MERCHANDISE DISPLAY AND PUSHER DEVICE

• US 20110174750A1
• Filed: 03/20/2009
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Gasket Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: American Gasket Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Poulokefalos, Dimitris
• Granted Patent: US 8,746,468 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 211/59.3
• 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

Pushers for displaying merchandise forward on a shelf including shelf attachments including base extending perpendicularly and longitudinally along the end and parallel to shelf edge, a front attachment wall extending essentially vertically from the base disposed at a base front edge, the front attachment wall including base engagement teeth protruding essentially horizontally from the front attachment wall toward the shelf, and an upraised ridge region removed from the vertically extending front attachment wall in the second direction that is offset from the plane of the base, a divider portion including a divider block and an essentially planar divider extending outwardly from the divider block; pusher track having a top surface and two rails, and at least one track tooth disposed at a longitudinal end of the track, the at least one track tooth providing engagement from the track tooth and base engagement teeth; and a resilient pusher member.

Claims

1. A pusher merchandising system adapted to be attached to a shelf for displaying merchandise items at a forward edge of the shelf comprising:

a) a shelf attachment portion that is shaped and configured to attach to a forward edge of a merchandise shelf, the shelf attachment portion including

a base extending essentially in a plane defined by a first direction essentially parallel to the shelf surface and perpendicularly to a front shelf edge and by a second direction extending essentially perpendicular to the shelf surface when the shelf attachment portion is attached to the shelf for operation, the base having a front attachment wall extending essentially vertically from the plane of the base and being configured to be disposed at a proximal edge of said base closest to the forward edge of the shelf when the shelf attachment portion is attached to the shelf, the front attachment wall including base engagement teeth protruding essentially horizontally from the front attachment wall in the first direction,

an intermediate base section of the base connected to the front attachment wall, and

an upraised plateau removed from the vertically extending front attachment wall and extending essentially in the second direction and raised above the intermediate base section;

b) a divider portion including a divider block having a proximal end and a distal end, at least one surface extending horizontally substantially between the proximal and distal ends, an essentially planar divider extending outwardly from the divider block essentially perpendicularly to the divider block one surface and an attachment means disposed at said proximal end adapted for connection to said attachment portion; and

c) an elongate pusher track, the pusher track having a longitudinally extending base, a proximal end and a distal end defining a track direction, at least one pusher surface extending substantially between the proximal and distal ends the pusher surface extending laterally beyond the base thereby defining a cantilevered extension at each lateral edge of the pusher surface, and an attachment means disposed at said proximal end adapted for connection to said attachment portion;

d) a pusher member having a connecting base and a facing pushing surface extending therefrom, the connecting base including a pusher base connection mechanism for cooperation with the cantilevered extension of said pusher track to maintain the pushing face oriented in a direction essentially perpendicular to the track direction.

2. The pusher merchandising system of claim 1 wherein the divider portion further comprises at least two attachment teeth disposed at a longitudinal proximal end of the divider block, the attachment teeth being shaped and dimensioned to provide engagement between the attachment teeth and opposed shelf engagement portion teeth.

3. The pusher merchandising system of claim 1, wherein an end of shelf divider that is configured to be disposed at an end of shelf position includes a divider block having an end wall to be disposed adjacent a shelf end and a divider having a generally planar surface that is adapted to be disposed flush with the shelf end wall of a shelf support wall.

4. The pusher merchandising system of claim 3, wherein the end of shelf divider configured to be disposed at an end of shelf position includes a divider block having an end wall to be disposed adjacent a shelf end and a divider having a generally planar surface that is adapted to be disposed flush with the shelf end wall of a shelf support wall.

5. The pusher merchandising system of claim 1 wherein the front attachment wall disposed at a front edge of said base includes a longitudinal channel extending in a direction parallel to the front edge of the shelf when the system is installed and operational, the channel being shaped and configured to retain within it a tooth strip, the tooth strip including a plurality of adjoining base engagement teeth protruding essentially in a perpendicular direction away from the tooth base, such that when the tooth strip is inserted into the longitudinal channel of the front wall, the attachment portion engagement teeth protrude therefrom to be configured to receive and engage with corresponding teeth disposed on the proximal end of a divider or track portion.

6. The pusher merchandising system of claim 5 wherein both the longitudinal slot and the tooth base are essentially in the shape of a dovetail when viewed in cross-section.

7. The pusher merchandising system of claim 1 wherein both the plural base engagement teeth and the at least at least one track tooth have a triangular profile such that when the teeth engage each other the apex of the triangular base engagement teeth is closest to the base of the at least one track tooth and the apex of the at least one track tooth is closest to the base of the base engagement teeth.

8. The pusher merchandising system of claim 1 wherein the pusher base connection mechanism further comprises two lateral cantilevered locking arms shaped and dimensioned so that one each of the locking arms engage in a pincer configuration one each of the extensions of the track surface.

9. The pusher merchandising system of claim 8 wherein the pusher base further comprises a plateau that projects upwardly from the intermediate base section to a height dimension that is less than one half of the height of the base front attachment wall, and the teeth are disposed in a part of the front attachment wall that extends above the plateau in relation to the intermediate base section.