ES2553781T3 - Metal shelving for merchandise presentation, and relative assembly and disassembly method - Google Patents

Abstract

Metal shelving for the presentation of goods, comprising: - a post (1) having varying dimensions of depth and height, with front coupling openings (14, 17) and side holes (5); - a height-adjustable threaded foot (7) to be mounted on the bottom of the post; - a base (3) having varying dimensions in depth and height, which rests on the ground with at least one height adjustable foot (24) at its distal end, which comprises at its proximal end a pair of hooks (12) and a pair of wings (13) with holes (15), and - a pin (4); wherein the assembly between the post (1) and the base (3) is produced by inserting a pair of said hooks (12) into said coupling openings (14) of the post (1) and inserting said wings (13) in the coupling openings (17) of the post (1), wherein the solidity of the coupling is ensured by said pin (4) transversely inserted in the aligned holes (5) of the post (1) and the holes ( 15) of said wings (13), characterized in that said pair of hooks (12) are open downwards and that said hooks (12) are produced in a single piece with open wings (13) from the sheets of plate, and the two resulting pieces (A, B) with the hooks (12, 13) are fixed on the sides of a vertical and linear body (23), forming the front inclination part of the proximal end of the base (3) , and the pieces themselves (A, B) are provided with respective horizontal extensions (25, 125), inserted in the length cavities inals of the base (3) and fixed to them by welding (27, 127) and / or other suitable means.

Description

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DESCRIPTION

Metal shelf for presentation of goods, and method of assembly and relative disassembly

The invention relates to a metal shelf for the sale of merchandise, which is notoriously of a modular type, which typically comprises a pair of posts at whose lower end perpendicular cantilever bases are fixed; the bases rest on the ground with adjustable interposed feet, and are also hooked and fixed to the posts; also, at different heights and above these bases, horizontal shelves are articulated to the posts; On the shelves the goods are presented and organized. The two posts are articulated transversely with each other, and stabilized with vertical rear panels.

Normally a shelf unit has to support goods weighing around 600 kg.

The shelf must be able to be assembled and disassembled quickly and safely, in order to be able to adapt the presentation space to different needs, which can also change over time.

The assembly sequence begins with the fixing of the bases to the posts, taking into account that, according to the different solutions of the prior art, the adjustable feet can be presented in the bases alone or in the posts as well, and that the Feet can be applied on the posts, before or after hooking the base on the pole itself.

A limit of the known technique is that the means that anchor the base to the post are often fixed by screws or directly welded at the proximal end of the base itself, involving a surface of limited width of the base itself, which is loaded with significant concentrated loads, this can lead to failure, with the risk insured.

At present, the feet are sized according to the type of post, and often the feet have different shapes and dimensions, for example designed for shelves called gondola that have bases and shelves on both sides of the posts, or for those called wall shelves, which have bases and shelves only on one side of the posts. A first disadvantage of the known technique consists in the sequence of assembly and especially of disassembly, in which with the known solutions the shelf must be disassembled in all its components (posts, feet, bases) for reconfiguration.

A further advantage of the prior art comes from the fact that, having several types of feet of different shapes and dimensions, difficulties may arise at the point of work to find the right foot for that specific shelf configuration. This also translates into a disadvantage for the shelf producer, who is forced to produce and store more than one type of foot.

As prior art, US 5 205 421 published in 1993 in the name of R.T. BUSTOS, which teaches how to connect the base to the post of a shelf through a transverse pin having mainly the objective of forming a hinge. This patent teaches to provide on the base, in correspondence with said hinge, adjustable support means with the post, so that the verticality of the post itself is adjusted. This adjustment, however, does not count the angular oscillations of the pole when the base is separated. Even if this patent anticipates the use of a floor support foot at the lower end of the post, this solution does not allow the base to be safely disassembled while the shelf is loaded.

As prior art, the patent ES 2 160 501 B1 filed on 6-30-1999 in the name of YUDIGAR is also cited. This patent teaches that the proximal end of the base is provided at its upper end with a protruding hook, opened upwards, to be inserted into a front opening of the post, which rests on the groove of the hook. In the lower part of the base, transverse holes are provided with the corresponding holes of a pair of wings welded to the proximal end of the base, they are aligned, and in such holes at a second moment a transverse pin, in the form of a screw and Other removable media. In this solution, this post is not provided with support feet, which are only present in the base. Therefore, the entire weight of the post, the shelves and the goods loaded on the shelves weighs on said hook, and especially on said pin; so that it is absolutely impossible to disassemble the base when the shelf is loaded. Even if there was a support foot at the lower end of the post, decoupling the base of the post required a wide translation to the ground of the base itself, in order to be able to unhook the top hook of the post, which means an operation Difficult and heavy neutralization of the base feet.

As the most recent prior art, patent FR 2 956 171 B1 filed on February 10, 2008, in the name of HMY, is cited. This patent describes a solution very similar to that of the previous Spanish patent, with a base that has at its proximal end a higher hook, open upwards, to support the post, and which has a pair of lower wings with an opening, which are aligned with the corresponding transverse holes for the post, to which it is fixed through a removable pin. This patent differs from the preceding Spanish patent in that said pair of lower wings is provided with openings having a V-profile, with the wider end oriented towards the direction of insertion of the hook into the opening of the post and the lower one oriented with its tip. The transverse fixing pin that passes through the through hole of the lower end of the post, which crosses said V-holes, can pass from a loose fixing position at the upper end of said opening, when the

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Base hook is inserted into a front opening of the post, to a tight fixing position at the pointed tip of the same V-holes, when the post is pushed down, and the highest edge of the opening enters the groove of said hook. To disassemble the base of the pole, a reverse operation must be performed, in which the pole must be lifted, which is certainly not possible safely when the shelf is loaded. This same patent teaches to group the highest hook and said pair of lower wings in a single metal insert, produced from a plate sheet through the cutting and bending, and provided with a flat body with holes and screws, to fix to the front end of the distal base end; The lower end of said body is bent perpendicularly to form a perforated base that rests and is fixed with another screw to the bottom of the proximal base end. The upper and lower parts of said body are bent so that they protrude in the front part of said body to form said upper hook, open upwards and to form said pair of wings having V-shaped holes. The fixing of said body from insert to the base, through screws or welds, it is not possible to distribute the effort over a wide part of the base itself, with problems assured due to the presence of concentrated loads in small fixing areas. Also, said hook, wings and lower appendix of said insert, produced through perpendicular bending of the base sheet, are weakened in their resistance to brittleness and fissures that can occur in bent areas, with assured risks.

The present invention relates to an anchoring system from the base to the post of said shelf and aims to solve the problems explained above and others, with a shelf having the characteristics of the independent claims and whose advantageous embodiments and improvements are specified in the dependent claims. In accordance with the present invention, the hook and wings of the proximal base end are produced in a single component from pairs of metal plates fixed on opposite sides of a metal body that also forms the flat striking front part of the base with posts; said plates have integral perpendicular extensions that fit into the corresponding longitudinal cavities of the base; they are welded to the walls of the body so that a wide part is reinforced with the proximal end of the base, and therefore, this system is able to better withstand the mechanical stress of the shelf.

In accordance with the present invention, said lower wings are also profiled, so that they work as hooks, to facilitate the insertion of the transverse pin that intercepts the post holes and the openings in the lower base wings, hindering movements between the base and the post, and ensuring the mechanical resistance necessary to resist all the mechanical stresses to which the fixation is subjected, as a result of its own weight and that of the goods presented in its shelves. Thanks to the anchoring of the post openings of both the hooks and the lower wings of the proximal base end, the mechanical stress to which the shelf is subjected is also discharged over a wide part of the post, with the safety advantages ensured.

In addition, the present invention comprises a single base with foot, capable of supporting the post regardless of its depth variation according to the wall shelf or gondola, which is fixed integrally on the lower end of the post itself, which has reference holes special. The coupling between the post and the support allows simple and easy centering of the support itself with respect to the post, and allows keeping the two components matched even during the assembly and disassembly phases of the shelf.

The invention will be described with reference to seven tables of drawings, which illustrate non-limiting embodiments, in which:

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the post, adjustment foot, base and fixing pin, in the assembly phase of these four shelf components;

Figure 1b illustrates, according to a front perspective, the different components of the insert, comprising the upper hooks and the lower wings in an exploded view;

Figure 1c illustrates, according to a later perspective, the insert of the preceding figure, preassembled and ready for insertion and fixation at the proximal end of the base;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the four shelf components of Figure 1, assembled and fixed for use;

Figure 3a is a top perspective view of the adjustable foot support of the preceding figures; Figure 3b is a perspective view of the support of Figure 3a;

Figure 3c illustrates the support of Figures 3a and 3b according to a cross section that passes through the center of the screw seat of the foot rod;

Figure 3d illustrates in a perspective view the support and the foot of the preceding figures, mounted on different types of posts for the metal shelf;

Figures 4a and 4b illustrate the base in a perspective view, seen from the distal end and the proximal end of the anchor and attachment to the end of the post, respectively;

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Figures 5a, 5b, 5c illustrate the fixing pin of the base to the post, seen in a perspective, side and front view, respectively;

Figure 6 illustrates details detected in accordance with section line VI-VI of Figure 2.

A perspective view of the four basic components of a shelf unit according to the invention is shown in Figure 1a: a post 1, a foot support 2, a base 3 and a pin 4.

The post 1 can be of different type and dimensions according to the different presentation needs; indicatively, the post may have a variable height between 1 m and 3 m, a depth P varying between about 3 cm and 12 cm, and a constant width L (see also Figure 3d). In addition, the post 1 has at the bottom of its side wall at least one hole 5 for engaging a base 3, and especially for inserting a cross pin 4. The hole 5 has a circular shape having a radial groove 6 for a key , for example facing up. The post 1 shows under the holes 5, near its lower end, at least one hole or a cavity impression 19 for the joint with a rounded relief 10 present in the support 2 (see below).

The support 2 is produced from a single piece of plate and is shaped to receive a threaded foot 7 that allows the height adjustment of the post / shelf unit.

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the assembled basic components: post 1, support 2, base 3 and pin 4.

The top view of the support 2 is shown in Figure 3a, while the same support is shown in its bottom view in Figure 3b. The support 2 has a square shape, with four tongues 8 and 9 on its sides, a tongue for each side. The pairs of opposite tongues 8 and 9 show identical dimensions, different from the adjacent side; the tongues 8 are longer than the tongues 9. The tongues 8 have a redproc internal distance that is equal to the width L of the post 1 and the base 3. The tongues 8 and 9 have a distance such that the shorter tongues 9 they can enter the post 1 transversely, without interference, and that the longer tabs 8 can be placed by friction outside the post 1 itself, which with its lower end rests on the support 2. In addition, the tabs 8 show at the point middle of its inner face, a respective rounded relief 10 to join with one of the corresponding lateral holes 19 in the post 1. The tabs 8 have the inner edge of their upper side opportunely bevelled so as to form a bevel that facilitates the insertion with interference of the tongues themselves externally to the post 1. The support 2 shows an underside extracted with a peripheral reintroduction feature useful for forming a recess of the surface of the surface. bearing of post 1, in order to reach the maximum vertical adjustment of the post itself. The support 2 has a projecting central part, in which a threaded central hole 11 protrudes towards the bottom; inside it is mounted the threaded rod 107 of foot 7.

Figure 3c shows the support 2 according to a lateral section, from which the position of the threaded hole 11 can be appreciated, which is first reintroduced and then protrudes with respect to the support plane of the post, so that the final length is such that it can safely cooperate with a long part of the rod 107 of foot 7.

Figure 3d shows that the assembly formed by the support 2 and the foot 7 can be mounted on different types of posts 1, 1 ', 1 "that have different depth P but identify width L.

Figures 4a, 4b show perspective views from opposite ends of base 3, which may have different depths, indicatively from 20 cm to 95 cm, and different heights, indicatively from 10 cm to

15 cm These different depths and heights are necessary for different needs. The base 3 as a whole shows a parallelepipedic shape, with protrusions at the proximal end that will be hooked to the post

1. In particular, the base 3 shows at the top of its proximal end a pair of hooks 12 that extend upwards, and that are open downwards, and at the bottom of the same end shows a pair of wings 13, each having a hole 15 internally provided with a slot 16 for a key. The holes 5 of the post 1, and the holes 15 of the wings 13 of the base 3, have the same dimensions and have the key slots 6 and

16 which have the same dimensions and the same angular position.

Referring also to Figure 1, the hooks 12 and wings 13 are produced by cutting from plate sheets so that they are integral with each other, and the two pieces A and B from this cut, which each has a hook 12 and a wing 13, are welded on the sides of a vertical body 23, which is to be supported against the post 1 forming the front part of the proximal end of the base 3. Said perpendicular pieces A and B are provided with a part having horizontal extensions 25, 125, respectively, which are inserted in the corresponding parts of the upper and lower longitudinal cavities of the proximal end of the base 3. Said extensions 25, 125 and, where appropriate, other parts of the three parts with hooks 12 and wings 13 are fixed by welding and / or other suitable means to the walls of the longitudinal cavities. For this purpose, spot, cable or laser welding can be applied. In Figures 1a and 2, with the numbers 27 and 127 the welding marks are indicated as explained above.

Figure 1c shows that the three components A, B, 23 carrying the hooks 12 and the wings 13 can be

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preassembled before being inserted in the proximal end of the base 3. It is evident that the present solution allows a wide distribution at the base of the stresses of the hooks 12 and the wings 12.

Figures 1b and 1c show that the wings 13 have round angles, that their lower side is slightly inclined with a frontal elevation, and that said side is provided at its rear with a recess 26 aligned vertically with the opening downwards of the hooks 12. These details facilitate the assembly of the base 3 on the post 1, since it is easy to first insert the wings 13 into the respective long coupling openings 17 of the post and then press the base 3 towards the post itself, with the certainty of that the hooks 12 will enter their respective short coupling openings 14. When the wings 13 have been completely inserted into the coupling openings 17 and the bottom side of these rests on the recesses 26, the base descends thanks to its own weight, while the wings 13 are anchored to the lower side of the relative coupling openings 14. Thanks to these anchors, the base 3 is positioned correctly and perpendicularly with respect to the post 1, and the holes 15 of the wings are correctly aligned with the holes 5 of the post 1, thus facilitating the insertion of the pin 4 that crosses said holes 5 and 15, ensuring the solidity of the joint between the base 3 and the post 1 .

Figure 5 shows the pin 4, which, according to a solution shown, has a small latch 18 protruding from its profile, thanks to the presence of an internal spring not shown. The latch 18 has dimensions suitable for the key slots 6 and 16, so that it allows easy removal during disassembly, once the latch 18 is in phase with the two slots 6 and 16 (see below).

The strength of the base assembly 3 - post 1 is further secured by the presence of a washer 20, which prevents accidental removal of the pin 4, even if it happens that the latch 18 is in phase with the slots 6 and 16 (see Figure 6).

In addition, the head 21 of the pin 4 has a faceted shape, with two parallel surfaces 22, which facilitates the grip of the head 21 itself with a tool to rotate said pin 4 or to remove the pin itself from its seat during disassembly of the base 3 (see below).

The assembly of a shelf unit according to the present invention takes place with the following steps:

- inserting said support anchor 2 at the lower end of the post 1. This stage is facilitated by the presence of the internal relief 10 on the tabs 8 of the support 2 which are frictionally coupled with the corresponding holes 19 of the post 1;

- for the assembly comprising the post 1 and the support 2, the base 3 is anchored by the hooks 12 and the wings 13. The proximal end of the base 3, with said part 23, adheres to the front part of the post 1 , by inserting the pair of wings 13 in the long coupling openings 17 and the pair of hooks 12 in the short coupling openings 14.

- the base 3 is moved towards the ground so that the hooks 12 are anchored to the lower side of the coupling openings 14 and the wings 13 are anchored to the lower side of the coupling openings 17, aligning the holes 15 with the holes 5 of post 1;

- in the transverse seat formed by the holes 15 of the wings 13 and the holes 5 of the post 1, which show the grooves 6 and 16 aligned with each other, the pin 4 of Figure 5 is inserted, without any phase restriction, and latch 18 is removed to pin 4 itself, counteracting the action of its antagonistic spring;

- when the head 21 of the pin 4 is adjacent to the post 1, on the opposite side of the pin 4, a washer 20 is inserted, which overcomes a release latch 18 and is held against the post, to ensure the impossibility of an extraction accidental pin 4 of your seat;

- lower and unscrew the foot 24 of the base 3 to bring it in contact with the ground and to adjust the verticality of the post 1.

The disassembly of the shelf according to the present invention occurs in accordance with the following steps:

- manual backward movement of latch 18 on pin 4 and subsequent removal of the lock washer pin 20;

- if the latch 18 is not aligned with the grooves 6 and 16, the pin 4 is rotated with a tool to perform said alignment between the parts 18, 6, 16;

- removing the pin 4 from its seat 5, 15;

- disengagement of the base 3 of the post 1 ensuring the steps of lifting and unhooking the hooks 12 from the short coupling openings 14, and the wings 13 of the relative coupling openings 17, moving successively away from the base of the post to extract the same hooks 12 of the coupling openings 14 and the wings 13 of the coupling openings 17.

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One of the advantages of the present invention derives from the fact that the disassembly of the base 3 of its relative post 1 can be carried out safely even when the shelf is loaded with goods or is mounted. This is possible thanks to the downward opening of the hooks 12 and the recesses 26 of the wings 13, which allows an easy removal of the base 3 simply by raising it after having been released from the transverse restriction of the pin 4, and also it allows for the fact that the post 1 does not rest on the base, but instead rests directly on the ground through its lower assembly formed by the support 2 and the foot 7.

In the present invention, it is comprised of the modification comprising the replacement of the pin 4 and the lock washer 20 with equivalent means, for example a screw or other means capable of forming a releasable screw restriction, with safety means preventing the accidental extraction.

The present description refers to a preferred embodiment of the invention, to which modifications can be applied without leaving the field of the basic principles of the invention, as described, illustrated and claimed. In the claims, references between parentheses are merely indicative and not limiting the scope of protection of the claims themselves.

LEGEND

1. post

2. threaded foot support

3. base

4. pin

5. hole

6. key slot

7. threaded foot

8. long tabs

9. short tabs

10. relief

11. threaded hole

12. hooks

13. wings

14. short coupling openings

15. hole

16. key slot

17. long coupling opening

18. latch

19. relief hole 10

20. lock washer

21. head

22. prehensile walls of the head 21

23. vertical body that joins parts A and B;

24. adjustable foot of base 3

25. 125 horizontal extensions of parts A and B with hooks 12 and wings 13;

26. recess of the wings 13 which allows its hook function;

27. 127 weld marks on base 3 to fix components A, B and 23.

Claims (11)

5 10 fifteen twenty 25 30 35 40 Four. Five fifty 1. Metal shelf for the presentation of goods, which includes: - a post (1) having varying dimensions of depth and height, with front coupling openings (14, 17) and side holes (5); - a height-adjustable threaded foot (7) to be mounted on the bottom of the post; - a base (3) having varying dimensions in depth and height, which rests on the ground with at least one height adjustable foot (24) at its distal end, comprising at its proximal end a pair of hooks (12) and a pair of wings (13) with holes (15), and - a pin (4); wherein the assembly between the post (1) and the base (3) is produced by inserting a pair of said hooks (12) into said coupling openings (14) of the post (1) and with the insertion of said wings (13) in the coupling openings (17) of the post (1), where the solidity of the coupling is ensured by said pin (4) transversely inserted in the aligned holes (5) of the post (1) and the holes ( 15) of said wings (13), characterized by said pair of hooks (12) are open downwards and by which said hooks (12) are produced in a single piece with open wings (13) from the plate sheets, and the two resulting pieces (A, B) with the hooks (12, 13) they are fixed on the sides of a vertical and linear body (23), forming the front inclination part of the proximal end of the base (3), and the pieces themselves (A, B) are provided of respective horizontal extensions (25, 125), inserted in the longitudinal cavities of the base (3) and fixed thereto by welding (27, 127) and / or other suitable means. 2. The shelf according to claim 1, wherein the wings (13) have round angles and on their lower side are provided with respective recesses (26) open downwards and aligned with the grooves of the upper hooks (12) , to allow the hooking of the wings in the respective coupling openings (17), in order to allow a wider distribution of the effort on the post (1) and to correctly align the holes (15) of the wings (5) of the post (1), to facilitate the insertion in said holes (5, 15) of said fixing pin (4). 3. Shelf according to claim 1, wherein the holes (15) of the wings (13) of the base (3) and the holes (5) in the post (1), which are to be traversed by said fixing pin (4), have respective key grooves in phase (6, 16). 4. Shelf according to claim 3, wherein said fixing pin (4) has a spring latch (18) to facilitate its assembly and disassembly. 5. Shelf according to claim 4, wherein the head (21) of the fixing pin (4) has at least two lateral sides parallel to each other to facilitate its grip with a tool. 6. Shelf according to claim 4, wherein the fixing pin (4), once mounted, is secured by the presence of a throw-resistant washer (20) that locks the latch (18). 7. Shelf according to claim 1, wherein a single type of support (2) is present, with fast and stable mounting on the lower end of different type of post (1), said support (2) being provided with a threaded hole (11) to accommodate the threaded foot (7). 8. A shelf according to claim 7, wherein the support (2) shows two pairs of opposite tongues (8, 9) protruding upwards with different heights, whose consecutive ends are not in contact, whose free angles are rounded and are sized so that the shorter tabs (9) can be inserted without interference and transverse at the lower end of the post (1), which with its side walls lean against the longer tabs (8), which internally have respective projections (10) to join with the corresponding holes (19) in the outer side walls of the post (1), on which said tabs are inserted by friction. 9. A shelf according to claim 7, wherein the support (2) shows a recess of the support surface of the post (1), manufactured so as to have the maximum vertical adjustment of the post itself, showing the support (2 ) a central threaded hole (11) projecting towards the ground, to mount the threaded rod (107) of the foot (7), so that said threaded hole position (11) is slightly reintroduced with respect to the support surface. 10. Method for mounting the shelf according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the following steps: 5 10 fifteen twenty 25 - insertion / anchoring of the support (2) in the post (1), facilitated by the presence of round projections (10) in the support (2) and the corresponding holes (19) in the post (1) that are released-coupled by said projections; - coupling of the base (3), through the hooks (12) and the wings (13) to the assembly comprising the post (1) and the support (2); the proximal end of the base (3) is adhered to the front part of the post (1), first introducing the pair of wings (13) into the long coupling openings (17) and successively pushing the base (3) towards the post (1) so that the hooks (12) enter the short coupling openings (14) with which they are aligned, and; - hooking the base (3) to the post (1); at the end of the pole support movement, thanks to its own weight, the base (3) is moved towards the ground so that the hooks (12) are hooked on the lower side of the short coupling openings (14) and the wings (13) are hooked to the long coupling openings (17), with the final perpendicularity of the base (3) with respect to the post (1) and with the alignment of the hole (15) of the wings (13) with the side holes of (5) of the post itself (1); - insertion of the pin (4) without phase restriction for its latch (18), in the seat comprising the holes (5) of the post (1) and the holes (15) of the wings (13) that have key slots in phase (6, 16); - insertion of the lock washer (20) at the distal and protruding end of the pin (4), with interposition of the washer between the spring latch (18) that returns to the active position, and the post (1) to avoid accidental removal of the pin (4) from its seat. 11. Method for disassembling the shelf according to one or more of claims 1-9, comprising the following steps: - neutralization of the latch (18) of the pin (4) to allow it to be removed from the lock washer (20), - if necessary, the rotation of the pin (4) to bring its latch (18) in phase with the key slots (6, 16); - removal of the pin (4) from its seat; - lifting the base (3) and then releasing the post (1) to unhook and remove the hooks (12) from the short coupling openings (14) and to unhook and remove the wings (13) from the long coupling openings (17); and characterized in that said disassembly can be carried out even when the shelf is loaded with goods or, in any case, mounted.