Patent ID: 7896171

Claim:
An apparatus for storing and dispensing containers, the apparatus comprising a tier, the tier comprising: a base unit horizontally spaced first and second dividing structures connected to the base unit, the first and second dividing structures comprising first and second dividing members, respectively, each of the first and second dividing members comprising: a generally vertical front section; a generally vertical back section; and an intermediate section extending between the vertical front section and the vertical back section; and a channel defined between the first and second dividing members, the channel having forward and rearward end portions and extending therebetween in a first direction, the channel comprising: a first zone configured to receive the containers, the first zone: extending in the first direction between the rearward end portion and the respective intermediate sections of the first and second dividing members; and extending in a second direction between the respective vertical back sections of the first and second dividing members, the second direction being generally perpendicular to the first direction; wherein the first zone defines a first distance in the second direction between the respective vertical back sections of the first and second dividing members; a second zone configured to dispense the containers, the second zone: extending in the first direction between the forward end portion and the respective intermediate sections of the first and second dividing members; extending in the second direction between the respective vertical front sections of the first and second dividing members; wherein the second zone defines a second distance in the second direction between the respective vertical front sections of the first and second dividing members; and a third zone configured to restrain upward removal of the containers, the third zone: extending in the first direction between the first and second zones and along the respective intermediate sections of the first and second dividing members; and extending in the second direction between the respective intermediate sections of the first and second dividing members; wherein, at any point along either of the respective intermediate sections of the first and second dividing members, the third zone defines a third distance in the second direction between the respective intermediate sections of the first and second dividing members; and wherein the third distance is less than each of the first distance and the second distance.