Supports: racks – Shelf type – With roller mounts
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-04
2001-07-31
Gibson, Jr., Robert W. (Department: 3634)
Supports: racks
Shelf type
With roller mounts
C211S090020, C211S090030, C211S119003, C211S175000, C211S088010, C312S118000, C312S126000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06267258
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to product containers, and more particularly to a gravity feed pull out shelf with rear storage area and associated method for displaying and storing a product.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Products such as lawn and garden products are typically produced at a manufacturing facility and thereafter shipped to a retail store such as a hardware store or the like in order to be sold to customers. Historically, such products have been packaged, shipped, and displayed to customers in numerous different manners. For example, relatively large or irregular shaped products such as garden hoses have been vertically stacked on flat wooden pallets or skids for shipment to the retail store and subsequent display. In particular, coiled sections of garden hose have heretofore been vertically stacked on a flat pallet, bundled in shrink wrap or the like, and shipped to a retail store. Once received at the retail store, the pallet is positioned in a display location such as under a retail shelf. Thereafter, the shrink wrap is removed in order to allow customers to select sections of the garden hose for purchase during a visit to the store.
However, such prior art shipping and displaying arrangements have a number of drawbacks associated therewith. For example, by vertically stacking the sections of garden hose on the pallet, the labels affixed to the hoses face directly upwardly thereby potentially rendering the labels difficult to see by the customer. Moreover, as indicated above, the pallet containing the vertically stacked sections of garden hose is typically positioned in the retail store at a location under a retail shelf. When the sections of garden hose near the front of the pallet are sold or otherwise removed from the pallet, the retailer must invest labor to “front” or otherwise pull the remaining sections of garden hose located at the rear of the pallet forward thereby increasing the retailer's direct labor costs. Alternatively, the retailer may opt to not front the remaining hose sections thereby potentially allowing the hose sections to go unnoticed by customers, or alternatively, potentially creating a situation in which the customer injures himself or herself by, for example, striking his or her head on the retail shelf under which the pallet is located.
On the other hand, relatively small products such as garden sprinklers and spray nozzles have heretofore been placed in cardboard shipping cartons for shipment to the retail store. In particular, the sprinklers or spray nozzles may initially be packaged in individual boxes and thereafter placed in a cardboard shipping carton which is shipped to a retail store. However, in some package designs, the sprinklers or spray nozzles may be placed directly into the shipping carton without the use of individual boxes. In any event, once received by the retail store, the shipping cartons are cut or otherwise opened such that the products therein may be removed and thereafter placed on a retail shelf within the store. Alternatively, the top and one or more of the sides of the shipping carton may be cut and thereafter removed by retail personnel so that the products within the remaining portion of the shipping carton can be displayed to customers.
However, such prior art shipping and displaying arrangements for use with such products likewise have a number of drawbacks associated therewith. For example, in the case of when the sprinklers and spray nozzles are removed from the shipping carton in order to individually placed on a retail shelf, the retailer must expend a relatively large amount of labor in order initially stock and thereafter maintain (e.g. restock) the products on the retail shelf. Moreover, as sprinklers or spray nozzles are removed from the front of the retail shelf, the retailer must provide additional labor in order to front the remaining sprinklers and spray nozzles located in the rear of the retail shelf thereby further undesirably increasing costs to the retailer. Moreover, in the case of where a portion of the shipping carton is cut and removed so that the remaining portion of the carton may be utilized to display the products therein, the retailer must provide relatively large amounts of labor in order to perform the multiple cuts which are necessary to prepare a single carton. Similarly to when the products are removed from the carton for display directly on the retail shelf, retail labor must be provided to front the products within the cutaway shipping carton when the products near the front of the carton are sold or otherwise removed.
Also, certain products such as rubber hose washers or spray nozzles are sold as “bulk” items. Such bulk products are not individually wrapped, boxed, or otherwise packaged, but rather are placed in substantially-horizontal hoppers or bins for display to a customer. Use of heretofore designed hoppers and bins is disadvantageous in that the remaining product within the hopper or bin may be difficult for a customer to view once the product level in the hopper or bin is lowered by, for example, sale to previous customers.
Moreover, a retailer typically maintains a certain amount of back stock of the bulk product. Back stock is an amount of product which is remaining after the hopper or bin containing the bulk product has been filled. Typically such back stock is maintained it the boxes or other type of container in which the product was shipped to the retailer. Typically the back stock boxes are stored in shelf locations above or below the shelf on which the hopper or bin is positioned. Such placement of the back stock boxes often renders the boxes difficult to find and/or access. In particular, since the back stock boxes are not located in the same general location as the hopper or bin containing the bulk product, a retailer may overlook the fact that it actually has quantities of the back stock remaining and unnecessarily order additional product.
What is needed therefore is a packaging assembly which overcomes one or more of the above-mentioned drawbacks. What is particularly needed is a package assembly which may be utilized to ship and display a product which does not require a relatively large amount of retail labor to maintain. What is also particularly needed is a retail assembly which may be utilized to both display a product while also conveniently maintaining back stock of the product.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a retail apparatus for storing and displaying a product. The apparatus includes a base member and a rack assembly movably secured to the base member. The rack assembly has a product bin and a storage rack. The storage rack is substantially horizontally disposed, whereas the product bin is positioned at an inclined orientation relative to the storage rack.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of storing and displaying a number of products. The method includes the step of providing a substantially horizontally disposed base member. The method also includes the step of movably securing a rack assembly to the base member, with the rack assembly having a product bin and a storage rack. The storage rack is substantially horizontally disposed, and the product bin is positioned at an inclined orientation relative to the storage rack. The method also includes the step of positioning a first plurality of the number of products in the product bin. In addition, the method includes the step of storing a second plurality of the number of products in a container positioned on the storage rack.
In accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a retail apparatus for storing and displaying a product. The apparatus includes a base member having a roller surface associated therewith and a rack assembly having a number of rollers rotatably secured thereto. The rack assembly has a product bin and a storage rack. The storage rack is substantially horizonta
McKinney Phil O.
Wilkerson Craig A.
Gibson , Jr. Robert W.
Gilmour, Inc.
Maginot Addison & Moore
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