Shelf organizer display

• US 5,673,801 A
• Filed: 03/25/1996
• Issued: 10/07/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Markson Rosenthal & Company
• Original Assignee: Markson Rosenthal & Company
• Inventors: Markson, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): GIBSON, ROBERT W
• Application Number:
  US08/622,245
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 211/59.3, 211/59.2, 211/90, 211/184, 211/175, 312/42, 312/71
• US Class Current: 211/59.3
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/126 the pushing device being urged by spring means
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/005 Partitions therefore horizontally adjustable A47B57/58; constructional details of drawers A47B88/90

Abstract

A shelf organizer is provided for the storage and dispensing of a plurality of individual products. The shelf organizer is connected to the store fixture by a slide assembly which readily permits its movement between a retracted and extended position relative to the store fixture. A plurality of identical shelf dividers are adjustably positioned within the shelf organizer, so as to adjustably provide compartments of a desired width, in accordance with the product being dispensed. Each shelf divider includes a spring biased pusher bar for urging the products within an individual compartment to the forward most, or product dispensing position.

Claims

1. A shelf organizer for the storage and dispensing a plurality of individual products, comprising

a product shelf including a bottom wall, front, rear and opposed side edges;

slide means secured to said bottom wall for the slidable mounting of said product shelf to a retail display fixture, such that said product shelf has an extended and retractable position with respect to the retail display fixture;

each of said front and rear edges including an upstanding wall to provide front and rear walls;

a plurality of identical shelf dividers each having a proximate end, distal end, side walls and a bottom edge, said shelf dividers selectively positioned between said product shelf opposed side edges to form a plurality of successive compartments between said opposed side edges, with each of said dividers extending between said front and rear walls;

each of said shelf dividers including first connecting means at its proximate end, second connecting means at its distal end and third connecting means at its bottom edge;

said front wall including first mounting means for releasably receiving said first connecting means at a desired location along its extent, between said opposed side edges;

said rear wall including second mounting means for releasably receiving said second connecting means of a desired location along its extent between said opposed side edges;

said bottom wall including a plurality of third mounting means, spaced along its extent between said opposed side edges, adapted to releasably receiving said third connecting means; and

each of said plurality of shelf dividers mounted to selected aligned ones of said first, second and third mounting means for securably and adjustably mounting said shelf dividers at preselected desired ones of said mounting means, with such preselection establishing a plurality of product receiving compartments of a predetermined width between successive shelf dividers, the width of each compartment determined by the selected one of the mounting means receiving the respective connecting means.

2. A shelf organizer according to claim 1, wherein:

each of said receiving and connecting means provides for snap-in type of engagement, for securably mounting each of said shelf dividers to said product shelf at its proximate end, distal end and bottom edge.

3. A shelf organizer according to claim 1 wherein:

each of said shelf dividers includes a retractable spring biased pusher bar for urging successively arrayed products within its respective compartment towards said front surface.

4. A shelf organizer according to claim 3 wherein:

further including releasable means for retaining said pusher bar in its retracted position during product loading.

5. A shelf organizer according to claim 2, wherein

each of said shelf dividers includes a retractable spring biased pusher bar for urging successively arrayed products within its respective compartment towards said front surface.

6. A shelf organizer according to claim 1, wherein:

said first connecting means is a bulbous projection along said proximate end and said first mounting means is a resilient channel along said front wall for frictionally retaining said first connecting means at an adjustable preselected location along said front wall.

7. A shelf organizer according to claim 1, wherein:

said second connecting means and second mounting means including cooperating elements for frictionally retaining said distal end of the shelf divider at an adjustable preselected location along said rear wall.

8. A shelf organizer according to claim 1, wherein:

said third mounting means includes a plurality of spaced recesses along said bottom wall, and said third connecting means including wall surfaces along the bottom of said shelf divider, to be positioned with the bottom wall recess at a preselected location, for securably and adjustably retaining said bottom edge in said bottom wall, with the proximate and distal ends of the shelf divider being connected to said front and rear walls.

9. A shelf organizer according to claim 8, wherein:

said first connecting means is a bulbous projection along said proximate end and said first mounting means is a resilient channel along said front wall for frictionally retaining said first connecting means at an adjustable preselected location along said front wall and,

said second connecting means and second mounting means including cooperating elements for frictionally retaining said distal end of the shelf divider at an adjustable preselected location along said rear wall.

10. A shelf organizer according to claim 1,

further including detent means for selectively retaining said shelf in its retracted position.

11. A shelf organizer according to claim 2, wherein:

said first connecting means is a bulbous projection along said proximate end and said first mounting means is a resilient channel along said front wall for frictionally retaining said first connecting means at an adjustable preselected location along said front wall;

said second connecting means and second mounting means including cooperating elements for frictionally retaining said distal end of the shelf divider at an adjustable preselected location along said rear wall, and

said third mounting means includes a plurality of spaced recesses along said bottom wall, and said third connecting means including wall surfaces along the bottom of said shelf divider, to be positioned with the bottom wall recess at a preselected location, for securably and adjustably retaining said bottom edge in said bottom wall, with the proximate and distal ends of the shelf divider being connected to said front and rear walls.

12. A shelf organizer according to claim 3, wherein:

each of said shelf dividers including a track extending along its side wall, substantially between its proximate and distal ends; and

said pusher bar including a frontal wall for engagement with the product being dispensed, and a side wall located within said track to controllably guide the travel of said pusher bar along said track.

13. A shelf organizer according to claim 12, wherein:

said frontal wall of said pusher bar includes a cushioning means.

14. A shelf organizer according to claim 12, wherein:

the spring biasing for said pusher bar is provided by a spiral negator spring, having a free end secured to said shelf divider side wall adjacent its proximate end, the spiral portion of said negator spring positioned behind said pusher bar frontal wall, such that said pusher bar is biased towards said front wall of the shelf unit, with the movement of said pusher bar towards the distal end of its shelf divider being opposed by said spring as its is uncoiled along said side wall of the shelf divider.

15. A shelf organizer according to claim 1, wherein:

the product receiving compartments may be of a plurality of different widths.

16. A shelf organizer according to claim 8, wherein:

said wall surfaces of said third connecting means including a plurality of spaced downwardly extending tabs, and the recesses of said third mounting means including a plurality of adjacent sets of recesses, each such set extending between said front and rear walls of said product shelf, with the spacing between the individual recesses in each set corresponding to the spacing between the individual tabs of said third connecting means, a plurality of such sets being successively spaced between the opposed side edges of said product shelf, whereby the selected engagement between said tabs and recesses establishes the width of the compartments between adjacent ones of said shelf dividers.

17. A shelf organizer according to claim 15, wherein:

each of said shelf dividers is formed of metal, and has a width in the order of one-sixteenth of an inch.

18. A product display comprising:

a fixture including a plurality of vertically spaced shelf locations, at least one of said shelf locations including a product shelf including a bottom wall, front, rear and opposed side edges;

slide means secured to said bottom wall for the slidable mounting of said product shelf to said shelf location such that said product shelf has an extended and retractable position with respect to said shelf location;

each of said front and rear edges including an upstanding wall to provide front and rear walls;

a plurality of identical shelf dividers each having a proximate end, distal end, side walls and a bottom edge,

said shelf dividers selectively positioned between said product shelf opposed side edges to form a plurality of successive compartments between said opposed side edges, with each of said dividers extending between said front and rear walls;

each of said shelf dividers including first connecting means at its proximate end, second connecting means at its distal end and third connecting means at its bottom edge;

said front wall including first mounting means for releasably receiving said first connecting means at a desired location along its extent, between said opposed side edges;

said rear wall including second mounting means for releasably receiving said second connecting means of a desired location along its extent between said opposed side edges;

said bottom wall including a plurality of third connecting means, spaced along its extent between said opposed side edges, adopted to releasably receiving said third mounting means; and

each of said plurality of shelf dividers, mounted to selected aligned ones of said first, second and third mounting means for securably and adjustably mounting said shelf dividers at preselected desired ones of said mounting means, which such preselection establishing a plurality of product receiving compartments of a predetermined width between successive shelf dividers, the width of each compartment determined by the selected one of the mounting means receiving the respective connecting means.

19. A product display according to claim 18, wherein:

said fixture further includes at least one pair of vertical uprights having a separation in the order of the separation between the opposed end walls of said shelf organizer and a plurality of vertically spaced mounting means;

bracket means for connection to selected vertically aligned pairs of the upright mounting means; and

said slide means interconnected between said bracket means and bottom wall of said shelf assembly, for moving said shelf assembly between its extended and retracted positions relative to said vertical uprights.

20. A product display according to claim 19, wherein:

each of said receiving and connecting means provides for snap-in type of engagement, for securably mounting each of said shelf dividers to said product shelf at its proximate end, distal end and bottom edge;

each of said shelf dividers includes a retractable spring biased pusher bar for urging successively arrayed products within its respective compartment towards said front surface;

said third mounting means includes a plurality of spaced recesses along said bottom wall, and said third connecting means including wall surfaces along the bottom of said shelf divider, to be positioned with the bottom wall recess at a preselected location, for securably and adjustably retaining said bottom edge in said bottom wall, with the proximate and distal ends of the shelf divider being connected to said front and rear walls; and

said wall surfaces of said third connecting means including a plurality of spaced downwardly extending tabs, and the recesses of said third mounting means including a plurality of adjacent sets of recesses, each such set extending between said front and rear walls of said product shelf, with the spacing between the individual recesses in each set corresponding to the spacing between the individual tabs of said third connecting means, a plurality of such sets being successively spaced between the opposed side edges of said product shelf, whereby the selected engagement between said tabs and recesses establishes the width of the compartments between adjacent ones of said shelf dividers.

21. A product display according to claim 20, wherein:

the product receiving compartments may be of a plurality of different widths.

22. A product display according to claim 21, wherein:

each of said shelf dividers is formed of metal, and has a width in the order of one-sixteenth of an inch.

23. A product display according to claim 21 wherein:

said first connecting means is a bulbous projection along said proximate end and said first mounting means is a resilient channel along said front wall for frictionally retaining said first connecting means at an adjustable preselected location along said front wall; and

said second connecting means and second mounting means including cooperating elements for frictionally retaining said distal end of the shelf divider at an adjustable preselected location along said rear wall.