BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The following detailed description can be more fully understood when considered in conjunction with the drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a merchandise display system according to the present invention, showing an example of use thereof;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a frame unit of the merchandise display system according to the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the merchandise display system according to the present invention, showing another example of use thereof;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a free tray of the merchandise display system according to the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an individual tray of the merchandise display system according to the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a partially-cutaway perspective view of an individual tray of the merchandise display system according to the present invention;
FIGS. 8
a and 8b are sectional views of an essential part of the merchandise display system according to the present invention, showing the way in which a free tray is fitted into guide rails;
FIGS. 9
a and 9b are sectional views of another essential part of the merchandise display system according to the present invention, showing the way in which a work-table plate fitted in a base plate is pulled out through table guides;
FIG. 10 is a rear perspective view of an essential part of the merchandise display system according to the present invention, showing the work-table plate and the base plate that are in the position shown in FIG. 9b;
FIG. 11 is a plan view of the merchandise display system according to the present invention, showing an example of use thereof;
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a modified tray usable in the merchandise display system according to the present invention;
FIG. 13 is a perspective view of another free tray of the merchandise display system according to present invention;
FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a connector usable in the merchandise display system according to the present invention; and
FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the merchandise display system according to the present invention, showing an example in which it is in use.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The merchandise display system according to the present invention will be explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The merchandise display system according to the present invention substantially comprises the following three member groups: a frame unit section; a tray section; and a work-table section.
The frame unit section includes a plurality of frame units having different lengthwise and breadthwise dimensions.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, each frame unit includes frame rods 1 each having a rectangular frame shape as a whole. The frame rods 1 are provided at the front and rear sides of the frame unit with an appropriate spacing therebetween. A plurality of pairs of opposed right and left guide rails 2 with a U-shaped sectional configuration are provided on the right and left sides, respectively, of the front and rear frame rods 1 at appropriate spacings in the vertical direction to extend between the frame rods 1. The lower side 3 of each guide rail 2 is provided with a cut portion 4 at an intermediate, offcenter position.
The bottom portion 1′ of each frame rod 1 is fixedly secured to a base plate 5. The base plate 5 has a pair of opposed table guides 6 with a U-shaped sectional configuration formed at the right and left side ends thereof. As shown in FIGS. 9a and 9b, the base plate 5 is closed at the rear end thereof, as shown by reference numeral 7, and has an opening 8 at the front end thereof. Each table guide 6 has a bent portion 9 extending downward from the upper edge of the opening 8.
As original parts of the frame units, for example, frame units respectively having two and three guide rails 2 on each side are prepared regardless of whether the breadth is relatively large or small. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, detachable joining members 10 are provided at appropriate positions on the top and bottom sides of the frame rods 1 of frame units, which form upper and lower frame units when stacked, thereby joining together a plurality of frame units stacked up.
Accordingly, four different types of frame units, for example, are prepared as parts of the frame unit section. These parts are selected and set according to the conditions of the installation space.
For the horizontal continuity and expansion of the system, frame units are arranged to be forwardly or rearwardly displaceable relative to each other when installed, thereby achieving space saving, as shown in FIG. 11.
The tray section includes large and wide free trays 11 that are mounted on the right and left guide rails 2 of the frame unit. The tray section further includes relatively narrow individual trays 15. Three to five individual trays 15 are placed side by side in a row in each free tray 11.
The individual trays 15 include short and long individual trays that are prepared according to the number of items of merchandise to be displayed. For cigarettes, for example, the short and long individual trays are adapted to be capable of accommodating 7 and 13 packs of cigarettes, respectively.
As shown in FIG. 4, each free tray 11 has a pocket wall 12 of low height on the front side thereof and is open above the pocket wall 12. The free tray 11 has walls 13 of the same height on the right, left and rear sides thereof.
The free tray 11 further has projections 14 at respective offcenter positions on the right and left side ends of the bottom thereof. When the free tray 11 is inserted into the accommodating space defined between a pair of opposed right and left guide rails 2 attached to the frame rods 1 of the frame unit, the right and left projections 14 engage the cut portions 4 of the lower sides 3 of the right and left guide rails 2, respectively, thereby enabling the free tray 11 to be mounted stably, as shown in FIGS. 8a and 8b. In this stationary position, the respective front sides of the free trays 11 and the individual trays 15 project outward from the front side of the frame unit, being flush with each other.
As shown in FIG. 5, each individual tray 15 has side walls 16 of necessary height on one longitudinally extending side and front and rear sides thereof. On the other longitudinally extending side of the individual tray 15, a low guide wall 17 is provided to define a space 18 thereabove, thereby facilitating the removing and replenishing of merchandise displayed on the individual tray 15.
Card pockets 19 are provided on the front and rear sides (i.e. laterally extending sides) of the individual tray 15. Display plates with arbitrary letters, numerals, etc. written thereon are inserted into the card pockets 19. As shown in FIG. 6, dust outlets 20 are provided in the respective bottoms of the card pockets 19.
As shown in FIG. 5, a longitudinally extending narrow slot rail 21 is provided in the center of the bottom of the individual tray 15.
As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, inverted V-shaped mounts 22 are formed on both sides of the slot rail 21 at the inner side of one of the card pockets 19 that is located at the front end of the individual tray 15, so that the foremost one of merchandise items, e.g. cigarette packs, is higher in position than the others that press against the back of the foremost merchandise item, thereby enabling the foremost merchandise item to be removed easily.
As shown in FIG. 6, one end of a spring band 23 is secured to the front end of the slot rail 21 between the mounts 22, and the other end of the spring band 23 is wound on a shaft 27 provided between rear side walls 26 of an abutting plate 25 of a slider 24 slidable along the slot rail 21 in the longitudinal direction of the individual tray 15.
The rear side walls 26 of the slider 24 are integrated together at the bottom thereof. U-shaped grooves are formed on the right and left end portions of the bottom of the slider 24. The U-shaped grooves are slidably engaged with the right and left side edges of the slot rail 21. Thus, the slider 24 is longitudinally slidable along the slot rail 21 through the U-shaped grooves.
As shown in FIG. 5, a low step 28 is provided on the rear end of the individual tray 15. The slider 24 comes to rest when the U-shaped grooves thereof engage the step 28.
Regarding the above-described tray section, the drawings show that the large and wide free trays 11 each accommodate five individual trays 15 in parallel (see FIG. 1), and that the small and narrow free trays 11 each accommodate three individual trays 15 in parallel (see FIG. 3).
In addition, a modified tray 30 (see FIG. 12) comprising a series of triangular inclined step portions 29 with a triangular configuration as seen in a side view may be prepared for individual trays 15 to be placed on a free tray 11 of the tray section. The modified tray 30 allows a special display method. That is, the modified tray 30 is placed on a free tray 11, and individual trays 15 are placed on the triangular inclined step portions 29. Then, merchandise items are slantingly displayed on the individual trays 15. Individual trays 15 to be placed on the inclined step portions 29 of the modified tray 30 may have some different colors. This enables an advertising scheme of emphasizing particular items of displayed merchandise.
The work-table section has work-table plates prepared in conformity in size to the frame unit section and the tray section, each comprising parts of two different sizes, i.e. large and small frame units, and large and small free trays. Each work-table is installed on the base plate 5 at the bottom of the above-described frame unit.
That is, as shown in FIG. 15, a work-table plate 31 is inserted into the table guides 6 of the base plate 5. The work-table plate 31 can be pulled out and pushed in toward and away from the opening 8 of the base plate 5. A handle 32 is provided on the front end of the work-table plate 31.
As shown in FIGS. 9a, 9b and 10, a lower abutting plate 33 is provided at the rear end of the back side of the work-table plate 31. When the work-table plate 31 is pulled out toward the opening 8 of the base plate 5, the lower abutting plate 33 abuts against stoppers 34 provided at the respective front ends of the lower sides of the right and left table guides 6 to prevent the work-table plate 31 from undesirably falling out of the base plate 5.
Upper abutting plates 35 are provided to stand on the right and left sides of the top rear end of the work-table plate 31. When the work-table plate 31 is pulled out toward the opening 8 of the base plate 5, the upper abutting plates 35 abut against the bent portion 9 at the front end of the base plate 5, whereby the work-table plate 31 is stably held in a horizontal position.
A cushioning belt 36 is provided on the lower side of the work-table plate 31 to extend forward from the center of the lower abutting plate 33. The cushioning belt 36 serves as a cushioning medium for the work-table plate 31 when suspended by gravity during use.
FIG. 14 shows a connector 37 as an auxiliary member used in addition to the joining members 10 when the frame units are connected together vertically in a large number of stages of a stack.
It should be noted that when the frame units are connected together not only in the vertical direction but also in the horizontal direction, arbitrary connecting members are used to prevent rolling and to keep stability.
When relatively large merchandise items are to be displayed, two rail members 38 are juxtaposed with a spacing therebetween in a large-sized free tray 11, as shown in FIG. 13, and sliders 24 with abutting plates 25 are longitudinally slidably provided on the rail members 38, respectively. One end of a spring band 23 is secured to the back of the abutting plate 25 of each slider 24, thereby allowing the slider 24 to slide longitudinally while constantly pressing against merchandise items with the front side of the abutting plate 25. Examples of merchandise items that may use the free tray 11 equipped with the rail members 38 are canned juice and boxed confectionery.
It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiments but can be modified in a variety of ways.
Patent Application
20070267365
