Multi-package adjustable shelf display dispenser.

Description of equivalent WO 9115141 A1

MULTI-PACKAGE ADJUSTABLE SHELF DISPLAY DISPENSER

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

0003The present invention relates to shelf display an placement of packages.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

0005Prior art displays such as disclosed in Jackie III e al., U.S. 4,762,236, provide coil springs moving a trolle or pusher so as to advance packages for ardly of a displa shelf. Stevens 2,652,154 also discloses a similar trolle biased by a rubber strand requiring a roller and anchorin pin. Ord, U.S. 3,291,544, discloses an article dispensin system with a spring biased pusher. Hawkinson, U.S 4,729,481, discloses a packaged goods advancing system i which a tensioned sheet or belt is provided for advancin the goods. Dechirot, U.S. 4,821,894 and Roberts, U. 4475,658, disclose mounting packages with a coil sprin coupled for urging a thrust plate and inventory contro cards for advancing the packages, respectively. These prio art structures are very elaborate and contemplate solvin complicated storage and preventing problems with complicate apparatus. THE INVENTION

0006By the present invention, the packages which are moved forward in parallel columns as each forward package is removed, are pushed by pusher elements which are laterally displacable to accommodate and position different sized packages. Tray elements incorporating laterally displaceable pusher elements provide stable placement of the pushers.and are provided in modular sections to convert shelves to package display and placement apparatus.

0007This invention relates to shelf displays for packages of the type in which packages are moved forward in parallel columns for display and presenting for dispensing one by one from each column. In any given column the packages may be of uniform size, nonetheless, adjacent columns may feed different sized packages. It is an object of the invention to provide an assembly for feeding variant and variable sized processions in parallel formation. It is a further object to provide for ready adjustment of the dispenser to accommodate various package dimensions. It is an object to provide a relatively low-cost (non-labor intensive) structure, that is readily and conveniently adjustable to arrange for displaying packages and for presenting such packages one by one for removal from a display shelf. It is a further object of the invention to provide such a structure the capability of last in, last out feed maintain stock freshness and visual display of on she inventory.

0008In the first instance, the objects of the invention a carried out by the provision of a coil spring riding on trolley with the end of the coil spring secured adjacent forward wall on a shelf with the trolley being movable in slot or on rails from a rearmost position where sever packages have been disposed in front of it to a forwardmos position as each package in the procession of packages i removed from the front of the shelf. The trolley is movabl laterally either by disposing it on a slide which slide i received at its forward and rearward ends in vertical slot in the rearward and forward walls of a display tray dispose on a shelf; or by positioning the trolley within one o several side by side and laterally spaced slots formed in shelf having a forward wall.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

0010Fig. 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of th invention.

0011Fig. 2 is a fragmentary isometric exploded view of th same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of a segment of Fig. 1.

0012Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

0013Fig. 5 is taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

0014Fig. 6 is a schematic top plan view of a shelf providing laterally spaced slots for receiving a coil spring trolley; and

0015Fig. 6A is a schematic sectional view of the shelf of Fig. 6 taken along lines 6A-6A of Fig. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

0017Referring more specifically to the drawings, the display mechanism 20 comprises a tray 22 having an upstanding wall 24 with a dentate vertical groove structure 26 formed on the inward facing side of wall 24. A similar upstanding rearward wall 28 faces the wall 24 and has its dentate structure 30 facing toward the wall 24 and in register therewith. The dentate structures 26 and 30 preferably but not necessarily extend vertically the whole heighth of the walls 24, 28. The sides of the tray provide female and ma dove-tails 72, 74 respectively for stable connection adjacent trays 22 upon an existing display shelf.

0018Vertical structures or guides 26, 30 in correspondi register one to the other receive the spacers or walls 32 define a channel for guidance of a procession or column packages 34 and 36. As shown in Fig. 1, packages 36 have larger dimension than the packages 34. Therefore, t channel formed by the spacers 32 is wider for packages 36 indicated by the dimension A than the width for packages indicated by the dimension B. These distances, A and B, c be varied by selection of registering guides 26, 30 in whi the spacers 32 are supported.

0019The spacers 32 may be eliminated when packages a shaped as to minimize lateral displacement when push forward in a procession.

0020Mounted between a pair of walls 32 is a feed structu or slide 38 having side rails 40 and 42 (Fig. 2) whic engage vertical grooves of the dentate structures 26 and 30 Rails 40, 42 are joined and spaced by plate 62. A pushe foot 44 has a horizontal plate 46, a vertical pusher plat 48 and supporting triangular spaced braces 50, 52. Braces 5 and 52 form with pusher plate 48 a chamber to contain th coil spring 56. The plate 48 has formed in it an opening 58 communicating with the chamber through which the terminal catch 60 and body portion 57 of spring 56 may extend and be drawn out as shown in Fig. 4. Tension of coil spring 56 urges the coil against plate 48 while braces 52, 50 prevent twisting of coil and body portion 57. The plate 62 supports parallel tracks 70 and has formed in it a slot 64 communicating with an enlarged aperture 63 formed in plate 62. A plow 65 is secured to the bottom of plate 46. Plow 65 has a vertical member 66 carrying a horizontal flange 68. The plow 60 engages slot 64 while its plate 46 rides on tracks 70. The flange 68 holds down plow 60 while spring 56, with its catch 60 secured in aperture 63 (see Fig. 4) urges the pusher 44 forward (to the left in Fig. 1).

0021In operation, the mechanism 20 may be extended as a retail shelf construction or the mechanism 20 or several of them in side by side relation may be placed on an existing retail shelf or in any desirable cabinet or supplied with a cover (not shown) covering all but the front end, shown at the left in Fig. 1. Packages 34, 36 ride on rails 40, 42. To load packages, the pusher foot 44 is moved to the right and new packages added preferably to the rear (right Fig. 1). The packages are fed, one at a time, to the front of the machine at the left. The pusher foot 44 under the urging of the spring 56 slides the packages forward on rails 40, 42 between the adjustable walls 32 to the front end of th machine (left as shown in Fig.1).

0022Dimensions of the tray 22 are a matter of discretio as to width and depth. Regardless of its dimensions an regardless of the number of slides 38 employed, spacin between the walls 32 is adjustable and the centering of th slides 38 in the channel formed between the walls 32 in al adjusted positions is made possible.

0023The spacers 32 may be eliminated when packages ar shaped to provide flat adjacent surfaces fore and aft an lateral displacement is minimized. In such instances, th rails 40, 42 of the feed structure 38 are positioned i selected vertical grooves of walls 26, 30 to center th forward force against the center of the rearmost package.

0024The invention conceptually contemplates the provisio of a shelf 100 as depicted in Figs. 6 and 6a, provided wit laterally-spaced slots 101 for receiving and guiding pushe foot 102 mounting a coil spring 103. The distal end 103A o the coil spring is secured to a pin 104 at the forwar portion of the shelf which also provides an upstanding wal 105 against which the front package of the procession o packages is forced and which serves as a stop. The base o the pusher foot has an integral plow 106 and a hold-dow plate 107 to slide along slot 101. An enlarged aperture 163 communicates with the slot 101 and is of sufficient size to permit transfer of the plate 107, plow 106 and pusher foot 102 to any selected slot 101. Free end 103a of spring 103 is secured to a pin 104 at the end of the corresponding selected slot 101.

0025Springs 56 and 103 are shown mounted so the free end leads from the top of the coil (spring 56) or from the bottom of the coil (spring 103). I have found both these arrangements useful. Spring 56 as shown presses downwardly as well as forwardly, while spring 103 as show tends to lift the pusher upwardly.