Shelf assembly with pusher having memory characteristic and method of use

• US 6,082,558 A
• Filed: 06/04/1998
• Issued: 07/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: L&P Property Management Company (Leggett & Platt Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: L&P Property Management Company (Leggett & Platt Incorporated)
• Inventors: Battaglia, Joseph M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stodola, Daniel P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Strimbu, Gregory J.
• Application Number:
  US09/090,446
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 211/51, 211/52, 211/54.1, 211/59.3, 312/71
• US Class Current: 211/59.3
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/126 the pushing device being urged by spring means

Abstract

A shelf assembly for merchandising a plurality of products comprising a shelf and a plurality of pushers engaged with the shelf for urging the products forwardly. Each pusher is made of a flexible material having a memory characteristic which biases the pusher into a generally planar orientation from an inverted U-shaped configuration between the products and a rear edge of the shelf. The pushers may be individually formed or an integral part of a single sheet of material. The pushers may have tabs which slidably engage slots in the shelf.

Claims

1. A shelf assembly for merchandising a plurality of products arranged in columns, said shelf assembly comprising:

a shelf having a bottom, a front edge, a rear edge and a pair of opposed side edges,

a plurality of parallel pushers engaged with said shelf for urging one of said columns of products supported by said shelf toward said front edge of said shelf, each of said pushers having a memory characteristic and being adapted to assume an inverted U-shaped configuration above said shelf bottom between said one of said columns of products and said rear edge of said shelf upon receipt of said one of said columns of products such that said memory characteristic urges said pushers towards a generally planar orientation so as to urge said one of said columns of products forwardly.

2. The shelf assembly of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of dividers removably secured to said bottom of said shelf, an adjacent pair of said dividers and said bottom of said shelf defining a track, whereby the number of said pushers within said track may be varied by laterally adjusting the adjacent pair of said dividers.

3. The shelf assembly of claim 2 wherein said pushers extend from one of said side edges of said shelf to the other of said side edges of said shelf.

4. The shelf assembly of claim 1 further comprising means for holding said pushers in said inverted U-shaped configuration.

5. The shelf assembly of claim 1 wherein said shelf has a plurality of slots and each-of said pushers has at least one tab which slidably engages one of said slots.

6. The shelf assembly of claim 1 wherein said shelf bottom comprises a plurality of parallel wires.

7. The shelf assembly of claim 6 wherein said pushers have holes therein which to receive said wires of said shelf.

8. The shelf assembly of claim 7, wherein each of said pushers has at least one slot extending inwardly from a side edge thereof and terminating at one of said holes.

9. A shelf assembly comprising:

a shelf for supporting a plurality of products arranged in columns, said shelf having a front edge and a rear edge,

a single sheet of material having a memory characteristic, said sheet being engaged with said shelf and being divided by at least one slit into a plurality of pushers said pushers being adapted to assume an inverted U-shaped configuration above said shelf between said rear edge of said shelf and one of said columns of products upon receipt of said one of said columns of products such that said memory characteristic causes said pushers to return to a generally planar orientation so as to urge said one of said columns of products forwardly toward said front edge of said shelf.

10. The shelf assembly of claim 9 further comprising a plurality of adjustable dividers extending upwardly from said shelf whereby the number of said pushers between an adjacent pair of said dividers may be varied by laterally adjusting the adjacent pair of said dividers.

11. The shelf assembly of claim 9 wherein said single sheet of material is secured to said shelf.

12. The shelf assembly of claim 9 wherein said shelf has a plurality of slots and each of said pushers has at least one tab slidably engaged with one of said slots.

13. The shelf assembly of claim 12 further comprising means adapted to engage said pushers for holding said pushers in said inverted U-shaped configuration.

16. The shelf assembly of claim 12 wherein said shelf has a plurality of slots and each of said pushers has at least one tab slidably engaged with one of said slots.

14. A shelf assembly comprising:

a shelf having a front edge and a plurality of slots,

a sheet engaged with said shelf, said sheet being divided into a plurality of pushers for urging products forwardly toward said front edge of said shelf, said pushers being of a material having a memory characteristic which causes said pushers to assume a generally planar orientation, each of said pushers having at least one tab slidably engaged with one of said slots,

a lock bar located underneath said shelf adapted to engage the tabs of said pushers in order to hold said pushers in an upwardly bowed inverted U-shaped configuration.

15. A shelf assembly for merchandising a plurality of products arranged in columns, said shelf assembly comprising:

a shelf having a shelf bottom,

a sheet divided into a plurality of parallel pushers by slits in said sheet, said sheet having a rear portion engaged with said shelf, said pushers being of a plastic material having a memory characteristic which causes said pushers to assume a generally planar orientation, each pusher being capable of moving from said generally planar orientation to an upwardly bowed, inverted U-shaped configuration above said shelf bottom between said rear portion of said sheet and a rearwardmost one of said products in one of said columns of products upon receipt of said one of said columns of products such that said memory characteristic urges said one of said columns of products forwardly.

17. The shelf assembly of claim 15 further comprising a plurality of dividers removably secured to said shelf bottom.

18. The shelf assembly of claim 15 wherein said rear portion of said sheet is secured to said shelf.

19. A shelf assembly comprising:

a shelf having a shelf bottom and a plurality of slots,

a sheet divided into a plurality of pushers for urging products arranged in columns forwardly, said sheet having a rear portion engaged with said shelf, said pushers and being of a plastic material having a memory characteristic which causes said pushers to assume a generally planar orientation, each of said pushers being capable of assuming an upwardly bowed, inverted U-shaped configuration between said rear portion of said sheet and a rearwardmost one of said products in said column of products so as to urge said column of products forwardly, each of said pushers having at least one tab slidably engaged with one of said slots,

a lock bar located underneath said shelf bottom adapted to engage the tabs of said pushers in order to hold said pushers in said upwardly bowed inverted U-shaped configuration.

20. A shelf assembly for merchandising a plurality of products arranged in columns, said shelf assembly comprising:

a shelf having a shelf bottom, said shelf bottom having a plurality of parallel slots,

a sheet having a rear portion engaged with said shelf, said sheet being divided into a plurality of pushers by slits cut in said sheet, said pushers being of a plastic material having a memory characteristic which causes said pushers to assume a generally planar orientation, each pusher having a pair of tabs slidably engaged with one of said slots and being capable of assuming an upwardly bowed, inverted U-shaped configuration above said shelf bottom between said rear portion of said sheet and one of the columns of products upon receipt of the one of the columns of products such that said memory characteristic urges the one of the columns of products toward a front edge of said shelf.

21. The shelf assembly of claim 20 further comprising a plurality of dividers extending upwardly from said shelf bottom, wherein a plurality of said pushers are located between an adjacent pain of said dividers.

22. The shelf assembly of claim 20 wherein said pushers may be pushed backwardly into said upwardly bowed, inverted U-shaped configuration by a lock bar, said lock bar preventing said pushers from extending forwardly while said pushers are in said upwardly bowed, inverted U-shaped configuration.

23. The shelf assembly of claim 20 wherein each pusher has a planar front portion located at a front end of the pusher.

24. A shelf assembly comprising:

a shelf support,

a shelf having a shelf bottom, a rear edge, a front edge and a plurality of substantially parallel dividers extending between said rear and front edges, said shelf bottom supporting a plurality of products arranged in columns between adjacent pairs of said dividers, said pairs of adjacent dividers and said shelf bottom defining a plurality of tracks, a width of each track being defined by a distance between said adjacent dividers,

at least two plastic pushers within each track for urging one of said columns of products forwardly in said track, said plastic pushers having a memory characteristic and being adapted to assume an inverted U-shaped configuration above said shelf bottom upon receipt of said columns of products such that said memory characteristic causes said pushers to return to a planar orientation so as to urge said columns of products forwardly wherein the number of pushers within each track is adjusted by adjusting the width of the track.

25. The shelf assembly of claim 24 wherein said pushers are secured to said shelf.

26. The shelf assembly of claim 24 wherein said shelf bottom has a plurality of slots therein and each of said pushers has at least one tab slidably engaged with one of said slots.

27. A method of urging a column of products forwardly in a track defined by two adjacent dividers and a shelf bottom, said shelf bottom having a slot therein, said method comprising:

forcing a pusher having a tab slidably engaged with said slot into an upwardly bowed inverted U-shaped configuration above self shelf bottom between a rearwardmost product in said column and a rear stop such that a memory characteristic of said pusher causes said pusher to push said rearward most product in said column of products forwardly in said track.

28. A method of urging columns of products forwardly on a shelf, said shelf having a shelf bottom with a plurality of slots therein and a plurality of dividers extending upwardly from said shelf bottom, said method comprising the steps of:

securing a plastic sheet to said shelf bottom, said plastic sheet being divided into a plurality of pushers, each of said pushers having at least one tab slidably engaged with one of said slots,

forcing each of said pushers into an upwardly bowed inverted U-shaped configuration above said shelf bottom and locking said pushers in said configuration,

loading said columns of products on said shelf between said dividers and in front of said pushers,

releasing said pushers from said configuration such that a memory characteristic of each pusher causes each pusher to urge a respective one of said columns of products forwardly.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein said forcing step comprises pushing a locking bar rearwardly, said locking bar engaging said tabs of said pushers.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein said forcing step comprises pulling said shelf forwardly.

31. A method of merchandising product on a shelf, said shelf having a front portion, a rear portion and a plurality of parallel wires extending between said front and rear portions, said method comprising the steps of:

engaging a plurality of plastic pushers with said rear portion of said shelf,

forcing said pushers into an upwardly bowed inverted U-shaped configuration above said shelf and holding said pushers in said configuration,

loading said product on said shelf in front of said pushers,

releasing said pushers from said configuration such that a memory characteristic of each pusher causes each pusher to engage said product and urge said product forwardly.

32. A combination of a pusher and a track, said track adapted to support a plurality of products arranged in a column, said track comprising a bottom and a pair of dividers extending upwardly from said bottom, said bottom having a slot therethrough,

said pusher comprising a sheet of material having a memory characteristic which urges said pusher toward a generally flat planar orientation from an inverted generally U-shaped orientation, said pusher having at least one tab slidably engaged with said slot, said pusher is adapted to assume said inverted generally U-shaped orientation above said bottom of said track upon receipt of said column of products such that said memory characteristic causes said pusher to expand inside said track upon removal of at least one of said products from said track without said pusher separating from said bottom of said track to urge said column of products forwardly.

33. A shelf assembly for merchandising a plurality of products arranged in columns, said shelf assembly comprising:

a shelf having a front edge, a rear edge and a pair of opposed side edges,

a plurality of parallel pushers engaged with said shelf for urging said columns of products toward said front edge of said shelf, each of said pushers having a memory characteristic and being adapted to assume an inverted U-shaped configuration above said shelf between one of said columns of products and said rear edge of said shelf upon receipt of said one of said columns of products such that said memory characteristic urges said pusher towards a generally planar orientation so as to urge said one of said columns of products forwardly.