MERCHANDISING SYSTEM WITH PUSHER ASSEMBLY

• US 20140360953A1
• Filed: 06/11/2013
• Published: 12/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marmon Foodservice Technologies Incorporated (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Display Technologies, Inc. (Rhode Island)
• Inventors: Pichel, Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 9,107,516 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 211/59.3
• 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 5/0018 Display racks with shelves or receptables racks per se A47B; storage devices for warehouses B65G1/02
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/005 Partitions therefore horizontally adjustable A47B57/58; constructional details of drawers A47B88/90

Abstract

A merchandising system for a displaying a plurality of products is disclosed. The system comprises a base and a pusher member. The base includes a product-supporting surface and a track disposed beneath the product-supporting surface. Thee base defines a longitudinal axis. The pusher member is disposed in mechanical cooperation with the base and is configured to slide longitudinally with respect to the base. The pusher member includes a base-contacting surface and a plurality of legs downwardly depending from the base-contacting surface. Each of the plurality of legs is configured to mechanically engage the track. The track includes a discontinuity to enable the legs of the pusher member to selectively mechanically engage the track.

Claims

1. A merchandising system for a displaying a plurality of products, the merchandising system comprising:

a base including a product-supporting surface and a track disposed beneath the product-supporting surface, the base defining a longitudinal axis, the base including a proximal-most end, a distal-most end and a central section disposed between the proximal-most end and the distal-most end; and

a pusher member disposed in mechanical cooperation with the base and configured to slide longitudinally with respect to the base, the pusher member including a base-contacting surface and a plurality of legs downwardly depending from the base-contacting surface, wherein each leg of the plurality of legs is configured to mechanically engage the track;

wherein the track includes a discontinuity to enable the pusher member to be removed from the central section of the base.

2. The merchandising system of claim 1, wherein the discontinuity in the track is between the proximal-most end of the track and the distal-most end of the track.

3. The merchandising system of claim 2, wherein the track extends proximally of the discontinuity and wherein the track extends distally of the discontinuity.

4. The merchandising system of claim 1, wherein the track includes a plurality of spaced-apart tabs.

5. The merchandising system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of legs includes a first leg disposed inwardly of a first lateral edge of the pusher member and a second leg disposed inwardly of a second lateral edge of the pusher member.

6. The merchandising system of claim 5, wherein each of the first leg and the second leg includes a vertical portion disposed in contact with the base-contacting surface of the pusher member and a horizontal portion, wherein an entirety of the vertical portion of the first leg is disposed inwardly of the first lateral edge of the pusher member, wherein an entirety of the vertical portion of the second leg is disposed inwardly of the second lateral edge of the pusher member, wherein the horizontal portion of the first leg extends from the vertical portion toward the second leg, and wherein the horizontal portion of the second leg extends from the vertical portion toward the first leg.

7. The merchandising system of claim 6, wherein each of the first leg and the second leg includes a substantially L-shaped cross-section

8. The merchandising system of claim 1, wherein at least one leg of the plurality of legs includes a substantially L-shaped cross-section.

9. The merchandising system of claim 1, wherein the base includes a lower surface and a gap, the gap being defined between the lower surface and the product-supporting surface.

10. The merchandising system of claim 9, wherein the track is disposed at least partially within the gap.

11. The merchandising system of claim 9, wherein the track is entirely disposed within the gap.

12. The merchandising system of claim 11, wherein the track includes a plurality of spaced-apart tabs.

13. The merchandising system of claim 12, wherein each tab of the plurality of spaced-apart tabs includes a width that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and wherein the discontinuity includes at least one other tab having a width less than a width of an adjacent tab of the plurality of spaced-apart tabs.

14. The merchandising system of claim 1, wherein a distal section of the base is configured to be removed to effectively shorten a length of the merchandising system.

15. The merchandising system of claim 14, further comprising a distal portion disposed distally of the distal section of the base, wherein the distal portion is selectively removable from the distal section of the base, and wherein the distal portion is re-installable with another section of the base after the distal section of the base has been removed.

16. The merchandising system of claim 15, wherein the distal portion includes a portion of the track.

17. The merchandising system of claim 16, wherein the pusher member is configured to slide along an entirety of the track both before the distal portion has been removed, and following removal of the distal section of the base and the re-installation of the distal portion.

18. The merchandising system of claim 15, wherein the distal portion includes a proximally-extending finger configured to mechanically engage a cut-out of the base.

19. The merchandising system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of distal sections of the base are configured to be individually removed to effectively shorten a length of the merchandising system, wherein the merchandising system further comprises a distal portion disposed distally of the distal section of the base, wherein the distal portion is selectively removable from a distal-most section of the base, and wherein the distal portion is re-installable with another section of the base after any number of the plurality of distal sections of the base have been removed.

20. The merchandising system of claim 1, further comprising a proximal member disposed adjacent a proximal end of the base, and further comprising a biasing member mechanically coupled to both the pusher member and the proximal member, the biasing member configured to proximally bias the pusher member.