Pusher accessory for product hanging hooks

• US 20080203253A1
• Filed: 02/26/2007
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael N. Vogler
• Original Assignee: Michael N. Vogler
• Inventors: Vogler, Michael N.
• Granted Patent: US 7,566,037 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 248/220.31
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/128 for article hangers or brackets

Abstract

The invention relates to a pusher accessory that can be assembled with conventional elongated product display hooks configured at one end for anchorage on a supporting panel or board and supporting in suspended fashion along their length a multiplicity of product items for removal from the opposite free end of said hook by a customer. The pusher accessory has a stationary component adapted to be attached in fixed position adjacent the free end of said hook; a movable component mountable on the hook at a point spaced from the stationary component for free sliding movement back and forth along the hook length; and tension spring affixed at one end to the stationary component and carried at the other end by the movable component. When the spring is extended by the separation of the movable component along the hook from the stationary component by intervening product packages suspended from the hook, the spring applies spring tension force to the movable component and intervening packages. As product packages are removed from the free hook end one-by-one by customers, this tension force serves to advance toward the free hook end the movable component and intervening product packages until the leading product package of those packages remaining on the hook reaches the free hook end. Preferably, the spring is a flat coil spring the coil of which is carried by the movable component with its free end attached to the fixed component. Preferably, the fixed component is clampingly engaged in its fixed position adjacent the free end of the hook.

Claims

1. A pusher accessory for conventional elongated product display hooks configured at one end for anchorage on a supporting panel or board and supporting in suspended fashion along their length a multiplicity of product items for removal from the opposite free end of said hook by a customer, which comprises a stationary component adapted to be attached in fixed position adjacent the free end of said hook;

a movable component mountable on the hook at a point spaced from the stationary component for free sliding movement back and forth along the hook length and including a product-contacting face; and

spring means affixed at one end to the stationary component and carried at the other end by the movable component, said spring means being extended when the movable component is separated from the stationary component by intervening product packages suspended from the hook to apply spring tension force to the movable component and as product packages are removed from the free hook end one-by-one by customers to advance along the hook length the movable component and by its product-contacting face product packages intervening between the two components until the leading product package of those packages remaining on the hook reaches the free hook end.

2. The pusher accessory of claim 1 wherein said spring means is a flat coil spring having length extending from the spring coil parallel to the hook length with its free end affixed to said fixed component and the coil thereof is supported for free uncoiling and re-coiling movement on said movable component.

3. The pusher accessory of claim 2 wherein said movable component includes two brackets having coil-contacting surfaces extending parallel to the hook length, said surfaces being spaced apart a distance sufficient to support the coil of said spring laterally there between for said free uncoiling and re-coiling movement, and further includes guiding means generally perpendicular to said bracket surfaces for guiding the extended spring length along a fixed path parallel to the hook length as said spring coil uncoils and re-coils.

4. The pusher accessory of claim 3 wherein said guiding means comprises a narrow elongated slot formed in said movable component above said bracket surfaces with its lengthwise axis perpendicular to said bracket surfaces, the length and width of said slot being sufficient for the free passage of said spring length there through while confining said spring length against significant deviation from its fixed path during its lengthwise movement.

6. The pusher accessory of claim 1 wherein said fixed component comprises spring-end engaging means substantially aligned with a vertical plane passing through the axis of said hook.

7. The pusher accessory of claim 1 wherein said fixed component comprises clamping means for clampingly engaging said hook adjacent its free end to fix the component on said hook.

8. The pusher accessory of claim 1 wherein said hook comprises two elongated generally parallel legs and said movable component comprises a body part having bores passing there through parallel to the leg length for loose reception of said legs to enable said component to move freely along the legs.

9. The pusher accessory of claim 8 wherein said generally parallel legs of said hook are joined at their free ends to form a U-shaped bight and said fixed component comprises clamping means for clampingly gripping said bight generally in the center thereof.

10. The pusher accessory of claim 9 wherein said U-shaped bight is inclined upwardly at a small angle and the body of said fixed component includes a generally similarly upwardly inclined extension thereon and said clamping means is carried at the end of said extension.

11. The pusher accessory of claim 10 wherein said clamping means on said extension comprises a generally C-shaped socket for clamping around the U-shaped bight of said legs at the center of said U.

12. The pusher a accessory of claim 1 wherein said hook has two legs extending generally parallel with one disposed above the other and said movable component comprises a body part having a centrally disposed bore to sliding reception of the upper leg.

13. The pusher accessory of claim 1 wherein said movable component comprises a body part having a centrally disposed bore flanked of either of its side by lateral bores, said central bore being adapted to slidably receive the upper leg of a two-leg hook having the legs arranged vertically one above the other, and the lateral bores are separated laterally a distance corresponding to the separation of legs of a two-leg hook having the legs arranged horizontally, whereby said body part can be interchangeable between the two hooks.

14. The pusher accessory according to claim 1 wherein said product display hook has two generally vertically parallel legs connected together at one of their ends and configured at such ends for anchorage in the supporting board or panel with the opposite ends thereof free, the lower of the two legs functioning to support product display packages suspended therefrom, and the fixed component of the accessory comprises a body portion laterally slotted along at least one of its side for clamping engagement with the upper of the legs adjacent the free end thereof, the body portion having on an underside a connecting means for attachment to the free end of spring means carried at its other end by said movable component.

15. The pusher accessory of claim 14 wherein said body portion of said fixed component has laterally opening slots on both of its two opposite sides, the diameters of said two slots being different for clamping engagement of hook legs of correspondingly different sizes.

5. The pusher accessory of claim 5 wherein said movable component comprises a body part enclosing a short length of said hook for free to-and-fro movement there along having a plate depending there from with a generally flat surface thereof extending generally perpendicular to the hook length and constituting said package-contacting surface and said guiding slot is situated adjacent an upper edge of said package contacting surface.