Product management display system with rail mounting clip

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9510677-B2
Application number	US-201514746355-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2015
Priority date	Sep 12, 2005
Publication date	Dec 6, 2016
Grant date	Dec 6, 2016

Abstract

A product management display system for merchandising products on a shelf includes a rail mounting clip structure for removably coupling a front rail to a shelf, the shelf having a channel structure extending along a portion of a front edge. Upon removable engagement with the shelf, the front rail may be used to engage with one or more divider and pusher devices configured to display products on a shelf.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A merchandise display system comprising:
a front rail having a rail mounting clip secured to a front end of the front rail, the rail mounting clip having at least one flexure structure configured to engage with a channel that extends along at least a portion of a front edge of a shelf; and
at least one divider configured to engage the front rail, the at least one divider further including a divider wall and a divider floor perpendicular to the divider wall, wherein the divider floor is configured to hold products;
wherein the at least one divider is movable in a lateral direction parallel to the front rail when the at least one divider is engaged with the front rail,
wherein when the front rail is coupled to the rail mounting clip, before engagement of the rail mounting clip with the channel of the shelf, a planar surface of the front rail and a back wall structure of the rail mounting clip forms an angle of less than 90 degrees, and
wherein upon engagement of the rail mounting clip with the channel of the shelf, the flexure structure flexes to form an interference fit between the shelf and the rail mounting clip, and one or more of the front rail and the back wall structure of the rail mounting clip flexes to urge the planar surface of the front rail to lie flat on a top surface on the shelf.

2. The merchandise display system of claim 1 , wherein the rail mounting clip is removably mounted to the front rail.

3. The merchandise display system of claim 2 wherein the rail mounting clip is connected to the front rail by an interference fit.

4. The merchandise display system of claim 1 , wherein an elbow bracket structure of the front rail is received into a channel on the rail mounting clip to removably couple the rail mounting clip to the front rail.

5. The merchandise display system of claim 4 , wherein the channel on the rail mounting clip is formed between a hook structure and a tongue structure.

6. The merchandise display system of claim 4 , wherein the rail mounting clip is slidable relative to the front rail in a direction substantially parallel to a longitudinal length of the rail mounting clip.

7. The merchandise display system of claim 1 , wherein the rail mounting clip further comprises at least one flange structure extending along a longitudinal length of the rail mounting clip for structural rigidity.

8. The merchandise display system of claim 1 , wherein engagement of the rail mounting clip with the channel of the shelf results in a planar surface of the front rail being approximately perpendicular to a back wall structure of the rail mounting clip.

9. The merchandise display system of claim 1 , wherein the flexure structure is configured to compress upon engagement of the rail mounting clip with the channel of the shelf.

10. The merchandise display system of claim 9 , wherein the flexure structure further comprises a contact surface, and wherein upon engagement of the rail mounting clip with the channel of the shelf, an interference fit is formed between the contact surface of the flexure structure, the back wall structure of the rail mounting clip, and a front wall and a back wall of the channel.

11. A merchandise display system comprising:
a front rail coupling system, the front rail coupling system having a front rail section unitarily-formed with a rail mounting clip section, the rail mounting clip section further comprising:
at least one flexure structure configured to engage with a channel that extends along at least a portion of a front edge of a shelf; and
at least one divider configured to engage the front rail section, the at least one divider further including a divider wall and a divider floor perpendicular to the divider wall, wherein the divider floor is configured to hold products,
wherein the at least one divider is movable in a lateral direction parallel to the front rail section when the at least one divider is engaged with the front rail section,
wherein a planar surface of the front rail section forms an angle of less than 90 degrees relative to a back wall structure of the rail mounting clip section, and
wherein upon engagement of the rail mounting clip section with the channel of the shelf, the flexure structure flexes to form an interference fit between the shelf and the rail mounting clip, and one or more of the front rail section and the back wall structure of the rail mounting clip section flexes to urge the planar surface of the front rail to lie flat on a top surface on the shelf.

12. The merchandise display system of claim 11 , wherein the rail mounting clip section further comprises at least one flange structure extending along a longitudinal length of the rail mounting clip section for structural rigidity.

13. The merchandise display system of claim 11 , wherein the flexure structure is configured to compress upon engagement of the rail mounting clip section with the channel of the shelf.

14. The merchandise display system of claim 13 , wherein the flexure structure further comprises a contact surface, and wherein upon engagement of the rail mounting clip section with the channel of the shelf, an interference fit is formed between the contact surface of the flexure structure, the back wall structure of the rail mounting clip section, and a front wall and a back wall of the channel.

15. A merchandise display system comprising:
a front rail;
at least one divider configured to engage the front rail, the at least one divider further including a divider wall and a divider floor perpendicular to the divider wall, wherein the divider floor is configured to hold products; and
a rail mounting clip secured to a front end of the front rail, the rail mounting clip having at least one flexible finger structure configured to engage with a channel that extends along at least a portion of a front edge of a shelf,
wherein the at least one divider is movable in a lateral direction parallel to the front rail when the at least one divider is engaged with the front rail,
wherein securing the front end of the front rail to the rail mounting clip results in a planar surface of the front rail forming an angle of less than 90 degrees relative to a back wall structure of the rail mounting clip, and
wherein upon engagement of the rail mounting clip with the channel of the shelf, one or more of the front rail and the back wall structure of the rail mounting clip flexes to urge the planar surface of the front rail to lie flat on a top surface on the shelf.

16. The merchandise display system of claim 15 , wherein the at least one flexible finger structure is configured to form an interference fit with the channel of the shelf.

17. The merchandise display system of claim 15 wherein the rail mounting clip is removably coupled to the front rail.

18. The merchandise display system of claim 17 , wherein an elbow bracket structure of the front rail is received into a channel on the rail mounting clip to removably couple the rail mounting clip to the front rail.

Assignees

• Rtc Ind Inc

Inventors

• Hardy Stephen N

Classifications

• B42F7/12

  Stacked trays · CPC title

• A47F5/005 Primary

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

• A47F1/126

  the pushing device being urged by spring means · CPC title

• A47F3/14

  Display trays {or containers (combined with racks A47F5/0025; tray partitions A47F5/005; as racks and transportable with merchandise A47F5/108; made of cardboard A47F5/11; stackable A47B87/02)}; (packing boxes used subsequently as display trays B65D) · CPC title

• A47B73/00

  Bottle cupboards; Bottle racks · CPC title