Apparatus for retail category management

Abstract

A retail merchandising apparatus affording assured automatic product rotation, labor-savings associated with reduced stocking times and the elimination for the need to manually rotate product. The apparatus also provides greatly enhanced permanent brand-identification, brand exposure and distinction from competitor's in the grocery aisle due to the product always being in an upright position throughout the loading and dispensing process and the superior graphic presence presented on the apparatus.

1 . A front-loading and front-dispensing drop rotation apparatus for product display and dispensing on a retail shelf, comprising a pair of vertically aligned tracks for supporting product thereon, the tracks comprising: 
 a first horizontal loading and storage track at the top;    a second upwardly and rearwardly inclined dispensing track at the bottom, beneath the first track, the second track being inclined for fostering sliding movement of product relative thereto;    wherein the apparatus has a pusher means for forcing product positioned on the first track along the first tract and to the rear thereof, and    wherein the first track defines a drop aperture adjacent the rear end thereof enabling the passage of product from the first track onto the second track; whereby product loaded onto the first track is forced, by the pusher means, to the rear of the first track, the product then passing, under the influence of gravity, through the drop aperture to the second track, the product then urged by gravity along the second track, to the front of the apparatus for display and dispensing.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the product is supported by the first and second tracks in an upright positioned.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the product is dispensed in an upright position.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each the track comprises a laterally spaced pair of upstanding sidewalls and a floor connecting the sidewalls.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the floor is wider than the product in an upright orientation, and the sidewalls define a space therebetween wider than the product in an upright orientation.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the drop aperture is in the floor.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the drop aperture of the first track is adjacent the rear of the apparatus.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a loading door is opened to gain access to the first track and to load product thereon.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a pusher support member supports the pusher means, and wherein the pusher support member is retracted to disengaged the pusher means and to load product onto the first track, and then reinstalled to engage the pusher means, and force product to the rear of the first track.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the pusher means for forcing product positioned on the first track rearwardly along the first tract comprises a spring pusher.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the spring pusher further comprises a coil spring pusher.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the second track has adjacent the front end thereof means for displaying the forward product thereon in a substantially upright orientation.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the angle of inclination of the second upwardly and rearwardly inclined dispensing track varies along the length of the second dispensing track.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is supported on the retail shelf by a cantilever mount at the rear of the apparatus.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of upright product may be stacked one atop another on the first horizontal loading and storage track at the top of the apparatus; 
 wherein the pusher means forces the stacked upright product positioned on the first track along the first track and to the rear thereof, and    whereby the stacked product passes, under the influence of gravity, to the second track, where the lowermost product is then urged by gravity along the second track, each stacked product then successively passing down the second track, from the lowermost stacked product to the uppermost stacked product, to the front of the apparatus for display and dispensing.    
   
   
       16 . A front-loading and front-dispensing drop rotation apparatus for product display and dispensing on a retail shelf, comprising a pair of vertically aligned tracks for supporting product thereon, the tracks comprising: 
 a first horizontal loading and storage track at the top;    a second upwardly and rearwardly inclined dispensing track at the bottom, beneath the first track, the second track being inclined for fostering sliding movement of product relative thereto;    wherein the apparatus has a pusher means for forcing product positioned on the first track along the first tract and to the rear thereof, and wherein the first track defines a drop aperture adjacent the rear end thereof enabling the passage of product from the first track onto the second track and wherein the second track has adjacent the front end thereof a generally horizontal section which slows forward product movement at the front end thereof without terminating the forward movement and displays the forward product thereon in a substantially upright orientation; and    whereby product loaded onto the first track is forced, by the pusher means, to the rear of the first track, the product then passing, under the influence of gravity, through the drop aperture to the second track, the product then urged by gravity along the second track, to the front of the apparatus for display and dispensing.    
   
   
       17 . A front-loading and front-dispensing drop rotation apparatus for product display and dispensing of upright product on a retail shelf, comprising a pair of vertically aligned tracks for supporting upright product thereon, the tracks comprising: 
 a first horizontal loading and storage track at the top;    a second upwardly and rearwardly inclined dispensing track at the bottom, beneath the first track, the second track being inclined for fostering sliding movement of product relative thereto;    the first and second track comprising a laterally spaced pair of upstanding sidewalls and a floor connecting the sidewalls, the floor being wider than the product in an upright orientation, the sidewalls defining a space therebetween wider than the product in an upright orientation; and    wherein the first track defines a drop aperture adjacent the rear end thereof enabling the passage of product from the first track onto the second track; whereby product loaded onto the first track is manually forced to the rear of the first track, the product then passing, under the influence of gravity, through the drop aperture to the second track, the product then urged by gravity along the second track, to the front of the apparatus for display and dispensing.    
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the second track has adjacent the front end thereof a generally horizontal section which slows forward product movement at the front end thereof without terminating the forward movement and displays the forward product thereon in a substantially upright orientation.  
   
   
       19 . A front-loading and front-dispensing drop rotation apparatus for product display and dispensing on a retail shelf, comprising a pair of vertically aligned tracks for supporting product thereon, the tracks comprising: 
 a first downwardly and rearwardly inclined loading and storage track at the top, the first track being inclined for fostering sliding movement of product relative thereto;    a second upwardly and rearwardly inclined dispensing track at the bottom, beneath the first track, the second track being inclined for fostering sliding movement of product relative thereto; and    wherein the first track defines a drop aperture adjacent the rear end thereof enabling the passage of product from the first track onto the second track; whereby product loaded onto the first track is urged by gravity along the first track, to the rear of the first track, the product then passing, under the influence of gravity, through the drop aperture to the second track, the product then urged by gravity along the second track, to the front of the apparatus for display and dispensing.    
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the angle of inclination of the second upwardly and rearwardly inclined dispensing track varies along the length of the second dispensing track.