Beverage container shelf management system

• US 7,681,743 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2006
• Issued: 03/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Source 1 Displays, A Division Of Fortune Resources, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Source 1 Displays, A Division Of Fortune Resources, Inc.
• Inventors: Hanretty, Peter, Li, Shao Hua
• Primary Examiner(s): NOVOSAD, JENNIFER ELEANORE
• Application Number:
  US11/374,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20070119799A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,470 Days
• Field of Search: 211/59.2, 211/59.3, 211/43, 211/184, 211/74, 312/35, 312/61, 312/71, 312/72, 312/42, 312/45
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/0025 having separate display containers or trays on shelves or on racks
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/0037 being rotatable or tiltable

Abstract

A gravity feed display rack for supporting and displaying merchandise is provided. The rack has a merchandise channel support structure featuring a number of rods. Inner and outer dividers featuring merchandise supports and longitudinally extending walls are positioned on the rods in a sliding fashion. End portions of the rods feature adjustable latch slots and at least one outer divider features connectors with locking projections that engage the adjustable latch slots of the merchandise channel support structure. As a result, the dividers are located in spaced apart relationship upon the merchandise channel support structure and may be adjusted to accommodate varying sizes of merchandise.

Claims

1. A gravity feed display rack for supporting and displaying merchandise, comprising:

a merchandise channel support structure including a rod, said rod having an adjustable latch slot formed therein;

an inner divider slidably mounted on the rod of the merchandise channel support structure, said inner divider including a merchandise support and a longitudinally extending wall; and

an outer divider including a merchandise support, a longitudinally extending wall and a connector, said connector having at least one wall defining an interior passage sized to receive the rod of the merchandise channel support structure so that said outer divider travels along said rod as said rod slides within the passage of said connector and having a flexible finger formed in said at least one wall and featuring a distal end portion upon which a locking projection is positioned, said locking projection sized to engage the adjustable latch slot of the rod under the urging of the flexible finger so that the outer divider may be slid to and secured in a desired position on the rod of the merchandise channel support structure.

2. The rack of claim 1 wherein the adjustable latch slot is formed in an end portion of the rod of the merchandise channel support structure.

3. The rack of claim 1 wherein the adjustable latch slot features a plurality of teeth.

4. The rack of claim 3 wherein the teeth define a plurality of adjacent, semi-triangular openings in the adjustable latch slot and the locking projection of the connector is generally triangular shaped so as to selectively engage the semi-triangular openings of the adjustable latch slot in a ratcheting fashion as the connector is slid along the rod.

5. The rack of claim 1 wherein said connector and said rod each include a top wall, opposing side walls and a bottom wall and wherein said adjustable latch slot is formed in a downward facing surface of the bottom wall of the rod and said flexible finger is formed in the bottom wall of the connector.