# US 2019/0167012 A1 · Product Management Display System with Trackless Pusher Mechanism > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0167012 A1 - Document ID: US20190167012A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/255,216 - Filed: 2019-01-23 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2005-09-12 - Assignees: RTC Industries, Inc. - Applicants: RTC Industries, Inc. - Inventors: Stephen N. Hardy - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190167012A1 ## CPC - A47F 1/126: {the pushing device being urged by spring means} - A47B 57/58: with means for adjusting partitions horizontally (book-ends A47B65/00) - A47B 57/583: {by sliding} - A47B 73/00: Bottle cupboards; Bottle racks - A47F 1/00: Racks for dispensing merchandise (racks in general A47B; storing means for workshops B25H); Containers for dispensing merchandise (show or display aspects A47F3/00; for workshop fittings B25H3/00; containers in general B65D {; for liquids B67D}; coin-freed dispensers G07F) - A47F 1/04: {Racks or} containers with arrangements for dispensing articles {, e.g. by means of gravity or springs} - A47F 1/125: {with an article-pushing device} - A47F 5/0025: {having separate display containers or trays on shelves or on racks} - A47F 5/005: {Partitions therefore (horizontally adjustable A47B57/58; constructional details of drawers A47B88/90)} - A47F 5/0093: {movable in a substantially horizontal direction} - A47F 7/0007: {for stacked articles; Stabilising means therefor (for cans or bottles A47F7/281)} - A47B 57/585: {with connection means slidable in a rail} - A47F: SPECIAL FURNITURE, FITTINGS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR SHOPS, STOREHOUSES, BARS, RESTAURANTS OR THE LIKE; PAYING COUNTERS - A47B: TABLES; DESKS; OFFICE FURNITURE; CABINETS; DRAWERS; GENERAL DETAILS OF FURNITURE (furniture jointing F16B) ## Abstract A product management display system for merchandising product on a shelf includes using a trackless pusher mechanism that travels along a surface on which product is placed and one or more dividers for separating product into rows. The one or more dividers may be engaged to a front rail in two different conditions, locked and unlocked. In a locked condition, the relationship between the divider and the front rail resists alteration in any direction with respect to each other. In the unlocked condition, the dividers may be freely slid laterally along the front rail, while remaining perpendicular to the front rail. The one or more dividers may lock to the front rail through the use of corresponding teeth, resilient surfaces, a locking tab, a locking bar and/or a cam that may define a cam glide. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A merchandise display system comprising: a front rail configured to mount to a shelf; and a divider having a spring loaded locking tab for locking the divider to the front rail and a front product stop for preventing product from sliding off of a shelf; wherein the spring loaded locking tab further comprises a handle accessible forward of the front product stop; wherein the spring loaded locking tab further comprises one or more locking tab teeth and the front rail comprises one or more front rail teeth for interacting with the one or more locking tab teeth to lock the divider to the front rail; wherein the spring loaded locking tab is configured to allow the divider to be repositioned along the front rail by pressing the spring loaded locking tab inward toward the front product stop. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The merchandise display system of claim 1 wherein the spring loaded locking tab moves between a first locking position and a second unlocking position on a front of the divider. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The merchandise display system of claim 2 wherein the spring loaded locking tab moves toward the front product stop when moving from the first locking position to the second unlocking position. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The merchandise display system of claim 2 wherein the spring loaded locking tab biases the handle toward the front rail such that the locking tab teeth engages the front rail teeth when released. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The merchandise display system of claim 1 wherein the spring loaded locking tab is a resilient plastic spring configured to bias against the front rail. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The merchandise display system of claim 1 wherein the handle of spring loaded locking tab comprises a tongue wherein the tongue is accessible in front of the front product stop to adjust the divider along the front rail. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The merchandise display system of claim 6 wherein the tongue extends higher than the front rail. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The merchandise display system of claim 1 wherein the locking tab teeth are positioned below the handle of the spring loaded locking tab. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The merchandise display system of claim 1 wherein the front rail defines a front rail tongue and the divider defines a channel for receiving the front rail tongue. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The merchandise display system of claim 1 further comprising a pusher and the spring loaded locking tab being positioned in front of the pusher both when the divider is loaded with product and when the divider is not loaded with product. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The merchandise display system of claim 1 wherein the locking tab teeth extend in a forward direction toward the front rail teeth and the front rail teeth extend in a rearward direction toward the locking tab teeth when the divider is engaged with the front rail. ### Claim 12 A merchandise display system comprising: a front rail configured to mount to a shelf, the front rail comprising one or more front rail teeth; and a divider having a divider wall and a divider floor, the divider wall separating the divider floor into a first portion and a second portion and a divider barrier configured to restrain product, the divider barrier being located at the front of the divider wall, the divider comprising a resilient tab and the resilient tab having one or more teeth; wherein when the one or more teeth of the resilient tab are engaged with the one or more teeth of the front rail, the divider is in a locked position on the front rail and is prevented from moving in a lateral direction along the front rail; wherein when the resilient tab of the divider is pressed in a direction away from the front rail teeth, the teeth of the resilient tab become disengaged from the front rail teeth such that the divider can be moved in a lateral direction to the front rail teeth. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The merchandise display system of claim 12 wherein the divider remains in a plane perpendicular to a planar surface of the front rail during movement along the front rail. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The merchandise display system of claim 12 wherein the height of the divider wall is greater than the height of the barrier. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The merchandise display system of claim 12 further comprising a pusher and the resilient tab being positioned in front of the pusher both when the divider is loaded with product and when the divider is not loaded with product. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The merchandise display system of claim 12 wherein the divider further comprises a front product stop and the resilient tab comprises a handle that is accessible in front of the front product stop. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The merchandise display system of claim 16 wherein the handle extends higher than the front rail. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The merchandise display system of claim 17 wherein the resilient tab teeth are positioned below the handle of the resilient tab. ### Claim 19 A merchandise display system comprising: a front rail configured to mount to a shelf; and a base having a locking tab for locking the base to the front rail and a front product stop for preventing product from sliding off of a shelf; wherein the spring loaded locking tab further comprises a handle accessible in front of the front product stop; wherein the locking tab biases against the front rail in a first locking position to prevent the base from moving in a lateral direction along the front rail and is movable to a second unlocked position to allow the base to move in a lateral direction along the front rail by pressing the spring loaded locking tab inward toward the front product stop. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The merchandise display system of claim 19 wherein the locking tab moves toward the front product stop when moving from the first locking position to the second unlocking position. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The merchandise display system of claim 19 wherein the locking tab includes locking tab teeth that are configured to engage front rail teeth to prevent the base from moving in a lateral direction along the front rail. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The merchandise display system of claim 19 wherein the locking tab is a resilient plastic spring configured to bias against the front rail in the first locking position. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The merchandise display system of claim 19 wherein the handle of spring loaded locking tab comprises a tongue wherein the tongue extends in front of the front product stop for adjusting the base along the front rail. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The merchandise display system of claim 23 wherein the tongue extends higher than the front rail. ### Claim 25 (depends on 19) The merchandise display system of claim 19 wherein the locking tab teeth are positioned below the handle of the spring loaded locking tab. ### Claim 26 (depends on 19) The merchandise display system of claim 19 wherein the front rail defines a front rail tongue and the base defines a channel for receiving the front rail tongue. ### Claim 27 (depends on 19) The merchandise display system of claim 19 further comprising a pusher and the locking tab being positioned in front of the pusher both when the base is loaded with product and when the base is not loaded with product. ### Claim 28 (depends on 19) The merchandise display system of claim 19 wherein the locking tab teeth extend in a forward direction toward the front rail teeth and the front rail teeth extend in a rearward direction toward the locking tab teeth. ### Claim 29 A merchandise display system comprising: a front rail that is mountable to a shelf; a first floor configured to engage the front rail, a portion of the first floor having a first front lock; and a first pusher mechanism coupled to the first floor and configured to slide in a same plane as a surface of the shelf and in a direction perpendicular to the front rail, a first front barrier mounted to the first floor wherein an actuator of the first lock is positioned in front of the first front barrier, the first front lock is shiftable between a first position and a second position, wherein the first front lock when in the first position permits slidable movement of the first floor relative to the front rail in a direction perpendicular to the front rail, and the first front lock prevents slidable movement of the first floor in a direction perpendicular to the front rail when in the second position, and a second floor configured to engage the front rail, a portion of the second floor having a second front lock; and a second pusher mechanism coupled to the second floor and configured to slide in a same plane as a surface of the shelf and in a direction perpendicular to the front rail and a second front barrier mounted to the second floor wherein an actuator of the second lock is positioned in front of the second front barrier, the second front lock is shiftable between a first position and a second position, wherein the second front lock when in the first position permits slidable movement of the second floor relative to the front rail in a direction perpendicular to the front rail, the second front lock prevents slidable movement of the second floor in a direction perpendicular to the front rail when in the second position; wherein the first front lock and the second front lock are configured to stay in the first position such that both the first floor and the second floor can be moved simultaneously in a direction perpendicular to the front rail and wherein the first front lock and the second front lock are configured to stay in the second position such that the first floor and the second floor remain locked to the front rail; and wherein the first positions of the first front lock and the second front lock are unlocked positions and the second positions of the first front lock and the second front lock are locked positions and wherein the first front lock and the second front lock are configured to be independently locked or unlocked such that the first floor and the second floor can be adjusted together or independently of one another. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The merchandise display of claim 29 wherein the first lock actuator is positioned in front of the first pusher mechanism both when the first floor is empty and when the first floor is loaded with product and wherein the second lock actuator is positioned in front of the second pusher mechanism both when the second floor is empty and when the second floor is loaded with product.