Patent Application
20080142458
Not applicable.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pusher assembly supported on a store shelf, and more particularly but not by way of limitation, to a pusher assembly for feeding a row of merchandise forward through a merchandise bay of the pusher assembly as merchandise at the front of a row or column of merchandise is removed. In one aspect, the present invention relates to a pusher assembly mounted on a store shelf such that the pusher assembly is selectively movable between a retracted position and an extended position.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Products or merchandise of various types and sizes are commonly stored on shelves in retail and wholesale outlets so that customers can see the product or merchandise and select product or merchandise for purchase. In some instances, the shelves are inclined downwardly from the rear of the shelf to the front of the shelf so that the merchandise can be gravity fed to the front of the shelf. However, the use of downwardly inclined shelves is often unsatisfactory because the merchandise at times does not slide smoothly down the shelf and the merchandise can fall over, thereby jamming the row or column of merchandise from feeding properly or causing the merchandise to be discharged onto the floor. Also, customers may have difficulty in viewing merchandise on lower shelves when the shelves are downwardly inclined.
To overcome this problem, various prior art devices have been proposed for use on store shelves for feeding merchandise to the front of the shelf as merchandise is removed from the shelf. In most instances, spring loaded pusher systems have been employed. However, many of the prior art spring loaded pusher systems have suffered from the disadvantage in that it is difficult to adjust such spring loaded pusher systems so that such systems can accommodate merchandise of different sizes and weight, and it is difficult to load such spring loaded pusher systems with merchandise. In addition, the prior art pusher systems have suffered from the inability to stack merchandise within the merchandise bay or product receiving space of such systems because of the restricted distance between adjacent shelves.
Thus, a need exists for an improved pusher assembly which can be readily adjusted to accommodate merchandise of different sizes and weight, which enhances loading of merchandise into merchandise bays of the pusher assembly, which permits stacking of merchandise in the merchandise bays of the pusher assembly, which is economical to manufacture, and which is substantially maintenance free. It is to such a pusher assembly that the present invention is directed.
Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to
If the pusher assembly 10 is used in combination with a wire shelf, the pusher frame 12 may also include a bottom 29 for providing a smooth surface over which the product 16 is moved through the product receiving space 24 of the pusher assembly 10.
The base assembly 28 has a first guide track 30, a spatially disposed second guide track 32 and a slot 34 formed between the first and second guide tracks 30 and 32 and which terminates a distance from the front and rear ends 16 and 18 of the pusher frame 12.
A pair of stop members 36 and 38 are removably connected to the first and second sidewalls 20 and 22 proximate the front end 16 of the pusher assembly 10 for preventing forward movement of the product past the stop members 36 and 38 to secure the forward most merchandise or product in the row of merchandise or product in a stable position. A stop plate assembly 39 is removably connected to the front end 16 of the pusher assembly for preventing forward movement of the pusher plate assembly 14 past the stop plate assembly 39.
In order to move the pusher plate assembly 14 forward along the pusher frame 12 as merchandise or product is removed from a row of merchandise or product supported in the product receiving space 24 of the pusher assembly 10, the pusher assembly 10 also includes a pusher plate biasing assembly 40. The pusher plate biasing assembly 40 includes at least one roller 42, having a circumferential groove, connected proximate the front end 16 of the pusher frame 12.
The pusher plate biasing assembly 40 of the pusher assembly 10 further includes a bungee cord 44. The bungee cord 40 has a first end 46 and a second end 48. The first end 46 of the bungee cord 44 is anchored proximate the rear end 18 of the pusher frame 12. The second end 48 of the bungee cord 44 is anchored to a portion of the pusher plate assembly 14. The bungee cord 44 operably engages the roller 42. As will be described in more detail hereinafter, the bungee cord 44 operates to bias the pusher plate assembly 14 in a forward position relative to the pusher frame 12 of the pusher assembly 10.
Referring now to
The pusher plate assembly 14 is slidably mounted on the pusher frame 12 so that the pusher plate assembly 14 moves through the product receiving space 24 towards the front end 16 of the pusher frame 12 when merchandise or product is removed from the product receiving space 24 of the pusher assembly 10.
As more clearly shown in
Referring to
The pusher assembly 10 of the present invention can be constructed of any material. However, desirable results can be obtained wherein the first and second sidewalls 20, 22 and the pusher plate assembly 14 of the pusher assembly 10 are constructed of plastic materials. Further, in order to provide a view of the row of merchandise 26 provided in the product receiving space 24 of the pusher assembly 10, the stop plate assembly 30 is fabricated of a clear, transparent polymeric material. Furthermore, in order to enhance movement of the pusher sled assembly 60 along the first and second guide tracks 30 and 32 of the base assembly 28, it is desirable that at least the track followers 80 and 82 of the pusher sled 65 be constructed of a self lubricating polymeric material.
Referring to
In those situations where the shelf is constructed of wire, the pusher frame 12 will desirably contain the bottom 29 for providing a smooth surface over which the merchandise or product can travel as the merchandise or product is moved through the product receiving space 24 of the pusher assembly 10.
In order to position the merchandise or product in the product receiving space 24 defined between the first and second sidewalls 20 and 22 of the pusher frame 12, the pusher plate assembly 14 is moved toward the rear-end 18 of the pusher frame 12 and held in place while the desired amount of merchandise or product is aligned in a row within product receiving space 24 of the pusher assembly 10. Once the desired amount of merchandise or product has been positioned within the product receiving space 24 of the merchandise display 10, pressure is removed from the pusher plate assembly 14 whereby the pusher plate assembly 14 is biased in the forward direction in the pusher frame and frictionally engages the product disposed within the product receiving space 24 of the pusher assembly 10.
As product or merchandise is removed from the product receiving space 24 of the pusher assembly 10, the pusher plate assembly 14 moves in a forward direction along the pusher frame 12 and thus moves the remaining merchandise or product in the product receiving space 24 of the pusher assembly 10 in a forward direction toward the stop members 36 and 38 connected to the front end 16 of the pusher frame 12 of the pusher assembly 10 for preventing forward movement of the merchandise or product past the stop plate assembly 39 and thereby secure the forward most merchandise or product in the row of merchandise or product in a stable position within the product receiving space 24 of the pusher assembly 10.
As additional merchandise or product is removed from the product receiving space 24 of the pusher assembly 10, and as the pusher plate assembly is moved forward along the pusher frame as merchandise or product is removed from the row of merchandise or product supported in the product receiving space 24 by the pusher plate biasing assembly 40, the pusher plate assembly 14 engages the stop plate assembly 39 to restrict forward movement of the pusher plate assembly 14 through the product receiving space 24 so as to provide the last row of merchandise or product to be disposed adjacent the stop plate assembly 39. Once the last item of merchandise and/or product has been removed from the pusher assembly 10, additional product can be placed within the product receiving space 24 formed between the first and second sidewalls 20 and 22 of the pusher frame 12. However, if merchandise or product of different sizes are to be positioned within the product receiving space 24 of the pusher frame 12, the pusher assembly 10 is removed from the shelf and the height of the product receiving space 12 is adjusted by adjusting the distance between the first and second pusher plates 62 and 64 of the pusher sled assembly 60.
When desired, additional sidewalls can be combined with the first and second sidewalls 20 and 22 of the pusher frame assembly 12 so as to provide the merchandise display rack with a plurality of product receiving spaces 12 which may have the same width as that formed between the first and second sidewalls 20 and 22, or different widths in order to accommodate merchandise and product having different widths.
From the above description, it is clear that the present invention is well-adapted to carry out the objects and to attain the advantages mentioned herein as well as those inherent in the invention. While presently preferred embodiments of the invention have been described for purposes of this disclosure, it will be understood that numerous changes may be made which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and which are accomplished within the spirit of the invention disclosed.
