CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims priority to Swedish Patent Application No. 0501976-5, filed on Sep. 7, 2006, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.
DESCRIPTION
The present invention relates to a device in shelf stands with several shelves with sloping storage trays or shelves which are extendable on a holder arm in order to facilitate replenishing and removing goods stored in the trays, whereby the trays are secured in the retracted position by means of a locking device which is operated from the front side of the trays.
Such a shelf stand is disclosed in the Swedish Patent No. 449293, wherein several circlesector-shaped, extendable shelves or trays are carried on arms extending from a central column so that the trays form circular shelf arranged to slope slightly downwards. The trays are provided with locking means locking them in retracted and extended position respectively.
Thereby it is desired that the distance between the shelves does not appreciably exceed the height of the goods which shall be stored on the shelves so that the total height of the shelf stand is as small as possible. A problem is to accomplish a locking device which does not intrude on the distance between the shelvs but still enables operating the locking device from the front side of the trays.
The object of the invention is to accomplish a locking device which solves said problem and this object is achieved by a locking device which according to the invention obtains the characteristic features defined in the following claims.
The invention will be disclosed in greater detail with reference to embodiments illustrated in the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows an example of a shelf stand of known art in which a locking device according to the invention may be used.
FIG. 2 shows a plan view of a shelf of the stand shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 shows a perspective, cross section through the central part of an extendable tray of the stand, the tray being provided with a locking device according to the invention.
FIG. 4 shows on a larger scale a side view of the locking device shown in FIG. 3 and in activated state.
FIG. 5 shows on a larger scale a cross section along the line V-V in FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 shows a perspective, cross section like FIG. 3 through the central part of an extendable tray with another kind of locking device according to the invention.
FIG. 7 shows on a larger scale a perspective, side view of the locking device in FIG. 6.
FIG. 9 shows on a larger scale a cross section along the line VIII-VIII in FIG. 7.
The shelf stand shown in FIG. 1 comprises a central column 1 which is supported by a base or foot 2. The central column 1 carries several one above the other situated shelves 3 which are individually rotatable round the column 1.
Every shelf consists of several essentially circlesector-shaped shelf sections or trays 4 extendable on arms 5 extending from a holder 6 rotatably arranged on the central column 1. The trays are provided with a sleeve-like part 7 which is telescopically placed over the corresponding arm 5 and carried on a support wheel 8 (FIG. 4) so that the tray 4 may be moved between an entirely retracted and an extended position. The arms 5 are sloping downwards so that the goods on the shelf glide down against the front side without the necessity to extend the tray. If that does not happen or goods are being refilled on the shelf it is necessary to he able to extend the tray, see FIG. 2 in which a tray 4 is shown extended. The extension of the trays 4 in the stand is limited in a way known per se e.g. by a stop screw arranged on the arms 5 which screw moves in a slit in the sleeve 7 of the tray 4 (not shown).
Since the trays are sloping a locking device easily operated from the outer edge of the tray must in the retracted position secure the trays. Known securing means have been arranged at the back edge of the tray facing the holder 6 and this securing means has been operated by means of an uncovered arm arranged below the tray 4 which arm has an effect on the space between the trays.
Instead, according to this invention, an elongated leaf-shaped locking arm or hook 9 is provided which is shown in FIG. 3-5 and which extends in a channel 10 formed on the upper side of the tray 4 which channel is connected to the sleeve 7 and is formed by an inverted U-shaped sheet 11 which is fastened such as welded to the upper face of the tray's 4 bottom essentially centrally in the tray. The channel 10 is just so much wider than the thickness of the securing hook 9 that this with little play to the sides of the channel 10 can move freely in the channel, while a greater play vertically allows the locking hook 9 to be brought in and out of engagement with a locking plate 12 on the front side of the tray 4. To this end the locking hook 9 is at its inner end carried on a pivot 13 fastened to the inner end of the arm 5 so that the locking hook can swing upwardly when the outer hook-shaped part of the locking hook 9 catch hold over the plate 12 and locks the tray 4 in retracted position. The outer end of the locking hook 9 is to this end rounded so that the locking hook 9 is lifted when it strikes the sheet 12 and by gravity falls down with a notch 14 over the plate 12.
In the embodiment according to FIG. 6-8 a securing hook 15, which with an upturned part 15a is carried on a pivot 13a on the arm 5 corresponding to the pivot 13 in FIG. 4, is arranged flat against the underneath side of the tray 4 in a channel 16 which is formed by a U-shaped plate 17 fastened such as welded to said underneath side here also essentially centrally in the tray. In this case only a small play exists between the securing hook 15 and the sides of the channel 16 since the hook 15 shall only be freely moveable in the longitudinal direction of the channel 16 when the tray 4 is extended. The tray 4 is thus locked in the retracted position by a lockbolt 20 fastened at the front side of the tray which by means of a turned part 18 engages a notch 19 in the hook 15 when the tray is retracted. The lockbolt 20 is made of a resilient material and is biased against the locking position shown but can be removed from engagement with the notch 19 of the hook 15 by an operating arm 21 when the tray 4 shall be extended.
It is obvious from the above that the embodiment with a leaf-shaped locking hook 9, 15 which is kept in a. narrow channel 10, 16 above or under the tray 4 does not build upon the height of the tray but the distance between the shelves 3 may be adapted entirely to the height of the goods which is to be stored on the shelves.
When the trays 4 shall be extended e.g. for replenishing goods the locking hook 9 is lifted from engagement with the plate 12, see FIG. 4, or the lockbolt 20 is brought from engagement with the notch 19, see FIG. 7, so that the tray is released When the trays 4 again are retracted the locking hook 9 and 15 respectively comes into engagement with the locking plate 12 and the lockbolt 20 respectively so that th trays are locked in their normal application positions. By the locking devices being situated at the front edge of the trays the function will be simple and safe.
It is obvious that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but can be altered in order to adapt the locking device to shelf stands and trays other than those shown.
Patent Application
20070051286
