Product pusher
First Claim
1. A product pusher for product displays, which comprises,(a) an elongated guide track formed with spaced-apart parallel, outwardly facing guide edges, (b) a pusher sled positioned on said guide track for sliding movement thereon and having opposed channel-forming flanges slidably engaging said guide edges for guided movement of said sled forwardly and rearwardly along said guide track, said channel-forming flanges having upper portions and lower portions, and said lower portions having inwardly facing edges formed thereon and spaced apart a distance less than a distance between said outwardly facing guide edges, (c) a coiled strip spring having one end extremity anchored at a front portion of said guide track and having a coiled body portion disposed rearwardly of said end extremity, (d) said pusher sled including a pusher element and a spring housing positioned behind said pusher element, (e) said spring housing comprising a pair of spaced apart side elements for lateral confinement of said body portion and a front element for the forward confinement of said body portion, (f) said spring housing having an open bottom through which said coiled body portion can enter said housing during assembly of said pusher sled with said guide track, and (g) the lower portions of the channel-forming flanges of said pusher sled and the guide edges of said guide track being configured such that at least one of said inwardly or outwardly facing edges is formed with inclined edge surfaces positioned to engage oppositely facing edge surfaces of the other of said inwardly or outwardly facing edges during assembly movement of said pusher sled perpendicular to said guide track, whereby the lower portions of said channel-forming flanges and the inwardly facing edges formed thereon are temporarily displaced laterally outward by said outwardly facing edges to accommodate a snap-in assembly of said pusher sled onto said guide track into a locked together relation therewith.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A product pusher device comprising an elongated guide track and a pusher sled slidably guided along the track for urging product packages forwardly on a display shelf. The pusher sled incorporates a housing for containing a coiled strip spring element. The end extremity of the spring is anchored at the forward end of the guide track, and t he coiled body spring is confined within the housing at the back of the sled. By constructing the sled housing with an open bottom, assembly is greatly facilitated by allowing the spring to be anchored on the guide track independently of the sled and thereafter allowing the sled to be lowered over the coiled body of the spring and pressed downward to be snapped into assembled position on the guide track.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. A product pusher for product displays, which comprises,
(a) an elongated guide track formed with spaced-apart parallel, outwardly facing guide edges, (b) a pusher sled positioned on said guide track for sliding movement thereon and having opposed channel-forming flanges slidably engaging said guide edges for guided movement of said sled forwardly and rearwardly along said guide track, said channel-forming flanges having upper portions and lower portions, and said lower portions having inwardly facing edges formed thereon and spaced apart a distance less than a distance between said outwardly facing guide edges, (c) a coiled strip spring having one end extremity anchored at a front portion of said guide track and having a coiled body portion disposed rearwardly of said end extremity, (d) said pusher sled including a pusher element and a spring housing positioned behind said pusher element, (e) said spring housing comprising a pair of spaced apart side elements for lateral confinement of said body portion and a front element for the forward confinement of said body portion, (f) said spring housing having an open bottom through which said coiled body portion can enter said housing during assembly of said pusher sled with said guide track, and (g) the lower portions of the channel-forming flanges of said pusher sled and the guide edges of said guide track being configured such that at least one of said inwardly or outwardly facing edges is formed with inclined edge surfaces positioned to engage oppositely facing edge surfaces of the other of said inwardly or outwardly facing edges during assembly movement of said pusher sled perpendicular to said guide track, whereby the lower portions of said channel-forming flanges and the inwardly facing edges formed thereon are temporarily displaced laterally outward by said outwardly facing edges to accommodate a snap-in assembly of said pusher sled onto said guide track into a locked together relation therewith.
Specification