Shelf tray assembly

Abstract

Disclosed is an improved shelf tray assembly for use to hold and move forward in a simple and efficient way articles of a given dimension placed on a shelf toward a front edge of this shelf in order to allow frontal display of these articles. This assembly has a front rail installable on the shelf close to its front edge, a rear rail installable onto the shelf in parallel relationship with respect to the front rail and one or more tracks snappable onto the front and rear rails, each track acting as a support for the articles to be displayed and having a guiding rail on which a pushing element is slideably mounted. Advantageously, one or more clips are provided at the front end of each track to rigidly retain this track to the front rail. Advantageously also, each track has several slots made in its upper surface to receive one or more lateral partitions so as to guide the articles to be displayed when they are pulled forward, whatever their size.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to an improved shelf tray assembly for use to hold and move forward in a simple and efficient way articles of a given dimension placed on a shelf toward a front edge of this shelf in order to allow frontal display of these articles. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Shelf tray assemblies of the above-mentioned type, also called “universal shelving”, “shelf display dispenser” or “shelf organizer”, are products that are already known and commonly used in retail stores where it is desirable that the articles displayed on a shelf extend near the front edge of the shelf in order to give to the consumers an impression of cleanliness and order. Frontal display is also desirable for the consumers since they do not have to reach to the back of the shelf to pick up the desired article, in the case where other articles placed in front of the shelf have already been picked up. Such a frontal display may in fact allow the store owner t...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0023] In accordance with another particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the above-mentioned shelf tray assembly may further comprise a retaining plate of a given width and height that is detachably connectable to the pushing element of each of the at least one track, the retaining plate providing better holding and stability to the articles mounted on the track when they are pulled forward.

Problems solved by technology

A problem with the existing assemblies is that, once the track is snapped on its holding rails, it can easily be moved laterally on one side or the other, unless very specific means such as teeth are used.

If, however, such teeth are used, it becomes very difficult to remove the track and move it, especially when the assembly has to accommodate articles of dimensions different from those that were used so far on the same track.

Another problem with the existing assemblies is that some of them have one lateral partition that projects from the track in order to extend vertically and thus laterally guide and retain the articles in position onto the track when these articles are pulled forward.

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