WO2011025483A1 - Product dispenser assembly and cartridge for holding product - Google Patents

Abstract

A product holding, displaying and dispensing assembly includes a dispenser housing having a feed channel and a dispensing location together with a pre-packed, shipping cartridge holding a plurality of product units. The cartridge is inserted and held within the dispenser housing as the product units move within the cartridge to the dispensing location where a consumer can access and remove one or more product units. After insertion, the cartridge is locked in place by an arrangement of the feed track when one or more cans remain in the cartridge, but can be removed easily when empty. Also, a system of retail store fixtures having downwardly mounted spring feeding pusher devices for pushing products toward the front of shelves. In one embodiment, the pusher devices extend downward from shelves and push products in open tray type of bulk product shipment containers on a lower shelf forward toward the consumer.

Description

PRODUCT DISPENSER ASSEMBLY AND CARTRIDGE FOR HOLDING PRODUCT

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of retail packaging and displays and, more particularly, to a retail product dispenser that receives a cartridge that holds product packages and further includes a feed mechanism to cause the product in the cartridge to be delivered to a consumer, while the cartridge remains at the dispenser location.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

There are a number of types of product displays; however, one of the basic product displays consists of traditional shelves on which individual products are placed. This arrangement is found in most retail stores, including clothing stores and in particular, in grocery stores. Typically, the products are arranged and loaded for bulk shipment into SKU cartons that are currently sized, designed and packed considering only operational and pallet size parameters and using package counts (usually based on dozens in English countries and based on tens in countries using the metric system).

For display and sale at a retail store, the individual product packages are then unpacked and removed from the SKU carton and placed either on the shelves or into any of a variety of conventional displays. This is a very time consuming and labor intensive task during which a store stocker cuts open the SKU carton and individually places the products. The product is arranged in rows, etc. and may be stacked on top of one another. The stocker then must discard the empty SKU carton and other packaging material as waste.

Another associated disadvantage of this arrangement is that the stocker must continuously check and rotate the stock so that it remains fresh. This requires continuously pulling the older stock forward and adding the newer stock behind it. This is a time consuming task and if delayed, the shelves develop an unkempt appearance. Further, if this stock rotation process is neglected, older stock may remain at the rear of the shelf, possibly past its expiration. A variety of displays which enable automatic stock rotation are known to the art, but all must be loaded with individual product packages, as previously described.

One at a time dispensing packages have been known to the art. Such packages usually comprise a vertical carton for housing a number of objects such as batteries or cans or other cylindrical objects, where a slot is perforated or cut in one side. For example, see U.S. Patents 902,347 "Vending Carton or Package"; 1,898,056 "Dispensing Carton"; 3,300,115 "Compartmented Dispensing Carton Formed from a Single Blank"; or

5,836,478 "Battery Dispenser". There have also been some horizontal dispensing cartons, such as 3,178,242 "One Piece Dispensing Carton for Cylindrical Objects". While such designs are called "dispensers", they do not actually dispense, but rather allow the products to feed by gravity toward an opening where an arrangement of walls in combination with said opening prevents them from issuing forth on their own, rather enabling a person to manually remove the items in a one-at-a-time manner. In essence they present the products for selection, but otherwise impede their issuance therefrom.

Some such cartons were designed for point-of-sale displays, such as US Patent 2,996,344 "Dispensing Carton" or 3,203,554 "Can Carton Rack". In such cases, the dispensing carton sits on a conventional shelf or an inclined wire rack of general applicability, and when a carton is empty another carton of another kind can be

substituted, which is not desirable from the point of view of the product manufacturer, who would like to retain the shelf space for its own products as proprietary retail space.

Serpentine racks for use with cans or other cylindrical packages are in common use in stores, where the cans are retained by rails or shelves on a back-and- forth path. For example, see US Patent 4,915,571 "Device for Loading Cans, Bottles or the like into a Dispensing Mechanism", or 6,991,116 "Multi-Chute Gravity Feed Dispenser Display".

Serpentine racks are most often fed manually one can at a time, although these two patents show the use of cartons or a specially designed device for dump type feeding the cans into the upper end of the serpentine.

While this intends to reduce stocking time and labor, it has the following drawbacks: When relatively heavy canned product packages, such as soup or canned vegetables and the like, are loaded one-at-a-time into typical roll-down, serpentine systems such as the patents above illustrate (especially when they are dump loaded), the cans pick up speed as they roll downward through the channels. At each transition, especially where vertical drops are involved, said cans literally "hammer" against the floor and wall surfaces of the display housing. This causes a significant durability problem for such devices, especially when they are fabricated of plastics, as they often are. The raucous noise it creates is also disconcerting to nearby shoppers and presents a negative shopping experience.

US Patents 3,055,293 "Storage and Dispensing Rack for Cans and the Like" and 3,923,159 "Product Display and Article Dispensing Device" combine vertical dispensing packages of cans from pre-existing conventional cartons with a gravity feeding rack or roll down serpentine tracks. These present the following disadvantages. The cartons are, like the prior art cited above, conventional boxes with slots cut or perforated on one end, the intent of which is to enable the cans to automatically issue forth from the carton and into the dispensing portions of the racks. Such packages are not specifically designed for the reliability of such can flow and have a tendency to mis-feed when two cans jam in the exit slot. This is especially true when the opening is not pre-designed, but hand cut by the stocking person. Both are constructed without regard for standard shelving already in place at retail stores and the efficient use thereof. They either require retailers to invest in extensive additional specialized racks to provide a gravity feed apparatus and/or are intended as a display only and make no efficient use of retail space and other potential synergies.

US Patent 4,598,828 "Storage and Dispensing Rack" is representative of systems where products sit on inclined shelves and, theoretically, self- feed to the front of the shelf by sliding down the incline. As a practical matter, friction presents a major problem in such systems, and is particularly a problem when the products are retained in cardboard trays which have a comparatively rough surface. That condition is further aggravated during shipment when the products are hammered into the tray floor causing indents which act to further hold the products in their respective positions in the tray. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A product holding, displaying and dispensing assembly includes a housing having a feed channel and a dispensing location together with a pre-packed, shipping cartridge holding a plurality of product units. The cartridge is inserted and held within the dispenser housing as the product units move within the cartridge to the dispensing location where a consumer can access and remove one or more product units. Unlike more conventional dispensers, the assembly of the present invention is configured so that the pre-packed cartridge is loaded into and remains within the housing as the product units are dispensed and advance forward within the dispenser. After insertion, the cartridge is locked in place by an arrangement of the feed track when one or more cans remain in the cartridge, but can be removed easily when the cartridge is empty. This reduces stocking complexity and the time involved in the stocking process. A pre-printed or labeled forward facing surface also provides an additional advertising medium, which, because it was applied at the point of manufacture, is dedicated to the specific products dispensed therefrom and cannot be mistakenly applied to other products.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the product dispenser of the invention. Figure 2 is a perspective view, partially broken away, of the product dispenser.

Figure 3 is a side elevation view of the product dispenser and a cartridge with a side wall of the dispenser being removed to illustrate the internal construction of the dispenser.

Figure 4 is a top view of a one-can wide product cartridge for use with the product

dispenser.

Figure 5 is a top view of a two-can wide product cartridge for use with the product

dispenser.

Figures 6a and 6b are front elevation views of a cartridge and of the product dispenser in a single-can wide embodiment. Figures 7a and 7b are front elevation views of a cartridge and of the product dispenser in a two-can wide embodiment.

Figures 8a and 8b are front elevation views of a cartridge and of the product dispenser in a three-can wide embodiment. Figure 9 is a perspective view from underneath of a cartridge for use in the product

dispenser, showing a can leaving the cartridge.

Figures 10a and 10b are cutaway views of the product dispenser, showing how cans are dispensed from the cartridge in a two-can wide embodiment.

Figure 11 is a perspective, exploded view of a two-wide version of the product dispenser Figures 12a and 12b are a side cutaway view of the product dispenser, showing the

dispenser with a cartridge having cans and an empty cartridge, respectively.

Figures 13a-13f show prior art shipper trays in various configurations.

Figure 14 is a perspective view of the product dispenser of the invention.

Figure 15 is a perspective view of the invention in a self-contained module embodiment. Figure 16 is a perspective view, partially broken away, of a shelf incorporating the

invention.

Figures 17a and 17b are rear views of the pusher plates of the invention, showing two different sizes of plates.

Figure 18 is a side exploded view of the invention. Figure 19 is the same view as figure 18, with the parts assembled.

Figures 20a and 20b show two methods of creating front stop walls and affixing adjustable row dividers as may be used with the invention.

Figures 21a and 21c are perspective and side views, respectively, showing attachment of an add-on plate to the pusher of the invention. Figure 21b is a front view of the pusher shown in figure 7a.

Figures 22a and 22b are perspective views of the embodiment of figure 15 with product trays, in configurations for two different tray widths.

Figures 23 a to 23 d show various arrangements of store fixtures on which the invention may be used.

Figure 24 shows a perspective view of the pusher of the invention in use with a bulk

shipper tray modified for use with non-nesting or non- stacking packages.

Figure 25 shows a side view of the invention in use with the modified tray of figure 24. Figure 26 shows a variation on the tray of figure 24, using a transparent front wall. Figure 27 shows how the system of the invention can be used in a first-in first-out (FIFO) stocking method.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a system of combined "cartridge" carton designs and "cartridge" carton accepting display devices which, when integrated together into packaged goods packing operations, logistics and supply chain management and retail operations and handling, reduces handling costs and increases efficiencies and sales effectiveness for packaged consumer goods sold at retail stores. Individual package handling at retail, currently required to stock inventory of products on shelves for display and sale to shoppers, will be reduced, thus significantly reducing handling time, labor and the associated costs in the supply chain and at retail. Time stamped, date coded products, which have freshness and expiration issues, are automatically stocked and sold according to first in, first out principles without additional handling. This allows displays to be restocked before they are empty, minimizing out-of-stock situations (an extreme deterrent to sales). The resulting availability and organizational management of products sold in the system at retail improves the shopping experience for shoppers by effectively reducing the time spent shopping, especially time wasted looking for particular brands, SKUs and types/flavors of goods. This benefit is expected to result in increased sales of goods displayed and sold within the system.

By installing the display vehicles permanently in stores and by manufacturing the cartons of the invention from 100% recycled and recyclable materials, sustainability issues are addressed in a significant manner according to current requirements of green advocacy. Certain portions of the permanent display vehicles will also be manufactured from a percentage of recycled and recyclable materials adding to that benefit.

Figures 1 and 2 show a product dispenser 100 of the invention. Figure 11 shows an exploded view of one way of making the dispenser of figure 1. The dispenser 100 is formed of a housing 110 that includes a front 112, a rear 114 and two sides 116, 118, as well as a top 120 and a bottom 122. The housing 110 is a substantially hollow member in that it includes an interior compartment that receives, holds and dispenses the product as described below. The top 120, bottom 122, and rear 114 are closed off by walls; however, the front 112 is partially open to both allow a shopper to access the product and to allow a stock clerk to view products and load product cartridges.

It will be appreciated, as discussed below and illustrated in the figures, the term "cartridge" relates to a carton design (e.g., cartridge carton, tray or package) and is to be broadly interpreted as a structure that holds product units as opposed to being merely limited to a unitary structure, such as an injection molded, metal or other permanent manufactured item. In other words, the cartridge can be thought of as any carton specifically designed to function within display dispensers of the present invention. As described below, the cartridge can be formed of a paper material, etc.

Within the housing 110, a first channel 130 is formed and, in the design shown in figures 1 and 11 defined by the ribs creating the first ceiling 132, and an opposite floor

134, and the two sides 116, 118 of the housing 110. The first channel 130 is open at the front 112 of the housing 110 and is closed at the rear 114 of the housing 110.

The first channel 130 is a cartridge loading channel in that it is sized for receiving a cartridge 200 that contains the product as shipped, and that is dispensed to the consumer. The shape of the first channel 130 is thus complementary to the shape of the cartridge 200 and thus, in the illustrated embodiment, the first channel 130 and cartridge 200 each has a rectangular or square cross-sectional shape; however, other shapes are possible.

The first channel 130 is formed at an angle within the housing 110 so that when the cartridge 200 is inserted, the cartridge 200 is held at an angle. For example, an angle between the ceiling 132 and the horizontal top edges of the side panels 116, 118 of the housing 110 can be approximately five to ten degrees. Other angles can be used so long as the angle is sufficient to cause the product that is inserted within the first channel 130 to move under gravitational forces from the front 112 toward the rear 114 of the housing 110. The floor 134 of the first channel 130 terminates prior to the rear 114 of the housing 110 so as to create and form an opening 140 that provides communication between the first channel 130 and an underlying second channel 150.

The second channel 150 has a shape that is similar to the first channel 130 and is formed and defined by a first ceiling 152, an opposite floor 154, and the two sides 116, 118 of the housing 110. The second channel 150 is open at the front 112 of the housing

110 and is closed at the rear 114 of the housing 110.

Similar to the first channel 130, the second channel 150 is angled within the housing 110 to allow product to move therealong under gravitational force. The floor 154 of the second channel 150 is angled at approximately five to ten degrees relative to the horizontal bottom edges 122 of the housing 110.

As shown in figures 1, 2, 7b, 10a- 10b and 11, when the dispenser is set up for two- wide dispensing of two parallel lines of products, a divider wall 40 is provided within channel 150 to guide and separate the products into two respective side-by- side sections of the channel 150 as it is transferred from cartridge 200 and channel 130 and is delivered to the consumer. In a single wide variation of the dispenser, as shown in figure 6b, this divider wall is not present and in a three (or more) facing variation of the dispenser as shown in figure 8b, there are two (or more) such divider walls 42 and 43.

The size of the opening 140 is selected in view of the size of the individual product contained in the cartridge 200 so that the product can be transferred from the channel 130 to the channel 150 by passing through the opening 140. The orientations of the two channels 130, 150 and the presence of the opening 140 causes the product within the dispenser 100 to move (drop and roll) in a serpentine pattern from the first channel 130 to the second channel 150 where the products are delivered to the consumer. On the inside of, and forwardly disposed to, opening 140, there is a vertical blocking section 20, the purpose of which will be explained below.

In addition, the floor 154 of the second channel 150 connects to opening 140 with a sloped portion 155, preferably a curved ramp, near the rear 114 of the housing 110 to assist in the smooth transition of the product from the first channel 130 to the second channel 150, thereby reducing any "hammering" effect of dropping product units onto floor 154 of the dispenser. As illustrated, the length of the second channel 150 can be greater than the length of the first channel 130 to permit the second channel 150 to receive and store more product than the first channel 130 since it is the second channel 150 from which the product is dispensed forward to the consumer. The front of the second channel 150 thus extends beyond the front of the first channel 130. Similar to the rear thereof, the front of the second channel 150 includes a sloped surface 157 that acts as a stop for the product and positions and displays the product to the consumer to permit the consumer to retrieve the product through an opening 159 formed in the housing 110.

The housing 110 also includes a door 160 that is formed along the front thereof between the first and second channels 130, 150. The door 160 opens into a space 170 that is formed between the floor 134 of the first channel 130 and the ceiling 152 of the second channel 150. The door 160 can utilize any number of different types of door assemblies and in the illustrated embodiment, the door 160 is in the form of a hinged door 160 that pivots open. The space 170 has a roughly triangular shape, with the tip of the triangle squared off by blocking section 20.

It will be appreciated that an outer surface of the door 160 includes a surface 162 for displaying indicia, such as advertising, promotional information, product information, etc. In some embodiments of the present invention, products are dispensed to shoppers on their sides. In these cases, the door surface 162 can be formed and labeled to replicate in appearance the dispensed product in its upright orientation, thereby providing a clear illustration for shoppers to more quickly and easily read, locate and properly select the product.

In addition, the ceiling 152 of the second channel 150 is preferably formed of a transparent material to permit easy viewing of the product within the second channel 150. This is especially helpful to determine the inventory counts of product units currently held within channel 150. For example, a person charged with counting or stocking product in the dispenser 100 simply opens the door 160 and is able to see through the transparent ceiling 152 to make a product count or determine if the dispenser needs restocking. The door 160 is then closed. The door 160 can be hinged with a spring loaded or similar self- closing device or mechanism, which will eliminate the possibility that a stacker may inadvertently leave it open.

The first channel 130 is formed at an angle within the housing 110 so that when the cartridge 200 is inserted, the cartridge 200 is likewise held at an angle. Unlike other, more conventional product display units where the products are removed from the packaging and then manually inserted into a dispenser, either individually or by dumping from a carton, the dispenser 100 is specifically configured so that the product is loaded into the dispenser 100 by inserting the pre-packed cartridge 200 into the dispenser. The cartridge 200 is simply left in the dispenser until it becomes empty.

The cartridge 200 should be at least the length of channel 130, as shown in figure 1 - preferably it will be longer, so as to protrude forward from the display's upper channel 130, as shown in figure 2 - or it will not be easily removable by stackers. Arcuate cut-outs can be formed in the sides of channel 130, as shown in figure 1, to provide finger grip space for cartridges which are approximately the same length as the channel 130.

FIGS. 4, 5, 6a, 7a, 8a, and 9 illustrate cartridge 200. In the embodiment shown in figures 5, 7a and 9, the cartridge 200 is a two-wide facing type cartridge, in that two rows of product are packed side-by-side. In figures 5 and 9, these are shown as cans 20a-20e and 21a-21e. Figures 4 and 6a show a one-wide cartridge, the cans being shown as 16a-16e in figure 4. Figure 8a shows a three-wide cartridge. This type of orientation permits the product to easily and reliably roll within and issue from both the cartridge 200 and the dispenser 100. In the two- or three-wide embodiments, a separator partition 30, 31, 32 separates the products into individual interior rows of product, thereby guiding the products and preventing the rows from shifting or binding up against each other.

The cartridge 200 is typically formed of a paper product, such as cardboard, however, it can be formed of other materials, such as plastics, so long as the cartridge 200 includes an openable section 60, which is sized so that the product can easily exit therethrough. The openable section 60 represents a portion of the cartridge 200 that can be easily removed by the stocker when insertion of the cartridge 200 into the dispenser 100 is desired, preferably by hand without the need for a knife. The openable section 60 can be a perforated section of the cartridge that can be separated from the rest of the cartridge, could be an opening covered by a removable label or tape, or could be formed in any other convenient fashion. The openable section 60 should be structured such that when it is removed, the end 14 remains intact.

To minimize the jamming problem evident in prior art dispensing packages, the cartridges 200 used with the present invention are only one can diameter in height, but may be one or more cans in at use width, as illustrated and discussed above. This may be seen as a limitation, but is actually a plus. This is because retail gondola fixtures measure approximately 24" deep (which is as far as a reasonable design can expect a shopper to be able to successfully reach and is often too deep for many shoppers, hence the desire to design display systems which automatically front feed or front face the products therein). The approximately 6 foot height of retail gondolas is a severe restriction. If the 6 feet of useful gondola height is not used efficiently, the products must be spread outwardly left- to-right, thereby decreasing the entire store's useful gondola space for other products. By limiting the cartridges to an in use height of one can diameter, the dispenser of the invention forces brands and retailers alike to use the gondola height more efficiently than if the display system was designed to accept any bulk pack case currently available.

Figure 3 shows a cartridge being inserted into channel 130. To load the dispenser 100, the openable section 60 is opened by removing this section, removing the label or tape, or whatever means is appropriate. The stacker then places his or her hand over the feed opening 60 to contain the products in the cartridge 200 while the cartridge 200 is inverted and loaded into the first channel 130 by first inserting the partially opened end of the cartridge 200. The partially opened bottom thus faces the floor 134 of the first channel 130 which further prevents product units from exiting the cartridge during installation into channel 130. The cartridge 200 is then moved along the floor 134 until it is fully loaded into the first channel 130 which will be evidenced by the front end of the cartridge abutting against the rear 114 of the housing 110. In this position, the feed opening 60 overlies the opening 140. Product then can leave opening 60 and roll down surface 155 into channel 150.

It will be appreciated that the angled nature of the first channel 130 and the presence of the feed opening 60 causes product to roll out of the cartridge 200 through the feed opening 60 and then by gravity, the product falls into the second channel 150. The sloped nature of the second channel 150 likewise causes the product to roll from the rear 114 to the front of the housing 110 where the product 10, 11 abuts against and is stopped by the sloped surface 157. As product is removed by consumers from the dispenser 100, the product within the cartridge 200 continues to advance down the first channel 130 through openings 60 and 140, toward and ultimately into the second channel 150 where it is advanced to the front of the housing 110. The length 15 (figure 12a) of channel 150 is chosen such that when the channel

150 is full and a cartridge 200 with product is in channel 130, one product 12 is located in opening 140, in line with blocking section 20. This provides a "self-locking" function, which allows a stock clerk, by pulling outwardly on the cartridge, to quickly and easily determine whether or not the cartridge is empty and in need of replacement. Figures 12a and 12b illustrate how this function works.

As discussed above and shown in figure 3, when there is at least one product remaining in the cartridge 200, one can 12 is located midway through opening 60 and opening 140, partially in and partially out of the cartridge. If a clerk pulls outward on the cartridge 200, as shown in figure 12a, the can 12 is trapped between blocking section 20 and the rearward lip 14 of opening 60. This prevents the cartridge 200 from being removed from channel 130, and tells the clerk that there is still product remaining in the cartridge. Upper, angular wall 132 serves to hold down the cartridge 200 top surface when installed into channel 130. This minimizes the movement of the cartridge 200 in the channel 130, so that the cartridge will not lift up and become removable before it is empty. If the cartridge 200 is empty, however, as shown in figure 12b, there is nothing preventing the easy removal of the cartridge 200, and the clerk can then remove it and insert a full cartridge to restock the dispenser.

For this function to operate, the front end of the cartridge 200 and rearward lip 14 - that is, the end of the cartridge adjacent to the opening 60 - should remain sufficiently intact to provide the surface to contact the product while it is in contact with the blocking section 20.

It is desirable to refill store merchandizing displays prior to them being empty to eliminate "out-of-stock" situations. As can be seen, when the cartridge unlocks from the dispenser of the invention, there will still be cans remaining in channel 150. The design thus may be refilled well prior to being empty, thereby eliminating "out-of-stock" situations, which are extremely negative for retail sales of products and general store appearance.

An end of the cartridge 200 is a closed end and remains forward facing and visible to the consumer when the cartridge 200 is loaded into the dispenser 100 and therefore, this end has a surface 219 that can contain indicia, such as advertising, and product

information, promotional information, etc. .

In conventional dispensing displays it is usual for such indicia to be field changeable at retail to facilitate plan-o-gram resets. This makes it possible, as is often seen at retail, for store personnel to mistakenly install indicia which do not match the products being dispensed therewith. This causes difficulty for both stocking personnel and shoppers with respect to proper stocking, pricing, locating and selecting of products. Indicia on surface 219 of the cartridges 200 of the present invention will be pre-printed or applied at the point of manufacture and will, therefore, be a dedicated identification of the specific products contained therein. This provides an error-free way to indicate to a consumer exactly which products are being dispensed from the display into which this cartridge 200 has been inserted.

It will be understood that the cartridge 200/dispenser 100 combination offers a number of advantages over conventional dispenser systems. For example, the loading of product is much less labor intensive since the product is not individually removed from the cartridge 200 and loaded into the dispenser but rather, the cartridge 200 is simply loaded into the first channel 130 where it remains until all of the product is transferred from the cartridge 200 to the second channel 150 at which time, the cartridge 200 is then removed and another full cartridge 200 is inserted into the dispenser 100. The dispenser 100 is a self-standing structure that can be placed on a support surface, such as a shelf or other platform. It can also include a rear wall 114 mounting device or mechanism enabling the modules to hang from a fixture wall surface.

Figures 1 and 11 illustrate a dispenser assembly which can be assembled from various combinations of a plurality of modular parts that are shown in FIG. 11, including a first panel 116, a second panel 114, a third panel 118, a transparent panel 152 and door panel 160 with indicia panel 42. The assembly of these parts forms the housing 110

The left and right panels 116, 118 are mirror images of one another. Each of the left panel and right panels includes a top rib that extends inwardly and in combination with the other top rib define the ceiling 132 and a middle rib that extends inwardly and in combination with the other middle rib defines the floor 134 of the first channel 130 when the panels 116, 114, 118 are mated together. Each of the left and right panels 116, 118 also includes a bottom wall or surface which in combination with each other or with a bottom wall or surface of the center panel 114 define the floor 154 of the second channel 150.

The second channel 150 can be equally divided into halves or thirds, etc., by one or more divider walls 40 of central panel 114. The various functions of this panel features are as follows. The divider wall 40 keeps individual product units separated as they feed forward through second channel 150 into individual facings for presentation to shoppers, adding to the organization and neatness of the display. Otherwise individual product units (cans) could become jammed in second channel 150 by interlocking with each other and the sidewalls 116, 118 during transit thereof. An upper edge 41 of the divider wall 40 where it transits opening 140 separates the lower portion of opening 140 into two, three or more individual openings sized to accept individual product units (e.g., cans) and leading into multiple second channels 150 and guides the dropping cans as they exit the cartridge 200 and fall through opening 140 into their respective second channels 150. The upper surface of central panel 114 where it underlays the transparent panel 152, is a Tee-shaped or similar supportive cross section which both supports and provides an attachment surface for assembly of transparent panel 152 within the housing by common means such as adhesives or the like. Central panel 114 also acts as a structural spacer between side walls 116 and 118, enabling the housing 110 to be assembled into varying widths for acceptance of various cartridge configurations and displaying various numbers of facings to shoppers. This multiple facing, modular capability allows brands and retailers to merchandise products on their shelves according to a plurality of varying matrices each having varying numbers of product facing counts and organizational plans, commonly referred to in the field as "plan-o-grams". It also enables the further reduction of packaging materials and handling in the supply chain by making it possible to use multiple facing cartridges which hold more products with less packaging material than if all cartridges were of the one facing design.

It will be appreciated that the modular design shown in FIG. 11 permits the design of housing 110 to be readily changed and customized according to need. For example, the components of FIG. 11 can be assembled to provide housings with 1, 2, 3 or more facings of product units displayed to shoppers as shown in FIGS. 6b, 7b and 8b. For example, the dispenser shown in FIG. 6b is constructed by assembling the left and right panels 116, 118. The dispenser of FIG. 7b is constructed by assembling the left, one center and right panels 116, 114, and 118, and the dispenser of FIG. 8b is constructed by assembling the left and right panels 116, 118 with two center panels 114 to form a three facing dispenser.

The illustrated door 160 includes a shaped forward facing surface for labels 42 etc., which provides an exact "right side up" image of a product which can be presented to shoppers since the canned products may be on their sides in the dispenser. As mentioned above, the retailer stock clerk can easily view and count the inventory by simply opening the door 160. The holes in the panels 116, 118 are for the purpose of saving weight and material during manufacture (e.g., an injection molding process).

Figures 10a and 10b show a detail of the design, in embodiments with cartridges 200 in multiple can width (two-wide, in the figures). It can be seen in these figures that the corrugated paperboard "slip-sheet" 30 separating the rows of cans 20a, 20b inside the bulk pack cartridge 200 cooperates with a tapered edge 41 on the upper side of center panel 40. This guides falling cans separately onto arcuate section 155 and down into channel 150, minimizing twisting and jamming of cans.

Second Embodiment - Overhead Pusher for Shelves Figure 14 shows a dispenser 300 according to the first embodiment of the invention, in which the invention is incorporated into a store gondola or fixture 310. This may be a pre-existing fixture which currently holds the pre-existing, ordinary store shelving, or might be specially supplied for the invention. If the pre-existing fixture is used, the ordinary shelves would be replaced with the support platforms 320 of this invention. The support surface 320 can be a planar platform that includes a top surface 322 and an opposing bottom surface 324. The platform 320 is constructed so that a biased product feed mechanism 330 is disposed therein and is configured to controllably advance the product as it is removed by consumers.

The system of the invention may be used on level shelving, as shown in figure 14. However, it will be understood that the feed mechanism 330 of the invention also allows the invention to be used in other arrangements, as shown in figures 23a-23d. Specifically, the invention can be used with a fixture 550 with level shelves 551, or with downward sloping shelves 553 shown in figure 23b, which allows a shopper 552 better sight lines to the tops of products. Also, the system can be used with upward sloping shelves 554 as shown in figure 23c, which are especially useful on bottom shelves to allow the shopper

552 to more easily see the fronts of the products. Or, as shown in figure 23d, a mixture of downwardly sloping upper shelves 553 and upwardly sloping lower shelves 554 can be used within the teachings of the invention. The downward angle of shelves 553 not only assists viewing and selection of products on upper shelves, but, when used throughout the assembly, it assists the feeding action aided by gravity, which makes it possible to use less powerful springs, which further makes it easier for shoppers to remove and even replace products from/to the trays. More specifically, the feed mechanism 330 includes a bias member 340 that is associated with the platform 320 and is coupled to a pusher plate 350. For example, the biased feed mechanism can be in the form of a spring assisted pusher plate module that includes the pusher plate 350. The bottom surface 324 is tracked, slotted or channeled along a linear support 325 to accept installation and movement of the spring assisted pusher plate module across the support. For example, the tracks can be in the form of slots and ribs; can be "I" shaped or "H" shaped; or can be "T" shaped or "L" shaped; or any similar cross-section that creates a channeling matrix. The bias member 340 can be in the form of a coil spring (variously referred to as coiled, flat, band or negator constant force spring) that has a one end 342 fixedly attached to the platform 320 and another end is coupled to the pusher plate 350 such that in a rest position, the biasing force of the spring applies a force to the pusher plate 350 and drives the pusher plate 350 to a front edge 321 of the platform 320. Other bias force mechanisms are possible within the teachings of the invention, such as other kinds of springs, elastic cords, etc.

The feed mechanism 330 is inverted, such that it extends downwardly from the underside of a shelf (support) member above, and is thus included in the ceiling of a separate support member, as opposed to the floor or sidewalls of the displaying support member. Thus, the pusher plate 350 extends downwardly from the bottom surface 324 of an upper platform toward the top surface of the underlying platform 320 and is designed to engage product as described below. Each platform 320 can include a number of adjustable dividers 380. In particular, the top surface of platform 320 receives a plurality of position adjustable row dividers 380 to organize and separate a plurality of trays 400. These dividers 380 are inserted into guide channels formed in the platform which permit transverse (side-to-side) movement and positioning of the dividers 380 along the top surface of platform 320. This permits different sized (e.g., different widths) trays 400 to be loaded into the dispenser 300. The dividers 380 divide and separate one product tray from another product tray.

Figures 20a and 20b show two alternate embodiments of the row dividers 380. In both figures, the rear lip 510 of the row divider 380 clips around the rear 411 of the shelf 320. The embodiments of figures 20a and 20b differ in the arrangement of the front element 505 of the divider 380. In figure 20a, the front element is in the form of a clip 502 which slides and locks over lip 501 along the front of the shelf 320. In figure 20b the front element is a locking tab 503 which snaps into a mating slot 504 along the front of the shelf. In both embodiments, the divider 380 is free to slide sideways along the shelf 320, while being constrained from being easily removed.

As shown in figure 14, the shrink wrapping or other protective covering having been removed, the product filled bulk shipper tray 400 is inserted and held upon the shelf between two guiding row dividers 380. The filled tray 400 and products 50 therein drive the pusher plate 350 rearward toward a rear of the dispenser 300. During this loading process the coiled, flat spring 340 which drives the pusher plate 350 extends along its track, storing energy, and creates tension upon the pusher plate 350. That stored energy causes the pusher plate 350 to press forwardly against the product packages 50 within the tray 400, causing them to feed forwardly within the tray when product packages at the front of the tray are removed. The pusher plate 350 moves within the track 324, 325 so that it can be moved in a smooth, controlled manner.

Referring to figures 14 and 16, a stop wall 321 located along the front edge of the platform 320 serves to stop and limit forward movement of the tray 400 when the pusher plate 350 applies a force to the product contained therein. Additionally it is possible to design row dividers with right angle walls at their front edge which also serve as the tray stop walls. It will be appreciated that a variety of different stop wall and row divider design combinations can be devised which perform the functions of dividing the plurality trays, one from another, and of preventing the trays from being ejected off of the platform and onto the floor below by the pushers.

To prevent the pusher 350 from ejecting the individual product packages 50 out of the tray 400 and onto the floor, the tray should have a front wall extending upwardly, preferably a distance equal to approximately one -half to two-thirds of the height of one product package therein. If the products 50 are of the kind which nest or stack into each other, for example canned goods where the bottom of a can fits within an upper lip of a can below it, the lower level packages will keep the upper-level packages from sliding out the front of the tray if the invention is used on an inclined shelf as shown in figures 23b and 23 d. Packages which do not nest or stack, however, would pose a problem on downwardly tilted shelves because they will slide out of the tray 400.

Figures 24-26 show a tray modification which can be used for product packages 50 which do not nest or stack into each other, to permit use in such downwardly tilted shelves. The illustrated design of bulk shipper tray 560 in figures 24-26, which has the required low rear wall 562 to clear the pusher plate 350, but also has a tall front wall 561, would permit such non-stacking packages to be stocked on a downwardly angled shelf with the invention, since the higher front wall 561 would retain the products in the tray..

The benefits of such would be: • Downwardly angled shelves enable the use of weaker biasing springs, because they are gravity assisted, which makes it easier for shoppers to select and return packages.

• Downwardly tilted shelves make it easier to see and access products in such a "bin type" tray Figure 26 shows how such a tray 560 may be designed to overcome the obvious viewing impediment created by the higher front tray wall 561 shown in figure 24. In that figure a tray 560 with a transparent front lip 564 is shown which would permit viewing the product. Similarly, a transparent panel 564 of acetate or similar for example, could be tabbed (or attached in any other known method of assembly) into a tray 560 having a low front lip as shown in figures 13c, 13e or 13f, thereby converting the tray into a "Bin Type"

Tray 560 as shown in figure 26 and simultaneously providing improved products visibility. Also, sufficient space will have to be allowed between shelves to allow a shopper to insert their entire hand down into the tray to fish out the bottom layer products. Referring back to figure 14, the tray 400 includes a body 410 that includes opposing side walls 412 and opposing end walls 414 that extend between the side walls 412. As seen, the side walls 412 have a height that is much greater than a height of the ends 414 since the product is removed by the consumer through one end 414. The higher side walls 412 permit the product to be stacked within the tray body 410 and hold the products securely during transport. The number of layers and the number of rows of product within the tray body 410 will vary depending upon the particular product and packaging and display specifications. For example, the illustrated embodiment has three layers of cans 50 stacked on top of one another. The front end wall 414, facing shoppers, is just high enough that the bottom row is prevented from moving; however, the top portions of the bottom rows of cans are located above the top edge of the front end wall 414, thereby permitting the cans to be easily removed. However, the height of the stop wall 321 is great enough that the tray 400 will not simply jump the stop wall 390 when the biasing force is applied. The end wall 414 abuts against the stop wall 321. As shown in figure 14 and figures 17a and 17b, an empty tray 400 can be simply lifted over the stop wall 321 and removed since the rear end wall 414 of tray 400 is just low enough to slide underneath the bottom edge of the pusher plate 350 to permit removal of the tray 400. Conversely, to load a full tray, the tray 400 is angled and inserted above the stop wall 321, and the pusher plate 350 locates behind the rearmost stack of product. Both front and rear end walls 414 are preferably sized to satisfy the following specifications: high enough to prevent product units from inadvertently jumping the end wall; low enough to conveniently expose the tops of the bottom rows of products for shoppers; and low enough to clear the bottom edge of the pusher plate such that the biasing force applied by the pusher plate acts only upon all stacks, rows and columns of products, but not upon the tray.

More specifically, as can be seen in figures 17a and 17b the design and sizing of the end walls 414 of the trays effectively provide a "notch" allowing clearance for the pusher plate through the sidewalls of the tray and providing forcible contract between it and the product stacks. As mentioned above, the bottom of the pusher plate 350 reaches the top portion of the bottom stack of the product and the bottom edge of the pusher plate 350 is disposed just above the end wall 414.

Since the pusher plate 350 is initially closer to the stop wall 321, the insertion of the filed tray 400 causes the pusher plate 350 to be driven rearward under the applied force of the filled tray 400. In the fully inserted position of the tray 400, the pusher plate 350 clears the top of the tray rear end wall 414 and applies a forward force to the product and as product is removed from the front of the tray 400 and in particular, when one column of product is removed, the spring biasing force of the feed mechanism causes the columns and rows of the product to advance forward. As more and more columns and rows of product are removed, the remaining product is continually advanced forward toward the stop wall 321. While the product feeds forward, the tray 410 remains stationary.

It will be appreciated that, since the product units 50 are being advanced forward by the biasing force of the spring loaded pusher plate rather than rolling or by other gravitational force, the product displayed and dispensed in this embodiment is not limited to being cans which roll but can also be in the form of variously shaped packages.

As shown in figures 17a and 17b, left-to-right slidably adjustable row dividers 380 mounted within some type of channeling system and affixed to the top surface of said supporting shelf (structure) 320 and left-to-right slidably adjustable pusher modules 350 mounted within some type of channeling system and affixed hanging downwardly from the underside of said support shelf (structure) having been positioned to capture and position the tray and centered behind the products in the trays (respectively); the products will now be pushed forwardly within the trays towards a shopper.

The vertical spacing of the shelves and the vertical height and spacing of the pusher plates and pusher modules must be such that the bottommost edges of the pusher plates 51, after assembly and installation of the trays will clear the topmost edge 52 of the lip of the tray rear wall 414 and push directly against only the product packages 50.

Similarly, the side edges 54 of the pushers 350 need to clear the side edges 53 of the tray rear wall 414. Figures 21a-21c show how the height and width of the pusher may be varied within the teachings of the invention. Such feature may be accomplished by a number of methods. In the design shown in figures 21a-21c, a standard minimum sized pusher plate 530 is always in position on the spring feed module. A variety of taller and/or wider add- on plates 532 can be provided which increase the pusher's acting surface either downwardly or wider or both. The add-on plates 532 can be connected to the pusher 530, as shown, by having mating pieces 531 and 533 of hook-and-loop fastener material such as Velcro® on the pusher 530 and add-on plate 532, respectively. A tab 535 may be provided on the pusher 530 to fit into a slot 534 on plate 532, to ensure centering and prevent side-to-side movement when the fastener 531 on the pusher 530 is adhered to the fastener 533 on the plate 532. It will be understood by one skilled in the art that other means of attaching the add-on plates 532, such as tabs and slots or sliding tracks, or snaps, or other fastening means known to the art are possible within the teachings of the invention. Such add-on plates can quickly and easily be used at the store to customize pushers to fit and work with a wide variety of bulk shipper trays.

Figure 18 shows an exploded diagram of a side-view of the first embodiment, and figure 19 shows the same view with the invention assembled. Those reference numbers in these figures which are the same as discussed above with respect to figure 14 will not be discussed separately here. As can be seen in these drawings, the support platform 320 of the invention can be equipped with hooks 590 to hang the support platform from a standard shelf track. A transparent protective cover 591 may be provided, so that shelf labels can be affixed to the front of the support platform if desired.

In some instances and with some tray designs, it will be desirable and possible to restock a new filled tray before the old tray is empty, thus making it easier to avoid out-of- stocks while a particular facing is waiting to be refilled. More specifically, the system of the invention can be used with a First-in-First-Out (FIFO) stocking method. FIFO is most important for date coded products which have freshness expiration dates. Figure 27 shows both reloading before the old tray was completely empty and how older stock can be placed in front of the newer stock making dated stock FIFO rotation both possible and easier.

Often grocery shelves 320 are 18" to 24" deep (front to rear) but many Bulk Packed SKU trays 410 will be shorter than that, often in the 12" range, and the individual product packages 50 therein will be significantly smaller even than that. If you load such a shorter tray 410 into a deeper shelf, as illustrated on the uppermost shelf 600 of figure 27, there is an unused space at the rear of the shelf. As can be seen on that shelf 600, when a displayed tray of products empties down to the last few product packages, but is not yet completely empty, then the following steps can be followed to accomplish the FIFO and Early Reloading process.

601 - Remove the nearly empty tray 610 and products therein together from the display and set aside temporarily.

602 - Reload the display with a new pre-packed bulk tray of products 613. Manually

remove the last few remaining product packages 611 from the nearly empty tray, which was earlier set aside. Manually push the full tray 613 rearward far enough to create the empty/unused space at the front of the shelf instead of at its rear. Place the older products from the nearly empty tray 612 directly on the shelf in front of the new full tray 613. The pusher 350 will press forwardly against the entire full tray 613 as a unit, thereby forwardly feeding the individual products 612 placed in front of it toward the front edge stop wall 321.

603 - When the last of the loose products 612 in front of the tray is finally removed from the shelf, the pusher 350 will now push the entire tray 613 into its frontmost position 615 contacting the shelf stopwall 321 and will begin forwardly feeding the products therein normally.

Note that this will only work when the bulk shipper trays are shorter than the store shelf depth by at least (or more than) the front to back dimension of one row of products therein, plus an additional amount for the pusher. The system will also work in an embodiment, shown in figures 15 and 22a-22b, wherein the trays 410 are inserted into and enclosed within individually, size-dedicated stand-alone modules 500. Such a system can be simply and easily installed upon the top surface of any existing store gondola shelving. Figures 15 and 22b show a perspective view of a single enclosed housing module

500 with a single feed mechanism. A single spring-biased pusher plate 350 is disposed within the housing 500 and advances the product 50 forward into the open area 540 from which a consumer may select the product. The tray is held within the enclosure by stop wall 541, which serves the same function as the stop wall 321 in the shelf embodiment. Similarly, the side walls of the enclosure serve the same function as the row dividers 380 of the shelf embodiment. As with the previous embodiment, the pusher plate 350 is disposed extending downward from track 325 and is spring-biased to the front of the module 500.

The module 500 may also have a surface 570 for indicia, such as advertising, product information, promotional information, etc. The modules 500 can sit on plain platforms or countertops or could contain a mounting detail for wall hanging. As with the other embodiments, the tray 410 is intended to remain in place within the module 500 during use.

It will be appreciated that all of the trays disclosed herein can be manufactured from 100% recycled/recyclable stock and/or cellulosic based resins (non-petroleum).

The following additional features are realized in the dispensers and trays according to the present invention: (1) orientation during packing of individual product packages inside the SKU cartons according to how they will feed and be automatically front faced for viewing by shoppers; (2) appropriately located printed or labeled panels on the trays, which when displayed at retail in the display(s) of this system, inform shoppers in a dedicated way, each tray to its specific dispenser, of product identity and other information required to locate specific product types and make an informed selection/purchase decision; and (3) across entire brands, types and/or categories of products (all canned pet food for example) a matrix plurality of tray carton accepting display devices which automatically feed & front face product packages for viewing by shoppers, are stocked and restocked with product inventory in the store aisles by the insertion of an entire bulk tray without handling of individual product packages.

The main improvement and benefit of these designs, in either embodiment, is that an entire bulk shipper carton or tray, pre-packed with products from the point of manufacture and/or distribution can be loaded by a stocker in a single motion onto either an existing store shelf, or a custom designed shelf, both of which then have an integral means of both attractively displaying and presenting the products for purchase by automatically front facing or forwardly feeding the individual product packages toward the shoppers, while the bulk shipper tray/carton remains within the display housing. This will simultaneously improve the shopping experience for shoppers and greatly reduce stocking time for retailers, a combination which does not currently exist.

Accordingly, it is to be understood that the embodiments of the invention herein described are merely illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention.

Reference herein to details of the illustrated embodiments is not intended to limit the scope of the claims, which themselves recite those features regarded as essential to the invention.

Claims

What is claimed is: L A product dispenser assembly, comprising: a) a cartridge holding a plurality of cylindrical products, having a front end and a rear end with a length therebetween sufficient to accommodate a plurality of products, a height between a top and a bottom sufficient to accommodate one cylindrical product while allowing the product to roll within the cartridge, and a width between a first side and a second side sufficient to accommodate at least one cylindrical product while allowing the product to roll within the cartridge, and an openable section in the bottom adjacent the front end of the cartridge, sufficiently large to allow a product to drop out of the cartridge through the openable section; b) a dispenser housing having a front and a rear, comprising: i) a first channel sized for receiving the cartridge, sloping downward from a front opening at the front of the housing toward a rear opening at the rear of the housing, the rear opening being sized and located such that when a cartridge is fully inserted in the first channel with the front end of the cartridge adjacent to the rear of the housing, the openable section in the cartridge aligns with the opening in the first channel and a product can pass freely from the openable section of the cartridge through the rear opening of the first channel; ii) a sloped portion located underneath the rear opening of the first channel, having an open top, a vertical blocking section located on a front side, and a sloping ramp on a rear side for guiding product passing from the cartridge through the rear opening; and iii) a second channel sized for receiving at least one product, having a rear end adjoining the sloped portion and an open front end having a stop, the channel sloping downward along a length from the rear end to the front end; such that when a cartridge containing products is inserted in the first channel, product exits the cartridge through the openable section of the cartridge and the rear opening of the first channel, drops and rolls through the sloped portion into the second channel and rolls down the second channel to rest against the stop, for removal through the open front end of the second channel; and wherein the length of the second channel is chosen such that when the second channel is full of cylindrical products and a cartridge containing products is in the first channel, one product is located in the rear opening of the first channel, in line with the blocking section, such that removal of the cartridge from the first channel is blocked by contact of the one product between the blocking section and the front end of the cartridge.

2. The product dispenser of claim 1, in which a length of the first channel is not longer than the length of the cartridge, such that when a cartridge is fully inserted in the first channel at least a part of the cartridge extends out of the first channel.

3. The product dispenser of claim 1, in which the first channel further comprises a

plurality of arcuate finger cut-outs at the front opening of the first channel, to facilitate gripping a cartridge inserted in the first channel.

4. The product dispenser of claim 1, in which the width of the cartridge accommodates a plurality of rows of cylindrical products, and the cartridge further comprises a separator partition between each of the rows of products.

5. The product dispenser of claim 4, in which at least the sloped portion and the second channel further comprise at least one divider wall, aligned with the at least one separator partition of the cartridge, dividing the sloped portion and the second channel into a plurality of lines for the plurality of rows of products.

6. The product dispenser of claim 5, in which an upper edge of the divider wall in the sloped portion is tapered to guide the rows of product into the lines in the second channel.

7. The product dispenser of claim 1, in which the housing further comprises a door located between the front opening of the first channel and the front end of the second channel.

8. The product dispenser of claim 1, in which the second channel further comprises a

transparent ceiling, such that a quantity of product in the second channel may be ascertained by looking through the transparent ceiling.

9. The product dispenser of claim 1 , in which the rear end of the cartridge is closed, and the cartridge further comprises indicia printed on the closed rear end of the cartridge.

10. The product dispenser of claim 9, in which the indicia comprises a product information label.

11. The product dispenser of claim 1 , in which the first channel further comprises a first ceiling for holding the cartridge down in alignment with a floor of the first channel.

12. The product dispenser of claim 1, in which the sloping ramp of the sloped portion has an arcuate shape.

13. The product dispenser of claim 1, in which the slope of the first channel is

approximately five to ten degrees.

14. The product dispenser of claim 1, in which the slope of the second channel is

approximately five to ten degrees.

15. The product dispenser of claim 1, in which the openable portion of the cartridge is formed by perforation of the cartridge such that material in the openable portion may be removed by separating the cartridge along the perforations.

16. A product dispenser assembly for dispensing products contained in shipping trays having a front wall, a back wall and side walls, the assembly comprising: a) a support platform, having an upper surface for supporting at least one shipping tray, a lower surface, a front edge, a rear and a depth between the front edge and the rear which is at least as long as a length between the front wall and the back wall of a shipping tray; b) a stop wall located at the front edge of the support platform; c) a plurality of row dividers extending across the support platform, for aligning

shipping trays on the support platform; d) a feed mechanism supported above the upper surface of the support platform,

comprising: i) a pusher plate depending downward from the feed mechanism toward the upper surface of the support platform, the pusher plate being moveble along a linear support from a rearward position adjacent to the rear of the support platform to a forward position adjacent to the front edge of the support platform, the pusher plate having a length short enough such that the pusher plate does not contact the back wall of a support tray on the support platform but long enough that the pusher plate contacts the products in the shipping tray; and ii) a bias mechanism for biasing the pusher plate along the linear support from the rearward position toward the forward position; such that when a shipping tray bearing products is placed upon the support platform between the row dividers, pushing the pusher plate toward its rearward position against the bias mechanism, the products in the shipping tray are pushed toward the front wall of the tray by the pusher plate.

17. The product dispenser of claim 16, in which the support platform is a shelf.

18. The product dispenser of claim 16, in which the row dividers are movable along a length of the support platform to accommodate shipping trays of differing widths.

19. The product dispenser of claim 18, in which the row dividers have a rearward end which clips over the rear of the support platform and a forward end slidably supported adjacent the front edge of the support platform.

20. The product dispenser of claim 16, in which the bias mechanism comprises a coil spring.

21. The product dispenser of claim 16, in which the stop wall is mounted upon the front edge of the support platform.

22. The product dispenser of claim 16, in which the stop wall is formed into a forward end of the row dividers.

23. The product dispenser of claim 16, in which the stop wall is formed of transparent material.

24. The product dispenser of claim 16, in which there are a plurality of support platforms vertically spaced apart, and the feed mechanism is mounted upon a lower surface of a support platform.

25. The product dispenser of claim 16, in which the dispenser further comprises an

enclosed housing module having a roof upon which the feed mechanism is mounted, in which the row dividers form side walls for the housing module and the support platform forms a floor for the housing module.

26. The product dispenser of claim 16, in which the pusher plate comprises a minimum- sized plate coupled to the feed mechanism and an add-on plate removably attached to the minimum-sized pusher plate, such that the minimum-sized pusher plate is sized to fit shipping trays having minimum clearances for the pusher, and the add- on plate has a width and height sized to fit other-sized shipping trays.

27. The product dispenser of claim 26, in which the add-on plate is attached to the minimum-sized pusher plate using mating pieces of hook-and-loop fastener material.

28. The product dispenser of claim 16, in which the linear support of the feed mechanism further comprises a track on which the pusher plate rides.

29. A product dispenser shelf assembly for dispensing products contained in a plurality of shipping trays having a front wall, a back wall and side walls, the assembly comprising: a) a plurality of support platforms vertically spaced apart, each having an upper

surface for supporting at least one shipping tray, a lower surface, a front edge, a rear and a depth between the front edge and the rear which is at least as long as a length between the front wall and the back wall of a shipping tray; b) a stop wall located at the front edge of the support platforms; c) a plurality of row dividers extending across the support platforms, for aligning shipping trays on the support platform; d) a plurality of feed mechanisms mounted upon the lower surface of at least one of the support platforms, above the upper surface of the next- lower support platform, comprising: i) a pusher plate depending downward from the feed mechanism toward the upper surface of the support platform, the pusher plate being moveble along a linear support from a rearward position adjacent to the rear of the support platform to a forward position adjacent to the front edge of the support platform, the pusher plate having a length short enough such that the pusher plate does not contact the back wall of a support tray on the support platform but long enough that the pusher plate contacts the products in the shipping tray; and ii) a bias mechanism for biasing the pusher plate along the linear support from the rearward position toward the forward position; such that when a shipping tray bearing products is placed upon the support platform between the row dividers, pushing the pusher plate toward its rearward position against the bias mechanism, the products in the shipping tray are pushed toward the front wall of the tray by the pusher plate.

30. The shelf assembly of claim 29, in which the row dividers are movable along a length of the support platform to accommodate shipping trays of differing widths.

31. The shelf assembly of claim 30, in which the row dividers have a rearward end which clips over the rear of the support platform and a forward end slidably supported adjacent the front edge of the support platform.

32. The shelf assembly of claim 29, in which the bias mechanism comprises a coil spring.

33. The shelf assembly of claim 29, in which the stop wall is mounted upon the front edge of the support platform.

34. The shelf assembly of claim 29, in which the stop wall is formed into a forward end of the row dividers.

35. The shelf assembly of claim 29, in which the stop wall is formed of transparent

material.

36. The shelf assembly of claim 29, in which the pusher plate comprises a minimum-sized plate coupled to the feed mechanism and an add-on plate removably attached to the minimum-sized pusher plate, such that the minimum-sized pusher plate is sized to fit shipping trays having minimum clearances for the pusher, and the add-on plate has a width and height sized to fit other-sized shipping trays.

37. The shelf assembly of claim 36, in which the add-on plate is attached to the minimum- sized pusher plate using mating pieces of hook-and-loop fastener material.

38. The shelf assembly of claim 29, in which the support platforms comprise generally horizontal planar shelves.

39. The shelf assembly of claim 38, in which at least one of the shelves slopes downward from the rear to the front edge.

40. A method of dispensing products contained in shipping trays having a front wall, a back wall and side walls, comprising the steps of: a) mounting a feed mechanism above an upper surface of a support platform, the feed mechanism comprising a pusher plate depending downward from the feed mechanism toward the upper surface of the support platform, the pusher plate being moveble along a linear support from a rearward position adjacent to the rear of the support platform to a forward position adjacent to the front edge of the support platform, the pusher plate having a length short enough such that the pusher plate does not contact the back wall of a support tray on the support platform but long enough that the pusher plate contacts the products in the shipping tray; and a bias mechanism for biasing the pusher plate along the linear support from the rearward position toward the forward position; b) placing a shipping tray on the support platform, pushing the pusher plate toward its rearward position against the bias mechanism, so that the products in the shipping tray are pushed toward the front wall of the tray by the pusher plate; c) lowering the front wall of the shipping tray behind a stop wall located at a front edge of the support platform, such that the shipping tray is retained on the support platform as the products are pushed within the tray.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising, when a shipping tray is partially full, the steps of: a) removing the partially full shipping tray from the support platform; b) placing a full shipping tray on the support platform, pushing the pusher plate fully toward its rearward position against the bias mechanism, so that the products in the shipping tray are pushed toward the front wall of the tray by the pusher plate; c) holding the full shipping tray in the fully rearward position, leaving a space between the front wall of the tray and the stop wall on the support platform; d) placing the products from the partially full shipping tray between the front wall of the full shipping tray and the stop wall; and e) releasing the full shipping tray, so that the tray is moved forward by the pusher against the products located between the front wall and the stop wall.