Pusher and merchandise display system

Abstract

A pusher and system for dispensing articles includes a display cell having a back wall, a pair of opposing sidewalls and an open front. The pusher includes first and second members, each featuring a leading edge and a trailing edge and at least one hinge portion. The first and second members are joined by pivot axes. The leading edges feature pushing flaps to cooperatively engage a rearmost article positioned in the cell while the trailing edges cooperatively engage the back wall of the cell. Tensioning elements urges the hinge portions of the pusher towards one another so that articles are pushed towards the open front of the cell. A pair of centering flaps are joined one each to the trailing edges of the pusher and cooperatively engage the opposing sidewalls of the cell to assist in centering the pusher within the cell.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to merchandise display devices and systems and, more particularly, to a pusher for a merchandise display and an associated merchandise display system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Packaged merchandise such as computer software, DVD's, CD's, playing cards, cigarettes and other goods are often dispensed in a retail store from a shelving unit or display that holds a large number of the articles. The shelving unit or display may be divided into separate compartments or cells with each compartment or cell holding a row of the articles. With such an arrangement, the front-most article is visible and may be removed from the display. As each article is withdrawn from the display, however, the remaining articles appear further back in the display cell lessening the effectiveness of the display and making it more difficult for the customer to view, select and retrieve the desired article.

To remedy this situation, merchandise pusher devices have been devised in the prior art to automatically push the row of articles forward so that when the front-most article is removed, the next article in line is pushed forward to occupy the front-most position of the display cell. Such pusher devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,588,093 to Field and U.S. Pat. No. 6,769,552 to Thalenfeld et al. Both of these devices, and various other devices in the prior art featuring similar constructions, employ spring mechanisms to urge the row of articles towards the front of the display. The use of such spring mechanisms, however, increases the production costs of such pusher devices due to the associated higher component and material costs and complexity of assembly. A need exits for a pusher device that is economical and simple to manufacture, easy to use (for both consumers and retailers) and reliable. A need also exists for a merchandise display system incorporating such a pusher.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the pusher of the present invention in an extended configuration and a front portion of a display cell;

FIG. 2 is top plan view of a sheet of corrugated fiberboard as cut to form the first and second members of the pusher of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged top plan view of the first member of FIGS. 1 and 2 folded for assembly;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged top plan view of the second member of FIGS. 1 and 2 folded for assembly;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of an elastic loop of the pusher of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 6A and 6B are bottom plan and end elevation views, respectively, of the connector of the elastic loop of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the pusher of FIG. 1 in the extended configuration and a cross sectional view of the display cell of FIG. 1 taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 1 with the pusher positioned inside;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the pusher and display cell of FIGS. 1 and 7 with merchandise articles positioned in the display cell and the pusher in a retracted configuration;

FIG. 9 is perspective view of a second embodiment of the pusher of the present invention in an extended configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

A first embodiment of the pusher of the present invention is indicated in general at 10 in FIG. 1. The pusher is constructed from three main components: a first member, indicated in general at 12, a second member, indicated in general at 14, and elastic loops 16a and 16b, which, as explained below, serve as tensioning elements.

First and second members 12 and 14 preferably are constructed from corrugated fiberboard. While corrugated fiberboard is illustrated and described below, the members of the pusher could be constructed from a number of alternative materials such as cardboard, plastic (with the fold lines and slots described below molded into each member), wood (using cut slots and attached hinges) and other materials known in the art. In addition, while the first and second members are illustrated and described as each being a single piece, each component may be constructed from multiple pieces or panels.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the two members preferably are cut from a single sheet of corrugated fiberboard. More specifically, the sheet of corrugated fiberboard, indicated in general at 18, is slit down the center, as indicated by line 22, to divide the sheet into two equal halves, with one half being used to form first member 12, while the other half is used to form second member 14. The sheet is also slit scored or perforated along fold lines 24, 26 and 28. First member 12 includes a pair of generally V-shaped slots 32 and 34 formed in opposite edges. In addition, pivot slits 36 and 38 are cut into first member 12. A pair of V-shaped slots 42 and 44 are similarly formed in the sheet for second member 14, as are pivot slits 46 and 48.

Fold line 24 divides first member 12 into pushing flap 52 and forward panel 54 and second member 14 into pushing flap 56 and forward panel 58. Fold line 26 separates the forward panels 54 and 58 from the rearward panels 62 and 64 of the first and second members, respectively. Fold line 28 separates rearward panels 62 and 64 from centering flaps 66 and 68 of the first and second members, respectively.

After the corrugated fiberboard sheet 18 of FIG. 2 is cut as illustrated in FIG. 2 and described above, the pusher is assembled by folding the first and second members as indicated by the top views of FIGS. 3 and 4, respectively. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the pivot slits 36 and 38 of first member 12 face upwards. In contrast, the pivot slits 46 and 48 (FIG. 2) of second member 14 face downwards. The second member is then oriented over the first member with the pivot slit 46 (FIG. 2) of the second member aligned with the pivot slit 36 of the first member. The pivot slit 48 of the second member is also aligned with the pivot slit 38 of the first member. The second member is then lowered onto the first member so that the aligned pivot slits engage, as illustrated in FIG. 1.

An enlarged view of elastic loop 16a is provided in FIG. 5. The elastic loop, which serves as a tensioning element, includes a cord portion, indicated at 72, and a connector portion, indicated at 75. The cord 72 is preferable braded cord, but any elastic material may be used. Connector 74 secures the ends of the cord 72 together so that the loop is formed. Connector 74 is preferably constructed of metal and, as illustrated in FIGS. 6A and 6B, features gap 76 and teeth 78 so that it may be crimped in place on cord 72 (FIG. 5). Several alternatives known in the art may be substituted as a tensioning element for elastic loop 16a, including, but not limited to, a rubber band or any other loop or cord (having a fastener on each end that engages the first and/or second member) having an elastic capability.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, elastic loop 16a is received within the generally V-shaped slot 32 of first member 12. In addition, though not visible in FIG. 1, elastic loop 16a is also received within generally V-shaped slot 44 of second member 14. Elastic loop 16b is similarly received within generally V-shaped slot 42 of second member 14 and generally V-shaped slot 34 of first member 12.

As illustrated by arrow 82 in FIG. 1, pusher 10 is adapted for used in a display cell, such as the one indicated in general at 84. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 7, the display cell includes a top wall 86, sidewalls 92 and 94, a back wall 96 and an open front 98. The display cell may also include a raised floor 102 (FIG. 1) having a front portion 104 upon which information may be printed or otherwise placed. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 7, the raised floor 102 is also provided with a stop 106. As an example only, the display cell may be constructed of corrugated corrugated fiberboard appropriately folded and glued to form the box-like structure of the display cell. The stop 106 may be constructed of plastic and positioned within a slot formed in raised floor 102. Alternative materials may be used to construct the display cell 84 and stop 106.

In addition, it is to be understood that while a single display cell is illustrated in the figures and described below, the pusher and merchandising display system of the invention could include multiple display cells and pushers with the display cells stacked or otherwise formed as a multi-cell display. In addition, the display cell could feature an open top in addition to the open front. In addition to being part of a free-standing display, the display cell could also be integrated into a shelving system.

A top view of the assembled pusher positioned within the interior of the display cell is provided in FIG. 7. The pusher is in an extracted configuration because no merchandise articles are positioned within the display cell interior. The assembled pusher features a first pivot axis 110 and a second pivot axis 112 at the junctions of the first and second member 12 and 14. In addition, first member 12 includes a hinge portion 114 while second member includes an opposing hinge portion 116. A first member angle 120 is defined between the forward and rearward panels 54 and 62 of the first member, as connected by hinge portion 115. A second member angle 122 is similarly defined between the forward and rearward panels 58 and 64 of the first member, as connected by hinge portion 115. Elastic loops 16a and 16b urge hinge portions 114 and 116 towards one another so that the pusher is urged towards the extended configuration illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 7 and the acuteness of the first and second member angles 120 and 122 decreases.

As described previously, the pusher features a pair of centering flaps 66 and 68. The centering flaps feature distal edges 124 and 126 that contact the sidewalls 92 and 94 of display cell 84. As a result, when the display cell is completely empty of merchandise articles, and there is no pressure applied to the pusher, the centering flaps keep the associated end of the pusher generally centered within the cell. As a result, side-to-side “float” of the pusher within the product cell is reduced or eliminated so that the pusher does not have to be manually centered in the cell for loading or reloading. This facilitates stocking and restocking of the display cell.

Centering flaps 66 and 68 also feature proximate ends that are attached to the trailing edges of rearward panels 62 and 64, respectively, so as to form contact edges 128 and 130 that contact the back wall 96 of the display cell, as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8.

As described previously and illustrated in FIG. 7, the pusher also features a pair of pushing flaps 52 and 56 that are joined to the leading edges of forward panels 54 and 58 of first member 12 and second member 14, respectively. A merchandise article, such as packaged computer software, a DVD package, a CD package, etc., inserted through the open front 98 of the display cell engages pusher flaps 52 and 54. As additional merchandise articles are inserted into the display cell through the open front, as illustrated in phantom at 132a-132d in FIG. 8, the pusher moves towards the retracted configuration illustrated in FIG. 8. The elastic action of the elastic loops 16a and 16b of the pusher urges the front-most merchandise article towards the open front 98 of the display cell where it engages stop 106 (see also FIG. 1).

As the additional merchandise articles are added through the open front 98 of the display cell, and the pusher retracts, the contact edges 128 and 130 move in the direction of arrows 134 and 136 (FIG. 7), respectively, along the back wall 96 of the display cell. In addition, the distal ends 124 and 126 of the centering flaps move in the direction of arrows 142 and 144 (FIG. 7), respectively, along the side walls 92 and 94 of the display cell. As a result, the pusher stays generally centered within the display cell as it retracts.

Conversely, as merchandise articles 132a-132d (FIG. 8) are removed from the interior of the display cell, the pusher moves towards the extended configuration illustrated in FIG. 7. As this occurs, with reference to FIG. 8, the distal ends of the contact edges 128 and 130 move in the direction of arrows 146 and 148, respectively, along the back wall 96 of the display cell. In addition, the distal ends 124 and 126 of the centering flaps move in the direction of arrows 152 and 154, respectively, along the side walls 92 and 94 of the display cell. As a result, the pusher stays generally centered within the display cell as the pusher extends. The elastic action of the elastic loops 16a and 16b of the pusher urges the merchandise articles toward the front of the display as each front-most article of the display cell is removed through the open front 98 of the display cell.

A second embodiment of the pusher of the present invention is indicated in general at 210 in FIG. 9. Similar to the first embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the embodiment of FIG. 9 includes a first member 212 and a second member 214 as well as a number of elastic loops 216a-216f. The embodiment of FIG. 9 is particularly useful for deep display cells which hold a larger number of merchandise articles than shallower display cells, such as the one illustrated in FIGS. 1-8. Such deeper display cells do not have to be restocked or refilled as often which is typically advantageous in terms of labor savings.

As illustrated in FIG. 9, in order to accommodate the greater depth of the display cell, the pusher features longer first and second members, a greater number of pivot axes, indicated at 222, 224, 226 and 228, and hinge portions, indicated at 230, 232 and 234 for the first member 212, and 236, 238 and 240 for the second member 214. The pusher of FIG. 9 also includes a pair of pushing flaps 242 and 244 and a pair of centering flaps 246 and 248. In operation, the pusher of FIG. 9 operates in the same manner as the embodiment of FIGS. 1-8, except there are a greater number of tension elements (elastic loops) urging the pusher towards the extended configuration illustrated in FIG. 9, so that merchandise articles positioned in the display cell are pushed towards an open front of the display cell as front-most merchandise articles are removed there from.

The embodiments of FIGS. 1-8 and 9 present examples only in terms of the number of pivot axes and hinge portions that the pusher of the present invention may have. More specifically, the pusher may have more than the embodiment of FIGS. 1-8 and more or less than the embodiment of FIG. 9. Regardless of the length of the first and second members of the pusher, or the number of pivot axes and hinge portions, the centering flaps assist in keeping the associated end of the pusher generally centered within the display cell for ease of restocking.

While embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. A pusher for dispensing articles from a display cell having a back wall, a pair of opposing sidewalls and an open front, said pusher comprising:

a) a first member featuring a leading edge and a trailing edge and a hinge portion;

b) a second member featuring a leading edge and a trailing edge and a hinge portion;

c) said first member joined to said second member at a first pivot axis between the leading edges and the first and second hinge portions and at a second pivot axis between the trailing edges and the hinge portions;

d) the leading edges adapted to cooperatively engage a rearmost article positioned in the cell;

e) the trailing edges adapted to cooperatively engage the back wall of the cell;

f) a tensioning element urging the hinge portions towards one another so that the back wall of the cell is engaged by the trailing edges and the rearmost article is engaged by the leading edges and pushed towards the open front of the cell; and

g) a pair of centering flaps joined one each to the trailing edges, said centering flaps cooperatively engaging the opposing sidewalls of the cell to assist in centering the pusher within the cell.

2. The pusher of claim 1 wherein the first and second members each includes an additional hinge portion and said first and second members are also joined at a third pivot axis between the additional hinge portions and the trailing edges.

3. The pusher of claim 2 wherein the first and second members each includes another additional hinge portion and said first and second members are also joined at a fourth pivot axis between the another additional hinge portions and the trailing edges.

4. The pusher of claim 1 wherein the first and second members are each constructed from a single piece.

5. The pusher of claim 4 wherein the first and second members are each constructed of corrugated fiberboard.

6. The pusher of claim 5 wherein the first and second member are cut from a single sheet of corrugated fiberboard.

7. The pusher of claim 1 wherein the first and second members include slots formed at the hinge portions that receive the tensioning element.

8. The pusher of claim 7 wherein the slots include generally V-shaped slots.

9. The pusher of claim 8 wherein the tensioning element is an elastic loop.

10. The pusher of claim 1 wherein the first and second members each include pivot slits that engage one another at the pivot axes.

11. The pusher of claim 1 further comprising a pair of pushing flaps attached to the leading edges.

12. A merchandise display system for dispensing articles comprising:

a) a display cell having a back wall, a pair of opposing side walls and an open front; and

b) a pusher including: i. a first member featuring a leading edge and a trailing edge and a hinge portion; ii. a second member featuring a leading edge and a trailing edge and a hinge portion; iii. said first member joined to said second member at a first pivot axis between the leading edges and the first and second hinge portions iv. and at a second pivot axis between the trailing edges and the hinge portions; v. the leading edges adapted to cooperatively engage a rearmost article positioned in the cell; vi. the trailing edges adapted to cooperatively engage the back wall of the cell; vii. a tensioning element urging the hinge portions towards one another so that the back wall of the cell is engaged by the trailing edges and the rearmost article is engaged by the leading edges and pushed towards the open front of the cell; viii. a pair of centering flaps joined one each to the trailing edges, said centering flaps cooperatively engaging the opposing sidewalls of the cell to assist in centering the pusher within the cell.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the first and second members of the pusher each includes an additional hinge portion and said first and second members are also joined at a third pivot axis between the additional hinge portions and the trailing edges.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the first and second members of the pusher each includes another additional hinge portion and said first and second members are also joined at a fourth pivot axis between the another additional hinge portions and the trailing edges.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the first and second members of the pusher are each constructed from a single piece.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the first and second members of the pusher are each constructed of corrugated fiberboard.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein the first and second members of the pusher include generally V-shaped slots formed at the hinge portions and the tensioning element includes an elastic loop that is received by the V-shaped slots.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein the pusher further comprises a pair of pushing flaps attached to the leading edges.

19. The system of claim 12 wherein the display cell is constructed from corrugated fiberboard.

20. A device for pushing articles in a display cell having a back wall, an opposing pair of side walls and an open front, the device comprising:

a) a first member featuring a rear panel and a forward panel, said rear panel including a leading edge and a trailing edge and said forward panel including a leading edge and a trailing edge, said trailing edge of the forward panel joined to the leading edge of the rear panel in a hinged fashion so that a first member angle is defined between the forward and rear panels of the first member;

b) a second member featuring a rear panel and a forward panel, said rear panel including a leading edge and a trailing edge and said forward panel including a leading edge and a trailing edge, said trailing edge of the forward panel joined to the leading edge of the rear panel in a hinged fashion so that a second member angle is defined between the forward and rear panels of the second member;

c) said forward panel of the first member joined to the forward panel of the second member in a hinged fashion;

d) said rear panel of the first member joined to the rear panel of the second member in a hinged fashion;

e) the leading edges of the forward panels of said first and second members adapted to cooperatively engage a rearmost article positioned in the cell;

f) the trailing edges of the rear panels of said first and second members adapted to cooperatively engage the back wall of the cell;

g) a tensioning element urging portions of the first and second members together so that the acuteness of the first member and second member angles increase and so that the rearmost article engaged by the forward panels of the first and second members is pushed towards the open front of the cell; and

h) a first centering flap joined to the trailing edge of the rear panel of the first member and a second centering flap joined to the trailing edge of the rear panel of the second member, said first and second centering flaps cooperatively engaging the opposing sidewalls of the cell to assist in centering the pusher within the cell.