Retail merchandise tray

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11166571-B2
Application number	US-202117154299-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2021
Priority date	Jan 22, 2020
Publication date	Nov 9, 2021
Grant date	Nov 9, 2021

Abstract

A retail merchandise tray assembly is provided. The tray assembly may have an adjustable divider. The tray assembly may have a sign adaptor for mounting a sign to the divider. The tray assembly may have an accessory clip. The tray assembly may have a pivotable front stop. The tray assembly may have sign holders mounted to a front stop. The tray assembly may include signs mounted within a sign holder that is mounted to the front stop. The divider may be powder coated while the divider mounts may be free of painting. Methods are also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A retail merchandise tray assembly comprising:
a wire support structure comprising:
at least one longitudinal member extending between a first end and a second end along a first longitudinal axis;
at least one lateral member attached to and extending generally perpendicular to the at least one longitudinal member and the first longitudinal axis;
a first front stop hinge rotatably mounted on the at least one lateral member for rotation about the at least one lateral member between a first angular position and a second angular position;
a front stop mounted to the first front stop hinge for rotation with the first front stop hinge about the at least one lateral member between the first and second angular positions, in the first angular position, the front stop is in an upright orientation relative to the wire support structure, and in the second angular position, the front stop is in a reclined orientation relative to the wire support structure; and
a biasing member biasing the first front stop hinge from the seconds angular position toward the first angular position,

wherein the front stop includes a mounting slot; and
the first front stop hinge includes an axially extending mounting pin slidably received in the mounting slot for releasably mounting the front stop to the first front stop hinge and a cavity that receives an end of the at least one lateral member therein.

2. The retail merchandise tray assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the wire support structure defines a substantially planar product support plane;
the front stop has a front surface; and
the front surface of the front stop being more parallel to the planar product support plane when the front stop hinge is in the second angular position than when the front stop hinge is in the first angular position.

3. The retail merchandise tray assembly of claim 1 , wherein the biasing member is a torsion spring extending angularly about the at least one lateral member.

4. The retail merchandise tray assembly of claim 1 , wherein: the front stop includes a flexible mounting clip extending from a first end attached to the front stop and a free end, the free end of the flexible mounting clip being biased into the at least one lateral member when the mounting pin is received in the mounting slot to secure the front stop to the first front stop hinge.

5. The retail merchandise tray assembly of claim 4 , wherein the flexible mounting clip can be resiliently bent such that the free end is disengaged from the at least one lateral member to remove the front stop from the first front stop hinge.

6. The retail merchandise tray assembly of claim 1 , further comprising at least one pair of opposed load bearing members;
the wire support structure mounted to the pair of opposed load bearing members; the first front stop hinge includes a rotation limiting abutment that engages at least one of the opposed load bearing members or the wire support structure when the first front stop hinge is in the first angular position, the biasing member and the engagement of the rotation limiting abutment with at least one of the opposed load bearing members or the wire support structure fixing the first front stop hinge in the first angular position.

7. The retail merchandise tray assembly of claim 3 , wherein a first end of the torsion spring is engaged with the at least one lateral member and a second end of the torsion spring is engaged with first front stop hinge.

8. The retail merchandise tray assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the mounting slot and the mounting pin is tapered such increased insertion of the pin into the mounting slot increases frictional engagement between the mounting slot and the mounting pin.

9. The retail merchandise tray assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a second front stop hinge rotatably mounted to the wire support structure, the first and second front stop hinges rotating about a common rotational axis, the first and second front stop hinges being laterally spaced apart along the rotational axis.

10. The retail merchandise tray assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the first front stop hinge is mounted proximate the first end of the at least one longitudinal member; and
wherein a top of the front stop rotates towards the second end of the at least one longitudinal member when the first front stop hinge rotates from the first angular position to the second angular position.

11. A method of loading the retail merchandise tray assembly of claim 1 comprising the steps of: pivoting a front stop of the retail merchandise tray assembly between a first orientation to a second orientation.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein pivoting the front stop transitions the front stop from a substantially perpendicular orientation relative to a top surface defined by the wire support structure to a substantially parallel orientation relative to the top surface defined by the wire support structure.

13. The retail merchandise tray assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the wire support structure is part of a merchandise support frame, the merchandise support frame having opposed first and second sides;
further comprising:
a divider adjustably mounted to the merchandise support frame for adjusting a position of the divider relative to the first side of the merchandise support frame;
a sign adaptor mounted to the divider and movable with the divider when the position of the divider relative to the first side of the merchandise support frame is adjusted; and
a sign attached to the sign adaptor.

14. The retail merchandise tray assembly of claim 13 , wherein the sign adaptor is attached to the divider in at least two attachment locations to prevent rotation of the sign adaptor relative to the divider.

15. The retail merchandise tray assembly of claim 13 , further comprising a divider mount adjustably attaching the divider to the merchandise support frame;
the sign adaptor being attached to the divider mount providing one of at least two attachment locations.

16. The retail merchandise tray assembly of claim 15 , wherein the sign adaptor includes a c-shaped snap connector that snap engages the merchandise support frame.

17. The retail merchandise tray assembly of claim 16 , wherein the sign adaptor is attached to the divider with a resilient push pin extending into an aperture in the divider providing a second one of the at least two attachment locations.

18. The retail merchandise tray assembly of claim 14 , further comprising:
a second divider adjustably mounted to the merchandise support frame for adjusting a position of the second divider relative to the second side of the merchandise support frame;
a second divider mount extending between opposed first end and second ends, the second divider mount adjustably attaching the second divider to the merchandise support frame, the second divider being attached to a first end of the second divider mount;
wherein the sign adaptor includes a cavity that receives the second end of the second divider mount when the second divider is positioned at a closest most position relative to the second side.

19. The retail merchandise tray assembly of claim 13 wherein the sign adaptor includes a sign attachment arrangement including spaced apart first and second sidewall defining a channel therebetween, the first and second sidewalls being attached to one another proximate adjacent sides, the sign being captured, at least in pan, within the channel and between the first and second sidewalls.

20. The retail

Assignees

• Nagel Thomas O
• Pickett Kelly Ann
• Rotger Francesc Xavier Badia
• Fasteners For Retail Inc

Inventors

• Nagel Thomas O
• Pickett Kelly Ann
• Rotger Francesc Xavier Badia

Classifications

• 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

• A47F1/121

  made of tubes or wire (elongated hooks A47F5/0807) · CPC title

• G09F23/06

  the advertising matter being combined with articles for restaurants, shops or offices (on paper articles G09F23/10) · CPC title

• A47F5/01

  made of tubes or wire ({A47F5/0807 takes precedence} foldable or adjustable A47F5/13) · CPC title