AU2002320650A1 - Sliding shelf system with front support posts - Google Patents

Description

f P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: Sliding shelf system with front support posts The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: Freenhils Carter Smith Beadle Melbourne\0041 94231 Printed 17 December 2002 (14:52) page 2 Freehlls Carter Smith Beadle Melbourne\004194231 Printed 17 December 2002 (14:52) page 2 004194116, 1A SLIDING SHELF SYSTEM WITH FRONT SUPPORT POSTS Field of the Invention This invention relates to sliding shelf systems and relates particularly, though not exclusively to sliding shelf systems for use in the retail environment.

Background of the Invention Shelving systems are used in retail situations such as supermarkets and convenience stores to present product for sale. It is desirable that product be displayed in a presentation that makes it easy for the customer to purchase the product and for staff to easily reload the shelf.

It is recognised that there is a significant advantage in presenting product on inclined shelves so that gravity feeding items ensures that the product remains constantly at the front. It would also be an advantage if these shelves could be pulled out for reloading at the rear, so stock is properly rotated.

Most shelves in retail settings remain fixed to the gondola by shelf brackets and do not slide forward. In this situation, it is common for the gondola or structure supporting the shelves to have a front support post, sometimes called an outrigger, to support stock stored on top of the gondola.

Ideally, retailers desire to use all available retail space on the gondola and position shelves continuously along the gondola. When fixed shelves are used customers have been able to access product displayed behind the outrigger or front post. However, when continuous sliding shelves are fitted to the gondola, the outrigger stops all or some of the sliding shelves from moving forward, and so the shelves cannot lie behind the outrigger and have to be narrower so that they can be pulled out past the outriggers. While this gains the advantage of forwardly sliding shelves, there is the disadvantage that retail selling space is reduced by the width of the front support post.

004194116' 2 This problem is also typical of sliding shelves fitted to supermarket refrigerators, where the door pillar prevents continuous sliding shelves from being pulled forward. The same problem is typical of any display system where sliding shelves are fitted behind front supported display frames.

It is accordingly an object of this invention to address this problem.

Summary of the Invention In general, the aforementioned problem is addressed by providing a support post structure adjustable between alternative structural conditions.

The invention accordingly provides a shelving system including:a frame; and a plurality of shelves supported on the frame for sliding movement between a retracted position and a forward position, which shelves have respective lateral edges; wherein said frame includes spaced posts each generally forward of and aligned with at least one said lateral edge of said shelves, and wherein each of said aligned posts is structurally adjustable between respective first and second conditions in which the post blocks and does not block said sliding movement of the shelf having the lateral edge with which the post is generally aligned.

In a first aspect of the invention, the post is structurally adjustable by comprising:respective aligned but vertically spaced upper and lower portions; an intermediate portion mounted for pivotal movement about a vertical axis between respective rotational positions in which the intermediate portion blocks and does not block said sliding movement of the shelf having the lateral edge with which the post is generally aligned.

004194116 3 Preferably, the intermediate portion is pivotally mounted to the upper and lower portions so that said axis is symmetrically aligned with said upper and lower portions.

The upper and lower portions, and the intermediate portion, may be of generally tubular form.

In the first aspect, the invention further provides a structurally adjustable post including:respective aligned but vertically spaced upper and lower portions; an intermediate portion mounted for pivotal movement about a vertical axis between respective rotational positions including at least one position in which the intermediate portion is offset from the alignment of the upper and lower portions of the post.

In a second aspect of the invention, a pair of said aligned posts are linked by a series of sub-frames arranged forwardly of the sliding shelves. Each post has a plurality of horizontally adjacent vertically extending post segments, means to selectively couple at least one of said post segments for movement with the subframes extending from the post, and means mounting each sub-frame for outward pivotal movement with the respective post segment coupled thereto whereby to carry the segment between respective conditions in which the post segment blocks and does not block said sliding movement of the shelf having the lateral edge with which the post is generally aligned.

In one application of the second aspect, one or more of said sub-frames have an internal hingedly mounted door operable to allow access to said shelves behind the sub-frames.

The frame typically includes upper and lower rails, and said means to selectively couple at least one of said post segments may include means, eg.

moveable pin means, carried by one or both of said rails and selectively operable to engage or disengage the post segment with or from the rail.

004194116', 4 Brief Description of the Drawings The invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is an axial cross-section of a structurally adjustable post assembly according to an embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, suitable for serving as an outrigger post in a sliding shelf system; Figure 2 is an enlargement of part of Figure 1, but showing the opposite offset of the intermediate portion of the post; Figure 3 is a horizontal cross-section of part of a display shelf system with outrigger posts of the form depicted in Figure 1, respective shelves being shown in a retracted and drawn-out position; Figures 4 and 5 are respectively a fragmentary front elevational view and a horizontal cross-section of a refrigerator shelf system according to an embodiment of the second aspect of the invention; and Figures 6 and 7 are respective views corresponding to Figure 5 depicting alternative operational configurations of the system illustrated in Figures 4 and Description of Preferred Embodiments Figure 3 is a diagram of part of a display shelf system or gondola 40 in which multiple shelves 42 are slidably supported by a frame including rear posts 44 and front or outrigger posts 10. A typical system would of course be much larger than that illustrated, with multiple stacks of slidable shelves side by side along the frame structure.

Outrigger posts 10 typically support an overhead storage area (not shown), projecting from above the gondola. Although posts 10 would normally align with a gap 45 between adjacent shelves 42, for optimum customer access, the gap 45 is small and so shelves drawn out would strike a conventional rigid outrigger post.

004194116'.

To alleviate this difficulty, each outrigger post 10 is of the construction shown in Figures 2 and 3, including upper and lower coaxial tubular portions 12, 14 typically of generally square cross-section. The vertical region between post portions 12, 14, which coincides with the vertical zone in which the slidable shelves lie, has an intermediate post portion 20 mounted for pivotal movement about axis 11 of tubular portions 12, 14. Intermediate portion 20 comprises transverse downturned plate 30 and transverse upturned plate 32 with stub axles 34, 35 by which the plates 30, 32 are rotatably supported in bearing sleeves 36, 37 set coaxially into the opposed ends of tubular post portions 12, 14. Plate 30 is downturned at one side, and plate 32 is correspondingly upturned at one side, to form extension tabs 95 and are joined by a square tubular column 50 including elongate side walls 98,99 externally parallel with axis 11. One of these side walls 98 of tube structure 50 is close to or on axis 11.

Square tubular column 50 has three operational positions. In its normal position (Figure 3, right hand post), column 50 projects forwards, laterally aligned with post portions 12, 14 as viewed from the front of the shelf system. From this normal position, column 50 can be rotated on axis 11 to a left offset illustrated in Figure 1 or to a similar right offset shown in Figure 2. At the side opposite the offset, a vertically extending space 60 provides an opening through which the respective set of slidable shelves 42 can be drawn without being blocked by the post, as illustrated at the left in Figure 3.

Figures 4 to 7 depict a segment of a refrigerator cabinet 100 for a supermarket environment. A main frame 101 including top and bottom rails 102, 104 mounts an array of sub-frames 110 in a one-to-one alignment with slidable shelf units 120 in the refrigerator. Each sub-frame in turn mounts a glass panel door 122 which is hinged 124 at one side and operable by drawing on a handle 126 to allow access to the shelves within.

Again the shelf units are close together with a minimal lateral gap. In consequence, the side uprights 130 of sub-frame 110 block outward sliding of the shelves for restocking at the rear.

004194116' 6 To overcome this difficulty, each upright 130 is formed as 3 vertically extending post segments 40, 50, 60, ie. a simple out-turned flange 40 at one side edge of a first sub-frame 110, and a complementary pair of co-operable segments 60 that interengage at a curved interface 55. Segment 60, for which interface 55 is concave, is an integral part of the adjacent sub-frame 110 at its upright edge opposite its flange 40. Segment 50, for which interface 55 is convex, lies between the other segments and is mounted to flange 40 at their adjacent outer corners by hinges 52.

Respective spring loaded vertically extending pins 41, 51, 61 lock each post segment 40, 50, 60 to each rail 102, 104 unless selectively retracted by operation of associated solenoid valves (not shown) by switch buttons 105. Releasable horizontally acting locks 48, 58 link the respective pairs of post segments 40, and 50, Two operational configurations are available. With all pins 41, 51, 61 engaged, glass panel door 122 can be opened and closed (Figure To withdraw a particular sub-frame 110, button 105 is pressed to retract the locking pins 41, 51 at the left of the sub-frame and the locking pin 51, 61 at the right, and to release the locks 48 at the right and 58 at the left. The sub-frame in question can then be withdrawn outwardly on the hinges 52 at the right (Figure the assembly of the sub-frame and its glass panel door 122, with post segments 40, 50 at the left and post segments 50, 60 at the right, is pivotal as a hinged panel and can be swung right round, as indicated by arrow 70 in Figure 7, to a position in front of the next sub-frame 110 to the right. As illustrated, the sliding shelves 120 are no longer blocked and can now be drawn out (arrow 121) between the residual post segments 60 at the left and 40 at right.

004t194116 7 It will be understood that the invention disclosed and defined in this specification extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from the text or drawings. All of these different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the invention.

Claims (1)

1. 004194116. 9 A shelving system according to claim 1; wherein said aligned posts are pairwise linked by a series of sub-frames arranged forwardly of the sliding shelves, and each post has a plurality of horizontally adjacent vertically extending post segments, means to selectively couple at least one of said post segments for movement with the sub-frames extending from the post, and means mounting each sub-frame for outward pivotal movement with the respective post segment coupled thereto whereby to carry the segment between respective conditions in which the post segment blocks and does not block said sliding movement of the shelf having the lateral edge with which the post is generally aligned. 6 A shelving system according to claim 5 wherein one or more of said sub- frames have an internal hingedly mounted door operable to allow access to said shelves behind the sub-frames. 7 A shelving system according to claim 5 or 6 wherein said frame includes upper and lower rails, and said means to selectively couple at least one of said post segments includes engagement means carried by one or both of said rails and selectively operable to engage or disengage the post segment with or from the rail. 8 A shelving system according to claim 7 wherein said engagement means includes moveable pin means. 9 A structurally adjustable post including: respective aligned but vertically spaced upper and lower portions; an intermediate portion mounted for pivotal movement about a vertical axis between respective rotational positions including at least one position in which the intermediate portion is offset from the alignment of the upper and lower portions of the post. 00419416. A structurally adjustable post according to claim 9 wherein said intermediate portion is pivotally mounted to the upper and lower portions so that said axis is symmetrically aligned with said upper and lower portions. 11 A structurally adjustable post according to claim 9 or 10, wherein said upper and lower portions, and said intermediate portion, are of generally tubular form. Checkmate International Pty Ltd By its Registered Patent Attorneys Freehills Carter Smith Beadle 17 December 2002