Flat pusher assembly for package arrangement and display

Abstract

A package display pusher assembly has a vacuum thermoformed tray, a vacuum thermoformed pusher arm, constructed independently of the vacuum thermoformed tray and a spring. The spring is coupled to the vacuum thermoformed tray at one end and the vacuum thermoformed pusher arm at it other end, configured to bias the pusher arm towards a point where the spring is coupled to the vacuum thermoformed tray.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application claims the benefit of priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 213,350, filed on Sep. 2, 2015, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference.BACKGROUND[0002]Field of the Invention[0003]This application relates to package displays. More particularly, this application relates molded pushing devices for package displays.[0004]Description of Related Art[0005]In the area of product displays there are hundreds of displays for holding small commercial packages on shelves in retail locations. Such displays are common for small commercial packages where the product and package combination itself are not sufficiently sized for individual stacking and organizing on a shelf. Small retail products such as craft items, seed packages, small packaged food items / spice packets etc. . . . are often arranged in a plastic tray, such as an open top walled thermoformed tray that holds the packages for retail sale.[0006]However, as users take o...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a low-cost, low-weight pusher assembly made from thermoformed plastic that can be easily inserted into various sized tray assemblies. The pusher arrangement is manufactured using a vacuum forming process, which allows for the use of thin gauge sheets of plastic to form hollow three-dimensional parts from recycled plastics. This method offers minimal tooling costs, flexibility in size, and the ability to be recycled in current municipal systems. The wide variety of pusher trays allows for a broader range of applications.

Problems solved by technology

Such displays are common for small commercial packages where the product and package combination itself are not sufficiently sized for individual stacking and organizing on a shelf.

However, as users take out the first few items from such trays, the products become disheveled and unorganized making them unappealing and, in some cases, less accessible or inaccessible from the front of the shelf.

These more advanced displays tend to be more complex and expensive to make.

For example, some current pusher display arrangements are made from injection molded rigid plastics that require high cost tooling to be produced, long lead times to manufacture, and are otherwise not designed to be recycled or to be environmentally friendly.

Currently, some displays that only intended for temporary use are using such pusher trays even with their high cost per unit, inefficiencies in handling and storage, and potential breakage due to the brittleness of the material.

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