Retail Merchandise Tray

What is this patent about?

’547 is related to the field of retail merchandise displays, specifically self-facing displays that bias merchandise forward. These displays often use pusher systems with spring-loaded paddles to keep products front-facing as items are removed. The background describes common pusher systems used on shelves and stand-alone trays, highlighting the need for improvements in these systems to reduce assembly time and cost, and to improve baffle plate and shelf mounting configurations.

The underlying idea behind ’547 is to create a retail merchandise tray with easier assembly, improved adjustability, and better integration of features like baffle plates. The key inventive insight is using a removable wire support structure that doesn't require welding, along with divider assemblies that use resilient connections for easy replacement of parts. The design also incorporates slidable connections for baffle plate extensions, allowing for a continuous baffle surface even when dividers are adjusted.

The claims of ’547 focus on a retail merchandise tray comprising a frame, a pusher, and two adjustable divider assemblies. The divider assemblies each include a divider wall with a flange, and wire supports that allow the divider wall to slide relative to the frame. The claims emphasize the configuration of the wire supports and flanges, particularly how they interact with the frame and each other when the divider assemblies are in different positions, allowing for adjustment of the tray's width.

In practice, the tray is assembled by snapping the wire support structure into the load-bearing members and front stop, avoiding the need for welding. The divider assemblies are then attached to the frame, with the wire supports sliding within passageways in the load-bearing members and spacers. The pusher, biased by a spring, keeps the merchandise front-facing. The divider assemblies can be moved laterally to accommodate different product widths, and the baffle plate extensions slide along with the dividers to maintain a continuous baffle surface.

This design differentiates itself from prior approaches by eliminating welding in the assembly process, using resilient connections for the divider assemblies, and integrating the baffle plate functionality directly into the divider assemblies. The keyway mounting arrangement for the wire support structure also simplifies assembly and provides a secure connection. Furthermore, the optional foldable front stop allows for easier loading of merchandise from the front of the tray, addressing a common problem with traditional pusher systems.