support frame, the pusher movable along the wire support frame toward and away from the front stop wall along a first axis;

at least one divider assembly movable relative to the pair of opposed load bearing members along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis to adjust a width of the retail merchandise tray, wherein the at least one divider includes a divider wall and a pair of wire supports;

a pair of spacers extending perpendicular relative to the first axis and interposed between the pair of load bearing members below the wire support frame, the pair of spacers receiving the wire supports of the at least one divider assembly;

wherein each divider wall includes an upright portion having opposed sides, wherein a flange extends from at least one of the opposed sides perpendicular to each upright portion;

wherein the at least one divider assembly further comprises a baffle plate extension connected to each flange by a slidable connection, and wherein each baffle plate extension is directly mounted to each of the pair of spacers by a slidable connection such that each baffle plate extension is slidable relative to the pair of spacers and each divider wall respectively;

wherein the slidable connection between each baffle plate extension and each flange comprise a tab depending downwardly from each flange and a slot formed in each baffle plate extension which receives a respective tab of a corresponding flange.

10. The retail merchandise tray of claim 9, wherein the at least one divider assembly includes a pair of divider assemblies movable along the second axis and arranged such that the pair of load bearing members are interposed between the pair of divider assemblies.

11. The retail merchandise tray of claim 9, wherein the wire support frame has opposed first and second ends, the wire support frame removably attached at the first end to the front stop wall and removably attached at the second end to the pair of load bearing members.

12. The retail merchandise tray of claim 9 wherein the slidable connection between each baffle plate extension and

the pair of spacers includes a pair of clips formed on each baffle plate extension, with one clip of the pair of clips connected to one spacer of the pair of spacers, and the other clip of the pair of clips connected to the other spacer of the pair of spacers.

13. The retail merchandise tray of claim 12, further comprising a baffle plate connected to the pair of spacers, the baffle plate including a pair of second clips, with one clip of the pair of second clips connected to one spacer of the pair of spacers, and the other clip of the pair of clips connected to the other spacer of the pair of spacers.

14. The retail merchandise tray of claim 9, wherein the front stop wall includes a mounting portion and an upright portion, wherein the mounting portion is one of integrally formed with the upright portion as a rigid one piece component or formed as a separate piece from the upright portion with a hinge formed between the upright portion and the mounting portion such that the upright portion is rotatable about the hinge relative to the mounting portion.

15. The retail merchandise tray of claim 9, wherein the lateral element includes a pair of opposed ends with a key formed adjacent to each one of the opposed ends, wherein each key is arranged to pass through a key hole formed in each one of the pair of load bearing members, respectively, such that the pair of load bearing members are interposed between the keys of the lateral member.

16. A retail merchandise tray for storing products therein, comprising:

a pair of opposed load bearing members, wherein each load bearing member comprises a notch that is configured to receive a support structure in order to mount the retail merchandise tray to the support structure;

a front stop wall mounted to the pair of load bearing members;

a wire support frame, the wire support frame including a lateral element and at least one longitudinal element extending perpendicularly from the lateral element, wherein the lateral element includes a pair of opposed ends, wherein an inner key and a corresponding outer key protrudes from the lateral element at each one of the opposed ends, wherein each key and the lateral element is integrally formed as one piece, wherein the lateral element and each outer key is arranged to pass through a key hole formed in each one of the pair of load bearing members, respectively, such that the pair of load bearing members are each wedged between a corresponding pair of inner and outer keys respectively formed at each end of the lateral element, wherein each corresponding pair of inner and outer keys prevents the load bearing members from moving relative to the lateral element;

a pusher mounted to the wire support frame, the pusher movable along the wire support frame toward and away from the front stop wall along a first axis, wherein the pusher is configured to push the products toward the front stop wall;

at least one divider assembly movable relative to the pair of opposed load bearing members along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis to adjust a width of the retail merchandise tray, wherein the at least one divider assembly includes a divider wall;

a pair of spacers extending perpendicular relative to the first axis and interposed between the pair of load bearing members below the wire support frame;

wherein the at least one longitudinal element, the front stop wall, and each divider wall define borders to confine the products within the retail merchandise tray.

17. The retail merchandise tray of claim 16, wherein the at least one divider assembly includes a pair of divider assemblies movable along the second axis and arranged such that the pair of load bearing members are interposed between the pair of divider assemblies.

18. The retail merchandise tray of claim 16, wherein the wire support frame has opposed first and second ends, the wire support frame is removably attached at the first end to the front stop wall and removably attached at the second end to the pair of load bearing members.

19. The retail merchandise tray of claim 18, wherein each divider wall includes an upright portion having opposed sides, wherein a flange extends from at least one of the opposed sides perpendicular to each upright portion.

20. The retail merchandise tray of claim 19, wherein the at least one divider assembly includes a baffle plate extension connected to each flange by a slidable connection, and wherein each baffle plate extension is mounted to each of the pair of spacers by a slidable connection such that each baffle plate extension is slidable relative to the pair of spacers and each divider wall respectively.

21. The retail merchandise tray of claim 20, wherein the slidable connection between each baffle plate extension and each flange comprise a tab depending downwardly from each flange and a slot formed in each baffle plate extension which receives a respective tab of a corresponding flange, and wherein the slidable connection between each baffle plate extension and the pair of spacers includes a pair of second clips formed on each baffle plate extension, with one clip of the pair of second clips connected to one spacer of the pair of spacers, and the other clip of the pair of second clips connected to the other spacer of the pair of spacers.

22. The retail merchandise tray of claim 21, further comprising a baffle plate connected to the pair of spacers, the baffle plate including a pair of second clips, with one clip of the pair of second clips connected to one spacer of the pair of spacers, and the other clip of the pair of clips connected to the other spacer of the pair of spacers.

23. The retail merchandise tray of claim 16, wherein the front stop wall includes a mounting portion and an upright portion, wherein the mounting portion is one of integrally formed with the upright portion as a rigid one piece component or formed as a separate piece from the upright portion with a hinge formed between the upright portion and the mounting portion such that the upright portion is rotatable about the hinge relative to the mounting portion.

24. The retail merchandise tray of claim 16, wherein the at least one divider assembly further comprises a pair of wire supports, each pair of wire supports removably attached to a corresponding divider wall by a resilient connection.