System and method for forming a header of a retail merchandising unit

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a RMU comprises a header. The header comprises a sidewall, and at least one coupling surface protruding from the sidewall. The header further comprises a top surface coupled to the sidewall via a through-surface coupling mechanism coupled at least partially through the at least one coupling surface. The header also comprises a bottom surface to the sidewall via a through-surface coupling mechanism coupled at least partially through the at least one coupling surface. The top surface and the bottom surface are coupled to the sidewall such that the top surface and bottom surface can each be individually uncoupled from the sidewall without requiring the other of the top surface and bottom surface to be uncoupled from the sidewall. As used herein, a through-surface coupling mechanism refers to any mechanism that inserts at least partially through a surface for coupling the surface to another part.

1 . A retail merchandising unit (RMU) comprising: 
 a header comprising 
 a) a sidewall,  
 b) at least one coupling surface protruding from the sidewall,  
 c) a top surface coupled to the sidewall via a through-surface coupling mechanism coupled at least partially through the at least one coupling surface, and  
 d) a bottom surface to the sidewall via a through-surface coupling mechanism coupled at least partially through the at least one coupling surface; and  
   wherein the top surface and the bottom surface are coupled to the sidewall such that the top surface and bottom surface can each be individually uncoupled from the sidewall without requiring the other of the top surface and bottom surface to be uncoupled from the sidewall.    
   
   
       2 . The RMU of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a body to which the header is coupled.    
   
   
       3 . The RMU of  claim 1  wherein the sidewall is disposed between the top surface and the bottom surface.  
   
   
       4 . The RMU of  claim 1  wherein the sidewall comprises a curved portion.  
   
   
       5 . The RMU of  claim 4  wherein the header comprises a racetrack header.  
   
   
       6 . The RMU of  claim 4  wherein the at least one coupling surface comprises a tab coupled to the curved portion of the sidewall.  
   
   
       7 . The RMU of  claim 6  wherein the tab comprises a threaded aperture for through-surface coupling via a threaded coupling mechanism inserted within the threaded aperture.  
   
   
       8 . The RMU of  claim 6  wherein the tab comprises: 
 a curved portion that abuts against the sidewall, wherein the tab's curved portion has a curvature matching a curvature of the sidewall's curved portion.    
   
   
       9 . The RMU of  claim 8  further comprising: 
 the tab having a tongue projecting from the tab's curved portion.    
   
   
       10 . The RMU of  claim 9  further comprising: 
 the sidewall having a notch into which the tab's tongue portion resides.    
   
   
       11 . The RMU of  claim 10  wherein the tab is welded to the sidewall.  
   
   
       12 . The RMU of  claim 10  wherein the tab's tongue portion is welded to the sidewall.  
   
   
       13 . The RMU of  claim 4  wherein the at least one coupling surface comprises: 
 a first tab coupled to the curved portion of the sidewall, the first tab comprising a curved portion that abuts against the sidewall, wherein the first tab's curved portion has a curvature matching the curvature of the sidewall's curved portion, and    a second tab coupled to the curved portion of the sidewall, the second tab comprising a curved portion that abuts against the sidewall, wherein the second tab's curved portion has a curvature matching the curvature of the sidewall's curved portion.    
   
   
       14 . The RMU of  claim 13  further comprising: 
 the top surface coupled to the first tab;    the bottom surface coupled to the second tab; and    the sidewall being disposed between the top surface and the bottom surface.    
   
   
       15 . The RMU of  claim 1  wherein the through-surface coupling mechanism comprises at least one of the following: 
 bolt, screw, rivet, stud, pressed-in-metal nut, and rod.    
   
   
       16 . The RMU of  claim 1  wherein the sidewall comprises a width measured parallel to the protrusion of the at least one coupling surface from the sidewall, and wherein the width of the sidewall is narrower than a width of the through-surface coupling mechanism.  
   
   
       17 . A retail merchandising unit (RMU) comprising: 
 a body; and    a header coupled to the body, wherein the header comprises 
 a) a sidewall comprising a curved portion,  
 b) a through-surface coupling portion coupled to the curved portion of the sidewall, the through-surface coupling portion comprising a curved portion that abuts against the sidewall, wherein the through-surface coupling portion's curved portion has a curvature matching a curvature of the sidewall's curved portion, and  
 c) at least one surface coupled to the through-surface coupling portion.  
   
   
   
       18 . The RMU of  claim 17  wherein the through-surface coupling portion comprises a tab.  
   
   
       19 . The RMU of  claim 17  wherein the through-surface coupling portion comprises a threaded tube.  
   
   
       20 . The RMU of  claim 17  wherein the at least one surface is coupled to the through-surface coupling portion via a through-surface coupling mechanism.  
   
   
       21 . The RMU of  claim 20  wherein the through-surface coupling mechanism provides a removable coupling between the at least one surface and the through-surface coupling portion.  
   
   
       22 . The RMU of  claim 21  wherein the through-surface coupling mechanism comprises at least one of the following: 
 bolt, screw, rivet, stud, pressed-in-metal nut, and rod.    
   
   
       23 . The RMU of  claim 20  wherein the through-surface coupling mechanism provides a removably reusable coupling between the at least one surface and the through-surface coupling portion, whereby the coupling mechanism can be reused to removably connect the at least one surface and the through-surface coupling portion.  
   
   
       24 . The RMU of  claim 20  wherein the sidewall comprises a width measured parallel to projection of the through-surface coupling portion from the sidewall, and wherein the width of the sidewall is narrower than a width of the through-surface coupling mechanism.  
   
   
       25 . The RMU of  claim 17  wherein the at least one surface comprises: 
 a top surface and a bottom surface disposed on opposing sides of the sidewall.    
   
   
       26 . The RMU of  claim 25  wherein the top surface and bottom surface are each individually removable from the sidewall without requiring the other of the top surface and bottom surface to be removed from the sidewall.  
   
   
       27 . The RMU of  claim 17  wherein the at least one surface comprises a top surface, the header further comprising: 
 d) a second through-surface coupling portion coupled to the curved portion of the sidewall, the second through-surface coupling portion comprising a curved portion that abuts against the sidewall, wherein the second through-surface coupling portion's curved portion has a curvature matching the curvature of the sidewall's curved portion, and    e) a bottom surface coupled to the second through-surface coupling portion, wherein the sidewall is disposed between the top surface and the bottom surface.    
   
   
       28 . The RMU of  claim 27  wherein the top surface is removable from the through-surface coupling portion to which it is coupled without requiring the bottom surface to be removed from the second through-surface coupling portion to which it is coupled.  
   
   
       29 . The RMU of  claim 28  the through-surface coupling portion comprising a surface that is substantially perpendicular to the curved portion of the sidewall.  
   
   
       30 . The RMU of  claim 17  wherein the through-surface coupling portion protrudes from the sidewall.  
   
   
       31 . The RMU of  claim 30  wherein the through-surface coupling portion protrudes from the sidewall on an interior of the sidewall's curved portion.  
   
   
       32 . The RMU of  claim 17  wherein the sidewall encloses an interior area, and wherein the through-surface coupling portion protrudes from the sidewall into the enclosed interior area.  
   
   
       33 . The RMU of  claim 17  further comprising: 
 the through-surface coupling portion having a tongue projecting from the through-surface coupling portion's curved portion.    
   
   
       34 . The RMU of  claim 33  further comprising: 
 the sidewall having a notch into which the through-surface coupling portion's tongue portion resides.    
   
   
       35 . The RMU of  claim 34  wherein the through-surface coupling portion is welded to the sidewall.  
   
   
       36 . The RMU of  claim 34  wherein the through-surface coupling portion's tongue portion is welded to the sidewall.  
   
   
       37 . A method of forming a header of a Retail Merchandising Unit (RMU), the method comprising: 
 coupling at least one through-surface coupling portion to a sidewall of the header such that the at least one through-surface coupling portion protrudes from the sidewall; and    coupling a top surface and a bottom surface to the at least one through-surface coupling portion such that the sidewall is disposed between the top surface and bottom surface, wherein the coupling of the top surface and the bottom surface permits each of the top surface and the bottom surface to be individually uncoupled from the sidewall without requiring the other of the top surface and bottom surface to be uncoupled from the sidewall.    
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 37  further comprising: 
 coupling the header to a body of the RMU.    
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 37  wherein the sidewall comprises a curved portion, and wherein the at least one through-surface coupling portion comprises at least one tab coupled to the curved portion of the sidewall.  
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 39  wherein the at least one tab coupled to the curved portion of the sidewall comprises a curved portion that abuts against the sidewall, wherein the tab's curved portion has a curvature matching a curvature of the sidewall's curved portion.  
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 40  further comprising: 
 notching a notch into the sidewall.    
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 41  wherein the at least one tab coupled to the curved portion of the sidewall comprises a tongue projecting from the tab's curved portion, and wherein coupling the at least one tab to the sidewall comprises: 
 inserting the tab's tongue into the notch.    
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 42  wherein coupling the at least one tab to the sidewall further comprises: 
 welding the tab's tongue portion to the sidewall.    
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 37  wherein coupling a top surface and a bottom surface to the at least one through-surface coupling portion comprises: 
 coupling the top surface to the at least one through-surface coupling portion via a through-surface coupling mechanism; and    coupling the bottom surface to the at least one through-surface coupling portion via a through-surface coupling mechanism.    
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 44  wherein the sidewall comprises a width measured parallel to the protrusion of the at least one through-surface coupling portion from the sidewall, and wherein the width of the sidewall is narrower than a width of the through-surface coupling mechanism.  
   
   
       46 . A method of forming a header of a Retail Merchandising Unit (RMU), the method comprising: 
 notching at least one notch into a curved portion of a sidewall of the header;    providing at least one tab that comprises 
 a) a curved portion having a curvature matching a curvature of the sidewall's curved portion, and  
 b) a tongue projecting from the tab's curved portion;  
   coupling the at least one tab to the sidewall such that the at least one tab's tongue resides in the at least one notch and the at least one tab's curved portion abuts against the sidewall; and    coupling at least one surface to the at least one tab.    
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 46  wherein the coupling the at least one tab to the sidewall comprises: 
 welding the at least one tab to the sidewall.    
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 46  wherein coupling the at least one surface to the at least one tab comprises: 
 using a through-surface coupling mechanism.    
   
   
       49 . The method of  claim 46  wherein the coupling at least one surface to the at least one tab comprises: 
 coupling a top surface and a bottom surface to the at least one tab, wherein the top surface and the bottom surface are disposed on opposing sides of the sidewall.    
   
   
       50 . The method of  claim 49  wherein the coupling the top surface and the bottom surface to the at least one tab comprises: 
 coupling the top surface and the bottom surface to the at least one tab such that the top surface is removable from the at least one tab to which it is coupled without requiring the bottom surface to be removed from the at least one tab to which it is coupled.