Tilted Pusher Tray for Ringed Can Self-Facing Displays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional self-facing retail merchandise display trays with pushers are inadequate for auto-facing cylindrical merchandise, such as spray paint cans with protruding rings, as they cause interference and damage when consumers attempt to remove a can, leading to unintended displacement and falling of adjacent cans.
Innovation Solution
A retail merchandise pusher tray with a base structure, dividers, and a tilted pusher mechanism that includes a front stop and a biasing member, designed to maintain proper alignment and prevent the protruding rings of cylindrical cans from interfering with each other, allowing for smooth forward biasing and easy consumer access without damaging adjacent cans.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional pushers are used with cylindrical merchandise having protruding rings, then the merchandise can be displayed on the tray, but the protruding rings interfere with each other causing adjacent cans to be lifted unintentionally when a consumer removes a can
Solution Approach 1:
The pusher is tilted at an angle of 10 to 45 degrees relative to the base structure, changing the dimensional orientation of the pusher from horizontal to inclined. This angular adjustment allows the pusher to contact the lower portion of cylindrical cans below their protruding rings, enabling effective pushing while preventing interference between adjacent cans during consumer removal operations.
2Productivity
If the pusher is positioned horizontally, then it can push merchandise forward, but it causes the protruding rings of adjacent cans to slide over each other leading to merchandise displacement and potential damage
Solution Approach 1:
The pusher applies force at a specific localized region on the cylindrical merchandise - specifically at the lower portion below the protruding ring. This localized contact point ensures that the pushing force is applied precisely where it can move the can forward without causing the protruding rings of adjacent cans to interfere with each other, thus maintaining productivity while preventing harmful displacement and damage.
3Reliability
If the pusher angle is too steep (greater than 45 degrees), then it can prevent ring interference, but it reduces the effectiveness of the pusher in biasing merchandise forward
Solution Approach 1:
The pusher angle is optimized within the specific range of 10 to 45 degrees relative to the base structure. This parameter optimization balances two competing requirements: angles less than 10 degrees fail to prevent protruding ring interference, while angles greater than 45 degrees reduce pushing effectiveness. The specified angular range achieves the optimal compromise, ensuring both reliable prevention of merchandise interference and adequate forward biasing productivity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution ensures that only the intended can is lifted by the consumer, maintaining the linear array and preventing damage to other cans, thus ensuring continuous self-facing biasing and reducing merchandise displacement during selection.
Implementation Method 1
At least one pusher is slidably mounted to the base structure... A front wall of the pusher extends upwardly from the bottom wall. The front wall includes a base portion and a projection portion. The projection portion extends upwardly and diagonally away from the base portion to an upper edge.
Data Source
AI summary
A retail merchandise pusher tray is provided. The tray includes a base structure that includes at least one divider mounted to the base structure and extending upwardly from the base structure. A front stop is mounted at the front end of the base structure. At least one pusher is slidably mounted to the base structure. The pusher further includes a bottom wall and a pair of sidewalls extending upwardly from the bottom wall in an opposed space relation. A front wall of the pusher extends upwardly from the bottom wall. The front wall includes a base portion and a projection portion. The projection portion extends upwardly and diagonally away from the base portion to an upper edge. The upper edge of the projection portion is forward of the base portion.