Product management display system with trackless pusher mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10959542-B2
Application number	US-201916549911-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2019
Priority date	Sep 12, 2005
Publication date	Mar 30, 2021
Grant date	Mar 30, 2021

Abstract

A product management display system for merchandising product on a shelf includes using a trackless pusher mechanism that travels along a surface on which product is placed and one or more dividers for separating product into rows. The one or more dividers may be engaged to a front rail in two different conditions, locked and unlocked. In a locked condition, the relationship between the divider and the front rail resists alteration in any direction with respect to each other. In the unlocked condition, the dividers may be freely slid laterally along the front rail, while remaining perpendicular to the front rail. The one or more dividers may lock to the front rail through the use of corresponding teeth, resilient surfaces, a locking tab, a locking bar and/or a cam.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A merchandise display system comprising:
a front rail;
a divider removably attachable to the front rail, the divider including a divider floor, a divider wall, and a barrier located forward of the divider wall;
a resilient tab coupled to the divider and movable between an engaged position where the resilient tab cooperates with the front rail to prevent the divider from moving laterally along the front rail and a disengaged position that allows the divider to move laterally along the front rail; and
a spring-urged pusher configured to couple to the divider, the spring urged pusher configured to push product toward the front rail;
wherein a portion of the resilient tab extends above the front rail when the divider is attached to the front rail, and
wherein the portion of the resilient tab is located forward of the barrier when the resilient tab is in the engaged position.

2. The merchandise display system of claim 1 , wherein the resilient tab includes forwardly extending projections that engage rearwardly extending projections on the front rail.

3. The merchandise display system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of teeth on the front rail; and
a plurality of teeth on the resilient tab configured to engage the plurality of teeth on the front rail.

4. The merchandise display system of claim 3 , wherein when a force is applied to the resilient tab, the teeth move in a direction of the force toward the disengaged position; and wherein when the force is removed, the teeth will move back to the engaged position.

5. The merchandise display system of claim 4 , wherein the force is applied in a backward direction toward the barrier.

6. The merchandise display system of claim 5 , wherein when the divider is moved in a lateral direction, the divider need not be rotated or lifted.

7. The merchandise display system of claim 5 , wherein when the divider is moved in a lateral direction, the divider is secured in a direction perpendicular to the front rail.

8. The merchandise display system of claim 1 , further comprising:
projections formed on a rear surface of the front rail; and
projections formed on a front surface of the resilient tab that are configured to engage the projections formed on the front rail.

9. The merchandise display system of claim 1 , wherein the barrier is formed of a clear material.

10. The merchandise display system of claim 1 , wherein the barrier is divided by the divider wall into a first portion and a second portion.

11. The merchandise display system of claim 1 , wherein the barrier defines a plane extending perpendicular to a plane defined by the divider.

12. The merchandise display system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a tongue on the front rail; and
a recess formed on the divider, the recess receiving the tongue when the divider is attached to the front rail.

13. The merchandise display system of claim 1 , wherein the divider wall is engaged with the barrier.

14. The merchandise display system of claim 1 , wherein the divider floor is divided by the divider wall into a first portion and a second portion.

15. The merchandise display system of claim 1 , wherein the barrier defines a plane extending perpendicular to a plane defined by the divider wall and a plane defined by the divider floor.

16. The merchandise display system of claim 1 , wherein the divider wall has a height that is greater than a height of the barrier.

17. The merchandise display system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an aperture formed in the front rail; and
a mounting clip configured to be received in the aperture to secure the front rail to a shelf.

18. The merchandise display system of claim 1 , further comprising a pusher extender including a cavity that receives the spring-urged pusher.

19. The merchandise display system of claim 18 , wherein the pusher extender has a height greater than a height of the spring-urged pusher and a width greater than a width of the spring-urged pusher.

20. The merchandise display system of claim 1 , wherein the spring-urged pusher includes a coiled spring.

21. The merchandise display system of claim 1 , wherein the front rail defines a plane that is perpendicular to a plane defined by the divider.

22. A merchandise display system comprising:
a front rail;
a divider removably attachable to the front rail, the divider including a divider floor, a divider wall, and a barrier located forward of the divider wall;
a resilient tab coupled to the divider and movable between an engaged position where the resilient tab cooperates with the front rail to prevent the divider from moving laterally along the front rail and a disengaged position that allows the divider to move laterally along to the front rail;
a plurality of teeth on the front rail; and
a plurality of teeth on the resilient tab configured to engage the plurality of teeth on the front rail;
wherein a portion of the resilient tab extends above the front rail when the divider is attached to the front rail, and
wherein the portion of the resilient tab is located forward of the barrier when the resilient tab is in the engaged position.

23. The merchandise display system of claim 22 , wherein the resilient tab biases toward the front rail such that the plurality of teeth on the resilient tab engage the plurality of teeth on the front rail when released.

24. The merchandise display system of claim 23 , wherein the resilient tab is a resilient plastic spring.

25. The merchandise display system of claim 24 , wherein the plurality of teeth on the resilient tab extend in a forward direction toward the plurality of teeth on the front rail and the plurality of teeth on the front rail extend in a rearward direction toward the plurality of teeth on the resilient tab.

26. The merchandise display system of claim 25 , wherein the divider floor is divided by the divider wall into a first portion and a second portion.

27. The merchandise display system of claim 25 , further comprising:
a tongue on the front rail; and
a recess formed on the divider, the recess receiving the tongue when the divider is attached to the front rail.

28. The merchandise display system of claim 25 , wherein the barrier is formed of a clear material.

29. The merchandise display system of claim 25 , further comprising:
a spring-urged pusher engaged with the divider and configured to push product toward the front rail.

30. The merchandise display system of claim 22 , wherein when a force is applied to the resilient tab, the teeth move in a direction of the force toward the disengaged position; and wherein when the force is removed, the teeth will move back to the engaged position.

31. The merchandise display system of claim 30 , wherein the force is applied in a backward direction toward the barrier.

32. The merchandise display system of claim 31 , wherein when the divider is moved in a lateral direction, the divider need not be rotated or lifted.

33. The merchandise display system of claim 31 , wherein when the divider is moved in a lateral direction, the divider is secured in a direction perpendicular to the front rail.

Assignees

• Rtc Ind Inc

Inventors

• Hardy Stephen N

Classifications

• A47F1/125

  with an article-pushing device · CPC title

• A47F1/126 Primary

  the pushing device being urged by spring means · CPC title

• A47B57/58

  with means for adjusting partitions horizontally (book-ends A47B65/00) · CPC title

• A47F5/005

  Partitions therefore (horizontally adjustable A47B57/58; constructional details of drawers A47B88/90) · CPC title

• A47B57/583

  by sliding · CPC title