Replacement track for display rack

• US 5,695,076 A
• Filed: 07/15/1996
• Issued: 12/09/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Display Technologies, LLC (Leigh M. Rothschild)
• Original Assignee: Display Technologies, Inc. (Rhode Island)
• Inventors: Jay, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): GIBSON, ROBERT W
• Application Number:
  US08/683,568
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 211/59.2, 211/59.3, 211/183, 312/42, 312/45, 312/60
• 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 5/0043 Show shelves shelves in general A47B96/02; brackets or similar shelf-supporting means A47B96/06; advertising or price indication G09F
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/005 Partitions therefore horizontally adjustable A47B57/58; constructional details of drawers A47B88/90

Abstract

A replacement track for a display track channel has a generally planar, slightly flexible, longitudinally elongate track member defining a front portion, a back portion, and a body portion connecting the front and back portions. The front portion defines a wedge-shaped front for lifting articles supported by an existing track of a channel above the existing track and on to the front portion as the front portion is moved between the articles and the existing track. The body portion defines a top surface, a bottom surface and a pair of longitudinal edges connecting the top and bottom surfaces, the body portion having biasing means on at least one longitudinal edge thereof for maintaining the track member in a channel and preferably on both longitudinal edges thereof for centering the body portion within the channel. At least the body portion defines on both the top and bottom surfaces thereof slide means for reducing the friction generated by an article sliding thereover, whereby the track may be used in a regular or inverted orientation in the channel. Preferably the front is generally convexly shaped and the back portion defines a plurality of removable longitudinal segments for enabling a reduction in the longitudinal length of the track member to fit in a channel.

Claims

1. A replacement track for a display rack channel, said replacement track comprising:

a generally planar, at least slightly flexible, longitudinally elongate track member defining a front portion, a back portion and a body portion connecting said front and back portions;

(i) said front portion defining a vertically wedge-shaped front for lifting articles supported by an existing track of a channel above the existing track and on to said front portion as said front portion is moved between the articles and the existing track; and

(ii) said body portion defining a top surface, a bottom surface and a pair of longitudinal edges connecting said top and bottom surfaces, said body portion having biasing means on at least one longitudinal edge thereof for maintaining said track member in a channel;

at least said body portion defining on both said top and bottom surfaces thereof slide means for reducing the friction generated by an article sliding thereover;

whereby said track may be used in a regular or inverted orientation in the channel.

2. The replacement track of claim 1 wherein said front is horizontally generally convexly shaped.

3. The replacement track of claim 1 wherein said back portion defines a plurality of removable longitudinal segments for enabling a reduction in the longitudinal length of said track member to fit in a channel.

4. The replacement track of claim 3 wherein said back portion segments are successively removable for variably reducing the longitudinal length of said track member.

5. The replacement track of claim 1 wherein said body portion has biasing means on each longitudinal edge thereof for engaging sidewalls of a channel above the existing track and centering said track member in the channel.

6. The replacement track of claim 5 wherein said biasing means are outwardly biased spring fingers.

7. The replacement track of claim 1 wherein said slide means are a plurality of parallel, longitudinally extending ridges.

8. The replacement track of claim 1 wherein said front and back portions of said track member also define said slide means on the top and bottom surfaces thereof.

9. The replacement track of claim 1 wherein said biasing means extend outwardly from said at least one longitudinal edge of said body portion a variable distance so that said replacement track fits a variety of channels of different widths.

10. A display rack comprising:

(A) a transversely spaced pair of upstanding, longitudinally elongate sidewalls and a transversely extending, longitudinally elongate track joining said sidewalls; and

(B) the replacement track of claim 1 intermediate said sidewalls and supported by said elongate track.

11. A replacement track for a display rack channel, said replacement track comprising:

a generally planar, at least slightly flexible, longitudinally elongate track member defining a front portion, a back portion and a body portion connecting said front and back portions;

(i) said front portion defining a vertically wedge-shaped and horizontally generally convexly shaped front for lifting articles supported by an existing track of a channel above the existing track and on to said front portion as said front portion is moved between the articles and the existing track;

(ii) said back portion defining a plurality of removable longitudinal segments for enabling a reduction in the longitudinal length of said track member to fit in a channel, said back potion segments being successively removable for variably reducing the longitudinal length of said track member; and

(iii)said body potion defining a top surface, a bottom surface and a pair of longitudinal edges connecting said top and bottom surfaces, said body potion having outwardly biased spring finger means on each longitudinal edge thereof for engaging sidewalls of a channel above the existing track, for accommodating channels of different widths and for centering and maintaining said track member in a channel;

said front portion, said body portion and said back portion defining on both said top and bottom surfaces thereof slide means for reducing the friction generated by an article sliding thereover, said slide means being a plurality of parallel, longitudinally extending ridges, whereby said track may be used in a regular or inverted orientation in the channel.

12. A display rack comprising:

(A) a transversely spaced pair of upstanding, longitudinally elongate sidewalls and a transversely extending, longitudinally elongate track joining said sidewalls; and

(B) the replacement track of claim 11 intermediate said sidewalls and supported by said elongate track.