U.S. patent application number 12/354366 was filed with the patent office on 2010-07-15 for product display with improved pull-through frame arrangements.
Invention is credited to Joseph F. Kologe, Thomas O. Nagel.
Application Number | 20100176075 12/354366 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42318300 |
Filed Date | 2010-07-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100176075 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Nagel; Thomas O. ; et
al. |
July 15, 2010 |
PRODUCT DISPLAY WITH IMPROVED PULL-THROUGH FRAME ARRANGEMENTS
Abstract
A display tray for specially shaped packages (e.g., sliced meat
products), having flat, flexible bases and a forwardly projecting
housings for the product, typically, typically with recesses in the
base to accommodate nesting. A vertical frame at the front,
permitting the product housing to project through while normally
retaining the base and while also allowing the base to be pulled
through by a customer, is known. The new tray positions this frame
a sufficient distance behind a front stop of the tray to enable a
customer to replace a pulled-through product into the tray, in
front of the frame and a product projecting through the frame. To
particular advantage, the thus-positioned frame is incorporated
into a special tray insert, easily installed in a general purpose
tray to accommodate the described, specially shaped packages, and
easily removed from the tray to render it more suitable for the
display of general merchandise.
Inventors: |
Nagel; Thomas O.;
(Blairstown, NJ) ; Kologe; Joseph F.; (Scranton,
PA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ST. ONGE STEWARD JOHNSTON & REENS, LLC
986 BEDFORD STREET
STAMFORD
CT
06905-5619
US
|
Family ID: |
42318300 |
Appl. No.: |
12/354366 |
Filed: |
January 15, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
211/59.3 ;
211/85.4 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47F 5/01 20130101; A47F
1/04 20130101; A47F 1/126 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
211/59.3 ;
211/85.4 |
International
Class: |
A47F 1/04 20060101
A47F001/04; A47F 7/00 20060101 A47F007/00 |
Claims
1. In a product display tray particularly for the display of
product packages having a forwardly projecting product pocket and a
surrounding flange of flexible material, the tray being of the type
comprising a bottom structure, a spring-driven paddle movable over
said bottom structure and urged toward a front of said display tray
for urging displayed product packages toward the front, and a front
stop element positioned at the front of said tray to limit forward
movement of items supported on said bottom structure, the
improvement which comprises (a) a product supporting and dispensing
insert removably mounted in a forward portion of said tray, (b)
said insert comprising a frame defining a generally vertical frame
opening for receiving the forwardly projecting pocket of a product
package, (c) said frame opening being smaller than the surrounding
flange of said package while of a size to enable said flange, when
flexed, to be pulled forwardly through the opening, (d) said insert
including spacer means extending forward from said frame for
positioning said frame a predetermined distance rearwardly of said
stop element, (e) said predetermined distance being greater than
the forward projection of a product pocket through said frame by an
amount sufficient to accommodate a pull-through removal of a
product package positioned in said frame.
2. A product display tray according to claim 1, wherein (a) said
predetermined distance is greater than said forward projection by
an amount at least equal to a front-to-back thickness of a product
package, whereby a product package may be placed loosely in said
insert, in a generally upright orientation, forwardly of a package
projecting through said frame.
3. A product display tray according to claim 1, wherein (a) the
bottom structure of said display tray comprises a plurality of
spaced-apart wire elements extending in a front-to-back direction,
and (b) said insert comprises support elements shaped and sized for
a snap-over fit onto outermost ones of said spaced-apart wire
elements.
4. A product display tray according to claim 3, wherein (a) said
support elements also comprise said spacer means.
5. A product display tray according to claim 3, wherein (a) said
insert is of wire construction, (b) said support elements comprise
upper and lower wire elements on each side of said insert, (c) said
upper and lower wire elements are positioned in parallel relation
and spaced apart vertically a distance to receive between them one
of said outermost wires of said tray.
6. A product display tray according to claim 5, wherein (a) said
frame comprises a wire section of generally inverted U-shaped
configuration having lower end portions fixed to rearward portions
of said upper and lower wire elements, and (b) said upper and lower
wire elements at both sides of said insert are connected together
at forward ends thereof by a front connector element extending
across said bottom structure.
7. A product display tray according to claim 6, wherein (a) said
front connector element is formed of wire and is of a generally
inverted U-shaped configuration having an transversely extending
upper element spaced a short distance above said bottom
structure.
8. A product display tray according to claim 6, wherein (a) a strip
spring extends from said movable paddle to a front portion of said
tray to urge said paddle forwardly thereon, (b) said transversely
extending portion of said front connector element includes a tongue
element extending from a central upper portion of said connector
element and disposed at an angle extending downwardly and
rearwardly, (c) a lower extremity of said tongue element positioned
in overlying relation to said strip spring, and (d) upper portions
of said tongue being positioned in spaced above relation to said
bottom structure for engagement and support of forwardly projecting
portion of a product package placed loosely in said insert, in
front of a package restrained by said frame.
9. A removable insert for a product display tray, for the display
of product packages having a forwardly projecting product pocket
and a surrounding flange of flexible material, where the tray has a
bottom structure comprising at least two laterally spaced,
longitudinally extending wires, a pusher paddle slideable along
said bottom structure, a spring urging said paddle forwardly along
said bottom structure, and a front barrier structure positioned
adjacent a front of said tray, said insert comprising (a) a wire
frame member of generally inverted U-shaped form defining a frame
opening of a size larger than said forwardly projecting pocket and
smaller than the surrounding flange of said package while of a size
to enable said flange, when flexed, to be pulled forwardly through
the opening, (b) a pair of vertically spaced apart, forwardly
extending wires fixed to said wire frame at each side thereof and
spaced for a snap-over fit with the laterally spaced wires of said
bottom structure, (c) a connecting wire joining front portions of
said pairs of vertically spaced wires, (d) said insert being
adapted for snap-over mounting on, the front portion of said
product display tray to position the frame member at a location
spaced a distance rearwardly of the front of said tray.
10. An insert according to claim 9, wherein (a) said distance is
greater than a forward projection of said product pocket by an
amount at least equal to a front-to-back thickness of a product
package, whereby a product package may be placed loosely in a front
portion of said insert, in a generally upright orientation,
forwardly of a package projecting through said frame.
11. In a product display tray particularly for the display of
product packages having a forwardly projecting product pocket and a
surrounding flange of flexible material, the tray being of the type
comprising a bottom structure, a spring-driven paddle movable over
said bottom structure and urged toward a front of said display tray
for urging displayed product packages toward the front, and a front
barrier element positioned at the front of said tray, the
improvement which comprises (a) a product dispensing frame mounted
in a forward portion of said tray, spaced rearwardly of said front
barrier element, (b) said frame being vertically oriented and
defining a frame opening for receiving the forwardly projecting
pocket of a product package, (c) said frame opening being smaller
than the surrounding flange of said package while of a size to
enable said flange, when flexed, to be pulled forwardly through the
opening, and (d) said frame being positioned a predetermined
distance rearwardly of said barrier element, (e) said predetermined
distance being greater than the forward projection of a product
pocket through said frame by an amount sufficient to accommodate
placement of a loose product package between a product pocket
projecting through said frame and said front barrier element.
12. The improvement of claim 11, wherein said frame comprises a
frame insert removably positioned in said tray.
13. The improvement of claim 12, wherein (a) said product display
tray comprises a plurality of longitudinally extending wire
elements forming a support for bottom edges of said product
packages, and (b) said removably positioned frame is arranged for
snap-over attachment to certain of said wire elements.
14. The improvement of claim 13, wherein (a) said frame insert is
formed substantially of wire and includes a frame portion of
generally inverted U-shaped configuration and at least one wire
element extending forwardly from each side of said frame portion,
from bottom portions thereof, and serving to space said frame
portion rearwardly of said front barrier element.
15. The improvement of claim 14, wherein (a) said tray bottom
structure comprising a plurality of longitudinally extending wire
elements for supporting bottom edge portions of product packages,
(b) said at least one wire element comprises a pair of vertically
spaced apart, longitudinally extending wire elements arranged for
snap-over mounting on outer ones of the longitudinally extending
wire elements of said bottom structure, to engage said outer ones
in straddling relation.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] In the store display of small product items, it is a common
practice to provide display trays arranged to receive a plurality
of product items in a front-to-back column, with a spring actuated
pusher paddle at the back of the column arranged to automatically
move the column forward each time a product item is removed from
the front of the display. This makes for a more sales-attractive
display, by keeping the merchandise always available at the front
of the display where it is easily seen and easily removed.
[0002] In the case of some products, such as packaged sandwich
meats, for example, the product (e.g., a plurality of slices of
sandwich meat) is received in a plastic pocket, typically of
cylindrical shape, which is mounted on a rectangular base, also
typically of plastic material, forming a sealed package. Products
of this type tend to be difficult to handle in push forward type
display trays. Accordingly, it is known to provide such trays with
a package supporting and dispensing frame at the front end of the
tray, which allows the product-containing pocket to project through
the frame, while restraining the somewhat larger base portion of
the package. Customers can extract packages from these displays by
gripping the forwardly projecting pocket and pulling forward. The
base part of the package, which is somewhat flexible, flexes
sufficiently to allow it to pass through the opening in the frame
and be removed by the customer. The next package in the column is
then moved forward by the pusher paddle, and its pocket projects
forwardly through the frame.
[0003] One of the problems with known display trays of the type
mentioned above is that, whenever a customer removes a package and
then changes his or her mind (a not infrequent occurrence), dealing
with the removed but unwanted package presents a problem. There may
or may not be space to set it on top of the display, depending on
what displays or structures there may be directly over head. In the
end, the customer may just place the package in an improper
location, wherever space can be found.
[0004] Another disadvantage of known display trays of the type
described is that they tend to be single-purpose units. In this
respect, while suited for display and dispensing of the particular
type of product described above, the conventional trays are largely
or at least somewhat unsuitable for dispensing of other
products.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0005] In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a new and
improved form of product dispensing tray is provided, which is
particularly useful for the display and dispensing of food and
other products, packaged as described, with a pocket projecting
forwardly from a flat and somewhat larger base element. In the
improved tray of the invention, a supporting and dispensing frame
element, accommodating the forward projection of a product pocket
while restraining the base portion of the package, is positioned at
a point spaced rearwardly of a front barrier element provided at
the forwardmost extremity of the tray. The frame is spaced
rearwardly a distance which corresponds to the forward projecting
portion of a package received in the frame, plus at least the full
thickness of one package. Accordingly, whenever a customer
withdraws a product package through the frame and then has a change
of mind about the product, the withdrawn product can be reinserted
into the front of the display tray, in the space between the front
barrier and the package which has just been advanced into the frame
by reason of the pushing action of the tray. The returned package
stands upright in the display, at the front thereof, and is in all
respects available and ready for selection and extraction by a
subsequent customer. A customer who has had a change of mind does
not have to hunt for a place to lay down the unwanted product item,
and the storekeeper avoids a potential losses resulting from
defacing or damaging of the product resulting from the customer
discarding it in an unsuitable location.
[0006] An additional and especially advantageous feature of the
invention resides in the construction of a display tray of the type
and having the features mentioned in the preceding paragraph, in
which the supporting and dispensing frame and the desired
positioning of the frame is accomplished by means of a novel and
advantageous form of tray insert. The arrangement is such that the
tray itself can be of multi-purpose design, suitable for handling
of special packages with forwardly projecting pockets, and for
other, more conventional package forms, such as typical boxes,
bags, etc. The tray itself may be of a universal design, suitable
for a wide variety of products. However, by placing an insert
according to the invention in the front portion of the tray, it is
automatically converted to a tray with a supporting and dispensing
frame as described above and with the desired open spacing at the
front to accommodate a dispensed but unwanted product. This is an
important advantage to the storekeeper and manufacturer alike in
enabling wider usage of a standardized (and therefore more
economical) form of tray, which can be modified for special-purpose
usage by installation of a removable insert.
[0007] For a more complete understanding of the above and other
features and advantages of the invention, reference should be made
to the following detailed description of preferred embodiments
thereof, and to the accompanying drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a product display tray
incorporating a spring-driven pusher paddle and a supporting and
dispensing frame positioned in rearwardly spaced relation to the
front of the tray, providing space for the return of a product
extracted through the frame but later determined by the customer to
be unwanted.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the structure of FIG. 1.
[0010] FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view as taken generally on line
3-3 of FIG. 2.
[0011] FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of an advantageous form of
special insert which is removably positioned in the tray structure
of FIG. 1, providing the positioning and dispensing frame and the
desired spacing thereof from the front of the tray.
[0012] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the frame insert of FIG.
4.
[0013] FIG. 6 is a view, partially in section, illustrating certain
types of product packages provided with forwardly projecting
packets, and indicating how such packages may partially nest within
each other when stacked up in a horizontal column for dispensing in
a tray such as illustrated in FIG. 1.
DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0014] Referring now to the drawing, the reference numeral 10
designates generally a preferred form of product display tray in
which the features of the invention are advantageously
incorporated. Features of such display trays are shown in U.S. Pat.
Nos. 6,745,906, 6,866,155, 6,866,700, 6,889,855 and 7,032,761, and
the disclosures of these patents are incorporated herein by
reference. In the illustrated form of tray, shown best in FIGS. 1
and 2, there is a base formed of four longitudinally extending
wires 11-14. These longitudinally extending wires are joined at
their back edges by a rear cross bar 15. At the forward end of the
base there is a front cross bar 16 which is fixed to the forward
ends of the two internal wires 12, 13 and is fixed to the outside
wires 11, 14 adjacent the forwardmost end portions thereof. In the
illustrated tray, the forward extremities 17, 18 of the outer wires
11, 14 are bent upwardly and are arranged to be received in
opposite side sockets 19 of a front barrier member 20. The barrier
member serves as a front stop for the display rack, and also
provides a front surface for carrying labels and/or printing
identifying the product carried by the tray, its price, etc.
[0015] The front and back cross bars 15, 16 are received in plastic
supports 21, 22 respectively, preferably by being snapped into
upwardly facing grooves 23, 24 provided on the upper sides of the
supports 21, 22. The supports 21, 22 are provided with pairs of
parallel transverse passages 25 which receive transversely disposed
portions 26 of side guide elements 27, 28. The side guide elements
are shown in their minimum width positions. The transverse elements
26 thereof are frictionally slideable in the passages 25 to enable
outward adjustment to accommodate packages too large for the
minimum configuration.
[0016] As described more fully in the above mentioned patents, the
illustrated form of display tray includes a pusher paddle 29, which
is slideably engaged with the wires 11-14 and is constantly urged
toward the front of the tray by means of a coiled spring 30
positioned between front and back panels 31, 32 of the pusher
paddle and having a strip portion 33 extending forward and anchored
in the forward tray support 22. The spring 30 constantly urges the
paddle 29 forwardly, to advance product items 34 toward the front
of the tray.
[0017] The tray 10, as described to this point, is generally known
and does not, per se, form part of the invention. Moreover, in the
broadest aspects of the invention, a wide variety of product
displays, incorporating arrangements to keep product items at the
front of the display, may be used, with modifications to be
described, to perform the functions of the invention.
[0018] For the display of certain products, and by way of example
certain sandwich meat products, such as baloney, salami and the
like, packages such as shown in FIG. 6 are often employed. These
include a base member 35, formed of flexible plastic, or perhaps
flexible cardboard, joined with a forwardly projecting housing 36,
which is commonly but not necessarily of cylindrical form (FIG. 3)
and provided with a flat front face 37. Frequently, the base member
35 is formed with a displacement 38, forming a central recess 39 in
its back surface. The shape and size of the recess is such as to
receive an outer portion of the product housing 37 of an adjacent
package, as illustrated in FIG. 6. This provides for more
convenient handling and stacking of a plurality of the packages, as
will be appreciated.
[0019] To facilitate separation and dispensing of individual
product package, from a series of such packages nested in the
manner shown in FIG. 6, it is known to provide a frame at the front
of the display tray, the internal dimensions of which are such as
to allow the product housing 37 to project through the frame, while
the base 35, which is somewhat larger than the frame, is engaged
adjacent its outer periphery and restrained. To dispense a product,
the forwardly projecting housing 36 is engaged by the customer and
pulled forward. The base 35 is designed with sufficient flexibility
as to allow the package to be drawn forwardly by rearward flexing
of the edges of the base. After the package has been withdrawn, the
forward pressure of the pusher paddle 29 advances the product
column, positioning the next product in the column within the
frame, generally in the manner shown in FIG. 1.
[0020] One of the disadvantages of this arrangement, in its
previously known form, is that customers often extract a package on
impulse, and soon thereafter change their mind and want to return
the package. With conventional arrangements, there is no convenient
way to return a package to the display. Accordingly, a customer,
even with the best of intentions, may place the extracted package
in some location where it becomes neglected and disfigured or
damaged so as to be unsuitable for sale to another customer.
[0021] In accordance with a broad feature of the present invention,
a restraining frame 40 preferably in the form of a wire configured
in the shape of an inverted U, including a horizontally disposed
upper element 41 and vertically disposed side elements 42, 43, is
positioned on the tray 10 at a location that is spaced rearwardly
of the front of the tray by an amount which equals or exceeds the
sum of (a) the amount by which the housing 37 projects forwardly of
the frame, and (b) the full thickness of at least one package. The
arrangement is such that, where a customer has extracted a package
from a display as shown in FIG. 1, and the next package has been
pushed forward through the frame 40, there remains in the front
portion of the display sufficient space that a customer may return
an unwanted package by simply placing it in the available space at
the front of the tray. The package so placed has the appearance of
a normal package and is conveniently displayed at the front of the
tray for removal by a subsequent customer.
[0022] In the broadest sense of the invention, the frame 40 may be
constructed as a fixed part of the display tray, as by welding the
side elements 42, 43 to the outside longitudinal wires 11, 14.
However, this construction while functionally satisfactory, tends
to limit the usefulness of the display tray by making it a special
purpose tray, ideally suited for the dispensing of packages as
illustrated at 34, but being less efficient for the display of
other packages, where the presence of the frame might unnecessary
limit the forward positioning of the front product to a location
behind the frame, without any resulting benefit.
[0023] Accordingly, as another feature of the invention, the frame
40 is incorporated into a tray insert unit, which may be inserted
at the front of an otherwise standardized display tray to provide
the desired restraining frame and the desired positioning thereof
for the display of packages such as illustrated in FIG. 1. For the
display and dispensing of other products, packaged in more typical
boxes or bags, the frame insert may be removed from the display,
returning it to a standardized form of universal utility. Such an
insert, generally designated by the numeral 48, is illustrated
separately in FIGS. 4 and 5 of the drawing and as installed in the
tray in FIGS. 1-3.
[0024] In the form of insert shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the side
elements 42, 43 of the frame are welded at lower end portions
thereof to forwardly extending wire pairs 44, 45, which typically
may be secured by welding. The wire pairs 44, 45 extend in parallel
relation and are spaced apart vertically by a distance
substantially equal to the diameter of the outer tray wires 11, 14.
The horizontal spacing of the wire pairs 44, 45 is substantially
equal to the horizontal spacing of the outer tray wires 11, 14.
[0025] At their forward ends, the wire pairs 44, 45 are connected
by a front bridging element 46, which serves to space the wire
pairs 44, 45 both vertically and horizontally at their front
extremities. In the illustrated form of the invention, the bridging
element 46 is formed with a rearwardly and downwardly inclined
tongue 47 in the central portion thereof. The bottom of the tongue
overlies the forwardly extending portion 33 of the spring 30. The
inclined portion of the tongue 47 and the horizontal portion of the
bridging element can serve to prop up the projecting portion of a
loose package replaced inn the tray by a customer who has changed
his or her mind.
[0026] As will be appreciated, the insert 48 can be produced with
different frame dimensions and different lengths of the wire pairs
44, 45, in order to accommodate packages 34 of different
configuration. This is an additional advantage of the use of an
insert, rather than a built-in frame.
[0027] To install the insert, it is simply pressed downward over
the outer tray wires 11, 14, deflecting those wires laterally
inward to accommodate the passage of the lower wires 44, 45 of the
insert. For this operation, it is advantageous to initially
position the insert in a mid area of the wires 11, 14, where they
can be easily deflected inward. After installation over the wires
11, 14, the insert 48 can be slid forward on the wires 11, 14 until
forward portions of the insert engage the front support 22, as
reflected in FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0028] To advantage, the upper wires 44 of the insert are formed
with inward projections 49. These serve to provide a positive limit
stop, to facilitate installation of the insert over the wires 11,
14. Once installed, the frame insert 48 is firmly positioned on the
tray wires 11, 14, in the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and
remains effectively fixed in the frame while packages 36 are pulled
through the frame 40 by customers.
[0029] Although the particular style of display tray and frame
insert illustrated and described herein are preferred and
advantageous, various styles of display trays and various forms of
frame inserts may be utilized within the broadest concepts of the
invention. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following
appended claims in determining the full scope of the invention.
* * * * *