Shelf tray assembly

Abstract

Disclosed is an improved shelf tray assembly for use to hold and move forward in a simple and efficient way articles of a given dimension placed on a shelf toward a front edge of this shelf in order to allow frontal display of these articles. This assembly has a front rail installable on the shelf close to its front edge, a rear rail installable onto the shelf in parallel relationship with respect to the front rail and one or more tracks snappable onto the front and rear rails, each track acting as a support for the articles to be displayed and having a guiding rail on which a pushing element is slideably mounted. Advantageously, one or more clips are provided at the front end of each track to rigidly retain this track to the front rail. Advantageously also, each track has several slots made in its upper surface to receive one or more lateral partitions so as to guide the articles to be displayed when they are pulled forward, whatever their size.

1 . In a shelf tray assembly for use to hold and move forward in a simple and efficient way articles of a given dimension placed on a shelf toward a front edge of said shelf in order to allow frontal display of said articles, said assembly comprising: 
 (i) a front rail installable onto the shelf close to its front edge, said front rail having an upper surface of a given length with an upwardly projecting tongue extending all over its length,    (ii) a rear rail installable onto the shelf at a distance away from the front rail in parallel relationship therewith, said rear rail also having an upper surface of a given length with an upwardly projecting tongue extending all over its length;    (iii) at least one track extending perpendicularly to the front edge of the shelf, each said at least one track having 
 a front end with a bottom surface provided with a transversal groove sized to be snapped onto the tongue of the front rail;  
 a rear end with a bottom surface provided with a transversal groove sized to be snapped onto the tongue of the rear rail; and  
 an upper surface having a longitudinal portion devised to receive and support the articles to be displayed, said upper surface comprising a guiding rail that extends perpendicularly to the front edge of the shelf when the track is installed; and  
   (iv) pushing means comprising: 
 a pushing element projecting upwardly from each of said at least one track, said pusher element being slideably mounted into the guiding rail of said at least one track; and  
 means for pulling said pushing element toward the front end of said at least one track;  
   the improvement wherein: 
 the front rail (i) also has an upwardly projecting L-shaped element extending rearwardly of the tongue of said front rail in parallel relationship therewith; and  
   the front end of each of said at least one track (iii) also has at least one clip sized and positioned to clip onto the L-shaped element of said front rail when said track is installed.    
   
   
       2 . The improved shelf tray assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each of said at least one track also has a set of parallel slots that are made in its upper surface and extend in parallel relationship with respect to the guiding rail, and wherein said assembly further comprises: 
 (v) at least one lateral partition detachably insertable into one of said slots made in the upper surface of one of said at least one track in such a manner as to extend vertically and thus to laterally guide and retain the articles positioned onto said at least one track while said articles are pulled forward.    
   
   
       3 . The improved shelf tray assembly of  claim 2 , wherein said at least one lateral partition is of a given height and may be replaced by another one of a different height depending on the articles to be guided.  
   
   
       4 . The improved shelf tray assembly of  claim 3 , wherein said means for pulling the pushing element consists of a spring having one end connected to the front end of each of said at least one track and another opposite end connected to the pushing element.  
   
   
       5 . The improved shelf tray assembly of  claim 3 , wherein said means for pulling the pushing element consists of a pulling rod extending within the guiding rail, said pulling rod having one end located at the front end of said at least one track and a rear end devised to catch and pull the pushing element when said pulling rod is pulled forward.  
   
   
       6 . The improved shelf tray assembly of  claim 3 , wherein said assembly further comprises: 
 (vi) a stop plate attachable to the front end of each of said at least one track to retain the articles positioned onto this track where they are pulled forward, and to prevent them from falling down from the shelf.    
   
   
       7 . The improved shelf tray assembly of  claim 6 , wherein said assembly further comprises: 
 (vii) a retaining plate of a given width and height that is detachably connectable to the pushing element of each of said at least one track, said retaining plate providing better holding and stability to the articles mounted on said at least one track when they are pulled forward.    
   
   
       8 . The improved shelf tray assembly of  claim 6 , wherein each of said at least one track is of a small thickness ranging from ¼ to 5/16 inches.  
   
   
       9 . The improved shelf tray assembly of  claim 8 , wherein each of said at least one track has a length ranging from 12 to 20 inches.  
   
   
       10 . The improved shelf tray assembly of  claim 6 , wherein said assembly further comprises: 
 (vii) a retaining plate of a given width and height that is detachably connectable to the pushing element of each of said at least one track, said retaining plate providing better holding and stability to the articles mounted on said at least one track when they are pulled forward.    and wherein each of said at least one track is of a small thickness ranging from ¼ to 5/16 inches, and a length ranging from 12 to 20 inches.    
   
   
       11 . The improved shelf tray assembly of  claim 10 , wherein all of its components are made of molded plastic material.  
   
   
       12 . The improved shelf tray assembly of  claim 11 , wherein said means for pulling the pushing element consists of a spring having one end connected to the front end of each of said at least one track and another opposite end connected to the pushing element.  
   
   
       13 . The improved shelf tray assembly of  claim 11 , wherein said means for pulling the pushing element consists of a pulling rod, extending within the guiding rail, said pulling rod having one end located at the front end of said at least one track and a rear end devised to catch and pull the pushing element when said pulling rod is pulled forward.