US 7,017,778 B2Granted

Display dispenser

AssigneeSolo Cup Operating Corporation

InventorMichael S. Halbherr

Life of this patent

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Abstract

The present invention pertains to a display dispenser having a disposable molded tray with a thin shell, unibody construction that firmly receives a removable pusher assembly. The tray is formed from a unitary sheet of plastic that forms inner and outer shells. Each shell forms the inside or outside half of a continuous wall around the perimeter of the tray. The two wall halves are integrally joined along a top portion, but otherwise spaced apart to provide a double-walled construction. Each wall has a frustoconical shape so that the trays nest into each other when stacked. The inner shell has an interior portion with two symmetrical side ledges that support and align the sides of the packages. The top of the package faces forward to show the artistic design on the article such as the paper plates or paper napkins inside. The inner shell has a central recess that snuggly receives the unified pusher assembly. A rim extending from the wall and a floor of the recess lay flat on a surface of a shelf.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A method of displaying and dispensing packages of round paper plates on a shelf of a store with an aisle along which customers walk, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of packages, each of said packages containing a stack of paper plates including a top plate, each of said plates having an artistic design on its top surface, each of said package including a transparent wrapper to package its stack of paper plates, said design on said top surface of said top plate showing through said wrapper, said package having a round side wall with a predetermined height, and said package having a diameter larger than its height;
providing a display dispenser with a tray and a pusher assembly, said tray having a unibody construction formed by a thin sheet with a front wall and opposed arcuate side ledges, said pusher assembly having a pusher plate biased toward said front wall, and said front wall having an arcuate window formed between a pair of opposed shoulders;
loading said plurality of packages into said tray in a queued manner to form a stocked display, said opposed arcuate ledges of said tray supporting said round side wall of each of said packages, each of said packages being placed between said pusher plate and said front wall of said tray;
allowing said display dispenser to push said queued packages toward said front wall and aligning a frontmost package with said front wall with its said design located in said window between said shoulders of said display;
and,
placing said stocked display dispenser on the shelf of the store, said design on said top plate of said frontmost package facing toward the aisle and being in a visible line of sight of the customers independent of the height of the shelf.

3 more elements

A method of displaying, dispensing and organizing matched sets of packages of round paper plates and square paper napkins placed on a shelf of a store having an aisle along which customers walk, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of separate and distinct plate display dispensers and a plurality of separate and distinct napkin display dispensers, each display dispenser having a tray with a thin unibody construction with a front wall and a unified pusher assembly having a pusher plate biased toward said front wall, each plate display dispenser having opposed arcuate side ledges and said front wall having a top with an arcuate window formed between a pair of opposed shoulders, and each napkin display dispenser having opposed side ledges, and said front wall having a top with a window formed between a pair of opposed shoulders;
providing a first matched set of packages of round paper plates and square paper napkins, each plate and napkin in said first matched set having a top surface with a first design;
providing a second matched set of packages of round paper plates and square paper napkins, each plate and napkin in said second matched set having a top surface with a second design, each package having an outer transparent wrapper, said design on said top surface of said plates and napkins showing through said wrapper, each of said packages having a side wall of a predetermined height, and said height being smaller than one of either said diameter and width of said package;
stocking each of said display dispensers with one of either said packages of round paper plates and said packages of square paper napkins, each of said display dispensers having packages with one of either said first design and said second design, said opposed arcuate ledges of said plate display dispensers supporting said round side wall of said packages of paper plates, said opposed ledges of said napkin display dispensers supporting said flat side wall of each package of paper napkins, each of said packages being placed between said pusher plate and said front wall of said display dispenser;
and,
placing said stocked display dispensers on the shelf of the store, each matched set being in one of either a side-by-side arrangement and a one-above-the other arrangement, said design of said frontmost package facing toward the aisle and being in a visible line of sight of the customers independent of the height of the shelf upon which said stacked display dispensers are placed.

3 more elements

providing a plurality of separate and distinct trays, each tray having a unibody construction with a front wall and at least one recess;
providing a plurality if unified pusher assemblies having a pusher support, a pusher plate and a biasing mechanism;
providing a first matched set of packages of paper plates and paper napkins, each plate and napkin in said first matched set having a top surface with a first corresponding design;
providing a second matched set of packages of paper plates and paper napkins, each plate and napkin in said second matched set having a top surface with a second corresponding design, each package having an outer transparent wrapper, said design on said top surface of said plates and napkins showing through said wrapper;
installing one of said unified pusher assemblies into each of said trays to form a display dispenser, said pusher support being securably received in said at least one recess, and said biasing mechanism biasing its said pusher plate toward said front wall;
stocking each of said display dispensers with one of either said packages of paper plates and said packages of paper napkins, each of said display dispensers having packages with one of either said first design and said second design, each of said packages being placed between said pusher plate and said front wall of said display dispenser;
and,
placing said stocked display dispensers on the shelf of the store, each matched set being in one of either a side-by-side arrangement and a one-above-the other arrangement, said design of said frontmost package of each said stocked display dispenser facing toward the aisle and being in a visible line of sight of the customers independent of the height of the shelf upon which said stacked display dispensers are placed;
removing each of said display dispensers when its said packages have been depleted;
separating said pusher assembly from said tray of said depleted display dispenser;
and,
discarding said tray of said depleted display dispenser.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.