Supports: racks – Special article – Stacked articles
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-03
2002-05-07
Stodola, Daniel P. (Department: 3634)
Supports: racks
Special article
Stacked articles
C211S184000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06382431
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to an adjustable shelf management system. More specifically, the present invention relates to an adjustable forward feeding display shelf management system for storing and displaying merchandise of a variety of shapes and sizes and automatically delivering the merchandise to the front of the shelf in seriatim. The shelf management system removably attaches to a shelf by inserting into a slot in the shelf.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Shelving is used extensively for stocking and storing products or merchandise in a variety of stores. Most stores have immovable shelving which is arranged back-to-back between aisleways. The nature of the fixed shelves makes it difficult to add and remove products. Moreover, such shelves make difficult the rotation of the shelved products, which involves moving the older stock to the front of the shelf and positioning new stock behind the older stock. Shelves are often configured to have a slot in the as front and may have a slot in the back.
In order to automatically move products forward as they are removed, numerous forward feed devices have been devised. These devices fall into three categories. The first category is inclined tracks relying on gravity to feed the product forward. Gravity feeding is unpredictable in that various materials slide easier than others because of different weights and frictional interfaces between the products and the track. The second category tries to overcome these problems by adding conveyor belts which still use gravity to effect forward movement. Of course, such devices are cumbersome, expensive and complicated due to the need to properly tension and track the conveyor belts.
The third category uses springs to feed the product forward. The springs result in a simple, inexpensive design which will smoothly move products forward. There have been a number of variations on this type of design.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Many spring-biased devices have the disadvantage that they can only be used for a very limited size of product. In addition, even if designed for variations in size, the designs are complicated and difficult to alter. Moreover, it has been discovered that most spring biased devices cannot tolerate high loads and that such loads may often disengage the spring-biasing assembly from the shelf management system.
Accordingly, the present invention involves an adjustable forward feeding shelf management system. The shelf management system is adjustable in a direction transverse to the direction of feeding, meaning the present display system is specifically designed to adjust to compliment containers and packaging having various widths. Moreover, the present display system also involves a simplified assembly process, as well as a stable spring biasing assembly. The present display system also benefits from a stable connection to the shelf, such that the product tracks and any dividers in-between the product tracks are securely locked to the front and optionally also to the rear of the shelf management system while still allowing the tracks and dividers to translate transverse to the front and rear of the shelf management system. The shelf attachment allows the product tracks and any dividers to snap into the shelf such that the tracks are stably and reversibly attached to the shelf, but the width can be easily adjusted.
Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention involves an adjustable shelf management system for storing and displaying products in a shelf-like orientation. The display reversibly attaches to the shelf at the front panel and alternatively, also to the back. The front panel and back panel extend generally parallel to one another and are separated by a fixed distance. The shelf management system further comprises one or more product tracks having raised rails extending generally transverse to the front and back panels and a removable pusher block slidably attached to the product track. The front panel and alternatively the back panel may include races that extend along the front and back panels or the front or back panel may be securely fastened onto the tracks as by riveting or gluing, for example. A biasing member biases the pusher block forward, and at least one divider is positioned between two adjacent product tracks. The product tracks and dividers may be slidably attached to the races of the front panel and also may be attached to races at the rear panel which allow for translational movement of the product tracks and dividers. Alternatively, the front or rear panel may be fastened to the product tracks and or dividers and individually attach within the slots on the shelves. The races at the front panel are composed of a flange which extends along the front panel and the shelf surface on the bottom. The back races may be the same as the front races or may simply comprise the shelf surface.
Yet a further aspect of the present invention involves a pusher block and track combination. The track includes a pair of raised rails having a generally T-shape. The pusher block has at least two sets of opposing flanges, wherein the opposing flanges attach to one of the rails at more than the top and outside surface of the rail, whereby the rail is captured between the set of opposing flanges, but slides backward and forward on the flanges.
A further object of the invention is an adjustable shelf management system for storing and displaying products in a shelf-like orientation. The system reversibly attaches to a shelf at the front panel and optionally also at the back panel. The front and back panels extend generally parallel to each other and are a substantially fixed distance relative to one another. The front panel and the back panel may include races and corresponding removable pusher block assemblies. Alternatively, the front or back panel may be fastened onto separate product tracks and/or dividers. The rack further comprises one or more product tracks. The product tracks include raised rails extending generally transverse to the front and back panels and being generally T-shaped. The removable pusher block assembly includes a pusher block slidably attached to the product track. The pusher block comprises two sets of opposing flanges. The flanges are arranged to capture the rails on both side edges of both rails. The pusher block assembly also has a biasing member urging the pusher block forward along the track. At least one divider is positioned between two adjacent product tracks and the product tracks and dividers are slidably attached to the races to allow movement of the product tracks and dividers from side to side along the front panel and the rear panel.
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Burke Display Systems, Inc.
Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP
Novosad Jennifer E.
Stodola Daniel P.
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