AU4878599A - Merchandise display - Google Patents

Description

P/00/01Il Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION S.0 STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: MERCHANDISE DISPLAY The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: FHPMELC69926001 1.6 CD/99257012.3 llk MERCHANDISE DISPLAY Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to merchandise display, and is concerned in particular aspects with a merchandise display assembly of a kind- incorporating a spring loaded pusher, and with a modular storage or display system.

Background Art It is known to present items for customer selection in rows arranged front to back with slidably mounted spring-loaded pusher devices engaging the backs of the rows to urge them forward as items are removed from the front. A problem with these arrangements is a tendency for store staff to refill the rows from the front, pushing unsold stock back against the pusher as they do so, with a not uncommon result that stock at the backs of the rows becomes stale and must be discarded.

*In order to facilitate reloading of the rows, it has been proposed that a releasable latch be provided for each pusher at the rear of its track. For example, in British patent application 2290077, the pusher may be pushed back along its support plate against its roll spring from front to rear, where a latch plate is depressed by hand to engage a pair of hooks in apertures in the support plate. A small manual adjustment of the pusher automatically releases this engagement once the row is reloaded with stock. In the assembly disclosed in international patent publication W096/13188, a drawstring is used to pull the pusher plate back, against the action of its roll spring, to latch it behind a depressible catch, and the pusher itself is partly hingedly collapsible to facilitate access for reloading.

In both of these arrangements, each pusher must be separately manually cocked back against its spring to a latching position, and then a further manual action is necessary to release the latching of the pusher.

In another known arrangement, the pushers may be lifted up and latched at CD/99257012.3 2 their forward position and a drawer for holding the stock pulled further out for reloading. This further withdrawal of the drawer is against the spring and it is necessary to hold the drawer at its extended position while using the other hand to reload.

It is accordingly an object of this invention, at least in one of its aspects, to provide an improve pusher and drawer configuration that encourages and facilitates reloading of the or each row of stock at the rear, ie. behind the leftover stock.

A further object of the invention, at least in another of its aspects, is to provide a modular shelving system with an interaction between uprights and shelf or display units which is an improvement over conventional systems where the shelf or display units are moved back to engage the uprights.

Summary of the Invention The invention accordingly provides, in a first aspect, a merchandise display 15 assembly that includes a drawer unit for retaining items of merchandise in one or more rows arranged front to rear, and carrier means for supporting the drawer unit for sliding movement between a rear display position and a forward reload position in which the drawer unit may be reloaded with items. Spring-loaded respective pusher means are mounted for sliding movement to act on the rows of items to 20 urge them forwardly. Latch means is provided for latching the pusher means with respect to the carrier means at a forward position of the pusher means. The spring loading of the pusher means is independent of the drawer unit, whereby, while the pusher means is latched, the drawer unit may be freely pulled out to the forward reload position to remain there without substantial restraint.

Preferably, the latch means includes a transverse detente fixed to the carrier means, and a latch or hook unit that engages the detente in a manner permitting the drawer unit to be pivoted about the detente so as to be inclined when in the reload position.

CD/99257012.3 3 Preferably, the spring loading of the pusher means is by means of resiliently extendable spring means extending rearwardly from the latch or hook unit to the pusher means, and the latch or hook unit blocks further forward travel of the pusher means at the forward position of the pusher means. Preferably, this forward position is the forwardmost position of the pusher means.

Preferably, the latch or hook unit is arranged with a ramp-surface so as to be deflected past the detente on initial assembly of the drawer unit to the carrier means but to drop behind the detente for subsequent latching engagement therewith during reloading operations.

The carrier means advantageously includes a pair of side rails with one or more tracks with which projections, eg. pins, on the drawer unit are slidably engagable. Means is preferably provided to releasably latch the drawer unit to the carrier means in the display position: this will typically be required after reloading when the drawer unit is pushed back in, the newly full rows pushing the pusher means back against the loading spring.

"0 In a second aspect, the invention is directed to a modular storage or display system that includes a plurality of uprights each having side flanges and a front web linking the flanges at substantially rectangular vertical corners having a multiplicity of vertical spaced slots. A plurality of storage or display units have 20 rearwardly projecting fittings for attachment to the uprights by moving the units o towards the uprights to engage the fittings with the slots. These fittings each include a rearwardly projecting body and a pair of lugs extending laterally from the body, one generally above the other. The slots each include a first portion in the web to receive a respective said lug when a storage or display unit is pushed towards the uprights, and a second portion in the adjacent side flange having a horizontal open-fronted leg and a vertical blind leg to receive the lug. The storage or display unit is thereby supported cantilever fashion by four of the lugs located in the respective vertical blind legs of four slots.

Preferably, each slot has a pair of blind legs whereby engagement of the respective lugs of respective fittings with different ones of the blind legs achieves CD/99257012.3 4 an inclined disposition of the storage or display unit.

The invention is also directed to a configuration embodying both aspects of the invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a three-dimensional view of a frame of uprights for a modular display shelving system according to an embodiment of the second aspect of the invention; 0*o0. 10 Figure 2 is a somewhat diagrammatic set of corresponding side elevations showing a single display unit in the different available mounting positions on the frame illustrated in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of part of an upright of the system; Figure 4 is an isometric view of a drawer unit forming a component of the display unit shown in Figure 1, depicting features of an embodiment of the first aspect of the invention; Figure 5 is an isometric view of one of the side rails of the carrier unit that supports the drawer unit; Figure 6 is an enlarged plan view of a mounting lug; Figure 7 is a side elevation of the interior face of a carrier side rail, showing the track arrangement; Figure 8 is an isometric view of a slider; CD/99257012.3 Figure 9 is a set of views of the pusher; Figure 10 is a set of views of the hook member; and Figures 11-13 are respective schematic side elevations showing the interaction between the drawer unit, pusher and hook member respectively in a condition where there is only one product left, in an inclined relo.ading position of the drawer unit, and in a partially reloaded condition.

Preferred Embodiments The illustrated modular merchandise display shelving system 10 includes a set of laterally spaced uprights 12 and plural display units 11 that are detachably, mountable to the uprights in cantilever fashion. Display units 11 include carrier units with a pair of side rails 22, having tracks (further described below) for slidably mounting respective drawer units 40. The carrier units and drawer units can be provided in a variety of different modular widths matching multiples of the spacing of uprights 10, and are each intended to carry multiple front to rear rows of 15 merchandise items 9 (Figures 11 to 13). Each row is urged forwardly as items are taken from the front by a respective pusher 60 which at its foremost position (Figure 11) is latched against further forward movement by a hook member while the drawer unit 40 is slidably pulled further out and tilted down to an inclined reload position (Figure 13).

It is proposed firstly to describe the manner in which the display unit may be supported cantilever fashion from uprights 12.

Each upright 12 is a metal box section beam in the form of a rectangular channel with an internal web 12a and side lips 13 for mounting purposes in a freestanding framework. Some of the beams are L-shaped to provide a base leg 12b for floor support. The channel has side flanges 14, and a front web 15 linking the side flanges at respective upright rectangular corners 16. Pressed from the channel at equispaced intervals along the respective corners 16 are a multiplicity of identical slots 18.

CD/99257012.3 6 As best seen in Figure 3, each of these slots 18 has a front portion 81 in the web 15 of upright 12, and a further portion 82 trailing back as a horizontal leg along the side flange of the upright to terminate in depending blind leg 84. A second blind leg 85 depends at an intermediate position from horizontal leg 82 and, for reasons shortly to be explained, is slightly longer than leg 84.

Projecting rearwardly and parallel from each carrier side rail is a flat plate bracket 89 with a pair of lugs 86 having a small diameter neck 87 (Figure 6) and a larger diameter head 88 in the form of a disc. These lugs 86 project laterally at the rear of plate 87, one above the other by a centre to centre spacing exactly equal to the spacing of slots 18. Necks 87 slide neatly in slot legs 82, 84, 85, while lug head 88 is larger but fits through slot portion 81.

Display unit 11 is engaged with the uprights 12 by moving the unit back at array of the uprights so that the respective lugs 86 of each bracket pass through the front portions 81 of a pair of slots 18 on respective ones of the uprights. The unit is then lowered to drop the lugs into the respective blind legs of the four slots 18 so that the display unit is supported cantilever fashion from the pair of uprights without the main body of display unit 11 actually touching the uprights. The actual configuration of the display unit can be horizontal, inclined downwardly or inclined upwardly as illustrated in Figure 1. It will be seen that the downwardly inclined condition relies on the two blind slot legs 84, 85 being on a uniform radius at their closed end from the closed end of the leg 84 of the slot below.

A typical drawer unit 40 is shown in Figure 4. It includes side panels 42, 43, a rear wall 44, and a front assembly 46 which is not detailed but includes an upstanding transparent panel 48 against which the rows of merchandise items abut while allowing the items to be better seen. A pair of elongate lips 52 at front and rear provide transverse rails on which are typically mounted plural dividers 54 and pusher sliders 56. Dividers 54 may thereby be moved transversely to any position, thus permitting display compartments 50 of varying width to suit product of varying width. Each such compartment 50 is fitted with at least one slider 56 on which the merchandise items seat, and which slidably carries a respective pusher CD/99257012.3 7 and hook member 70 for urging product rows in that compartment forwardly as the front product is withdrawn. Slider 56 is also transversely slidable on rails 52 to any intermediate position between the adjacent dividers 54.

The drawer unit slidably engages each of the side rails 22 in two respects.

Firstly, a longitudinal rib 58 on the side panel 42, 43 of the drawer unit slidably engages a matching rebate 24 at the upper edge of carrier side rail 22. Secondly, two offset laterally projecting pins 38a, 38b slidably engage respective parallel groove tracks 26, 27 (Figure 7) whose detailed profile will be further explained in due course. To guard against separation, the side panels 42, 43 may carry inverted channel plates 41 (Figure 4) that are fixed to the inside faces of the panels and extend along the outside of the respective carrier rails 41.

As already mentioned, the carrier unit 20 has a pair of side rails 22. These *are assembled by transverse web members (not shown) fixed in rectangular recesses 29 (Figure 7) on the inside faces of rails 22. Each side rail is an integral plastics component moulded about plate 89 so that the latter extends into the •interior of the side rail body with the shape indicated at 89a in broken lines in Figure o :-:*Attention is now turned to the pusher configuration and the way in which it is latched for reloading of the drawer unit. Each slider 56 (Figures 4 and 8) has 20 transverse slots 52a for riding rails 52, and deflectable snap tongues 98 for retention on rear wall 44 and front assembly 46 of drawer unit 40. Each slider 56 further has a central large opening or slot 57 extending substantially its full length.

Slot 57 has a rectangular rib 55 along each side by which pusher 60 and hook member 70 may be slidably snap fitted into place. Pusher 60 (figure 9) has a base plate 61 that rides on the top surface of slider 56, shallow ribs 62 being formed on the slider for minimising friction. Pusher 60 has a generally U-shaped body viewed in plan, with a flat front wall 63 that engages and pushes the rearmost item of merchandise, and side walls 64 defining a space in which a roll spring 65 (Figures 11 to 13) is mounted. Depending laterally deformable lugs 66, 67 have outside heads 68 for releasably engaging under ribs 55 to retain the pusher in place in slot 57 for smooth sliding movement along the slot.

CD/99257012.3 8 Hook member 70 is well illustrated in Figure 10. It has a pair of side runners 72 that engage the underside of slider 56, and a pair of lugs 76, 77 with heads 78 which are substantially identical to lugs 66, 67 and by which the hooked unit is also slidably retained in slot 57 but suspended underneath the slider.

Hook member 70 further has a deflectable tail 75 with a semi-circular scalloped recess 76 positioned to seat a rod 73 (Figures 11 to .13) that extends between side rails 22. Rod 73 is held in respective blind recesses 28 (Figure 7) near the front of the side rails. The exact position of this rod is significant, as will be seen.

Figure 11 illustrates the normal position of hook member 70, latched 9against forward movement by abutment with rod 73. The hook member also defines the front anchor point of roll spring 65. As the pusher 60 is forced back along slider 56, the spring is unwound from its other anchor point where it is rolled up in pusher 60. The spring thereby biases the pusher forward and this action is employed to urge a row of items on the slider forwardly as the front items are withdrawn. This condition, for a row of about half length, is depicted in Figure 11. It *o°9.

will be seen from this drawing how, when the carrier unit and drawer unit are first assembled to form the complete display unit (the system would typically be dismantable and thereby readily moveable), and the drawer unit is being pushed home for the first time, as the drawer unit approaches its rearmost position an inclined and curved ramp surface 79 on tail 75 will deflect and deform the tail upwardly before it drops over the rod 73. If it is desired to allow engagement with and from tracks 26, 27, there may be an entrance groove shown in broken lines at 27b. Alternatively, tail 75 may be substantially rigid, requiring the hook member to be separately installed on an assembly.

It will be appreciated that drawer unit 40 will be urged forwardly on its carrier rails by the action of roll spring 65 unless the drawer unit is latched to the carrier unit. This is achieved by engagement between the near perpendicular, slightly undercut surfaces of matching ratchet teeth 100, 102 on the underside of rib 58 (Figure 4) and in the rim of rebate 24 (Figure The latch is disengaged by using side tabs 104 of the drawer unit to lift the drawer slightly forwardly and CDJ99257012.3 9 upwardly to disengage the teeth 100, 102.

When items have been successively taken until there is only one left (Figure 12), pusher 60 reaches its foremost position, defined by engagement of its rail-engaging lugs 66, 67 with the corresponding lugs 76, 77 of hook member The reloading operation will now be described, with particular reference to Figure 13. The first step is to disengage the drawer unit from the side rail ratchet teeth as just described. The drawer unit is then withdrawn forwardly: the pusher will remain at the position defined by its engagement with the hook member, and these two components will relatively slide back along slot 57 as the drawer is 10 withdrawn. (It will of course be understood that there will normally be several e°° pusher/hook sets for each drawer). The arrangement of tracks 26, 27 is such that, as the drawer reaches its outermost position, it may be pivoted downwardly about an axis coincident with the axis of rod 73. This motion also pivots the hook member 70 about the rod. The lower of the tracks, 26, curves downwardly at 26a 15 to guide the forward pin 38a, while the rearward pin 38b tilts up into a notch 27a S 0 that provides a detente to define a fixed inclined reload position (Figure 13). Here, the pusher is well back out of the way and the row can be restocked from the rear in the correct manner, leaving the old product at the front.

S

When reloading of all rows in the drawer is complete, the drawer may 20 simply be pushed back, pivoting as it does so along the tracks, and then returned 5**555 t *to its retracted display position. The reloaded product rows will promptly strike their respective pushers, which will in turn be forced back, unwinding the roll springs and reloading the pushers. The core unit is latched home to engage the ratchets 100, 102 to lock the drawer unit against the forward biasing action of the roll springs.

Typically, the front assembly 46 of each drawer unit 40 will have self contained decorative or display lighting, or illuminated promotional material. To supply low voltage power for this purpose, the back wall of the modular shelving display system will typically have, between uprights 12, a pair of vertical conductive rails engaged by spring-loaded conductor contacts on the rear of each CD/99257012.3 carrier unit It will be understood that the illustrated merchandise display system has a number of useful features. A wide variety of different display and promotional units can be attached to the uprights 12. This attachment is simple to effect, yet resulting in a strong cantilever mount. The carrier/display assemblies can be placed in a level position or may be inclined for enhanced visibility and access. In either of these positions, the drawer units may be withdrawn to a further forward, further inclined reload position in which the pushers remain at the rear to facilitate reloading from the back. The latching of the pushers at the rear of this reload position is automatic and does not require separate manipulation of each pusher, and there is no need for any restraint on the drawers in the reload position because they are not being urged back by the pusher roll springs.

**It will be understood that the invention disclosed and defined in this specification extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from the text or drawings. All of these •different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the invention.

0 S So.

O0*.0 SOoe

Claims (4)

1. 6- 11 The claims defining the invention are as follows: 1. A merchandise display assembly including: a drawer unit for retaining items of merchandise in one or more rows arranged front to rear; carrier means for supporting the drawer unit for sliding movement between a rear display position and a forward reload position in which said drawer unit may be reloaded with items; and spring-loaded respective pusher means mounted for sliding movement to act on the rows of items to urge them forwardly; 10 wherein latch means is provided for latching said pusher means with respect to said carrier means at a forward position of the pusher means and wherein said spring loading of the pusher means is independent of said drawer unit, whereby, while said pusher means is latched, the drawer unit ~may be freely pulled out to said forward reload position to remain there 15 without substantial restraint. IOS 2. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein said latch means includes a transverse detente fixed to said carrier means, and a latch or hook unit that engages the detente in a manner permitting the drawer unit to be pivoted about the detente so as to be inclined when in the reload position. 3. An assembly according to claim 2, wherein said latch or hook unit is arranged with a ramp surface so as to be deflected past said detente on initial assembly of the drawer unit to the carrier means but to drop behind the detente for subsequent latching engagement therewith during reloading operations. 4. An assembly according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the spring loading of the pusher means is by means of resiliently extendable spring means CD/99257012.3 12 extending rearwardly from the latch or hook unit to the pushermeans, the latch or hook unit blocking further forward travel of the pusher means at said forward position of the pusher means. An assembly according to any preceding claim wherein said forward position is the forwardmost position of the pusher means. 6. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein said carrier means includes a pair of side rails with one or more tracks with which projections on the drawer unit are slidably engagable. An assembly according to any preceding claim, further including means to i 10 releasably latch the drawer unit to the carrier means in said display position.
2. 8. A merchandise display assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
3. 9. A modular storage or display system including: go::.a plurality of uprights each having side flanges and a front web linking the flanges at substantially rectangular vertical corners having a oe•multiplicity of vertical spaced slots; and .ooooi a plurality of storage or display units with rearwardly projecting fittings for attachment to the uprights by moving the units towards the uprights to engage said fittings with said slots; wherein said fittings each include a rearwardly projecting body and a pair of lugs extending laterally from the body, one generally above the other; and wherein said slots each include a first portion in said web to receive a respective said lug when a said unit is pushed towards the uprights, and a second portion in the adjacent side flange having a CD/99257012.3 13 horizontal open-fronted leg and a vertical blind leg to receive the lug; whereby said unit is supported cantilever fashion by four of said lugs located in the respective vertical blind legs of four slots. A system according to claim 9 wherein each of said slots has a pair of blind legs whereby engagement of the respective lugs of respective fittings with different ones of the blind legs achieves an inclined disposition of said unit.
4. 11. A system according to claim 9 or 10 wherein at least one of said storage or display units comprises a merchandise display assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 8. 10 12. A modular storage or display system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Philip Morris Limited By its Registered Patent Attorneys Freehills Patent Attorneys 17 September 1999