Patent Publication Number: US-2005133471-A1

Title: Glide with product stops

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
      This patent application is a continuation-in-part and claims priority of International Patent Application No. PCT/U.S.00/33248, filed Dec. 8, 2000, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/149,357, that was filed Jun. 7, 2002, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/169,606, that was filed on Dec. 8, 1999 and 60/563,187, that was filed on Apr. 16, 2004. The disclosures of these patent documents are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      This invention relates to glides and, more particularly, to retail display glides for holding a number of product and/or product containers such as, for example, beverage and food containers, and consumer products such as batteries, film and the like.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      There are a wide variety of devices for storing, displaying, and dispensing products such as, for example, individual serving sizes of beverages and foods. A broad genus of such devices are known as glides. Such glides confine the products to discrete lanes (often designated rows or columns), typically arrayed extending front-to-back in a refrigerator, display case, or shelf unit. Many such glides are configured or mounted so that the glide base surface supporting the products inclines from front-to-back to allow a back-to-front gravity feed. Glides may also include a pusher mechanism that is located behind products to urge the products from back to front in a lane.  
      U.S. Design Pat. No. 275058 discloses a basic glide. The glide has a given footprint on the associated shelf or other support surface.  
      Glides have been provided that are reversibly or permanently alterable to accommodate an available shelf footprint. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,478,337 identifies a glide having front and rear portions that slidingly interfit to permit adjustment of the front-to-back length of the glide. U.S. Pat. No. 4,958,739 discloses a glide in which a rear portion is disjointably coupled to a front portion to permit size adjustment by the addition or removal thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 4,801,025 discloses a stackable glide system wherein outboard lanes may be severed from the glide to narrow it.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,256 discloses a system wherein individual lane-defining members may be secured side-by-side to form a composite glide. In addition to producing individual members of a single lane in width, the assignee of that patent is believed to make one-piece members that define multiple (e.g., three) lanes.  
      The aforementioned commonly assigned, copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/149,357 (hereinafter referred to as “the &#39;357 application”) describes a glide system having a base and a number of wall members at least some of which are removably installable on the base. The wall members extend front-to-back so as to cooperate with the base to define a number of lanes or channels. Each channel is dimensioned for accommodating an associated front-to-back column of the products. Front members are installable to the base and to installed wall members to bound forward extremities of the channels. A first front member engages a first number of installed wall members to define a first width of channels and a second front member engages a second number of installed wall members to define a second width of channels that is substantially different from the first width.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,738 discloses a display glide wherein individual channel units are coupled in a side-by-side manner for holding adjacent columns of product packages. Each channel unit includes a divider wall and a pusher mechanism. The channel units are described as having a length that is adjustable to a width of a display shelf and widths that are selectively tailored to accommodate different sized (different width) packages. In one embodiment, the channel unit includes flexible side stops secured to a forward end of divider walls. The stops are described as small enough so as not to obscure legends on the products and sufficiently resistant to stop the forward motion of the product as it advances on the display under the urging of the pusher. The stops are also described as being sufficiently flexible to permit withdrawal of products by manual means, for example, so that a customer may pull products through the stops.  
      U.S. Patent Application, Publication No. 2003/0132178 A1, describes a depth and width adjustable display track unit with removable partitions. In one embodiment, the partitions include partitions whose front end terminate in a short, right angle stop for placement at a right-most channel, partitions whose front end terminate in a short, left angle stop for placement at a left-most channel and intermediate partitions whose front end terminate in a cathedral stop. These stops are described as serving as stabilizers to respective partitions and are said to cooperate at the front end of the channels to stop articles from sliding down the channel and off the display track.  
      The inventor has realized that one perceived disadvantage of conventional glides is that products tend to pass through partial stops formed at forward ends of channels unless the stops are of sufficient strength. Also, partitions of conventional glides can be more readily dislodged as customers pull products through the stops. Therefore, the inventor has realized that an improved glide is needed which has secure and stable partitions and stops located at forward ends of channels that stop products from sliding off the glide.  
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      Accordingly, in one aspect, the invention is directed to a glide apparatus for holding a number or group of products. The glide includes a base, at least two wall members and at least two product stops. The base has an upper surface for supporting the products and a bottom surface. The wall members are removably installed on the base and extend front-to-back so as to cooperate with the base to define one or more channels. Each of the channels is dimensioned for accommodating an associated front-to-back column of the products. The product stops are coupled to one of the wall members and the base at a forward extremity of each channel. A front edge of each wall member includes a vertically-extending projection, engagable via vertical translation to a complementary channel in a supporting portion of a corresponding one of the plurality of product stops. When installed to the base and a corresponding wall member, the product stops has surfaces cooperating with the base to prevent removal of the installed wall members unless the product stops are at least partially removed via rearward horizontal and upward vertical translation. Additionally, the product stops have portions extending from side surfaces of the wall members to inhibit horizontal translation of products along and past the forward extremities of the channels.  
      In one embodiment, wherein the glide includes one channel formed by two wall members and the base, the glide has product stops including a right product stop and a left product stop. The right product stop includes a base portion, a vertical supporting portion and a vertical and leftward extending stop portion. The base portion includes a plurality of projections depending therefrom for engaging the base. The vertical extending supporting portion includes a vertical extending dovetail channel complementary to the vertically-extending projection of a wall member and a rearward extending portion that, when installed to the wall member, flanks side surfaces of the wall member. The leftward extending stop portion, when installed to the wall member, extends horizontally from a side surface of the wall member into a corresponding channel such that the extending portion impacts and inhibits product from passing freely down the channel.  
      Similarly, the left product stop includes a base portion, a vertical supporting portion and a vertical and rightward extending stop portion. The base portion includes a plurality of projections depending therefrom for engaging the base. The vertical extending supporting portion includes a vertical extending dovetail channel complementary to the vertically-extending projection of a wall member and a rearward extending portion that, when installed to the wall member, flanks side surfaces of the wall member. The rightward extending stop portion, when installed to one of the wall members, extends horizontally from a side surface of the wall member into a corresponding channel such that the extending portion impacts and inhibits product from passing freely down the channel.  
      In one embodiment, wherein the glide includes two or more channels, the glide has at least one of the right product stop, at least one of the left product stop and an intermediate product stop. The intermediate product stop includes, as with the right and left product stops, a base portion and a supporting portion. Additionally, the intermediate portion includes a vertical and rightward extending portion and a vertical and leftward extending stop portion. When installed to one of the wall members, the rightward extending portion extends horizontally from a first side surface of the wall member into a first channel such that the rightward extending portion impacts and inhibits product from passing freely down the first channel. At the same time, the leftward extending portion extends horizontally from a second side surface of the wall member into a second channel adjacent to the first channel such that the leftward extending portion impacts and inhibits product from passing freely down the second channel.  
      The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a side elevational view of a glide assembly, constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 2  is a front elevational view of the glide assembly of  FIG. 1 .  
       FIG. 3  is a partially exploded view of the glide assembly of  FIG. 1 .  
       FIGS. 4A-4D  depict a wall member of the glide assembly, constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 5  depicts a pusher of the glide assembly, constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 6  depicts a bull nose front member of the glide assembly, constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 7  depicts a right product stop of the glide assembly, constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 8  depicts a left product stop of the glide assembly, constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 9  depicts an intermediate product stop of the glide assembly, constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 10  depicts a right, left and intermediate wall members of a glide assembly, constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
      In these figures, like structures are assigned like reference numerals, but may not be referenced in the description for all figures.  
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate an assembled glide  10 , configured in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, including separately formed combination of a base  20 , a plurality of divider or wall members  30  and a plurality of product stops, shown generally at  40 . The base  20  and adjacent ones of the wall members  30  cooperate to form one or more channels, for example, two channels  50  and  52 . Each of the channels  50  and  52  has a forward end  54  bound by at least one of the plurality of product stops  40 . In one embodiment, illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the forward end  54  of the channel  50  is bound by the product stops  40  comprising a right product stop  42  and an intermediate product stop  44 . Similarly, the forward end  54  of the channel  52  is bound by product stops  40  comprising the intermediate product stop  44  and a left product stop  46 .  
      While not shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , each of the plurality of channels  50  and  52  has a width and length for accommodating a front to back column of products (e.g., beverage and/or food containers, as well as consumer products such as film, batteries and the like). As is generally known in the art, in one embodiment, the base  20  and wall members  30  include features for adjusting the length and width of channels such as, for example, break away portions for shortening the length of the wall members and the length and/or width of the channels, and slots and projections for inserting accessory portions for adding to the length and/or width of the channels. Additionally, while the glide  10  is shown as including two channels  50  and  52 , it should be appreciated that the base  20  and adjacent pairs of wall members  30  may cooperate to form any number of channels. For example, it should be appreciated that the glide  10  may include one channel formed by the base  20 , two wall members  30 , and the products stops  40  including the right product stop  42  and the left product stop  46 . The glide  10  may also include three channels formed by the cooperation of the base  20  and four of the wall members  30 . In the three-channel glide, a forward end of a first, right hand channel (right being determined from the prospective of a consumer facing a front of the glide  10  ( FIG. 2 )) is bound by the right product stop  42  and a rightward extending portion of a first intermediate product stop  44 . A forward end of a second channel (moving from right to left across the glide) is bound by a leftward extending portion of the first intermediate product stop  44  and a rightward extending portion of a second intermediate stop  44 . A forward end of a third channel is bound by a leftward extending portion of the second intermediate stop  44  and the left product stop  46 .  
      In one embodiment, the glide  10  includes a plurality of pusher mechanisms  60 . One pusher mechanism  60  being disposed in a corresponding one of the channels  50 . As illustrated in the exploded assembly view of  FIG. 3 , the pusher mechanism  60  includes a pusher  62  ( FIG. 5 ) and a carriage  64 , as are generally known in the art. The carriage  64  includes a plurality of projections  66  extending down from a lower surface. The projections  66  are suitably sized for engaging slot-like apertures in the base  20  so that the carriage  64  can be coupled to the base  20 . It should be appreciated however, that it is within the scope of the present invention to provide a glide without corresponding pusher mechanisms located within respective channels. In this regard, it is preferred to implement the glide with a back-to-front gravity feed of products.  
      The base  20  is substantially identical to a base described in the &#39;357 application, and may include primary and auxiliary base components to allow the glide  10  to be adjusted to a width of a subject display areas such as, for example, a “cool” display area of a refrigerator, display case or the like, or a “warm” display area of a gondola display, shelf, counter or the like. In one embodiment, the base  20  includes an upper surface and a lower surface. The base  20  includes side walls, a plurality of front-to-back rails and a plurality of cross-members spanning between the sidewalls and combining with the sidewalls and rails to form a grid of slot-like ventilation/drainage apertures extending from the upper surface through to the lower surface as described in the &#39;357 application.  
      In one embodiment, a bull nose front member  70  has a plurality of projections  72  ( FIG. 6 ) for coupling the member  70  to the base  20 . The bull nose front member  70  is formed as a single molded or extruded plastic piece such as, for example, a polycarbonate, styrene or the like, may be transparent, opaque, or employ a color scheme coordinated to the products displayed in the glide  10 . Preferably, the bull nose front member  70  provides information such as, for example, product definition and notices, labeling, pricing, promotional graphics and the like. It should be appreciated that if fabricated using an extrusion process the bull nose front member  70  may not employ the plurality of projections  72 . In such an embodiment, conventional means of coupling the bull nose front member  70  to the base  20  may be employed.  
       FIG. 4A  is a side elevational view showing features of the wall members  30 . Each wall member  30  includes a plurality of projections  32  extending down from a bottom surface of the wall  30 . As described in the &#39;357 application, the projections  32  are suitably sized for engaging the slot-like apertures and coupling the wall member to the base  20 . In one embodiment, each wall member  30  includes an array of ventilation apertures  34  permitting airflow between the lanes  30 . Advantageously, the wall members  30  are of a height sufficient to maintain the products within their respective channels  50 . To achieve this, the height is advantageously sufficient so that a top edge of the wall member  30  is near or above a center of gravity of the products in the adjacent one or two channels  50 . The wall members  30  may have an exemplary height of 5.0 inches (13 cm), which is advantageous for relatively tall products such as, for example, one liter plastic carbonated beverage bottles and thirty-two oz. (946 ml) glass juice bottles. This height facilitates a three row high array of one inch diameter ventilation apertures  34 . For twelve oz. (355 ml) cans, a 3.5 inch (9 cm) high wall with two rows of such apertures  34  is a possibility. Each of the wall members  30  is advantageously molded as a single plastic piece of, for example, opaque or translucent polypropylene or the like. As shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B , the wall members  30  may have one or more stepping down area  30 A and  30 B. The step down areas  30 A and  30 B may be a material-saving compromise and/or facilitate access to products in the channel  50 , for example, permitting easier loading and unloading of products in front and rear portions of the channels  50 . It should also be appreciated that the wall members  30  may include break off areas  30 C for shortening an overall length of the wall member to accommodate dimensions of a subject display area.  
      In accordance with the present invention, each of the wall members  30  includes a vertically-extending front facing dovetail projection  36  along a front edge  38 . As described in detail below, the front facing dovetail projection  36  receives complementary dovetail channels on corresponding product stops  40 . As illustrated in  FIGS. 4A-4D , the dovetail projection  36  and a width of the wall member  30  (e.g., between side surfaces  33  and  35 ) include an I-beam feature  39  at the forward extremity of the wall member  30 . As described in detail below, rearward extending portions  87 ,  109  and  97  of the product stops  42 ,  44  and  46  receive the I-beam feature  39  and forward portions of the side surfaces  33  and  35  of the wall members  30  providing integrity and strength to the ability of the combined product stops  40  and wall members  30  to inhibit translation of product beyond forward extremities of the channels  50 .  
       FIG. 7  illustrates the right product stop  42 . In one embodiment, the right product stop  42  is formed as a single molded plastic piece of, for example, transparent polycarbonate, styrene or the like. The right product stop  42  includes a base portion  82 , a vertical extending supporting portion  84 , and a vertical and leftward extending stop portion  86 . The supporting portion  84  includes a vertical extending dovetail channel  88  complementary to the front facing projections  36  of the wall members  30  ( FIG. 4A ) and a vertical and rearward extending portion  87  that, when installed to one of the wall members  30 , flanks the side surfaces  33  and  35  of the wall member  30 . In one embodiment, the rearward extending portion  87  extends rearward about 0.5 inch (1.27 cm) from the supporting portion  84 . The base portion  82  includes a plurality of projections  83  depending from the base portion  82 . The projections  83  are suitably sized for engaging the slot-like apertures in the base  20 . In one embodiment, at least one of the projections  83  includes a forward directed barb  85 , along its lower extremity, for engaging the base  20 . It should be appreciated that, when installed to a corresponding wall member  30 , the right product stop  42  provides structural integrity to the wall member  30  and prevents the wall member  30  from being shifted horizontally rearward relative to the forward extremity of the base  20 .  
      In accordance with the present invention, the vertical and leftward extending portion  86  of an installed right product stop  42  extends horizontally from the side surface  33  of a wall member  30  into a corresponding channel  50  (e.g., extends about 1.0 inch (2.54 cm) into the channel  50 ) such that the leftward extending portion  86  impacts and inhibits product from passing freely down the channel  50  (e.g., via horizontal translation along the channel  50 ). Accordingly, at least a right forward extremity of the channel  50  is bound by the right product stop  42  when the stop  42  is installed to the wall member  30  and the base  20 . The inventor has discovered that coupling the right product stop  42  to the base  20  and the wall member  30  provides a greater degree of stopping ability than conventional product stops. For example, the inventor has discovered that improved structural integrity is realized by coupling the leftward extending portion  86  to the base  20  and coupling the rearward extending portion  87  about side surfaces  33  and  35  of the wall members  30 . This novel combination of the components is heretofore not employed in conventional glide systems.  
       FIG. 8  illustrates the left product stop  46 . In one embodiment, the left product stop  46  is formed as a single molded plastic piece of, for example, transparent polycarbonate, styrene or the like. The left product stop  46  includes a base portion  92 , a vertical extending supporting portion  94 , and a vertical and rightward extending stop portion  96 . The supporting portion  94  includes a vertical extending dovetail channel  98  complementary to the front facing projections  36  of the wall members  30  ( FIG. 4A ) and a vertical and rearward extending portion  97  that, when installed to one of the wall members  30 , flanks the side surfaces  33  and  35  of the wall member  30 . In one embodiment, the rearward extending portion  97  extends rearward about 0.5 inch (1.27 cm) from the supporting portion  94 . The base portion  92  includes a plurality of projections  93  depending from the base portion  92 . The projections  93  are suitably sized for engaging the slot-like apertures in the base  20 . In one embodiment, at least one of the projections  93  includes a forward directed barb  95 , along its lower extremity, for engaging the base  20 . It should be appreciated that, when installed to a corresponding wall member  30 , the left product stop  46  provides structural integrity to the wall member  30  and prevents the wall member  30  from being shifted horizontally rearward relative to a forward extremity of the base  20 .  
      The vertical and rightward extending portion  96  of an installed left product stop  46  extends from the side surface  35  of the wall member  30  (e.g., extends about 1.0 inch (2.54 cm) into the channel  50 ) such that the rightward extending portion  96  impacts and inhibits product from passing freely down the channel  50  (e.g., via horizontal translation along the channel  50 ). Accordingly, at least a left forward extremity of the channel  50  is bound by the left product stop  46  when the stop  46  is installed to the wall member  30  and the base  20 . As with the right product stop  42 , the inventor has discovered that coupling the left product stop  46  to the base  20  and the wall member  30  provides a greater degree of stopping ability than conventional product stops.  
       FIG. 9  illustrates the intermediate product stop  44 . In one embodiment, the intermediate product stop  44  is formed as a single molded plastic piece of, for example, transparent polycarbonate, styrene or the like. The intermediate product stop  44  includes a base portion  102 , a vertical extending supporting portion  104 , a vertical and rightward extending stop portion  106 , a vertical and leftward extending stop portion  108  and a vertical and rearward extending portion  109 . The supporting portion  104  includes a vertical extending dovetail channel  110  complementary to the front facing projections  36  of the wall members  30  ( FIG. 4A ) and a vertical and rearward extending portion  109  that, when installed to one of the wall members  30 , flanks the side surfaces  33  and  35  of the wall member  30 . The base portion  102  includes a plurality of projections  114  depending from the base portion  102 . The projections  114  are suitably sized for engaging the slot-like apertures in the base  20 . In one embodiment, at least one of the projections  114  includes a forward directed barb  116 , along its lower extremity, for engaging the base  20 . It should be appreciated that, when installed to a corresponding wall member  30 , the intermediate product stop  44  provides structural integrity to the wall member  30  and prevents the wall member  30  from being shifted horizontally rearward relative to the forward extremity of the base  20 .  
      The vertical rightward and leftward extending portions  106  and  108 , respectively of an installed intermediate product stop  44  extend from side surfaces of a wall member  30  (e.g., each extends about 1.0 inch (2.54 cm) into the channels  50  and  52 ) such that the respective extending portions  106  and  108  impact and inhibit product from passing freely down respective channels  50  and  52  (e.g., via horizontal translation along the channels  50  and  52 ). Accordingly, at least a left forward extremity of a first channel  50  and a right forward extremity of an adjacent second channel  52  are bound by the intermediate product stop  44  when the stop  44  is installed to the wall member  30  and the base  20 . As with the right and left product stops  42  and  46 , the inventor has discovered that coupling the intermediate product stop  44  to the base  20  and the wall member  30  provides a greater degree of stopping ability than conventional product stops.  
      The inventor has discovered that in one embodiment wherein the channels retain round products and/or product containers, product traveling down the channels  50  and  52  may gain rotational momentum. When the product strikes the product stops  40  a radius of the product may tend to spread apart the product stops  40 , which are positioned to inhibit the product from passing through the forward extremity  54  of the channels  50 . Accordingly, the present invention provides product stops  42 ,  44  and  46  having rearward extending portions  87 ,  109  and  97 , respectively. The rearward extending portions  87 ,  109  and  97  flank side surfaces  33  and  35  of corresponding wall members  30  to oppose the rotational force that may otherwise tend to spread the product stops  42 ,  44  and  46 .  
      Referring again to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , to assemble the glide  10 , the base  20  is first assembled. As described in the &#39;357 Application, this may include assembly of a primary and one or more auxiliary base members. With the base prepared, the wall members  30  are installed to the base  20 . To do this, a necessary number of wall members  30  (for the base&#39;s width and desired widths of each channel  50  and  52 ) are aligned at the appropriate width and lowered onto the base  20  via downward vertical translation so that the projections  32  of the wall members  30  pass into associated slots of the base  20 . The wall members  30  are then slide forward so that an upper surface of the projections  32  rest against a lower surface of the base  20 , as described in the &#39;357 application. When this is completed, each of the wall members  30  is in its installed position.  
      With the wall members  30  installed, at least one of the product stops  40  may be installed to each of the wall members  30  ( FIG. 3 ). Each of the product stops  40  are installed to the wall members  30  via downward vertical translation such that the dovetail channel  88 ,  98  and  110  of the product stops  42 ,  46  and  44  receive the dovetail projection  36  of the wall members  30  and the rearward extending portion  87 ,  97 , and  109  of the product stops  42 ,  46  and  44  accept the I-beam  39  portion of each of the wall members  30 . As the product stops  42 ,  46  and  44  are installed, the projections  83 ,  93  and  114  of the product stops  42 ,  46  and  44 , respectively, pass into associated slots of the base  20 . It should be appreciated that the product stops  40  provide structural integrity to the wall members  30  and prevent the wall members  30  from being shifted horizontally rearward relative to the forward extremity of the base  20 . The rightward and leftward extending portions of the product stops  40  are suitably sized such that the product stops  40  extend (e.g., about 1.0 inch (2.54 cm)) from respective right and left side surfaces  33  and  35  of the wall members  30  to inhibit the free flow of products from front extremities of corresponding channels  50  and  52  (e.g., via horizontal translation along a channel  50 ).  
      In one embodiment, the glide  10  may be distributed as a kit. When distributed as a kit, the kit may include a primary base member and sufficient auxiliary base members (as described in the &#39;357 application) to form a base of the maximum anticipated width. The kit would include a plurality of wall members and at least one product stop of each channel formed by the base and wall members, and preferably two product stops (or portion thereof with respect to the intermediate stop) for each channel. Optionally, the kit may include a bull nose front member for exhibiting product information.  
      One or more embodiments of the present invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, while illustrated with use of a pusher mechanism, one skilled in the art would appreciate that the present invention may similarly be implemented as a gravity-feed glide. Moreover, while described as separately formed components, it should be appreciated that in one embodiment of the present invention the wall members  30  and product stops  40  may be comprised of integrally molded components. For example,  FIG. 10  depicts one embodiment of a left channel wall member  120 , a right channel wall member  140  and an intermediate channel wall member  160 . In a glide employing these integrally molded wall members, a one channel glide includes one of the right channel wall members  140  and one of the left channel wall members  120 . A two channel glide includes one of the right channel wall members  140 , one of the intermediate channel wall members  160  and one of the left channel wall members  120 . Additionally intermediate channel wall members  160  may be affixed to the base to define additional channels for carry product.  
      In view of the foregoing, it should be appreciated that other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.