Patent Application
20110088994
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a merchandise displaying device, more particularly to a vertical chain-driven conveyor apparatus for a merchandise displaying device, which is capable of elevating and lowering merchandise rolls on display.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to
The support frame 11 includes two side frames 111 spaced apart from each other. The drive unit 12 includes an upper shaft 121 disposed between upper portions 114 of the side frames 111, a lower shaft 122 disposed between lower portions 112 of the side frames 111, and a motor 123 disposed to drive the lower shaft 122. Each of the chain-driven mechanisms 13 includes upper and lower sprockets 132,131 respectively and rotatably mounted on the upper and lower shafts 121,122, a middle auxiliary sprocket 133, and an endless chain 134 trained on the sprockets 131,132,133. Each of the support units 14 includes two fixtures 141 mounted on the chain 134, and an axle 142 interconnecting the fixtures 141 for rollably supporting a merchandise roll 10. By means of the drive mechanism 12, the chain 134 can be moved along a loop so as to elevate and lower the merchandise rolls 10 for displaying and storing purposes.
However, since such merchandise rolls 10 are bulky and weighty, the chain 134 is liable to become loose after long-term use, thus resulting in unsmooth operation of the chain 134 and slippage of the chain 134 from the sprockets 131,132,133.
The object of the present invention is to provide a vertical chain-driven conveyor apparatus which has chain-tension adjusting means to keep an endless chain in proper mesh with upper and lower sprockets.
According to this invention, the vertical chain-driven conveyor apparatus includes a pair of upright side frames, two sets of upper and lower sprockets, a pair of endless chains, a pair of guide rail units, and a pair of chain-tension adjusting units. The side frames are spaced apart from each other in a longitudinal direction. Each set of the upper and lower sprockets is mounted on the respective side frame to be revolvable about a sprocket axis extending in the longitudinal direction. Each chain is trained on a corresponding set of the upper and lower sprockets, and includes front and rear straight segments which are movable respectively along front and rear running routes that extend in an upright direction and between the corresponding set of the upper and lower sprockets, and that are spaced apart from each other in a transverse direction relative to the upright and longitudinal directions. Each guide rail unit is mounted on the respective side frame, extends in the upright direction, and defines front and rear guideways which respectively guide the front and rear straight segments of the respective chain to move along the front and rear running routes, respectively. Each chain-tension adjusting unit is coupled with the respective upper sprocket, and is movable relative to the respective side frame in the upright direction between a tensed position, where each chain is meshed with the corresponding set of the upper and lower sprockets, and a slack position, where each chain is loosely engaged with the corresponding set of the upper and lower sprockets.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Referring to
The support frame 2 includes a pair of side frames 21 which are spaced apart from each other in a longitudinal direction (X), and each of which has top and bottom ends 211,212 opposite to each other in an upright direction (Z) that is transverse to the longitudinal direction (X), a plurality of crossbars 22 interconnecting the side frames 21, and a plurality of casters 23 disposed on the bottom ends 212 of the side frames 21 for easy movement of the apparatus.
Referring to
Each of the guiding rack units 33 includes a pair of guide bars 331 which are secured to a respective one of the side frames 21 and between the angle bars 310 of the front and rear rails 31 of a respective one of the guide rail units 3, which are disposed parallel to each other, and which are spaced apart from each other in the transverse direction (Y), and a crosspiece 332 disposed between the guide bars 331.
Each of the chain-tension adjusting units includes an upper mount 43 and a pair of tightening bolts 44. The upper mount 43 has two guided portions 434 which are in the form of sliding grooves 434 and which are engaged with and guided by the guide bars 331 to move in the upright direction (Z), and an abutted portion 431 which is interposed between the guided portions 434 and which confronts the crosspiece 332 in the upright direction (Z). The tightening bolts 44 are in the form of threaded bolts 44 to be threadedly engaged with the crosspiece 332, and have actuating ends 441 which extend upwardly of the crosspiece 332 to abut against the abutted portion 431.
Each of the chain-driven mechanisms 4 includes upper and lower sprockets 41,42 and an endless chain 45. The lower sprocket 42 is mounted on a lower mount 46 which is spaced apart from the upper mount 43 of the respective chain-tension adjusting unit 4 in the upright direction (Z) and which includes a mount plate 461 and two positioning plates 462 secured between the angle bars 310 of the rails 31 of the respective guide rail unit 3, and is revolvable about a sprocket axis in the longitudinal direction (X). The upper sprocket 41 is mounted on two upper plates 432 of the upper mount 43 and is revolvable about a sprocket axis in the longitudinal direction (X). The endless chain 45 is trained on the upper and lower sprockets 41,42, and includes a plurality of parallel pairs of outer link plates 451 which confront the longitudinal direction (X) and which cooperatively serve as a link plate-side looped wall, a plurality of parallel pairs of inner link plates 452 disposed inwardly of the outer link plates 451, a plurality of rollers 453 which are disposed between the inner link plates 452 and which confront the transverse direction (Y) to cooperatively serve as a sprocket-engageable body, and a plurality of pins 454 extending through the outer and inner link plates 451,452 and the rollers 453. Some of the pins 454 further extend from the respective outer link plates 451 in the longitudinal direction (X) to form a plurality of mounting stems 456, as shown in the left part of
As shown in
Each of the supporting units 6 includes a pair of fixtures 61, each of which has a coupling portion 611 securely connected to the respective mounting stem 456, and a coupling portion 612 extending in the longitudinal direction (X) and adapted to be coupled with a merchandise roll 10 so as to hold the merchandise roll 10 in the longitudinal direction (X).
In use, by operating the drive unit 5, the lower sprockets 42 are rotated synchronously so as to synchronously move the endless chains 45 as well as the upper sprockets 41, thereby elevating and lowering the merchandise rolls 10 held in the supporting units 6 for facilitating displaying of the merchandise rolls 10. Cutting of a desired measure of the merchandise from a selected one of the merchandise tolls 10 is also facilitated. In addition, by means of the chains 45 which have the sprocket-engageable bodies 453 guided by the guideways 322, and by means of the muffle pads 32, the chains 45 can travel steadily and smoothly without vibration and noise.
Referring to
While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretations and equivalent arrangements.
