Retail merchandise tray and display incorporating same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11457748-B2
Application number	US-202117525253-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 12, 2021
Priority date	Jan 5, 2017
Publication date	Oct 4, 2022
Grant date	Oct 4, 2022

Abstract

A retail merchandise tray and display incorporating the same are provided. The display includes a shelf and the tray mounted to the shelf. The tray includes a pair of opposed mounting rails with at least one tray section situated between the first and second mounting rails. A support leg is mounted to the first mounting rail and elevates a back end of the retail merchandise tray relative to a front end.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tray for use in a retail merchandise display, the tray comprising:
a first tray section comprising:
a first base member defining a top support surface for storing retail merchandise thereon, the first base member extending between opposed front and rear ends of the first base member, the first base member comprising a plurality of rails underneath the top support surface, the rails defining a plurality of channels therebetween, the channels extending generally parallel to a feed direction of the tray, the top support surface includes a plurality of upwardly extending ribs, adjacent upwardly extending ribs of the plurality of upwardly extending ribs forming grooves therebetween, the upwardly extending ribs extending generally parallel to the feed direction, the top surface, the upwardly extending ribs, and the rails forming a continuous structure;
a first pair of cap members attached to the first base member with the first base member being interposed between the first pair of cap members such that a first cap member from the first pair of cap members is removably attached to the front end of the first base member and a second cap member from the first pair of cap members is removably attached to the rear end of the first base member, wherein:
each of the first and second cap members of the first pair of cap members includes a body portion having a linear row of slots extending therethrough, each row being generally perpendicular to the feed direction, each slot being elongated generally parallel to the feed direction;
each of the first and second cap members of the first pair of cap members includes a plurality of projections extending away from each body portion respectively, each projection being received in a corresponding channel of the plurality of channels to secure each cap member to the first base member; and

wherein the first base member includes an engagement channel along a first side extending parallel to the feed direction, the first base member includes an engagement rib along a second side, opposite the first side, extending parallel to the feed direction, a laterally outermost surface of the engagement rib being outward beyond the first pair of cap members in a direction perpendicular to the feed direction;

a second tray section being identical to the first tray section; and
wherein the engagement rib of the first tray section is inserted into the engagement channel of the second tray section.

2. The tray of claim 1 , further including first and second mounting rails, the first and second tray sections are interposed between the first and second mounting rails;
the first mounting rail is mounted to the first cap member of each of the first and second tray sections;
the second mounting rail is mounted to the second cap member of each of the first and second tray sections.

3. The tray of claim 2 , wherein the first and second tray sections mount to the first and second mounting rails by a resilient snap-fit connection.

4. The tray of claim 3 , wherein the resilient snap-fit connection between the first and second tray sections and the first and second mounting rails is formed by a tab formed on each of the first pair of cap members on a projection portion thereof and an aperture formed within a mounting channel of each of the first and second mounting rails, the projection portion insertable into the mounting channel such that the tab resiliently snaps into the aperture.

5. The tray of claim 2 , wherein the first and second mounting rails are identical.

6. The tray of claim 2 , wherein:
each of the first and second mounting rails includes a laterally extending mounting channel;
a forward most end of the first cap members is received in the laterally extending mounting channel of the first mounting rail; and
a rear most end of the second cap members is received in the laterally extending mounting chanel of the second mounting rail.

7. The tray of claim 6 , wherein the first and second tray sections mount to the first and second mounting rails by a resilient snap-fit connection.

8. The tray of claim 7 , wherein:
each of the cap members includes at least one resilient tab;
each of the first and second mounting rials includes a plurality of apertures;
each resilient tab being received in a corresponding one of the plurality of apertures.

9. The tray of claim 1 , wherein, for each of the first and second tray sections, the engagement rib is offset below an upper most extent of the upwardly extending ribs.

10. The tray of claim 1 , wherein, for each of the first and second tray sections, the engagement channel is offset below an upper most extent of the upwardly extending ribs.

11. The tray of claim 9 , wherein, for each of the first and second tray sections, the engagement channel is offset below an upper most extent of the upwardly extending ribs.

12. The tray of claim 1 , wherein, for the first base member, the engagement rib is a downwardly extending rib and the engagement channel is an upwardly facing channel.

13. The tray of claim 1 , wherein for each body portion of each of the first pair of cap members, a bottom surface of the body portion is offset below a bottom surface of each of the projections that extends from the body portion creating a step between the bottom surface of the body portion and the bottom surface of each of the projections.

14. A tray for use in a retail merchandise display, the tray comprising:
a base member defining a top support surface for storing retail merchandise thereon, the base member extending between opposed front and rear ends of the base member, the base member comprising a plurality of rails underneath the top support surface, the rails defining a plurality of channels therebetween, the channels extending generally parallel to a feed direction of the tray, the top support surface includes a plurality of upwardly extending ribs, adjacent upwardly extending ribs of the plurality of upwardly extending ribs forming grooves therebetween, the upwardly extending ribs extending generally parallel to the feed direction, the top surface, the upwardly extending ribs, and the rails forming a continuous structure;
a pair of cap members attached to the base member with the base member being interposed between the pair of cap members such that a first cap member from the pair of cap members is removably attached to the front end of the base member and a second cap member from the pair of cap members is removably attached to the rear end of the base member, wherein:
each cap member includes a body portion having a linear row of slots extending therethrough, each row being generally perpendicular to the feed direction, each slot being elongated generally parallel to the feed direction;
each cap member includes a plurality of projections extending away from each body portion respectively, each projection being received in a corresponding channel of the plurality of channels to secure each cap member to the base member; and

wherein the base member includes an engagement channel along a first side extending parallel to the feed direction, the base member includes an engagement rib along a second side, opposite the first side, extending parallel to the feed direction, a laterally outermost surface of the engagement rib being outward beyond the pair of cap members in a direction perpendicular to the feed direction, the engagement rib being sized to be received in a second engagement channel of another identical base member.

15. The tray of claim 14 , wherein the engagement rib is offset below an upper most extent of the upwardly extending ribs.

Assignees

• Fasteners For Retail Inc

Inventors

• Nagel Thomas O
• Ewing Brent O

Classifications

• A47B57/585

  with connection means slidable in a rail · CPC title

• A47F5/005

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

• A47F2005/165

  with inclined display surface · CPC title

• A47F5/16

  Platform-type show stands with flat, inclined, or curved upper surface · CPC title

• A47F1/126 Primary

  the pushing device being urged by spring means · CPC title