Product display and fronting assembly

• US 20030061973A1
• Filed: 09/25/2002
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: L&P Property Management Company (Leggett & Platt Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: L&P Property Management Company (Leggett & Platt Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bustos, Rafael T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,124,897 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 108/55.5
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/126 the pushing device being urged by spring means
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/44 Elements or devices for locating articles on platforms

Abstract

A product fronting assembly and method for fronting product is provided. In some embodiments, the assembly includes a base having a bottom, a front, a rear, and opposite sides. The assembly can also include a frame slidable within the base and having a front at least partially defining a handle and opposed sides coupled to the front of the frame. The opposed sides can be spaced a distance apart and between which product upon the base is received, and can be positioned to rest and slide upon the bottom and/or sides of the base. In some embodiments, the frame also includes a rear coupled to the opposed sides and movable by movement of the front of the frame to front product in the assembly.

Claims

1. A product fronting assembly for fronting product, the product fronting assembly comprising:

a base having

a bottom;

a front;

a rear; and

opposite sides;

a frame slidable within the base, the frame having

a front at least partially defining a handle;

opposed sides coupled to the front of the frame and between which product upon the base is received, the opposed sides positioned to rest and slide upon at least one of the bottom and sides of the base; and

a rear coupled to the opposed sides, the rear movable by movement of the front of the frame.

2. The product fronting assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the sides of the base includes a flange releasably engagable with a side of an adjacent product fronting assembly.

3. The product fronting assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the front of the base includes a front stop extending into a product path extending through the assembly.

4. The product fronting assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a slide positioned on the bottom of the base and upon which product is slidable.

5. The product fronting assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein the slide has a corrugated shape.

6. The product fronting assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein the slide includes a plurality of ball rollers.

7. The product fronting assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein the slide includes a plurality of rolls.

8. The product fronting assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a spring coupled to the base and the frame to bias the frame toward the rear of the base.

9. The product fronting assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a bracket coupled to the rear of the base, the bracket having a receptacle; and

a spring coupled to the bracket and at least partially received within the receptacle, the spring positioned to bias the frame toward the rear of the base.

11. The product fronting assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the sides of the base has a recess within which a portion of the frame is received, the portion of the frame being slidable within and along the recess in movement of the frame within the base.

12. The product fronting assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rear of the frame is at a higher elevation than the sides of the frame.

13. The product fronting mechanism as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one recess defined in the bottom of the base, the at least one recess positioned to slidably receive a side of the frame.

14. The product fronting assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bottom, front, rear, and sides of the base are a single integral unit.

15. The product fronting assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frame is a loop extending about at least a portion of the base and within which product is received.

10. The product fronting assembly as claimed in 1, wherein at least one of the sides of the base includes a support upon which the frame is at least partially supported, the support including a flange upon and along which one of the opposed sides of the frame is supported and is slidable.

16. A product fronting assembly for fronting product, the product fronting assembly comprising:

a base having a bottom wall and opposed side walls extending from the bottom wall; and

a frame slidably positioned within the base and at least partially extending about product supported by the base, the frame having

a handle;

a stop movable by movement of the handle, the stop positioned to engage product supported by the base by movement of the frame within the base; and

opposed sides coupled to the handle and the stop, the opposed sides being spaced a distance from one another.

17. The product fronting assembly as claimed in claim 16, wherein at least one of the opposed side walls of the base is adapted to engage a side wall of another product fronting assembly to connect the product fronting assembly with the other product fronting assembly.

18. The product fronting assembly as claimed in claim 16, further comprising a slide on the bottom wall and upon which product is slidable along the product fronting assembly.

19. The product fronting assembly as claimed in claim 18, wherein the slide is corrugated in shape.

20. The product fronting assembly as claimed in claim 18, wherein the slide includes a plurality of ball rollers.

21. The product fronting assembly as claimed in claim 18, wherein the slide includes a plurality of rolls.

22. The product fronting assembly as claimed in claim 16, further comprising a spring coupled to the base and to the frame, the spring positioned to bias the frame toward a rear of the base.

24. The product fronting assembly as claimed in claim 16, wherein a portion of the frame extends within and is slidable within a recess in each side wall of the base.

25. The product fronting assembly as claimed in claim 16, wherein the stop of the frame extends to a position behind product in the assembly, at least part of the stop being located at a higher elevation than the sides of the frame.

26. The product fronting assembly as claimed in claim 16, further comprising a recess defined in the bottom wall of the base, the recess shaped to slidably receive a side of the frame.

27. The product fronting assembly as claimed in claim 26, wherein the handle, stop, and sides of the frame are a single integral unit.

30. The method as claimed in claim 20, further comprising retracting the frame toward the rear of the base by biasing force from the spring.

23. The product fronting assembly as claimed in 16, wherein the sides of the frame are at least partially supported and are slidable upon the sides of the base.

28. A method of fronting product, comprising:

placing product upon a base having a bottom, front, rear, and opposite sides;

sliding a frame upon the base in a direction toward the front of the base;

sliding sides of the frame upon at least one of the sides and bottom of the base while sliding the frame upon the base;

pushing a rear of the frame against the product upon the base, the product being located between the sides of the frame;

moving the product upon the base toward the front of the base by pushing the rear of the frame against the product upon the base;

29. The method as claimed in claim 28, further comprising biasing the frame toward a rear of the base via a spring coupled to the frame.