초록

A set of panels having chutes therebetween. The chutes being defined by curvilinear rails on such panels. The curvilinear rails having stops thereon for stopping the products for viewing.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A dispenser and display rack for substantially cylindrical articles, said dispenser comprising: (a) a plurality of vertically disposed panels, each of said panels having one or more rails extending horizontally therefrom toward an opposing one of said panels, said rails of op

What is claimed is: 1. A dispenser and display rack for substantially cylindrical articles, said dispenser comprising: (a) a plurality of vertically disposed panels, each of said panels having one or more rails extending horizontally therefrom toward an opposing one of said panels, said rails of opposing ones of said panels jointly defining a plurality of chutes to guide said articles therebetween, (b) said chutes further being slightly inclined so as to allow said cylindrical articles to be advanced by means of gravity from an upper portion on said panels in said chutes to a lower portion on said panels in said chutes; (c) a removal area disposed proximate said lower portion of said chutes for allowing selective removal of one or more of the cylindrical articles from said dispenser; (d) an access door movable between first and second positions, said access door being mounted proximate said upper portion, said access door being constructed and arranged for closing the upper portion of said chutes in the first position and for opening the upper portion of said chutes in the second position, said access door further having a front face for advertising display purposes; (e) a plurality of retention pins constructed and arranged to selectively interlock each of said vertical panels to the opposing vertical panel so as to fixedly position said panels relative to each other; and (f) a plurality of bosses formed proximate each corner of each of said panels, each of said bosses having an aperture defined therein and a lock mechanism associated with said aperture so as to allow selective locking and unlocking of said retention pins relative to such panel. 2. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein each said lock mechanism comprises a receptacle formed in an outer wall of said boss wherein, in a first position said retention pin is engaged both horizontally and vertically so as to prevent rotation of said panels and wherein said retention pin when partially removed from said boss and partially removed from said aperture is engaged horizontally but not vertically so as to allow rotation of said retention pin in said aperture, thereby allowing such panels to be advanced toward to or separated from each other until they are in abutment or until said retention pins are fully extended. 3. The dispensing and display rack of claim 1 wherein said access door further includes a pair of resilient arms laterally disposed thereon proximate an upper portion of said access door, said resilient arms having a pair of nubs outwardly disposed thereon, said nubs being constructed and arranged for snap locking into corresponding apertures in said panels. 4. The rack of claim 1 wherein said access door has a handle extending therefrom for facilitating opening and closing of said access door over said upper portion of said chutes. 5. A dispensing and display device for cylindrical articles comprising: a pair of vertical panels having first and second serpentine chutes formed therebetween, said chutes being inclined relative to horizontal whereby cylindrical articles contained therein may be advanced by gravity towards the lower portion of said display device, said first and second chutes each being of substantially C-shaped configuration; said chutes each having an upper portion and a lower portion; a first stop means proximate to the lower portion of the first of said chutes for preventing further downward motion of said cylindrical articles therein; a second stop means formed proximate the lower portion of the second of said chutes for preventing further downward motion of said cylindrical articles therein; a return area located proximate said first and second chutes for allowing replacement of one of said cylindrical articles on said display device after removal from said chutes; a plurality of retention pins having a plurality of lengths so as to allow construction of said dispensing device in a plurality of selected widths substantially corresponding to the height of said cylindrical articles; an access door having clip means attached to the rear face thereof for selective attachment of said access door to one of said retention pins; said clip means being disposed on the rear face of said access door proximate a lower end of thereof and pivotally connected to said one of said retention pins so as to allow pivotable movement of said access door away from upper extents of said first and second chutes, thereby allowing selected filling of said chutes with said cylindrical articles. 6. The display device of claim 5 where said return area comprises a cradle located proximate a distal end of one of said first and second chutes for allowing return of one or more cylindrical articles after removal of said cylindrical article from said device. 7. The dispensing and display device of claim 5 wherein said chutes further comprise a first bay area proximate a distal end of said first of said chutes for allowing selective removal of said cylindrical article therefrom; and a second bay area proximate a distal end of said second of said chutes for allowing selective removal of said cylindrical article therefrom. 8. The display device of claim 7 wherein said first bay area is located above said second bay and is offset relative thereto. 9. The display device of claim 5 wherein said clip means comprise an integrally molded channel formed in said access door on the rear face thereof for reception of said retention pin. 10. The display device of claim 5 wherein said return area is located proximate the first stop means and proximate the first and second cylindrical articles disposed at the lower portion of said second chute. 11. The dispensing device of claim 5 wherein said second chute contains sufficient space to hold a substantially greater number of cylindrical articles than said first chute. 12. A dispensing and display device for cylindrical articles comprising: a pair of vertical panels having first and second serpentine chutes formed therebetween, said chutes being inclined relative to horizontal whereby cylindrical articles contained therein may be advanced by gravity towards the lower portion of said display device, said first and second chutes each being of substantially C-shaped configuration; said chutes each having an upper portion and a lower portion; a first stop means proximate to the lower portion of the first of said chutes for preventing further downward motion of said cylindrical articles therein; a second stop means formed proximate the lower portion of the second of said chutes for preventing further downward motion of said cylindrical articles therein; a return area located proximate said first and second chutes for allowing replacement of one of said cylindrical articles on said display device after removal from said chutes; wherein the second of said chutes is formed in such a manner as to promote the movement of said cylindrical articles in said second of said chutes in a direction away from the second stop means when a minimum quantity of said cylindrical articles in said second of said chutes is reached. 13. A dispensing and display device for cylindrical articles comprising: a pair of vertical panels having first and second serpentine chutes formed therebetween, said chutes being inclined relative to horizontal whereby cylindrical articles contained therein may be advanced by gravity towards a lower portion of said display device, said first and second chutes each being of substantially C-shaped configuration; said chutes each having an upper portion and a lower portion; a first stop means proximate to the lower portion of the first of said chutes for preventing further downward motion of said cylindrical articles therein; a second stop means formed proximate the lower portion of the second of said chutes for preventing further downward motion of said cylindrical articles therein; a return area located proximate said first and second chutes for allowing replacement of one of said cylindrical articles on said display device after removal from said chutes; said return area comprises a cradle located proximate the distal end of one of said first and second chutes for allowing return of one or more cylindrical articles after removal of said cylindrical article from said device; said cradle comprising a raised portion on each of said vertical panels proximate the lower portion of said second chute and offset from said distal end of second chute so as to allow retention of one or more cylindrical articles on top of and above said cylindrical articles disposed in said second chute. 14. A dispenser and display rack for substantially cylindrical articles, said dispenser comprising: (a) a plurality of vertically disposed panels, each of said panels having one or more rails extending horizontally therefrom toward an opposing vertical panel, said rails defining a plurality of chutes therebetween, said chutes having a width so as to allow cylindrical articles to be stored therein and dispensed therefrom; (b) said chutes further being slightly inclined so as to allow said cylindrical articles to be advanced by means of gravity from an upper portion on said panels in said chutes to a lower portion on said panels in said chutes; (c) a removal area disposed proximate said lower portion of said chutes for allowing selective removal of one or more of the cylindrical articles from said dispenser; (d) an access door movable between first and second positions, said access door being mounted proximate said upper portion, said access door being constructed and arranged for closing the upper portion of said chutes in the first position and for opening the upper portion of said chutes in the second position, said access door further having a front face for advertising display purposes; (e) a plurality of retention pins constructed and arranged to selectively interlock each of said vertical panels to the opposing vertical panel so as to fixedly position said panels relative to each other; and (f) a plurality of bosses formed proximate each corner of each of said panels, each of said bosses having an aperture defined therein and a lock mechanism associated with said aperture so as to allow selective locking and unlocking of said retention pins relative to such panel, at least one of said bosses being on each corner of the upper and lower portion of each of said vertical panels proximate a front thereof and a second pair of bosses proximate a rear of each of said vertical panels. 15. The rack of claim 14 and further comprising at least a pair of bosses generally medially disposed proximate the front, the rear, the upper and the lower portion of said rack so as to provide greater rigidity. 16. A dispenser and display rack for substantially cylindrical articles, said dispenser comprising: (a) a plurality of vertically disposed panels, each of said panels having one or more rails extending horizontally therefrom toward an opposing one of said panels, said rails of opposing ones of said panels jointly defining a plurality of chutes to guide said articles therebetween, (b) said chutes further being slightly inclined so as to allow said cylindrical articles to be advanced by means of gravity from an upper portion on said panels in said chutes to a lower portion on said panels in said chutes; (c) a removal area disposed proximate said lower portion of said chutes for allowing selective removal of one or more of the cylindrical articles from said dispenser; an access door movable between first and second positions, said access door being mounted proximate said upper portion, said access door being constructed and arranged for closing the upper portion of said chutes in the first position and for opening the upper portion of said chutes in the second position, said access door further having a front face for advertising display purposes; wherein each of said chutes has a stop means for preventing unwanted movement of said cylindrical articles, said stop means comprising an incline portion proximate the distal end of said chutes, a flat front out portion and a substantially vertical end stop proximate the end of said chutes. 17. A dispenser and display rack system for storing and displaying products on store shelving, said system comprising a display module and a door, said display module including a pair of side panels disposed in spaced-apart side-by-side relation defining an operative panel orientation, rails affixed to said panels forming at least one product rail chute disposed between said panels, each said chute having a loading end, a dispensing end and an elongated product travel path descending at least substantially full length from said loading end to said dispensing end, said door being moveable from a closed position wherein said door is disposed transversely between said panels above said dispensing end in access closing relation to said loading end, to a removed position in access opening relation to said loading end, said display module including a plurality of retention pins connecting said panels, there being at least one of said pins engaging said panels in a first manner to permit shifting thereof between a collapsed condition and said operative panel orientation and in a second manner to lock said panels in said operative panel orientation, said door being connected to one of said retention pins for pivotal movement to thereby open and close access to said loading end. 18. A system in accordance with claim 17 wherein said rails form a plurality of rail chutes and wherein said display module has an open front region between said panels, said open front region having an upper section and a lower section. 19. A system in accordance with claim 18, there being first and second rail chutes, the loading end of the first of said chutes being located at said upper section and disposed above the loading end of the second of said chutes, the discharge end of the first of said chutes being located at said lower section and disposed below the discharge end of the second of said chutes. 20. A system in accordance with claim 19, said door being sized to simultaneously open and close access at said upper section to the loading end of each of said chutes. 21. A system in accordance with claim 19 wherein said travel path of each of said chutes is generally C-shaped. 22. A system in accordance with claim 18 wherein each of said chutes has a discharge end and wherein said display module further includes product travel stops proximal the discharge end of each of said chutes. 23. A system in accordance with claim 22 wherein said product stops are offset from each other with respect to the horizontal a sufficient distance to permit placement of a product atop and between adjacent products disposed at the discharge end of the first of said chutes. 24. A system in accordance with claim 23 wherein the discharge end of the second of said chutes is disposed slightly above the discharge end of the first of said chutes and products therein.