Selectable width track apparatus and method for a gravity fed shelving system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. For use in a gravity flow roller track system for transporting product containers, a roller track comprising:
- a roller tray having a bottom and first and second side supports, the first side support comprising a first support wall, a first extension wall, and a guide wall, the first support wall extending substantially normal to the bottom, the first extension wall extending substantially normal to the first support wall, the guide wall extending substantially normal to the bottom from the extension wall, the second side support comprising a second support wall and a second extension wall, the second support wall extending substantially normal to the bottom and having a plurality of apertures therein configured to receive a joining clip and the second extension wall extending substantially normal to the second support wall, each of the first and second support walls including a plurality of spaced recesses; and
a plurality of rollers having first and second ends, the first and second ends being mounted in the plurality of recesses.
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Abstract
An apparatus and method that effects selectable width of a roller track conveyance system having multiple roller tracks with asymmetric wall heights. The system includes a clip that connects lower or mating walls of two single roller tracks together. The connected roller tracks each have their own set of rollers, which form respective dispensing surfaces. A removable divider bar, which is capable of being selectively placed into the clips between the connected roller tracks, may be placed to divide the dispensing surfaces into separate surfaces or may be selectively removed to form a larger, single dispensing surface.
136 Citations
30 Claims
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1. For use in a gravity flow roller track system for transporting product containers, a roller track comprising:
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a roller tray having a bottom and first and second side supports, the first side support comprising a first support wall, a first extension wall, and a guide wall, the first support wall extending substantially normal to the bottom, the first extension wall extending substantially normal to the first support wall, the guide wall extending substantially normal to the bottom from the extension wall, the second side support comprising a second support wall and a second extension wall, the second support wall extending substantially normal to the bottom and having a plurality of apertures therein configured to receive a joining clip and the second extension wall extending substantially normal to the second support wall, each of the first and second support walls including a plurality of spaced recesses; and a plurality of rollers having first and second ends, the first and second ends being mounted in the plurality of recesses. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A selectable width gravity feed roller system comprising:
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a first roller tray having a plurality of rollers and first and second sides being fixedly separated, the first and second sides supporting the rollers, the first side having a first height and the second side having a second height that is less than the first height; a second roller tray having a plurality of rollers and first and second sides being fixedly separated, the first and second sides supporting the rollers, the first side having a first height and the second side having a second height that is less than the first height; and a joining clip operable to connect the first roller tray to the second roller tray; wherein each of the second sides of the first and second roller trays include a plurality of apertures defined therein and the joining clip includes protruding tines configured to engage with respective ones of the plurality of apertures for operably connecting the first roller tray to the second roller tray. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A gravity feed roller system for dispensing products comprising:
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a plurality of rollers; a plurality of roller trays each having first and second substantially vertical sides supporting the rollers to form a first roller dispensing surface, the first vertical side having a first height and the second side having a second height that is less than the first height; connecting means for releasably connecting at least two of the roller trays along the second sides to form a second roller dispensing surface, the second roller surface including at least two of the first roller dispensing surfaces; divider wherein the connecting means includes releasably securing means for releasably securing the divider for dividing the second roller surface into the two first roller dispensing surfaces, wherein the divider is releasably secured in the releasably securing means and said divider is located at a junction of the second sides of the connected roller trays to selectively divide the second roller dispensing surface into two separate product dispensing surfaces. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A system comprising:
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a first roller tray; a second roller tray; a clip selectively connecting the first and second roller trays to form a first roller surface having a first width; and a divider independent of the first roller tray and the second roller tray and selectively engageable with the clip to selectively divide the first roller surface into a second roller surface and third roller surface. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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24. A roller tray comprising:
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a first wall having a first height and supported to receive and journal roller ends of a plurality of rollers; and a second wall having a second height that is lower than the first height and supported to receive and journal other roller ends of the plurality of rollers; wherein the plurality of rollers are journaled in the first and second walls to define a roller surface, the roller surface being below the first height and above the second height; and wherein the second wall includes a first extension wall extending upward, a second extension wall extending outward, and a recess extending through the first extension wall and the second extension wall, wherein one of the plurality of rollers is journaled in the recess, the second wall further including means for connecting the roller tray to another roller tray in order to selectively increase a size of the roller surface. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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26. For use with a first roller tray and a second roller tray, a clip comprising:
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a body extending along an axis and having a first side and a second side; first and second locating lugs respectively projecting from the first and second sides generally perpendicular to the axis; first and second tines respectively projecting from the first and second sides, the locating lugs and the tines being dimensioned to connect the first and second roller trays; and a slot defined in a top of the body for selectively receiving a divider to separate the first and second roller trays, wherein the slot is not parallel to the lugs. - View Dependent Claims (27)
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28. For use in a roller track system for transporting product containers, a method for providing selectable dispensing surface widths comprising:
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providing first and second roller trays, each having a plurality of rollers defining respective first and second dispensing surfaces; connecting the first and second roller trays together at respective joining surfaces of the first and second trays with means for connecting the trays, wherein the joining surfaces of the first and second trays do not extend in an upward direction above the first and second dispensing surfaces defined by the plurality of rollers and a third dispensing surface is correspondingly defined from a combination of at least a portion of the first and second dispensing surfaces; and selectively disposing a removable divider member, which divider member is independent of the first and second roller trays, in the means for connecting the trays between the first and second roller trays, wherein the removable divider is operable to selectively divide the third dispensing surface. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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Specification