GRAVITY FEED DISPLAY

Abstract

A gravity feed display that provides for easy rotation of stock for consumable products, such as lollipops and other products that may have a freshness date and require older products to be taken first before newer products.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a gravity feed display that provides for easy rotation of stock for consumable products, such as lollipops and other products that have a freshness date and require older products to be taken first before newer products.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Consumable products offered within a retail environment are often displayed using hooks, racks, shelves, boxes or other containers. Often these methods pose an issue when refilling any stock that has a freshness date and requires that older products to be sold first and within their freshness date to prevent a risk of spoilage that may cause health risks to the consumer purchasing the product. In placing products on a shelf or hook, a store clerk must remove all of the displayed product first and then place the newer product behind or under the older product to make the newer product less accessible to the consumer. The added time and effort to remove and then replace product, increases cost to the supplier or retail establishment in paying enough workers to maintain and make available an adequate supply of products for the consumer. The present invention provides a display that reduces the time required to refill product, and thereby removes the necessity of removing and replacing product. The present invention is further colorful and attractive to present the products in an eye catching way and thereby assist in increasing product sales.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The gravity feed display of the present invention provides for rotation of products or stock by refilling from the top of the product cylinder into a semi-spherical product dispenser that is placed near to and vertically below the product cylinder. The product dispenser is of a larger diameter than the product cylinder so that as the gravity feed display is filled, product spreads out to the edges along the curved walls of the product dispenser. To assist in spreading the product out to the edges within the product dispenser, preferred embodiments of the gravity feed display have a raised middle portion that directs products away from the center of the product dispenser as they deflect off of the middle portion and fill a trough formed between the curved walls and raised middle portion. The product cylinder may be partially or fully filled with products with the products in the product cylinder being supported on top of the products in the product dispenser or in some embodiments being supported on the products on the raised middle portion of the product dispenser. The product cylinder may be of a transparent material or have transparent portions along the cylindrical surface of the sheet that forms the product cylinder to easily show the amount of product within the gravity feed display to know when the product cylinder must be refilled with additional product.

The gravity feed display of the present invention has a sturdy secure semi-spherical base that is attached to a support tube surrounded by a support cylinder. The support cylinder may be formed from a rolled sheet so that the sheet may be printed with colorful artwork and branding. The support tube and support cylinder extend from the base to support the bowl shaped semi-spherical product dispenser. In preferred embodiments, the raised middle portion of the product dispenser is semi-spherical in shape and rises above the bottom inner surface of the product dispenser to about 4 cm to 8 cm (1.6 in to 3.2 in). The raised middle portion may be of other longer of shorter dimensions as desired in relation to the dimensions of the product dispenser and products being shown in the display. Support rods are secured in posts or other attachment fixtures that surround the middle portion of the product dispenser with the support rods extending to support the product cylinder vertically over the product dispenser. The product cylinder may have a lower circular frame having clips that are secured around the support rods to provide for an adjustment of the circular frame along the support rods to position the product cylinder within only a short distance from the product dispenser to have product fall and be properly deflected to the outer edges of the product dispenser. An upper circular frame is attached to the opposing end of the product cylinder leaving an opening at the top for filling the display.

The product that is first poured through the product cylinder and into the product dispenser are pushed and deflected out to the edges of the dispenser to be chosen first thereby continually offering the oldest product first. As products are removed from the dispenser, gravity forces other products down and out of the product cylinder into the trough and towards the edges of the product dispenser thereby replacing the older products with newer products. The gravity feed dispenser therefore does not require the removal of older products to place newer products behind or under them and the oldest products are always offered first to the consumer reducing the risk that an older product is sold after its freshness date.

An object and advantage of the present invention is to more efficiently refill product displays while ensuring that the older products are sold before newer products.

An object and advantage of the invention is to feed products to a product dispenser using gravity to automatically refill the product dispenser as products are sold.

An object and advantage of the invention is a product dispenser having a raised middle portion to direct products away from the center of the product dispenser to the edges where the products along the edges will be selected and sold first.

An object and advantage of the invention is the position of the product dispenser at reachable height for a person when standing to easily reach in and select product from the product dispenser.

An object and advantage of the invention is cylindrical portions that are formed from sheets that may be colorfully printed with artwork and branding to entice consumers to purchase the products within the gravity feed display.

An object and advantage of the invention is a sturdy base of a semi-spherical shape to increase coverage over the surface area of a floor while reducing surface contact with the floor thereby reducing friction and providing for the gravity feed display to not be tipped and/or knocked over even when sufficient force is applied to the gravity feed display and instead have the gravity feed display slide along the surface of the floor.

An object and advantage of the invention is a smooth, rounded rim of the semi-spherical shaped base to reduce friction between the gravity feed display and the floor and provide for the display to be easily slid along the floor even when the display is filled with product thereby easily moving and positioning the display or pushing the display temporarily out of the way when cleaning the floor.

The present invention is related to a gravity feed display, comprising a product cylinder; a product dispenser having a raised middle portion positioned under the product cylinder; and wherein products are rotated by having products fall from the product cylinder onto the raised middle portion of the product dispenser thereby having older products in a lower portion of the product cylinder enter the product dispenser first before newer products located in an upper portion of the product cylinder. The product cylinder of the gravity feed display is refilled with products by pouring products into an opening at the top of the product cylinder. The product dispenser of the gravity feed display is refilled automatically by having products fall from the product cylinder as products are removed from the product dispenser. The raised middle portion of the product dispenser deflects products from the center of the product dispenser to the edges of the product dispenser. In embodiments of the gravity feed display, the product cylinder may be a fully or partially transparent sheet configured to be rolled to form the product cylinder. The gravity feed display comprising support rods configured to support and adjust the height of the product cylinder above the product dispenser. The gravity feed display comprising a support cylinder attached to the product dispenser. The gravity feed display comprising a support tube configured to be inserted through the support cylinder and be attached to the product dispenser. The gravity feed display comprising a base attached to the support tube and the support cylinder. In embodiments of the gravity feed display, the base has a semi-spherical shape to increase coverage over the surface area of a floor while reducing surface contact with the floor thereby reducing friction and providing for the gravity feed display to not be tipped or knocked over but instead easily slide along the floor. The base may also have a rim configured to reduce friction and provide for the gravity feed display to slide along the surface of the floor.

The present invention is further related to a method of automatically rotating products without removal and restocking of older products, comprising elevating a product cylinder vertically over a product dispenser; and allowing products to fall from the product cylinder into the product dispenser thereby having older products in a lower portion of the product cylinder enter the product dispenser first before newer products located in an upper portion of the product cylinder. The method of automatically rotating products without removal and restocking of older products may comprise pouring products into an opening at the top of the product cylinder to refill the product cylinder. The method of automatically rotating products without removal and restocking of older products may comprise refilling the product dispenser automatically by having products fall from an opening at the bottom of the product cylinder as products are removed from the product dispenser. The method of automatically rotating products without removal and restocking of older products may comprise raising a middle portion of the product dispenser to deflect products falling from the product cylinder from the center of the product dispenser to the edges of the product dispenser. The method of automatically rotating products without removal and restocking of older products may comprise forming the product cylinder from a fully or partially transparent sheet and printing on all or a portion of the sheet. The method of automatically rotating products without removal and restocking of older products may comprise supporting the product dispenser on a support cylinder at a height easily accessible to a person standing. The method of automatically rotating products without removal and restocking of older products may comprise rolling a printed sheet to form the support cylinder. The method of automatically rotating products without removal and restocking of older products may comprise attaching a base to the support cylinder, the base having a semi-spherical shape to increase coverage over the surface area of a floor while reducing surface contact with the floor thereby reducing friction and providing for the gravity feed display to not be tipped or knocked over but instead easily slide along the floor. The method may comprise forming g a rim on the base to reduce friction and provide for the gravity feed display to slide along the surface of a floor.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become obvious to the reader and it is intended that these objects and advantages are within the scope of the present invention. To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of this application.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will become fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the gravity feed display of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of an embodiment of the gravity feed display of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a top view of an embodiment of the gravity feed display of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of an embodiment of the gravity feed display of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of an embodiment of the gravity feed display of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of an embodiment of the gravity feed display of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of an embodiment of the gravity feed display of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a top perspective view of an embodiment of the circular frame in an embodiment of gravity feed display of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a bottom perspective view of an embodiment of the circular frame in an embodiment of gravity feed display of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a side elevation view of an embodiment of the circular frame in an embodiment of gravity feed display of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a top view of an embodiment of a circular frame in an embodiment of the gravity feed display of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a top perspective view of an embodiment of a product dispenser in an embodiment of the gravity feed display of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a bottom perspective view of an embodiment of a product dispenser in an embodiment of the gravity feed display of the present invention;

FIG. 14 is a side elevation view of an embodiment of a product dispenser in an embodiment of the gravity feed display of the present invention;

FIG. 15 is a top view of an embodiment of a product dispenser in an embodiment of the gravity feed display of the present invention;

FIG. 16 is a side elevation view of an embodiment of a support tube in an embodiment of the gravity feed display of the present invention;

FIG. 17 is a top view of an embodiment of a sheet used to form the support cylinder in an embodiment of the gravity feed display of the present invention;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a support tube in an embodiment of the gravity feed display of the present invention;

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the sheet FIG. 17 rolled to form the support cylinder and surrounding the support tube in an embodiment of the gravity feed display of the present invention;

FIG. 20 is a top view of an embodiment of a sheet used to form the product cylinder in an embodiment of the gravity feed display of the present invention;

FIG. 21 is a side elevation view of an embodiment of a support rod in an embodiment of the gravity feed display of the present invention;

FIG. 22 is an exploded view of an embodiment of the sheet of FIG. 20 rolled to form the product cylinder with upper and lower circular frames that will secure the sheet and protect the ends of the product cylinder in an embodiment of the gravity feed display of the present invention;

FIG. 23 is an exploded view of an embodiment of the base, support cylinder, support tube, product dispenser and support rods in an embodiment of the gravity feed display of the present invention;

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the product cylinder with support rods in an embodiment of the gravity feed display of the present invention;

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the gravity feed display of the present invention showing artwork and branding printed on the cylindrical surface of the support cylinder and product cylinder;

FIG. 26 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the gravity feed display of the present invention filled with lollipops as the products.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

As shown in a perspective view in FIG. 1, the gravity feed display 10 has an opening O at the top of a product cylinder 12. In some embodiments, the product cylinder 12 may have a removable cover (not shown) to close the product cylinder 12. The product cylinder also has an opening P at the bottom to direct product into the bowl-shaped dispenser 14. The dispenser 14 is positioned on top of the support cylinder 16 and the support cylinder 16 is seated within the base 18. As shown in FIG. 2, the dispenser 14 of the gravity feed display 10 may be from around 75 cm (29.5 in) to 110 cm (43.3 in) and more preferably about 94 cm (37 in) from the floor to provide for a person that is standing to easily reach into the dispenser 14 and select a product. The width and depth of the dispenser 14 and width and length of the product cylinder 12 may be of various dimensions and may be based on the general dimensions of a product to accommodate a desired number of products within the gravity feed display 10. The base 18 of the gravity feed display 10 preferably is semi-spherical in shape and has a diameter D₁ that provides an extended distance between points of contact to cover a large surface area over a portion of the floor to provide stability to the gravity feed display 10 and make it very difficult to tip or knock over the gravity feed display unless a significant amount of force is applied. The semi-spherical shape of the base 18 is of an adequate depth to provide structural support to hold and align the product cylinder 12 vertically above the product dispenser 14. The semi-spherical shape also provides minimal contact of the base 18 to the floor along a rounded rim 20 reducing the amount of friction between the floor and the rim 20 and providing for the gravity feed display 10 to easily slide along the floor when force is applied making moving and positioning the display much easier and allowing the display to give and move when force is applied, instead of tipping or being knocked over. The product dispenser may have a diameter D₂ similar to the base 18 and a similar depth to accommodate a large amount of products within the product dispenser 15. In preferred embodiments, the same part as shown may be used for both the dispenser 14 and base 18. A top view of the gravity feed display 10 is shown in FIG. 3 and a bottom view is shown in FIG. 4.

The internal structure of the gravity feed display 10 of the present invention is shown in FIG. 5. Within the support cylinder 16, a support tube 22 is secured within and extends from a socket 24 on the upper side of the base 18. The support cylinder 16 is secured around a cylindrical boss 26 that extends from the upper side of the semi-spherical bowl shape of the base 18. The support tube 22 is inserted and secured in a socket 24 on the underside of the product dispenser 14 and the cylindrical boss 26 of the product dispenser 14 is inserted into the support cylinder 16. Clips or alignment tabs 28 may be formed in the cylindrical boss 26 to attach the support cylinder 16 to the cylindrical boss 26. Semi-circular arches 30 of reinforced material are formed in a raised middle portion 32 of the base 18 and dispenser 14 which adds structural support and provides rigidity to the semi-spherical shape. The base 18 and dispenser 14 may be made from an impact resistant and tough thermoplastic polymer such as Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and the support tube may be made of a rigid material such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) to provide stability to the gravity feed display 10. The support cylinder 16 may be made from a flexible material that is capable of being printed on such as a thickened cardboard or plastic. The product cylinder 12 may be a flexible and transparent plastic to allow for viewing the amount of product within the product cylinder 12.

Top and bottom exploded views of the assembly of the gravity feed display 10 are shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. The product cylinder 12 seals around a cylindrical boss 34 of a lower circular frame 36. The cylindrical boss 34 may have protrusions 38, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, that extend out from cutouts 40 within the cylindrical boss 34. The edge 42 of the circular frame 36 is rounded removing any sharp edges that may damage product or injure a person when removing product from the product dispenser 14 or refilling the product cylinder 12. The circular frame 36 also provides a series of semi-circular clips 44 or other attachment fixtures to attach a number of metal support rods 46 to affix and align the product cylinder 12 vertically over the product dispenser 14. The semi-circular clips 44 may have tabs 45 that separate by pushing the support rod 46 against and through the tabs 45. The clips 44 then close around the support rod 46 to securely attach the product cylinder 12 to the support rod 46. The product cylinder 12 seals around the cylindrical boss 34 of an upper circular frame 36 that provides rigidity and stability to keep the product cylinder 12 vertically aligned. A side elevation view of the circular frame 36 is shown in FIG. 10 and a top view is shown in FIG. 11.

Within the product dispenser 14, the raised middle portion 32 is aligned directly below the opening P in the bottom of the product cylinder P to provide for product dropping through the opening P to be deflected towards the curved walls 48 of the bowl shape of the product dispenser 14 and settle within a trough 50 formed between the curved walls 48 and the raised middle portion 32. The trough 50, as shown in FIG. 12, provides for product to be near the curved walls 48 to be easily accessed by a consumer by reaching over the smooth, rounded rim 20. By using the raised middle portion 32 that is directly under the opening P, older products from the bottom of the product cylinder 12 are pushed out towards the walls 48 as newer products at the top of product cylinder 12 slide down the product cylinder 12 thereby providing for older products to be accessible first and automatically rotating products or stock without needing to remove older products or stock when refilling the gravity feed display 10.

In some embodiments, the product dispenser 14 has four posts 52 to position and securely align the four metal support rods 46 that support the product cylinder 12. Any number of posts 52 and support rods 46 may be used to structurally support and vertically align the product cylinder 12 depending upon the weight and dimensions of the product cylinder 12 which may be based on the desired number, shape and size of the products that will be placed in the gravity feed display 10. The outer surface 54 of the curved walls 48 that form the shell of the product dispenser 14 is shown in FIG. 13. In some embodiments, the base 18 is impact resistant and scratch resistant to reduce scuffs and marking. The semi-spherical shape of the product dispenser 14, as shown in FIG. 14, provides a large area for products to be displayed within the trough 50 and on the middle portion 32 under the product cylinder 12. As shown in FIG. 15, the base of the curved walls 48 may be separated from the middle portion 32 and extend up and outwards to form a large trough 50. The semi-spherical shape of the outer surface 54 also prevents a consumer from stepping on the base 18 and because of the increased surface area of the base 18 over the floor with only the rounded rim 20 in contact with the floor, friction is reduced and the gravity feed display 10 easily slides along the floor's surface if enough force is applied such as if the base 18 is accidentally kicked or pushed by a consumer reaching for products in the product dispenser 14.

As shown in FIG. 16, the support tube 22 extends to a length L₁ that is longer than the width W₁ of the sheet, as shown in FIG. 17, that forms the support cylinder 16 so that the support tube 22 can extend into the center sockets 24 in the product dispenser 14 and base 18. The support tube 22, as shown in FIG. 18 may be made from a rigid PVC pipe to provide structural support to the gravity feed display 10. The sheet of the support cylinder 16 may be of a thick cardboard to be printed with artwork and branding and then be rolled around the support tube 22, as shown in FIG. 19. The sheet that forms the product cylinder 12 as shown in FIG. 20 may be of a thinner, clear plastic material that may be partially printed with artwork and branding to leave sections to see through to show the product within the product cylinder 12. The sheet may in some embodiments have cutouts 56 along the upper and lower edges to provide for the protrusions 38 to clip into the cutouts 56 and secure the rolled sheet to the upper and lower circular frames 36. The product cylinder 12 may be of the same width W₁ as the support cylinder 16 or be of different dimensions to accommodate the size, shape and number of desired products to be displayed. The support rod 46, as shown in FIG. 21, may be of metal or another rigid material and be of a length L₂ to position the bottom opening P of the product cylinder 12 sufficiently close to the raised middle portion 32 to properly deflect product into the trough 50 and towards the outer curved walls 48 of the product dispenser 14. As shown in FIG. 22, the series of semi-circular clips 44 of the circular frames 36 provide for each end of the product cylinder 12 to be slid over an upper and lower the circular frame 36 and have the cutouts 56 be inserted through the protrusions 38 to properly secure the product cylinder 12 to the circular frames 36.

As shown in FIG. 23, the support rods 46 are inserted into the posts 52 of the product dispenser 14 and by sliding the support rods 46 through the attachment clips 44, the product cylinder 12 is positioned at the proper height, as shown in FIG. 24. As shown in FIG. 25, branding 58 may be drawn or printed along a portion of the sheet of the product cylinder 12 and branding 58 and colorful artwork 60 may be drawn printed throughout the support cylinder 16 creating an attractive display to entice consumers to purchase the product. As shown in FIG. 26, when the gravity feed display 10 is filled, the product 62 which in this illustration is lollipops, although the gravity feed display may be used with any type of product, can be seen through the transparent sheet of the product cylinder 12 and product 62 from the bottom of the product cylinder 12 is deflected towards the curved walls 48 of the dispenser 14 to fill the trough 50. Therefore, the product 62 within the trough 50 is older and selected by consumers first and is then replaced with newer product 62 from the bottom of the product cylinder by gravity. In embodiments, of the product dispenser 14, base 18, or circular frames of the gravity feed display 10 may be made from bright colors and the printed support cylinder 16 and product cylinder may have colorful artwork and branding.

The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A gravity feed display, comprising: a product cylinder;a product dispenser having a raised middle portion positioned under the product cylinder; andwherein products are rotated by having products fall from the product cylinder onto the raised middle portion of the product dispenser thereby having older products in a lower portion of the product cylinder enter the product dispenser first before newer products located in an upper portion of the product cylinder.

2. The gravity feed display of claim 1, wherein the product cylinder is refilled with products by pouring products into an opening at the top of the product cylinder.

3. The gravity feed display of claim 1, wherein the product dispenser is refilled automatically by having products fall from the product cylinder as products are removed from the product dispenser.

4. The gravity feed display of claim 1, wherein the raised middle portion deflects products from the center of the product dispenser to the edges of the product dispenser.

5. The gravity feed display of claim 1, wherein the product cylinder may be a fully or partially transparent sheet configured to be rolled to form the product cylinder.

6. The gravity feed display of claim 1, comprising support rods configured to support and adjust the height of the product cylinder above the product dispenser.

7. The gravity feed display of claim 1, comprising a support cylinder attached to the product dispenser.

8. The gravity feed display of claim 7, comprising a support tube configured to be inserted through the support cylinder and be attached to the product dispenser.

9. The gravity feed display of claim 8, comprising a base attached to the support tube and the support cylinder.

10. The gravity feed display of claim 9, wherein the base having a semi-spherical shape to increase coverage over the surface area of a floor while reducing surface contact with the floor thereby reducing friction and providing for the gravity feed display to not be tipped or knocked over but instead easily slide along the floor.

11. The gravity feed display of claim 10, wherein the base having a rim configured to reduce friction and provide for the gravity feed display to slide along the surface of the floor.

12. A method of automatically rotating products without removal and restocking of older products, comprising: elevating a product cylinder vertically over a product dispenser; andallowing products to fall from the product cylinder into the product dispenser thereby having older products in a lower portion of the product cylinder enter the product dispenser first before newer products located in an upper portion of the product cylinder.

13. The method of automatically rotating products without removal and restocking of older products of claim 12, comprising pouring products into an opening at the top of the product cylinder to refill the product cylinder.

14. The method of automatically rotating products without removal and restocking of older products of claim 12, comprising refilling the product dispenser automatically by having products fall from an opening at the bottom of the product cylinder as products are removed from the product dispenser.

15. The method of automatically rotating products without removal and restocking of older products of claim 12, comprising raising a middle portion of the product dispenser to deflect products falling from the product cylinder from the center of the product dispenser to the edges of the product dispenser.

16. The method of automatically rotating products without removal and restocking of older products of claim 12, comprising forming the product cylinder from a fully or partially transparent sheet and printing on all or a portion of the sheet.

17. The method of automatically rotating products without removal and restocking of older products of claim 12, comprising supporting the product dispenser on a support cylinder at a height easily accessible to a person standing.

18. The method of automatically rotating products without removal and restocking of older products of claim 12, comprising rolling a printed sheet to form the support cylinder.

19. The method of automatically rotating products without removal and restocking of older products of claim 17, comprising attaching a base to the support cylinder, the base having a semi-spherical shape to increase coverage over the surface area of a floor while reducing surface contact with the floor thereby reducing friction and providing for the gravity feed display to not be tipped or knocked over but instead easily slide along the floor.

20. The method of automatically rotating products without removal and restocking of older products of claim 12, comprising forming a rim on the base to reduce friction and provide for the gravity feed display to slide along the surface of a floor.