Abstract:
A merchandise display having a pegboard with a support track extending therefrom, multiple packages mounted on the support track, a pusher housing in face contacting relation with the packages, a coil spring to urge the pusher housing outwardly from the pegboard, the pusher housing having spaced surfaces, and multiple slots formed in the surfaces to vary the display angle of the packages.

Description:
The benefits under 35 U.S.C. 119 are claimed of provisional patent application 61/963,744 filed Dec. 12, 2013. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to retail merchandising equipment such as displays, racks and gondolas that present the merchandise in an optimal way to make the merchandise easy to find, recognize, select and compare when consumers shop and to provide easy installation, upkeep and reconfiguration of retail equipment by retail merchandisers. The merchandise display is well suited for but not exclusive to merchandise packaged using typical paperboard or plastic materials and standard packaging methods. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Retail stores methodically offer merchandise along aisles, open spaces, counters, showcases and gondolas often congested by shoppers, shopping carts, store employees, vendors, route personnel, restocking racks, product feature racks and seasonal and promotional displays. Searching for merchandise conventionally displayed in a vertical arrangement is often inconvenient to the shopper and requires close proximity of the customer to the display equipment in order to view and/or remove the package. In some cases, reaching, squatting, kneeling or stretching is necessary in an attempt to make a selection. This invention allows and aids in the process of selecting and removing merchandise for purchase. Multiple merchandise packages utilizing this invention and displayed together are automatically repositioned for ease of selection by the next shopper. 
     When store situations require a shopper to be extremely close to displayed merchandise, the lower rows of packages may be obstructed from the shopper&#39;s view by merchandise packages in rows above the sought item thereby hampering the opportunity for purchase. Current equipment may not automatically advance merchandise items to the position closest to the shopper, further restricting the shopper&#39;s ability to easily find the desired item. 
     Also, this invention enhances housekeeping, replenishment of inventory and aids in maintaining a neat and efficient merchandise arrangement. Brand presence and differentiation are enhanced and replenishment needs are immediately obvious. The shopping experience becomes more efficient, selection of merchandise is easier and the opportunity for purchase is quickly realized. In addition, packages are easily viewed and competing brands will not be readily noticed for removal and purchase. Marketers using the display will benefit from the ease consumers will have in being able to find and select the desired merchandise. Product visibility is improved and there is no need to squat or kneel in order to find and select merchandise. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A typical displayed package includes a slot located near its uppermost edge which may be a simple elongated horizontal opening, an inverted T-shaped opening or a triangular opening. The geometry of each opening is easily accommodated by a package support track which may be solid plastic or metal or may be a fabricated wire in the form of a loop or cylindrical rods. The package supporting track is attached to a back plate which typically includes two curved rear hooks that engage a retail support panel. The retail industry refers to such devices as peg hooks varying in length, material strength and informative pricing signage or labels. The curved hooks engage perforations or openings in commonly used supporting means such as pegboard, a sheet of fiberboard or plastic nominally ¼-inch in thickness or a wire grid, consisting of parallel metal wire or rod elements that allow for insertion of the curved hooks. An alternative arrangement includes an angle flange of a peg hook back plate between horizontal pairs of metal wires, slat wall wood composition boards or metal or plastic panels that have horizontal openings with a recess above and below the openings to receive the curved hooks of the peg hook. 
     The merchandise display is manufactured of plastic, metal sheet or metal wire, or combinations of both, and embodies a product track with an upturned end, a back plate with hooks which engage a support such as a pegboard, a pusher plate located behind merchandise packages disposed on the product track which is activated by a coiled spring. Although the elements are similar to existing displays, the pusher plate of this invention is configured to orient the merchandise product packages into an optimal position for consumer viewing thus enhancing the selection process and merchandising efficiency. There are two basic elements, i.e., the spring as a pusher and a pusher housing containing the spring which has several adjustable attitudes that position product packages either with the packages parallel to the retail supporting panel (a plumb position) or with the top of the packages tilted towards the retail supporting panel with the lower edge of the packages inclined toward the consumer. In each case, the package is always in a position to be easily removed by a consumer and is always fronted to provide a uniform, attractive, well-organized appearance to the consumer, and acts as an aid in product replenishment and retail housekeeping. The spring as a pusher has the benefit of the lowest cost and the pusher housing including spring provides the best possible viewing attitudes for the consumer, either plumb or tilted. Some retailers may use combinations of varying package orientation on the same display. 
     The product support track is plastic, sheet metal or metal wire for use with the attitude positioning properties of the pusher. The product support track may be ganged or grouped into assemblies of 2, 3, 4 or more tracks, each with its own pusher. For the best viewing positions, retailers may decide to configure a display with upper rows of peg hooks in a vertical or plumb position and lower rows in tilt back position allowing all product packages to be easily viewed, selected, maintained and replenished. 
     Additional properties of the merchandise display include the distinct relationship of the hook portion of the back plate and the pegboard-type of retail support panel. Hole patterns in pegboards are usually horizontal rows and vertical columns. Some retail configurations may use the center of the back panel aligned vertically on the centerline of the pegboard holes. Other retail configurations may use the center of the back panel to be aligned on the center of the space between horizontal holes. Each configuration is addressed by a separated geometrical arrangements of hooks. Some retailers desire the ability to reposition the peg hooks without removing the product from the peg hook assembly. The hooks of this invention are essentially inserted with a slight tilt of the total peg hook allowing engagement of the hook into the pegboard. This is accomplished without removing hooks above or below or without removing product packages from the product support track being inserted or from tracks which may already be inserted in the pegboard. 
    
    
     
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of the basic embodiment of the merchandise presentation display according to this invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective of the display with the packages in a displayed configuration; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the support track element of the display; 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view of the support track shown in  FIG. 3  shown from below; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view similar to  FIG. 4  with a package partially inserted on the support track; 
         FIG. 6  is a side elevational view with the packages loaded onto the support track; 
         FIG. 7  is perspective view of the display shown in  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a rear perspective view of the display with the packages in a tilted configuration; 
         FIG. 9  is a rear perspective view depicting the packages affixed to a display pegboard; 
         FIG. 10  is a side elevational view thereof showing insertion of the support track into a display pegboard; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view showing multiple packages in a vertically displayed arrangement; 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view from below showing an alternative arrangement of the display; 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view of a multiple combination package display; and 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view similar to that shown in  FIG. 13 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In  FIG. 1 , a pusher peg hook merchandising display is shown and includes product support track  3 , upwardly angled tip  4 , integral back panel  6 , a straight-in hook  7 , attached coil spring  9  and merchandise packages  2 . In this basic embodiment, coil spring  9  acts as a pusher to move packages toward angled tip  4  after the packages are loaded onto product support track  3 . The embodiment of  FIG. 1  provides the retail industry with the lowest cost configuration of the merchandise display. 
       FIG. 2  shows merchandise packages  2  loaded on product support track  3  and moved into the forward position by tension applied by coil spring  9 . Packages  2  are then ready for selection by consumers, but restrained from being propelled off support track  3  by means of upwardly angled tip  4  of support track  3 . 
       FIG. 3  shows product pusher housing  11  including front slot  12 , product control surface  13 , which also functions to include space  20  for optional retail advertising. Gusset  5  reinforces the junction of support track  3  and back panel  6 . Coil spring  9  is attached to the underside of support track  3  by heat staking or by use of an eyelet, hollow rivet and the like. 
       FIG. 4  depicts the lower rear side of product pusher housing  11  with stiffening sides  19 , rear vertical attitude surface  14  with rear slot  15  formed therein and vertical slot  17  disposed generally perpendicular to rear slot  15  and extending downwardly therefrom. Vertical slot  17  allows coil spring  9  to extend therethrough and into abutting relation with the inner surface of product control surface  13  of product pusher housing  11 , which assists in proper tracking of moving packages with efficient utilization of package display space along support track  3 . Back panel  6  includes a straight-in hook  7  and a straight-in stud  8  extending outwardly and rearwardly therefrom. The alignment of hook  7  and stud  8  is arranged to fit into horizontally and vertically spaced holes in a typical retail display pegboard. The offset allows the centerline of product support track  3  to correspond to the corresponding centerline of the space between horizontal holes in retail display pegboard panels. 
     In  FIG. 5 , for vertical package attitude, angled tip  4  initially is inserted into rear slot  15 . Angled tip  4  of support track  3  is then extended through front slot  12  of pusher housing  11  and package  2  is moved rearwardly to the position shown in  FIG. 6 . 
       FIG. 6  shows the completed installation and placement of merchandise packages  2  on support track  3 . Coil spring  9  then enters pusher housing  11  through vertical slot  17  and the merchandise packages  2  are thereby propelled toward the end of track  3  for selection by consumers. Merchandise packages  2  are retained in position by a combination of angled tip  4  and the tension exerted by spring coil  9 . 
       FIG. 7  shows the consumer&#39;s view with merchandise packages  2  retained by angled tip  4  and controlled by pusher housing  11 . 
       FIG. 8  is a rear view of the display with merchandise packages  2  in a tilted or angled attitude. Support track  3  extends through the tilt slot  16  formed in rear panel  18 . Rear panel  18  is integrally joined along its side edges to the respective upper edges of product control surface  13  and rear vertical attitude surface  14 . Coil spring  9  is engaged in vertical slot  17  which insures proper tracking. One package  2  is shown in a position for removal or replenishment. The surface rear panel  18  has a dimensional relationship with product control surface  13  of pusher housing  11  which allows angled tip  4  to extend through front slot  12  and tilt slot  16  which determines the angle of package tilt. 
       FIG. 9  shows packages  2  installed on retail display pegboard  1  in vertical tandem. The retail display pegboard  1  is conveniently shown cutaway to illustrate the engagement of straight-in hook  7  and straight-in stud  8  so arranged to allow centerline of package  2  to align with the centerline of the space between horizontal holes in the retail display pegboard  1 . 
       FIG. 10  depicts the attachment feature of support track  3 . In order to secure support track  3  to pegboard  1 , support track  3  is rotated slightly upwardly which allows the insertion of straight-in hook  7  on pegboard  1  and then rotated downwardly to allow straight-in stud  8  to be inserted into a corresponding hole in display pegboard  1 . Standard retail industry practice includes the rearrangement of merchandise packages for seasonal, introductory or marketing purposes. Reversing the insertion of the straight-in elements allows removal of support track  3  without disturbing or removing vertically adjacent merchandising packages  2 . Straight-in hook  7  has a projecting cylindrical knob  23  which is forced upward as the straight-in stud  8  is inserted into its hole in pegboard  1 . A rounded knuckle  24  on stud  8  eases insertion and cam lobe  25  is disposed in a tensional relation with the pegboard material surrounding the hole thereby securing hook  7  and stud  8  in a snug manner. 
       FIG. 11  shows the visual arrangement of merchandising packages using the vertical attitude positioning of product pusher housing  11  located above and the tilted attitude for merchandising packages positioned lower on display pegboard  1  so that all the merchandising packages can be easily viewed for selection. Lower packages are not obscured from a consumer&#39;s view. 
     In  FIG. 12 , an alternative configuration is shown from below installed on retail pegboard  1  wherein hook  7  and stud  8  are vertically aligned with the centerline of support track  3  aligned with the centerline of the vertically aligned pegboard holes. Positioning merchandising packages on either the center of the space between horizontal holes in the retail display pegboard  1  or on a vertical hole alignment is accomplished by the two configurations of straight-in hook  7  and straight-in stud  8 . 
       FIG. 13  shows an adaptation of pusher housing  11  in a ganged metal arrangement of product support tracks. Both vertical and tilted back attitudes are maintained on a ganged metal device. Coil springs  9  are attached to metal support tracks and standard peg prongs  22  engage retail pegboard  1 . 
       FIG. 14  depicts an adaptation of pusher housing  11  to a ganged metal wire loop arrangement of support tracks  3 . Both vertical and tilted attitudes are maintained on a ganged metal wire loop device. Coiled springs  9  are attached to metal wire loop support tracks and standard peg prongs  22  engage retail pegboard  1 .