DISPLAY BIN WITH PUSHER ATTACHMENT

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This U.S. patent application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 (e) to U.S. Provisional Application 63/652,676, filed on May 28, 2024. The disclosure of this prior application IS considered part of the disclosure of this application and IS hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to a display bin including a pusher attachment interface.

BACKGROUND

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure and is not necessarily prior art.

Shelving is used extensively for stocking and storing products or merchandise in a variety of stores. Such shelving may include a flat shelf or rack and a forward feed device configured to bias products towards a front-facing edge of the shelving. In particular, the forward feed devices are used to automatically move merchandise forward on a shelf after an item is removed, thereby maintaining a continuous product facing

In some instances, forward feed devices may be utilized for conveying products with soft packaging, such as bagged deli product. Because such soft packaging lacks rigid structure, these products have a tendency to shift or compress on a shelf, which may lead to jamming or misalignment of the products within the forward feed device. Accordingly, while known display systems have proven useful for their intended purpose, there remains a need in the art for a product display system that accommodates improved storage and dispensing of soft packaging.

SUMMARY

An aspect of the disclosure includes a bin for a merchandising system. The bin has a base panel including a top side defining a product receiving area and an opposite bottom side, one or more support rails extending along the top side, and a coupling system including one or more coupling elements each supported by the top side of the base panel adjacent to one of the one or more support rails.

This aspect of the disclosure may include one or more of the following features. In some examples, each of the one or more support rails defines a convex rail surface extending along the top side. In some implementations, the convex rail surface extends continuously from a first end of the base panel to a second end of the base panel. Optionally, each of the one or more support rails defines a concave channel extending along the bottom side.

In some configurations, the bin includes one or more walls extending from the base panel to at least partially surround the product receiving area. In some examples, the one or more walls includes a front wall extending from a first end of the base panel to a first height and a pair of sidewalls extending from opposite sides of the base panel to a second height that is greater than the first height.

In some configurations, the bin includes a track bearing disposed adjacent to a front end of the base panel and configured to mate with a corresponding track member. In some configurations, the track bearing includes a rail extending along the bottom side of the base panel from a first side of the base panel to a second side of the base panel. Optionally, track bearing includes a slot extending along the rail from the first side of the base panel to the second side of the base panel. In some implementations, the track bearing includes an engagement member extending from the front end of the base panel and operable to move between an extended configuration and a retracted configuration.

Another aspect of the disclosure provides a merchandising system including a bin having a base panel and a plurality of walls extending from the base panel to define a product receiving area, one or more support rails extending along the base panel, and a pusher coupling system including one or more coupling members each supported by the base panel adjacent to one of the one or more support rails. The merchandising system further includes a conveyor system removably coupled to one of the one or more coupling members.

This aspect of the disclosure includes one or more of the following optional features. In some examples, each of the one or more support rails defines a convex rail surface extending along a top side of the bin. In some implementations, the conveyor system includes a conveyor track and a biasing member configured to translate along the conveyor track between a front end of the bin and a rear end of the bin. In some examples, the conveyor track of the conveyor system is removably attached to the one of the one or more coupling members. In some implementations, each of the coupling members includes an elongate coupling rib extending in a lateral direction from at least one of the support rails, and wherein the conveyor track is slidably attached to the one of the one or more coupling members. In some examples, the biasing member includes a pusher having a biasing element configured to bias the pusher towards the front end of the bin.

In some implementations, the plurality of walls includes a front wall extending from a first end of the base panel to a first height and a pair of sidewalls extending from opposite sides of the base panel to a second height that is greater than the first height. In some examples, the merchandising system further includes a track, wherein the bin further includes a track bearing disposed adjacent to a front end of the base panel and mated with the track. In some examples, the track bearing includes a rail extending along a bottom side of the base panel from a first side of the base panel to a second side of the base panel. In some configurations, the track bearing includes an engagement member extending from the front end of the base panel and operable to move between an extended configuration and a retracted configuration.

The details of one or more implementations of the disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other aspects, features, and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected configurations and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1A is a front perspective view of a merchandising system in a retail environment according to the principles of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1B is a front perspective view of the merchandising system of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the merchandising system of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the merchandising system of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 4 is a rear perspective, cross-sectional view of the merchandising system of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation, cross-sectional view of the merchandising system of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of a bin of the merchandising system of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 7 is a front elevation view of the bin of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a rear elevation view of the bin of FIG. 6.

FIG. 9 is a left side elevation view of the bin of FIG. 6, the right side elevation view being a mirror image of the left side elevation view.

FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the bin of FIG. 6.

FIG. 11 is a bottom plan view of the bin of FIG. 6.

Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Example configurations will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Example configurations are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those of ordinary skill in the art. Specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of configurations of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example configurations may be embodied in many different forms, and that the specific details and the example configurations should not be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, a retail environment 10 including an example of a merchandising system 12 according to the present disclosure is generally shown. As shown, the merchandising system 12 may be installed on a top surface 16 of a retail shelf 14, or other suitable base surface. The shelf 14 may be located in a store or other suitable location where consumers are able to purchase merchandise. As shown in FIG. 1A, the top surface 16 of the shelf 14 extends from a front edge 18 to an opposite rear edge 20. As discussed throughout, the direction from the front edge 18 to the rear edge 20 defines a longitudinal direction D1 while the direction parallel to the front edge 18 and the rear edge 20 defines a lateral direction D2. In some implementations, the shelf 14 may include apertures 22 extending through the top surface 16 and arranged in series adjacent to at least one of the front edge 18 and the rear edge 20 of the shelf 14. Portions of the merchandising system 12 may be secured to the shelf 14 via fasteners engaging with the apertures 22. The merchandising system 12 may be secured to the shelf 14 in any suitable manner, and the merchandising system 12 may be selectively detached from the shelf 14 and moved, for example, to another shelf or other surface.

Referring still to FIGS. 1A-3, the merchandising system 12 includes a bin 100 defining a product receiving area A, a conveyor system 200 disposed within the product receiving area A, and a track system 300 that is attached to the shelf 14 and slidingly engages the bin 100. While the merchandising system 12 is shown in assembled configuration in FIGS. 1A and 1B, each of the bin 100, the conveyor system 200, and the track system 300 may provided as individual components for assembly. As discussed in greater detail below, the merchandising system 12 is configured to optimize conveyance of soft-sided packaging, such bags or pouches used for deli products. The merchandising system 12 is provided as a modular system, whereby one or more of the bins 100 can be removably and slidably coupled to the track 300 to permit the bins to translate in the lateral direction D2 along the shelf 14. Further, one or more of the conveyor systems 200 are configured to be removably and slidably attached within the product receiving area A of the bin 100 to accommodate different sizes and quantities of products P.

Referring to FIGS. 3-11, the bin 100 and components thereof will be described relative to a front end 102, a rear end 104 disposed on an opposite end from the front end 102, a left side 106 extending between the front end 102 and the rear end 104, and a right side 108 disposed on an opposite side of the bin from the left side 106 and extending between the front end 102 and the rear end 104. A distance from the front end 102 to the rear end 104 defines a lengthwise direction of the bin 100, which extends parallel to the longitudinal direction D1 when the bin 100 is installed on the shelf 14. A distance from the left side 106 to the right side 108 defines a widthwise direction of the bin 100, which extends parallel to the lateral direction D2 when the bin 100 is installed on the shelf 14. Features of the bin 100 may also be described relative to a top side 110 that defines the product receiving area A and an opposite bottom side 112 that faces the top surface 16 of the shelf 14 when the bin 100 is installed on the shelf 14.

The bin 100 includes a base panel 114 and, optionally, one or more walls 116, 118, 120, 122 extending from the base panel 114 to define the product receiving area A. The base panel 114 extends from the front end 102 of the bin 100 to the rear end 104 of the bin 100 and from the left side 106 of the bin 100 to the right side 108 of the bin 100. The base panel 114 includes a top face 124 disposed on the top side 110 of the base panel 114 and a bottom face 126 disposed on the opposite bottom side 112, whereby a distance from the top face 124 to the bottom face 126 defines a thickness of the base panel 114.

The one or more walls 116, 118, 120, 122 includes at least a front wall 116 extending from the top side of the base panel 114 at the front end 102. The one or more walls may further include a rear wall 118 extending from the top face 124 of the base panel 114 at the rear end 104, opposite the front wall 116. A left sidewall 120 extends between and connects the front wall 116 and the rear wall 118 along the left side 106, while an opposing right sidewall 122 extends between and connects the front wall 116 and the rear wall 118 along the right side 108. In some examples, one or more of the walls may be omitted to provide a peripheral opening into the product receiving area A along a side of the bin 100. For example, the bin 100 may be provided without the rear wall 118. In the illustrated example, the walls 116, 118, 120, 122 each extend from the base panel to an upper peripheral edge 128, which is collectively defined by upper terminal ends of the respective walls 116, 118, 120, 122.

As shown in FIG. 1B, the front wall 116 extends a first height H1 from the top face 124 to the upper peripheral edge 128 and the remaining walls 118, 120, 122 each extend a second height H2 from the top face 124 to the upper peripheral edge 128, which is greater than the first height H2. Thus, a portion of the upper peripheral edge 128 defined by the front wall 116 may be offset below the portions of the upper peripheral edge 128 defined by the sidewalls 120, 122 to define a recess 130 for accessing the product receiving area A at the front end 102 of the bin 100. Optionally, the upper peripheral edge 128 may define a pair of gussets 132 formed at opposite front corners of the bin 100 and connecting the first height H1 of the front wall 116 to the second heights H2 of each of the sidewalls 120, 122. The gussets 132 provide increased strength between the walls 116, 118, 120 and provide the recess 130 with a tapered profile for guiding products P into the product receiving area A.

The sidewalls 120, 122 and the rear wall 118 may include additional features for improving ergonomics and operation of the bin 100. For example, each of the walls 118, 120, 122 includes a plurality of vents 134 formed through the thickness of the wall 118, 120, 122 to facilitate improved airflow into the product receiving area A. This is particularly helpful in refrigerated environments to improve circulation of refrigerated air through the product receiving area A. At least one of the walls 118, 120, 122 may further include a handle 136 disposed adjacent to the upper peripheral edge 128. While the illustrated example shows the handle 136 formed in the rear wall 118, the bin 100 may include handles formed in the sidewalls 120, 122. The handle of the present example is formed as an aperture extending through a thickness of the rear wall 118, which is sized and positioned to form an ergonomic grip structure between the aperture and the upper peripheral edge 128.

Referring to FIGS. 6-11, the top face 124 of the base panel 114 includes a support bed 138 configured to slidably support a plurality of the products P within the product receiving area A. In the illustrated example, the support bed 138 is embodied as a plurality of elongate support ribs 140, 140a-140c each extending along the longitudinal direction D1 from a first end 142, 142a-142c to a second end 144, 144a-144c (FIG. 10). The plurality of elongate support ribs 140 includes a left side support rib 140a disposed adjacent to the left sidewall 120, a right side support rib 140b disposed adjacent to the right sidewall 122, and one or more of intermediate support ribs 140c disposed between the left side support rib 140a and the right side support rib 142a. While the illustrated example shows two intermediate support ribs 140c, the bin 100 may include more or less intermediate support ribs 140c to accommodate different widths of the bin 100 (e.g., a wider bin 100 will include additional intermediate support ribs 140c). The support ribs 140a-140c are arranged in series between the left sidewall 120 and the right sidewall 122, whereby center axes A_140a-A_140c associated with the apexes of adjacent ones of the support ribs 140a-140c are spaced apart from each other by a common distance D140. The spacing is configured such that apexes of two or more of the support ribs 140a-140c support the product P when the product P is placed on the conveyor system 200, which may be disposed between adjacent support ribs 140a-140c.

As shown, an upper surface 146, 146a-146c of each of the support ribs 140a-140c each includes an arcuate or convex cross-sectional profile extending continuously from the first end 142, 142a-142c at the front wall 116 to the second end 144, 144a-144c at the rear wall 118. In the illustrated examples, the support ribs 140a-140c are formed as hollow bodies, whereby the support ribs 140a-140c include the convex upper surfaces 146a-146c and a complementary concave bottom surface 148, 148a-148c formed in the bottom face 126 of the base panel 114. However, in other examples, the support ribs 140a-140c may be formed as independent elements that are attached to the top face 124 of the base panel 114 within the product receiving area A. Optionally, the upper surfaces 146a-146c of the support ribs 140a-140c may include a material having a lower coefficient of friction than the material forming the base panel 114 and/or the walls 116, 118, 120, 122. For example, the support ribs 140a-140c may be formed of a low-friction material or include a low-friction lubricant, coating, or film.

Referring to FIGS. 2, 4, and 5, the bin 100 further includes a conveyor coupling system 150 configured for removably attaching one or more of the conveyor systems 200 within the product receiving area A of the bin 100. In the illustrated example, the conveyor coupling system 150 includes one or more coupling members 152 each configured for removably attaching one of the conveyor systems 200 between adjacent ones of the support ribs 140a-140c. The conveyor coupling members 152 include elongate rails having a longitudinal axis that extends along the lateral direction D2 from each of the support ribs 140a-140c. As shown, the elongate rails of the coupling members 152 extend continuously between and connect adjacent ones of the support ribs 140a-140c adjacent to the front wall 116. However, the coupling members 152 may be positioned at other locations along the longitudinal direction D1, such as at an intermediate position centered between the front wall 116 and the rear wall 118. Optionally, multiple ones of the coupling members 152 may be arranged in series along the longitudinal direction D1 for attaching a single conveyor system 200.

Referring to the cross section of FIG. 5, the elongate rail of the coupling member 152 is configured to provide a snap-fit with a corresponding one of the conveyor systems 200, whereby the conveyor system 200 can be secured to the coupling member 152 by pressing the conveyor system 200 onto the coupling member 152 to engage a retention feature of the conveyor system 200 with the coupling member 152, and can be disengaged from the coupling member 152 by pulling the conveyor system 200 from the coupling member 152 to disengage the retention feature of the conveyor system 200 from the coupling member 152. The coupling member 152 includes a coupling member base 154 and a coupling member head 156 extending upwardly from the coupling member base 154 to a distal end 158. The coupling member head 156 includes a front face 160 extending from the coupling member base 154 to the distal end 158 and defining a relief or undercut adjacent to the coupling member base 154. The coupling member head 156 further includes a rear face 164 disposed on an opposite side form the front face 160 and extending from the coupling member base 154 to the distal end 158. The rear face 164 of the coupling member head 156 is rearwardly offset along the longitudinal direction D1 from a rear edge of the coupling member base 154 to define a lip 166. As shown in FIG. 5 and discussed in greater detail below, the front undercut 162 and the rear lip 166 cooperate to provide a retention interface for securing the conveyor system 200 to coupling member 152.

Referring still to FIGS. 3-5 and 11, the bin 100 further includes a track bearing 170 configured to slidably couple the bin 100 to the track 300. Thus, when the bin 100 is installed on the track 300, the track bearing 170 provides a sliding interface with the track 300 to secure the longitudinal and rotational position of the bin 100 while allowing the bin 100 to translate along the lateral direction D2. As shown in FIG. 5, a length L₁₇₀ of the track bearing 170 extends along the longitudinal direction D1 from a front bearing face 172 defined by the front wall 116 of the bin 100 to a rear bearing face 174, which faces and is spaced apart from a front edge of the coupling member base 154 by a rear track slot 176 configured to slidably receive a rear wall 306 of the track 300. As shown in FIG. 11, the track bearing 170 may be provided as a segmented structure, whereby individual segments of the track bearing 170 are disposed on the bottom face 126 of the base panel 114 between adjacent ones of the support ribs 140a-140c. Alternatively, the track bearing 170 may be a continuous structure extending along the bottom face 126 or one or more of the segments may be omitted.

As best shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the track bearing 170 includes one or more engagement members 178 disposed along the front wall 116 and configured to engage with a front wall of the track 300. In the illustrated example, a single engagement member 178 includes a resilient tab 180 extending downwardly from the front wall 116 to a distal end 182 at or above a bottom surface of the track bearing 170. The resilient tab 180 includes one or more protuberances 184 extending from the front end 102 adjacent to the distal end 182. In use, the protuberances 184 interface with teeth of the track to resist lateral movement of the bin 100 along the track 300. Thus, in a natural state, the resilient tab 180 is provided in a forward position (FIG. 5) and the protuberances 184 are mated with (i.e., received between) the teeth 316 of the track 300. As a lateral force is applied to the bin 100 to move the bin 100 in the lateral direction D2, the teeth of the track 300 bias the protuberances 184 and the distal end 182 of resilient tab 180 flexes rearwardly to allow the protuberances 184 to pass over the teeth 316 in the lateral direction D2. In addition to providing resistance to maintain the bins 100 at a preferred lateral position, the protuberances 184 further provide audible feedback to indicate when the bins 100 are being moved along the track 300.

Referring to FIGS. 2-4, the conveyor system 200 is configured to be removably attached to the bin 100 via the conveyor coupling system 150 and is generally configured to convey or bias products in the longitudinal direction D1 towards the front wall 116. In the illustrated example, the conveyor system 200 includes a pusher system 202 having a pusher track 204 and a pusher paddle 206 slidably mounted to the pusher track 204. The pusher paddle 206 including a biasing element 260 that applies a continuous biasing force to the pusher paddle 206 in the longitudinal direction D1 to bias the pusher paddle 206 towards the front wall 116 of the bin 100 when the pusher system 202 is assembled with the bin 100.

The pusher track 204 is an elongate track having a length that extends from a first end 208 to a second end 210. The pusher track 204 is configured as a T-track having a lower rail 212 an upper bedway 214 disposed on top of the lower rail 212 and extending continuously from the first end 208 to the second end 210. The first end 208 of the pusher track 204 includes a pusher coupler 216 configured to interface with the coupling members 152 of the conveyor coupling system 150. Particularly, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the pusher coupler 216 includes a forward coupler guide 218 and a rearward coupler guide 220 spaced apart from the forward coupler guide 218 by a coupler slot 222 configured to slidably receive the coupling member head 156 of the coupling member 152 of the bin 100. The coupler slot 222 has a width W₂₂₂ that is larger than a width of the coupling member head 156 (i.e., distance from front face 160 to rear face 164) to provide a slip fit between the coupling member head 156 and the coupler slot 222.

The rear coupler guide 220 further includes a resilient locking finger 224 that extends from a bottom side of the bedway 214 to a lower distal end 226 having a locking flange 228 that projects in a forward direction from the distal end 226. As shown in FIG. 5, the locking flange 228 is configured to engage the rear lip 166 of the coupling member head 156 when the pusher system 202 is attached to the coupling member 152, whereby an upper surface of the locking flange 228 interfaces with a lower surface of the rear lip 166 to restrict removal of the pusher system 202 in the vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 5, the upper surface of the locking flange 228 is formed at an oblique, declining angle relative to the bottom surface of the rear lip 166. Thus, when an upward force is applied to the pusher system 202, the upper surface of the locking flange 228 contacts the lower surface of the rear lip 166 and the differences in surface angles causes the locking flange 228 to be biased rearwardly, allowing removal of the pusher system 202 without additional tools. This connection means may be referred to as a “snap fit,” whereby the pusher system 202 can be “snapped” into engagement by pressing the locking flange 228 past the rear lip 166 and can be “snapped” out of engagement by pulling the pusher system 202 to overcome the resiliency of the locking finger 224. Optionally, the pusher track 204 may include one or more handles 230 extending laterally from the lower rail 212. The handles 230 provide areas where the pusher track 204 can be gripped by a user to pull the pusher track 204 from the coupling members 152.

With continued reference to FIGS. 1-4, the pusher paddle 206 includes a carriage 240 slidably coupled to the bedway 214 of the pusher track 204 and a pusher wall 242 attached to the carriage 240. In the illustrated example, the pusher wall 242 defines a substantially planar front pusher surface 244 extending in a transverse direction relative to the bedway 214 of the track. Here, the front pusher surface 244 faces the front wall 116 of the bin 100 to define the product receiving area A between the pusher wall 242 and the front wall 116. In use, the pusher paddle 206 is configured to translate along the bedway 214 such that an effective length LA of the product receiving area A increases and decreases to accommodate the products that are received within the product receiving area A. In other words, the pusher paddle 206 may be translated in a first longitudinal direction D1 away from the front wall 116 to increase the effective length LA of the product receiving area A when products are loaded into the merchandising system 12, and may be translated in a second longitudinal direction D1 towards the front wall 116 to decrease the effective length LA of the product receiving area A as products are removed from the merchandising system 12. Thus, the pusher paddle 206 is operable to maintain stocked products at a forward-most position against the front wall 116.

Referring to FIGS. 2-4, the carriage 240 includes a carriage base 246 disposed on the top side of the bedway 214 and a pair of side bearings 248 each configured to slidingly engage a respective side the bedway 214. As best shown in FIG. 2, the side bearings 248 extend from opposite sides of the carriage base 246 to respective distal ends 250, which include retainers configured to interface with the bedway 214 to retain the carriage 240 on the bedway 214 when the merchandising system 12 is assembled. The carriage base 246 further includes a pair of gussets 252 connecting a top surface of the carriage base 246 to a rear surface of the pusher wall 242 to provide increased strength and rigidity along the pusher wall 242. The gussets 252 may be spaced apart from each other in the lateral direction to define a receptacle 254 for receiving a biasing element 260.

With continued reference to FIGS. 2-5, the biasing element 260 includes a first portion coupled to the pusher paddle 206 and a second portion coupled to the first end 208 of the pusher track 204, and is configured to provide a continuous biasing force to the pusher paddle 206 in the first direction D1. In the illustrated example, the biasing element 260 includes a constant force spring having a coil portion 262 mounted in the receptacle 254 of the pusher paddle 206 and a free end 264 attached to the first end 208 of the pusher track 204. Thus, the biasing element 260 is configured to provide a constant biasing force to the pusher paddle 206 in the forward direction along the pusher track 204. While the illustrated example shows the biasing element 260 as a constant-force spring having the coil portion mounted on pusher paddle 206, other types of biasing elements may also be utilized to apply the biasing force to the pusher paddle 206.

Optionally, the pusher system 202 may include a pusher wall adapter 270 configured to slide onto the pusher wall 242 to provide the pusher system 202 with a larger front pusher surface 271. The pusher wall adapter 270 includes a plurality of retainers 272 arranged to define a first front wall socket 274 and a second front wall socket 276 extending perpendicular to the first front wall socket 274. Each of the pusher wall sockets 274, 276 are configured to slidably receive the pusher wall 242 of the pusher system 202. In use, a user can rotate the front wall adapter 270 ninety degrees to select which of the pusher wall sockets 274, 276 receives the pusher wall 242. Thus, the user can select whether to utilize the different widths of the pusher wall adapter 270. Each of the pusher wall sockets 274, 276 may include a resilient stopper tab 278 that extends into the pusher wall socket 274, 276 to limit insertion of the pusher wall 242 and to property position the pusher wall adapter 270 on the pusher wall 242.

As best shown in FIG. 4, the track 300 includes a track base 302, a front wall 304, and a rear wall 306. When the track 300 is installed on the shelf 14, the front wall 304 is closer to the front edge 18 of the shelf 14 (i.e., the customer's vantage point) than the rear wall 306. The front wall 304 of the track 300 extends along a front edge of the track base 302 and is spaced apart from the rear wall 306 to define a track channel 308 configured to slidably receive the track bearing 170 of the bin 100.

The front wall 304 defines a front engagement surface 310 extending along the lateral direction and the rear wall 306 defines a rear engagement surface 312 extending parallel to and facing the front engagement surface 312 across the channel 308. When the merchandising system 12 is assembled, the track guide 170 of the bin 100 is received within the channel 308 such that the engagement members 178 interface with (i.e., selectively engages) the front engagement surface 310 and rear engagement surface 312 interfaces with (e.g., selectively contacts) the rear engagement surface 312.

The front engagement surface 310 is defined by the front wall 304. In the illustrated example, the front engagement surface 310 is recessed within front wall 304 such that the front wall 304 defines a top lip 314 spaced apart from the base 302 to define a gap configured to capture the protuberances 184 between the top lip 314 and the base 302. In some examples, the front engagement surface 310 includes a plurality of teeth 316 disposed between the top lip 314 and the base 302 and facing the rear engagement surface 312 (i.e., towards the channel 308). As discussed above, the plurality of teeth 316 are configured to be selectively engaged by the protuberances 184 of the bin 100 to resist lateral movement of the bin 100 along the track 300.

The selective engagement of the protuberances 184 and the teeth 316 allow the bin 100 to be translated along the track 300. In some implementations, the resilient tab 180 the protuberances 184 move toward and away from the teeth 316 (i.e., toward and away from the customer's vantage point) such that, when the bin 100 is urged in a lateral or horizontal direction by a user along the track 300, the protuberances 184—via flexing of the resilient tab 180—selectively disengage a first portion of the teeth 316 and, when the user ceases to exert a force upon the bin 100, the protuberances 184—via resiliency of the resilient tab 180—re-engage with a second portion of the teeth 316 to secure the bin 100 in the desired position along the track 300.

In use, the merchandising system 12 provides a modular system that allows soft-packaged products to be easily stocked, stored, and dispensed to customers. By forming a modular system, bins 100 can be easily stocked with products at a remote area from the shelf (e.g., a stock room) and can be provided to the shelf in a stocked state, rather than individually stocking products at the shelf. Further, providing the bins 100 with the support bed 138 facilitates movement of the soft-sided packages P within the product receiving area A. An additional benefit of the merchandising system 12 is that it provides a modular conveyor system 200 that can be installed, removed, or reconfigured within the bin 100 to accommodate different stocking patterns.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular exemplary configurations only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular articles “a,” “an,” and “the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “including,” and “having,” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. Additional or alternative steps may be employed.

When an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “engaged to,” “connected to,” “attached to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected, attached, or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engaged to,” “directly connected to,” “directly attached to,” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

The terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections. These elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed herein could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example configurations.

The foregoing description has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular configuration are generally not limited to that particular configuration, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected configuration, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.