Front-loading rack for displaying and first-in, first-out dispensing of products

• US 7,690,518 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2007
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sonoco Development Inc (Sonoco Products Company)
• Original Assignee: Sonoco Development Inc (Sonoco Products Company)
• Inventors: Fraser, David, Norton, Gary, Fincher, Rick
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilkens; Janet M
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROHRHOFF, DANIEL J
• Application Number:
  US11/778,726
• Publication Number:
  US 20090020550A1
• Time in Patent Office: 994 Days
• Field of Search: 211/59.2, 312/42, 312/45, 312/60, 312/61, 312/72, 312/73, 312/86, 221/281, 221171-173, 414/276
• 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

Abstract

A rack includes a loading chute into which products are loaded in a generally horizontal face-down orientation, and a dispensing chute defining a dispensing aperture at the front side of the rack. A cam is disposed at the rear end of the loading chute to tilt a product into an upright orientation and to position the upright product with the front face facing forward. The cam also slopes downwardly in a lateral direction so as to move the upright product onto the rear end of the dispensing ramp with the front face still facing forward. The product slides down the dispensing ramp and is stopped by a stop positioned adjacent the dispensing aperture. By virtue of the rack'"'"'s design, facilitated by the specially designed cam, the upright product is positioned with its front face facing forward such that a consumer can view any indica thereon.

Claims

1. A rack for displaying and first-in, first-out dispensing of a plurality of products of substantially identical configuration each having a bottom end configured for supporting the product in an upright orientation resting on the bottom end, comprising:

a loading chute defining a loading aperture at a front side of the rack, the loading chute including a loading ramp extending rearwardly from the loading aperture to a rear end of the loading ramp, the loading chute being configured to receive the products one at a time, bottom end first, in a horizontal orientation with a front face of each product against the loading ramp;

a dispensing chute defining a dispensing aperture at the front side of the rack, the dispensing chute including a dispensing ramp that extends forwardly and slopes downwardly from a rear end of the dispensing ramp to a front end thereof, the rear end of the dispensing ramp being laterally adjacent the rear end of the loading ramp;

a cam extending between the rear ends of the loading and dispensing ramps, the cam comprising first and second cam portions that are generally separate and arranged sequentially such that a product sliding rearwardly along the loading ramp first encounters the first cam portion, the first cam portion sloping downwardly in a rearward direction at a substantially steeper angle than the rear end of the loading ramp so as to tilt a product sliding off the rear end of the loading ramp into an upright orientation with the front face of the product facing forward, the product next encountering the second cam portion, the second cam portion sloping downwardly in a lateral direction so as to move the upright product onto the rear end of the dispensing ramp with the front face still facing forward; and

a stop positioned adjacent the dispensing aperture such that the upright product sliding down the dispensing ramp is stopped by the stop and is positioned to allow a consumer to withdraw the product from the dispensing aperture.

2. The rack of claim 1, wherein at least a rear portion of the loading ramp slopes downwardly in the rearward direction.

3. The rack of claim 1, wherein the loading aperture is laterally offset from the dispensing aperture.

4. The rack of claim 1, further comprising a generally vertical dividing wall that bounds one side of the dispensing chute.

5. The rack of claim 4, wherein the loading aperture is located proximate a top wall of the rack, the loading chute being bounded by the loading ramp, the top wall, the dividing wall, and a first side wall of the rack.

6. The rack of claim 5, wherein the dispensing chute is bounded by the dispensing ramp, the top wall, the dividing wall, and an opposite second side wall of the rack.

7. The rack of claim 6, further comprising a door connected to the rack so as to be movable between a closed position in which the door covers the loading aperture and an open position in which the loading aperture is accessible for loading products into the loading chute.

8. The rack of claim 6, wherein the second side wall has at least one opening therein allowing products in the dispensing chute to be viewed so that a degree of fullness of the dispensing chute can be visually detected.

9. The rack of claim 6, wherein the stop is proximate a front edge of the dividing wall and a front edge of the second side wall.

10. A front-loading, front-dispensing rack for displaying and first-in, first-out dispensing of products each having a generally square or rectangular cross-sectional shape and a bottom end configured for supporting the product in an upright orientation resting on the bottom end, comprising:

a loading ramp extending generally in a rearward direction from a front end of the loading ramp to a rear end thereof, and being configured to receive one of the products bottom end first, in a generally horizontal orientation;

a dispensing ramp extending generally in a forward direction from a rear end of the dispensing ramp to a front end thereof and being arranged laterally adjacent the loading ramp; and

a cam extending between the rear end of the loading ramp and the rear end of the dispensing ramp, the cam comprising first and second cam portions that are generally separate and arranged sequentially such that a product sliding rearwardly along the loading ramp first encounters the first cam portion, the first cam portion sloping downwardly in the rearward direction at a substantially steeper angle than the rear end of the loading ramp for tilting a product sliding off the rear end of the loading ramp into a generally upright orientation resting on the bottom end of the product, the product next encountering the second cam portion, the second cam portion sloping downwardly in a lateral direction so as to move the upright product onto the rear end of the dispensing ramp;

the dispensing ramp sloping downwardly from the rear end to the front end thereof such that the upright product slides by gravity to the front end of the dispensing ramp.

11. The front-loading, front-dispensing rack of claim 10, further comprising a door connected to the rack and movable between a closed position blocking access to the loading ramp and an open position permitting access to the loading ramp.

12. The front-loading, front-dispensing rack of claim 10, wherein the dispensing ramp has a length in the forward direction substantially exceeding a width of the dispensing ramp in the lateral direction, whereby the dispensing ramp accommodates a plurality of upright products arranged contiguously one behind another.

13. The front-loading, front-dispensing rack of claim 12, wherein the loading ramp has a length in the forward direction sufficient to accommodate a plurality of horizontally oriented products arranged contiguously one behind another.

14. The front-loading, front-dispensing rack of claim 10, comprising opposite first and second side walls oriented generally vertically and generally parallel to each other, and a generally vertical dividing wall located intermediate the first and second side walls and generally parallel thereto, wherein the loading ramp extends laterally between the first side wall and the dividing wall, and the dispensing ramp extends laterally between the dividing wall and the second side wall.

15. The front-loading, front-dispensing rack of claim 14, further comprising a top wall joined with upper portions of the first and second side walls.

16. The front-loading, front-dispensing rack of claim 14, further comprising a bottom wall joined with lower portions of the first and second side walls.

17. The front-loading, front-dispensing rack of claim 14, further comprising a rear wall joined with rear portions of the first and second side walls.

18. The front-loading, front-dispensing rack of claim 14, wherein the first side wall has a first connecting member and the second side wall has a second connecting member configured to be engageable with the first connecting member of a second rack to secure the racks together in side-by-side fashion.

19. The front-loading, front-dispensing rack of claim 14, wherein the rack is formed in separate first and second portions that are joined together by cooperative fastening members integrally formed on the portions, the first portion including the first side wall, the loading ramp, the cam, and the dividing wall, and the second portion including the dispensing ramp and the second side wall.

20. The front-loading, front-dispensing rack of claim 14, wherein the loading ramp is sufficiently close to horizontal in orientation in the rearward direction that gravity alone is insufficient to cause the products to slide to and off the rear end of the loading ramp.

21. The front-loading, front-dispensing rack of claim 10, in combination with a plurality of products each having a generally square or rectangular cross-sectional shape and a label on a front face thereof, a row of the products being disposed one behind another at least in the dispensing chute with the labels facing forward.

22. The front-loading, front-dispensing rack of claim 21, further comprising at least one product in a horizontal orientation, with the label facing down, in the loading chute.