Product management display system with trackless pusher mechanism

• US 8,312,999 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2007
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RTC Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: RTC Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Hardy, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Novosad, Jennifer E.
• Application Number:
  US11/760,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20070251900A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,992 Days
• Field of Search: 211/59.3, 211/51, 211/59.2, 211/126.1, 211/162, 211/126.3, 211/184, 312/61, 312/71
• US Class Current: 211/59.3
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/126 the pushing device being urged by spring means

Abstract

A product management display system for merchandising product on a shelf includes using a trackless pusher mechanism that travels along a surface on which product is placed. The pusher mechanism of the invention also includes a pusher paddle and a floor that extends forward of the pusher paddle. A flat coiled spring or other biasing element may be operatively connected behind the pusher paddle and extend across the floor of the pusher mechanism and to the front of the shelf. In use, the product to be merchandised may be placed on the coiled spring and on the floor of the pusher mechanism. With this configuration, the pusher paddle is prevented from tipping or bending backwards during operation. In an alternative aspect, a mounting member may be used to mount the end of the coiled spring to the floor of the system. For those systems that include spaced-apart glide rails that are joined together by connecting ribs, or that use wire shelves, the mounting member may be snap-fit to or otherwise mounted on the floor and between the glide rails or shelf wires. The invention may be used with the merchandising of product on horizontal or non-inclined shelves or surfaces, as well as with gravity-fed systems, or systems that use gravity as a mechanism to urge product toward the front of the shelf.

Claims

1. A product management display system comprising:

a tray defining a top surface and an underside surface, the tray formed by a plurality of rails joined by a plurality of ribs,

a coiled spring,

a pusher mechanism that sits on top of and does not extend below the tray top surface, wherein the pusher mechanism is mounted to the underside surface of the tray only by the coiled spring, the pusher mechanism including a pusher surface and a pusher floor extending forwardly from the pusher surface, wherein during operation of the pusher mechanism the pusher floor is configured to permit at least one product to sit upon the pusher floor, and the pusher floor is glidable across the top surface of the tray,

the coiled spring defining a first end and a coiled second end and extendable across at least a portion of the tray top surface, the first end of the coiled spring mounted to the underside surface of the tray, the second coiled end positioned behind the pusher surface, and

at least one divider extending upwardly from the tray for dividing displayed product into rows.

2. The product management display system of claim 1, further comprising a mounting member mountable to the tray surface, wherein the mounting member defines a slot for receiving the first end of the coiled spring.

3. The product management display system of claim 2, wherein the mounting member defines at least one leg for snap-fitting the mounting member to the rails of the tray surface.

4. The product management display system of claim 3, wherein the mounting member is positioned between the plurality of rails and the plurality of ribs.

5. The product management display system of claim 4, wherein the at least one leg is L-shaped to permit the leg to snap fit to the plurality of rails.

6. The product management display system of claim 2, wherein the mounting member defines two opposing legs for snap-fitting the mounting member to the rails of the tray surface.

7. The product management display system of claim 6, wherein the mounting member includes at least one glide rail across a surface of the mounting member.

8. The product management display system of claim 1, wherein the pusher floor extends perpendicularly outward from the pusher surface.

9. The product management display system of claim 4, wherein the pusher surface is curve shaped.

10. The product management display system of claim 1, wherein the pusher floor further includes a spring sleeve for receiving the coiled spring.

11. The product management display system of claim 10, wherein the spring sleeve extends across the pusher floor.

12. The product management display system of claim 1, further comprising a retaining member extending outwardly from the at least one divider.

13. The product management display system of claim 12, further comprising multiple retaining members extending outwardly from the at least one divider.

14. The product management display system of claim 1, wherein the coiled spring is extendable beneath the pusher floor surface.

15. The product management display system of claim 1, wherein the coiled spring is extendable above the pusher floor surface.

16. A product management display system comprising:

a tray defining a top surface and an underside surface,

a coiled spring, and

a pusher mechanism that sits on top of and does not extend below the tray top surface, wherein the pusher mechanism is glidable across the tray top surface and is mounted to and held onto the tray only by the coiled spring, the pusher mechanism including a pusher surface and a pusher floor extending forwardly from the pusher surface, wherein the pusher floor is configured to permit at least one product to sit upon the pusher floor during operation of the pusher mechanism,

the coiled spring defining a first end and a coiled second end, the first end of the coiled spring mounted to the tray, the second coiled end positioned behind the pusher surface, and

at least one divider extending upwardly from the tray for dividing displayed product into rows.

17. The product management display system of claim 16, wherein the tray is formed by a plurality of rails joined by a plurality of ribs.

18. The product management display system of claim 17, wherein the first end of the coiled spring connects to at least one of the plurality of ribs.

19. The product management display system of claim 18, wherein two dividers extend upwardly from the tray on opposing sides of the tray.

20. The product management display system of claim 19, further comprising a product retaining member extending between the two dividers.

21. The product management display system of claim 20, wherein the pusher floor defines a periphery that further defines first and second curve-shaped periphery portions and a notch located between the first and second curve-shaped periphery portions.

22. The product management display system of claim 21, wherein the pusher floor defines at least one aperture extending through the pusher floor.

23. A product management display system comprising:

a plurality of trays, each tray defining a top surface and an underside surface,

a pusher mechanism that is glidable across the top surface of one of the plurality of trays, the pusher mechanism including a pusher surface and a pusher floor extending forwardly from the pusher surface, wherein during operation of the pusher mechanism the pusher floor is configured to glide across the top surface of the one of the plurality of trays, and wherein the pusher mechanism is entirely above the one of the plurality of the trays during operation of the pusher mechanism,

a coiled spring that holds the pusher mechanism to the one of the plurality of trays, the coiled spring defining a first end and a coiled second end and extendable across at least a portion of the one of the plurality of the trays, the first end of the coiled spring mounted to the one of the plurality of the trays, the second coiled end positioned behind the pusher surface, and

at least one divider extending upwardly from the one of the plurality of the trays for dividing displayed product into rows.

24. The product management display system of claim 23, wherein each tray is formed by a plurality of rails joined by a plurality of ribs.

25. The product management display system of claim 24, wherein the first end of the coiled spring connects to at least one of the plurality of ribs.

26. The product management display system of claim 23, wherein the pusher floor defines a periphery that further defines first and second curve-shaped periphery portions and a notch located between the first and second curve-shaped periphery portions.

27. The product management display system of claim 26, wherein two dividers extend upwardly from each tray on opposing sides of the tray.

28. The product management display system of claim 27, further comprising a product retaining member connected to and extending between the two dividers.

29. The product management display system of claim 26, wherein the pusher floor defines at least one aperture extending through the pusher floor.

30. The product management display system of claim 23, wherein the plurality of trays are positioned adjacent to each other and joined together.

31. The product management display system of claim 23, wherein the first end of the coiled spring is mounted directly to the tray.

32. The product management display system of claim 23, wherein the first end of the coiled spring is mounted at a forward position on the tray.

33. The product management display system of claim 23, wherein the first end of the coiled spring is mounted to the tray through the use of a spring tip.