Product shelf divider system and method

• US 8,113,360 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2008
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carl Olson
• Original Assignee: Carl Olson
• Inventors: Olson, Carl
• Primary Examiner(s): Jayne, Darnell
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rodden, Joshua
• Application Number:
  US12/286,251
• Publication Number:
  US 20090101606A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,233 Days
• Field of Search: 211/51, 211/59.1, 211/59.2, 211/59.3, 211/59.4, 211/175, 211/184, 108/60, 108/61, 312/35, 312/42, 312/45, 312/61, 312/71, 221/227, 221/255, 221/279
• US Class Current: 211/59.3
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/125 with an article-pushing device
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/005 Partitions therefore horizontally adjustable A47B57/58; constructional details of drawers A47B88/90

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to a shelf divider system for retail store product storage and display. More particularly, the present invention enables organization and presentation of a wide variety and types of products. A plurality of shelf dividers attach substantially perpendicularly to a pair of base strips. This perpendicular attachment is accomplished by inserting snap-fit pegs on the bottom of the shelf dividers into an array of mating holes formed in the base strips. Each adjacent pair of dividers forms a product organizing channel to keep the products in neat rows on the store shelf. Product paddles slide through the product organizing channel. An elongated pull ring attached to the product paddle causes products to move through the product organizing channel across the product shelf toward the front edge of the product shelf.

Claims

1. A shelf divider system for use on the top of a product shelf having a front edge and a back edge, said shelf divider system comprising:

a first base strip for positioning near the front edge of the product shelf, said first base strip including a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis;

a second base strip for positioning near the rear edge of the product shelf, said second base strip including a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis;

said first and second base strips each having a plurality of holes formed therein, said plurality of holes formed into rows substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of their respective base strip and into columns formed parallel to the transverse axis of their respective base strip, said of the first and second base strips being formed at a substantially acute angle to their respective longitudinal axis;

a pair of individual shelf dividers having snap-fit pegs formed on the undersides thereof;

a first product guard constructed and arranged to be positioned substantially perpendicular to said first base strip;

a second product guard constructed and arranged to be positioned substantially perpendicular to said second base strip;

a carrier system for moving products between said pair of individual shelf dividers towards the front edge of the product shelf, said carrier system including;

a substantially “

L”

shaped product paddle constructed and arranged for movement between said pair of shelf dividers and contact with the products positioned between said shelf dividers;

an elongated pull ring attached to the bottom of said substantially “

L”

shaped paddle, said elongated pull ring traversing said first base strip and said first product guard;

a biased retractable cord assembly attached to said second product guard;

a spring clip for attachment of said retractable cord assembly to said elongated pull ring;

whereby said pair of individual shelf dividers form a product organizing channel when mounted on said first and second base strips through which said “

L”

shaped product paddle passes to move product aligned within said product organizing channel toward the front edge of the product shelf when said product is caused to move to the front edge of the product shelf by said elongated pull ring after having been moved to the back edge of the product shelf by said biased retractable cord assembly.

2. The shelf divider system as defined in claim 1 wherein said first and second base strips have at least three rows of holes formed therein.

3. The shelf divider system as defined in claim 1 wherein said acute angle is from about 45°

to about 65°

.

4. The shelf divider system as defined in claim 1 wherein the width of said product organizing channel is determined by the positioning of said snap-fit pegs within said holes in said first and second base strips.

5. The shelf divider system as defined in claim 4 wherein said snap-fit pegs have a profile selected from a group including:

mushroom-shaped, cardioid cusp-shaped, rounded, tapered, triangular, and squared.

6. The shelf divider system as defined in claim 1 wherein said elongated pull ring passes through a slot in said first product guard.

7. The shelf divider system as defined in claim 1 wherein said first and second base strips include a plurality of sections connectable to one another to form a continuous length of said first and second base strips along the product shelf.

8. A product organization and presentation system for products, comprising:

a plurality of product shelves mounted in a rack, each of said product shelves having a front edge and a back edge;

a system for organizing product on each of said product shelves including;

a first base strip for positioning near the front edge of each product shelf, said first base strip including a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis positioned at an acute angle with respect to said longitudinal axis;

a second base strip for positioning near the back edge of each product shelf, said second base strip including a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis positioned at an acute angle with respect to said longitudinal axis;

said first and second base strips having a plurality of holes formed therein,

said plurality of holes formed into rows substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of their respective base strip and into columns formed parallel to the transverse axis of their respective base strip

a plurality of pairs of individual shelf dividers, each individual shelf divider having snap-fit pegs formed on the underside thereof;

a first product guard constructed and arranged to be positioned substantially perpendicular to said first base strip;

a second product guard constructed and arranged to be positioned substantially perpendicular to said second base strip;

a carrier system for moving product between a pair of said individual shelf dividers towards the front edge of the product shelf, said carrier system including;

a substantially “

L”

shaped product paddle constructed and arranged for movement between said pair of individual shelf dividers by contact with the product positioned between said pair of individual shelf dividers;

an elongated pull ring attached to the bottom of each substantially “

L”

shaped paddles;

a plurality of biased retractable cord assemblies attached to said second product guard;

a spring clip for attachment of said retractable cord assembly to said elongated pull ring;

whereby said pair of shelf dividers on said product shelf form product organizing channels through which said “

L”

shaped product paddle passes to cause product aligned within said product organizing channels to move toward the front edge of the product shelf when pulled toward the front edge of said product shelf by said elongated pull ring after having been moved to the back edge of said product shelf by said biased retractable cord assembly.

9. A method for organizing and presenting products on a product display shelf, said method comprising the steps of:

forming a first base strip having a plurality of holes, said plurality of holes formed into rows substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said first base strip and into columns formed along a transverse axis of the longitudinal axis of said first base strip, said transverse axis being positioned at a substantially acute angle to said longitudinal axis of said first base strip,

placing said first base strip near a front edge of the product display shelf,

forming a second base strip having a plurality of holes, said plurality of holes formed into rows substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said second base strip and into columns formed along a transverse axis of the longitudinal axis of said second base strip, said transverse axis being positioned at a substantially acute angle to said longitudinal axis of said second base strip,

placing said second base strip near a rear edge of product display shelf,

positioning a pair of individual shelf dividers substantially perpendicularly to said first and second base strips by an interference connection between snap-fit pegs formed on the bottom of each individual shelf divider into the holes formed in said first and second base strips,

positioning a first product guard substantially perpendicular to said first base strip;

positioning a second product guard substantially perpendicular to said second base strip;

attaching a biased retractable cord assembly to said second product guard;

attaching an elongated pull ring to said biased retractable cord assembly with a spring clip,

connecting said elongated pull ring to a substantially “

L”

shaped product paddle configured to pass between said pair of individual shelf dividers.