Product Dispenser Assembly

Abstract

A system of retail store fixtures having downwardly mounted spring feeding pusher devices for pushing products toward the front of shelves. In one embodiment, the pusher devices extend downward from shelves and push products in open tray type of bulk product shipment containers on a lower shelf forward toward the consumer. In another embodiment, the pushers and product trays are in a self-contained module for placement on shelves.

1 . A product dispenser assembly for dispensing products contained in shipping trays having a front wall, a back wall and side walls, the assembly comprising:
 a) a support platform, having an upper surface for supporting at least one shipping tray, a lower surface, a front edge, a rear and a depth between the front edge and the rear which is at least as long as a length between the front wall and the back wall of a shipping tray;   b) a stop wall located at the front edge of the support platform;   c) a plurality of row dividers extending across the support platform, for aligning shipping trays on the support platform;   d) a feed mechanism supported above the upper surface of the support platform, comprising:
 i) a pusher plate depending downward from the feed mechanism toward the upper surface of the support platform, the pusher plate being moveble along a linear support from a rearward position adjacent to the rear of the support platform to a forward position adjacent to the front edge of the support platform, the pusher plate having a length short enough such that the pusher plate does not contact the back wall of a support tray on the support platform but long enough that the pusher plate contacts the products in the shipping tray; and 
 ii) a bias mechanism for biasing the pusher plate along the linear support from the rearward position toward the forward position; 
   such that when a shipping tray bearing products is placed upon the support platform between the row dividers, pushing the pusher plate toward its rearward position against the bias mechanism, the products in the shipping tray are pushed toward the front wall of the tray by the pusher plate.   
   
   
       2 . The product dispenser of  claim 1 , in which the support platform is a shelf. 
   
   
       3 . The product dispenser of  claim 1 , in which the row dividers are movable along a length of the support platform to accommodate shipping trays of differing widths. 
   
   
       4 . The product dispenser of  claim 3 , in which the row dividers have a rearward end which clips over the rear of the support platform and a forward end slidably supported adjacent the front edge of the support platform. 
   
   
       5 . The product dispenser of  claim 1 , in which the bias mechanism comprises a coil spring. 
   
   
       6 . The product dispenser of  claim 1 , in which the stop wall is mounted upon the front edge of the support platform. 
   
   
       7 . The product dispenser of  claim 1 , in which the stop wall is formed into a forward end of the row dividers. 
   
   
       8 . The product dispenser of  claim 1 , in which the stop wall is formed of transparent material. 
   
   
       9 . The product dispenser of  claim 1 , in which there are a plurality of support platforms vertically spaced apart, and the feed mechanism is mounted upon a lower surface of a support platform. 
   
   
       10 . The product dispenser of  claim 1 , in which the dispenser further comprises an enclosed housing module having a roof upon which the feed mechanism is mounted, in which the row dividers form side walls for the housing module and the support platform forms a floor for the housing module. 
   
   
       11 . The product dispenser of  claim 1 , in which the pusher plate comprises a minimum-sized plate coupled to the feed mechanism and an add-on plate removably attached to the minimum-sized pusher plate, such that the minimum-sized pusher plate is sized to fit shipping trays having minimum clearances for the pusher, and the add-on plate has a width and height sized to fit other-sized shipping trays. 
   
   
       12 . The product dispenser of  claim 12 , in which the add-on plate is attached to the minimum-sized pusher plate using mating pieces of hook-and-loop fastener material. 
   
   
       13 . The product dispenser of  claim 1 , in which the linear support of the feed mechanism further comprises a track on which the pusher plate rides. 
   
   
       14 . A product dispenser shelf assembly for dispensing products contained in a plurality shipping trays having a front wall, a back wall and side walls, the assembly comprising:
 a) a plurality of support platforms vertically spaced apart, each having an upper surface for supporting at least one shipping tray, a lower surface, a front edge, a rear and a depth between the front edge and the rear which is at least as long as a length between the front wall and the back wall of a shipping tray;   b) a stop wall located at the front edge of the support platforms;   c) a plurality of row dividers extending across the support platforms, for aligning shipping trays on the support platform;   d) a plurality of feed mechanisms mounted upon the lower surface of at least one of the support platforms, above the upper surface of the next-lower support platform, comprising:
 i) a pusher plate depending downward from the feed mechanism toward the upper surface of the support platform, the pusher plate being moveble along a linear support from a rearward position adjacent to the rear of the support platform to a forward position adjacent to the front edge of the support platform, the pusher plate having a length short enough such that the pusher plate does not contact the back wall of a support tray on the support platform but long enough that the pusher plate contacts the products in the shipping tray; and 
 ii) a bias mechanism for biasing the pusher plate along the linear support from the rearward position toward the forward position; 
   such that when a shipping tray bearing products is placed upon the support platform between the row dividers, pushing the pusher plate toward its rearward position against the bias mechanism, the the products in the shipping tray are pushed toward the front wall of the tray by the pusher plate.   
   
   
       15 . The shelf assembly of  claim 14 , in which the row dividers are movable along a length of the support platform to accommodate shipping trays of differing widths. 
   
   
       16 . The shelf assembly of  claim 15 , in which the row dividers have a rearward end which clips over the rear of the support platform and a forward end slidably supported adjacent the front edge of the support platform. 
   
   
       17 . The shelf assembly of  claim 14 , in which the bias mechanism comprises a coil spring. 
   
   
       18 . The shelf assembly of  claim 14 , in which the stop wall is mounted upon the front edge of the support platform. 
   
   
       19 . The shelf assembly of  claim 14 , in which the stop wall is formed into a forward end of the row dividers. 
   
   
       20 . The shelf assembly of  claim 14 , in which the stop wall is formed of transparent material. 
   
   
       21 . The shelf assembly of  claim 14 , in which the pusher plate comprises a minimum-sized plate coupled to the feed mechanism and an add-on plate removably attached to the minimum-sized pusher plate, such that the minimum-sized pusher plate is sized to fit shipping trays having minimum clearances for the pusher, and the add-on plate has a width and height sized to fit other-sized shipping trays. 
   
   
       22 . The shelf assembly of  claim 21 , in which the add-on plate is attached to the minimum-sized pusher plate using mating pieces of hook-and-loop fastener material. 
   
   
       23 . The shelf assembly of  claim 14 , in which the support platforms comprise generally horizontal planar shelves. 
   
   
       24 . The shelf assembly of  claim 23 , in which at least one of the shelves slopes downward from the rear to the front edge. 
   
   
       25 . A method of dispensing products contained in shipping trays having a front wall, a back wall and side walls, comprising the steps of:
 a) mounting a feed mechanism above an upper surface of a support platform, the feed mechanism comprising a pusher plate depending downward from the feed mechanism toward the upper surface of the support platform, the pusher plate being moveble along a linear support from a rearward position adjacent to the rear of the support platform to a forward position adjacent to the front edge of the support platform, the pusher plate having a length short enough such that the pusher plate does not contact the back wall of a support tray on the support platform but long enough that the pusher plate contacts the products in the shipping tray; and a bias mechanism for biasing the pusher plate along the linear support from the rearward position toward the forward position;   b) placing a shipping tray on the support platform, pushing the pusher plate toward its rearward position against the bias mechanism, so that the products in the shipping tray are pushed toward the front wall of the tray by the pusher plate;   c) lowering the front wall of the shipping tray behind a stop wall located at a front edge of the support platform, such that the shipping tray is retained on the support platform as the products are pushed within the tray.   
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising, when a shipping tray is partially full, the steps of:
 a) removing the partially full shipping tray from the support platform;   b) placing a full shipping tray on the support platform, pushing the pusher plate fully toward its rearward position against the bias mechanism, so that the products in the shipping tray are pushed toward the front wall of the tray by the pusher plate;   c) holding the full shipping tray in the fully rearward position, leaving a space between the front wall of the tray and the stop wall on the support platform;   d) placing the products from the partially full shipping tray between the front wall of the full shipping tray and the stop wall; and   e) releasing the full shipping tray, so that the tray is moved forward by the pusher against the products located between the front wall and the stop wall.