PRODUCT DISPLAY SYSTEM

• US 20100258513A1
• Filed: 04/08/2009
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Inventors: Meyer, Scott, Vartanian, Andy
• Granted Patent: US 8,172,094 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
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/005 Partitions therefore horizontally adjustable A47B57/58; constructional details of drawers A47B88/90

Abstract

Some embodiments of a product display system can be employed in a retail store or other product storage environment to maintain one or more rows of products in an organized manner on a shelf. In some circumstances, the display system can be readily assembled to the shelf and thereafter receive products so that the products can remain visible and advanced toward the front portion of the shelf.

Claims

1. A product display system, comprising:

a shelf having a generally horizontal upper surface;

a front support rail removably mounted to the upper surface of the shelf along a front portion of the shelf, wherein the front support rail comprises a row of raised projections, the row of raised projections including a pattern of differently raised projections;

a rear support rail removably mounted to the upper surface of the shelf along a rear portion of the shelf so that the rear support rail extends generally parallel to the front support rail, wherein the rear support rail comprises a row of raised projections, the row of raised projections along the rear support rail including a pattern of differently raised projections that aligns with the pattern of differently raised projections of the front support rail.

a divider assembly including a spring-biased pusher and a divider arm that is removably mounted to the front and rear support rails in an orientation that is generally perpendicular to the front and rear support rails, the divider arm comprising a front mounting structure that mates with a selected front slot defined by the row of raised projections of the front support rail, and the divider arm comprising a rear mounting structure that mates with a selected rear slot defined by the row of raised projections of the rear support rail,

wherein the selected front slot is offset a distance from one of the differently raised projections of the front support rail, and the selected rear slot is offset substantially the same distance from one of the differently raised projections of the rear support rail.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the divider arm comprises a front mounting structure that includes a vertical tab and an integral support rib.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the vertical tab of the front mounting structure mates with the selected front slot defined by the row of raised projections of the front support rail, and the integral support rib extends substantially horizontally to abut with at least one of the raised projections of the front support rail.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the divider arm comprises a rear mounting structure that includes a downwardly extending hook and one or more integral support ribs.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the downwardly extending hook of the rear mounting structure mates with the selected rear slot defined by the row of raised projections of the rear support rail, and the one or more integral support ribs extend substantially horizontally to abut with at least one of the raised projections of the front support rail.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the divider arm comprises a front hook extending from a vertical wall to engage the front rail, the front hook comprising a downwardly extending nose portion that extends laterally outward on both side of the vertical wall of the divider arm.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the front support rail comprises a substantially transparent or translucent material.

8. A product display system, comprising:

front and rear support members to removably mount with a shelf in a generally parallel orientation, the rear support member comprises a row of raised projections that includes a pattern of differently raised projections, and the front support member comprises a row of raised projections that includes a pattern of differently raised projections, wherein the pattern of differently raised projections of the front support member aligns with the pattern of differently raised projections of the rear support member when front and rear support members are mounted to the shelf; and

a divider assembly including a divider arm that removably attaches to the front and rear support members in an orientation that is generally perpendicular to the front and rear support members when the front and rear support members are mounted to the shelf, the divider assembly including a pusher that is biased toward a front portion of the divider arm and is slidably mounted to the divider arm for travel in a longitudinal direction.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the divider arm comprises a front hook extending from a vertical wall to engage the front support member, the front hook comprising a downwardly extending nose portion that extends laterally outward on both sides of the vertical wall of the divider arm.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the divider arm comprises a front mounting structure that includes a vertical tab and an integral support rib.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the vertical tab of the front mounting structure mates with a selected slot defined by the front support member.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the divider arm comprises a rear mounting structure that includes a downwardly extending hook and one or more integral support ribs.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the downwardly extending hook of the rear mounting structure mates with a selected slot defined by the rear support member.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the front and rear support members are removably mounted on a support surface of the shelf.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the shelf comprises a set of mounting holes extending along a front portion of the shelf to receive lower hooks of the front support member and a set of mounting holes extending along a rear portion of the shelf to receive lower hooks of the rear support member.

16. The system of claim 8, wherein the front support member comprises a substantially transparent or translucent material.

17. A method of using a product display system, comprising:

coupling a rear support member to a rear portion of a shelf;

coupling a front support member to a front portion of the shelf;

engaging a front hook portion of a divider assembly to the front support member;

engaging a front mounting structure of the divider assembly in a front engagement site relative to one or more landmarks in the front support member;

aligning a rear mounting structure of the divider assembly to a rear engagement site relative to one or more landmarks in the rear support member that correspond to the one or more landmarks in the front support member;

engaging the rear mounting structure of the divider assembly with the rear support member at the rear engagement site; and

inserting a plurality of products into a row on the shelf adjacent to the divider assembly so as to move a pusher member of the divider assembly rearward toward the rear support member.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the rear support member is toollessly mounted to the shelf using one or more integral hooks that mate with the holes at the rear portion of the shelf, and wherein the front support member is toollessly mounted to the shelf using one or more integral hooks that mate with the holes at the rear portion of the shelf.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the one or more landmarks in the front support member comprise a pattern of differently sized projections in a row of raised projections in the front support member, and wherein the one or more landmarks in the rear support member comprise a pattern of differently sized projections in a row of raised projections in the rear support member.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the front mounting structure engages a selected front slot defined by the row of raised projections in the front support member, and the rear mounting structure engages a selected rear slot defined by the row of raised projections in the rear support member.