Product management display system

• US 6,964,235 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2002
• Issued: 11/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RTC Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: RTC Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Hardy, Stephen N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Jose V.
• Application Number:
  US10/474,490
• Publication Number:
  US 20040118794A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• Field of Search: 108/61, 108/60, 211/184, 211/183, 211/59.3, 211/43, 211/11
• US Class Current: 108/61
• 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

An integrated “T” assembly (500) combines into a single integrated assembly, a track portion along both sides of a divider (504). The T assembly may have a wide-base portion (518), which may include a spring-urged-pusher track, on one side of the divider and a narrow-base portion (520) on the opposite side of the divider. An offset pusher (700) may have an upper portion that is offset, via an angled offset portion, from a lower portion of the pusher. Additional supporting bases, any of which may include spring-urged-pusher tracks and/or a spring-urged pusher, may be used under a wide product. Left and right side finisher (600) components may be paired with T assemblies near the sides of a merchandise-display shelf. The T assembly, base, and/or end finishers may be coupled to a front rail via a complimentary tongue and groove arrangement and/or a non-slidable engagement, such as mating teeth.

Claims

1. A merchandise-display system, comprising:

unitary, one-piece base-and-divider assembly for supporting displayed merchandise, wherein the base-and-divider assembly includes

a base portion adapted for operative coupling to a shelf, and

a divider portion for dividing displayed merchandise into rows, wherein the divider portion protrudes from the base such that the divider portion separates the base portion into a first portion having a pusher track and a second portion; and

a spring-urged pusher in the pusher track for pushing merchandise along the first portion toward the front of the shelf.

2. The merchandise-display system of claim 1, wherein the base portion and the divider portion have respective removable breakaway portions for reducing a length of the base portion and a length of the divider portion.

3. The merchandise-display system of claim 2, wherein, with the breakaway portion of the base portion removed, a peg inserted into a hole near the back of the first portion prevents the pusher from sliding off the back of the pusher track.

4. The merchandise-display system of claim 1, wherein a front edge of the pusher track automatically engages a bent portion of a coiled spring of the pusher as the pusher is inserted onto the front of the pusher track.

5. The merchandise-display system of claim 1, wherein the pusher track includes a depression for holding the pusher near the back of the track in a shelf-stocking position.

6. The merchandise-display system of claim 1, wherein the pusher includes an offset portion positioned farther away from the divider portion than the distance between the divider portion and the pusher track.

7. The merchandise-display system of claim 6, wherein the offset portion is an upper portion of the pusher that is offset from a lower portion of the pusher by an angled offset portion.

8. The merchandise-display system of claim 1, when in the first portion of the base portion of the base-and-divider assembly is wider than the second portion of the base portion of the base-and-divider assembly.

9. The merchandise-display system of claim 8, further comprising:

a base adapted for operative coupling to the shelf, wherein the base includes a pusher track.

10. The merchandise-display system of claim 1, further comprising:

an integrated end component having a base portion and a divider portion, wherein the divider portion of the end component, the divider portion of the base-and-divider assembly, and the pusher cooperate to contain merchandise for display.

11. The merchandise-display system of claim 10, wherein the base portion of the end component supports a side of the first row of displayed merchandise opposite of the at least one side of the first row of displayed merchandise that is supported by the first portion of the base-and-divider assembly.

12. The merchandise-display system of claim 11, further comprising:

a spring-urged pusher in the pusher track of the base.

13. The merchandise-display system of claim 12, further comprising:

a spring-urged pusher in the pusher track of the base.

14. The merchandise-display system of claim 13, further comprising:

gear teeth-like projections near the front of a bottom surface of the base-and-divider assembly engaged with gear teeth-like projections on an upwardly facing surface of the front rail.

15. The merchandise-display system of claim 14, further comprising:

a second integrated base-and-divider assembly having an offset pusher and adapted for operative coupling to a shelf, wherein the second base portion of the base-and-divider assembly supports a first side of a displayed product and a first base portion of the second base-and-divider assembly supports a side, which is opposite from the first side, of the product.

16. The merchandise-display system of claim 1, further comprising:

a base adapted for operative coupling to the shelf, wherein the base includes a pusher track.

17. The merchandise-display system of claim 1, wherein the base-and-divider assembly is non-slidably engaged with a front rail that extends along and is affixed to a front portion of the shelf.

18. The merchandise-display system of claim 1, further comprising an integrated end component, which includes a base portion integrated with a divider portion, wherein the base portion of the end component is adapted for operative coupling to the shelf, and wherein the divider portion of the end component, the divider portion of the base-and-divider assembly, and a pusher in a pusher-track of the end component cooperate to contain merchandise for display.

19. The merchandise-display system of claim 18, wherein the base portion of the end component supports a side of the second row of displayed merchandise opposite of the at least one side of the second row of displayed merchandise that is supported by the second portion of the base-and-divider assembly.

20. The merchandise display system of claim 1, wherein the base portion is operatively coupled to shelf via a from rail.

21. The merchandise display system of claim 1, wherein the base portion is operatively coupled to a shelf via rail that is affixed to the shelf.

22. A merchandise-display system comprising:

an integrated base-and-divider assembly for supporting displayed merchandise, wherein the base-and-divider assembly includes a base portion adapted for operative coupling to a shelf, and a divider portion for dividing displayed merchandise into rows, wherein the divider portion protrudes from the base such that the divider portion separates the base portion into a first portion having a pusher track and a second portion; and

a spring-urged pusher in the pusher track for pushing merchandise along the first portion toward the front of the shelf,

wherein the base-and-divider assembly is non-slidably engaged with a front rail that extends along and is affixed to a front portion of the shelf.

23. A merchandise-display system comprising:

a base portion adapted for supporting merchandise, and a divider, the divider extending from the base portion at substantially a right angle, the base portion including a plurality of mating teeth, and wherein the base portion and the divider define a unitary, one-piece construction;

a pusher;

a rail with a plurality of mating teeth; and

a pusher track comprising a top surface for supporting merchandise, and a depression near a rear portion of the pusher track for holding the pusher near the rear portion of the pusher track,

wherein a portion of the plurality of mating teeth in the rail engage a potion of the plurality of mating teeth of the base portion to inhibit movement of the base portion in relation to the rail.

24. The merchandise-display system of claim 23 further comprising a coil spring and wherein the pusher track defines a first elongated rail, a second elongated rail, an aperture between the first elongated rail and the second elongated rail and a plurality of rib;

connecting the first elongated rail and the second elongated rail.

25. The merchandise-display system of claim 23 wherein the plurality of mating teeth of the rail are thin and closely spaced.

26. The merchandise-display system of claim 25 wherein the plurality of mating teeth of the base portion are thin and closely spaced.

27. The merchandise-display system of claim 26 wherein the plurality of mating teeth of the rail are located at virtually continuous positions along the rail.

28. The merchandise-display system of claim 25 wherein the rail is configured to be mountable to a shelf.

29. The merchandise-display system of claim 28 wherein the rail is configured to be mountable to a front portion of a shelf.

30. A merchandise-display system comprising:

a unitary, one-piece base and divider assembly comprising a base and a divider, wherein the divider protrudes from the base and separates the base into a first portion and a second portion;

an assembly mounting member which comes into contact with the unitary, one-piece base and divider assembly;

a pusher track comprising a first rail with a top surface and a bottom surface, a second rail with a top surface and a bottom surface, an elongated aperture between the first rail and the second rail, a plurality of ribs connecting the first rail and the second rail, and wherein the first rail defines a plurality of notches and the second rail defines a plurality of notches;

a spring-urged pusher comprising a bottom engagement device, said bottom engagement device comprising a first flange and a second flange, wherein the first flange of the bottom engagement device comes into contact with the bottom surface of the first rail of the pusher track during operation of the system and wherein the second flange of the bottom engagement device comes into contact with the bottom surface of the second rail of the pusher track during operation of the system; and

a coil spring which urges the spring-urged pusher forward.

31. The merchandise-display system of claim 30 wherein the pusher trick defines a front end and the coil spring defines a front portion and wherein the front end of the coil spring engages the front end of the pusher track.

32. The merchandise-display system of claim 30 wherein the integrated base and divider assembly defines a plurality of thin, closely spaced teeth.

33. The merchandise-display system of claim 32 wherein the pusher track defines a depression near a rear portion of the pusher track, and wherein the depression is configured to hold the spring-urged pusher near the rear portion of the pusher track during restocking.

34. The merchandise-display system of claim 32 wherein the assembly mounting member defines a plurality of thin, closely spaced teeth and wherein at least a portion of the plurality of teeth of the integrated base and divider assembly comes into contact with at least a portion of the plurality of teeth of the assembly mounting member during operation of the system.

35. The merchandise-display system of claim 34 wherein the spring-urged pusher further comprises a front face having a first edge and a second edge, the second edge having a top portion and a bottom portion, and wherein the first edge of the front face is nearer to the divider than the second edge of the front face during operation of the system and wherein the bottom portion of the second edge of the front face is nearer to the divider than the top portion of the second edge of the front face during operation of the system.

36. The merchandise-display system of claim 32 further comprising a front barrier designed to deter products from being pushed beyond the front barrier by the spring-urged pusher.

37. The merchandise-display system of claim 30 wherein the pusher track and the base and divider assembly form a unitary, one-piece construction.

38. A product display system comprising:

a base mountable to a shelf, the base defining teeth;

a track defining an elongated channel with spaced apart notches, the track including a retention portion near a rear portion of the track, the track configured to mount a pusher to the track, the retention portion configured to hold the pusher in a stationary position near the rear portion of the track; and

a divider for dividing displayed product into rows,

wherein the base and divider are formed as a unitary structure, the base and divider define a T-shaped configuration and the teeth of the base are configured to engage the teeth of a rail mounted to the shelf.

39. The product display system of claim 38 wherein the pusher further defines an offset pusher face and the retention portion of the track defines a depression.

40. The merchandise-display system of claim 38 wherein the rail is configured to be mountable to a shelf.

41. The merchandise-display system of claim 38 wherein the rail is configured to be mountable to a front portion of a shelf.

42. A product display system comprising:

a base mountable to a shelf, the base including a track and a depression, the track defining an elongated channel with spaced apart notches, the depression configured to hold a pusher near a back position on the track; and

a T-shaped divider for dividing displayed product into rows, the T-shaped divider including a horizontal portion and a vertical portion, the vertical portion dividing the horizontal portion into a first portion and a second portion, the T-shaped divider defining teeth configured to mount the T-shaped divider to a rail, and wherein the teeth inhibit slidable movement of the T-shaped divider relative to the rail.

43. The product display system of claim 42 wherein the rail defines thin, closely spaced teeth configured to engage the teeth of the divider.

44. The product display system of claim 43 wherein the pusher comprises a pusher face and a bottom engagement device comprising a first flange and a second flange and wherein the first flange contacts the track and the second flange contacts the track during operation of the system.

45. A merchandise system comprising,

an integrated base and divider assembly comprising an integral base and divider, wherein the divider is at an angle of approximately 90 degrees from the base and the base is configured to support merchandise during operation;

a pusher comprising a face having a first edge and a second edge, the second edge having a top portion and a bottom portion, and wherein the first edge of the face is nearer to the divider than the second edge of the face during operation of the system and wherein the bottom portion of the second edge of the face is nearer to the divider than the top portion of the second edge of the face during operation of the system;

a bottom rail; and

a pusher track configured to be mounted to the bottom rail, the pusher track defining a first rail and a second rail, an aperture between the first rail and the second rail, a plurality of connectors that extend from the first rail to the second rail, and a depression near a rear portion of the pusher track configured to hold the pusher near the rear portion of the pusher track,

wherein the integrated base and divider assembly is configured to be mounted to the bottom rail, and the base contacts the bottom rail during operation of the system to inhibit movement of the base in relation to the bottom rail.

46. The merchandise system of claim 45 wherein the pusher comprises a bottom engagement device, a first flange extending from the bottom engagement device and a second flange extending from the bottom engagement device, and wherein the first flange comes into contact with a bottom surface of the first rail of the pusher track during operation of the system and the second flange comes into contact with the second rail of the pusher track during operation of the system.