Patent Publication Number: US-9427095-B2

Title: Anti-tip guide for product merchandiser

Description:
This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/808,014 which was filed on Apr. 3, 2013. The entire content of that application is incorporated hereinto by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The present development concerns a product dispensing system employed in point of sale merchandising. 
     The present disclosure relates particularly to shelving systems for feeding containers forward. More specifically, it relates to modular gravity fed shelving systems for fragile products, such as individual thin wall containers of a dairy product, such as yogurt. Yogurt is typically sold in individual cups or containers in supermarkets and the like. Traditionally, yogurt is sold in refrigerator cases including generally horizontal shelves upon which the yogurt containers, having planar bases and planar tops, are stacked. The yogurt or other refrigerated product can be displayed on generally horizontal shelves on which a customer needs to pull the product forward if the product is not at the front end of the shelf. Alternatively, such products can be displayed on somewhat downwardly slanted shelves which feed product forward by gravity. It should also be appreciated that pusher assemblies could be employed to urge dairy product containers such as yogurt, cream cheese, butter or sour cream containers or tubs forward on a shelf. Many such containers have planar bases and planar tops so that they can be stacked two or three high on a merchandising shelf. 
     Gravity feed systems are known to move products towards the front of display or storage cases. While it is now known to gravity feed yogurt towards the front end of a refrigerated display case, the currently known retainers positioned at the front end of such yogurt display trays or shelves are not optimal. More specifically, it is known to provide flexible fingers or tabs attached to each side wall or divider wall of a channel defined in the tray. These fingers or tabs are not particularly sturdy and may become damaged. Replacement of the fingers, tabs or arms may necessitate replacing the divider wall itself, since these elements are generally fastened to the dividing wall. Stacked product on the shelf may tip during either removal or restocking of the product, which is disadvantageous. 
     One difficulty with current merchandising systems in which several containers are stacked atop each other on a merchandising shelf is that the containers can become canted or tilted on the shelf. This impedes access to one or more containers of product and may dissuade a potential consumer from purchasing product on that shelf. Thus, a need exists for a shelving system which would reduce the tendency of products on an upper level of a stack of products to tip in relation to the subjacent layer of products supporting them. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     An anti-tip guide for a merchandising shelf includes an associated support member for supporting at least one associated object for display and/or dispensing and a pair of associated dividers mounted to the support member and spaced from each other. The pair of spaced dividers define between them a longitudinal pathway along which the associated at least one object can travel from a rear position to a front position on the associated support member. The anti-tip guide includes a first section mounted to one of the pair of associated dividers and extending a plane oriented parallel to a plane of the one of the pair of associated dividers, and a second section connected to and protruding away from the plane of the first section. The second section comprises a material which is more resilient than is a material of the first section. 
     According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a merchandising assembly comprises a support member for supporting at least one associated object for display and/or dispensing, a first divider mounted to the support member, and the second divider mounted to the support member in spaced relation to the first divider. The first and second dividers define between them a longitudinal pathway along which the at least one the associated object can travel from the rear position to a front position on the support member. An anti-tip guide is mounted to one of the first and second dividers. The anti-tip guide comprises a first section extending in a plane parallel to a plane of the one of the first and second dividers, a second section connected to and extending away from the plane on the first section at an acute angle and a third section connected to and extending away from the second section. At least one of the second and third sections comprises a material which is more resilient than is a material of the first section. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangements of parts, several embodiments of which will be described in detail in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  a perspective view of a product merchandiser system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is a reduced side elevational view of the product merchandiser system of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the product merchandiser system of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged side elevational view of a mounting channel of the product merchandiser system of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an exemplary product merchandiser according to another embodiment of the disclosure including elastomer bodies for retaining one or more containers on a tray or shelf; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of an exemplary product merchandiser according to still another embodiment of the disclosure including a movable retainer, including a hinge formed by a flexible web, for retaining one or more containers; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of an exemplary product merchandiser according to a further embodiment of the present disclosure including a movable retainer mounted on vertical springs for retaining one or more containers on a tray or shelf; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of an exemplary product merchandiser according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure including an exemplary spring element for retaining one or more containers; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a yet further embodiment of a product merchandiser according to the present disclosure including a movable retainer having a bottom wall, acting as a stop member; 
         FIG. 10  is a front elevational view of a still further embodiment of a product merchandiser according to the present disclosure illustrating several different types of movable retainers; 
         FIG. 10A  is an enlarged front elevational view of a portion of the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 10 ; 
         FIG. 11  is an enlarged front elevational view of a portion of the embodiment of  FIG. 10 ; 
         FIG. 12  is a side elevational view of a portion of the embodiment of  FIG. 10 ; 
         FIG. 13  is a greatly enlarged top plan view of a portion of the embodiment of  FIG. 10 ; 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view of another embodiment of a product merchandiser according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 15  is a perspective view of still another embodiment of a product merchandiser according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 16  is a schematic front elevational view of a further embodiment of a product merchandiser according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 17  is a schematic top plan view of yet another embodiment of a product merchandiser according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 18  is an enlarged cross sectional view partially broken away of a movable retainer system for product merchandisers according to an additional embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 19  is a perspective view of another embodiment of a product merchandiser according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 20  is an enlarged perspective view of another embodiment of a merchandiser; and 
         FIG. 21  is an enlarged perspective view of a connector assembly according to the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     It should be understood that the description and drawings herein are merely illustrative and that various modifications and changes can be made in the structures disclosed, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. It should also be appreciated that the various identified components of the product merchandising system discussed herein are merely terms of art and that these may vary from one manufacturer to another. Such terms should not be deemed to limit the present disclosure. 
     With reference now to  FIG. 1 , a first embodiment of the disclosure includes a plurality of merchandising shelves or trays  10  arranged in a two-dimensional array. Each merchandising shelf  10  includes a support member  14  for supporting one or more containers, such as jars or cup-shaped objects, for example, yogurt containers  16  ( FIG. 2 ), for display and/or dispensing. In the illustrated embodiment, the support member  14  generally includes a bottom panel  18  and a pair of laterally spaced apart sidewalls  22  defining therebetween a longitudinally extending channel that generally defines a longitudinal pathway P along which the associated objects can travel from a rear position R to a front position F of the shelf, as by a gravity feed. In another embodiment (not shown), a pusher fed design can be employed. At a leading end or front end of each support member  14 , a movable retainer  24  is supported or mounted for retaining the objects within the channel. While yogurt containers are discussed specifically herein, it should be appreciated that other types of cup-shaped or jar-shaped containers such as soup, cereal, oatmeal, baby food or other food containers or other types of containers such as paint or stain containers could be merchandised in the same manner. 
     With further reference to  FIG. 2 , it will be appreciated that the movable retainer  24  of each merchandising shelf  10  is movable between a first position, or rest position, at least partially obstructing the pathway thereby restricting forward movement of a yogurt container  16  beyond the front position F of the shelf  10  to a second position, or dispensing position, allowing further forward movement of the yogurt container  16  for removal of the yogurt container. The movable retainer  24 , therefore, functions both to retain yogurt containers  16  on the merchandising shelf  10  as well as to permit selective removal of the forward-most container from a column of such containers held on the shelf, while generally restricting access to other yogurt containers on the shelf. 
     The merchandising shelves  10  or trays of  FIGS. 1 and 2  are angled downwardly from rear to front such that the yogurt containers are fed by gravity to the front position F of the support member  14 . Although not illustrated, a suitable pusher assembly, which may be spring loaded, can alternatively be provided for advancing the cup-shaped containers toward the front of the merchandising shelf  10 . Such pusher assemblies are well known in the art. The merchandising shelves can be made of a suitable known material (such as a thermoplastic or thermoset material) and, in one embodiment, are provided in sets of three elongated side-by-side support members forming a tray that is secured to a common rack member  28  for mounting to rails (not shown) in a conventional manner. 
     Turning to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the movable retainer  24  includes a panel  32  pivotally attached to the support member  14 . The panel  32  is configured to pivot from an upright position (left and center merchandising shelves) corresponding to the first position at least partially obstructing the path along which the yogurt containers can travel, to a position reclined or tilted relative to the upright position (right merchandising shelf) corresponding to the second position allowing further forward movement of the yogurt containers along the pathway. In other words, the panel  32  is resiliently mounted to the support member  14 . The withdrawal of the forwardmost container may involve tilting out the top portion or bottom portion of the container once the panel is moved away from its upright position. In other words, the container is rotated somewhat before it is removed. It is apparent that, in the embodiment shown, a separate panel  32  is provided for each column of containers meant to be merchandised. 
     In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the panel  32  is secured to the bottom panel  18  of the support member  14  by a hinge  36  comprised of a pair of pins  38  (only one of which is visible) retained in corresponding slots  40  in the bottom panel  18 . The panel  32  of the movable retainer  24  is biased towards the upright position by a spring  42 , such as a torsion spring installed between the panel  32  and the support member  14 . The spring  42  generally maintains the panel in the upright position to prevent the product containers from spilling off the front edge of the shelf. While a particular type of spring is shown in  FIG. 3 , it should be appreciated that any type of spring could be employed, such as flat springs, leaf springs, and a variety of coil springs such as tension, compression, or torsion springs depending on the particular construction of the associated panel and support member. 
     To dispense a product container  16  from the merchandising shelf  10 , a consumer will typically grasp the forward-most container and pull the container away from the shelf. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the additional force applied to the panel  32  by the consumer as the container is being moved away from the merchandising shelf will result in the panel deflecting to a tilted or reclined position that allows further forward movement of the container such that it clears the end of the support member  14  and/or panel  32  at which time the panel  32  returns to the upright position in order to retain the remaining containers on the support member  14  of the merchandising shelf  10 . While a downward tilted or reclined position is shown in  FIG. 3 , the panel could be pivoted at its upper end so as to allow withdrawal of containers when the panel is tilted upwardly. Put another way, a pivotable barrier or “door” is disclosed in this embodiment, with the pivot axis being aligned with the base or bottom panel  18  of the support member  14 . 
     In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the product facing side of the panel  32  is generally concave such that it can at least partially surround the forward most cup-shaped container. This can prevent the container  10  from rolling side to side when the panel  32  is in the tilted position (e.g., second shelf from top in  FIG. 2 ). With reference now also to  FIG. 4 , in one embodiment, the generally concave shape of the panel  32  is formed by a pair of opposed arms  46  that extend rearwardly from the panel. Other configurations of the panel could be provided, as will be appreciated. Each panel can further include a tag holder  50  that can be affixed to a front facing surface of the panel for displaying pricing information and other product information. A pair of tabs  52  are provided for securing the tag holder  50  to the panel  32 . 
     Other configurations of the movable retainer are also contemplated. For example, turning to  FIG. 5 , merchandising shelves  10 ′ are shown with a movable retainer in the form of an elastomer body  60  secured at opposing ends thereof to respective side sections or anchor elements  62  of the support member  14 ′ of each shelf  10 ′. In the embodiment shown, the elastomer body  60  can be tubular. Of course, other designs are also contemplated. However shaped, the body is flexible and is designed to be resiliently deformed between a first position, at least partially obstructing the pathway along which the product containers can travel to restrict forward movement of the product containers to a second position allowing further forward movement of the product containers beyond the first position. 
     For example, a consumer may grasp the forward-most product container and apply a force to the elastomer body through the container tending to stretch the elastomer body  60  in relation to the shelf  10 ′. As will be appreciated, such deflection of the elastomer body  60  results from further forward movement of the container and allows the container to be removed from its shelf. Once the container is no longer in contact with the elastomer body  60 , the elastomer body  60 , which retains memory, will return to its configuration illustrated in  FIG. 5  whereat it will at least partially obstruct the pathway along which the remaining containers can travel to restrict forward movement of the remaining product containers along the pathway. 
     In another embodiment shown in  FIG. 6 , a movable retainer  24 ″ is in the form of a panel  70  that is hingedly secured to a support member  14 ″ via a flexible web  72  that is connected to a base  74 . The flexible web  72  acts as a hinge to allow the panel  70  to flex between an upright position and a tilted position, similar to the embodiment of  FIGS. 1-3 . In this embodiment, the panel  70  can be formed integrally with the hinge portion/flexible web such that the panel  70 , hinge  72  and base  74  can be mounted as a single unit to a base portion  18 ″ of the support member  14 ″ without the need to assemble a hinge separately. The hinge or flexible web  72  can be resilient such that the panel  70  is biased to the upright position as shown. In one embodiment, the retainer  24 ″ can be made of a suitable coextruded thermoplastic material in which the hinge portion  72  is made of a softer, more resilient thermoplastic than is either the panel  70  or the base  74 . It should be appreciated that the base  74  can be secured to the base portion  18 ″ of the support member  14 ″ by suitable fasteners  76 . 
     Turning to  FIG. 7 , yet another exemplary embodiment is illustrated wherein a movable retainer  24 ″′ is in the form of a panel  80  that is mounted to the support member  14 ″′ by a pair of spring elements  82  extending between the panel  80  and a bottom  18 ″′ of a support member  14 ′″. The spring elements  82  in the illustrated embodiment are coil springs and generally bias the panel  80  towards the upright position, but also permit deflection of the panel to a reclined position, thus serving as both a hinge connection and as a biasing mechanism. It should be appreciated that the springs  82  will resiliently bias the panel  80  to the position illustrated in  FIG. 7 , i.e., a position perpendicular to the bottom  18 ″′ of the support member  14 ″′, when the panel is moved away from that position, such as by the removal of a cup, jar or other container of product from the display tray or shelf. It should be appreciated that other types of resilient members, such as rubber tendons, can be used instead of the springs illustrated in this embodiment. 
     In the embodiments illustrated in  FIGS. 3, 4, 6 and 7 , the respective moveable retainer  24 ,  70  and  80  is pivotally attached along its lower end to a portion of the respective channel. Thus, the retainer pivots forwardly and allows access to the food item held in the channel. 
     Restocking of the tray can be accomplished by providing a tray system which can slide outwardly from the shelf, as is known in the art. Alternatively, restocking could take place by simply pivoting the barrier downwardly away from its blocking position, although this would appear to be a less desirable alternative. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 8 , still another exemplary embodiment of a shelf  100  including a movable retainer in accordance with the disclosure is illustrated. In this embodiment, a movable retainer  124  is in the form of a spring  126  extending transversely across the longitudinal pathway defined by a support member  114 . The spring  126  is fixed at opposite ends thereof to the opposing sidewalls of the support member  114  and is configured to resiliently deflect in relation to the support member between the position illustrated in  FIG. 8  for restricting forward movement of the product containers to a second position (not shown) allowing further forward movement of the front product container beyond the position illustrated for removal from the shelf  10  in a manner similar to that described in connection with previous embodiments. When pressure is no longer exerted on the spring  126 , it will return to its configuration as illustrated in  FIG. 8 , thus preventing any other product containers from falling away from the tray or shelf  100 . 
       FIG. 8  also illustrates an embodiment in which three columns of product, i.e., yogurt or the like, can be displayed on an integrally formed tray. It should be appreciated that the tray can display any desired number of columns of product from 1 to 10, if so desired. It should also be appreciated that the disclosed product merchandiser can be employed with multi-packs of products, such as pudding, apple sauce, Jell-O and the like. 
     In the embodiments illustrated in  FIGS. 5 and 8 , the respective movable retainers  60  and  124  are designed to flex or extend from a first position which prevents forward movement of a merchandise item located in the channel to a second extended position which allows such further movement of the merchandise product. In this way, products can be withdrawn from the channel. 
     With reference now to  FIG. 9 , a further embodiment of a product merchandiser  200  is there illustrated. In this embodiment, a movable retainer  210  includes a front wall or panel  212 , a pair of side walls  214  and  216 , and a bottom wall  218 . When the retainer  210  is moved from its rest position to a dispensing position, all of the walls move. In the dispensing position, which is illustrated in  FIG. 9 , the bottom wall  218  acts as a stop which prevents additional products from advancing forwardly in the column from which product is being dispensed. Such a stop is particularly important if the containers are sold in glass jars, such as is baby food. The stop is designed to prevent additional products from falling out of the shelf when one product is removed. However, when the retainer is returned to its original rest position, the containers are allowed to move forwardly on the shelf. In the embodiment disclosed, the retainer is movable between its rest position and its dispensing position via a suitable hinge (not visible). The retainer can be biased to its rest position by a biasing element (not visible). In the embodiment illustrated, the base wall  218  is fastened to the pair of side walls  214 ,  216  of the retainer  210 . However, it should be appreciated that other constructions are also contemplated. 
     With reference now to  FIG. 10 , disclosed is a shelf  310  on which are positioned a plurality of food product containers such as yogurt containers  316  stacked such that a first, lower, layer is covered by a second, upper, layer. A front fence  318  is attached to the shelf  310  and serves as a barrier to retard forward movement of the lower layer of containers. The containers are divided into columns by side walls or dividers  322 . Movable retainers  324  are attached to the dividers and serve to retard forward movement of the upper layer of containers  316 . 
     A variety of types of movable retainers are disclosed. In a first, one piece, design, a pair of retaining fingers  330  and  332  extend on the two sides of a first divider  322 . The fingers, which are made of a resilient material, such as a thermoplastic, extend through either side of an aperture  336  defined in the divider. In this embodiment, a one piece retainer is disclosed which is pushed through the divider aperture  336  until one base portion  338  of the retainer is located on each side of the divider. 
     In another embodiment of a movable retainer, there are provided first and second fingers  340  and  342  which are connected on respective sides of a second divider  322 . Defined in the first and second fingers are respective cavities  344  which can accommodate respective springs  346  which can be connected to each other. In this embodiment, the two fingers are mounted to respective sides of the second divider  322 . The springs  346  allow the two fingers to move as needed in relation to the divider. In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 10A , mounted on the divider  322  are a pair of bases  341 . Each of the bases accommodates a respective finger  340  and  342 . Disposed in the cavities  344  of the two fingers is a single spring  347  which extends through an aperture  348  in the divider  322 . 
     It should be appreciated that either respective springs, such as  346  illustrated in  FIG. 10 , or a single spring, such as  347  illustrated in  FIG. 10A  can be employed in connection with the movable retainer. In one embodiment, the springs  346  or  347  are tension springs. As is apparent from  FIG. 10A , the opposed ends of the spring  347  extend out or protrude through apertures  349  located in each of the fingers  340  and  342 . The apertures  349  are located at the distal end of the respective cavity  344  in each of the fingers. The fingers  340  and  342  are thus free to move within the confinement of the base geometry and the tension of the springs or other resilient biasing members employed. An omnidirectional movement of the fingers  340 ,  342  is facilitated through the use of such biasing members. The bases  341  serve as sockets for accommodating movement of the fingers in various directions in relation to both the bases and the divider  322 . Put another way, the fingers  340  and  342  can pivot forwardly and rearwardly as well as up and down in relation to the divider  322 . 
     Also disclosed in  FIG. 10  is a third embodiment of a movable retainer. In this embodiment, there are provided first and second fingers  350  and  352 . These extend on opposing sides of a third divider  322 . Held within respective cavities  354  of the fingers are respective elastic bands  356 . These bands serve to provide flexibility to the fingers so that they can move as is needed to either dispense food containers  316  from the shelf or to restock such containers if a customer decides that, on second thought, he or she does not wish to purchase the selected container of food. 
     With reference now to  FIG. 11 , an anti-tip guide  360  is mounted to a divider wall  362  held on a merchandising shelf  364 . Product containers  366  are also held on the shelf  364 . In one embodiment, the product containers can comprise a planar top surface  367  and a planar base portion  368 . It should be apparent from  FIG. 11  that the base portion  368  can have a larger diameter than the top portion  367  if so desired. In this embodiment, the base portion  368  protrudes somewhat from the periphery from the container  366  (which can take the form of an upside down truncated cone) adjacent the base portion. With reference now also to  FIG. 12 , it can be seen that in one embodiment the anti-tip guide extends along a significant portion of the length of the divider  362  from adjacent its rear end to adjacent its front end. With reference now also to  FIG. 13 , the anti-tip guide comprises a base or first portion  370 , an arm or second section  372  and a free end or tip  374 . In the design illustrated, both the base and the tip are made of a generally rigid thermoplastic or thermoset material, whereas the arm  372  is made from a relatively flexible thermoplastic or thermoset material. In this way, the tip portion  374  of the anti-tip guide can be flexed away from its normal position and towards a divider wall  376  when it is desired to either add or remove product containers  364  from the shelf and will flex back to its normal position thereafter. 
     One advantage of the disclosed anti-tip guide is to retard the tipping or angling of stacked product containers such as illustrated in  FIG. 11 . Any such tipping or angling of the product container  366  is retarded by the presence of the anti-tip guide. This is accomplished by the tip portion  374  contacting the base portion  368  of the product container  366  and preventing or retarding any further angling or tipping of the product container towards one or the other of the dividers  362  or forwards or rearwards. Such an anti-tip guide is particularly advantageous for the second layer of a stacked set of containers because containers in such a second layer or level of containers are more prone to tipping or falling sideways. The anti-tip guide  360  can be mounted to the divider wall  362  via a layer of adhesive  378  if so desired. 
     It should also be appreciated that, while a single anti-tip guide  360  is illustrated as being mounted to a divider, more than one anti-tip guide may be advantageous in situations where product containers are stacked three high on a subjacent support surface, such as a shelf. While one configuration of an anti-tip guide has been illustrated other configurations are also contemplated. For example, the anti-tip guide can have two or four portions or sections. Also, the anti-tip guide could have non-planar sections or portions if so desired. Further, in another embodiment, the third portion of the anti-tip guide could comprise resilient material instead of the second portion. 
     With reference now to  FIG. 14 , disclosed is a further embodiment of a movable retainer. In this embodiment, a spring-like member  390  is pushed through an aperture  392  in a divider  394  so that about one half of the member  390 , which can comprise two sections, namely sections  390 A,  390 B is located on a respective side of the divider  394 . Each half of the spring-like member can pivot or flex out of the way when access is desired to product being retained behind that member on a shelf  396  and will naturally flex back into its home position when it is no longer being pushed away from its normal orientation. 
     It should be appreciated that the anti-tip guide needs to be correctly placed on the divider so as to be located a short distance above the base portion of the product container, which is meant to be retarded from tipping. Thus, the location of the anti-tip guide will depend, to a great extent, on the height of the base layer of product containers and a second layer or further layer of product containers stacked atop the base layer, so that the anti-tip guide can fulfill its function. For example, in  FIG. 11 , the tip portion of the anti-tip guide can be located at approximately 0.2 to 0.5 inches above the upper surface of the base portion  368  of the product container  366 . 
     While  FIG. 12  shows a unitary anti-tip guide which extends generally the entire length of the divider  362 , it should be appreciated that a set or series of spaced aligned anti-tip guides could also be provided should that be considered desirable. Further, while one embodiment of an anti-tip guide is illustrated in  FIG. 13 , it should be apparent that other embodiments could also be employed. 
     With reference now to  FIG. 15 , there is disclosed a further design of a movable retainer. In this design, a shelf  410  is provided with a plurality of dividers  422  for organizing product containers  416  into columns which may be double stacked as illustrated. The shelf  410  is gravity fed so that the containers will slide forward on the shelf. In order to prevent the containers from falling off the shelf, there is provided a movable retainer  424  in front of the upper level of product. Not illustrated is a fence or retainer to retard the lower level of product from falling off the shelf. The moderate flexing of the movable retainer  424  in its normal “hold” position is illustrated in  FIG. 15 . 
     The movable retainers illustrated in  FIGS. 10-15  are advantageous from the perspective that they can flex not only forwards but also rearwards because they are oriented generally normal to a plane of the divider to which they are mounted. Furthermore, they can also flex up and down. Such a design is useful in order to allow a potential customer to access product in the lower layer of product in the double stack arrangement illustrated. This is in contrast to prior designs in which retaining fingers only generally flex forward, flexed rearward with some difficulty and did not have the capability of flexing up or down and certainly not both up and down. Therefore, such designs made it difficult, if not impossible, to access product on a lower layer or level of product held on a shelf and located behind a retaining wall, such as is commonly used in product merchandising in forward feed systems to prevent the product from falling off the shelf. A retaining arm with generally universal flexing ability in relation to the divider to which it is attached is greatly advantageous in terms of allowing access to the shelf on which it is located. 
     With reference now to  FIG. 16 , disclosed is a further design of a movable retainer system. In this design, mounted on a shelf  430  are first and second dividers  432  and  434  which are spaced far enough apart so as to accommodate a column of product, including a stacked product container  438 . Disposed in front of a forward most one of a column of products are first and second barriers  440  and  442 . In this design, the barriers can be flexible, tube-like, generally C-shaped members which are mounted in a vertical orientation adjacent the front end of each respective barrier. In other words, both ends of each barrier are secured to the same divider and each barrier extends vertically. In this design, the barriers can flex out of the way in order to allow withdrawal of a product container  438  and can flex back once such removal has been accomplished. Further, the barriers can flex backwardly to restock product on the shelf. It should be appreciated that the shelf could be a double layer shelf with the first and second barriers  440  and  442  located in front of an upper layer of product, with the lower layer of product being retained behind a front retaining wall or fence, as is known in the art. Alternatively, such barriers could be positioned in front of each layer of product held on a shelf. 
     With reference now to  FIG. 17 , there is disclosed a shelf  450  on which are mounted a pair of spaced dividers  452  and  454 . Also held on the shelf  450  are a plurality of product containers  458 , only one of which is illustrated. Disposed in front of the forward most product on the shelf are first and second barriers  460  and  462 . These barriers are horizontally oriented, in contrast to the barriers illustrated in  FIG. 17 . In one embodiment, they can be generally C-shaped in design and can be made from a flexible tube-like material such that the barriers can flex out of the way when needed in order to allow access to a product container  458  and will resiliently spring back to their normal position when no longer being interfered with. It should be appreciated that the product  458  is illustrated in  FIG. 17  can be an upper layer of product, but could equally be a lower layer. 
     With reference to  FIG. 18 , there is disclosed a divider  480  which contains an aperture  482 . Disposed on a left side of the divider or barrier  480  is a first finger  484  and disposed on the right side is a second finger  486 . An interconnect  488  between the fingers extends through the aperture  482 . The interconnect can comprise a protrusion  490  extending from the first finger  484  and a socket  492  defined in the second finger  486 . In this way, the first and second fingers  484  and  486  can be snapped to each other on respective sides of the divider  480 . Covering the aperture  482  on a respective side of the divider  480  is a respective base  496  of the first and second fingers  484  and  486 . In this embodiment, the base  496  is of one piece with the respective finger  484  and  486 . The bases and fingers can be made from a suitable thermoplastic material which has inherent resiliency allowing the interconnect  488  to function, to either secure the retaining construction defined by the first and second fingers to the divider  480  or remove it from the divider should that become necessary. 
     The product merchandiser illustrated herein allows shelving to be stacked closely together as withdrawal of the containers does not involve much upward movement of the containers to clear a barrier located in front of either an upper or lower level of containers. Instead, the containers can be withdrawn in a generally horizontal direction. This allows the product density for the merchant to be increased, which is very desirable, as shelves can be stacked more closely together. 
     With reference now to  FIG. 19 , disclosed is a merchandising shelf  510  including a plurality of dividers which divide the merchandise into columns. A gravity fed merchandising system is disclosed in which a foremost product in a column of products is, on a lower level, restrained from falling off the shelf via a front fence  518 . An upper level of product in the column of products is restrained from falling off the shelf by a movable retainer assembly  520 . 
     With continued reference to  FIG. 19 , it can be seen that product guides  560  are mounted to a pair of dividers  562  and  564 . The product guides can, if desired, extend substantially the length of the respective divider. Mounted to each pair of dividers can be a connector assembly  570 . 
     With reference now to  FIG. 20  the connector assembly can include a first section  572  and a second section  574 . Each section can be connected to a respective divider  576  and  578 . As is evident from the comparison between  FIGS. 20 and 21 , the connector assembly second section  574  is slidably mounted to the connector assembly first section  572 . More particularly, a track  580  of the second section  574  rides in a slot  582  of the first section  572 . Thus, the connector assembly can be widened or narrowed as may be necessary in order to accommodate a width or spacing between a pair of adjacent dividers. Once set to a particular width, the connector assembly stays at that width because the connector assembly second section  574  includes a projection  584  which engages in a slot  586  defined between a pair of adjacent teeth  588  of the connector assembly first section  572 . 
     Because the connector assembly second section  574  is made from a suitable resilient material, the projection  584  can be selectively disengaged from the teeth  588  of the first section  572 . This can be accomplished by grasping an enlarged portion  590  of the second section  574 . Located on a distal end of the second section  574  is a cover  592  which is connected to a remainder of the second section via an arm  594 . The purpose for the cover  592  is to encase or enclose the several teeth  488  defined on a proximal portion of the connector assembly first section  572  so that dirt does not accumulate in the slots  486  between the teeth  488 . 
     The connector assembly second section  574  also includes an attachment portion  598  which comprises a first arm  600  and, spaced therefrom, a second arm  602 . The two arms defined between them a gap or slot  604 . Extending into the slot  604  are respective protrusions  606  and  608  that are mounted to the respective arms  600  and  602 . With reference again to  FIG. 19 , the protrusions can extend into bores  612  defined on each of the dividers. In this way, the connector assembly  570  is mounted to a pair of adjacent dividers. It should be apparent that the connector assembly first section  572  has similar first and second arms  620  and  622  in protrusions  624  and  626 . 
     The connector assemblies  570  can be mounted to suitable dividers, such as the dividers shown in  FIG. 20 , or the dividers shown in  FIG. 19 . In the latter case, it can be seen that the connectors are staggered so that they do not interfere with each other. More particularly, the connectors are secured to respective wings  632  and  634  of the respective dividers  562  and  564 . Alternatively, the connector assemblies  570  can be secured through slots  636  in the dividers. 
     It should be appreciated from  FIG. 19  that the connector assemblies  570  are located well above a lower end of the pair of dividers illustrated in  FIG. 19 . More particularly, the connector assemblies can be mounted adjacent an upper end of a respective divider, is so desired.  FIG. 19  illustrates that the connector assemblies can be mounted at varying heights in relation to a divider. It is advantageous to position the connector assemblies well away from the bottom ends of the dividers because the bottom ends are likely to be mounted to a support surface, whereas the upper ends of the dividers are left relatively free to move sideways even though the bottom ends of the dividers are constrained. 
     The purpose for providing a connector assembly  570  for connecting together a pair of adjacent dividers is to retard a tendency of the dividers to flex away from each other because any such tendency would hinder the usefulness of the product guides  560 . The connector assembly may also prove useful in retaining or keeping stacked product on a slide out shelf when the shelf is returned from a restocking position to a merchandising position, i.e., the shelf is slid back to the merchandising position. The purpose for the product guides is to prevent a second layer of product containers stacked atop a first layer of product containers from tipping away from a horizontal plane, as noted above. While connector assemblies  570  are illustrated as being attached, mounted or connected to respective rear ends of the dividers, the connector assemblies could conceivably be mounted to the respective dividers at other locations along the length of the dividers. This would depend to some extent on the product which is being vended by the shelf. 
     In the embodiments disclosed herein, the several versions of the movable retainer each extend at least partially across a width of a channel defined in the support member between a pair of facing dividers or side walls. The retainer can flex outwardly to allow product to be withdrawn from the shelf by a consumer. The several versions allow the retainer to move from a first position retarding forward movement of merchandise in a channel to a second position allowing such movement. Some versions allow movement to a third position enabling a restocking of products on the shelf. The movement of the retainer allows food containers and like merchandise to be withdrawn from a front end of a channel or restocked in the channel. 
     The several varieties of product merchandisers illustrated herein allow shelving to be stacked more closely together as the withdrawal of product containers does not involved much upward movement of the containers in order to clear a front fence or barrier. Instead, the containers can simply be titled and then withdrawn from the merchandising structure in a generally horizontal direction. This allows the merchant to increase the product density in the store which is very desirable as shelves can be stacked more closely together and more products can be offered to potential customers. 
     The present disclosure has been described with reference to several embodiments. Obviously, modifications and alterations will occur to others upon the reading and understanding of the preceding detailed description. It is intended that the present disclosure be construed as including all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.