Merchandiser assembly
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A merchandiser assembly for use in storing and displaying products in a shelf-like orientation, the merchandiser assembly comprising:
- product tray means for holding and supporting a plurality of merchandised products, said product tray means having a front end portion and a rear end portion, said product tray means being open from above for displaying and accessing said products;
track means for providing generally horizontally oriented support of said product tray means, said track means having a front portion;
engagement means of said product tray means and of said track means for effecting sliding engagement between said product tray means and said track means and for permitting said product tray means to move with respect to said track means along a pathway that is generally longitudinally oriented with respect to said product tray means;
a generally upstanding product follower member slidably mounted with respect to said product tray means for movement generally between said rear end portion and said front end portion of the product tray means;
biasing means for urging said product follower member and any merchandised products in front of said product follower member generally toward said front end portion of the product tray means, said biasing means including a roll spring behind said product follower and having one end secured to said product tray means; and
stop means for engaging said product follower member with said front portion of the track means when the merchandiser assembly is in a fill mode at which the front end portion of said product tray means is slidably extended beyond said front portion of the track means, whereby movement of said generally upstanding product follower member beyond said front portion of the track means is prevented and whereby said product follower member is positioned in spaced away relationship with respect to said front end portion of the product tray means in opposition to said biasing means.
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Abstract
A merchandiser assembly is provided for storing and displaying products in a shelf-like manner. The merchandiser assembly greatly facilitates stock rotation, is self-facing, and automatically maintains an organized and properly positioned stock of products. A product tray is slidably mounted with respect to a support member, and a product follower that is slidably mounted with respect to the product is limited in the extent of its forward movement in order to provide free space for the refilling of the merchandiser assembly with fresh products which the merchandiser assembly is in a fill mode.
278 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A merchandiser assembly for use in storing and displaying products in a shelf-like orientation, the merchandiser assembly comprising:
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product tray means for holding and supporting a plurality of merchandised products, said product tray means having a front end portion and a rear end portion, said product tray means being open from above for displaying and accessing said products; track means for providing generally horizontally oriented support of said product tray means, said track means having a front portion; engagement means of said product tray means and of said track means for effecting sliding engagement between said product tray means and said track means and for permitting said product tray means to move with respect to said track means along a pathway that is generally longitudinally oriented with respect to said product tray means; a generally upstanding product follower member slidably mounted with respect to said product tray means for movement generally between said rear end portion and said front end portion of the product tray means; biasing means for urging said product follower member and any merchandised products in front of said product follower member generally toward said front end portion of the product tray means, said biasing means including a roll spring behind said product follower and having one end secured to said product tray means; and stop means for engaging said product follower member with said front portion of the track means when the merchandiser assembly is in a fill mode at which the front end portion of said product tray means is slidably extended beyond said front portion of the track means, whereby movement of said generally upstanding product follower member beyond said front portion of the track means is prevented and whereby said product follower member is positioned in spaced away relationship with respect to said front end portion of the product tray means in opposition to said biasing means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A merchandiser assembly, comprising:
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product tray means for holding and supporting a generally horizontally oriented stack of merchandised products that are in an on-edge orientation, said product tray means having a front portion and a rear portion, said product tray means being open from above for displaying and accessing said products; track means for generally horizontally supporting said product tray means, said track means having a front portion; said product tray means is slidably secured to said track means in an orientation that is generally longitudinal of said product tray means, whereby said product tray means is movable between a rearwardmost, in-use mode and a forwardly extended, fill mode; a product follower member slidably secured onto said product tray means, said product follower member being slidable between said front portion and said rear portion of the product tray means, the product follower member being adapted to be positioned in back of the stack of merchandised products; biasing means for urging said product follower member toward said front portion of the product tray means, said biasing means including a roll spring behind said product follower and above said track means, and having one end secured to said product tray means; and stop means for preventing movement of the rear portion of said product tray means beyond said front portion of the track means, said stop means further preventing forward movement of said product follower member beyond said front portion of the track means. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. Method for storing and displaying products in a shelf-like orientation, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) positioning a track assembly on a generally horizontal shelf having a front edge and a rear edge; (b) extending a tray member slidably engaging the track assembly, said extending step being in a generally forward direction and generally horizontally parallel to the shelf; (c) forming a stocking space between a generally vertically-oriented upstanding follower member and an inside front surface of the tray member, said forming step including engaging the follower member with a stop such that as the tray member is slid forwardly the follower member is prevented from moving forwardly; (d) inserting products having generally planar side walls, a generally planar face, and a generally planar back wall into the stocking space, said inserting step including aligning the products such that one of the side walls of each of said products is generally adjacent to a floor of said tray member, the planar face of each of said products is directed forwardly, and the planar face of the forwardmost of the inserted products is generally adjacent to the inside front surface of the tray member; (e) returning the tray member to an unextended rearward display position, said returning step including sliding the tray member rearwardly and generally horizontally parallel to said shelf such that the planar back wall of the rearwardmost of the inserted products contacts a forward face of the product follower; and (f) biasing the products forwardly when a displayed product is removed from the tray member, said biasing step including moving the product follower forwardly thereby automatically filling a void formed by the removal of the displayed product. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. Method for facilitating organized sale and rotation of packaged products, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) positioning a track assembly on a generally horizontal shelf such that at least a forward portion of the assembly is generally proximate to a front edge of the shelf; (b) extending forward to a fill position a tray member slidably carried on and above the track assembly such that a front member of said tray member is forward of the forward portion of the track assembly; (c) aligning packaged products having generally planar side walls, planar faces, and planar backs on the tray member, said aligning step including forming a line of the packaged products by placing one of said packaged products in front of another of the packaged products and on one of the side walls of the products with the planar faces of said packaged products forwardly directed; (d) returning the tray member to a display position, said returning step including engaging the planar back of a rearwardmost aligned product with a front face of a product follower and pushing the product follower in a rearward direction by the line of packaged products in opposition to a biasing member; (e) moving the line of packaged products forwardly as one or more of the packaged products in the line are removed while in the display position; (f) restocking the tray member, said restocking step including forming a free space between the planar back of the rearwardmost aligned packaged product and the forward face of the product follower, said forming step including blocking the product follower from engagement with the planar back of the rearwardmost aligned packaged product; (g) said restocking step including inserting new products in the free space such that the planar faces of the packaged products are forwardly directed and the one of the side walls is adjacent to the floor; and (h) whereby said returning of the tray member to said display position facilitates immediate sales access to the packaged products inserted previously to the new products, whereby the packaged products are rotated. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A merchandiser assembly for use in organizing products for sale, the merchandiser assembly comprising:
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a track assembly including a front portion and a rear portion; a tray member for supporting a plurality of products, said tray member including a front member and a rear member; engagement means for effecting sliding engagement between said track assembly and said tray member, whereby said tray member can be slid from a rearwardmost display position to a forward filling position; a product follower mounted within a longitudinal slot such that said product follower can slide; a means for biasing said product follower forwardly, said biasing means extending from behind said product follower and having one end secured to said product tray means to said front member; a movement limiter for blocking forward movement of said product follower, whereby when said tray member is extended to said forward filling position free space opens between a front face of said product follower as blocked and an inside surface of said front member in which products can be inserted; and means for securing said track assembly to a shelf on which said track assembly rests. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification