Product management display system

• US 7,152,536 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2004
• Issued: 12/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RTC Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: RTC Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Hardy, Stephen Neal
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Jose V.
• Application Number:
  US10/772,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20050166806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• Field of Search: 108/60, 108/61, 160/135, 211/59.3, 211/61, 211/184, 211/59, 211/2, 211/43, 211/11
• US Class Current: 108/61
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/126 the pushing device being urged by spring means

Abstract

A product management display system for merchandising both wide and narrow product includes a unique pusher mechanism having an extendable pusher face. The pusher mechanism is mounted to a track on a base that is, in turn, mounted to a store shelf. The pusher face is transversely extendable relative the track and is extendable from a retracted position to one of several extended positions. The extended pusher face locates the product pushing surface behind the approximate center of the wider product, thereby greatly enhancing the pushing leverage on the product.

Claims

1. A product management display system, comprising:

a base for operative coupling to a shelf,

a divider for dividing displayed merchandise into rows, wherein the divider extends outwardly from the base, and

a pusher, the pusher movable in a first direction, the pusher including a pusher face that is extendable horizontally in a second direction from a first position to a second position.

2. The product management display system of claim 1, wherein the pusher face is extendable in the second direction from the first position to one of a plurality of second positions.

3. The product management display system of claim 1, wherein the pusher face is extendable in a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction.

4. The product management display system of claim 1, wherein the pusher face is mounted to a pusher base.

5. The product management display system of claim 4, wherein the pusher base includes at least one flange for mounting the pusher base to the base.

6. The product management display system of claim 5, wherein the base includes at least one track, the flange of the pusher base is mountable to the at least one track.

7. The product management display system of claim 4, wherein the pusher base is operatively coupled to a pusher urging element.

8. The product management display system of claim 1, wherein the pusher is coupled to the divider.

9. The product management display system of claim 4, wherein the pusher face includes a plurality of detents, and the pusher base includes a biasing element that operatively engages the plurality of detents to permit the selective extension of the pusher face.

10. The product management display system of claim 9, wherein the biasing element is a U-shaped spring that defines a biased extension that operatively engages the plurality of detents.

11. The product management display system of claim 1, wherein the pusher face is incrementally extendable in the second direction.

12. The product management display system of claim 1, wherein the pusher face in the first position is located adjacent the divider, and in the second position is located away from the divider.

13. A product management display system, comprising:

a base for operative coupling to a shelf, the base including at least one track,

a divider for dividing displayed merchandise into rows, and

a pusher mounted to the track of the base, the pusher movable along the track, the pusher including a pusher face that is extendable outwardly across the track from a first position to a second position.

14. The product management display system of claim 13, wherein the pusher face is extendable from the first position to one of a plurality of second positions.

15. The product management display system of claim 14, wherein the pusher face is extendable in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the divider.

16. The product management display system of claim 13, wherein the pusher face is mounted to a pusher base.

17. The product management display system of claim 16, wherein the pusher base includes at least one flange for mounting the pusher base to the base.

18. The product management display system of claim 17, wherein the flange of the pusher base is mountable to the at least one track.

19. The product management display system of claim 18, wherein the pusher base is operatively coupled to a pusher urging element.

20. The product management display system of claim 19, wherein the pusher urging element is a coiled spring.

21. The product management display system of claim 20, wherein the pusher face includes a plurality of detents, and the pusher base includes a biasing element that operatively engages the plurality of detents to permit the selective extension of the pusher face.

22. The product management display system of claim 21, wherein the biasing element is a U-shaped spring that defines a biased extension that operatively engages the plurality of detents.

23. The product management display system of claim 13, wherein the pusher face is incrementally extendable from the first position to the second position.

24. The product management display system of claim 13, wherein the pusher face in the first position is located adjacent the divider, and in the second position is located away from the divider.

25. A product management display system, comprising:

a base for operative coupling to a shelf, the base including at least one track,

a divider for dividing displayed merchandise into rows, and

a pusher operatively coupled to the track of the base, the pusher movable along the track, the pusher including a pusher face that is movable along the track and is slidably configured to extend substantially horizontally perpendicular to the track.

26. The product management display system of claim 25, wherein the pusher face is extendable from a first position to one of a plurality of second positions.

27. The product management display system of claim 26, wherein the pusher face is incrementally extendable from the first position to one of the plurality of second positions.

28. The product management display system of claim 25, wherein the pusher face is mounted to a pusher base.

29. The product management display system of claim 28, wherein the pusher base includes at least one flange for mounting the pusher base to the base.

30. The product management display system of claim 29, wherein the flange of the pusher base is mountable to the at least one track.

31. The product management display system of claim 30, wherein the pusher base is operatively coupled to a pusher urging element.

32. The product management display system of claim 31, wherein the pusher urging element is a coiled spring.

33. The product management display system of claim 28, wherein the pusher face includes a plurality of detents, and the pusher base includes a biasing element that operatively engages the plurality of detents to permit the selective extension of the pusher face.

34. The product management display system of claim 33, wherein the biasing element is a U-shaped spring that defines a biased extension that operatively engages the plurality of detents.

35. The product management display system of claim 26, wherein the pusher face in the first position is located adjacent the divider, and in the one of the plurality of second positions is located away from the divider.

36. A product management display system, comprising:

a base for operative coupling to a shelf, the base including at least one track,

a divider for dividing displayed merchandise into rows, and

a pusher operatively coupled to the track of the base, the pusher movable along the track, the pusher including a pusher base and a pusher face mounted to the pusher base, the pusher base includes at least one flange for mounting the pusher base to the base, the pusher base is operatively coupled to a pusher urging element, the pusher face is extendable outwardly across the track from a first position to one of a plurality of second positions.

37. The product management display system of claim 36, wherein the pusher face is extendable in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the divider.

38. The product management display system of claim 37, wherein the flange of the pusher base is mountable to the at least one track.

39. The product management display system of claim 38, wherein the pusher urging element is a coiled spring.

40. The product management display system of claim 39, wherein the pusher face includes a plurality of detents, and the pusher base includes a biasing element that operatively engages the plurality of detents to permit the selective extension of the pusher face.

41. The product management display system of claim 40, wherein the biasing element is a U-shaped spring that defines a biased extension that operatively engages the plurality of detents.

42. The product management display system of claim 41, wherein the pusher face is incrementally extendable from the first position to the one of the plurality of second positions.

43. The product management display system of claim 42, wherein the pusher face in the first position is located adjacent the divider, and in the one of the plurality of second positions is located away from the divider.