Product Dispenser Assembly
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A product dispenser assembly for dispensing products contained in shipping trays having a front wall, a back wall and side walls, the assembly comprising:
- a) a support platform, having an upper surface for supporting at least one shipping tray, a lower surface, a front edge, a rear and a depth between the front edge and the rear which is at least as long as a length between the front wall and the back wall of a shipping tray;
b) a stop wall located at the front edge of the support platform;
c) a plurality of row dividers extending across the support platform, for aligning shipping trays on the support platform;
d) a feed mechanism supported above the upper surface of the support platform, comprising;
i) a pusher plate depending downward from the feed mechanism toward the upper surface of the support platform, the pusher plate being moveble along a linear support from a rearward position adjacent to the rear of the support platform to a forward position adjacent to the front edge of the support platform, the pusher plate having a length short enough such that the pusher plate does not contact the back wall of a support tray on the support platform but long enough that the pusher plate contacts the products in the shipping tray; and
ii) a bias mechanism for biasing the pusher plate along the linear support from the rearward position toward the forward position;
such that when a shipping tray bearing products is placed upon the support platform between the row dividers, pushing the pusher plate toward its rearward position against the bias mechanism, the products in the shipping tray are pushed toward the front wall of the tray by the pusher plate.
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Abstract
A system of retail store fixtures having downwardly mounted spring feeding pusher devices for pushing products toward the front of shelves. In one embodiment, the pusher devices extend downward from shelves and push products in open tray type of bulk product shipment containers on a lower shelf forward toward the consumer. In another embodiment, the pushers and product trays are in a self-contained module for placement on shelves.
116 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A product dispenser assembly for dispensing products contained in shipping trays having a front wall, a back wall and side walls, the assembly comprising:
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a) a support platform, having an upper surface for supporting at least one shipping tray, a lower surface, a front edge, a rear and a depth between the front edge and the rear which is at least as long as a length between the front wall and the back wall of a shipping tray; b) a stop wall located at the front edge of the support platform; c) a plurality of row dividers extending across the support platform, for aligning shipping trays on the support platform; d) a feed mechanism supported above the upper surface of the support platform, comprising; i) a pusher plate depending downward from the feed mechanism toward the upper surface of the support platform, the pusher plate being moveble along a linear support from a rearward position adjacent to the rear of the support platform to a forward position adjacent to the front edge of the support platform, the pusher plate having a length short enough such that the pusher plate does not contact the back wall of a support tray on the support platform but long enough that the pusher plate contacts the products in the shipping tray; and ii) a bias mechanism for biasing the pusher plate along the linear support from the rearward position toward the forward position; such that when a shipping tray bearing products is placed upon the support platform between the row dividers, pushing the pusher plate toward its rearward position against the bias mechanism, the products in the shipping tray are pushed toward the front wall of the tray by the pusher plate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13)
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12. The product dispenser of claim 12, in which the add-on plate is attached to the minimum-sized pusher plate using mating pieces of hook-and-loop fastener material.
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14. A product dispenser shelf assembly for dispensing products contained in a plurality shipping trays having a front wall, a back wall and side walls, the assembly comprising:
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a) a plurality of support platforms vertically spaced apart, each having an upper surface for supporting at least one shipping tray, a lower surface, a front edge, a rear and a depth between the front edge and the rear which is at least as long as a length between the front wall and the back wall of a shipping tray; b) a stop wall located at the front edge of the support platforms; c) a plurality of row dividers extending across the support platforms, for aligning shipping trays on the support platform; d) a plurality of feed mechanisms mounted upon the lower surface of at least one of the support platforms, above the upper surface of the next-lower support platform, comprising; i) a pusher plate depending downward from the feed mechanism toward the upper surface of the support platform, the pusher plate being moveble along a linear support from a rearward position adjacent to the rear of the support platform to a forward position adjacent to the front edge of the support platform, the pusher plate having a length short enough such that the pusher plate does not contact the back wall of a support tray on the support platform but long enough that the pusher plate contacts the products in the shipping tray; and ii) a bias mechanism for biasing the pusher plate along the linear support from the rearward position toward the forward position; such that when a shipping tray bearing products is placed upon the support platform between the row dividers, pushing the pusher plate toward its rearward position against the bias mechanism, the the products in the shipping tray are pushed toward the front wall of the tray by the pusher plate. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of dispensing products contained in shipping trays having a front wall, a back wall and side walls, comprising the steps of:
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a) mounting a feed mechanism above an upper surface of a support platform, the feed mechanism comprising a pusher plate depending downward from the feed mechanism toward the upper surface of the support platform, the pusher plate being moveble along a linear support from a rearward position adjacent to the rear of the support platform to a forward position adjacent to the front edge of the support platform, the pusher plate having a length short enough such that the pusher plate does not contact the back wall of a support tray on the support platform but long enough that the pusher plate contacts the products in the shipping tray; and
a bias mechanism for biasing the pusher plate along the linear support from the rearward position toward the forward position;b) placing a shipping tray on the support platform, pushing the pusher plate toward its rearward position against the bias mechanism, so that the products in the shipping tray are pushed toward the front wall of the tray by the pusher plate; c) lowering the front wall of the shipping tray behind a stop wall located at a front edge of the support platform, such that the shipping tray is retained on the support platform as the products are pushed within the tray. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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Specification