Product Pusher

This U.S. patent application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 (e) to U.S. Provisional Application 63/659,151, filed on Jun. 12, 2024. The disclosures of this prior application is considered part of the disclosure of this application and is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

The present disclosure relates generally to a product pusher and, more particularly, to a product pusher for maintaining orientation of merchandise within a product receiving area.

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 stores often use a forward feed device to control the storage and distribution of such products. In particular, the forward feed devices are used to automatically move merchandise forward on a shelf after an item is removed. In some instances, the forward feed devices cause merchandise to tilt forward causing damage to the merchandise or an undesirable disruption that prevents movement of merchandise on the shelf. Accordingly, while known forward feed devices have proven useful for their intended purpose, a need for continuous improvement in the pertinent art remains.

An aspect of the disclosure provides a merchandising system including a tray having a first end, an opposite second end, and a track that extends between the first end and the second end, a first wall and a second wall coupled to and extending away from the tray, a lens assembly including a lens base coupled to the tray at the first end and an end plate movably coupled to the lens base, and a pusher slidably attached to the track and including a base including a first product-contacting surface and a second product-contacting surface.

Aspects of the disclosure may include one or more of the following optional features. In some implementations, the first wall and the second wall each include a front end, a rear end spaced from and opposite the front end, a base extending between the front end and the rear end, and a guide wall coupled to and extending away from the base. In some configurations, the first wall and the second wall further include one or more retainers coupled to the guide walls near the front end, the retainers extending laterally inwardly toward the track. In some examples, the first wall and the second wall further include support panels coupled to and extending away from the guide walls at oblique angles.

According to one aspect, the lens base comprises a channel that receives a portion of the track. In some configurations, the lens base comprises a first ramp on one side of the channel and a second ramp on an opposite side of the channel. In some implementations, the ramps are configured to tilt merchandise toward at least the one of the product-contacting surfaces of the pusher. In some examples, the pusher further comprises a lip extending toward the end plate and arranged between the first product-contacting surface and the second product-contacting surface.

According to another aspect, the pusher further comprises a third wall extending from the base and including a third product-contacting surface. According to at least one implementation, the merchandising system further includes an actuator disposed at the first end of the tray and operable to selectively bias the pusher along the track between the second end and the first end.

Another aspect of the disclosure provides a merchandising system including a tray having a first end and a second end and a track that extends between the first end and the second end, a first wall and a second wall coupled to and extending away from the tray, the first and second wall each including a front end, a rear end spaced from and opposite the front end, a base extending between the front end and the rear end, and a guide wall coupled to and extending away from the base, a lens assembly including a lens base coupled to the tray at the first end, and an end plate movably coupled to the lens base, and a pusher slidably attached to the track between the first end and the second end.

Aspects of the disclosure may include one or more of the following optional features. In some implementations, the first wall and the second wall further include one or more retainers coupled to the guide walls near the front end, the retainers extending laterally inwardly toward the track. The first wall and the second wall each include a support panel coupled to and extending away from the guide walls. The first wall and the second wall each include a wing disposed adjacent to the front end.

According to at least one aspect, the end plate is perpendicular to the base in a first position and is generally parallel to the base in a second position.

According to another aspect, the lens base includes a pusher channel that receives a portion of the track and the lens base includes a first ramp on one side of the pusher channel and a second ramp on the opposite side of the pusher channel. The ramps are configured to tilt merchandise toward the pusher.

According to at least one example, the pusher further includes a lip extending toward the end plate.

According to another example, the merchandising system further includes a product receiving area between the lens assembly and the pusher.

Another aspect of the disclosure provides a merchandising system including a pusher having a front side and a rear side. The pusher including a base including a first product-contacting surface and a second product-contacting surface and a wall extending from the base and including a third product-contacting surface. The pusher further including a first angle defined between the first product-contacting surface and the second product-contacting surface and a second angle that is different from the first angle and is defined between the first product-contacting surface and the third product-contacting surface.

Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.

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, a merchandising systemis generally shown. The merchandising systemcan be installed in a retail environment, such as a shelfof a refrigerator or freezer. For instance, the merchandising systemcan be arranged on a top surfaceof the shelf, or on another suitable base surface. The shelfmay be located in a store or other suitable location where consumers are able to purchase merchandise. As shown in, the top surfaceof the shelfextends from a front edgeto an opposite rear edge. As discussed throughout, the direction from the front edgeto the rear edgedefines a longitudinal direction while the direction parallel to the front edgeand the rear edgedefines a lateral direction. In some implementations, the shelfmay include aperturesextending through the top surfaceand arranged in series adjacent to each of the front edgeand the rear edgeof the shelf. Portions of the merchandising systemmay be secured to the shelfvia fasteners engaging with the apertures(). The merchandising systemmay be secured to the shelfin any suitable manner, and the merchandising systemmay be selectively detached from the shelfand moved, for example, to another shelf or other surface.

With reference to, the merchandising systemincludes a first or front endadjacent the front edgeof the shelfand a second or rear endopposite the front endand adjacent the rear edgeof the shelf. Additionally, the merchandising systemincludes a first or right sideand a second or left sidespaced laterally from the right side. The merchandising systemgenerally includes a trayextending between the front endand the rear end, one or more wallscoupled to and extending from the trayon the right sideand/or left side, and a pusher mechanismcoupled to the tray. The pusher mechanismgenerally includes a lens assemblycoupled to the front endand a pusherthat is movable between the front endand the rear end. As described in greater detail below, the merchandising systemis generally configured so that a user (e.g., store associate) can load (i.e., stock, dispose, etc.) merchandise between the lens assemblyand the pushersuch that the pusheris progressively moved away from the lens assemblytoward the rear end. Additionally, the merchandising systemis also generally configured to maintain an upright orientation of merchandise after a user (e.g., a customer or consumer) removes a forward-most item of merchandise from the merchandising systemand the remaining merchandise retained between the pusherand the lens assemblyadvances toward the front end. In other words, the merchandising systemcan be configured to prevent merchandise from tipping or falling forward toward the front endafter one or more units of the merchandise is removed from the merchandising system. This may be desirable to prevent damage to the merchandise and/or to maintain orientation of advertising, branding, graphics, logos, etc. on the merchandise to enhance product visibility and access to potential customers.

With reference to, the trayincludes a first or front end, a second or rear endopposite the front end, a first or right side, and a second or left sidespaced laterally from the right side. The trayalso includes an upper surfaceand an opposite lower surface, as shown in. The trayincludes a trackthat extends between the front endand the rear endof the tray. The trackis arranged laterally between the right sideand the left sideand divides the tray into a first halfand a second half. A portion of the trackprojects away from the upper surfaceand forms a first railand a second railparallel to the first rail, as shown in. Additionally, a longitudinal slot or channelcan extend from the upper surfacethrough the lower surfaceand is arranged laterally between the first railand the second rail. Additionally, a passage or slitcan extend from the upper surfacethrough the lower surfaceand is arranged laterally between the first railand the second railadjacent the front end of the tray. The slitprovides access to a pinthat extends from the lower surfacebetween the slitand the front endof the tray.

The trayincludes one or more right side socketsarranged on the first halfand one or more left side socketsarranged on the second half. In the illustrated example, the sockets,are formed as apertures that extend from the upper surfacethrough the lower surfaceor from the upper surfacetoward the lower surface. The right side socketscan include a row of front socketsa row of middle socketsand a row of rear socketsEach row of the right side socketsincludes a plurality of the sockets arranged in series along the lateral direction (i.e., a direction from the right sideto the track). The rows of the right side socketsare spaced longitudinally between the front endand the rear end, thereby defining a plurality of rows spaced along a length of the tray. Similarly, the left side socketscan include a row of front socketsa row of middle socketsand a row of rear socketsthat. Each row of the left side socketsincludes a plurality of the sockets arranged in series along the lateral direction (i.e., a direction from the left sideto the track). The rows of the left side socketsare spaced longitudinally between the front endand the rear end. The front socketsthe middle socketsand the rear socketsare configured as sockets so that the wallscan be coupled to and adjusted laterally on the first halfbetween the trackand the right sideand on the second halfbetween the trackand the left side. The traycan also include openings or receptaclesarranged longitudinally between the middle socketsand the rear socketsThe traycan include an engraved or an embossed indicia with respect to one or more of the sockets,to indicate where the wallsshould be installed to accommodate certain merchandise. For instance, as shown in, “ROUND” is arranged adjacent a pair of rear socketsin the top surfaceof the trayto indicate where the wallsshould be arranged for standard sized round pizzas.

The traycan include additional attachment mechanisms near the front endso that the lens assemblycan be coupled to tray. For instance, in the illustrated example, the trayincludes a first slotand a second slotarranged on opposite sides of the trackat the front end. The trayalso includes a third slotand a fourth slotarranged on either side of the trackand spaced longitudinally toward the rear endfrom the first slotand the second slot. Additionally, as shown in, the traycan include a lipat the rear endthat extends away from the upper surface. The lipprovides a positive stop so that the pushercannot advance beyond the rear endof the tray, for example.

The one or more wallscan include a first or right walland a second or left wall(hereinafter, the walls), as shown in. Each of the wallsincludes a front endthat is adjacent the front endof the trayand a rear endthat is opposite the front endand adjacent the rear endof the tray. The right walland the left walleach include a basethat can be coupled to the trayand extends between the front endand the rear endof the tray, as shown in. The baseof each of the wallscan be coupled to the trayvia flangesthat are attached to and depend from the baseThe flangesare spaced longitudinally along each baseand correspond with the longitudinal spacing of the respective rows of the sockets,of the tray, as shown in. Additionally, clips or cantilevered armscan extend from the baseand correspond with receptaclesThe clipscan help releasably secure the walls to the tray, for example.

Support or guide wallsare coupled to and extend away from the baseof the walls. In the present example, the guide wallsinclude a lower wall portionattached to the baseThe guide wallsalso include an upper wall portionspaced from the lower wall portionWhile the lower wall portionis shown as being perpendicular to the basethe guide wallscan be arranged at an oblique angle (i.e., other than 90 degrees) with respect to the baseof the walls.

With reference to, guardscan be coupled to the guide wallsat the rear endof each of the wallsand extend inwardly toward the track. The guardscan be desirable for maintaining orientation of merchandise arranged in the merchandising system, as well as to help prevent merchandise from falling out of the merchandising systemfrom the rear endduring loading, for example.

The wallscan further include support panelsthat are coupled to and extend laterally away from the guide wallsAs best shown in, the support panelsare each coupled to the upper wall portionsand extend at an oblique angle θ relative to the respective guide wallsParticularly, the upper support panelsare oriented in a direction that extends outwardly and upwardly from the distal ends of the respective upper wall portionssuch that the upper support panelscooperate to define a cradlefor receiving disc-shaped merchandise, such as frozen pizzas. Each of the support panelscan include elongate groovesthat have a longitudinal axis extending along a direction from the front endto the rear end, as shown in.

Additionally or alternatively, the support panelscan include one or more retainersarranged at the front endthat project laterally inwardly toward the track. The retainers includeinclude a rear surfaceand a front surfacecoupled to the rear surfaceThe rear surfaceextends inwardly to an inner most pointand constricts or narrows a portion of a merchandise pathway between the rear endand the front end. As will be discussed in more detail below, the retainersare desirable for capturing merchandise between the retainersand the lens assembly, for example. Additionally, the retainersare desirable for creating space between merchandise toward the front endand/or preventing merchandise from crowding the front endof the merchandising system.

The wallsfurther include a pair of wingsthat are coupled to and extend axially away from a portion of the support panelsParticularly, the wingseach include a lower wing portionthat is coupled to the support panelsand extend laterally away from the support panelsThe wingsalso each include an upper wing portionthat is coupled to the lower wing portionand extend laterally away from the lower wing portionWith reference to, the wingseach have a height that includes a height of the lower wing portionand a height of the upper wing portionA width Wof the wingstapers along the height direction from the lower wing portionto the upper wing portionIn general, merchandise can have unexpected movement near the front end of pusher systems. The wingsare desirable for laterally maintaining merchandise within the merchandising system, for example. Additionally or alternatively, the wingscan work in conjunction with the retainersto maintain orientation of the merchandise as it moves past the retainerstoward the front endof the merchandising system.

According to one aspect, as shown in, coupling mechanismsmay be coupled to wallsso the merchandising systemcan be coupled with additional merchandising systems, such as one or more of the merchandising system. The coupling mechanismcoupled to the right wallincludes a latchor first coupling feature and the coupling mechanismcoupled to the wallincludes an openingthat is configured to receive a latch of another pusher mechanism or merchandising system arranged adjacent to the merchandising system, for example. Additionally or alternatively, the coupling mechanismscan also include one or more holesthat correspond with aperturesarranged on the shelfso that the merchandising systemcan be secured to the shelfwith pins (not shown), for example.

With reference to, an illustrative example of the pusher mechanismis provided. In general, the pusher mechanismis attached at the front endof the merchandising systemand include the lens assemblyand the pusher. The pusher mechanismis configured to move merchandise with respect to the trackbetween the rear endand the front end. Additionally, the pusher mechanismis configured to maintain orientation of the merchandise arranged between the lens assemblyand the pusher. This is desirable to enhance product visibility and access to potential customers, for example.

The lens assemblyincludes a lens baseand an end platemovably coupled to the lens base. The end plateincludes a rear sidethat faces the pusherand a front sideopposite the rear sideIn the example shown in, the end platecan be rotatably coupled to the lens basewith a hinge. One or more springscan be arranged laterally along the hingeto bias the end plateto a first position that is perpendicular to the lens base. The end plateis movable between the first position and a second position where the end plateis generally parallel to the lens base. For instance, when a user (e.g., store associate) is loading one or more pieces of merchandise onto the tray, the user can fold the end platedown to the lens baseand the rear end(i.e., the second position) to allow the merchandise to easily pass over the lens assembly. Adjusting the position of the end platemay be desirable to ease loading of merchandise from the merchandising system, for example. After loading of merchandise and the user releases the end plate, the end platecan automatically return to the first position by the springs.

The end platehas a height that extends from a base portion including the hingeto a distal end. A width Wof the end platetapers along the height direction from the base to the distal end to provide the end platewith an A-shape, as shown in. Additionally, the distal endof the end platemay include an arcuate lipthat curves toward the front end, as shown in. The tapered width Wand the arcuate lipcooperate to ease removal of merchandise from the trayby allowing a user to manipulate the merchandise over or around the end platewith minimal disruption to the remaining merchandise.

With reference to, the lens baseincludes a rear endand a front endAdditionally, the lens baseis configured to be coupled to the tray. For instance, as shown in, the lens baseincludes one or more rear flangesthat correspond with and can be received in the third and fourth slots,of the tray. The lens basefurther includes one or more front cantilevered tabsthat correspond with and are arranged in the first and second slots,of the tray.

With reference to, the lens baseincludes a pusher channelthat corresponds with and/or receives a portion of the trackand accommodates a portion of the pusher. Additionally, as shown, the lens baseincludes one or more rampsthat are coupled to an upper surfaceand extend between the rear endand the front endof the lens base. As shown in, the rampsare arranged on either side of the pusher channel. The rampseach include a rear sidethat faces the rear endof the merchandising systemand a front sidethat faces the front endof the merchandising system. The rear sidecan have a rear edgeand the front sidecan have a front edge. An uppermost portioncan be arranged longitudinally between the rear edgeand the front edge. The rampscan be desirable to help maintain orientation of merchandise as the merchandise moves from the rear endto the front end. According to at least one aspect, the rear sideof the rampsare configured to lean or tilt merchandise toward the pusher(i.e., toward the rear end) as the merchandise moves onto the rear edgesand toward the uppermost portionof the ramps. As merchandise moves past the uppermost portion, the merchandise can descend along the front sidetoward the front edge into a recess or receptacle. The front sideof the rampsare spaced rearwardly from the rear sideof the end plateto define the receptaclebetween the end plateand the ramps. As merchandise advances in the direction Dtowards the end plate, a bottom portion of a forward-most item of merchandise will drop into the receptacleto retain the bottom portion between the end plateand the ramp. In other words, the rampscan help prevent merchandise from tipping or falling forward as the merchandise translates toward the end plateof the lens assembly.

With reference to, an illustrative example of the pusheris provided. The pushercan be configured to contact merchandise arranged in the merchandising systemand bias the merchandise toward the front end of the merchandising system. The pushercan include a front sidethat is configured to contact merchandise and a rear sidethat is opposite the front sideThe pusherincludes a base, such as a bifurcated base, as shown in. The baseincludes a first or right sideand a second or left side

The baseincludes a first or lower product-contacting surfaceand an upper wallextending from the first product contacting surfaceto an upper end. The upper walldefines a second or upper product contacting surface. The second product-contacting surfacecan be angled with respect to the first product-contacting surfacefor example. Similar to the first product-contacting surfacesthe second product-contacting surfaceis configured to support and maintain orientation of merchandise arranged in the merchandising system. An upper portion of the upper wallcan have an A-shape that includes a width Wthat tapers along a direction from the bottom to a distal end, as shown in.

With reference to, the second product-contacting surfaceforms an angle γ with respect to the first product-contacting surfaceIn the illustrated example, the upper wallinclines away from the first product contacting surface toward the rear endof the merchandising system. Thus, the first product-contacting surfaceis arranged for guiding a bottom portion of the merchandise out of the traywhile the second product-contacting surfaceprovides an angle conducive for maintaining the merchandise in an upright configuration for display. Additionally, the pushercan include side or support wallsthat are coupled to the first and second product-contacting surfacesand extend toward the rear endof the merchandising system. As shown in, one or more vertical supportsand one or more lateral supportscan be coupled to the rear sideof the pusherand are desirable to reinforce the pusherand reduce deflection of the pusherduring operation, for example.

The pusherincludes an actuator nestarranged laterally between the right sideand the left sideand can be configured to house an actuator (e.g., a spring). The actuatorcan be arranged in the actuator nestand coupled to the trayor the lens assemblyat the front endof the tray, for example. In the present illustrative example, the actuatorincludes a free end attached at the front endof the trayand operable to selectively bias the pusheralong the trackbetween the rear endand the front end. According to one aspect, with reference to, the actuator nestincludes a radius Rsuch that the actuatorcan move the pushertoward the front endwithout binding, for example.

The pusheralso includes a carriagethat is coupled to the baseand arranged laterally between the right sideand left sideA front surfaceof the carriagecan be parallel with the first product-contacting surfaceof the base, as shown in. A bottom portion of the carriagecan extend into the channelof the trayso that the pushercan move axially along the trackbetween the front endand the rear end. In the present illustrative example, a roller bearingis coupled to the carriageand corresponds with and/or rides on the first railand the second railof the trackso that the pushercan easily translate between the front endand the rear endof the tray. Thus, as increased loads are applied to the pusherby added merchandise, the roller bearingeliminates potential binding that may occur between the pusherand the track.

In the illustrated example, with reference to, a product receiving areacan be defined between the front sideof the pusherand the front sideof the end plate. Stated differently, the product receiving areacan be arranged between the lens assemblyand at least one of the first product-contacting surfaceand/or the second product-contacting surface. In use, the pusheris configured to translate along the tracksuch that an effective lengthof the product receiving areaincreases and decreases to accommodate the merchandise that is received within the product receiving area. In other words, the pushermay be translated in a first direction DI away from the end plateto increase the effective lengthof the product receiving areawhen products are loaded into the merchandising system, and may be translated in a second direction Dtowards the end plateto decrease the effective lengthof the product receiving areaas products are removed from the merchandising system. Thus, the pusheris operable to maintain stocked products at a forward-most position against and/or near the end plate.

Ordinarily, round and thin merchandise, such as frozen round pizzas, are challenging to dispense using an ordinary product pusher. In general, frozen round pizzas tend to flop forward and/or lean forward towards a customer receiving end of the ordinary product pusher. Sometimes this results in damage to the merchandise and/or unnecessary interruptions that prevent the merchandise from moving from one end of the product pusher to the other. Here, on the other hand, the merchandising systemis configured to accommodate round and thin merchandise, as well as merchandise of other shapes as well, while avoiding damage to the merchandise and/or interruptions that disrupt the flow of merchandise from the rear endto the front end. Notably, with respect to, the rampsof the lens assemblycan provide a directional change to the merchandise arranged in the product receiving area. In other words, the rampscan cause the merchandise arranged in the product receiving areato lean toward the pusher. Additionally, according to another aspect, the retainersof the wallscan be arranged such that they prevent merchandise from falling toward the front endwhen a piece of merchandise is removed by a user (e.g., a customer).

illustrate another illustrative configuration of a merchandising system′. This configuration is similar in many respects to the configuration of. Accordingly, the descriptions of the configurations are hereby incorporated into one another, and description of subject matter common to the configurations generally may not be repeated.

Referring to, a merchandising system′ is generally shown. The merchandising system′ can be installed in a retail environment, such as a shelfof a refrigerator or freezer. For instance, the merchandising system′ can be arranged on a top surfaceof the shelf, or on another suitable base surface. The shelfmay be located in a store or other suitable location where consumers are able to purchase merchandise. As shown in, the top surfaceof the shelfextends from a front edgeto an opposite rear edge. As discussed throughout, the direction from the front edgeto the rear edgedefines a longitudinal direction while the direction parallel to the front edgeand the rear edgedefines a lateral direction. In some implementations, the shelfmay include apertures (not shown) extending through the top surfaceand arranged in series adjacent to each of the front edgeand the rear edgeof the shelf. Portions of the merchandising system′ may be secured to the shelfvia fasteners engaging with the apertures (not shown). The merchandising system′ may be secured to the shelfin any suitable manner, and the merchandising system′ may be selectively detached from the shelfand moved, for example, to another shelf or other surface.

With reference to, the merchandising system′ includes a first or front end′ adjacent the front edgeof the shelfand a second or rear end′ opposite the front end′ and adjacent the rear edgeof the shelf. Additionally, the merchandising system′ includes a first or right side′ and a second or left side′ spaced laterally from the right side′. The merchandising system′ generally includes the trayextending between the front end′ and the rear end′, one or more wallscoupled to and extending from the trayon the right side′ and/or left side′, and a pusher mechanism′ coupled to the tray. The pusher mechanism′ generally includes a lens assemblycoupled to the front end′ and a pusherthat is movable between the front end′ and the rear end′. As described in greater detail below, the merchandising system′ is generally configured so that a user (e.g., store associate) can load (i.e., stock, dispose, etc.) merchandise between the lens assemblyand the pusherso that the pusheris progressively moved away from the lens assemblytoward the rear end′. Additionally, the merchandising system′ is also generally configured to maintain orientation of merchandise after another user (e.g., a customer or consumer) removes merchandise from the merchandising system′ and the merchandise between the pusherand the lens assemblyadvances toward the front end′. In other words, the merchandising system′ can be configured to prevent merchandise from tipping or falling forward toward the front end′ after one or more units of the merchandise is removed from the merchandising system′. This may be desirable to prevent damage to the merchandise and/or to maintain orientation of advertising, branding, graphics, logos, etc. on the merchandise to enhance product visibility and access to potential customers.

The one or more wallscan include a first or right walland a second or left wall(hereinafter, the walls). Each of the wallsinclude a front endthat is adjacent the front endof the trayand a rear endthat is opposite the front endand adjacent the rear endof the tray. The right walland the left walleach include a basethat can be coupled to the trayand extend between the front endand the rear endof the tray, as shown in. The baseof each of the wallscan be coupled to the trayvia flangesthat are coupled to and depend from the baseThe flangesare spaced longitudinally along each baseand correspond with the longitudinal spacing of the respective rows of the sockets,of the tray, as shown in. Additionally, clips or cantilevered armscan extend from the baseand correspond with receptaclesThe clipscan help releasably secure the walls to the tray, for example.

Additionally, each basecan include groovesthat extend between the front endand the rear endThe groovescan be desirable for reducing friction between at least a portion of the wallsand merchandise so that the merchandise can travel between the rear end′ and the front end′ without interruption, for example.

Support or guide wallsare coupled to and extend away from the baseof the walls. In the present example, the guide wallsare perpendicular to the baseto provide support and alignment for a rectangular or square box, for example. The guide wallsinclude a lower portionthat extends adjacent the traybetween the upper surfaceand the lower surface. The guide wallsinclude a height Hbetween the lower portionand an upper portion

With reference to, guardscan be coupled to the guide wallsat the rear endof each of the wallsand extend inwardly toward the track. Particularly, the guardsare coupled to the lower portionof the guide wallsand to a portion of each baseThe guardscan be desirable for maintaining orientation of merchandise arranged in the merchandising system′, as well as help prevent merchandise from falling out of the merchandising system′ from the rear end′ during loading, for example. The wallscan further include wingsthat are coupled to and extend axially away from the guide wallsParticularly, the wingsare coupled to the upper portionof the guide wallsThe wingseach include a front endand a rear endspaced from the front endThe wingscan be desirable for maintaining orientation of merchandise as the merchandise moves toward the front end′of the merchandising system, for example.

According to one aspect, as shown in, coupling mechanismsmay be arranged in or coupled to wallsso the merchandising system′ can be coupled with additional merchandising systems, such as one or more of the merchandising system′. In the present example, the coupling mechanismsare arranged in the lower portionof the guide wallsand longitudinally spaced between the front endand the rear endParticularly, the coupling mechanismscoupled to the wallinclude one or more slotsor first coupling features and the coupling mechanismscoupled to the wallinclude one or more hooks or second coupling featurethat are configured to engage with one or slots (i.e., the same or similar to the slots) of another pusher mechanism or merchandising system arranged adjacent to the merchandising system, for example.

With reference to, an illustrative example of the pusher mechanism′ is provided. In general, the pusher mechanism′ can be arranged at the front end′ of the merchandising system′ and include the lens assemblyand the pusher. The pusher mechanism′ can be configured to move merchandise with respect to the trackbetween the rear end′ and the front end′. Additionally, the pusher mechanism′ can be configured to maintain orientation of the merchandise arranged between the lens assemblyand the pusher. This can be desirable to enhance product visibility and access to potential customers, for example.