Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
CA 02438973 2006-04-21
1
PRODUCT PUSHER
FOR MERCHANDISE DISPLAYS
Background of the Invention
Product display and shelf management frequently requires, or at least
desires, that a supply of displayed products of the same type, which may be
aligned front to back on a display shelf or rack, be constantly urged
forwardly, as product items are removed, so that the product is always
available for display at the front of the display device. A variety of devices
and systems have been proposed over the years for accomplishing this
objective. Most have had shortcomings either in the form of cost or
performance or, in many cases both. In a typical case, pusher mechanisms
have been designed as self-contained mechanisms that are installed in a
display rack and function as an independent mechanism. In some cases,
the entire display rack is specially designed to incorporate an intricate form
of pusher mechanism. In co-pending Canadian Patent Application Serial
No. 2,424,500, filed April 4, 2003, an improved form of pusher mechanism
was described in which a pusher element is mounted for slideable
movement on the elements of a wire display rack, resulting in a significantly
simplified and more economical system.
The present invention seeks to provide a product pusher system that
improves further upon that disclosed in co-pending Canadian Patent
Application Serial No. 2,424,500, filed April 4, 2003 and is an ultimate in
simplicity, highly reliable in function and capable of being made available at
a
minimum cost.
CA 02438973 2007-01-03
2
Summary of Invention
In accordance with the present invention, a novel and improved pusher
arrangement is provided for a display rack comprising at least two laterally
spaced
wired elements, extending from front to back of the display device. Typically,
although not necessarily, these wire elements form a slidable support for the
display
product.
A novel and uniquely simplified pusher arrangement is provided, in which the
pusher element is a single piece of plastic sheet material, advantageously
rigid vinyl,
consisting of front and back panels joined integrally at a top fold, in a
generally
inverted "V" configuration, with a front panel advantageously disposed
generally
vertically and the other extending downward and rearward at shallow angle
relative to
the front panel. The panels are formed with laterally opening notches at each
side,
adjacent their bottom edges, of a suitable size to loosely receive the spaced
apart wire
elements, which both guide and support the pusher element. To advantage, the
wire
supports are painted, to provide a smooth, low friction contact with the
plastic panels,
enabling them to slide freely in forward and rearward directions along the
support
wires.
Where additional, intermediate front to back support wires are provided on the
display rack, the plastic panels of the pusher element are formed with
downwardly
opening notches along their lower edges, aligned with the intermediate support
wires,
such that the pusher element may move freely back and forth over the
intermediate
support wires without interference.
According to a broad aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
display assembly for the display of multiple merchandise packages with
provisions
for moving product packages toward the front of the assembly as packages are
removed by customers, which comprises
(a) a display rack comprising a pair of spaced-apart, parallel support
elements
arranged to extend outward in a point of purchase product display,
CA 02438973 2007-01-03
2A
(b) a product pusher mounted on said support elements for forward and rearward
sliding movement, for urging packages to the front of said display assembly,
(c) said product pusher comprising a sheet-like structure of plastic material
including front and back wall panels, with a top edge margin of said back wall
panel
being joined to a portion of said front wall panel, and said panels having
bottom edge
margins spaced apart in the direction of said sliding movement,
(d) said front and back wall panels having open-sided notches therein adjacent
said bottom edge margins slideably engaging said support elements,
(e) a coiled strip spring for urging said product pusher in a forward
direction,
(f) an anchor element at a forward end of said display rack for securing one
end
of said spring,
(g) spaced apart internal surfaces of said wall panels forming a confinement
for a
coiled body of said strip spring with said coiled body urging said product
pusher in a
forward direction,
(h) said product pusher, at least at the bottom edge margins of said wall
panels,
having a width greater than a space between said support elements whereby said
product pusher is supported by engagement of opposed pairs of said open sided
notches in said front and back wall panels.
According to another broad aspect of the present invention, there is provided
a display assembly for the display of multiple merchandise packages with
provisions for moving product packages toward the front of the assembly as
packages are removed by customers, which comprises
(a) a display rack arranged to extend outward in a point of purchase product
display,
(b) a product pusher mounted on said display rack for forward and rearward
sliding movement thereon, for urging packages to the front of said display
assembly,
(c) said product pusher comprising an extruded sheet-like structure of plastic
material including front and back wall panels with a top edge margin of said
back
panel being joined to a portion of said front wall panel and said panels
having
bottom edge margins spaced apart in the direction of said sliding movement,
(d) said front and back wall panels slideably engaging said display rack,
CA 02438973 2007-01-03
2B
(e) a coiled strip spring for urging said product pusher in a forward
direction,
(f) an anchor element at a forward end of said display rack for securing one
end
of said spring,
(g) spaced apart internal surfaces of said product wall panels forming front
and
back confinement for a coiled body of said strip spring with said coiled body
urging
said product pusher in a forward direction, and
(h) the front wall panel of said product pusher having an opening with side
edges
for lateral confinement of said strip spring.
According to yet another broad aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a display assembly for the display of multiple merchandise packages
with
provisions for moving product packages toward the front of the assembly as
packages
are removed by customers, which comprises
(a) a display rack having a pair of spaced apart, parallel wire-like support
rods
mounted to extend outward in a point of purchase product display,
(b) a product pusher being slideably mounted on said support rods for forward
and rearward movements,
(c) said product pusher comprising front and back, generally flat panels of
plastic material with a top edge of said back panel being joined to an upper
portion
of said front wall panel and said panels being spaced apart at bottom edges
thereof
to define a generally inverted V-shaped section in a region below the top edge
of
said back panel,
(d) a guide opening in said front panel,
(e) a coiled strip spring having a coiled body positioned between and confined
by said front and back panels and having a portion extending forwardly through
said
guide opening and anchored at a front portion of said display rack, and
(f) said coiled strip spring being coiled in a direction such that said coiled
body
thereof is positioned generally above the forwardly extending portion of said
spring.
According to a further broad aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a display rack for the display of multiple merchandise packages with
provisions for moving product packages toward the front of the display rack as
packages are removed by customers, which comprises
CA 02438973 2007-01-03
2C
(a) a support base comprising four spaced-apart, parallel support elements
formed of wire and connected together at front and back ends thereof,
(b) means for supporting said base at least a short distance above an
underlying
surface,
(c) a product pusher mounted on said support elements for forward and rearward
sliding movement, for urging packages to the front of said display rack,
(d) said product pusher comprising a sheet-like structure of plastic material
including front and back wall panels joined together and having bottom edge
margins spaced apart in the direction of said sliding movement,
(e) said front and back wall panels having laterally opening notches therein
along
opposite edges thereof adjacent said bottom edge margins, slideably engaging
outer
ones of said support elements, and a pair of downwardly opening notches in
said
bottom edge margins slideably engaging inner ones of said support elements,
(f) a coiled strip spring for urging said product pusher in a forward
direction,
(g) means at a forward end of said display rack for securing one end of said
spring,
(h) spaced apart internal surfaces of said wall panels forming a confinement
for a
coiled body of said strip spring with said coiled body urging said product
pusher in a
forward direction,
(i) said front wall panel having at least one opening therein positioned
centrally
therein and between said inner ones of said support elements for the passage
of said
strip spring.
According to another broad aspect of the present invention, there is provided
a
display rack for the display of multiple merchandise packages with provisions
for
moving product packages toward the front of the display rack as packages are
removed by customers, which comprises
(a) a support base arranged to extend outward in a point of purchase product
display,
(b) said support base comprising four spaced-apart, parallel wire support
elements extending from front to back and rigidly connected together at front
and
back ends thereof,
= CA 02438973 2007-01-03
r
2D
(c) a product pusher mounted on said display rack for forward and rearward
sliding movement thereon, for urging packages to the front of said display
rack,
(d) said product pusher comprising an extruded sheet-like structure of plastic
material including front and back wall panels with an upper edge of said back
wall
panel being joined to an upper portion of said front panel and having bottom
edge
margins normally spaced apart in the direction of said sliding movement,
(e) said front and back wall panels having edge opening notches therein
slideably engaging each of the four support elements of said display rack,
(f) at least two of said notches being generally horizontally disposed in
regions
thereof engaging support elements,
(g) a coiled strip spring confined between said panels for urging said product
pusher in a forward direction,
(h) means at a forward end of said display rack for securing one end of said
spring,
(i) the front wall panel of said product pusher having an opening with side
edges
for lateral confinement of said spring,
(j) said opening being located between the inner ones of said wire support
elements.
According to yet another broad aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a display assembly for the display of multiple merchandise packages
with
provisions for moving product packages toward the front of the assembly as
packages
are removed by customers, which comprises
(a) a display rack comprising four spaced apart, parallel wire-like support
elements mounted to extend in a front-to-back direction in a point of purchase
product display and positioned in a common plane,
(b) a product pusher slideably mounted on said support elements for forward
and
rearward movements,
(c) said product pusher comprising front and back, generally flat panels of
plastic material with an upper edge portion of said back panel being joined to
an
upper portion of said front panel and said panels being spaced apart at bottom
edges
thereof to define a generally inverted V-shaped section between said panels,
CA 02438973 2007-01-03
2E
(d) said panels having horizontally disposed notches in opposite side edges
thereof for sliding engagement with outer ones of said wire-like support
elements and
downwardly opening notches in bottom edges thereof for sliding engagement with
inner ones of said wire-like support elements,
(e) a guide opening in said front panel, and
(f) a coiled strip spring having a coiled body positioned between and confined
by
said front and back panels and having a portion extending forwardly through
said
guide opening and between said inner ones of said support elements and
anchored at a
front portion of said display rack for urging said product pusher in a forward
direction.
In accordance with one feature of the invention, a thin, coiled spring strip
is
positioned and confined between the front and back pusher panels, with the
strip
exiting through a confining opening in the front panel. The forward end of the
spring
strip is anchored at the front of the display rack such that the pusher
element is
constantly urged in a forward direction. No special housings or
CA 02438973 2003-08-29
3
containments are required for the spring. It is allowed to float freely
between the
front and back panels of the pusher. The overall arrangement of the pusher
device is one of ultimate simplicity and extraordinarily low cost, while at
the same
time functioning in a manner which is superior to more complicated and
expensive systems.
In one advantageous form of the invention, the forward end of the spring
strip is anchored by means of a label holder attached to the front of the
display
rack. This is particularly advantageous where the display rack is mounted on a
display panel, for example, and carries its own price information. For a rack
mounted on a display panel, but not requiring pricing information, the spring
strip
may be advantageously anchored by means of a small plastic clip attached to
the
front of the display rack. In other forms of the invention, where the display
rack is
designed to be mounted on a shelf, and includes plastic base members at the
front and back for supporting and positioning the rack, the spring strip may
advantageously be anchored by means of the front plastic base element.
One of the uniquely advantageous features of the invention is the ability of
the pusher element to reconfigure itself as a function of the loading of the
display
rack. In this respect, in order to be able to load the display rack to its
absolute
maximum capacity, the pusher element, normally of inverted V-shaped
configuration, reconfigures itself such that the front facing wall becomes
vertically
disposed, and the back facing wall bows out rearwardly, typically enabling one
or
more packages to be inserted into the display. Likewise, the inverted V-shaped
configuration of the pusher may be designed to provide an initial forward tilt
to
the front face of the pusher. With this arrangement, when the pusher reaches
the forward limit of its pushing movement, typically a short distance away
from
the absolute front of the display rack because of mechanical considerations,
the
forward tilt of the pusher front face assures that the remaining product item
or
items is as close to the front of the display as practicable.
CA 02438973 2003-08-29
4
For a more complete understanding of the above and other features and
advantages of the invention, reference should be made to the following
detailed
description of preferred embodiments, and to the accompanying drawings.
Description of the Drawings
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a display rack
incorporating the pusher mechanism of the invention, in which the pusher
spring
is anchored by a label holder attached to the front of the display rack.
Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the device of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary cross sectional view as taken generally
on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.
Fig. 5 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a second embodiment of
the invention, in which a plastic clip device is utilized at the front of the
display
rack to anchor the pusher spring.
Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the clip device of Fig. 5.
Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view as taken generally on line 7-7 of Fig. 5.
Fig. 8 is an end elevational view of the device shown in Fig. 5.
Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the invention, in
which the pusher spring is anchored by means of a plastic base member
CA 02438973 2003-08-29
attached to the front of the rack and used for the mounting of adjustable side
supports.
Fig. 10 is an enlarged, fragmentary cross sectional view as taken
5 generally on line 10-10 of Fig. 9.
Fig. 11 is a simplified end view of a display rack incorporating a modified
form of pusher arrangement according to the invention, illustrating three
levels of
display assemblies, each with the pusher in a different position and different
configuration.
Description of Preferred Embodiments
Referring now to the drawings, and initially to Figs. 1-4 thereof, the
reference numeral 10 designates generally a wire display rack of a type
adapted
for mounting on a display panel, such as apertured panel board, slat wall,
etc.
The rack is comprised of front and back cross bar wires 11, 12 to which are
secured (typically by welding) a plurality of longitudinal support wires 13-
16. The
four longitudinal wires 13-16 are supported in a common plane and provide
support for merchandise packages 17, indicated in broken lines in Fig. 1.
In the illustrated form of the invention, the laterally outer wire supports
13,
16 are joined at their front ends by an integral looped portion 18, which
forms a
vertical front stop for the packaged items 17. The internal support wires 14,
15
terminate at their forward ends at the front cross bar 11. At their back ends,
the
wire supports 14, 15 extend beyond the rear cross bar 12 and are shaped to
form
upwardly extending portions 19, 20 terminating in hook portions 21, 22
respectively. The hook portions 21, 22 are adapted to be received in openings
provided in apertured panel board, slat wall panels, etc., such that the
display
rack can be mounted on a display panel with the support wires 13-16 extending
outwardly therefrom for displaying the merchandise packages 17.
CA 02438973 2003-08-29
6
Pursuant to the invention, the display rack 10 is provided with a unique
form of pusher sled 23, which is comprised of a single sheet of rigid vinyl
material, preferably extruded as a continuous section and cut to length. The
pusher sled includes a flat front panel 24 preferably generally vertically
disposed,
and a similar, generally flat back panel 25, which is joined at its upper edge
with
the front panel along a rounded fold 26 and preferably extends downward at a
slight angle (for example 15 degrees) to the plane of the front wall 23. The
sled
23 preferably extends across the full width of the display rack and the
respective
panels thereof include laterally opening notches 27, 28. The notches are
horizontally disposed and have a height slightly greater than the diameter of
the
outside wires 13, 16, so as to be received over the wires for easy sliding
movement in forward and rearward directions.
In the illustrated form of the invention, where the display rack includes a
pair of internal support wires 14, 15, the sled panels 24, 25 are provided
with
downwardly opening notches 29, 30 which loosely receive the internal wires 14,
15 to accommodate easy forward and rearward sliding movement of the sled,
with the sled being supported by the laterally opening notches 27, 28. The
downwardly opening notches 29, 30 advantageously are large enough to provide
a clearance space above the internal wires 14, 15. However, the space between
inside edges of the vertical notches 29, 30 beneficially can be such that,
when
the sled is aligned perpendicularly across the display rack 10, the inside
edges of
the vertical notches 29, 30 are close to the inside surfaces of the wires 14,
15, in
order to insure proper lateral alignment of the sled 23 relative to the wires
13-16
during forward and rearward movements of the sled.
The sled 23 preferably is produced by continuous extrusion of rigid vinyl
material, in the cross sectional configuration shown in, for example, Fig. 3,
with a
generally uniform material thickness of approximately 1/16th of an inch. As
the
CA 02438973 2003-08-29
7
material exits the extrusion operation, it can be cut to desired lengths,
which may
vary according to the particular size and shape of the display rack, as will
be
understood. In conjunction with the cutting to length of the individual sleds,
they
will be preferably processed at the same time to form the several laterally
opening side notches 27, 28 and downwardly opening vertical notches. 29, 30.
The operations involved are inexpensive and efficient, resulting in a sled
which
can be produced at far less cost than by the more typical production processes
involving injection molding, for example.
At the same time that the several notches 27-30 are being formed in the
sled, the front panel 24 of the sled is also being provided with one or a
plurality of
short, horizontal slots 31, 32. In the illustrated form of the invention, the
slot 31 is
formed in the center of the front panel 24, while two additional slots 32 are
formed, one on either side of the center slot 31, generally aligned with the
spaces
between the pairs of longitudinal wires 13-14 and 15-16. The slots 31, 32
perform an important function with respect to positioning and confinement of a
coiled strip pusher spring 33, as will be more fully described.
In order to install the sled 23 onto the display rack 10, the front and back
panels 24, 25 are squeezed closely together along their bottom edges until the
bottom edges are substantially in contact. The thus compressed panels are then
disposed at an angle to the perpendicular, with respect to the support wires
13-
16 of the rack, and the panels may be distorted slightly if necessary, to
enable
the laterally opening notches 27, 28 to be received over the outer support
wires
13, 16. In this respect, the respective front and back sled panels 24, 25 are
preferably slightly wider than the width of the display rack, as defined by
the
outside support wires 13, 16, such that the compressed sled panels must be
disposed at an angle and/or distorted in order to fit in the space between the
outside wires 13, 16. Once the laterally opening notches 27, 28 are aligned
with
the outside wires 13, 16, the panels may be rotated to a perpendicular
CA 02438973 2003-08-29
8
orientation, across the width of the display rack, and they may be released
from a
compressed condition and allowed to assume a normal configuration as shown in
Figs. 1 and 3, for example, with the panel bottom edges spaced apart. The
width
of the downwardly opening notches 29, 30 is sufficiently greater than the
diameter of the inner support wires 14, 15 to accommodate the described
angular orientation of the sled panels 24, 25 during the installation
operations.
Once the sled 23 is properly positioned on the support wires, it is vertically
supported by the outside wires 13, 16 and laterally guided by the inside wires
14,
15.
The sled 23 is intended to be movable in a substantially friction free
manner in forward and rearward directions along the support wires 13, 16. The
vinyl material itself, of which the sled 23 is formed, has advantageous low
friction
characteristics. Additionally, we have found it to be very advantageous to
provide a painted coating on the outer surfaces of the support wires 13, 16,
as
this results in a further significant reduction of sliding friction of the
sled 23.
Advantageously, painting can be performed after construction and assembly of
the wire elements of the rack, preferably by an electrostatic powder coating
operation, in which the paint is cured and fused under heat immediately
following
electrostatic powder coating operations.
Pursuant to the invention, the coiled strip spring 33, in itself typical of
those used for activating product pusher sleds, is positioned between the
front
and back panels 24, 25 of the sled 23, but is not otherwise housed or
confined.
The outer end section 34 of the spring is led outward through the horizontal
slot
31 in the front wall panel 24 and extends to the front of the display
assembly,
where it is anchored in a manner to be described. The uncoiled end portion 34
of
the spring is both supported and confined by the edges of the slot 31, which
in
turn serves to support and position the coiled body 35 of the spring. No
CA 02438973 2003-08-29
9
additional confinement for the spring 33 is required. The natural tendency for
the
spring 33 to recoil itself, causes the spring to press forwardly against the
inside
surface of the front panel 24, constantly urging the sled 23 in a forward
direction
to move the packages 17 to the front of the display, up against the front stop
18.
As the sled 23 moves forward and rearward on the wire supports 13, 16, the
spring 33 simply uncoils or recoils, depending upon the direction of movement.
In a display assembly in which the rack is mounted on a display panel, it is
frequently necessary to provide a label holder for the display of pricing and
other
product information. When the use of a label holder is necessary or desirable
for
that purpose, it is convenient to utilize the label holder in the additional
capacity
of providing a means for anchoring the forward end of the pusher spring 33.
In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1-4, the free end 34
of the spring is anchored in a novel and advantageous manner by means of a
label holder 36 mounted at the front of the display rack. The label holder
consists of a plastic extrusion, formed with front and back primary panels 37,
38
joined at their bottom edges 39 to form a pocket for receiving an information
label
40. The label holder is designed for clip-on attachment to the front cross bar
11
of the display rack. To this end, the label holder includes first and second
integral clip elements 41, 42 which define an enclosure 43 for the reception
of the
cross bar 11 and a restricted opening 44 to enable the label holder to be
clipped
onto the cross bar and retained thereon unless intentionally removed.
The illustrated form of label holder advantageously is of extruded
construction, cut to a length to fit between the outside wire support elements
13,
16, as reflected in Fig. 2. In addition, the clip-forming elements 41, 42 are
provided with notched-out portions 45, 46, shown in Fig. 2, to accommodate the
presence of the inside wire support elements 14, 15.
CA 02438973 2003-08-29
As shown particularly in Fig. 4, the forward extremity of the spring section
34 is permanently bent to provide first and second offset portions 47, 48. The
first portion 47 extends generally downward, and the second offset portion 48
extends forward, generally parallel to the main portion of the spring section
34,
5 as indicated in Fig. 4. The spring section 34 is anchored to the label
holder by
inserting the offset portions 47, 48 downwardly through a slot 49 formed in an
upper wall portion 50 of the clip-forming element 42. To advantage, the spring
end is inserted into the slot 49 before the label holder is mounted on the
cross
bar 11. Thereafter, when the label holder is installed onto the cross bar 11
in the
10 manner shown in fig. 4, the spring end portion 47, 48 is effectively locked
in the
slot 49 against other than intentional removal.
In the illustrated form of the invention, multiple pusher springs 33 may be
employed if desired, to provide an additional pushing force for handling of
products of greater weight. For example, in the specific embodiment
illustrated in
Figs. 1-4, any combination of one, two or three springs may be employed. The
use of a single spring is specifically illustrated in Figs. 1-4. If two
springs were
desired, they would be installed and confined between the front and back
pusher
walls, substantially as indicated in Fig. 3, with forwardly extending portions
of the
springs passing through the outboard slots 32 and anchored forwardly in the
label holder 36, by means of anchor slots (not shown) corresponding to the
slot
49. If a third spring were desired, the illustrated central spring would be
retained,
along with two additional springs extended through the outboard openings 32.
Pursuant to the invention, the use of multiple pusher springs requires no
additional complicated moldings or the like. This provides for a high degree
of
flexibility in the setup of the display assembly, without any significant
additional
cost.
In some circumstances, display racks may be mounted on a display panel
without the need or desire for a label holder to be mounted at the front of
the
CA 02438973 2003-08-29
11
display rack. In such cases, a simple, easily attached clip-on anchor device
of
the type shown in Figs. 5-8 may be employed to secure the forward end of the
pusher spring or springs. The anchor clip of Figs. 5-8 advantageously is a
molded plastic part consisting of a central enclosure 52 with integral clip
portions
53, 54 extending from opposite sides thereof. The clip portions 53, 54
advantageously are of inverted U-shape configuration, formed with downwardly
facing entrance openings 55, 56 of somewhat smaller width than the diameter of
the front cross bar wire 11. The arrangement is such that the clip-on device
51
may be mounted on the cross bar wire 11 by pressing downwardly on the clip
portions 53, 54 on each side of the enclosure 52 until the device snaps into
place
snugly gripping the wire 11.
The overall length of the clip-on device 51 is slightly less than the space
between the internal support wires 14, 15, and also somewhat less than the
spaces between the wires 13-14 and 15-16. Accordingly, the clip-on device 51
can be installed in any or all of the three spaces formed by the support
elements
13-16, to accommodate one, two or three pusher springs.
As shown in Fig. 7, the enclosure 52 is provided with a thin vertical slot 57
for receiving the offset end portions 47, 48 of the spring end 34. These
offset
portions 47, 48 are inserted in the slot 57 before the clip-on device 51 is
installed
on the cross bar wire 11. Once the clip device is installed, the offset end
portions
47, 48 are effectively locked to the clip-on device by the presence of the
cross
bar element 11, as is indicated in Fig. 7.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, shown in Figs. 9 and 10, a
display rack 60 is designed to be supported on a shelf, for example, rather
than
being suspended on a display panel as in the embodiment shown in Figs. 1-4.
The display rack 60 of Figs. 9 and 10 include spaced-apart support elements
13,
16 joined at the front by an integral, upwardly extending loop 18 forming a
front
CA 02438973 2003-08-29
12
stop. Front and back cross bar elements 11, 12 are fixed to the wire supports
13,
16 at opposite ends thereof. Internal wire supports 14a, 15a are fixed at
opposite
ends to the respective cross bars 11, 12 and function generally in the same
manner as support elements 14, 15 of the first-described embodiment, except
that the elements 14a, 15a terminate at the back cross bar element 12.
A pusher sled 23, which can be the same as, and will function the same
as the pusher sled of the Fig. 1-4 embodiment, is mounted on the support
elements 13-16 and houses a coil spring (not shown) between its front and back
panels 24, 25. A forward extension 34 of the spring extends through a
horizontally elongated opening 31 in the front wall panel 24 to an anchor
point at
the front of the display rack.
The embodiment of Figs. 9 and 10 incorporates special plastic base
members 61, 62 at the front and back which attach to the cross bars 11, 12 and
support the display rack a short distance above a shelf or other support
surface
upon which the base members are resting, in order to allow the pusher sled 23
to
move freely over the top of the surface.
An important function of the base member 61, 62, which is described more
fully in our co-pending applications Serial No. 10/024,153 and application
Serial
No. 10/219,800, filed August , 2002 [Our File 0094-127P] is to mount
adjustable side guides 63, 64. The side guides, and the features of the base
members 61, 62 which accommodate them, do not form features of the present
invention, but are conveniently utilized in certain cases where lateral
confinement
of the product is important. Indeed, even in a rack configuration of the
general
type shown in Fig. 1, for example, where the rack is designed to be mounted on
a display panel, it may be desired to utilize base members 61, 62 in order to
enable the use of the adjustable side guides 63, 64.
CA 02438973 2003-08-29
13
In the embodiment of Figs. 9 and 10, the base members 61, 62 typically
will be of identical construction, preferably injection molded using an
engineering
plastic material, such as Celcon, an acetal polymer marketed by Celanese
Corporation. As indicated in Fig. 10, the base members include first and
second
downwardly opening transverse recesses 65, 66 for the reception of
transversely
extending portions 67, 68 of the respective side guides 63, 64. The transverse
elements 67, 68 are snugly received in the recesses 65, 66 to accommodate
transverse adjustment thereof while effectively retaining the side guides in
their
adjusted positions during normal use.
An upwardly opening recess 69 is provided in the base member to receive
the cross bar element 11. The entrance opening into the recess 69 is slightly
less than the diameter of the cross bar element 11, enabling the element to be
inserted into the recess 69 by a snap-in action and retained therein until
intentionally separated.
Pursuant to the invention, the base members 61, 62 are formed with one
or more hollow enclosures 70. Preferably, there are as many of the hollow
enclosures 70 as there are slotted openings in the pusher sled 23, with the
enclosure 70 being generally aligned with such slotted openings, as reflected
in
Fig. 9.
As shown in Fig. 10, the enclosures 70 are formed with an entrance slot
71 for the reception of offset portions 47, 48 of the spring section 34. In
order to
insert the offset portions 47, 48 into the slot 71, the adjustable guide 63 is
withdrawn sufficiently to clear its transverse portion 67 to a position away
from
the slot 71. The offset portions 47, 48 may then be inserted into the slot and
allowed to assume a normal position, with the offset portion 48 disposed in
the
space above the transverse rod portion 67, as reflected in Fig. 10. Once the
spring end is installed, the normal forces applied thereto, which are directed
CA 02438973 2003-08-29
14
generally horizontally, will not cause the spring end to be withdrawn from the
slot
71.
Although only a single spring is illustrated in Fig. 9, it will be understood
that one two or three springs may be employed in the specifically illustrated
embodiment, as previously explained.
An advantageous modification of the invention is shown in Fig. 11 in which
rack displays 80, 81 and 82 are shown mounted at various levels on a display
panel 83. Each of the displays 80-82 is identical construction, comprising a
rack
formed of two or more spaced apart wire rods 84 extending from front to back
and slideably supporting a pusher sled 85. In general, the pusher sled 85
corresponds to the sled 23 previously described, consisting of front and back
pusher panels 86, 87 respectively joined at the top 88. The panels 86, 87 are
formed with openings near the bottom edges thereof corresponding in general to
those of the pusher sled 23, enabling the sled 85 to slide easily in front-to-
back
and back-to-front directions along the wire rods 84 of the display rack. A
coiled
strip spring 89 is positioned between the front and back pusher panels 86, 87
and has a portion passing through a front opening (not shown in Fig. 11) and
extending forward to an anchor point at the front of the display, all as
previously
described herein.
In the modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 11, the inverted V-
shaped configuration of the pusher sled 85 is characterized by the front panel
86
being considerably shorter than the back panel 87. As a result, when the sled
is
in a"normaP' position, not being under any stress, the sled has a forward lean
configuration shown in the middle level display 81 of Fig. 11.
As shown in the middle level display 81 of Fig. 11, the forwardmost
position of the sled 85 is limited by engagement of the forward panel 86 with
a
CA 02438973 2003-08-29
base 90 of the display rack. Typically, this is some distance behind the front-
stop
element 91 of the display rack, as is evident in the display 81. However, by
reason of the forward lean of the pusher front panel 86, the upper portion of
the
front panel is substantially closer to the front stop 91 than the lower
portion. As a
5 result, even a thin package mounted in the display rack can be pushed
forward
into contact with the front stop 91, or substantially so, by upper portions of
the
front panel 86.
During loading of the display rack with product items, the sled 85 is
10 progressively pushed back, as reflected in the lower display unit 82 of
Fig. 11.
During the loading process, the front panel 86 can be tilted rearwardly, by
pressure against upper portions thereof. The back panel 87 in such a case will
reorient itself, by widening the base of the inverted V. This action is easily
accommodated by the somewhat flexible connection 88 between the front and
15 rear panels, which are preferably formed in a continuous extrusion process,
but
are configured in the nature of flat, folded sheet-like panels.
Upon continued insertion of product items 92 into the display, the point
eventually will be reached when the lower portion 93 of the back panel engages
the rear base member 94 of the display rack. This forms a positive stop
against
further movement of the lower portion 93 of the panel. However, as a unique
and
advantageous feature of the invention, the pusher sled 85 can be displaced
further to the rear by continued insertion of product items until the bottom
portion
94 of the front panel 86 contacts or nearly contacts the bottom portion 93 of
the
back panel. To enable this, the back panel 87 bows outward to the rear, as
shown in the upper display 80 of Fig. 11. The coiled strip spring 89, which at
this
point is considerably smaller than when the sled is in its forwardmost
position, is
displaced upward, if necessary, into the upwardly enlarging space defined by
the
lower portions of the respective front and back panels 86, 87.
CA 02438973 2003-08-29
16
By enabling the front panel 86 to be displaced rearwardly to a limit position
in which it contacts the lower end of the back panel, additional space is
provided
in the display rack for inserting one or two additional product items
(depending, of
course, upon the thickness of the product packaging).
In any of its forms, the assembly of the invention provides an
extraordinarily effective and economical arrangement for pushing products
forward in a product display. The pusher sled itself is essentially a flat
sheet of
plastic, configured in an inverted V-shaped form, which can easily be produced
by continuous extrusion. The design of the sled and its configuration is such
that
the pusher spring can simply be confined between the front and back walls of
the
sled, without any other containment walls. The assembly is one of ultimate
simplicity and economy and represents a significant advance over known
apparatus for this purpose.
It should be understood, of course, that the specific forms of the invention
herein illustrated and described are intended to be representative only, as
certain
changes may be made therein without departing from the clear teachings of the
disclosure. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following appended
claims in determining the full scope of the invention.
