Adjustable Merchandising Tray for Dense, Leak-Contained Food Displays
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in the mass merchandising of perishable products like ice cream and yogurt is maintaining a neat and orderly display in refrigerated cases, which is difficult due to limited space, customer interactions, and the need for efficient restocking and reorganization, often resulting in lower sales and increased store manpower.
Innovation Solution
A molded plastic merchandising tray with adjustable L-shaped sections that allow for customizable width to fit various product sizes, featuring interlocking fingers for containment of leakage, easy removal and cleaning, and a pull strip for efficient restocking and reorganization, along with a label holder for product identification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If store personnel manually organize and restock products in display cases, then products can be arranged in an orderly manner, but a great deal of time and manpower is expended
Solution Approach 1:
The display case is divided into multiple removable trays, each capable of being independently handled. This segmentation allows trays to be pre-stocked outside the display case and then quickly inserted as complete units, dramatically reducing the time and labor required for restocking while maintaining orderly arrangement.
Solution Approach 2:
Trays can be prepared and stocked with products in advance, outside the refrigerated display case. This preliminary action allows store personnel to organize products on trays in a warmer environment with easier access, then simply slide the pre-organized trays into the display case, eliminating the need for time-consuming in-case organization.
2Quantity of substance
If products are displayed in densely packed arrangements to maximize space utilization, then display density increases, but access for restocking and customer retrieval becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The display is segmented into multiple removable trays that can be densely packed vertically. Each tray acts as an independent unit that can be easily grasped and removed from the front, allowing high-density storage while maintaining excellent accessibility. The segmented design enables front-loading without requiring deep access to the back of the display case.
Solution Approach 2:
The tray design utilizes vertical stacking to achieve high density, with multiple trays arranged one above another. The front-opening access allows operation in the horizontal dimension, while the vertical stacking maximizes space utilization. This dimensional approach resolves the conflict between density and accessibility.
3Ease of operation
If traditional open displays are used for products like ice cream and yogurt, then products are easily accessible to customers, but leakage creates unsightly and unsanitary messes on shelves
Solution Approach 1:
The tray design incorporates raised edges and containment features that convert the potential harm of leakage into a beneficial containment system. When products leak, the leakage is confined within the tray boundaries, preventing messes on the display case shelves. The harm (leakage) is transformed into a contained issue that is easier to manage and clean.
Solution Approach 2:
The tray acts as an intermediary barrier between the product and the display case shelf. This intermediate structure captures and contains any leakage or drippage, protecting the underlying surfaces from contamination while maintaining customer access to the products through the open front of the tray.
4Ease of manufacture
If fixed-width trays are used in display cases, then manufacturing is simplified, but adaptability to different product container sizes is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The tray is divided into modular sections with standardized components. This segmentation allows the creation of a family of trays with different widths by combining or removing modules, while each individual module can be manufactured using the same simple processes. The segmented design provides versatility without sacrificing manufacturing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The tray design incorporates adjustable or reconfigurable elements that allow the width to be dynamically changed to accommodate different product sizes. This dynamic capability enables a single tray design to adapt to various product dimensions while maintaining relatively simple manufacturing processes through standardized components.
Data Source
AI summary
A two-piece, adjustable width merchandising tray for the organized display of multiple product containers. Two L-shaped tray sections, formed of plastic material. The bottom portions of the two L-shaped sections are provided with laterally extending, interengaging fingers that enable the width of the tray to be adjusted for different product sizes while maintaining substantial continuity to the surface of the bottom structure for containment of product leakage. An asymmetrical side wall arrangement with a forwardly projecting hand grip at the front of one of the side walls enables individual trays to be removed and replaced from a closely packed array of trays arranged in side-by-side fashion. The trays can be conveniently lifted and carried for product restocking, reorganizing, tray cleaning, etc. A simple pull strip and paddle arrangement enables product to be fronted at all times. Double stacking of product containers is also accommodated. Densely stacked, attractive, and efficiently serviced product displays are facilitated.