Patent Grant
11324340
The present disclosure relates to product support and display systems.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,769,248 discloses a product display grid system including a grid and various product hangers. The grid is comprised of spaced vertical and spaced horizontal members. The product hangers such as shelves, cups, hook and trays have attachment members that secure the product hangers to the horizontal elongate members of the grid. The product hangers support and display the products.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,855,283 discloses a product display including a track, a tray having a top surface upon which products are displayed, and interengagable members on the track and tray for enabling the tray to have a first mode of operation wherein the interengagable members are disengaged allowing the tray to move relative to the track and a second mode of operation wherein the interengagable members are interengaged prohibiting movement of the tray relative to the track. A biasing member urges products on the displayed toward the front of the display. Adjustable guide members are positioned adjacent the display surface for containing products on the display surface. The guide members are adjustable to accommodate various sizes of products.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,227,385 discloses a self-facing, add-on shelf system made up of universal base, divider, front, and rear sections. Universal in the sense that these sections form basic building sections for constructing shelf systems of various sizes and operational mode. The front and rear track sections are identical and can be combined with various combinations of bases, dividers and end sections to provide systems of different, desired widths. The depth of the self-facing shelf is generally set by the depth of the shelf with which it is to be used. The individual sections can be selected and combined to provide center pusher, side pusher, and gravity feed types of self facing systems. The bases, dividers and end sections are configured such that they can be extruded and interlock in assembly.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,168,579 and 7,681,745 disclose merchandising systems providing for the presentation and storage of articles comprising a base having a front and a back, the base being configured to support the articles and defining a first space for containing the articles. In addition, the merchandising system comprises an assembly for advancing the articles toward the front of the base, wherein the assembly comprises a member configured to extend beyond the base to create a second space for containing the articles in addition to the first space.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,681,744 discloses a merchandising system for articles comprising a base comprising an upper surface having a plurality of ribs, an underside having a plurality of supports formed integrally with the underside of the base, and a first side and a second side. The merchandising system comprises a frame coupled to the base and configured to couple with a shelving system for supporting the base in a substantially horizontal configuration, a first guide and a second guide coupled to the base for supporting articles, and an assembly for advancing the articles that is coupled to the base and provides force on the articles.
U.S. Pat. No. 10,154,739 discloses a universal front-facing merchandiser having a front rail having a first mating structure and a plurality of integrated pusher and divider assemblies. Each divider assembly includes a second mating structure that corresponds to and mates with the first mating structure to couple the integrated pusher and divider assemblies to the front rail. The mating structures of each pusher and divider assembly and the front rail are movable between a first position where the integrated pusher and divider assembly is coupled to and laterally movable about the front rail and is not removable from the front rail without force being applied to the integrated pusher and divider assembly and a second position where the integrated pusher and divider assembly is secured to the front rail in a desired position in a manner that hinders lateral movement of the integrated pusher and divider assembly.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018/0153313 discloses a shelf management system having a tray defining a first mating structure and a second mating structure, a shelf management component having a spring biased pusher connected thereto and movable between a first position wherein the pusher is extended to a rear of the shelf management component and a second position wherein the pusher is retracted to a front of the shelf management component, and an interstitial member positioned between the shelf management component and the tray to secure the shelf management component to the tray and hinder lateral movement of the shelf management component with respect to the tray. Improved components of the shelf management system are also disclosed as are methods relating to same.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018/0360233 discloses a product display tray including one or more arms including engagement members. The product display tray can also include a base having one or more tracks receiving the one or more arms, wherein the base is slidable along the one or more arms from a first position to a second position. The product display tray can also include a handle. The product display tray can also include a latch, wherein the latch is operably connected to the handle, wherein the latch has an engaged position and a disengaged position, and wherein the latch is in the engaged position when the base is in the first position and the base is operable to enter the second position when the latch is in the disengaged position.
International Application Publication No. WO 2018/200997 discloses a product display comprising a rail having a channel and a tray. The tray comprising a first sidewall, a second sidewall, and a product support surface. The tray further comprising an engagement portion having at least one protrusion configured to engage the channel.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019/0357701 discloses a product display merchandiser comprising a tray having a product supporting surface; a first sidewall adjacent a first side of the tray; a second sidewall adjacent a second side of the tray; and a bracket configured to detachably mount the product display merchandiser to a support. The product display merchandiser is further configured with at least one of the following: the first and second sidewalls each having a respective sidewall vertical portion with a rear edge that is angled away from a rear of the product display merchandiser; the bracket having a tray-supporting portion that is oriented at an acute angle with respect to a support-engaging portion; and/or the bracket having at least two types of engagement members for mounting the product display merchandiser to either of at least two types of supports.
Each of the above patents and applications is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.
According to one example, a product display merchandiser comprises a tray having a top product-supporting surface with a longitudinally extending channel defined therein. A first sidewall has a vertical portion and a horizontal portion, at least a laterally inner part of the horizontal portion configured to slide laterally with respect to the tray between a bottom of the tray and a base plate below the tray. A front end of the tray comprises a fitting configured to be received in a socket in the base plate. At a rear end of the tray, the channel is configured to receive a support assembly configured to couple the tray to a support structure.
According to another example, a product display merchandiser comprises a tray subassembly comprising a tray having a top product-supporting surface and a longitudinally extending channel recessed from the product-supporting surface. A base plate is coupled to a bottom of the tray subassembly. A sidewall subassembly comprises first and second sidewalls, each sidewall having a vertical portion and a horizontal portion, at least a laterally inner part of each horizontal portion slidably extending between the bottom of the tray and a top of the base plate. A support subassembly is configured to couple the product display merchandiser to a support structure, the support subassembly comprising a support member located within the channel of the tray and a bracket.
Examples of pusher tray systems are described with reference to the following Figures. The same numbers are used throughout the Figures to reference like features and like components.
In the present description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clarity, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes only and are intended to be broadly construed.
The pusher subassembly 12 includes a tray 20 having a top product-supporting surface 21 with a longitudinally extending channel 22 defined therein, the channel 22 being recessed from the product-supporting surface 21. On either lateral side of the tray 20 are slideways 24, the upper surfaces of which define the product-supporting surface 21, and the outer edges of which overhang supporting walls 26 on the underside of the tray 20. A pusher 28 has two sidewalls 30, the bottom ends of which are formed as inwardly-facing channels to receive the overhanging outer edges of the slideways 24, thereby engaging the pusher 28 with the tray 20. A spring (44,
Referring to
As shown in
Referring back to
Referring to
In order to precisely position the sidewalls 38, 40 of the sidewall subassembly 16 with respect to one another and with respect to the base subassembly 18, the assemblies are provided with detent-like mechanisms in the form of a number of projections and scalloped surfaces. A portion of the horizontally projecting tab 38c of the first sidewall 38 slidably interfaces with a portion of the horizontally projecting tab 40c of the second sidewall 40 such that the vertical portions 38a, 40a of the first and second sidewalls 38, 40 are laterally adjustable relative to one another and the base plate 42. More specifically, the portion of the horizontally projecting tab 38c of the first sidewall 38 is a projection coupled to the horizontally projecting tab 38c of the first sidewall 38, and the portion of the horizontally projecting tab 40c of the second sidewall 40 is a scalloped surface formed in the horizontally projecting tab 40c of the second sidewall 40. Referring again to
Thus, each of the flanges 60, 56 extending from the first horizontally projecting tabs 38c, 40d of the first sidewall 38 and the second sidewall 40 terminates in a projection 62, 64 such that the projection 62 of the first horizontally projecting tab 38c of the first sidewall 38 interacts with the scalloped surface 66 of the second horizontally projecting tab 40c of the second sidewall 40 and the projection 64 of the first horizontally projecting tab 40d of the second sidewall 40 interacts with the scalloped surface (not shown, inside slot 54) of the second horizontally projecting tab 38d of the first sidewall 38. The interaction of projections 62, 64 with scalloped surfaces 66 inside slot 58 and scalloped surfaces (not shown) inside slot 54 provides a number of discrete detents that allow the user to precisely position the horizontally projecting tabs 38c, 38d, 40c, 40d with respect to one another and with respect to the base subassembly 18. In fact, at least one of the horizontally projecting tabs 38c, 38d, 40c, 40d includes a plurality of indicator markings 76, 78 that enable a user to move the first sidewall 38 and the second sidewall 40 to define a plurality of discrete tray widths, such that an opening O1, O2 between the first sidewall 38 and the second sidewall 40 is centered relative to a longitudinal midline of the base plate 42. Here, both horizontally projecting tabs 38c and 40c are provided with a series of markings 76, 78, respectively, (such as numbers and hatch marks) that allow the user to position the sidewalls 38, 40 at precise distances away from one another, thereby creating an opening between the sidewalls 38, 40 that matches the width of a particular product. Note that opening widths between the fully closed opening O1 and the fully open opening O2 are possible, although not shown herein.
Still referring to
The product display merchandiser width-adjustment mechanism described herein therefore includes two sidewalls 38, 40 with horizontal portions (i.e., horizontally projecting tabs 38c, 38d, 40c, 40d) that slidably interlock with each other and with a rack (formed by projection 72 and peg 81) on a third component, here, base subassembly 18. As the sidewalls 38, 40 are pulled out, they adjust in relation to each other and in relation to the third component. When the third component (the base subassembly 18) is connected to or integrated with the pusher subassembly 12 and centered on the mid-line, the sidewalls 38, 40 therefore adjust in equal relation to the product display merchandiser mid-line.
Because the sidewalls 38 and 40 have horizontally projecting tabs 38c, 38d, 40c, 40d that interengage, the sidewalls 38, 40 of the product display merchandiser 10 are able to be sub-assembled as a pair that can then later be attached to a pusher subassembly 12. This is valuable in the manufacturing process of the product display merchandiser 10 because the components can be sub-assembled in one location or station and then assembled to the pusher subassembly 12 and the remainder of the product display merchandiser 10 at a second location or station. This is an improvement over known designs that require the sidewalls and pusher body parts be assembled together at one station. Mixed supply chain models can be utilized that locate some assembly steps in a lower-wage region or with a lower-cost vendor, while the finished goods are assembled in other areas. Additionally, if the sidewall subassemblies 16 are common components used with multiple finished goods SKUs, they can be warehoused as a sub-component to be used for the various finished goods.
First, the sidewall subassembly 116 of
Second, the horizontally projecting tabs 138c, 138d on sidewall 138 and 140c, 140d on sidewall 140 are located and shaped differently than those of the first embodiment of the sidewall subassembly 16. However, the function of the components is similar, in that projection 162 on flange 160 on horizontally projecting tab 138c fits into slot 158 with scalloped surface 166 on horizontally projecting tab 140c, while projection 164 on flange 156 on tab 140d fits into slot 154 with scalloped surface (not shown) on horizontally projecting tab 138d. In this example, each of the second horizontally projecting tabs 138d, 140c of the first sidewall and the second sidewall 138, 140 is substantially L-shaped in plan view, and the two horizontally projecting tabs 138d, 140c with notches 182, 184 slot together around the peg 81 that limits over-travel of the sidewalls 138, 140. A slot 179 in tab 140d fits around peg 80 also to limit over-travel, while ensuring that the sidewall 140 remains aligned on the base plate 42.
Note that the same base plate 42 is used with both the first and second embodiments of the sidewall subassembly 16, 116. This makes manufacturing of the parts easier, as different base subassemblies do not need to be manufactured for different sidewall subassemblies. In one example, the sidewall subassembly 16 of
Additionally, note that although the pusher subassembly 12, support subassembly 14, sidewall subassemblies 16, 116, and base subassembly 18 are described for use with a product display merchandiser 10 that is designed for suspension from a peg board or slat, the sidewall subassemblies 16, 116 could instead be used with a product display merchandiser having a support bracket subassembly that is designed to be from a grid system or a horizontal bar. Thus, the description of the support subassembly 14 provided herein above is not limiting on the scope of the present disclosure. For such “suspended” embodiments, the base plate 42 has a width configured to hold a single pusher subassembly 12 thereupon.
In other embodiments, however, the pusher subassembly 12 and sidewall subassemblies 16, 116 can be used with a product display merchandiser that is designed to sit on a shelf. Thus, the support subassembly 14 and the base subassembly 18 are removable from the product display merchandiser 10 so that the pusher subassembly 12 and the sidewall subassembly 16, 116 can be coupled to a shelf-supported base plate. For example,
Referring to
The pusher subassembly 312 also differs from that of the first embodiment in that the pusher 328 comprises a front product-engaging face 328a having ribs 361 projecting forwardly therefrom on either lateral side thereof.
The ribs 361 are also particularly useful when the product being pushed is a bag with loosely packed contents, such as bagged snack candy or snack nuts. In this case, three points of contact (one at each of the ribs 361 and one on the front face 328a of the pusher 328) are also present between the product and the pusher 328, providing lateral stability and holding the product upright.
The pusher 328 with ribs 361 is additionally advantageous when the pusher 328 is installed on a shelf arrangement and the walls between products are fixed or low in height, as products are maintained in the center of the pusher 328 and upright.
Note that although the pusher 328 with ribs 361 is shown in the embodiment of the product display merchandiser 310 having an elongated support member 336, the pusher 328 with ribs 361 could instead by used with the product display merchandiser 10 of
The use of subassemblies as described above for the product display merchandisers 10, 310 allows for using mixed supply chain models that locate some assembly steps in a lower-wage region or with a lower-cost vendor, after which the finished goods can be assembled in other areas. One particular advantage is realized when the sidewall subassemblies are common components across multiple finished goods SKUs, and therefore the sidewall subassemblies 16, 116 can be warehoused as a sub-component to be used for the various finished goods. For example, the sidewall subassembly 16 shown in use with the support subassembly 14 of the present disclosure, which is designed for use with a peg board, could instead be used with support brackets that connect to grid systems, or with pusher tray assemblies meant to sit on a shelf. As another example, the pusher subassembly 12 can be inserted into a system such as that described with respect to U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0157142, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
The mechanisms that connect the subassemblies of the present disclosure could be of alternate varieties, and could include multiple snap-fits, multiple sockets/fittings, mechanical fasteners such as screws or hook and loop (Velcro), or chemical fasteners such as glue or tape. Alternatively, a physical process such as welding or heat-staking could be used to connect the subassemblies to one another.
Once the subassemblies have been constructed and perhaps partially or fully assembled to one another, the supply chain model includes shipping the subassemblies or assembled parts to the stores in which they will be installed. Presently, this is done in packages that need large amounts of inserts and filler material to hold the products stable and safe during shipping and handling. Pairs of pushers are sometimes held together using a rubber band in order to save space while packaging. The present inventors have developed a design that allows for pairs of subassemblies or finished goods to be temporarily assembled to one another during shipping, thus saving space and allowing more units to be packaged per box.
Referring to
The snap feature, wherein the tabs 358, 358′ snap into channels 322, 322′, is specifically designed to be strong enough to hold the trays 320, 320′ together during shipment, but weak enough that the trays 320, 320′ can be separated before installation without tools and without significant effort. The nesting track features can be included on any variety of pusher or pusher systems, not just those shown herein.
The connected pusher subassemblies 12, 12′ of
The height of the box 363 is approximately slightly taller than the longest components included as part of the kit. This enables easy packing and reaching of the components without having to bend over excessively to reach inside the box 363. The box footprint is arranged in proportions where one side is about half as long as the other side, so that the box 363 can be easily set in the aisle of a small retail store, while still allowing room to work and move around the box 363. Previous box designs caused interference in the retail aisle due to their width. The box 363 may also include handles and a width small enough to make lifting of the box 363 ergonomic and easy for the average user.
In the present description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clarity, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes only and are intended to be broadly construed. The different parts and assemblies described herein may be used alone or in combination with other parts and assemblies. Various equivalents, alternatives, and modifications are possible within the scope of the appended claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/804,012 and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/804,004, both filed Feb. 11, 2019, and both of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.
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