Product management display system with trackless pusher mechanism

• US 8,863,963 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2012
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• 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:
  US13/564,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20130031815A1
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 211/59.2, 211/59.3, 211/184, 211/119.003, 211/74, 211/126.1, 211/43, 221/227, 221/255, 221/279, 312/61, 312/71, 312/35, 248/309.1, D64/08, D65/15
• US Class Current: 211/59.3
• 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 1/12 dispensing from the side of an approximately horizontal stack A47F1/087 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/126 the pushing device being urged by spring means
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/005 Partitions therefore horizontally adjustable A47B57/58; constructional details of drawers A47B88/90
• 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

Abstract

A product management display system for merchandising product on a shelf includes at least one tray having a front rounded portion and defining a plurality of apertures and having two sides. A lip may extend upward from the front rounded portion of the at least one tray. A front shelf may extend forward from the lip. The at least one tray may include one divider extending upwardly from each of the two sides and a front wall. The front wall may include a top wall, a bottom wall, and two side legs. The front wall, bottom wall, and two side legs may form a wall aperture and the front wall may include a plurality of projections configured to engage with the plurality of apertures on the tray.

Claims

1. A product management display system comprising:

a tray having a front rounded portion and a surface defining a plurality of apertures;

a lip extending upward from the front rounded portion of the tray;

a front shelf extending forward from the lip;

a front wall having a top wall portion, a bottom wall portion, and two side leg portions, wherein the front wall portion, bottom wall portion, and two side leg portions form a wall aperture, wherein the front wall includes a plurality of projections configured to engage with the plurality of apertures on the surface of the tray; and

a pusher mechanism configured to slide across at least a portion of the surface of the tray, the pusher mechanism mounted to and held onto the tray by a coiled spring.

2. The product management display system of claim 1, further comprising:

two wall portions, each of the two wall portions extending from an opposite end of the lip,

wherein a graphic pocket is formed by the bottom wall portion, the lip, and the two wall portions.

3. The product management display system of claim 2, wherein the graphic pocket houses a graphic strip.

4. The product management display system of claim 1, wherein the front wall is curved.

5. The product management display system of claim 1, wherein the front wall portion and the bottom wall portion prevent a product placed on the surface of the tray from fitting through the wall aperture.

6. The product management display system of claim 1, wherein the front wall is removable from the tray.

8. The product management display system of claim 1, wherein the front wall is translucent.

7. A product management display system comprising:

a tray having a front rounded portion and a surface defining a plurality of apertures;

a lip extending upward from the front rounded portion of the tray;

a front shelf extending forward from the lip;

a front wall having a top wall portion, a bottom wall portion, and two side leg portions, wherein the front wall portion, bottom wall portion, and two side leg portions form a wall aperture, wherein the front wall includes a plurality of projections configured to engage with the plurality of apertures on the surface of the tray; and

a plurality of dividers attached to the tray, the plurality of dividers configured to separate product into one or more rows;

wherein an edge of the each of the side leg portions abut an edge of one of the plurality of dividers.

9. A product management display system comprising:

a tray having a front rounded portion and a surface defining a plurality of apertures;

a lip extending upward from the front rounded portion of the tray;

a front shelf extending forward from the lip;

a pusher mechanism configured to slide across at least a portion of the surface of the tray, the pusher mechanism mounted to and held onto the tray by a coiled spring;

a removable front wall having a top wall portion, a bottom wall portion, and two side leg portions, wherein the front wall portion, bottom wall portion, and two side leg portions form a wall aperture; and

two wall portions, each of the two wall portions extending from an opposite end of the lip;

wherein the front wall includes a plurality of projections configured to engage with the plurality of apertures on the surface of the tray; and

wherein a graphic pocket is formed by the bottom wall portion, the lip, and the two wall portions.

10. The product management display system of claim 9, further comprising:

two dividers, each of the two dividers extending upwardly from opposite side edges of the tray.

11. The product management display system of claim 9, wherein the pusher mechanism sits on top of and does not extend below the surface of the tray.

12. The product management display system of claim 9, wherein the surface of the tray defines a plurality of openings to permit debris or other materials to pass through.

13. The product management display system of claim 12, wherein the front wall is translucent.

14. A product management display system comprising:

a plurality of trays, each tray having a front rounded portion and a surface defining a plurality of apertures, each of the plurality of trays having two sides;

a lip extending upward from the front rounded portion of each of the plurality of trays;

a front shelf extending forward from the lip of each of the plurality of trays;

a plurality of dividers, each of the plurality of trays having one divider extending upwardly from each of the two sides; and

a plurality of front walls, each of the front walls having a top wall portion, a bottom wall portion, and two side leg portions, wherein the front wall portion, bottom wall portion, and two side leg portions form a wall aperture;

wherein each of the plurality of front walls includes a plurality of projections configured to engage with the plurality of apertures on the surface of one of the plurality of trays;

wherein the graphic pockets of each of the front walls form a nearly continuous strip of advertising.

15. The product management display system of claim 14, further comprising:

two wall portions extending from an opposite end of the lip on each of the plurality of front walls,

wherein each of the front walls includes a graphic pocket formed by the bottom wall portion, the lip, and the two wall portions.

16. The product management display system of claim 15, wherein a side of each of the plurality of trays are positioned adjacent a side of another one of the plurality of trays on a shelf.