Merchandise display system

• US 6,129,218 A
• Filed: 02/11/1999
• Issued: 10/10/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Inventors: Senetra, Michael, Henry, Eric F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stodola, Daniel P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harris, Erica B.
• Application Number:
  US09/248,593
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 211/59.3, 211/184, 211/279
• US Class Current: 211/59.3
• 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

Abstract

A surface mounted display device for serially stacked products, the display device including a first support member, a second support member and at least one divider member removably mounted between the two support members. The divider member has a web to which a pusher plate is movably attached. A guide arrangement is provided on the web for guiding the pusher plate. A spring biases the pusher plate toward one end of the display. Products are stacked between the pusher plate and the first support. When a product is removed, the pusher plate, being biased toward the first support member, advances the next product to the front of the display.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising:

at least one divider member, the at least one divider member including a web having a first end, a second end and a first edge extending between the first end and the second end, the at least one divider member further including a flange mounted to the first edge so as to be at an angle to the web;

a pusher plate slidably attached to the web;

a spring for biasing the pusher plate to one of the ends of the web;

means for guiding the pusher plate so as to move between the first end and the second end, the guiding means extending from proximal the first end of the web to proximal the second end of the web; and

a first support member and a second support member, the first end of the web being removably mounted to the first support member, and the second end of the web being removably mounted to the second support member;

wherein the second support member includes at least one member extending from an underside of said second support member and being adapted to position said second support member, said member adapted to engage a correspondingly positioned hole in an edge of a shelf on which said display device is disposed.

2. The display device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the web lies in a plane and the first support member is parallel to the second support member, both the first support member and the second support member being positioned perpendicular to the plane of the web.

3. The display device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the second support member comprises at least one support slot in a side of the second support member facing the second end of the web so that the second end of the web is removably insertable therein.

4. The display device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the web has a second edge extending between the first end and the second end, the second edge being tapered toward the first edge near the first end so as to facilitate access to a product.

5. The display device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the web and the flange are formed as a unitary element.

6. The display device in accordance with claim 1, wherein a plurality of the at least one divider member is provided, the support members being configured to removably support the plurality of the at least one divider member.

7. The display device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the flange is mounted perpendicular to the web so that the web and the flange form an inverted T-shaped cross section.

8. The display device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first support member further comprises at least one pin provided at a side thereof.

9. The display device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the second support member further comprises at least on pin provided at a side thereof.

10. The display device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first support member has at least one depression in a side of the first support member facing the first end of the web.

11. The display device in accordance with claim 10, wherein the web further comprises a support tab provided at the first end and configured so as to be removably insertable into the at least one depression of the first support member.

12. The display device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the guiding means comprises at least one guide slot configured in at least one of the web and the flange.

13. The display device in accordance with claim 12, wherein the pusher plate comprises at least one guide tab arranged in the at least one guide slot so as to be moveable between the first end and the second end of the web.

14. The display device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said spring comprises a flat coil spring having a coil end mounted to the pusher plate and a free end fixed to the web.

15. The display device in accordance with claim 14, wherein the pusher plate has a notch configured so as to permit the flat coil spring to pass through the pusher plate.

16. The display device in accordance with claim 14, wherein the pusher plate is configured to have an L-shaped cross-section with a guide leg parallel to the web and slidably engaged in the guide means, and a pusher leg attached to the guide leg and being perpendicular thereto so that the pusher leg extends perpendicularly from the web, two brackets being arranged to extend between the guide leg and the pusher leg, the two brackets being parallel to each other and spaced apart from one another, the coil end of the flat coil spring being arranged between the two brackets.

17. The display device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first support member comprises a lip provided at one edge.

18. The display device in accordance with claim 17 wherein the web filter comprises a hook provided at the first end and configured so as to be removably engageable with the lip of the first support member.

19. The display device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said spring is configured to pull said pusher plate toward one of the ends of said web.

20. The display device in accordance with claim 19, wherein said spring comprises an elastic band having one end coupled to said pusher plate and a second end coupled to said first end of said web.

21. The display device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said spring is configured to push said pusher plate toward one of the ends of said web.

22. The display device in accordance with claim 21, wherein said spring comprises one end coupled to a rear side of said pusher plate and a second end coupled to said second end of said web.

23. The display device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said at least one divider further comprises an engagement flange disposed on said second end of said web for enabling the removable mounting of said second end to said second support member, said engagement flange connecting said second support member with said first support member via said at least one divider.

24. The display device in accordance with claim 23, wherein said second support member comprises an upper edge having a lip and said engagement flange comprises a notch releasably receiving said lip when said engagement flange is disposed in operable connection with said second support member.

25. The display device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a stopper formed on said web proximal to said second end and adapted to prevent said pusher plate from being disengage from said guiding means.

26. The display device in accordance with claim 25, wherein said stopper comprises a raised button integrally formed on said web.

27. The display device in accordance with claim 25, wherein said stopper comprises a raised rib disposed perpendicular to said pusher plate and having a stop face.

28. The display device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a bevel disposed on said web for providing support to an object being acted upon by said pusher plate.

29. The display device in accordance with claim 28, wherein said at least one bevel is disposed adjacent said guiding means.

30. The display device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the guiding means comprises a first guide rail attached to the web.

31. The display device in accordance with claim 30, wherein the web has a second edge extending between the first end and the second end, the first guide rail being provided at the second edge, the pusher plate having a first notch configured to slidably engage the first guide rail.

32. The display device in accordance with claim 30, wherein the guiding means further comprises a second guide rail attached to the web.

33. The display device in accordance with claim 32, wherein the pusher plate further comprises a first notch that corresponds to the first guide rail.

34. The display device in accordance with claim 33, wherein the pusher plate further comprises a second notch that corresponds to the second guide rail.

35. The display device in accordance with claim 34, wherein the second guide rail has an L-shaped cross section, with a first leg attached to the web and a second leg arranged to project into the second notch.

36. The display device in accordance with claim 30, wherein the guiding means comprises a second guide rail attached to the flange.

37. The display device in accordance with claim 36, wherein the second guide rail has a rectangular cross section.

38. The display device in accordance with claim 36, wherein the pusher plate comprises a first notch that corresponds to the first guide rail.

39. The display device in accordance with claim 38, wherein the first guide rail has an L-shaped cross section, with a first leg attached to the web and a second leg arranged to project into the first notch.

40. The display device in accordance with claim 38, wherein the pusher plate comprises a second notch that corresponds to the second guide rail.