Product management display system with trackless pusher mechanism

• US 8,978,903 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2013
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• 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:
  US14/012,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20140021150A1
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 211/126.2, 211/126.12, 211/188, 211/194, 211/74, 211/59.2, 211/59.3, 211/184
• US Class Current: 211/126.12
• 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 product management display system comprising:

a first tray and a second tray each having a surface for receiving product, a first wall, and a second wall, the first tray including a first retainer mechanism and the second tray including a second retainer mechanism, the first retainer mechanism and the second retainer mechanism each having a curved front to accommodate product and forming an extension of the surface for receiving product and the first tray having a first pusher mechanism and the second tray having a second pusher mechanism,

wherein each of the pusher mechanisms is configured to be mountable on the surface of each tray, the pusher mechanisms each including a pusher surface and a pusher floor extending forwardly and rearwardly from the pusher surface, wherein each of the pusher floors is configured to slide across and rest on the surface of each of the trays;

a first and second coiled spring each defining a first end and a coiled second end, wherein the first end of each of the first and second coiled spring is configured to be received by the first and second retainer mechanisms, respectively, and the second coiled end of each of the first and second coiled spring is configured to operatively connect behind the first and second pusher mechanisms, respectively; and

a plurality of spacers mountable to the first and second trays for stacking the first tray above the second tray wherein the plurality of spacers further comprise a plurality of detents, the first tray and the second tray each having a plurality of correspondingly shaped sockets for receiving the plurality of detents.

2. The product management display system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of correspondingly shaped sockets for receiving the plurality of detents are located on the outside surface of each of the first tray and the second tray.

3. The product management display system of claim 1 wherein each of the retainer mechanisms is configured to be detachable from each of the trays.

4. The product management display system of claim 3 wherein each of the pusher floors includes a first curved portion, a second curved portion, and a third non-curved portion joining the first curved portion and the second curved portion.

5. The product management display system of claim 1 wherein each of the first and second retainer mechanisms is configured to match the shape of the product to be merchandised.

6. A product management display system comprising:

a first tray and a second tray each having a surface for receiving product, a first wall, and a second wall, the first and second tray each adapted to receive a retainer mechanism, each of the retainer mechanisms having a curved front to accommodate product and forming an extension of the surface for receiving product and each of the first tray and the second tray having a pusher mechanism,

wherein each of the pusher mechanisms is configured to be mountable on the surface of each tray, the pusher mechanisms each including a pusher surface and a pusher floor extending forwardly and rearwardly from the pusher surface, wherein each of the pusher floors is configured to slide across and rest on the surface of each of the trays;

a plurality of spacers mountable to the first and second trays for stacking the first tray above the second tray wherein the plurality of spacers further comprise a plurality of detents, the first tray and the second tray each having a plurality of correspondingly shaped sockets for receiving the plurality of detents; and

at least one divider fixed to each of the trays.

7. The product management display system of claim 6 wherein each of the dividers are provided with one or more elongated slots spaced apart from the retainer mechanism.

8. The product management display system of claim 6 wherein each of the retainer mechanisms is configured to be detachable from each of the trays.

9. The product management display system of claim 6 wherein each of the pusher mechanisms comprises support members for receiving and guiding a coiled spring behind the pusher surface, with the coiled spring defining a first end and a coiled second end, wherein the first end is configured to be received by the retainer mechanisms, and the second coiled end is configured to operatively connect behind the pusher mechanism.

10. The product management display system of claim 6 wherein each of the pusher floors is provided with a plurality of openings.

11. The product management display system of claim 6 wherein each of the pusher floors includes a first curved portion, a second curved portion, and a third non-curved portion joining the first curved portion and the second curved portion.

12. The product management display system of claim 6 wherein each of the retainer mechanisms further comprises an opening.

13. The product management display system of claim 6 wherein each of the pusher floors further comprises a pair of side edges and a rear edge and wherein the pair of side edges extend substantially perpendicular to the rear edge.

14. The product management display system of claim 6 wherein each of the retainer mechanisms is configured to match a shape of the product to be merchandised.

15. The product management display system of claim 6, wherein the plurality of correspondingly shaped sockets for receiving the plurality of detents are located on the outside surface of each of the first tray and the second tray.

16. A product management display system comprising:

a first tray and a second tray each having a surface for receiving product, a first wall, and a second wall, the first and second tray each having a retainer mechanism having a curved front to accommodate product and forming an extension of the surface for receiving product and a pusher mechanism,

wherein each of the pusher mechanisms is configured to be mountable on the surface of each tray, the pusher mechanisms each including a pusher surface and a pusher floor extending forwardly and rearwardly from the pusher surface, wherein each of the pusher floors is configured to slide across and rest on the surface of each of the trays; and

a plurality of spacers mountable to the first and second trays for stacking the first tray above the second tray,

wherein the plurality of spacers further comprise a plurality of detents, the first tray and the second tray each having a plurality of correspondingly shaped sockets for receiving the plurality of detents.

17. The product management display system of claim 16 wherein each of the retainer mechanisms is configured to be detachable from each of the trays.

18. The product management display system of claim 16 wherein each of the retainer mechanisms is transparent.

19. The product management display system of claim 16 wherein each of the pusher floors further comprises a pair of side edges and a rear edge and wherein the pair of side edges extend substantially perpendicular to the rear edge.

20. The product management display system of claim 16 wherein each of the retainer mechanisms is configured to match a shape of the product to be merchandised.