PRODUCT MANAGEMENT DISPLAY SYSTEM WITH TRACKLESS PUSHER MECHANISM

• US 20140326691A1
• Filed: 07/09/2014
• Published: 11/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RTC Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: RTC Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Hardy, Stephen N.
• Granted Patent: US 9,149,132 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 211/59.3
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 57/581 specially adapted for shelves made of tubes or wire
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 57/585 with connection means slidable in a rail
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 57/586 with connection means movable by sliding on the outside of a rail
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 57/588 by means of shelf bottoms with apertures co-operating with tongues or pins
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 65/15 Partitions, e.g. dividers
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 73/006 with modular arrangements of identical units
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 87/0223 Shelves stackable by means of poles or tubular members as distance-holders therebetween
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 87/0269 without separate distance holders
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/04 Racks or containers with arrangements for dispensing articles , e.g. by means of gravity or springs
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/125 with an article-pushing device
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/126 the pushing device being urged by spring means
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/02 with dispensing arrangements A47F1/04 takes precedence; for cigars or cigarettes A24F15/04; for cigarette papers A24F17/00; for hand towels or toilet paper A47K; for photographic paper G03B; coin-freed G07F
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/14 Display trays or containers combined with racks A47F5/0025; tray partitions A47F5/005; as racks and transportable with merchandise A47F5/108; made of cardboard A47F5/11; stackable A47B87/02; packing boxes used subsequently as display trays B65D
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/0025 having separate display containers or trays on shelves or on racks
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/005 Partitions therefore horizontally adjustable A47B57/58; constructional details of drawers A47B88/90
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/0068 Shelf extensions, e.g. fixed on price rail
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 7/0007 for stacked articles; Stabilising means therefor for cans or bottles A47F7/281
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 7/28 for containers, e.g. flasks, bottles , tins, milk packs racks or containers with dispensing arrangements A47F1/04; for lipsticks or markers A47F7/0021; for audio/video cassettes or booklike articles A47F7/14
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 7/281 for vertically-stacked containers; Stabilising means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B42F 7/12 Stacked trays
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49863 : with prestressing of part

Abstract

A product management display system for merchandising product on a shelf includes using a trackless pusher mechanism that travels along a surface on which product is placed and one or more dividers for separating product into rows. The one or more dividers may be engaged to a front rail in two different conditions, locked and unlocked. In a locked condition, the relationship between the divider and the front rail resists alteration in any direction with respect to each other. In the unlocked condition, the dividers may be freely slid laterally along the front rail, while remaining perpendicular to the front rail. The one or more dividers may lock to the front rail through the use of corresponding teeth, resilient surfaces, a locking tab, a locking bar and/or a cam.

Claims

1. A merchandise display system comprising:

a front rail;

at least one divider configured to attach to the front rail, the at least one divider including

a barrier configured to engage the front rail, a divider wall extending in a direction perpendicular to the front rail, a divider floor perpendicular to the divider wall, wherein the divider floor is configured to hold product; and

a resilient tab coupled to the divider, the resilient tab configured to move between a first position and a second position,

wherein the at least one divider is fixed in a lateral direction parallel to the front rail when the resilient tab is in the first position,

wherein the at least one divider is movable in the lateral direction parallel to the front rail when the resilient tab is in the second position.

2. The merchandise display system of claim 1, wherein the divider includes a plurality of teeth configured to engage the front rail.

3. The merchandise display system of claim 2, wherein the divider teeth are configured to engage corresponding teeth on the front rail.

4. The merchandise display system of claim 2, wherein the divider teeth are configured to engage a resilient surface on the front rail.

5. The merchandise display system of claim 1, wherein the front rail comprises an aperture configured to receive a mounting clip to prevent lateral movement of the front rail, wherein the mounting clip is configured to fit into a corresponding aperture on a shelf.

6. A merchandise display system comprising:

a front rail, the front rail comprising at least one first projection and at least one first recess; and

at least one divider configured to attach to the front rail, the at least one divider comprising a divider wall and a divider floor perpendicular to the divider wall, the at least one divider further comprising at least one second recess and at least one second projection, the at least one second projection of the divider configured to move between a first position and a second position,

wherein the at least one divider is (a) movable in a lateral direction parallel to the front rail and (b) secured in a direction perpendicular to the front rail when the at least one first projection of the front rail is engaged with the at least one second recess of the divider and the at least one second projection of the divider is in the first position, and

wherein the at least one divider (a) resists movement in the lateral direction parallel to the front rail and (b) is secured in a direction perpendicular to the front rail when the at least one first projection of the front rail is engaged with the at least one second recess of the divider and the at least one second projection of the divider is in the second position.

7. The merchandise display system of claim 6, wherein the at least one second projection of the divider comprises a cam.

8. The merchandise display system of claim 6, wherein the at least one first recess of the front rail comprises a groove.

9. The merchandise display system of claim 6, wherein the at least one second projection of the divider comprises a resilient tab.

10. The merchandise display system of claim 6, wherein the at least one first projection of the front rail comprises a tongue.

11. The merchandise display system of claim 6, wherein the at least one first projection of the front rail comprises a plurality of teeth.

12. The merchandise display system of claim 6, wherein the at least one second projection of the divider comprises a tongue.

13. The merchandise display system of claim 6, wherein the at least one second projection of the divider comprises a plurality of teeth.

14. The merchandise display system of claim 6, further comprising a plurality of teeth on the at least one first projection of the front rail and further comprising a plurality of teeth on the at least one second recess of the divider.

15. The merchandise display system of claim 6, wherein the front rail comprises an aperture configured to receive a mounting clip to prevent lateral movement of the front rail, wherein the mounting clip is configured to fit into a corresponding aperture on a shelf.

16. A merchandise display system comprising:

a front rail, the front rail comprising a first projection and a second projection; and

at least one divider configured to attach to the front rail, the at least one divider comprising a divider wall and a divider floor perpendicular to the divider wall, the at least one divider further comprising a recess and a third projection,

wherein at least one of the second projection or the third projection is a movable projection that is movable between a first position and a second position,

wherein the at least one divider is (a) movable in a lateral direction parallel to the front rail and (b) secured in a direction perpendicular to the front rail when the first projection of the front rail is engaged with the recess of the divider and the movable projection is in the first position, and

wherein the at least one divider is (a) immovable in the lateral direction parallel to the front rail and (b) secured in the direction perpendicular to the front rail when the first projection of the front rail is engaged with the recess of the divider and the movable projection is in the second position.

17. The merchandise display system of claim 16, wherein the movable projection is a cam.

18. The merchandise display system of claim 16, wherein the movable projection is a resilient tab.

19. The merchandise display system of claim 16, wherein the first projection of the front rail comprises a tongue and the recess of the divider comprises a groove.

20. A merchandise display system comprising:

a front rail, the front rail comprising at least a first engaging member;

at least one divider configured to attach to the front rail, the at least one divider comprising a divider wall and a divider floor perpendicular to the divider wall, the at least one divider further comprising at least a second engaging member; and

a third engaging member configured to move between a first position and a second position,

wherein the at least one divider is (a) movable in a lateral direction parallel to the front rail and (b) secured in a direction perpendicular to the front rail when the first engaging member of the front rail is engaged with the second engaging member of the divider and the third engaging member is in the first position, and

wherein the at least one divider is (a) fixed in the lateral direction parallel to the front rail and (b) secured in the direction perpendicular to the front rail when the first engaging member of the front rail is engaged with the second engaging member of the divider and the third engaging member is in the second position.

21. The merchandise display system of claim 20, wherein the third engaging member is a portion of the front rail.

22. The merchandise display system of claim 20, wherein the third engaging member is a portion of the divider.

23. The merchandise display system of claim 20 wherein the third engaging member comprises a cam.

24. The merchandise display system of claim 20, wherein the third engaging member comprises an engaging surface.

25. The merchandise display system of claim 20, wherein the first engaging member of the front rail is a projection.

26. The merchandise display system of claim 20 further comprising a pusher mechanism having a pusher surface, a pusher floor extending forwardly from the pusher surface, and a coiled spring having a coiled end and a free end,

wherein the coiled end is positioned behind the pusher surface and the pusher mechanism is attached to the merchandise display system only by the coiled spring.

27. The merchandise display system of claim 20 further comprising a barrier, and wherein the barrier is configured to receive the free end of the coiled spring.

28. The merchandise display system of claim 20 wherein the at least one divider is (a) immovable in the lateral direction parallel to the front rail and (b) secured in the direction perpendicular to the front rail when the first engaging member of the front rail is engaged with the second engaging member of the divider and the third engaging member is in the second position

29. The merchandise display system of claim 20, wherein the front rail comprises an aperture configured to receive a mounting clip to prevent lateral movement of the front rail, wherein the mounting clip is configured to fit into a corresponding aperture on a shelf.

30. The merchandise display system of claim 20, wherein the front rail comprises an aperture configured to receive a mounting clip to prevent lateral movement of the front rail, wherein the mounting clip is configured to fit into a corresponding aperture on a shelf.

31. A merchandise display system comprising:

a front rail, the front rail comprising at least one first projection and at least one second projection, the at least one second projection of the front rail configured to move between a first position and a second position; and

at least one divider configured to attach to the front rail, the at least one divider comprising a divider wall and a divider floor perpendicular to the divider wall, the at least one divider further comprising at least one recess,

wherein the at least one divider is (a) movable in a lateral direction parallel to the front rail and (b) secured in a direction perpendicular to the front rail when the at least one first projection of the front rail is engaged with the at least one recess of the divider and the at least one second projection of the front rail is in the first position, and

wherein the at least one divider is (a) fixed in the lateral direction parallel to the front rail and (b) secured in the direction perpendicular to the front rail when the at least one first projection of the front rail is engaged with the at least one recess of the divider and the at least one second projection of the front rail is in the second position.

32. The merchandise display system of claim 31, wherein the at least one first projection of the front rail comprises a tongue and wherein the at least one recess of the divider comprises a groove.

33. The merchandise display system of claim 31, wherein the front rail comprises an aperture configured to receive a mounting clip to prevent lateral movement of the front rail, wherein the mounting clip is configured to fit into a corresponding aperture on a shelf.