Product management display system

• US 9,138,075 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2013
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RTC Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: RTC Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Hardy, Stephen N., Parsons, Stuart
• Primary Examiner(s): NOVOSAD, JENNIFER ELEANORE
• Application Number:
  US14/136,029
• Publication Number:
  US 20140112752A1
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 211/59.2, 211/59.3, 211/150, 211/119.003, 211/184, 211/175, 211/195, 211/4, 312/35, 312/61, 312/71, 312/126, 312/135, 312/128, 312/131, 312/132, 312/137, 108/60, 108/61, 108/71, 108/6, 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: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 57/58 with means for adjusting partitions horizontally book-ends A47B65/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 57/585 with connection means slidable in a rail
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 73/00 Bottle cupboards; Bottle racks
• 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 1/12 dispensing from the side of an approximately horizontal stack A47F1/087 takes precedence
• 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 5/005 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 7/28 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 a divider secured to a support structure and a barrier that is moveable by rotation between a folded position and an upright position without a rotation biasing element. A product positioned in the system can contact the barrier when the product moves toward the forward end of the system and rotate the barrier from the folded position to the upright position. The system may include a rotational mounting structure to which the moveable barrier is connected. The rotational mounting structure may be removably connected to the forward end of the divider. The merchandise display system may be used in conjunction with a product tray which provides for product stored in the product tray to be slid from in the product tray into the product pocket of the merchandise display system.

Claims

1. A merchandise display system comprising:

a divider configured to be secured to a support structure, wherein the divider includes a forward end and a rearward end;

the divider includes a divider wall and a divider floor, the divider wall extending upwardly from the divider floor, the divider floor including a top surface;

a barrier that is moveable by rotation between a folded position and an upright position such that a rear surface of the barrier moves toward the rearward end to define an acute angle between the rear surface of the barrier and the divider floor when the barrier rotates from the upright position to the folded position and the rear surface of the barrier moves toward the forward end when the barrier rotates from the folded position to the upright position, wherein the barrier is configured to be positioned proximate the forward end of the divider such that a product positioned on the top surface of the divider floor contacts the barrier when the product moves toward the forward end of the divider;

a rotational mounting structure, wherein a bottom end of the barrier is connected to the rotational mounting structure, wherein the rotational mounting structure is removably connected to the forward end of the divider;

wherein the barrier is configured to rotate from the folded position to the upright position when the product positioned on the top surface of the divider floor moves in a forward direction and contacts the barrier such that forward movement of the product rotates the barrier from the folded position to the upright position;

wherein the barrier is configured to cease the forward movement of the product when the barrier is in the upright position; and

wherein the barrier defines a folded angle in between a rear surface of the barrier and the divided floor when the barrier is in the folded position, wherein the folded angle is between about 45 degrees to about 20 degrees.

2. The merchandise display system of claim 1, wherein the barrier includes a barrier handle to rotate the barrier between the upright position and the folded position.

3. The merchandise display system of claim 1, wherein the folded angle is about 20 degrees.

4. The merchandise display system of claim 1, wherein a top edge of the rear surface of the barrier is rounded off.

5. The merchandise display system of claim 1, wherein the rotational mounting structure includes a mount slot defined in the rotational mounting structure and wherein the mount slot is configured to mate with a front ridge of the divider to removably connect the rotational mounting structure to the forward end of the divider.

6. The merchandise display system of claim 5, wherein the rotational mounting structure includes a vertical stanchion and a horizontal cross beam, wherein the cross beam is connected to and extends from the vertical stanchion in a lateral direction, and wherein at least a portion of the mount slot is defined within the vertical stanchion.

7. The merchandise display system of claim 1, wherein the rotational mounting structure includes a first knuckle component and the barrier includes a second knuckle component, wherein a pin extends through the first knuckle component and the second knuckle component to form a hinge for rotational attachment of the barrier to the rotational mounting structure.

8. The merchandise display system of claim 7, wherein the rotational mounting structure includes a rotational stop structure configured to engage the barrier and stop rotation of the barrier toward the folded position when the barrier reaches the folded angle.

9. The merchandise display system of claim 1, wherein the rotational mounting structure is one of a hinge or flexible resilient member.

10. The merchandise display system of claim 1, further comprising a rotational stop structure configured to stop rotation of the barrier toward the folded position when the barrier reaches the folded angle.

11. The merchandise display system of claim 10, wherein the rotational stop structure is a protrusion positioned proximate a lower portion of the rear surface of the barrier such that the lower portion of the rear surface of the barrier contacts the rotational stop structure when barrier reaches the folded angle in the folded position.

12. The merchandise display system of claim 1, wherein the divider includes a pusher mechanism configured to slide along the divider floor to move the product toward the forward end.

13. The merchandise display system comprising:

a divider configured to be secured to a support structure, wherein the divider includes a forward end and a rearward end;

the divider includes a divider wall and a divider floor, the divider wall extending upwardly from the divider floor, the divider floor includes a top surface, wherein the divider wall separates the divider floor into a first side portion and a second side portion, the first side portion having the top surface of the divider floor and the second side portion including a second top surface of the divider floor;

a barrier that is moveable by rotation between a folded position and an upright position such that a rear surface of the barrier moves toward the rearward end to define an acute angle between the rear surface of the barrier and the divider floor when the barrier rotates from the upright position to the folded position and the rear surface of the barrier moved toward the forward end when the barrier rotates from the folded position to the upright position, wherein the barrier is configured to be positioned proximate the forward end of the divider such that a product positioned on the top surface of the divider floor contacts the barrier when the product moves toward the forward end of the divider;

wherein the barrier is configured to rotate from the folded position to the upright position when the product positioned on the top surface of the divider floor moves in a forward direction and contacts the barrier such that forward movement of the product rotates the barrier from the folded position to the upright position; and

wherein the barrier is configured to cease the forward movement of the product when the barrier is in the upright position;

a first rotational mount connected to the forward end of the divider and proximate to the first side portion of the divider floor, the barrier connected to the first rotational mount;

a second rotational mount connected to the forward end of the divider and proximate to the second side portion of the divider floor;

a second barrier connected to the second rotational mount that is moveable by rotation between the folded position and the upright position, the second barrier positioned such that a second product positioned on the second top surface of the divider floor contacts the second barrier when the second product moves toward the forward end of the divider;

wherein the second barrier is configured to rotate from the folded position to the upright position when the second product positioned on the second top surface of the divider floor moves toward the second barrier and the second product contacts the second barrier when the second barrier is in the folded position such that continued movement of the second product rotates the second barrier from the folded position to the upright position, wherein the second barrier is configured to cease movement of the second product when the second barrier is in the upright position.

14. The merchandise display system of claim 13, wherein the first and second rotational mounts are removably connected to the forward end of the divider.

15. The merchandise display system of claim 13, further comprising a rotational mounting structure removably connected to the forward end of the divider, the rotational mounting structure comprising the first rotational mount, the second rotational mount, and a horizontal cross beam;

wherein the horizontal cross extends in a lateral direction and wherein the first rotational mount is connected to a first section of the horizontal cross beam and the second rotational mount is connected to a second section of the horizontal cross beam; and

wherein the rotational mounting structure includes a mount slot defined in the rotational mounting structure, the mount slot is configured to mate with a front ridge of the divider to removably connect the rotational mounting structure to the forward end of the divider.

16. The merchandise system of claim 13, wherein the barrier includes a resilient tab configured to engage a tab recess when the barrier reaches the upright position.

17. The merchandise system of claim 16, wherein the tab recess is defined in the rotational mounting structure.