AU2005244604B2 - Round-type shelf storage rack - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION NAME OF APPLICANT(S):: Gebr. Willach GmbH ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: DAVIES COLLISON CAVE Patent Attorneys 1 Nicholson Street, Melbourne, 3000, Australia INVENTION TITLE: Round-type shelf storage rack The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 5102 1A Sg/Dt BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 5 The present invention relates to a shelf storage rack of the round type, comprising a central column supporting a number of shelves arranged on mutually superimposed levels, .each shelf comprising a plurality of sector shaped segments and having a sector-shaped opening between the seg 10 ments. A shelf storage rack of the round type as described in EP 0 211 816 B1 comprises a central column configured to support shelves on different lev els. Each shelf is mounted for rotation on a central hub attached to the col is umn so that the shelf as a whole can be rotated. Each shelf is subdivided into sector-shaped segments which can be individually withdrawn in radial directions. Between two segments, a fill-in opening can be provided for fill ing the shelf on the level therebelow. The shelves are arranged at an incli nation towards the outer edge. Under the influence of gravity, items ar 20 ranged on a shelf will slide towards the outer edge where they can be re moved. A round-type shelf storage rack described in DE-A-2 046 362 comprises a column having ring bearings supported thereon by means of bearing 25 bushes. The ring bearings in turn support radially projecting segments forming trays for the accommodation of items. The segments are arranged in a plurality of levels, and each of the levels is provided with an annular disk projecting from the column and arranged for the movement of rollers thereon which are supported on the underside of the segment. The rollers 30 form a running gear of the segment, and the ring bearings form a retaining means for securing the segment against radial removal from the column.

2 The ring bearings together with the appertaining bearing bushes and a fur ther bearing bush for the annular disk are mutually superimposed to form a stack surrounding a column in the manner of a tube. Removal of individual elements from this stack is possible only by first removing the elements 5 arranged thereabove. The device has a complicated structure. It is an object of the invention to provide a round shelf storage rack of a simplified construction wherein the running gear fulfills several different functions. 10 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The round-type shelf storage rack according to the present invention is dis 15 tinguished in that the running gear is also configured as a retaining means for retaining the segment against radial removal from the race. Thereby, it is accomplished that the segment is supported exclusively by the running gear and is held in position on the column so that all of the holding func tions are concentrated in the running gear. 20 According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the running gear is arranged only on the radially inward end of the seg ment. 25 According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the segment projects outwards from the running gear in the manner of a cantilever. In this arrangement, the running gear forms the sole support for the segment, arranged to project freely from the column in a radial di rection. This results in an easily surveyed configuration of the round shelf 30 storage rack whose content is visible without obstruction. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the segments of the same level are supported on the column to be rotated 3 individually so that, by the rotating of segments relative to each other, it can be selected which two neighboring segments will have the opening formed therebetween. By the individual suspension of the segments, the variability within a given level is increased. The shelf does not consist of a 5 one-pieced single component but of segments which are rotatable relative to each other about the column. Thus, by a rotation of merely a few de grees of angle, the opening can be generated at any desired angular posi tion of the shelf storage rack. The maximum angle of rotation depends on the size and the number, respectively, of the segments. By generating an 10 opening between adjacent segments, the user has the possibility to open the round shelf storage rack at any desired site while, in each case, there will be required only a small rotation of the whole shelve, corresponding at the most to about half the circumferential angle of a segment. Since the process of positioning of the opening necessitates only relatively small ro 15 tating movements, no substantial disturbance will be caused to several per sons when these are accessing the round shelf storage rack at the same time. The term "shelf storage rack of the round type" is to be understood as an 20 arrangement comprising a central column carrying shelves on various lev els, the shelves being rotatable about the column. The shelves do not nec essarily have to be round. They may also have a polygonal or oval outer contour, for instance. 25 The round-type shelf storage rack of the invention is useful as a sales rack for accommodation of numerous smaller commodities. A typical field of ap plication would exist in pharmacies where a large number of small-sized products are sold and the products must be arranged as close as possible to the salesperson so as to be quickly accessible. The round shelf storage rack 30 is however suited also for other types of shops or for uses in sectors other than the retail store sector. Advantageously, the rack allows for the storage of and easy access to a large number of products on a relatively small floor space.

4 The individual suspension of the segments offers the advantage that each segment can be removed and replaced or cleaned individually. A further advantage resides in that any of the segments can be easily exchanged 5 against each other, e.g. when two segments which contain similar products are desired be arranged beside each other. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the column com prises, for each level, a race on which the segments are movable with the 10 aid of a running gear for the respective race. The race is preferably made of plastic and is attached on the central column which is made of steel. Such a race allows for low-noise movement of the segments. The running gears of the segments can comprise upper and lower rollers, with the upper rollers arranged to roll on an inner roller path and the lower rollers arranged to roll 15 on an outer roller path -of the race. Preferably, there are provided two upper and two lower rollers to safeguard that the segment is kept from tilting. The segments freely project outwards from the running gears in a cantilevered manner. Thus, the running gear of each segment must be capable of firmly supporting this segment inclusive of the commodities arranged thereon. 20 Preferably, adjacent segments are connected in mutual abutment by use of holding means adapted to be pulled apart. Thereby, it is safeguarded that the individual segments are not inadvertently rotated relative to each other so that the opening will always be maintained at the same position and in 25 its full size. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, to facilitate the re moval or the replacement of a segment, a lifting tool is provided which can be applied to any one of the races and forms a support for the segment ar 30 ranged thereabove. This segment can then be pivoted about the support so that the running gear of the segment can be removed from the race. In this manner, it is made possible that even loaded segments can be removed or inserted in a simple manner.

5 A further aspect of the invention resides in a round-type shelf storage rack comprising a central column supporting a number of shelves arranged on mutually superimposed levels, each shelf comprising a plurality of sector 5 shaped segments which are individually supported for rotation, wherein each segment can be inserted into or removed from the round shelf storage rack individually, i.e. independently from the other segments. In this ar rangement, a considerable advantage resides in that the segments of the same level can be taken out individually, e.g. for cleaning, filling or empty 10 ing them, without the necessity to first remove any segments of the same level or another level of the shelf storage rack. The essential benefit offered by this aspect of the invention resides in that the segments are inserted into the round shelf storage rack and can be removed therefrom completely in dependently from each other, while the other segments will not be affected 15 thereby. An embodiment of the invention will be explained in greater detail hereunder with reference to the drawings. 20 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a schematic vertical sectional view of the round-type shelf stor age rack, 25 Fig. 2 is a sectional view along the line II-II in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a plan view onto one of the segments, 30 Fig. 4 is a sectional view along the line IV-IV in Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the lifting tool.

6 DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The round-type shelf storage rack comprises a base 10 resting on the floor 5 and having a central column 11 vertically extending therefrom. Column 11 comprises a tube or any other suitable profiled rod made of metal. To col umn 11, races 12 are fastened at different heights and at uniform intervals while surrounding the column. The races are preferably made of plastic. They are fixedly connected to column 11 and secured against rotation. Each 10 race carries a shelf 13, with the shelves forming levels located at different heights. The shelves 13 are arranged at vertical distances and parallel to each other. The shelves are of a frustoconical shape and configured with an downward inclination from. the race 12 towards their outer end. On the outer end, a peripheral wall 14 is provided to lend support to the objects 15 15 stacked in the shelf storage rack while these are caused to bear against the peripheral wall 14 by gravitation. Above the uppermost shelf 13, a roof 16 is arranged which is fastened to the upper end of column 11 and arranged to cover the shelf at a distance to 20 prevent dust from settling on the shelf. The vertical dimension of the shelf storage rack extends above head height. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the shelf 13. The shelf is composed of a plurality of segments 20 arranged around the column 11. Each of the sector-shaped 25 segments comprises a bottom plate 21 as well as two mutually opposite radial side walls 22,23 and a peripheral wall 14, the latter forming the pe ripheral border of the segment and connecting the side walls 22,23 to each other. Bottom plate 21 is limited by an inner edge 24 at a distance from column 11. Inner edge 24 delimits an open free space 25. 30 In the present embodiment, six segments 20 are provided. Each segment extends across a sectorial angle of less than 600. All of the six segments together cover a sectorial angle of 3450. There will thus remain a sector- 7 shaped opening 19 of 150. This opening is used for filling the shelf of the respective level thereunder. On the side walls 22,23 of the segments 20, holding means are provided. 5 Each of the holding means comprises a magnet 26 on one segment and a counterplate 27 on the adjacent segment. The magnet 26 attracts the counterplate 27, thus effecting an adhesive connection between the seg ments when these are placed against each other. In this manner, the opening 19. will not be allowed to become scattered across the circumfer 10 ence. The segments have gripping members 28 provided thereon, extending out side around the peripheral wall 14 at a distance therefrom. The gripping members 28 respectively consist of a curved bar. The distance between the is bar and the peripheral wall 14 is sufficiently large to allow a user to slide the fingers of one hand through the resultant gap while the user's thumb can press against the bend 28a of the gripping member of the adjacent segment to thus displace or rotate the latter relative to the segment seized by the user's hand. In the bottom plate 21 of each segment, two sector 20 shaped rows of slots 29,30 are formed at different radii. These slots are adapted to have shelf dividing elements 31 fastened therein (Fig. 3). These elements are provided as partition walls arranged in a radial or parallel ori entation relative to a side wall 22,23, their function being to keep a separa tion between certain ones of the objects 15 placed in the rack. 25 Arranged on the inner end of each segment 20 is a running gear 32 engag ing the respective race 12 of the column. The running gear, illustrated in Fig. 4, comprises a generally U-shaped holding bracket 33, with its sub stantially horizontal side legs supporting upper rollers 34 and lower rollers 30 35. The upper rollers 34 are arranged to roll along an inner roller path formed at an upwardly projecting edge 41 of race 12. Holding bracket 33 is configured to grip across this edge. The lower rollers 35 are arranged to roll along a circular outer roller path 37 of race 12. Outer roller path 37 is de- 8 limited by an annular shoulder 38 having a free space 39 provided there above so that the rollers 35 can be lifted. The running gear forms the only support means for the segment and at the same time functions as a retain ing means for securement against radial removal of the segment. The seg 5 ment freely extends from the running gear 32 in the manner of a bracket or cantilever. The respective segment 20 can be taken off from the central race 12 by lifting the segment. In the process, the upper rollers 34 will re main in contact with the inner roller path 36 while the lower rollers 35 are lifted off the outer roller path 37. In this condition, the segment can be eas 10 ily lifted to be released from the race 12 and then be pulled out radially relative to column 11. Insertion of the segment will be performed in a slightly raised condition wherein the upper rollers 34 are pushed across the upward projection of the race 12 while the lower rollers 35 are entering the free space 39. Then, the running gear 32 will be lowered so that the rollers 15 will be brought in abutment on their respective roller paths. The race 12 is immovably fixed to column 11 by radial clamping screws 40. As evident from Fig. 3, running gear 32 comprises two upper rollers 34 ar ranged adjacent each other. Below the upper rollers 34, the running gear 20 comprises two lower rollers 35 likewise arranged adjacent each other. This paired arrangement of the rollers is effective to preclude tilting movements of the segment 20. By rotating a segment 20 about column 11, all other segments are rotated 25 along. Further, it is also possible to relocate the opening 19 to a position between any desired two segments merely by rotating individual segments, without the need to rotate the whole level for moving the opening to the desired site. Each individual segment can be easily removed and ex changed, respectively, without the necessity to remove another segment on 30 the same level or a different level. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the lifting tool 45. The tool comprises an elongate arm 46 having a length larger than the radius of the round-type 9 shelf storage rack. The arm 46 can be brought into hooked engagement on each of the races 12, thus to cause that segment 20 which is fastened to the race thereabove to be lifted up from this race. The lifting tool has one of its ends provided with a support hook 47 formed with a recess in the down 5 ward direction. The support hook 47 is configured for hooking engagement with the upper edge 41 of the race 12. Below support hook 47, the arm is provided with a lower support portion 48 which is supported immediately on the column 11. Support portion 48 will prevent lateral tilting of the lifting tool 45. In this manner, arm 46 is held attached to race 12 in a cantilevered 10 manner. In the mounted condition, the edge of arm 46 forms a substantially horizontal sliding surface 49a. Surface 49a is joined by a downwardly in clined outer sliding surface 49b. The transition between both sliding sur faces 49a and 49b forms a rest portion 50, allowing the segment arranged thereabove to be seated thereon and functioning as a pivoting bearing for 15 lifting the running gear 32 of this segment out of its position. The segment to be lifted out is slightly raised before the lifting tool 45 will be applied thereunder. Thereby, the lower rollers 35 are released from the outer roller path 37 (Fig. 4). Then, the lower edge of the segment to be lifted out will be pressed down, thus raising the running gear 32 until the upper rollers 34 20 can slide over the edge 41. The segment will now slide on the inclined slid ing surface 49b. Arranged on the outer end of arm 46 is an arcuate support portion 51 ex tending in a T-shape from opposite sides of the arm. This support portion 25 51 will safeguard that the to-be-lifted segment cannot laterally slide off the sliding surfaces 49b of the narrow arm 46. Support portion 51 is provided with supporting stoppers 52 for the outer edge of the segment, thus pre venting the segment from radially sliding off the arm 46. The reference numerals in the following claims do not in any way limit the scope of the respective claims.

10 Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps. The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that that prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in Australia.

Claims (13)

1. A round-type shelf storage rack, comprising a central column (11) supporting a number of shelves (13) arranged on mutually superim posed levels, each shelf comprising a plurality of sector-shaped seg ments (20) and having a sector-shaped opening (19) between the segments, and the column (11) comprising, for each level, at least one race (12) on which the segments (20) are movable by means of a run ning gear (32) for the respective race, w h e r e i n the running gear (32) is formed as a retaining means for retaining the segment (20) against radial removal from the at least one race (12).

2. The round-type shelf storage rack according to claim 1 wherein the running gear (32) is arranged on the radially inner end of the segment (20).

3. The round-type shelf storage rack according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the segment (20) extends outwardly from the running gear (32) in a cantilevered manner.

4. The round-type shelf storage rack according to any one of claims 1-3 wherein the running gear (32) is arranged to roll on the race (12) with the aid of rollers (34,35).

5. The round-type shelf storage rack according to any one of claims 1-4 wherein the segments (20) of the same level are supported on the col umn (11) to be rotated individually so that, by the rotating of seg ments relative to each other, it can be selected which two neighboring segments will have the opening (19) formed therebetween.

6. The round-type shelf storage rack according to any one of claims 1-5 wherein each running gear (32) comprises upper and lower rollers 12 (34,35), the upper rollers (34) being arranged to roll on an inner roller path (36) and the lower rollers (35) being arranged to roll on an outer roller path (37) of the at least one race (12).

7. The round-type shelf storage rack according to any one of claims 1-6 wherein a free space (39) is provided to allow the segment (20) to be removed by lifting the running gear (32).

8. The round-type shelf storage rack according to any one of claims 1-7 wherein the shelves (13) are arranged at an inclination towards the outer edge.

9. The round-type shelf storage rack according to any one of claims 1-8 wherein adjacent segments (20) are connected in mutual abutment by use of holding means (26,27) adapted to be pulled apart.

10. The round-type shelf storage rack according to any one of claims 1-9 wherein the segments (20) on their periphery are provided with grip ping members (28) extending respectively to a position near an adja cent segment.

11. The round-type shelf storage rack according to any one of claims 1-10 wherein a lifting tool (45) is provided which can be applied to any one of the races (12) and forms a support for the segment (20) arranged thereabove.

12. The round-type shelf storage rack according to claim 11 wherein the lifting tool (45) is provided with a rest portion (50) engaging the un derside of the segment arranged thereabove and functioning as a piv oting bearing for this segment.

13. A round-type shelf storage rack comprising a central column (11) sup porting a number of shelves (13) arranged on mutually superimposed 13 levels, each shelf comprising a plurality of sector-shaped segments (20) and having a sector-shaped opening (19) between the segments, and the column (11) comprising, for each level, at least one race (12) on which the segments (20) are movable by means of a running gear (32) for the respective race, wherein each segment (20) is adapted be inserted into or removed from the round shelf storage rack individu ally, while the other segments remain in the inserted condition. DATED this NINETEENTH day of DECEMBER 2005 Gebr. Willach GmbH by DAVIES COLLISON CAVE Patent Attorneys for the applicant(s)