Freezer pusher

• US 9,101,231 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2013
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Marco Company
• Original Assignee: The Marco Company
• Inventors: Sosso, Jerome F., Nickell, Craig Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): RODDEN, JOSHUA E
• Application Number:
  US13/874,265
• Publication Number:
  US 20140319087A1
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: 211/50, 211/51, 211/54.1, 211/57.1, 211/59.1, 211/59.2, 211/59.3, 211/90.01, 211/90.03, 211/175, 211/184, 312/61, 312/71, 108/60, 108/61
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/126 the pushing device being urged by spring means
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/0486 for charging, displaying or discharging the articles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A pusher shelf assembly may comprise a wire grid assembly affixed to a left bracket and to a right bracket. The wire grid assembly may have a plurality of wires and one or more pushers slidingly engaged to at least two wires in the wire grid assembly. The left bracket and the right bracket may be configured for removable engagement to a wall of a product display. The product display may be a freezer.

Claims

1. A pusher shelf assembly for attachment to a wall of a freezer comprising:

a wire grid assembly affixed to a left bracket and to a right bracket, the wire grid assembly comprising a plurality of substantially parallel wires;

at least one pusher slidingly engaged to at least two of the substantially parallel wires;

a flat bar and a front channel affixed to the wire grid assembly, the flat bar and the front channel substantially normal to the left bracket and the right bracket;

at least one spring pulling the at least one pusher from a rear position to a front position proximate the front channel;

at least one wire divider having a divider front end and a divider rear end; and

a clip attached to the divider rear end for removable and rotational engagement with the flat bar so that when the divider rear end is rotatably secured to the flat bar and the at least one wire divider is rotated about the flat bar, the divider front end enters a hole in the front channel to secure the at least one wire divider;

wherein the left bracket and the right bracket are configured for removable engagement to a wall of a freezer.

2. The pusher shelf assembly of claim 1, wherein the spring has a spring coil section and a spring hook section, the spring coil section resting against a back of a plate of the pusher and the spring hook section removably engaged with a front bracket connecting wire.

3. The pusher shelf assembly of claim 1, wherein the wire grid assembly further comprises:

a front bracket connecting wire; and

a rear bracket connecting wire;

wherein the plurality of substantially parallel wires are fixedly engaged to the front bracket connecting wire and to the rear bracket connecting wire.

4. The pusher shelf assembly of claim 3 wherein the left bracket has a left support section and a left engagement section, and the right bracket has a right support section and a right engagement section, wherein the left engagement section and the right engagement section are configured for removably securing the pusher shelf assembly to a freezer wall.

5. The pusher shelf assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of substantially parallel wires has a wire grid portion and a wire flat bar portion.

6. The pusher shelf assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one pusher has a plate, a base, a base left hook and a base right hook;

wherein the base left hook slidingly engages a first wire of the plurality of substantially parallel wires and the base right hook slidingly engages a second wire of the plurality of substantially parallel wires.

7. The pusher shelf assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one pusher is one of one piece stamped metal, a plurality of pieces welded together, and of plastic unitary construction.

8. The pusher shelf assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one pusher travels from a first position to a second position, powered by the at least one spring.

9. A pusher shelf assembly for attachment to a freezer wall comprising:

a left bracket;

a right bracket;

a front bracket connecting wire;

a rear bracket connecting wire;

a wire grid assembly affixed to the left bracket and to the right bracket, the wire grid assembly having track wires fixedly engaged to the front bracket connecting wire and the rear bracket connecting wire;

a flat bar and a front channel affixed to the wire grid assembly;

a clip attached to a divider rear end for removable and rotational engagement with the flat bar of the wire grid assembly so that when the divider rear end is rotatably secured to the flat bar and a divider is rotated about the flat bar, a divider front end enters a hole in the front channel to secure the divider; and

at least one pusher slidingly engaged to at least two of the track wires in the wire grid assembly wherein the at least one pusher has a plate, a base, a base left hook and a base right hook, the base left hook slidingly engaging a first wire of the track wires and the base right hook slidingly engaging a second wire of the track wires;

at least one spring having a spring coil section and a spring hook section, the spring coil section resting against a back of the plate of the pusher and the spring hook section removably engaged with the front bracket connecting wire, the at least one spring configured to pull the at least one pusher from a rear position to a front position proximate the front channel;

wherein the left bracket and the right bracket are configured for removable engagement to a wall of a freezer.

10. The pusher shelf assembly of claim 9, where the at least one pusher is one of one piece stamped metal, a plurality of pieces welded together, and of plastic unitary construction.

11. The pusher shelf assembly of claim 10, where the at least one pusher travels from a first position to a second position, powered by the at least one spring.

12. A method of attaching a pusher shelf assembly to a freezer wall, the method comprising:

connecting track wires to a flat bar and a front channel so as to form a wire grid assembly;

engaging a base left hook of a pusher to a first wire of the track wires;

responsive to engaging the base left hook of the pusher to the first wire, engaging a base right hook of the pusher to a second wire of the track wires;

attaching a left bracket to a freezer wall;

attaching a right bracket to the freezer wall, the left bracket and the right bracket connected to the flat bar, the flat bar and the front channel substantially normal to the left bracket and the right bracket; and

securing a divider to the wire grid assembly by first engaging a clip attached to the flat bar and locking the clip by rotating the divider until a divider front end is inserted in a hole in the front channel of the wire grid assembly.