DISCRETE GRAVITY FEED MERCHANDISE ADVANCEMENT SEATS AND ASSEMBLY COMBINATIONS

• US 20180110345A1
• Filed: 10/20/2017
• Published: 04/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sungal Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sungal Corporation
• Inventors: SUN, Yeyang
• Granted Patent: US 11,064,816 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 57/406 Hooks attached to uprights A47B57/402 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/12 dispensing from the side of an approximately horizontal stack A47F1/087 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/005 Partitions therefore horizontally adjustable A47B57/58; constructional details of drawers A47B88/90
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/103 Display shelving racks with the uprights aligned in only one plane
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/105 Adjustable partition panels for displaying articles for furniture A47B96/1416; partition walls in buildings E04B2/78

Abstract

Disclosed are discrete gravity feed merchandise-advancement seats for use on a shelf support. The seats have a width having two sides and a length, a merchandise-advancement mechanism retention element disposed on each side along the length, and a merchandise-advancement mechanism disposed in retention elements. A driver is disposed in combination with the seat. A guide channel on each side of the driver surrounds the two retention elements so that the driver can traverse the length of the seat, and provide vertical and horizontal stability to the driver. The seats may have attachment mechanisms on front and rear edges that attach to mating attachment mechanisms proximal the front and rear of the shelf support. Dividers cooperate with the seats to provide merchandise display channels. Attachment mechanisms disposed proximal the front and rear of the shelf support allow for adjustable lateral placement of the seats and dividers.

Claims

1. A discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat comprised of:

a base comprising;

a top, a bottom, a width having two sides, a length having two ends, and a pair of oppositely disposed merchandise advancement mechanism retention elements disposed on the top along at least a portion of the length;

a gravity feed merchandise-advancement mechanism having a surface configured to accept merchandise disposed in association with the merchandise advancement mechanism retention elements; and

at least one attachment element disposed on the base and located proximal at least one of the two ends.

2. The discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat according to claim 1, wherein the merchandise advancement mechanism retention element is selected from the group consisting of a first and a second support bar, a first and a second base C-channel and any combinations thereof.

3. The discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat according to claim 1, wherein the gravity feed merchandise advancement mechanism is selected from a plurality of rollers, a gliding rib bed comprised of a plurality of gliding ribs, and any combinations thereof.

4. The discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat according to claim 1, wherein the at least one attachment element disposed on the base is disposed and configured to attach to a connector element disposed proximal a front end or proximal a rear end of a shelf support.

5. The discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat according to claim 1, wherein one attachment element is disposed at each end of the base.

6. The discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat according to claim 5, wherein the attachment elements are disposed and configured so that the base is symmetrical from front to back.

7. The discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat according to claim 1, further comprising a merchandise gravity driver disposed on the top of the discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat.

8. The discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat according to claim 7, wherein the driver is comprised of:

a driver deck having a top, a bottom and two sides;

a merchandise guide disposed on the top and above the driver deck; and

two guide channels, wherein one guide channel is disposed on each side of the driver deck, wherein the bottom has a surface configured to contact a surface of the merchandise advancement mechanism, and wherein one of each of the two guide channels is disposed and configured to surround one each of the pair of merchandise advancement mechanism retention elements.

9. The discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat according to claim 8, wherein the merchandise guide is a paddle or a container with a cap.

10. The discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat according to claim 1, further comprising at least one divider, wherein the divider is attached to the base by an attachment selected from the group consisting of fixedly attached to the base, removably attached to the base and adjustably attached to the base.

11. The discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat according to claim 10, wherein the divider is removeably attached to the base, wherein the discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat further comprises a divider receiving element comprised of at least one slot disposed on the top, and wherein the divider comprises at least one tab disposed and configured to mate with the at least one slot disposed on the top.

12. The discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat according to claim 10, wherein the divider is adjustably attached to the base, wherein the discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat further comprises a divider receiving element comprised of at least one slot disposed on the bottom, and wherein the divider comprises at least one foot-like element disposed and configured to mate with the at least one slot on the bottom.

13. The discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat according to claim 1, further comprising at least one opening through the base from the bottom to the top, wherein the at least one opening is designed and configured to allow liquid to drain through the base.

14. The discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat according to claim 1, further comprising a locator and a stop protrusion positioned proximal at least one end of the length.

15. The discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat according to claim 14, comprising a locator disposed at each end of the base, wherein two bases are connected end-to-end using a seat connector, wherein the seat connector comprises:

a connector base having a top, a bottom, a length with two ends and a width;

two transverse edges, wherein one transverse edge is disposed proximal each end;

a rod disposed between the two transvers edges; and

two sets of lock rod holders, wherein one each of the two sets of lock rod holders is disposed between a transverse edge and the rod, wherein each of the two transverse edges, the rod and each of the two sets of lock rod holders is disposed away from the connector base in the same direction, wherein each of the two transverse edges, each of the two sets of lock rod holders and the rod is sized and configured to connect with the bottom of each of the two discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seats, wherein the rod is sized and configured to provide a transverse channel across the width of the connector on each side of the rod, and wherein each of the two transverse channels is sized and configured to accept the locator on one each of the two discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seats.

16. The discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat according to claim 1, further comprising a first landing zone disposed proximal one end of the base, wherein the landing zone comprising:

a solid plate sized and configured to fit into the merchandise advancement mechanism retention element; and

a plurality of curved ribs disposed on the solid plate that are sized and configured to allow merchandise to glide along a top surface of the plurality of curved ribs and onto the surface of the gravity feed merchandise-advancement mechanism.

17. The discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat according to claim 16, further comprising a second landing zone disposed proximal the other end of the base.

18. The discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat according to claim 17, further comprising an end divider, wherein the end divider comprises;

a divider panel;

a plurality of bent edges;

a front leg;

and a rear leg, wherein each of the front leg and the rear leg includes a slot sized and configured to accept a push pin, and wherein each of the front leg and the rear leg is sized and configured to be inserted into a space between a front foot and/or a rear foot and a landing zone.

19. An angle converter for providing a declined angle to a shelf disposed on a gondola upright, the angle converter comprising:

two sets of opposed surfaces, wherein at least one set of opposed surfaces is disposed at an angle to each other, wherein one of the opposed surfaces disposed at an angle to each other has at least one slot disposed therein, wherein one of the opposed surfaces disposed at an angle to each other has at least one bracket tooth disposed thereon, wherein the at least one bracket is sized and configured to fit into a slot on a gondola upright, wherein the at least one slot is sized and configured to accept a shelf bracket, and wherein the angle is sufficient to provide a decline to a shelf disposed in the at least one slot of between about 5° and

about 12°

.

20. An angle converter for providing a declined angle to a shelf disposed on a gondola upright, the angle converter comprising:

a seamless tube having a side with at least one slot disposed through a surface thereof, wherein the at least one slot is sized and configured to accept a shelf bracket,

at least one bracket tooth disposed on a surface of the seamless tube on a side opposite the at least one slot, wherein the at least one bracket is sized and configured to fit into a slot on a gondola upright; and

an angled panel, wherein the angled panel is disposed at an angle to the surface of the seamless tube having the at least one bracket disposed thereon, wherein the angled panel provides stability for the angle converter against a front surface of a gondola upright, and wherein the angle of the angled panel is sufficient to provide a decline to a shelf disposed in the at least one slot of between about 5° and

about 12°

.

21. A panel clip comprising:

a base;

a U-channel;

a slot;

an upper jaw; and

a lower jaw, wherein the U-channel is sized and configured to provide sufficient depth to accommodate a cross-sectional dimension of a longitudinal wire of a wire shelf, wherein the slot is sized and configured to provide sufficient width to accommodate a cross-sectional dimension of a longitudinal wire of the wire shelf.

22. A seat connector for connecting two discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seats each having a bottom and as length with two ends together in an end-to-end configuration, the seat connector comprising:

a connector base having a length with two ends and a width;

two transverse edges, wherein one transverse edge is disposed proximal each end;

a rod disposed between the two transvers edges; and

two sets of lock rod holders, wherein one each of the two sets of lock rod holders is disposed between a transverse edge and the rod, wherein each of the two transverse edges, the rod and each of the two sets of lock rod holders is disposed away from the connector base in the same direction, wherein each of the two transverse edges, each of the two sets of lock rod holders and the rod is sized and configured to connect with a bottom of each of two discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seats, wherein the rod is sized and configured to provide a transverse channel across the width of the connector on each side of the rod, and wherein each of the two transverse channels is sized and configured to accept a locator on one each of the two discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seats.