MERCHANDISING SYSTEM AND METHOD OF USE

Abstract

A guide assembly for a displaying a plurality of products is disclosed. The guide assembly includes a base, a first lateral wall and a second lateral wall. The base includes a product-supporting surface defining a longitudinal axis. Each lateral wall includes a plurality of support members and a rail. The support members extend upwardly from a lateral side of the base. The rail is spaced above the base and extends along portions of the support members. A proximal-most support member of the first lateral wall is longitudinally offset from a proximal-most support member of the second lateral wall.

Claims

1-17. (canceled)

18. A guide assembly for a displaying a plurality of products, the guide assembly comprising: a base including a product-supporting surface, the product-supporting surface of the base defining a longitudinal axis; a first plurality of support members, each support member of the first plurality of support members extends upwardly from a first lateral side of the base; and a second plurality of support members, each support member of the second plurality of support members extends upwardly from a second lateral side of the base, wherein each support member of the first plurality of support members is longitudinally offset from each support member of the second plurality of support members, and wherein a lateral distance between corresponding support members of the first plurality of support members and support members of the second plurality of support members is fixed.

19. The guide assembly according to claim 18, wherein adjacent support members of the first plurality of support members are separated by a first distance, wherein a longitudinal offset between corresponding support members of the first plurality of support members and support members of the second plurality of support members is a second distance, the second distance being different than the first distance.

20. The guide assembly according to claim 19, wherein the second distance is equal to about half the first distance.

21. The guide assembly according to claim 18, wherein an entirety of each support member of the first plurality of support members is longitudinally offset from each support member of the second plurality of support members.

22. The guide assembly according to claim 18, wherein adjacent support members of the first plurality of support members are configured to allow at least a portion of a single product to fit therebetween.

23. The guide assembly according to claim 18, wherein each support member of the first plurality of support members is fixed from lateral movement with respect to the base.

24. The guide assembly according to claim 23, wherein each support member of the second plurality of support members is fixed from lateral movement with respect to the base.

25. The guide assembly according to claim 18, wherein the first plurality of support members includes at least three support members.

26. The guide assembly according to claim 18, wherein each support member of the first plurality of support members is configured to contact a product on the product-supporting surface of the base.

27. The guide assembly according to claim 18, wherein the first plurality of support members is included on a first lateral wall, the first lateral wall including a first rail spaced above the base and extending along portions of each support member of the first plurality of support members, wherein the second plurality of support members is included on a second lateral wall, and the second lateral wall includes a second rail spaced above the base and extending along portions of each support member of the second plurality of support members.

28. The guide assembly according to claim 27, wherein a lateral distance between the first rail and the second rail is fixed.

29. A method of advancing products on a merchandising system, the method comprising: positioning a first product on a base of a first guide assembly, wherein the first product defines a diameter, the diameter of the first product being larger than a first lateral distance defined between two adjacent sidewalls of the guide assembly; and advancing the first product in a zigzag path along the base.

30. The method according to claim 29, further comprising positioning a second guide assembly adjacent to and in contact with the first guide assembly, the second guide assembly being a substantial mirror image of the first guide assembly.

31. The method according to claim 30, further comprising positioning a second product on a base of the second guide assembly and in contact with the first product.

32. A method of positioning products on a merchandising system, the method comprising: positioning a first product on a base of a first guide assembly, wherein the first product defines a diameter, the diameter of the first product being larger than a first lateral distance defined between two adjacent sidewalls of the guide assembly such that the two adjacent sidewalls physically prevent the first product from moving in a linear path from a distal end of the base to a proximal end of the base.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein positioning the first product includes the two adjacent sidewalls preventing the first product from moving in a non-zigzag path from a distal end of the base to a proximal end of the base.

34. The method according to claim 32, further comprising positioning a second product on a base of a second guide assembly, wherein sidewalls of the second guide assembly prevent the second product from moving in a linear path from a distal end of the base of the second guide assembly to a proximal end of the base of the second guide assembly.

35. The method according to claim 34, further comprising positioning the second product in contact with the first product while the second product is on the base of the second guide assembly and while the first product is on the base of the first guide assembly.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0014] Embodiments of the present disclosure are described hereinbelow with reference to the drawings wherein:

[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a merchandising system for displaying items on a shelf according to embodiments of the present disclosure, the merchandising system is illustrated including two guide assemblies with each guide assembly including a plurality of products thereon;

[0016] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the merchandising system of FIG. 1 showing a first guide assembly separated from a second guide assembly, with each guide assembly illustrated with no products thereon;

[0017] FIG. 3 is a side view of a guide assembly of the present disclosure;

[0018] FIG. 4 is a top view of the merchandising system of the present disclosure including two guide assemblies with each guide assembly including a plurality of products thereon;

[0019] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the area of detail indicated in FIG. 4 illustrating the products in a first position;

[0020] FIG. 6 is the view of the merchandising system of FIG. 5 illustrating the products in a second position;

[0021] FIG. 7 is a top view of one guide assembly of the merchandising system illustrating the path of a product moving therealong; and

[0022] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a merchandising system including eight guide assemblies with each guide assembly including a plurality of products thereon.

DESCRIPTION

[0023] Embodiments of the presently disclosed merchandising system are described in detail with reference to the drawings wherein like numerals designate identical or corresponding elements in each of the several views. As is common in the art, the term proximal refers to that part or component closer to the user, e.g., customer, while the term distal refers to that part or component farther away from the user.

[0024] Generally, a merchandising system 10 is disclosed that includes a plurality of guide assemblies 100. In the illustrated embodiments, each guide assembly 100 includes a base 200, a first lateral guide 300, a second lateral guide 400, and a proximal member 500. While the illustrated embodiments show each guide assembly 100 configured for merchandising one row of products P, it is envisioned and within the scope of the present disclosure that each guide assembly 100 is configured for merchandising more than one row of products P.

[0025] One merchandising system 10 includes a plurality of side-by-side guide assemblies 100. As can be appreciated, merchandising system 10 can include any number of guide assemblies 100. Adjacent guide assemblies 100 may mechanically engage one another (e.g., via a snap-fit connection), or may be positioned next to each other without mechanically engaging. Additionally, several merchandising systems 10 are able to be positioned adjacent one another on at least one shelf (see FIG. 8).

[0026] The base 200 is designed to be placed on a horizontal or inclined store shelf (or to be secured to a gondola). The base 200 includes a product-supporting surface 210 defining a longitudinal axis A-A and is configured to support products P thereon. In particular, it is envisioned merchandising system 10 is configured to support products P including a waist W. More particularly, a product P includes a waist W when a lower portion of the product P includes a larger diameter than a portion thereabove; the smaller-diameter portion above the lower portion is the waist W. See FIG. 1, for example. Many 2-liter bottles, 28-ounce bottles, and sport drink bottles include waists, for instance. In addition to supporting products with waists, merchandising system 10 can be used to support other types of products.

[0027] The lateral guides 300 and 400 are disposed in mechanical cooperation with base 200 (e.g., are integrally formed therewith, connectable thereto, etc.) and help maintain the products P on the base 200. A distal wall 201 extends between distal ends of first lateral guide 300 and second lateral guide 400, and is also configured to help maintain the products P on the base 200. The proximal member 500 is disposed in mechanical cooperation (e.g., via a snap-fit connection) with a proximal portion 202 of base 200 and is also configured to help maintain the products P on the base 200.

[0028] With particular reference to FIG. 2, each lateral guide 300, 400 includes a rail 310, 410, respectively, and a plurality of support members 320, 420, respectively. Support members 320, 420 extend upward from base 200, and each rail 310, 410 extends along upper portions of the support members 320, 420, respectively. Additionally, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, each rail 310, 410 includes an engagement feature 312, 412, respectively, that is configured to releasably attach to a rail positioned thereagainst. For instance, and with particular reference to FIG. 2, a first guide assembly 100a includes a lateral guide 300a having an engagement feature 312a on its rail 310a, which is configured to releasably attach to the rail 410b of a lateral guide 400b of an adjacent, second guide assembly 100b.

[0029] As shown in FIGS. 2-4, for example, support members 320 of first lateral guide 300 are longitudinally offset from corresponding support members 420 from second lateral guide 400. That is, with regard to the guide assembly 100 shown in FIG. 3 (i.e., which has same orientation as guide assembly 100b in FIG. 2), a first, proximal-most support member 320a of lateral guide 300 is closer to proximal member 500 than a first, proximal-most support member 420a of lateral guide 400. (Guide assembly 100a is a mirror image of guide assembly 100b, such that in guide assembly 100a (as shown in FIG. 2), support member 420a of lateral guide 400 is closer to proximal member 500 than support member 320a of lateral guide 300; also see FIG. 3.) Additionally, the remaining support members 320b-320g of lateral guide 300 of the guide assembly 100 (e.g., guide assembly 100b in FIG. 2) are also longitudinally offset and closer to proximal member 500 than corresponding support members 420b-420g of lateral guide 400. In the illustrated embodiments, the distance d1 between adjacent support members 320 of lateral guide 300 is the same as the distance between adjacent support members 420 of lateral guide 400. It is further shown that the distance d2 of the longitudinal offset between corresponding support members 320a-g and 420a-g is approximately half of the distance d1 (as measured from longitudinal centers of the support members 320, 420; see FIG. 3). For example, it is envisioned that d1 is equal to about 3.47 inches, and that d2 is equal to about 1.58 inches and d1.

[0030] The longitudinally offset, or staggered configuration of support members 320 and 420 allow the perpendicular distance d3 between inner walls 324 and 424 of support members 320 and 420, respectively, to be smaller than the width of the lower portion WLP of the product P supported therebetween while still permitting outer walls of rails (e.g., 310a and 410b in FIG. 2) of adjacent guide assemblies 100 to be positioned in contact with each other (see FIG. 5). It is disclosed that the inner walls 324 of support member 320 are aligned with an inner wall of rail 310, and that the inner walls 424 of support members 420 are aligned with an inner wall of rail 420.

[0031] When products P having a lower portion with a width WLP that is larger than the perpendicular distance d3 (see FIG. 5) are placed on product-supporting surface 210 of base 200, the products P move proximally in a non-linear or zigzag path Z (see FIG. 7). More particularly, and with continued reference to FIG. 7, when a product P is urged proximally (e.g., via gravity or a pusher) from a distal portion of base 200, a front-right side FR of the product P contacts a distal portion 322 of support 320g, which causes the product P to move diagonally away from support 320g and diagonally toward support 420g. A front-left side FL of the product P then contacts a distal portion 422 of support 420g, which causes the product P to move diagonally away from support 420g and diagonally toward support 320f (i.e., between support 420g and support 320g). This diagonal or zigzag movement of the product P continues until the product P contacts proximal member 500. As shown, the staggered orientation of supports 320 and 420 enables lateral edges of the lower portion of the product P to travel laterally outward of inner wall 324 of each support 320, laterally outward of inner wall 424 of each support 420, and into contact with a product P on an adjacent guide assembly 100, for example (see FIG. 5, for instance).

[0032] The diagonal or zigzag movement of the products P requires less perpendicular distance d3 between rails 310 and 410, and thus necessitates a narrower guide assembly 100 to enable a product P to travel proximally with respect to a linearly-travelling product. As can be appreciated, it is often desirable to fit as many guide assemblies on a store shelf as possible. In disclosed embodiments, the perpendicular distance d3 between rails 310 and 410 is between about 3 inches and about 4 inches (e.g., equal to about 3.4 inches). Here, in the embodiments where d3 is equal to about 3.4 inches, the diagonal distance d4 between distal portion 322 of support 320 and a proximal portion 423 of support 420 is equal to about 3.6 inches, and the diagonal distance d5 between distal portion 422 of support 420 and a proximal portion 323 of support 320 is equal to about 3.5 inches. (See FIG. 5.) In these embodiments, it is further envisioned that WLP is approximately equal to about 3.4375 inches (i.e., about 1/16 smaller than d5). It is envisioned that having distances d4 and d5 being different from each other enable the thickness of supports 320 and 420 to be maximized, while still enabling a relatively narrow guide assembly 100. It is further envisioned that distances d4 and d5 are equal to each other.

[0033] It is envisioned that a lower edge 314, 414 (FIG. 2) of rails 310, 410, respectively, is spaced from between about 1 inch and about 2 inches (e.g., equal to about 1.75 inches) from product-supporting surface 210 of base 200. It is further envisioned that the height of rails 310, 410 can be customized to match the waist W of a particular product P designed to be supported by guide assembly 100.

[0034] It is further envisioned that at least a portion of proximal member 500 is transparent or translucent to allow a consumer to view a portion of the proximal-most product P on the merchandising system 10 therethrough.

[0035] It is further envisioned that guide assembly 100 includes a pusher assembly configured to urge product(s) P on base 200 toward proximal member 500. Further details of a pusher assembly are included in commonly-owned U.S. Pat. No. 7,703,614 to Jay, et al., which was filed on Jan. 25, 2007, the entire contents of which being incorporated by reference herein.

[0036] The present disclosure also includes a method of displaying and merchandising items or products using the merchandising system 10 described above. The present disclosure also includes a system including the merchandising system 10 described above along with particular products, such as those described above.

[0037] While several embodiments of the disclosure have been shown in the figures, it is not intended that the disclosure be limited thereto, as it is intended that the disclosure be as broad in scope as the art will allow and that the specification be read likewise. Therefore, the above description should not be construed as limiting, but merely as exemplifications of various embodiments. Those skilled in the art will envision other modifications within the scope and spirit of the claims appended hereto.