Self Contained Retail Pusher

• US 20100200526A1
• Filed: 02/11/2009
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fasteners for Retail Incorporated (FFR DSI Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Southern Imperial Incorporated (FFR DSI Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Barkdoll, Patrick J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,328,027 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 211/59.300
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/126 the pushing device being urged by spring means

Abstract

A self contained retail pusher is provided. The self contained retail pusher is situated on a retail structure in a typical retail environment. The self contained retail pusher may be quickly incorporated into permanent or temporary retail structures such as retail shelves having existing adjacent dividers and a front fence without having to completely disassemble the shelf, dividers, and front fence. The self contained retail pusher also optimizes retail structure space usage by allowing the user to selectively incorporate a single self contained retail pusher or a plurality thereof in a retail structure. Due to its modularity and ability to mount separately and independently from an existing shelving divider system, the self contained retail pusher may be supplied as a stand alone unit, and without a new divider system.

Claims

1. An apparatus for self-facing retail merchandise in a retail environment, comprising:

a pusher body;

a mounting plate;

a spring acting upon the pusher body and the mounting plate, the pusher body being movable toward and away from the mounting plate through extension and retraction of the spring; and

at least one fastener adapted to secure the mounting plate in the retail environment.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a retail shelf having at lease one row of apertures proximate a front end thereof, the retail shelf adapted to support the retail merchandise thereon;

the at least one fastener mounting in one of the apertures and securing the mounting plate at the front end of the retail shelf.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one fastener is at least one pin that resiliently snaps into one of the apertures, the at least one pin having a resiliently flexible retainer portion engaging an underside of the shelf for retention, the resiliently flexible retainer portion contracting to allow for insertion or removal from the aperture and expanding to resiliently mount the mounting plate to the shelf.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one pin is separately formed apart from the mounting plate, the mounting plate including at least one opening aligning with at least one the apertures;

each pin having a head portion and a prong portion extending from the head, the prong portion having a neck disposed in the at least one opening of the mounting plate and the aperture of the shelf, with the resiliently flexible retainer portion on an end of the neck.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one pin and the mounting plate are unitarily formed.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the head portion of the at least one pin is disposed of within the at least one opening of the mounting plate when the neck is disposed in the aperture of the retail shelf.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the head portion of the at least one pin has a top surface that is coplanar with a top surface of the mounting plate when the head portion is disposed of within the at least one opening of the mounting plate.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the at least one opening of the mounting plate is a slotted opening.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spring is a coil spring contained along a back side of the pusher body, the coil spring having a free end secured to the mounting plate.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the mounting plate has a retaining feature extending transversely away from a bottom surface of the mounting plate, and the front end of the coil spring has an aperture extending through the free end of the coil spring, the aperture receiving the retaining feature of the mounting plate.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the coil spring is coiled about a variable diameter, beginning at an end of the coil spring opposite the free end, the variable diameter subsequently increasing and terminating at the free end.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein a first portion of the variable diameter of the spring is uncoiled when the pusher body is moved away from the mounting plate, and a second portion remains coiled during the travel of the pusher body relative to the mounting plate, the second portion preventing further movement of the pusher body when the maximum point of travel is reached.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the mounting plate has a front portion and a rear portion, said rear portion extending transversely away from an end of the front portion and forming an angle of less than 180°

therewith.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the mounting plate has an integral front stop extending transversely away from a top surface of the front portion of the mounting plate and unitarily formed therewith.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one fastener is a pin that has a head portion and at least one prong portion extending below the head portion, the head portion being received by a channel formed into a bottom surface of the mounting plate.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the head portion is slidable within the channel when received by the channel.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the head portion has a generally rectangular profile and a plurality of serrations thereon, and the channel has a plurality of corresponding serrations therein, said plurality of serrations of the head portion and channel defining a plurality of lateral adjustment positions for the head portion when received by the channel, whereby the mounting plate is adjustable relative to the at least one pin.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the mounting plate has an integral front stop extending transversely away from a top surface of the front portion of the mounting plate and unitarily formed therewith.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a temporary retail structure having at least one surface adapted to support retail merchandise therein; and

the at least one fastener securing the mounting plate to the temporary retail structure.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the at least one fastener is a pin that punctures the at least one surface, the at least one pin having a resiliently flexible retainer portion engaging an underside of the at least one surface for retention, the resiliently flexible retainer portion contracting to allow for insertion and removal of the aperture and expanding to resiliently mount the mounting plate to the at least one surface.

21. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a fencing system situated on the retail shelf, the fencing system having at least two divider walls extending rearwardly, a discrete product merchandise channel being formed on the shelf between adjacent ones of the divider walls, and wherein the mounting plate is secured to the retail shelf within said channel.

22. An apparatus for self-facing merchandise in a retail environment, comprising:

a retail shelf adapted to support the merchandise thereon;

a shelf divider system mounted to the shelf having at least two divider walls extending rearwardly, a discrete product merchandise channel being formed on the shelf between adjacent ones of the divider walls; and

a pusher assembly mounted to the shelf independently and separately from

the shelf divider system, the pusher assembly comprising;

a pusher body;

a mounting plate; and

a spring acting upon the pusher body and the mounting plate, the pusher body being movable toward and away from the mounting plate through extension and retraction of the spring.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the shelf divider system further includes a front wall extending laterally generally over a front end portion of the retail shelf, the divider walls being connected to the front wall.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the pusher assembly further comprises at least one fastener adapted to secure the mounting plate of the pusher assembly to the retail shelf within the discrete product merchandise channel, the at least one fastener securing the mounting plate independently and separately from the shelf divider system.

25. A method for self-facing retail merchandise in a retail environment comprising the steps of:

mounting a pusher assembly having a mounting plate by securing the mounting plate in the retail environment.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising the steps of:

aligning an opening of the mounting plate with an aperture of a retail shelf prior to mounting the pusher assembly in the retail environment.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the step of mounting includes inserting at least one fastener in the aligned opening of the mounting plate and the aperture of the retail shelf.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein the step of mounting includes puncturing a bottom surface of a retail display structure with the at least one fastener.

29. The method of claim 25 further comprising the step of loading retail merchandise into a channel defined by two adjacent dividers, wherein the pusher assembly is interposed between said adjacent dividers, and wherein a pusher body of the pusher assembly is moved away from the mounting plate when loading the retail merchandise.