Dispenser and display device

This application claims priority from and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/048,048 filed Apr. 25, 2008 entitled Dispenser and Display Device and is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

The present disclosure generally relates to a gravity feed dispenser display and more particularly, to an improved display panel and access door for assembly with a gravity feed dispenser display.

Gravity feed dispensers have been used in the product dispensing markets, such as grocery stores, supermarkets, convenience marts, and department stores, to provide on shelf storage, automatic rotation of stock, and easy access for customers. The principal of operation is quite simple. The products are arranged on a rack, which is inclined to horizontal such that when a customer removes one product at an end of a row of products, the entire row of products indexes forward one location equivalent to one product. Rollers are known to ease movement of the product.

It is known that gravity feed dispensers may be reloaded from a front access door. U.S. Pat. No. 6,991,116, which issued to first-named inventor Johnson on Jan. 31, 2006, is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. U.S. Pat. No. 6,991,116 describes an access door that includes a front surface, a rear surface, a handle, a clip, a pair of resilient arms, and a pair of alignment arms. The front surface may be used for advertising display purposes, such as indicia advertising the products therein. A user may easily move the access door from an open position to a closed position, where an open position may allow easy restocking of product into the gravity feed dispenser. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, reloading the dispenser via an access door allows the dispenser to dispense product on a first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) basis. This helps ensure that older product is purchased or consumed before newer products.

As noted, the front surface of the access door may be used for indicating the product within the dispenser (i.e., it acts as a label) and may further serve to advertise the product therein. For example, it is known to apply a sticker to the front surface of the access door. The sticker contains, for example, any indicia of the product, such as a graphic or text describing or illustrating the product. Indicia may further communicate information, such as price, size, or any other advertising-related information.

One problem with using a sticker is that the sticker may not be easy to remove if a user wishes to update the indicia container thereon. For example, product information may change, the advertising campaign may change, or the product itself may change. Thus, another known solution for including product and/or advertising information on the front surface of the access door includes placing multiple slots in the front surface of the access door. A card, which may include the indicia, has tabs that correspond to the multiple slots on the access door. By inserting the tabs of the card through the slots on the access door, the card remains in place but is easily removable and replaceable.

The prior art solutions, however, are not without disadvantages. As already noted, for example, using stickers on the front surface of the access door does not allow easy replacement of the indicia displayed on the access door. While the tabbed cards help overcome this disadvantage, tabbed cards often fall off of the front surface of the access door, especially if a shopper accidentally brushes against the card while passing by the dispenser.

Therefore, in view of the above-described problems with known access doors for gravity feed dispensers, a need exists for an improved access door that overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art.

In one preferred embodiment, a dispenser and display device for articles on a store shelf includes a pair of vertically disposed panels that define a space there between to guide the articles from an upper portion to a lower portion. A pin may extend between and engaging each of the panels to allow a display assembly, having an access door, a frame, and a card, to movably attach to the dispenser and display device. Alternatively, a pin may extend from each panel to allow a display assembly to movably attach to the dispenser and display device. The display assembly is therefore movable between an open configuration and a closed configuration. The frame is movably connected to the access door such that a volume is defined between the access door and the frame. The volume is configured to complementarily receive the card in order to display advertising indicia disposed on the front of the card.

In one example, the access door may further include an aperture, preferably centrally disposed.

In yet another example, the access door is movable to an open position and the card further comprises identification indicia disposed on its back for registration with the aperture such that the identification indicia is viewable when the access door is disposed in the open position.

In yet another example, the frame includes a latch to secure the frame to the access door.

In yet another example, the frame includes a second latch, wherein the second latch is keyed such that the frame may only properly sit upon the access door when correctly oriented. The latch may be keyed, for example, by having an extended portion of a tab.

In yet another example, a contoured surface for retaining three-dimensional advertising indicia forms part of the top surface of the frame and extends over at least a portion of the viewing area and extending away from the access door.

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Rack for transportation and display of plants
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Supports: racks

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