Patent Application
20060237384
The present invention relates to a display track unit for display and dispensing one-at-a-time the lead article in a line of articles on a display track, and more particularly to such a display unit operable with insertable and removable partitions for varying the widths of the display tracks therein.
Display shelves are commonly found in stores, supermarkets and the like for the display of articles available for sale. The display shelf may be flat, in which case there may be a spring-loaded pusher unit to push the displayed articles forward as each foremost (lead) article is purchased and removed, or inclined, in which case, as each lead article is removed the remainder of the articles move forwardly under the influence of gravity (such inclined shelves typically being known as “gravity-feed shelves”). Depending upon the type of articles to be displayed, the display shelf may be disposed on a counter or table top (for example, where the articles for display are batteries, film, or other dry, canned, boxed or bagged food and consumer articles commonly sold at room temperature) or on a supporting tray in a refrigeration unit (for example, where the articles are bottles or cans of beer, soda, milk or other articles commonly sold chilled). The display shelf may consist of a single track or channel but more commonly consists of a plurality of such tracks disposed side-by-side in either a fixed or releasable relationship.
Rather than the manufacturer of the tracks having to manufacture and store a variety of tracks of different widths—each track being suited only for articles of a given width—it has become more common to provide a display track which has as wide a floor as possible (considering the width of a typical store shelf) with a fixed longitudinally-extending side panel on each extreme lateral end thereof. The track assembly is sold with a plurality of insertable and removable partitions which are adapted to be reasonably received by the track in an upright longitudinally-extending orientation intermediate and parallel to the side panels. Track manufacturers have developed a wide variety of different fastening mechanisms which enable the partitions to be so releasably fastened upon the track. The insertable and removable partitions form with one another (or with the fixed side panels) track paths or lanes which have a width selectable by the retailer to accommodate the particular articles to be displayed and dispensed.
Increasingly, articles are being sold not just as single units possessed of a single unit width, but in “packs” (packages) which themselves contain two articles or two lines of articles, side by side, so that the pack is generally of double unit width. Clearly, such packs may contain four, six, eight or even more articles disposed in two parallel rows. Providing multiple articles in a single pack encourages the consumer to purchase the pack either in the belief that a volume discount in unit price is associated therewith or simply because it is easier to handle such a preformed pack than a number of individual articles. Articles commonly sold in packs range from batteries to paper towels and toilet paper, with the most prominent articles simply being beverages such as soda cans, soda bottles or the like sold as “two-packs,” “four-packs,” “six-packs,” etc., depending on how deep the two lane pack.
As used herein and in the claims, the term “product” refers to an article of single or unit width, while the term “pack” refers to an article of double unit width, that is, substantially twice the single or unit width.
The products and packs in the lanes or paths defined by the various partitions tend to topple off the front of their display tracks or, in display cabinets with front doors, to slide too far forward and lie against the front door, ready to fall as soon as the front door is opened. Thus, the use of insertable and removable partitions introduces a new problem—namely, the provision of a stop means to prevent both products and packs from falling off the forward edge of the display track.
One object of the present invention is to provide a kit for a display and dispenser track assembly for dispensing products of single unit width, packs of double unit width, or simultaneously alternately such products and packs. Such a track assembly may dispense only the products of single width, only the packs of double width, or simultaneously alternately products from a single width lane and packs from a double width lane.
Another object is to provide such an assembly wherein there are different types of stop means for the products and for the packs, the stop means for the products not interfering with the stop means for the packs, and vice versa.
A further object is to provide such assembly wherein the track contains stop means for the packs, and the stop means for the products are provided with the insertable and removable partitions used to convert pack lanes into product lanes.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a kit for such an assembly which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, assemble and use.
It has now been found that the above and related objects of the present invention are obtained in a kit for a display and dispenser track assembly for dispensing products of single width, packs of double width, or simultaneously alternately products and packs. The kit comprises a display track defining a plurality of fixed partitions, each adjacent pair of the fixed partitions establishing therebetween a single pack path of double width and at least one insertable and removable partition receivable on the display track, each such received insertable and removable partition converting a single pack path into two adjacent product paths of single width. The fixed partitions and the received insertable and removable partitions on the display track establish between adjacent partitions paths of optionally variable widths selected from the group consisting of product paths of single width, pack paths of double width and combinations thereof. Each insertable and removable partition including a pair of oppositely directed hoop stops at the front end thereof for barring the lead product in each of two adjacent product paths on opposite sides of the received insertable and removable partition from falling off the front of the display track. The display track including an upstanding stop at the front of each pack path for barring the lead pack thereon from falling off the front of the display track.
In a preferred embodiment, when a received one of the insertable and removable partitions converts a single pack path into two adjacent product paths, the upstanding stop at the front of the single pack path does not bar easy removal of the lead products from the two adjacent product paths.
The above objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully understood by reference to the following detailed description of the presently preferred, albeit illustrative, embodiments of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:
Referring now to the drawing, and in particular to
While
Depending upon the manufacturer's estimate of the probable configuration of the track assembly 10 to be used by the retailers and the assembly costs, and the packaging and shipping costs, the kit 20 may be sold to retailers pre-configured with pack and product lines 12, 14 (as illustrated in
Referring now to
As illustrated in
Thus, the fixed partitions 32, 34 and the received insertable and removable partitions 22 on the display track 30 establish between adjacent partitions (either two fixed partitions 32, 34 or between one fixed partition 32, 34 and one received insertable and removable partition 22) paths of optionally variable widths. The variable widths may be selected from the group consisting of product paths of single widths, pack paths of double widths and combinations thereof.
While the fixed partitions 32, 34 are of integral, unitary, one-piece construction with, and thus non-releaseable from, the track 30, as manufactured, the insertable and removable partitions 22 are only releasably secured to the track 30 by the engagement of a plurality of longitudinally spaced fan-shaped keys 36 on the bottom edge of the partition 22 and corresponding keyways 38 longitudinally spaced along the central line of each pack path 12. The keys 36 and keyways 38 fit together to form a tight interlocking joint, with the key 36 being first placed in the wider portion of the keyway 38 and then moved longitudinally into the narrower portion of the keyway 38. It will be appreciated that the fixed partitions forming the sidewalls 32 of the track 30, and preferably the other fixed partitions 34 as well, extend slightly below the floor of the track 30 on which the products 18 and packs 16 travel so that there is room for the keys 36 to pass through the keyways 38.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that while a key and keyway joint is illustrated as releaseably securing the insertable and removable partitions 22 upright on the track 30, a relative wide range of fastening mechanisms, well known to those skilled in the display track art, may be employed for releasably securing the partitions 22 on the track 30. Where the key and keyway joint is employed for the insertable and removable partitions 22, and the track 10 includes a back wall 30a, the length of the insertable and removable partitions 22 is somewhat shorter than that of the fixed partitions 32, 34 so that there is room for a rearward movement of the insertable and removable partition 22 relative to track 30 in order to allow for disengagement of the key and keyway joint.
For each pack path 12 defined by the fixed partitions 32, 34 (or potentially formed therebetween if a received insertable and removable partition 22 were removed from the display track 30), an upstanding stop, generally designated 40, is disposed at the front of the pack path 12. Preferably the upstanding stop 40 extends normal to a central longitudinal axis of the pack path 12 and extends widthwise for only a relatively short portion of the full pack path width. The upstanding stops 40 are of unitary, integral and one piece construction with the track 30 and preferably made in a single manufacturing operation therewith, such as a plastic molding operation. Preferably the upstanding stops 40 are disposed adjacent a front ledge 46 of the track assembly 10. An upstanding stop 40 is generally disposed normal to and extends across the central axis of each pack path 14. The upstanding stops 40 are disposed forwardly of any received insertable and removable partitions 22. The precise dimensions of the upstanding stops 40 are selected to insure that they are able to stop a pack 16 without allowing it to tip over forwardly (over the top of the upstanding stop 40) or to skew relative to the pack path 14, yet the upstanding stops 40 are only as large as necessary in order to maximize viewability of the front face of the lead packs 16 by the potential consumer.
As is conventional in the art, the track 30 (including the fixed partitions 32, 34) and the insertable and removable partitions 22 are optionally provided with cutaways 42 to enable rear portions thereof to be broken away, thereby to reduce the depth or length of the track assembly 10 so that it can be accommodated on retailer shelves of lesser depth or length.
Other conventional features of the track assembly optionally include bottom cutouts 44 which enable the front of the assembly to act as a “candy blocker” (so that on a cabinet shelf the assembly may be positioned forwardly off the shelf sufficiently to preclude items being disposed on the back of the front door of the cabinet) Another conventional feature is an optional forwardly and downwardly extending front ledge 46 for the track assembly 10 for carrying labels and the like for product and pack pricing information.
Turning now to the novel aspects of the present invention, as best seen in partition 22a of
Each of the fixed partitions 32 at the extreme lateral sides of the track assembly 10 is provided with a single dovetail mortise 56 to receive the single dovetail tenon 54 of a single adjacent insertable and removable partition 22. However the intermediate fixed partitions 34 must be able to receive a dovetail tenon 54 from an adjacent insertable and removable partition 22 on each side thereof. Accordingly, each intermediate fixed partition 34 includes not just one, but two dovetail mortises 56 preferably, as illustrated in
As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the same releasable locking effect can be achieved in a variety of other ways. For example, instead of two dovetail mortises 56 on an intermediate fixed partition 34, there may be a single dovetail mortise 56 of sufficient height to receive therein two dovetail tenons 54, one above the other, with one tenon 54 coming from each side of the fixed partition 34. However, this may result in vertical skewing of one or both of the hoop stops 50 with certain resulting aesthetic and mechanical disadvantages.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the releasable connection of the free end 52 of each hoop stop 50 with an adjacent fixed partition 32, 34 assists in fixing the hoop stop 50 in position and enables the height of the hoop stop 50 to be reduced as much as possible, thereby to maximize visibility of the lead product 18 in each product lane 14 to the consumer while still preventing the lead product 18 from falling off the front of the track 30. To the same end, the hoop stops 50—either alone or with the remainder of the insertable and removable partitions 22—may be made of a clear plastic which does not interfere with viewing of the front label of the lead product in each product lane 14. The hoop stops 50 are disposed rearwardly of the upstanding stops 40 so that the upstanding stops 40 neither contact nor block viewing of the front label of the lead products 18 in the product lanes 14, or only minimally block the view of the same.
As the hoop stops 50 are of integral, unitary, one-piece construction with the insertable and removable partitions 22, made in a single manufacturing process therewith, the hoop stops 50 are present on the track assembly 10 only when a pack path 12 has been converted into two adjacent product paths 14 by a received partition 22. Thus, the hoop stops 50 are structurally separate pieces from the track 30 itself and play no role whatsoever in the stopping of the packs 16 traveling down the pack paths 12.
Thus, the hoop stops 50 act only on the products 18 traveling down the product lanes 14 and do not interfere with the action of the upstanding stops 40 on the packs 16 traveling down the pack lanes 12, and the upstanding stops 40 act only on the packs 16 traveling down the pack lanes 12 and do not interfere with the action of the hoop stops 50 on the products 18 traveling down the product lanes 14.
To summarize, the present invention provides a kit for a gravity display and dispenser track assembly for dispensing products of single unit width, packs of double unit width, or simultaneously alternately such products and packs. Such a track assembly may dispense only the products of single width, only the packs of double width, or simultaneously alternately products from single width lanes and packs from double width lanes. Different types of stop means are provided for the products and for the packs, the stop means for the products not interfering with the stop means for the packs, and vice-versa. The track itself contains stop means for the packs, and the stop means for the products are provided with the insertable and removable partition used to convert a pack lane into two adjacent product lanes. The kit for the assembly is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, assemble and use.
Now that the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described in detail, various modifications and improvements thereon will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the spirit and scope of the present invention is to be construed broadly and limited only by the appended claims, and not by the foregoing specification
