CA1308068C - Merchandiser assembly and package therefor - Google Patents

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Case MERCHAMDISER ASSEMBLY AND PACKAGE THEREFOR

Field of the Invention This application relates a merchandiser assembly and to a package for food or the like useable therewith.

Background and Summary of the Invention The present invention generally relates to an assembly for storing and displaying products while they are being merchandised in a retail outlet or the like and to a package usable therewith.
The merchandiser assembly according to the present invention is structured to store merchandise products on shelves from which purchasers can select and remove one or more of the products from the merchandiser assembly. The merchandiser assembly maintains the products in a generally horizontally stacked orientation in a manner by which the front of the stack of products is automatically maintained in the front of the merchandiser assembly even after a product that had been in the front of the merchandiser assembly has been removed.

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In the retail sales industry, there is often a need to display a supply of products ~or selection and purchase by consumers. Various display cases, racks, hangers, open shelves and the like have been used for this purpose. Sometimes these storage and disp~ay devices are at room temperature, and in other instances they are under refrigeration, either in open cases or compartments or behind temperature barriers such as glass doors.
Certain problems are generally common to these types of merchandising display facilities. Because it is desired to avoid selling products that have been warehoused, stored and displayed for extended periods of time, it is desirable to ensure that the products that are in stock are rotated in a manner whereby the oldest product stock is toward the front of the shelf or the like, which requires in most circumstances that the fresher or newer stock must be placed behind the older stock. In most instances, achieving this desirable stock rotation requires removal of the older products on the front of the shelf or pegboard or the like or on top of the stack of products or the like in order that the newer stock can be placed behind or under these older stocks. This is, of course, a very time-consuming operation and is often very labor intensive and thus can be quite expensive. There can be a tendency for this desirable practice of stock rotation to be substantially ignored or practiced only to a limited extent.
Another problem with many product merchandisers is the need to "face" them after consumers have removed the front products from the display unit. This problem is particularly evident for items that are stored and displayed on generally horizontal ~3~

shelves. Often these shelves can be quite deep, and if the products are not manually moved toward the front, or face, of the shelf, the products will not be properly displayed to the customers in order to achieve desired merchandising and marketing effects, such as the prominent display of a famous or well-promoted label and/or brand name or the lika.
Another matter associated with product merchandiser devices that requires some attention is the desirability to maintain the merchandiser unit in an organi~ed fashion so that it presents an orderly and attractive appearance. Merchandiser devices such as pegbar units which suspend packaged products at a generally fixed location tend to positively respond to this objective in that pegbar units tend to present a more organized appearance than when products are stored on an open shelf or in stacks. In the latter instances, products can become misaligned from their desired location on the shelf or stack and thereby become improperly placed with respect to product and price identifiers or other point of purchase materials. Another aspect of desirable shelf organization is to have the individual products aligned in neat rows or the like, which can require some labor-intensive attention at various times.
It has been found that, by proceeding in accordance with the present invention, it is possible to provide a product merchandiser that greatly facilitates stock rotation, that is self-facing, and that automatically maintains an organized and properly positioned stock of products. In addition, the present invention can be utilized in order to hold relatively flat packages in a generally upright or on-edge orientation in order to create a display that is visibly pleasing and als~ that ~L3~80~

prominently displays packaging designs, graphics, produck vignettes, brand names and the like. The invention is particularly useful for displaying and merchandising packaged food products.
The invention provides a merchandiser assembly for use in storing and dlsplaying products in a shelf-like orientation, in combination with a packaged product held and supported by the merchandiser assembly, the merchandiser assembly comprising:
product display tray means for holding and supporting a plurality of packaged products, said display tray means having a front end portion and a rear end portion, the front end portion being of a height which exposes a substantial portion of the front facing surface of the forwardmost packaged product held in the display tray means;
track means for providing generally horizontally oriented support of said display tray means, said track means having a front portion;
engagement means of said display tray means and of said track means for effecting sliding engagement between said display tray means and said track means and for permitting said display tray means to move with respect to said track : means along a pathway that is generally longitudinally oriented with respect to said display tray means;

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a product follower member slidably mounted with respect to said display tray means for movement generally between said rear end portion and said front end portion of the display tray means;
biassing means for urging said product follower member and any packaged products in front of said product follower member generally toward said front end portion of the display tray means; and said packaged products within the display tray means each comprising:
an inner tray-like component having a top surface defined by a reference plane, which top surface is the said front facing surface when the packaged products are held and supported in said display tray means, a peripheral portion of the inner tray-like component located in said reference plane, extending around the periphery of the inner tray-like component and having a width in said reference plane at least sufficient to attach a transparent cover layer thereto, a plurality of recessed compartments extending downwardly from said reference plane a sufficient depth to contain a food product or the like, and divider portions located in the reference plane and separating the recessed compartments from each other, a flat transparent cover layer covering the inner tray-like component in said reference plane and attached to the inner tray-like component, . .

j ' , - 5a -and an outer enclosure component having a substantially flat top which is located substantially immediately adjacent the reference plane of the inner tray-like component, a bottom and a plurality of sides, each of which sides covers at least part of a side of the inner tray-like component, the top of said outer enclosure component having at least one opening therethrough whlch allows viewing of at least part of the contents of the recessed compartments, wherein when the packaged produ~ts are supported by the display tray means, the outer enclosure component of the forwardmost packaged product has its top facing forwardly, thus allowing viewing of the contents within its inner tray-like component.
In one preferred embodiment, the package is essentially square as viewed in plan view, the inner component including one larye recessed compartment and a pair of smaller recessed compartments. In still another preferred embodiment, the package may be an elongated rectangle, the inner component including a large number of recessed compartments.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved assembly for merchandising products, especially consumer products in combination with a package usable therewith.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved product merchandiser assembly that facilitates stock .
- ' : , ' ' ' , rotation, that is self-facing, and that improves shelf organization in combination with a package usable therewith.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved product merchandiser assembly that reduces the time needed to maintain merchandising shelves that exhibit extremely desirable marketing attributes in combination with a package usable therewith.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved product merchandiser assembly that holds packaged products in an upright position in order to create visually superior and pleasing displays of the package products in combination with a package usable therewith.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved product merchandiser assembly that effects automatic facing of products stored therein and merchandised thereby in combination with a package usable therewith.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved merchandiser assembly that is especially useful for marketing and selling packaged cold meat products and the like that are organized in a generally shelf-like organization in ; combination with a package usable therewith.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved merchandiser assembly that is durable and re-usable in combination with a package usable therewith.
; These and other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be clearly understood through a consideration of the following detailed description.

~ E?8al Ei8 Brief Description of the Drawings In the course of this description, reference will be made to the attached drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the merchandiser device according to this invention, shown in a completely empty state î
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the assembly shown in Figure 1, illustrating the fill mode of the assembl~;
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view along the line 3-3 of Figure l;
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view similar to Figure 3, but showing the product tray in an orientation between the empty state of Figures 1 and 3 and the fill mode of Figure 2;
Figure 5 is a top plan view generally along the line 5-5 of Figure 4; and Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view along the line 6-6 of : Figure 5.
Figure 7 is a top view of a new package usable in combination with the merchandiser assembly of Figs. 1-6.
: Figure 8 is a bottom view showing the opposite side of the package from Figure 7.
Figure 9 is a front elevational view of the package of Figure 7, taken in the direction of the arrow A of Figure 7.
Figure 10 is a right side elevational view of the package of Figure 7, taken in the direction of the arrow B of Figure 7.
Figure 11 is a top plan view of the inner tray-like component of Figure 7, removed from the outer enclosure component.

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Figure 12 is a bottom view showing the opposite side of the component from Figure 11.
Figure 13 is a front elevational view of the component of Figure 11, taken in the direction of the arrow A of Figure 11.
Figure 14 is a right side elevational view of the component of Figure 11, taken in the direction of the arrow B of Figure 11.
Figure 15 is a rear elevational view of the component of Figure 11, taken in the direction of the arrow C of Figure 11.
Figure 16 is a top plan view of another embodiment of a package usable in combination with the merchandiser assembly of Figs. 1-6.
Figure 17 is a bottom view, showing the opposite side of the package of Figure 16.
Figure 18 is a front elevational view of the package of Figure 16, taken in the direction of the arrow A of Figure 16.
; Figure 19 is a right side elevational view of the package of Figure 16, taken in the direction of the arrow B of Figure 16.
Figure 20 is a top plan view of the inner tray-like component of Figure 16, removed from the outer enclosure component.
Figure 21 is a bottom view of the component of Figure 20, showing the opposite side thereof.
Figure 22 is a front elevational view of the component of Figure 20, taken in the direction of the arrow A of Figure 20.
Figure 23 is a left side elevational view of the component of Figure 20, taken in the direction of the arrow B of Figure 20.

~L3~8~68 Figure 24 is a right side slevational view of the component of Figure 20, taken in the direction of the arrow C of Figure 20.
Figure 25 is a partial enlarged view of Figure 2, showing the tray filled with packages of the type shown in Figures 7~15.

Description of the Particular ~mbodiments A merchandiser assembly device is generally designated as 21 in Figures 1 through 6. Merchandiser assembly 21 is illustrated resting on and mounted onto a shelf assembly shown in phantom at 22. It will be appreciated that merchandiser assembly 21 can be mounted on any of a variety of shelving arrangements, and a plurality of such merchandiser devices 21 can be provided, typically in side-by-side relationship with each other. It is also possible that the merchandiser device could include its own shelving assembly, for example as an integral component of the merchandiser assembly itself. For ease of discussion and illustration, the drawings show the merchandiser assembly 21 in an embodiment by which same is added to an existing shelf assembly 22.
Merchandiser assembly 21 includes a product tray member 23 that is slideably mounted onto a track member or assembly 24. A
generally upstanding product follower 25 is slideably mounted in a generally longitudinal manner within the product tray member 23. The upstanding product follower 25 is biased in a forward orientation (defined as being toward the right as viewed in Figures 3, 4 and 5) by a biasing member 26.
; The empty and non-loading mode of the merchandiser assembly 21 is best seen in Figure 1 and in Figure 3. The product :~3g~

follower 25 is in its forwardmost position, while the product tray member 23 is in its rearwardmost position (with the rear of the merchandiser assembly 21 being defined as toward the left as viewed in Figure 3j. This mode is automatically presented when the mexchandiser assembly 21 has been completely emptied or when only about one of the products being merchandised remains within the merchandiser assembly 21. When this mode is observed, the stocking employee will know that the display stock of this particular item has been exhausted and that refilling is now necessary.
The fillin~ mode is perhaps best appreciated by a consideration of Figures 2, 4 and 5. In Figure 2, the product tray member 23 is shown in its substantially fully extended orientation after it has been pulled by the stocking employee in a forward direction as defined herein. It will be noted that, when such movement or extension in the forward direction is effected, the generally upstanding product follower 25 does not necessarily likewise move forwardly to the same e~tent.
Instead, the product follower 25 engages a typically fixed component which limits the forward movement of the upstanding product follower 25. The movement limiter which is illustrated in the drawings in this regard includes one or more stops 27 positioned at the front end portion of the track assembly 24.
~3y this arrangement, the product follower 25 is automatically space away from the inside surface 28 of each of one or more upstanding front members 29 of the product tray member 23.
Accordingly, when the product tray member 23 is in a forwardly extended orientation, free space is provided between the front face of the product follower 25 and the inside surface 28 or the ~3~
back surface of any product remaining within the product tray 23 of the merchandiser assembly 21. Then, the stocking employee can insert a desired number of products 31 in a generally hori7ontally stacked orientation, which is shown in phantom in Figure 2.
Once the product tray 23 is filled with products 31 to the extent desired, the product tray 23 is returned to its unextended or rearwardmost position. A position generally midway between the fully extended mode shown in Figure 2 and the fully retracted mode shown in Figures 1 and 3 is illustrated in Figure 4 and in Figure 5. It will be noted that the upstanding product follower 25 is still in engagement with the stop 27 or the like, but the distance between the inside surface of the product follower 25 and the inside surface 28 is less than that shown in Figure 2. It will be appreciated that, if the product tray member 23 were filled with products 31, such products 31 would move the product follower member 25 in a rearward direction and in opposition to the biasing member 26. In other words, if the space between the upstanding product follower 25 and the inside surface 28 that is depicted in Figure 4 were filled with product, then further movement of the product tray member 23 in a retracting or rearward direction (to the left in Figure 4) would result in movement of the product follower 25 in that retracting or rearward direction due to its engagement by the stack of products moving in that direction.
When the merchandiser assembly 21 is provided in the form illustrated wherein same is designed to be supported by and secured onto a shelf 22 of a separate shelf assembly, it is preferred to provide adjustable means by which the merchandiser ~3~8~
assembly 21 can be thus secured. Illustrative of such an arrangement is the track assembly 24 that is depicted in the drawings. Track assembly 24 includes a front clamp or clip structure 32 can be adjustable so as to accommodate different shelf thicknesses. It is typically more important to provide an adjustment assembly with respect to the rear securement assembly of the track assembly 24. Illustrated rear securement assembly in this regard includes a generally L-shaped bracket assembly 33.
Bracket assembly 33 includes a generally horizontal arm 34 that is slideably mounted to the track assembly 24 so that the L-shaped bracket assembly 33 is extendable from and retractable toward the track assembly 24. Positioning of the generally horizontal arm 34 of the L-shaped bracket assembly 33 can be secured by any suitable means such as the illustrated retainer screw 35. The illustrated L-shaped bracket assembly 33 further includes a generally downwardly depending arm 36 that also includes an adjustability feature. More specifically, a clamping plate 37 is slideably secured to the downwardly depending arm 36 in a manner by which the clamping plate 37 is forwardly extending so as to form a generally U-shaped clamping assembly with the L-shaped bracket assembly 33. A securement assembly 38 is provided in order to maintain the desired position of the clamping plate 37. The so illustrated securement assembly 38 includes a so-called cable tie or the like having a head 39 secured to a tail 41 thereof. The tail 41 is passed through a suitable opening within the clamping plate 37 and then through a ratcheting block 42 which prevents return movement of the tail 41.

Accordingly, a typical operation by which the illustrated merchandiser assembly 21 is secured onto thP shelf 22 proceeds as follows. The clamping plate 37 is positioned toward the free end of the downwardly depending arm 36 of the L-shaped bracket assembly 33. The merchandiser assembly 21 is positioned on the shelf 22 until the front clamp or clip 32 engages the front edge of the shelf 22. Then, the generally horizontal arm 34 of the L-shaped bracket assembly 33 is moved as necessary until the inside surface of the downwardly depending arm 36 engages the rear edge of the shelf 22, after which the retainer screw 35 or the like is used to maintain this position of the generally horizontally extending arm 34. After this, the person installing the merchandiser assembly 21 pulls the tail 41 of the cable tie until the inside or top surface of the clamping plate 37 engages the bottom, rear edge of the shelf 22. The thus installed merchandiser assembly 21 will remain in place until, for example, the cable tie is removed or released.
With more particular referen~e to the illustrated preferred structure of the merchandiser assembly 21, the illustrated slidable engagement between the product tray member 23 and the track assembly 24 is carried out by positioning longitudinal edges 41 of the track assembly 24 within longitudinally oriented shelf protrusions 42 that are positioned along the underside of the product tray member 23. Also in accordance with the preferred embodiment, the upstanding product follower 25 is slideably mounted within a longitudinal slot 43 in the bottom panel of the product tray 23. The illustrated biasing member 26 for the upstanding product follower 25 is a roll spring having a forward end 44 thereof secured at the front end of the product ; - 13 -13C1~ 8 tray 23. The roll spring passes through an orifice 45 of the upstandiny product follower 25 so that the biasing member 26 will provide forwardly directed biasing forces on the upstanding product follower 25. When desired, a graphics insert 46 can be provided to facilitate identification of the products 31 to be displaced and dispensed by the merchandiser assembly 21.
It is to be observed that, with the preferred structure that is shown in the drawings, excessive forward movement of the product tray 23 is substantially prevented by interaction of the upstanding product follower 25, the stop 27 on the track assembly 24, and the slot 43 or the back wall 47 of the product tray 23. More specifically, when the product tray 23 is fully extended as shown in Figure 2, further forward movement of the product follower 25 is prevented by its engagement with the stop 27. Furthermore, the thus stopped product follower 25 will engage either the back wall 47 or the back end of the slot 43 of the product tray 23, which in turn prevents further forward movement of the product tray 23. If desired, supplemental stops could be provided to further strengthen this stopping function.
Also, suitable release means could be added in order to permit removal of the product tray 23, if this should be found to be desirable.
It will be appreciated that the merchandiser assembly 21 greatly facilitates stock rotation. When the merchandiser assembly 21 is in its extended orientation as illustrated in Figure 2, the stocking employee can readily insert the fresher product behind whatever products 31 may be remaining in the merchandiser assembly 21 at the time of the stocking activity.
There is no need to move any of the remaining products 31 8~
inasmuch the~ will already be in the front of the product tray member 23 while the free space that is provided when the deYice is in the Figure 2 orientation is between these remaining products 31 and the product follower 25. It will be further appreciated that the merchandiser assembly is self-facing. When the merchandiser assembly 21 is in the fully retracted and in-use mode as shown in Figures 1 and 3, any products 31 within the product tray member 23 will be pushed forwardly by the action of the biasing member 26 on the upstanding product follower 25 when one or more of the products 31 are removed from the front of the product tray member 23. It will be further observed that the combination of the features of the merchandiser assembly 21 automatically maintains an organiæed and properly positioned stock of products 31 which are readily recognized and removed by the consumer without resulting in disorganization or improper positioning of products.
Preferably, the components of the merchandiser assembly 21 will be made of durable and attractive materials. While metal materials typically would be suitable, moldable polymers are preferred for most of the components, except for ones such as the biasing member, because of the ease of formation and relatively low cost provided by such moldable polymers.
Figures 7 through 10 illustrate a package 110 usable with the merchandiser assembly of the present invention, the inside component of which is shown separately in Figures 11 through 15. This package 110 comprises an outer enclosure component 111 which encloses an inner tray-like component 112. In one exemplary embodiment, the outer component includes a top 113 which is generally opaque except for a plurality of windows 114, l3~8C9~ -115 and 116 which are located so as to allow one to see through the outer component 111 to view the cor.tents in the inner tray~ e component 112. This embodiment includes a pair of opposed side walls 117 and 118 and a pair of opposed end walls 119 and 120 and a bottom 121.
The inner tray-like component is shown separately in Figures 11 through 15, removed from the outer enclosure component 111.
Referring to Figures 11 through 15, the inner tray-like component 112 is formed from a piece of material into a shape which includes peripheral portions 133 which extend completely around the periphery of the inner component and divider portions 134 which run between the various recessed compartments. The peripheral portions 133 and divider portions 134 are located in a common plane which is conveniently referred to as a reference plane. In this particular embodiment, the tray-like component has three recessed compartments formed therein, namely two smaller recessed compartments 135 and 136 and a larger recessed compartment 137.
When food is the product within recessed compaxtment 137, this inner component 112 may be covered by a transparent cover, for e~ample, as represented in the figures by the diagonal lines 131.
Where visualization of the product is desired within the recessed compartments through the openings in the outer anclosure component, the top surface of the inner tray-like component, including the reference plane and the transparent ~3~

cover, lie closely against the inside of the top of the outer component 111, as is apparent for example in Figure 9.
Figures 16 through 24 illustrate another embodiment of a package suitable or use with the merchandiser assembly of the present invention. The main difference of this package, as compared to the package of Figures 7 through 15, is that this package is a different overall shape, being an elongated rectangle rather than square, and includes a larger number and different arrangement of recessed compartments in the inner component and correspondingly a different arrangement of openings in the top of the outer component.
Accordingly, elements in Figures 16 through 24 which are similar to corresponding elements in Figures 7 through 15 use the same reference numeral, but raised by one hundred, and are thus in the "200" series. In addition to such similar elements, Figures 16 through 24 show a different arrangement of recessed compartments including seven recessed compartments 250 through 256. Also, in this embodiment the narrow ends of the outer component, elements 219 and 220 are located along the long side of the package 210, while the sides 217 and 218 are located on the shorter sides of the package 210.
Figure 25 illustrates the tray 23, filled with packages 110 of the type shown in Figures 7-15 (wherein, for convenience only the forwardmost package llO is shown in detail). As described above, one major advantage of the merchandiser assembly is that it positions the products forwardly and properly.
It will be understood that the embodiments of the present invention which have been described are illustrative of some of the applications of the principles of the present invention.

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Numerous modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention.