Adjustable display and dispenser rack

• US 5,542,552 A
• Filed: 04/04/1994
• Issued: 08/06/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Metagene Corporation, POP Displays Incorporated (Pop Displays Holding Corp.)
• Original Assignee: POP Displays Incorporated (Pop Displays Holding Corp.)
• Inventors: Chan, Anthony, Yablans, Gerald
• Primary Examiner(s): Chotkowski, Karen J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): King, Anita M.
• Application Number:
  US08/222,605
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 211/59.3, 211/59.2, 211/175, 211/184, 211/43, 312/61, 312/71, 312/42
• US Class Current: 211/59.3
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/126 the pushing device being urged by spring means

Abstract

A display and dispensing rack having a pair of front-to-back slidingly interfitted trays with product pusher which travels front-to-back over both trays.

Claims

1. A rack having selectively variable capacity for displaying and dispensing of items, said rack including a front end, a back end, and at least one rack display and dispensing channel, a first product dispensing tray at said front end, and a second product dispensing tray behind said first tray, said first and said second trays each having at least one tray display and dispensing channel, said rack further comprising:

telescoping interfitting means, comprising said first and second trays, for joining and aligning said first and second trays in a plurality of telescoping positions to vary the display and dispensing capacity of said rack, said tray display and dispensing channels of said first and second trays being in alignment to form said at least one rack display and dispensing channel, a first pair of spaced parallel tracks in and along said at least one aligned channel of one of said trays, said first pair of tracks being in said one aligned channel and extending upward to a predetermined height, parallel slots alongside each of said tracks of said one of said trays, a second pair of spaced parallel tracks in and along said at least one aligned channel of the other of said trays, said second pair of tracks extending through said parallel slots of said one of said trays and upward to said predetermined height.

2. The rack described in claim 1, further comprising:

resisting means for resisting rearward movement of items in said first tray; and

mounting means on said rack for mounting said resisting means, so that said resisting means is movable along said first and said second pair of tracks on said rack between said front end and said back end over said first and second trays, said tracks all extending to said predetermined height.

3. The rack described in claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

a track means and a slot means each including a pair of upward, downward, laterally leftward and laterally rightward engagement surfaces for limiting vertical and lateral displacement of said first tray from said second tray when said first and second trays are telescopically interfitted.

4. The rack described in claim 3, further comprising:

on one of said first and second trays at least one of said pair of laterally leftward and laterally rightward engagement surfaces has a vertical protrusion, and

the other of said first and second trays has at least one elongated, front-to-back oriented, vertically opening slot for receiving said vertical protrusion.

5. The rack described in claim 1, further comprising:

resisting means for resisting rearward movement of items in said first tray, and

means on said rack for mounting said resisting means so that said resisting means is movable on said rack between said front end and back end over said first and second trays.

6. The rack described in claim 5, further comprising:

said mounting means for mounting said resisting means comprising guide means between said resisting means and said rack, said guide means being oriented front-to-back, and comprising said first and second trays.

7. The rack described in claim 6, further comprising:

said guide means comprising a first front-to-back oriented slot in said first tray, and a second front-to-back oriented slot in said second tray, said first and second slots opening into one another, said resisting means extending into at least one of said first and second slots when moving on said rack over said pairs of spaced parallel tracks of said first and second trays of said rack.

9. The rack described in claim 1 or 8 being a first rack, and further comprising:

attaching means on said first rack for attaching laterally to said first rack a second rack for displaying and dispensing of items.

8. A rack having selectively variable capacity for displaying and dispensing of items, said rack including a front end, a back end, and at least one display and dispensing channel, a first product dispensing tray at said front end, and a second product dispensing tray behind said first tray, said first and said second trays each having at least one display and dispensing channel, said rack further comprising:

telescoping interfitting means, comprising said first and second trays, for joining and aligning said first and second trays in a plurality of telescoping positions to vary the display and dispensing capacity of said rack, each of said first and second trays having at least one display and dispensing channel in alignment to form said at least one channel of said rack, said telescoping interfitting means comprising track means and slot means cooperating between said first and second trays, said track and said slot means being oriented back-to-front, said track means and said slot means each including a pair of upward, downward, laterally leftward and laterally rightward engagement surfaces for limiting vertical and lateral displacement of said first tray from said second tray when said first and second tray are telescopically interfitted, said pair of laterally leftward and laterally rightward engagement surfaces comprising a vertical protrusion on a one of said first and second trays, an elongated, front-to-back oriented, vertically opening slot on the other of said first and second trays, for receiving said vertical protrusion, said pair of upward and downward engagement surfaces comprising a horizontal portion of one of said trays, and an L-shaped extension on said other tray for receiving said horizontal portion.

10. The rack described in claim 8, further comprising:

a one of said first and second trays comprising a front-to-back oriented, vertical third slot opening through the tray, and a first ridge adjacent to and parallel with said third slot, the other of said first and second trays comprising a second ridge extending vertically through and above said third slot, said resisting means being in contact with at least one of said first and second ridges when moving on said rack over said first and second trays.

11. The rack described in claim 10, further comprising:

a resisting means extending laterally below said first and second trays.

12. The rack described in claim 11, further comprising:

a plurality of discrete, front-to-back spaced, openings in a one of said first and second trays, and

said protrusion on the other of said first and second trays which fits each of said openings sequentially when one tray moves over the other tray.