Product merchandising display unit with pull through front wall members

• US 6,715,621 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2002
• Issued: 04/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Presence From Innovation, LLC (Jahabow Industries, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Paul Flum Ideas, Inc.
• Inventors: Boron, Andrew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stodola, Daniel P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOVOSAD, JENNIFER ELEANORE
• Application Number:
  US10/064,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20040020877A1
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• Field of Search: 211/59.2, 211/153, 211/126.1, 211/175, 211/74, 211/75, 312/42, 312/71, 403/334, 403/333, 403/381, 248/310, 248/909, 248/309.1, 248/311.2, 248/312, 248/312.1, 248/313, 248/634, 248/615, 248/316.1, 248/316.5, 248/316.6, 248/316.7, 248/316.8
• 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

Abstract

A product module for supporting and merchandising product containers therefrom including at least one elongated product channel defined by a pair of laterally spaced upstanding side walls and a substantially planar product supporting floor portion extending therebetween, each product channel having at least one front member spaced above the floor portion and partially bridging the product channel side walls, the at least one front member including a first wall portion extending from one of the product channel side walls and a second wall portion extending from the other of the product channel side walls. The first and second front wall portions define a space therebetween and are sufficiently resilient so as to allow a lead product container positioned within a product channel to be pulled therethrough to facilitate removal of the lead product container from the product channel.

Claims

1. A product module for supporting and merchandising product containers therefrom comprising at least one elongated product channel having front and rear portions, said product channel being defined by a pair of laterally spaced upstanding side walls and a substantially planar product supporting floor portion extending therebetween, each of said product channel side walls having opposed front and back portions and defining a space therebetween, at least one front member spaced above said floor portion and partially bridging said product channel side walls, said at least one front member including a first wall portion extending from one of said pair of product channel side walls and a second wall portion extending from the other of said pair of product channel side walls, said first and second front wall portions defining a space therebetween and being resiliently bendable so as to allow at least a portion of the lead product container positioned within said product channel to be pulled through the space defined between said first and second front wall portions moving each of said first and second front wall portions from a respective steady state position to a bent position.

2. The product module defined in claim 1 wherein said first and second front wall portions are positioned and located adjacent the upper edge portions of said product channel side walls.

3. The product module defined in claim 1 wherein said first and second front wall portions return substantially to their steady state positions once a lead product container is pulled through the space defined therebetween.

4. The product module defined in claim 1 including a second front member associated with each product channel, said second front member extending from at least one of said pair of product channel side walls and at least partially bridging the space therebetween, said second front member being disposed intermediate said at least one front member and the floor portion associated with each product channel.

5. The product module defined in claim 4 wherein said second front member includes a first wall portion extending from one of said pair of product channel side walls and a second wall portion extending from the other of said pair of product channel side walls, said first and second wall portions associated with said second front member defining a space therebetween.

6. The product module defined in claim 4 wherein said second front member completely bridges the space between said product channel side walls.

7. The product module defined in claim 1 wherein each of said first and second front wall portions includes opposed front and rear peripheral edge portions, each of said first and second front wall portions further including at least one notch extending inwardly from one of said front and rear peripheral edge portions.

8. The product module defined in claim 7 wherein each of said first and second front wall portions further includes at least one notch extending inwardly from the other of said front and rear peripheral edge portions.

9. The product module defined in claim 1 wherein said product module includes opposed side portions, and cooperatively engageable means associated with the respective side portions of said product module enabling said module to be coupled together with a substantially similarly constructed module.

10. The product module defined in claim 9 wherein said cooperatively engageable means associated with the respective side portions of said product module include a keeper member located adjacent the upper and forward portion of one of said opposed product module side portions and a corresponding keying slot located in opposed relationship adjacent the upper and forward portion of said other opposed product module side portion.

11. The product module defined in claim 9 including a plurality of said product modules laterally coupled together in side-by-side relationship to form a composite assembly for supporting product containers therein.

12. The product module defined in claim 11 wherein said plurality of product modules include modules which differ in width.

13. The product module defined in claim 11 wherein at least some of said plurality of modules include modules having a different number of product channels associated therewith.

14. The product module defined in claim 11 wherein said floor portion includes track means extending therealong within said product channel for supporting product containers positioned thereon.

15. The product module defined in claim 1 wherein said product channel side walls include means for allowing portions thereof to flex sidewardly to prevent binding of product containers located in said product channels.

16. The product module defined in claim 1 wherein each of said product channels includes a rear wall portion, said rear wall portion including means for receiving and holding a product identification card.

17. The product module defined in claim 16 wherein said means for receiving and holding a product identification card includes a channel formed in said rear wall portion.

18. A product module for supporting and merchandising product containers therefrom comprising at least one elongated product channel having front and rear portions, said product channel being defined by a pair of laterally spaced upstanding side walls and a substantially planar product supporting floor portion extending therebetween, first and second front members associated with each product channel, said first front member being spaced above said floor portion and extending partially across said product channel, said second front member being disposed intermediate said first front member and said floor portion and extending at least partially across said product channel, said first front member including a first front wall portion extending from one of said product channel side walls and a second front wall portion extending from the other of said product channel side walls, said first and second front wall portions associated with said first front member being resiliently bendable so as to allow at least a portion of a lead product container to be pulled therebetween to remove the lead product container from said product channel, said first and second front wall portions being movable in response to a force exerted thereagainst in a direction towards the front of the product module as the lead product container is being pulled therebetween.

19. The product module defined in claim 18 wherein each of said first and second front wall portions associated with said first front member includes front and rear peripheral edge portions, each of said first and second front wall portions including at least one notch extending inwardly from the front peripheral edge portion thereof.

20. The product module defined in claim 18 wherein each of said first and second front wall portions associated with said first front member includes front and rear peripheral edge portions, said first and second front wall portions including at least one notch extending inwardly from the rear peripheral edge portion thereof.

21. The product module defined in claim 18 wherein each of said first and second front wall portions associated with said first front member includes front and rear peripheral edge portions, each of said first and second front wall portions including at least one notch extending inwardly from the front peripheral edge portion thereof and at least one notch extending inwardly from the rear peripheral edge portion thereof.

22. The product module defined in claim 18 wherein said product module includes opposed side portions, and cooperatively engageable means associated with the respective side portions of said product module enabling said module to be coupled together with a substantially similarly constructed module.

23. The product module defined in claim 22 including a plurality of said product modules laterally coupled together in side-by-side relationship to form a composite assembly for supporting product containers therein.

24. The product module defined in claim 23 wherein said plurality of product modules include modules which differ in width.

25. The product module defined in claim 23 wherein at least some of said plurality of modules include modules having a different number of product channels associated therewith.

26. A product merchandising display unit comprising at least one product channel, each product channel having front and rear portions and each being defined by a pair of laterally spaced upstanding side walls and a substantially planar product supporting floor portion extending therebetween, a first front wall portion spaced above said floor portion and extending from one of said pair of product channel side walls, said first front wall portion partially bridging said product channel side walls, a second front wall portion spaced above said floor portion extending from the other of said pair of product channel side walls, said second front wall portion partially bridging said product channel side walls, said first and second front wall portions defining a space therebetween and being resiliently bendable so as to allow a lead product container positioned within said product channel to be pulled through the space defined between said first and second front wall portions.

27. The product merchandising display unit in claim 26 wherein said first and second front wall portions are positioned in substantial horizontal alignment with each other.

28. The product merchandising display unit defined in claim 26 wherein said first and second front wall portions are positioned and located adjacent the upper edge portions of said product channel side walls.

29. The product merchandising display unit defined in claim 26 including a second front member associated with each product channel, said second front member extending from at least one of said pair of product channel side walls and at least partially bridging the space therebetween, said second front member being disposed intermediate said first and second front wall portions and the floor portion associated with each product channel.

30. In a product merchandising display unit for merchandising product containers therefrom wherein said display unit includes at least one product channel having front and rear portions, said product channel being defined by a pair of laterally spaced upstanding side walls and a substantially planar product supporting floor portion extending therebetween, the improvement comprising at least one front wall member spaced above said floor portion and partially bridging said product channel side walls, said at least one front wall member including a first wall portion extending from one of said pair of product channel side walls and a second wall portion extending from the other of said pair of product channel side walls, said first and second front wall portions defining a space therebetween and being resiliently bendable so as to allow a lead product container positioned within said product channel to be pulled through the space defined therebetween.

31. The product merchandising unit defined in claim 30 wherein said first and second front wall portions are arcuate in shape.