Product management display system with trackless pusher mechanism

• US 8,739,984 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2012
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RTC Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: RTC Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Hardy, Stephen N.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOVOSAD, JENNIFER ELEANORE
• Application Number:
  US13/542,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20130026117A1
• Time in Patent Office: 698 Days
• Field of Search: 211/59.3, 211/59.2, 211/119.003, 211/4, 211/184, 211 9001- 9004, 211/150, 211/175, 108/60, 108/61, 108/71, 108/6, 312/126, 312/35, 312/61, 312/71, 312/128, 312/131, 312/132, 312/137, 221/227, 221/255, 221/279, 221/75, 221/76, 221/90, 221/242, 221/226, 221/229, 221/231, 221/232
• US Class Current: 211/119.003
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 57/581 specially adapted for shelves made of tubes or wire
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 57/585 with connection means slidable in a rail
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 57/586 with connection means movable by sliding on the outside of a rail
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 57/588 by means of shelf bottoms with apertures co-operating with tongues or pins
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 65/15 Partitions, e.g. dividers
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 73/006 with modular arrangements of identical units
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 87/0223 Shelves stackable by means of poles or tubular members as distance-holders therebetween
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 87/0269 without separate distance holders
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/04 Racks or containers with arrangements for dispensing articles , e.g. by means of gravity or springs
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/125 with an article-pushing device
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/126 the pushing device being urged by spring means
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/02 with dispensing arrangements A47F1/04 takes precedence; for cigars or cigarettes A24F15/04; for cigarette papers A24F17/00; for hand towels or toilet paper A47K; for photographic paper G03B; coin-freed G07F
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/14 Display trays or containers combined with racks A47F5/0025; tray partitions A47F5/005; as racks and transportable with merchandise A47F5/108; made of cardboard A47F5/11; stackable A47B87/02; packing boxes used subsequently as display trays B65D
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/0025 having separate display containers or trays on shelves or on racks
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/005 Partitions therefore horizontally adjustable A47B57/58; constructional details of drawers A47B88/90
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/0068 Shelf extensions, e.g. fixed on price rail
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 7/0007 for stacked articles; Stabilising means therefor for cans or bottles A47F7/281
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 7/28 for containers, e.g. flasks, bottles , tins, milk packs racks or containers with dispensing arrangements A47F1/04; for lipsticks or markers A47F7/0021; for audio/video cassettes or booklike articles A47F7/14
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 7/281 for vertically-stacked containers; Stabilising means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B42F 7/12 Stacked trays
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49863 : with prestressing of part

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 and one or more dividers for separating product into rows. The one or more dividers may be engaged to a front rail in two different conditions, locked and unlocked. In a locked condition, the relationship between the divider and the front rail resists alteration in any direction with respect to each other. In the unlocked condition, the dividers may be freely slid laterally along the front rail, while remaining perpendicular to the front rail. The one or more dividers may lock to the front rail through the use of corresponding teeth, resilient surfaces, a locking tab, a locking bar and/or a cam.

Claims

1. A merchandise display system comprising:

a front rail mounted to a shelf;

at least one divider defining a first end and a second end and configured to engage the front rail, the at least one divider further including a divider wall and a divider floor perpendicular to the divider wall, wherein the divider floor is configured to hold product;

a barrier located at the divider first end; and

a cam coupled to the divider, wherein the cam is configured to rotate relative to the divider between a first position and a second position,

wherein the at least one divider is movable in a lateral direction parallel to the front rail when the at least one divider is engaged with the front rail and the cam is in the first position, and

wherein the at least one divider is fixed in the lateral direction parallel to the front rail when the at least one divider is engaged with the front rail and the cam is in the second position.

2. The merchandise display system of claim 1, wherein the cam includes a handle to rotate the cam between the first position and the second position.

3. The merchandise display system of claim 1, wherein the cam includes one or more cam walls configured to engage one or more groove walls in the front rail when the cam is in the second position.

4. The merchandise display system of claim 1, wherein the cam includes a plurality of cam teeth, wherein the front rail includes a plurality of front rail teeth on a surface of the front rail, and wherein when the cam is in the second position the plurality of cam teeth engage the plurality of rail teeth.

5. The merchandise display system of claim 4, wherein the front rail teeth are on an inner surface of the front rail.

6. The merchandise display system of claim 1, further comprising:

a pusher mechanism positioned on the divider floor, the pusher mechanism having a pusher surface and a pusher floor extending forwardly from the pusher surface.

7. The merchandise display system of claim 1, wherein the front rail defines a front rail groove and the divider defines a divider ridge configured to engage the front rail groove.

8. The merchandise display of claim 1 further comprising a second divider configured to attach to the front rail and separate product into rows,

wherein the second divider includes a second divider wall extending in a direction perpendicular to the front rail, a second divider floor perpendicular to the second divider wall, wherein the second divider floor is configured to hold product, and a second cam coupled to the second divider, wherein the second cam rotates relative to the second divider between a first position and a second position,

wherein the second divider is movable in a lateral direction parallel to the front rail when the second divider is engaged with the front rail and the cam of the second divider is in the first position.

9. The merchandise display system of claim 8, wherein the second cam includes one or more cam walls configured to engage one or more groove walls in the front rail when the cam is in the second position and the cam of the second divider is in the first position.

10. The merchandize system of claim 8 wherein the second divider is fixed in the lateral direction parallel to the front rail when the second divider is engaged with the front rail.

11. The merchandise display system of claim 8, wherein the second divider is configured to move in the lateral direction parallel to the front rail when product is positioned on the second divider floor.

12. The merchandise display system of claim 8, wherein a force on the second divider will cause the dividers to move in the lateral direction parallel to the front rail when the cams for each of the dividers is in the first position, and wherein the force is in a direction parallel to the front rail and perpendicular to the divider wall of the outermost divider.