Product securement and management system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10258169-B2
Application number	US-201816105662-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 20, 2018
Priority date	Feb 3, 2004
Publication date	Apr 16, 2019
Grant date	Apr 16, 2019

Abstract

A merchandising system that improves the merchandising of product by limiting the number and the frequency with which product can be removed from, for example, a merchandising shelf. The merchandising system may include a base configured to support product and a housing configured to engage the base. The housing may comprise a top wall, a first side wall, a second side wall, and a front retaining wall mounted to the base at an angle. The system may further include a spring-urged pusher movably mounted on the base. The system may further include an opening defined by the first side wall and the front retaining wall through which product may be removed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A product display system, comprising:
a unitary, one-piece base and divider assembly comprising a base and a divider, wherein the divider protrudes upwardly from the base and separates the base into a first portion and a second portion;
a mounting rail, wherein the mounting rail is adapted to be mounted to a shelf, and wherein the base and divider assembly is adapted to be coupled to the mounting rail;
wherein the first portion of the base comprises a pusher track, wherein the pusher track comprises a top surface adapted to support product, an underside surface, an elongate slot defined in the pusher track, and a plurality of notches defined in the pusher track, wherein the plurality of notches include a pair of opposing notches defined in opposite sides of the elongate slot;
a spring-urged pusher adapted to be coupled to the pusher track, wherein the spring-urged pusher comprises an upper pusher portion that is offset, via an angled offset pusher portion, from a lower portion;
a coil spring adapted to urge the spring-urged pusher forward; and
a barrier, wherein the barrier is adapted to be moveable between an open position and a closed position, wherein the barrier is sized to inhibit access to product positioned on the shelf when the barrier is in the closed position and allow a limited number of product to be lifted over the barrier at one time when the barrier is in the closed position, and wherein the barrier is adapted to facilitate restocking of product on the shelf when the barrier is in the open position, wherein the barrier is adapted to be coupled to the system proximate a front edge of the shelf.

2. The product display system of claim 1 , wherein the barrier comprises a barrier coupling comprising a hinge and wherein the barrier is adapted to rotate between the open position and the closed position.

3. The product display system of claim 2 wherein the spring-urged pusher comprises a coupling flange, wherein the coupling flange is configured to couple the spring-urged pusher to the pusher track, and wherein the coupling flange is further adapted to engage the underside surface of the pusher track when the coil spring urges the spring-urged pusher forward.

4. The product display system of claim 3 wherein the elongate slot is defined in the pusher track such that the pusher track includes a first-rail and a second-rail, wherein the first-rail includes a first-rail-top-surface and a first-rail-underside-surface and wherein the second-rail includes a second-rail-top-surface and a second-rail-underside-surface.

5. The product display system of claim 4 wherein the coupling flange extending from an underside of the spring-urged pusher, wherein the coupling flange is adapted to couple the spring-urged pusher to the pusher track, wherein the coupling flange is further adapted to engage the first-rail-underside surface and the second-rail-underside-surface when the coil spring urges the spring-urged pusher forward.

6. The product display system of claim 5 wherein the coupling flange comprises a first flange extension and a second flange extension and wherein the first flange extension is adapted to engage the first-rail-underside-surface when the coil spring urges the spring-urged pusher forward and the second flange extension is adapted to engage the second-rail-underside-surface when the coil spring urges the spring-urged pusher forward.

7. The product display system of claim 6 wherein the pusher track further comprises at least one rib extending between the first-rail and the second-rail and having a first rib end connected to the first-rail and a second rib end connected to the second-rail.

8. The product display system of claim 7 wherein a first end of the coil spring is secured proximate a front end of the pusher track.

9. The product display system of claim 8 wherein the mounting rail extends along and is affixed to the shelf proximate the front edge of the shelf and the base-and-divider assembly is adapted to non-slidably engage with the mounting rail.

10. The product display system of claim 9 wherein the pusher track includes a pusher holder positioned proximate a rear portion of the pusher track, wherein the pusher holder is adapted to hold the pusher in a stationary position proximate the rear portion of the pusher track.

11. The product display system of claim 1 wherein the barrier is positioned proximate a front end of the shelf and extends upwardly from the shelf.

12. The product display system of claim 1 wherein the unitary, one-piece base and divider assembly comprises a break-off line positioned on the base and on tear-off line positioned on the divider, wherein the break-off line and the tear-off line are configured to allow the shortening of the unitary, one-piece base and divider assembly by separation of a first portion of the assembly from a second portion of the assembly along the break-off line and the tear-off line.

Assignees

• Rtc Ind Inc

Inventors

• Hardy Stephen N

Classifications

• A47B73/006

  with modular arrangements of identical units · CPC title

• A47B87/0269

  without separate distance holders · CPC title

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title

• A47F1/12

  dispensing from the side of an approximately horizontal stack {(A47F1/087 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• A47F5/0068

  Shelf extensions, e.g. fixed on price rail · CPC title