Product merchandising display unit

• US 4,454,949 A
• Filed: 04/16/1982
• Issued: 06/19/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Paul Flum Ideas, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Paul Flum Ideas, Inc.
• Inventors: Flum, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Schultz, William H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Johnson, Blair M.
• Application Number:
  US06/369,102
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: 211/49 D, 211/153, 211/128, 211/72, 211/126, 206/561, 206/564, 206/562, 206/563, 220/8, 248/221.2
• US Class Current: 211/59.2
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/12 dispensing from the side of an approximately horizontal stack A47F1/087 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/0486 for charging, displaying or discharging the articles

Abstract

A product display and merchandising device adaptable to be supported on a supporting surface comprising a unitary base member having front, rear, and opposed side walls and an inclined floor portion extending therebetween, the floor portion including a plurality of upstanding wall portions forming a plurality of guide channels, a plurality of spaced track members removably attachable to the floor portion and positioned within the guide channels for supporting products positioned thereon, the guide channels extending between the front and rear walls for maintaining and guiding products positioned on the track members in parallel rows therebetween, the floor portion being supported in an inclined position by the front, rear, and side walls whereby rows of products positioned within the guide channels will slide along the guide channels on the respective track members towards the front wall to maintain the products in each respective guide channel adjacent the front wall, the floor portion also including wall portions forming at least one cavity positioned within each respective guide channel to define a space adjacent to the respective track member which spaces extend beyond at least one side of the respective track members, at least one aperture through the wall portions forming each cavity for allowing air to enter the cavities to circulate therethrough and around the rows of products positioned on the track members. The present device may also include an optional apertured plate member attached to the underside portion of the base member.

Claims

1. A product display and merchandising device adaptable to be supported on a support structure comprising a base member having front, rear and opposed side wall portions and a floor portion extending therebetween, said floor portion being defined by a plurality of spaced channel portions extending between the front and rear wall portions and a plurality of upstanding wall portions positioned therebetween, a track member positioned extending along each of said channel portions for supporting products positioned thereon, said upstanding wall portions extending between said front and rear wall portions for guiding and maintaining products positioned on said track members in parallel rows therebetween, said floor portion being supported in an inclined position when said device is supported on a horizontal surface such that rows of products positioned between said upstanding wall portions will slide along the respective track members positioned therebetween towards the front wall portion, wall means in each of said channel portions extending downwardly from said floor portion forming at least one cavity therein, each of said cavities defining a space adjacent to the respective track member positioned within said respective channel portions, opening means formed in each of said cavity forming wall means for allowing air to enter said cavities, each of said track members being dimensioned such that uncovered cavity spaces extend along opposite sides thereof when said track members are positioned within said channel portions, said uncovered cavity spaces communicating the space within each of said cavities with the space above said floor portion for allowing air to circulate therethrough and around the products position on said track members, said cavity forming wall means and the front, rear, and opposed side wall portions of said base member being dimensioned to achieve the proper inclination of said floor portion.

2. The product display device defined in claim 1 wherein each of said track members is removably attachable to each of said spaced channel portions.

3. The product display device defined in claim 1 including stop means on said front wall portion to limit forward movement of the products positioned within each of said channel portions.

4. The product display device defined in claim 1 including a plurality of spaced cavity forming wall means formed in each of said channel portions.

5. The product display device defined in claim 3 wherein said stop means includes a plurality of inverted arches uniformly disposed across said front wall portion, each of said inverted arches being positioned respectively adjacent to the front end of each of said channel portions.

6. The product display device defined in claim 1 wherein said floor portion is inclined in operative position at an angle to the horizontal between about 3°

and about 10°

.

9. The product display device defined in claims 1 or 7 wherein each of said track members include an elongated member having a substantially flat base portion with a plurality of longitudinal runners extending outwardly from one side thereof, said runners extending in parallel relation in position to support and guide the movement of products positioned thereon.

16. The product display device defined in claim 1 wherein said cavity forming wall means include side wall portions and a bottom wall portion extending therebetween, said cavity side wall portions being dimensioned such that the cavity bottom wall portions are in alignment with the free edges of the opposed side wall portions of said base member.

7. A product display and merchandising device adaptable to be supported on a support structure comprising a member having front, rear, and opposed side wall portions and floor means extending therebetween, said floor means including guide means extending between said front and rear wall portions defining a plurality of parallel guide channels therebetween, a plurality of spaced track members attachable to said floor means and extending between said front and rear wall portions for supporting products positioned thereon, one of said track members being positioned within each of said guide channels to form the bottom wall thereof, said floor means being supported in an inclined position when said device is supported on a horizontal surface such that products positioned within said guide channels will slide along said track members towards the front wall portion to maintain the front product in each of said guide channels adjacent to said front wall portion, said front wall portion including stop means to limit forward movement of the products positioned within each of said guide channels, wall means extending downwardly from said floor means positioned within each respective guide channel forming a plurality of cavities therein, each of said cavities defining a space below the respective track member positioned on said floor means, at least one aperture through the wall means forming each cavity for allowing air to enter said cavities, said cavities being shaped and dimensioned such that portions thereof are narrower than the track members positioned thereabove and other portions are wider than said track members, said other cavity portions forming at least one passageway on each opposite side of said track members for communicating the space within each of said cavities with the space above said floor means for allowing air to pass through said floor means for circulation around the products positioned on said track members, said cavity forming wall means and said front, rear and side wall portions providing the proper inclination and support for said floor means when said device is positioned on a supporting surface.

8. The product display device defined in claim 7 including a plate member attached to said device, said plate member having a plurality of apertures therethrough positioned to register respectively with the apertures associated with each of said cavities.

10. The product display device defined in claim 7 wherein said floor means is inclined in operative position at an angle to the horizontal between about 3°

and about 10°

.

11. A shelving device to be supported on a supporting surface for storing and merchandising shelved products comprising a base member having spaced front, rear, and opposed side walls and a floor member extending therebetween, a plurality of track members positioned on said floor member and extending between said front and rear walls for supporting products positioned thereon, said floor member including a plurality of guide channels extending between said front and rear walls for guiding products positioned on said track members in parallel rows therebetween, each of said guide channels being positioned such that a respective track member forms the bottom wall thereof, said floor member including a plurality of cavities positioned within each respective guide channel, said cavities each including side wall portions extending downwardly from said floor member and a bottom wall portion extending therebetween, each of said cavities defining a space below the respective track member positioned on said floor member, the bottom wall portion of each of said cavities having at least one aperture therethrough for allowing air to enter said cavities, each of said cavities including a plurality of sidewardly extending cavity portions, each of said plurality of cavity portions extending sidewardly far enough such that when said track members are positioned within their respective guide channels there will be communication between the space within each of said cavities and the space above said floor member for enabling air to circulate through said floor member and around the products positioned on said track members, said floor member being supported in an inclined position when said device is supported on a horizontal surface, the side wall portions of said cavities and the opposed side wall portions of said base member being dimensioned to achieve the proper inclination of said floor member, the bottom wall portion of said cavities being in alignment with the face edges of the opposed side wall portions of said base member.

12. The shelving device defined in claim 11 wherein said floor member is inclined in operative position at an angle to the horizontal between about 3°

and about 10°

.

13. The shelving device defined in claim 11 including a plate member attached to the underside portion of said base member, said plate member having a plurality of apertures therethrough positioned to register respectively with the apertures associated with said plurality of cavities.

14. The shelving device defined in claim 11 wherein said front wall includes a plurality of inverted arches positioned respectively adjacent to the front end of each of said guide channels.

15. A shelving device to be supported on a supporting surface for storing and merchandising shelved products comprising a member having spaced front, rear, and opposed side walls and a floor member extending therebetween, a plurality of track members positioned on said floor member and extending between said front and rear walls for supporting products positioned thereon, said floor member including a plurality of guide channels extending between said front and rear walls for guiding products positioned therein and a plurality of wall dividers positioned therebetween, each of said guide channels being positioned such that a respective track member forms the bottom wall thereof, said floor member being supported in an inclined position when said device is supported on a horizontal surface whereby rows of products positioned in each of said guide channels will slide along their respective track members positioned therebetween towards the front wall, said floor member including wall means extending downwardly therefrom forming at least one cavity positioned within each respective guide channel, each of said cavities defining a space adjacent to the respective track member positioned on said floor member, each of said track members being narrower than at least a portion of said cavity spaces and each being located within a respective guide channel and atop said cavity spaces such that at least one uncovered cavity space associated with each respective cavity is formed between one side thereof and the adjacent wall divider, at least one aperture through the wall means forming each cavity for allowing air to enter the space defined by said cavities, said cavity forming wall means and said front, rear and side walls being dimensioned to achieve the proper inclination of said floor member, said uncovered cavity spaces communicating the space within each of said cavities with the space above said floor member for allowing air to circulate therethrough and around the products positioned on said track members.

17. The shelving device defined in claim 15 wherein said cavity forming wall means include side wall portions and a bottom wall portion extending therebetween, said cavity side wall portions being dimensioned such that the cavity bottom wall portions are in alignment with the free edges of the opposed side walls of said shelving member.