Patent Grant
10098478
The present invention relates generally to two embodiments of a gravity feed shelf organizer system for use in a wide variety of product merchandising display units including refrigerated display coolers commonly employed by supermarkets, convenience stores, and other wholesale and retail outlets and, more particularly, to various embodiments of a floor member and associated divider members and front wall member which are capable of being assembled so as to accommodate most shelf widths and any size and shape of product including heavier packaged products. The shelf system includes divider members engageable with the various embodiments of the floor member which can be selectively positioned and adjusted to form product guide channels of varying width to accommodate products of varying sizes and shapes, and it includes a front wall member which is likewise engageable with the various embodiments of the floor member and acts as a momentum arrestor to prevent product from toppling over the front wall of the shelf system. The present shelf system can be conveniently supported in a flat horizontal position or in an inclined position for gravity feeding products positioned thereon and represents a one-inventory solution to a particular user's specific needs and applications.
One problem that is typically associated with storing and displaying shelved products in a gravity feed shelf is the difficulty that heavier packaged products have in sliding down the shelf when the product is either being stocked, or when a consumer selects from the shelf a front product and other rear products are to slide down the shelf to replace the selected front product. For example, packaged products such as a six-pack or twelve-pack of beer or soda may have trouble sliding down the shelf to be at the front of the shelf, the position where consumers could more easily select the packaged product from the shelf.
Another problem typically associated with storing and displaying shelved products for sale to customers in a retail store setting is the inefficient use of available shelf space and the inability of the merchant to constantly provide an attractive arrangement of shelved products which are readily visible and easily accessible to the customer. Typically, articles of merchandise, especially products such as numerous bottled and canned soft drink products which are packaged in a wide variety of different container sizes and shapes, are randomly distributed and stacked in segregated areas on a shelf or other display device in such a manner that the selection of a particular item, access to that particular item, and the removability of that item from the shelf or display device by the customer becomes, at times, difficult if not impossible. In the present day marketing of consumer products, it is important to maintain the display of products in a suitable and organized fashion.
As a result, a wide variety of display devices and shelf organizers have been designed and manufactured for use in merchandising shelved products to consumers, and such devices are commonly utilized by supermarkets, convenience stores, grocery outlets, fast food outlets, and a wide variety of other wholesale and retail stores to show and focus attention on the particular products displayed therein. Although various shelf organizer constructions are known and have been utilized to alleviate some of the aforementioned problems associated with merchandising shelved products to customers, the known devices generally have limitations. For example, the known shelf organizers often fail to facilitate the movement of heavier product down the shelf. The known devices also have limitations in their ability to be compatible with shelves of varying width and length and, more importantly, they likewise have limitations in their ability to easily and quickly adjust the segregated product channels associated therewith to accommodate products of varying shapes and sizes so that a wider variety of different products may be stocked and dispensed from the same units.
The present invention relates to a product merchandising system or shelf organizer system designed to display merchandising products, the present system being assembled to accommodate a plurality of shelf widths and in one embodiment a plurality of shelf lengths, and thus a variety of product dimensions. The invention includes two floor member embodiments which function as one merchandising system to accommodate products of varying sizes and shapes, with the present merchandising system acting as shelf organizing units wherein merchandising products such as individual bottles or cans, as well as packaged bottles or cans (e.g., six, twelve, twenty, twenty-four, or thirty packages of water, soft drinks, beer, or other refreshments) may be stocked, dispensed, and re-stocked as needed. Both embodiments of the shelf organizing system are adaptable for use in refrigerated display coolers and other shelving arrangements commonly employed by supermarkets, convenience stores, and other wholesale and retail outlets.
The shelf organizing system described herein generally includes one or more floor members, a plurality of divider members, and a front wall member, wherein a plurality of organizing systems may be adjacently engaged with one another to form a shelf of most desired widths. In both shelf organizing system embodiments described herein, the floor members serve to support the product and facilitate its movement in a gravity feed orientation as other product is selected from the shelf or as the shelf is stocked. The divider members serve to define product channels wherein product of varying sizes and shapes is contained therein and separated from other product. The front wall member acts as a momentum arrestor for preventing product from toppling over the front wall associated with the supporting floor member and also minimizes scratches so that product can be clearly seen through the clear or transparent front wall member. The front wall member further serves as well as a means for displaying important product information such as price and/or quantity. The two shelf glide embodiments—roller and standard—are broadly described in this Summary and are described in greater detail in the Detailed Description of the invention that follows.
The first shelf organizing system, a shelf roller glide system, includes a plurality of cooperatively engageable floor members. The floor members of the roller glide system include a plurality of grid-like roller sections that make up the floor portion of the floor members, wherein each roller section includes a plurality of rollers. The rollers facilitate the movement of heavier product that may have difficulty sliding on a conventional shelf system otherwise due to the product's heavier weight and lower inertia. In the transverse direction perpendicular to the motion of the rollers that move the product along the floor member, each floor member further includes a plurality of rows of spaced-apart slots formed by a plurality of spaced apart rib members for cooperatively receiving cooperative means on any one of a plurality of divider members, wherein the slots extend transversely across the entire width of a single floor member at pre-determined spaced locations.
The floor members further include an upward extending, built-in front product bumper, the bumper including a plurality of cavities for receiving a plurality of engaging nubs or flange portions associated with the bottom portion of a front wall member so as to selectively engage the front wall member to the front product bumper such that the wall member extends upwardly from the front product bumper.
Each product supporting floor member also includes a joinder mechanism enabling a plurality of similarly constructed floor members to be cooperatively engaged side-by-side with one another so as to form a shelf organizer unit of any particular shelf width. The floor members of the roller glide system include a plurality of L-shaped hooks positioned and located on one side of the respective floor members for mating with and engaging a plurality of respective gaps or openings located on the opposite side of the floor members. Therefore, to connect a series of floor members in order to generate a shelf of a specified width, the L-shaped hooks of one floor member are selectively engaged with the corresponding openings or gaps associated with an adjacent floor member. This connection can be repeated in series for each adjacent floor member until the desired shelf width is achieved. The individual floor members can be made of varying widths so that the appropriate width floor members may be joined together to achieve a particular overall shelf width. It is also recognized that the width of any floor member can likewise be reduced by removing various floor members.
In the shelf roller glide system embodiment, the shelf length may also be adjusted. In that embodiment, the floor member may further be selectively engaged to a floor extension member connected to the rear terminal end portion of each floor member. The floor extension member, like the floor member, includes a plurality of roller sections, wherein each section includes a plurality of rollers to help facilitate product movement. Each floor extension member, like the individual floor members, includes at least one row of transverse slots for being selectively engageable with corresponding means associated with the divider members. In a substantially similar arrangement to that of the floor members, the floor extension member further includes a plurality of L-shaped hooks on one side of the floor extension member and its opposite side similarly includes corresponding openings or gaps opposite its L-shaped hooks, the openings or gaps being similarly sized and positioned to mate with the L-shaped hooks of adjacent floor extension members to increase shelf width.
The floor member and floor extension member of the present invention are selectively engaged in a process described herein. The floor member of the roller glide shelf includes a plurality of slots or receivers which are located along a rear, terminal end portion of the floor member for engaging a plurality of finger members associated with one end portion of the floor extension member, the finger members being positioned and located to be selectively engageable with the plurality of slots or receivers of the floor member. When the finger members and receivers are selectively engaged, in a process described in detail below, the floor member and floor extension member form a continuous, level surface. The opposite or rear end portion of the floor extension member may also include a plurality of slots or receivers located along its rear end terminal portion for engaging the plurality of finger members associated with another floor extension member. Any number of floor extension members can be coupled together with a particular floor member to achieve a desired length.
The means by which the individual floor members engage a divider member includes the plurality of transverse slots associated with the floor members and floor extension members. The transverse row of slots formed by a plurality of rib members located at the front most portion of the floor member includes a ridge that extends transversely across the floor member, the ridge projecting from a back surface of the first row of slots. The remaining transverse rows of slots associated with the floor members and the floor extension members are also formed by a plurality of parallel rib members, each rib member further including at least one transverse projection.
Each divider member includes a plurality of downwardly extending spaced apart tabs. The front tab which is positioned and spaced on the divider member so as to overlay and engage the front most transverse row of slots includes a barb or node for association with the ridge extending transversely across the floor member in the front most transverse row of slots. The remaining tabs include at least one recess or a hole. These tabs are positioned and spaced along the length of a divider member so as to overlay and engage one of the transverse slots associated with one of the remaining transverse rows of slots. When so engaged, the recess or hole of each tab engages a projection associated with one of the rib members forming the remaining transverse rows of slots. The node of the first tab, and the recesses or holes of the remaining tabs on the divider members may be selectively engageable with the ridge and with the at least one projection associated with one of the rib members from a particular transverse slot, respectively, so as to selectively engage the divider member to the floor member in a generally perpendicular manner. The selective placement of the divider members allows the shelf roller glide system to form any number of segregated product guide channels for arranging products therebetween by simply engaging any number of divider members with a floor member. The width of each product guide channel is selectively adjustable by engaging the respective divider members forming such product guide channels in different transverse slots associated with the transverse rows of slots, thereby varying the distance between any two adjacent divider members.
The at least one transverse row of slots associated with the floor extension member similarly includes a plurality of rib members, wherein each rib member further includes at least one projection for selective engagement with an at least one tab recess or hole of the divider member. When the floor extension member is engaged with the floor member, a longer divider member is needed to ensure that the product guide channels extend throughout the entire length of the floor member and the floor extension member as connected.
The present divider members also include a rear product stop bumper. The rear product stop bumper includes a C-shaped channel portion for engaging the rear, terminal end portion of each floor member. Alternatively, if the floor member was connected with a floor extension member in the process described above, the divider member would be longer, and its C-shaped channel portion would engage the rear, terminal end portion of the floor extension member. This engagement, along with the engagement of the divider member tabs with the transverse slots in the floor member and floor extension member secures the divider member to the floor member and/or the floor extension member. Disengagement of the divider members from the floor member and the floor extension member is easily accomplished in reverse fashion and the divider members and floor extension member may be easily disengaged and re-engaged with the floor member to accommodate any size product.
The floor member further includes a front product bumper which acts as a momentum arrestor means for stabilizing the forward-most product container, preventing merchandise from toppling over the front of the floor member. The front product bumper includes a plurality of upwardly extending slots formed by rib members associated with its back surface. The upwardly extending slots act as receivers to engage the front portion of a divider member to further secure the divider members to the floor member. When fully engaged, a divider member will be engaged with the front product bumper, with the plurality of transverse slots in the transverse row of slots associated with the floor member and/or floor extension member, and with the rear of the floor member or floor extension member via the C-shaped channel portion of the divider member.
Preventing taller products from toppling over the front product bumper is further supported by use of the front wall member. The front wall member is selectively engaged with the front product bumper so as to extend in a generally upwards direction from the front bumper. The front product bumper includes a plurality of cavities located in its top portion and extending downwardly therefrom. The cavities are positioned and located to receive nubs or flanges associated with the front wall member. The cavities selectively engage the flanges, and in doing so, secure the front wall member to the front product bumper. The front wall member, because it extends upwards from the product bumper, provides further support to ensure that taller products do not topple over the bumper. The front wall member may be made in a plurality of heights so as to prevent a range of products with differing heights from toppling over the bumper. In the present embodiment, the front wall member is curved such that the front product in each product channel makes initial contact with the upper portion of the front wall member as it rolls down the gravity feed floor member, thus aiding in preventing the front product from toppling over the wall member if the product were instead to make initial contact with a lower portion of the wall member, or with the front product bumper. The front wall member may also be angularly shaped to achieve this same desired result. The front wall member, when associated with the front product bumper, also forms a graphic panel channel wherein product signage to advertise the product as well as its price and/or quantity may be inserted and/or removed therefrom.
The second embodiment of the present shelf organizer system disclosed herein includes a standard shelf glide floor member with many of the inventive concepts discussed above. Like the roller shelf glide system described above, the standard shelf glide system generally includes one or more floor members, the same plurality of divider members, and the same front wall member. Furthermore, the standard shelf glide system functions similarly to the roller glide system in that it likewise provides a means for stocking and re-stocking merchandising products wherein the product channels may be easily and quickly adjusted to contain a range of product sizes, and the products are moved in a gravity feed fashion. As before, a plurality of standard glide floor members may be engaged side-by-side with one another in order to form a shelf of almost any desired width.
The standard glide system includes floor members that do not include roller sections, or rollers. Instead these floor members are made up of a grid-like surface with a plurality of track members, the track members being shaped and configured to reduce surface area and friction in order to guide products along the gravity feed surface. The slots or openings formed between the track members allow cool air to freely circulate around the products positioned on the floor member. The standard glide floor member similarly includes a plurality of transverse rows of a plurality of transverse slots formed by a plurality of rib members, as in the roller glide embodiment. In the standard glide floor member, the first slot row includes a ridge to selectively engage the node of the front most tab on a divider member, and the rib members in the remaining rows of slots also include transverse projections positioned and located to selectively engage the recesses or holes associated with the remaining tab members of the divider member. Unlike the roller glide floor member, the standard glide floor member does not include a floor extension member that may be used to increase shelf length but the standard glide floor member can be made in a multitude of lengths to accommodate a particular application.
The standard glide embodiment also differs from the roller glide embodiment in that the means by which the adjacent floor members selectively engage one another in order to increase the shelf width are slightly different as will be hereinafter explained. On the other hand, the means by which the divider members and front wall members attach to and detach from the floor member of the standard glide embodiment is substantially similar to the means by which the divider members and front wall members attach to and detach from the floor member of the roller glide embodiment. In this regard, the same divider members and front wall member can be used with both the roller glide embodiment and the standard glide embodiment of the present invention.
Like the floor member of the roller glide embodiment, the floor member of the standard glide embodiment likewise includes the built-in front product bumper. However, in the standard glide embodiment, each front product bumper further includes at least one T-shaped boss or projection located on one side of the front product bumper and at least one T-shaped slot located on the opposite side of the front product bumper. The T-shaped slot is positioned and located to selectively engage the T-shaped boss or projection of an adjacent floor member when the floor members are positioned adjacent one another so as to extend shelf width.
Because of the construction of the floor members and divider members of both glide system embodiments, once the present floor members are coupled together in side-by-side relationship to form an overall shelf floor, the same individual divider members described for use in the roller glide embodiment may be selectively positioned within any slot of a transverse row of slots, even a slot existing between two coupled floor members, each respective pair of divider members defining therebetween a product guide channel for supporting and guiding products positioned therebetween in parallel rows. This construction enables a merchant to easily segregate any or all of the floor members into a plurality of parallel guide channels for supporting and guiding products positioned therebetween, each guide channel being selectively adjustable to accommodate any product width. The same is true with respect to using the same front wall member with the standard glide floor member. The front product bumper on the standard glide floor member includes a plurality of cavities which are substantially identical to the cavities of the front product bumper of the roller glide floor member and the front wall member engages the front product bumper of the standard glide floor member in a similar manner.
Referring to the drawings more particularly by reference numbers, wherein like numerals refer to like parts, the number 10 in
In the stocking process, merchandising product is typically stocked at the rear of the roller glide system 10, although often times, because of convenience, product is also re-stocked from the front of the unit. The product slides along the floor member 12 generally toward the front wall member 16 and/or the front product bumper 20 that is built into the floor member 12. The divider members 13 and/or 14 are selectively engageable with the floor member 12 to form product channels 22 wherein merchandise product may be contained separately from other merchandise product contained in adjacent, parallel product channels 22. Because the divider members 13 and/or 14 may be engaged in a plurality of different locations along the transverse portion of the floor members 12, a plurality of product channel widths 22 may be formed so as to accommodate a variety of merchandise product shapes and sizes. The means by which floor members 12 receive and engage divider members 13 and/or 14 is explained in detail hereinbelow.
The front wall member 16 is selectively engageable with the front product bumper 20 and both members 16 and 20 act as momentum arrestor means to prevent merchandising product from toppling over the front wall member 16 where the product could be damaged. The front product bumper 20 may be secured to a cylindrical bar or other support rod or member (not illustrated) that is built into a shelf support structure already existing in a cooler or other display rack located at a convenience store or similar retail outlet in a manner well known in the art. A rounded arch 23 that extends transversely across the bottom portion of the front product bumper 20 may selectively mate with the aforementioned cylindrical bar or rod and thus secure the front product bumper 20 and consequently the roller glide system 10 to an existing shelf support system.
In order to accommodate varying product shapes and sizes, or to accommodate various sizes of existing shelving units in a store or other retail outlet, it may be necessary to lengthen the floor member 12. The present invention is capable of such an adjustment to shelf length through the use of floor extension member 18. Floor extension members 18 may be selectively engaged with the rear portion of the floor members 12, and with each other, to form a continuous, level surface, thus allowing product to effectively slide on an extended gravity feed floor member of the roller glide system 10. Notably, when the floor extension member 18 is engaged with the floor member 12, a longer divider member other than divider members 13 and 14 disclosed herein may be required for attachment to ensure the appropriate length of the product channel 22 to fully contain product and keep it separate from product in adjacent product channels 22.
Floor members 12 include a plurality of roller sections 24 that extend transversely across the floor member 12. The roller sections 24 are formed by pockets within the floor member 12 that contain and secure a plurality of rollers within each respective section 24 in a method well-known in the art. The rollers facilitate movement of a product along the floor member and are particularly useful in moving heavier products that may require assistance in addition to gravity to slide along the floor member 12 in a gravity feed orientation. The rollers rotate to move product toward the front bumper 20. The roller sections 24 are separated from one another by a plurality of rows of transverse slots 27, the slots 27 being formed by a plurality of spaced-apart rib members 28 as best illustrated in
The floor members 12 also include a landing zone 35 located at the front of the floor member between the front product bumper 20 and the front row of transverse slots 27A as well as the front roller sections 24 so as to protect the front roller sections from damage when loading the floor member 12 from the front. Front loading typically involves a repeated force being applied to the front portion of the floor member and moving or pushing the front product and all successive products behind it rearward so as to make room for the upfront product. This repeated impact from loading product onto the front portion of the floor member creates the potential to damage the front rollers 24 if they were to extend all the way to the front product bumper 20. Instead, the landing zone 35 absorbs all of this wear and tear on the front portion of the floor member 12 caused by the front loading process and protects the front roller sections 24 from damage since they are offset from the front product bumper 20. As shown in
In order to generate a wider shelf for the roller glide system 10 to accommodate more product and more product channels 22, floor members 12 may be selectively engaged with one another in a side-to-side configuration.
The floor members 12 include on one side thereof a plurality of upwardly extending, spaced apart, L-shaped hooks 29 as best illustrated in
In order to disengage two adjacent floor members 12, the floor member 12 including the L-shaped hook 29 should be pushed downward and/or sideways or outward to disengage the barb 32 of the L-shaped hook 29 from the ledge 34 of the corresponding gap 30. Then, after the L-shaped hook 29 is pulled outward and away from the gap 30, the adjacent floor members 12 can be pulled apart from one another. If the floor members 12 of the roller glide system 10 further include floor extension members 18 attached in a manner described hereinbelow, the floor extension members 18 are engaged and disengaged in a side-by-side orientation to each other to increase or decrease shelf width in a process substantially similar to that described and illustrated for adjacent floor members 12 because the floor extension members 18 include the same L-shaped hook 29 and gap 30 attachment means as the floor members 12.
It can be beneficial to make shelving units capable of being lengthened to accommodate additional product or uniquely sized and shaped product, or to accommodate longer shelf support structures.
The outer fingers 38 are sized and positioned to selectively engage outer receivers 42 located on the rear portion of the floor members 12 and the inner finger 40 is sized and positioned to selectively engage inner receiver 44 located between the two outer receivers 42. In the embodiment illustrated in
In operation, the finger members 38, 40 engage the receivers 42, 44 in the following manner. Lead portions 46 of outer fingers 38 are first inserted downwardly through rear apertures 48 of the outer receivers 42 such that the lead portions 46 of the outer finger members 38 project downwardly through the rear apertures 48. At the same time, the lead portion 50 of the inner finger 40 is inserted into an aperture 52 of inner receiver 44 such that lead portion 50 projects downwardly through the aperture 52. Next, the lead portions 46 should be inserted inwardly then upwardly into front apertures 54 of the outer receivers 42 such that the space 47 of outer fingers 38 mate with a rib or flange portion 56 that divides the rear aperture 48 from the front aperture 54.
When the floor member 12 and extension member 18 are engaged with one another, a rounded lip 59 extending downward from the rear terminal end portion of floor member 12 illustrated in
To disengage the extension member 18 from the floor member 12, the floor member 12 should be pulled down and away from the floor extension member 18 in order to disengage the barb 49 from the ledge 58 of the inner receiver 44. Next, the floor member 12 should be pushed upward so as to disengage the outer fingers 38 from the front apertures 54. Finally, the outer fingers 38 should be pulled upwardly through and out from the rear apertures 48, while the inner finger 40 is pulled upwardly through and out from the aperture 52.
It is also recognized that the rear terminal end portion of each floor extension member 18 may also include the same configuration of slots or receivers 42 and 44 associated with the terminal end portion of each floor member 12 for engaging the plurality of finger members 38 and 40 associated with the front portion of each respective floor extension member 18. Each group of finger members 36 which includes two outer fingers 38 and an inner finger 40 (
The transverse slots 27A and 27B aid in engaging and releasably securing any plurality of divider members 13 and/or 14 to the floor member 12 for forming any plurality of product channels 22 as will be hereinafter explained.
It is also noted that the divider members 13 and 14 may be fabricated in a corrugated wall pattern as illustrated in
The front tab 65A includes a node 66 as best illustrated in
In some applications, depending upon the type of material used for the floor member 12 and divider members 13 and 14, and depending upon the type of products to be dispensed from the present system, the recess 68 associated with each rear tab 65B may instead be replaced with a hole 71 as illustrated in dotted outline form in
The divider members 13 and 14 also include rear product stop bumper 64 as best illustrated in
In order to engage a divider member 13 or 14 with a floor member 12 to define a product channel 22, a user would first engage the C-shaped channel portion 70 to the rear terminal end portion of the floor member 12 in a location where a user wishes to define one side of a product channel 22. Next the user would insert the rear tabs 65B into each of the two corresponding slots 27 of the remaining rear rows of transverse slots 27B along the longitudinal axis desired for the divider member 13 or 14. Doing so allows the recess 68 or hole 71 of each rear tab 65B to engage the projection 63 associated with a rib member 28 forming each slot 27B and thus further secures the divider member 13 or 14 to the floor member 12. Next, the front tab 65A of the divider member 13 or 14 is inserted into a slot 27 of the front row of transverse slots 27A that lies along the same longitudinal axis as the slots 27B with which the divider member 13 or 14 was previously engaged. When a downward force is applied to the front tab 65A, the node 66 will be pushed pass the ridge 62 and will engage the bottom side of ridge 62 associated with a rib member 28 forming a slot 27A. Finally, the front portion 67 of the divider member 13 or 14 should be inserted into a slot 72 of the front product bumper 20 that lies along the same longitudinal axis as the divider member 13 or 14 and the slots 27 in which the tabs 65 are engaged.
When the aforementioned attachments have been made, one side portion of a product channel 22 is formed by the divider member 13 or 14 which has been releasably secured to a floor member 12. The same procedure is followed in order to attach another divider member 13 or 14 to form another side of a product channel 22. This process is repeated to generate additional product channels 22. Depending on the transverse location where the divider members 13 or 14 are engaged to a particular floor member 12, or to floor extension members 18 connected thereto, product channels 22 of varying widths may be formed.
It should further be noted that each floor member 12 may be of a different width and each includes a first exposed side portion 74 (
To disengage a divider member 13 or 14 from a floor member 12, the reverse steps should be taken as those to engage the divider members 13 and 14 as explained above. The front portion of the divider member 13 or 14 should be pulled upwardly and out from the slots 72 of the front product bumper 20, and at the same time, the front tab 65A should be pulled upwardly to disengage the node 66 associated with the front tab 65A from the ridge 62 associated with the front row of slots 27A. Next the divider member 13 or 14 should be pulled slightly laterally so as to disengage the recesses 68 or holes 71 of the rear tabs 65B from the projections 63 associated with the rib members 28 in the rear rows of slots 27B. The divider member 13 or 14 should then be pulled upward and away from the floor member 12 such that the rear tabs 65B disengage from the rear rows of slots 27B. Finally, the C-shaped channel portion 70 of the divider member 13 or 14 should be pulled away from the rear terminal end portion of the floor member 12, or the floor extension member 18.
It should be noted that while a longer divider member would be needed to engage a floor member 12 further connected to one or more floor extension members 18, a similar process would be used to both engage and disengage a longer divider member 13 or 14 associated with an engaged floor member 12 and floor extension member 18. The longer divider members include at least one additional tab 65 substantially similar to the rear tabs 65B of the divider members 13 or 14, and each floor extension member 18 includes at least one additional row of transverse slots 27 substantially similar to the rear rows of slots 27B of the floor member 12. The longer divider member would also include a rear product stop bumper substantially similar to rear product top bumper 64. In alternative embodiments, the longer divider member may include more tabs than the one additional tab 65, and the floor extension members 18 may include additional rows of transverse slots 27B.
The front product bumper 20 helps to prevent product from toppling over the roller glide system 10 as product travels in the gravity feed orientation on the floor members 12. There are times that product such as bottles, cans, or packages gain a significant amount of momentum as they travel down the floor member 12 to be dispensed. The front product bumper 20 helps to prevent such toppling over the front portion of the floor member 12 by making first contact with the product as it slides down the floor member 12, and halts the product momentum.
Depending upon the size and shape of the product to be dispensed, the front product bumper 20 may not be tall enough to adequately stop and prevent the front product from toppling over the bumper 20. In this case, the front product bumper 20 includes a plurality of slots or cavities 76 located within the bumper 20 as best illustrated in
A front wall member 16 is selectively engaged with the front product bumper 20 by aligning a given flange 82 with a given cavity 76, and inserting the flange 82 into the cavity 76 such that the slits 84 engage the corresponding divider means 78 and, if necessary, at least one end wall of the front product bumper 20. When this association is made, the overhanging lip portion 80 of the front wall member 16 abuts the top portion of the front product bumper 20 and prevents it from being further inserted into the front product bumper 20 as best illustrated in
The front wall member 16 is also constructed with a generally curved profile as illustrated in
It is noted that in alternative embodiments of the present invention, the front wall member 16 may be constructed in a plurality of different heights to arrest the momentum of product having various heights. For example, a wall member 16 to halt the momentum of a standard twenty ounce bottle would be taller than a wall member 16 to halt the momentum of a standard twelve ounce can. In the various embodiments of the front wall member 16 with varying heights, the wall member still includes the overhanging lip portion 80 and flanges 82 that aid in selectively securing the wall member to the front product bumper 20.
The present invention further includes a second embodiment, the standard shelf glide system 110, using another embodiment of a floor member 112 as illustrated in
Unlike the floor member 12 associated with the roller glide system 10, floor member 112 does not include roller sections 24 or any type of rollers, nor does the standard glide system 110 include an embodiment wherein shelf length is increased by the engagement of a floor extension member similar to floor extension member 18. In this regard, the floor member 112 can be made in a plurality of different lengths to accommodate a plurality of different shelf lengths and the member 112 can be custom made to a desired length to accommodate a particular application. The floor member 112 (
In the present embodiment, the mechanism used to releasably secure adjacent floor members 112 to one another in a side-by-side arrangement is similar to the mechanism in the previously described floor member 12. Each floor member 112 includes a plurality of spaced apart cavities 129 as best illustrated in
The means by which adjacent floor members 112 are engaged with one another further includes a means for engaging adjacent front product bumpers 120. As illustrated in
In the standard shelf glide embodiment 110, the front wall member 16 is again selectively engaged with the front product bumper 120 as previously explained with respect to floor member 12 to further aid in halting the momentum of product as they move along the gravity feed tracks 124. Since the cavities 176 of the front product bumper 120 are of a different width than the cavities 76 of the front product bumper 20, the varying widths of the flanges 82 serve to satisfy the widths of both cavities 76 and 176, such that the wall member 16 is compatible for association with the cavities 76 and 176 of both front product bumpers 20, 120. The slits 84 are positioned and located in spaced relationship to each other such that some of the slits 84 will always be in alignment with the respective divider means 78 and, if necessary, one or both end walls of either front product bumper 20 or 120.
It is also anticipated that each respective floor member 12 and 112 can be fabricated with the front wall member 16 integrally formed with the front product bumper 20 or 120. In this particular embodiment, the front wall member would take on the shape and configuration of a single front wall member similar to that disclosed in
As is evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of the present invention are not limited by the particular details of the examples illustrated herein, and it is therefore contemplated that other modifications and applications, or equivalents thereof, will occur to those skilled in the art. Many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the present construction will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and the accompanying drawings. All such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention which is limited only by the claims which follow.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/305,486, which was filed on Jun. 16, 2014, titled “PRODUCT MERCHANDISING SYSTEM.” The entire disclosure of this application is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3501019 | Armstrong et al. | Mar 1970 | A |
| 3872976 | Moore et al. | Mar 1975 | A |
| 3954184 | Mendenhall | May 1976 | A |
| 4181229 | Moore | Jan 1980 | A |
| 4460096 | Ricci | Jul 1984 | A |
| 4478337 | Flum | Oct 1984 | A |
| 4538737 | Delaney | Sep 1985 | A |
| 4651883 | Gullett et al. | Mar 1987 | A |
| 4712694 | Breslow | Dec 1987 | A |
| 4768661 | Pfeifer | Sep 1988 | A |
| 4785945 | Rowse et al. | Nov 1988 | A |
| 4858774 | Winter et al. | Aug 1989 | A |
| 4997094 | Spamer et al. | Mar 1991 | A |
| 5088607 | Risafi et al. | Feb 1992 | A |
| 5199584 | Fowler et al. | Apr 1993 | A |
| 5255802 | Krinke et al. | Oct 1993 | A |
| 5265738 | Yablans et al. | Nov 1993 | A |
| 5458248 | Alain | Oct 1995 | A |
| 5624042 | Flum et al. | Apr 1997 | A |
| 5634564 | Spamer et al. | Jun 1997 | A |
| 5673801 | Markson | Oct 1997 | A |
| 5685664 | Parham et al. | Nov 1997 | A |
| 5695077 | Jay | Dec 1997 | A |
| 5709158 | Wareheim | Jan 1998 | A |
| 5788090 | Kajiwara | Aug 1998 | A |
| 5884782 | Dembicks | Mar 1999 | A |
| 5904256 | Jay | May 1999 | A |
| 6082557 | Leahy | Jul 2000 | A |
| 6089385 | Nozawa | Jul 2000 | A |
| 6098821 | Dube et al. | Aug 2000 | A |
| 6142316 | Harbour et al. | Nov 2000 | A |
| 6234328 | Mason | May 2001 | B1 |
| D450726 | Menz | Nov 2001 | S |
| 6409026 | Watanabe | Jun 2002 | B2 |
| D459738 | Menz | Jul 2002 | S |
| 6419100 | Menz et al. | Jul 2002 | B1 |
| 6484891 | Burke | Nov 2002 | B2 |
| 6497326 | Osawa | Dec 2002 | B1 |
| 6523664 | Shaw et al. | Feb 2003 | B2 |
| 6523702 | Primiano et al. | Feb 2003 | B1 |
| 6523703 | Robertson | Feb 2003 | B1 |
| 6615995 | Primiano et al. | Sep 2003 | B2 |
| 6637604 | Jay | Oct 2003 | B1 |
| 6874646 | Jay | Apr 2005 | B2 |
| 6955269 | Menz | Oct 2005 | B2 |
| 6962260 | Jay et al. | Nov 2005 | B2 |
| 7063217 | Burke | Jun 2006 | B2 |
| 7083054 | Squitieri | Aug 2006 | B2 |
| 7114606 | Shaw et al. | Oct 2006 | B2 |
| 7182209 | Squitieri | Feb 2007 | B2 |
| 7200903 | Shaw et al. | Apr 2007 | B2 |
| 7395938 | Merit et al. | Jul 2008 | B2 |
| D611743 | Mitten et al. | Mar 2010 | S |
| 8016139 | Hanners et al. | Sep 2011 | B2 |
| 9277831 | Hardy | Mar 2016 | B2 |
| 20030010737 | Lee | Jan 2003 | A1 |
| 20030132178 | Jay et al. | Jul 2003 | A1 |
| 20050133471 | Squitieri | Jun 2005 | A1 |
| 20070175844 | Schneider | Aug 2007 | A1 |
| 20100133214 | Evans | Jun 2010 | A1 |
| 20100252519 | Hanners et al. | Oct 2010 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2000316680 | Nov 2000 | JP |
| 9930597 | Jun 1999 | WO |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20180078054 A1 | Mar 2018 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 14305486 | Jun 2014 | US |
| Child | 15827895 | US |
