CA1312046C

CA1312046C - Arrangement relating to tray, shelf or like structures

Info

Publication number: CA1312046C
Application number: CA000610191A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Carl-Goran Alneng
Original assignee: Sintek International AB
Current assignee: Sintek International AB
Priority date: 1988-09-02
Filing date: 1989-09-01
Publication date: 1992-12-29
Anticipated expiration: 2009-12-29
Also published as: AU4184389A; EP0451148A1; SE8803077D0; SE469869B; DE68920331D1; SE8803077L; DE68920331T2; WO1990002500A1; PT91593A; PT91593B; ATE116118T1; EP0451148B1

Abstract

ABSTRACT

An arrangement in shelf, tray, drawer structures (10) or like structures of the kind which can be moved between an inserted position, for the storage of articles, e.g.
packages such as drugstore packages, and a position of use in which the packages can be removed from the trays or the like. The trays or the like are mounted on brack-ets (12) which are fitted to a frame structure (22) in a manner to enable the brackets to be adjusted between mutually different positions, and optionally to be removed from the frame structure.

The trays, drawers or the like include catch means (36) which are intended to latch the trays or the like in a fully inserted position in the brackets (12). The brack-ets (12) can be adjusted on the frame structures (22) such as to extend horizontally or at an inclined angle.
The trays or drawers and/or the brackets are configured so that when the brackets (12) are in their horizontal positions the trays or drawers cannot be inserted to their full extent, thereby preventing the catch means (36) from coming into operation. This can be achieved, for instance, by inclining the end wall surface of respective trays, such that the end wall will slope obliquely outwards and upwards from the bottom of res-pective trays. When the brackets (12) are adjusted to their inclined positions, the trays or the like (10) can be fully inserted and thus latched by the catch means (36).

Description

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An a~nqe~nen ç =
structure~

The present invention relates to an arrangement in tray, shelf or like storage 6tructures of the kind in which the trays or shelves can be moved between an inwardly inserted position and an outwardly withdrawn position on bracket arrangements which are mounted on two sides oP
the trays, shelve6 or the like and which are movably or detachably mounted on a frame or stand structure.

When storing bot~les, cans (tins) and other packaging units, e.g. packagad medicines, drugs, etc,, in chemist shops, drug ~torQs ~nd like places, the packages are nor~ally placed on withdr~wabl~, sloping ~helving sys-tems, or in cassette~, drawer~ or like storage devices.
These storage de~ices are filled fro~ the rear of an extended or withdrawn storage device, whereas the stored packaging unit~ are r~moved ~rom the front part of the device wlth said device in iks inwardly displaced or inserted position. Continuously adjustable partitions form elongated co~partments along the whole length of the storage device, ln its withdrawal direction, thereby ensurin~ that the packages will bs removed in their correct order of use. One such arranyement is described, for instance, in Swedlsh Patent Sp~cification No. 16278/68.

The aforesaid cassette storage sy6tem is best suited for fraquently purcha8ed drugs, where each drug is stored in large quantities and where lt is necessary to store the drugs in long rows in the withdrawal direction o$ the car-sette or drawer. Drugs which are purchased less fre~uently and which ~re consequently stored in smaller numbers are kept in standard, hori~ontal drawers which ~ 3 are extended to their Eull extent, both when placing packaged unit~ into the drawers and when removing said uniks therefrom~ Such drawars will also preferably include smaller compartments, located one behind the other.

The drug storage methods applied hitherto require the provision of two mutually d.ifferent storage systems, since the sloping withdrawal cassettes or clrawers need to be fitted with catches in order to prevent the drawers from sliding out under their own weight. The horizontal drawers, on the other hand, are always drawn out to their full extent, and do not need to be fitted with such catches, but shall instead be capable of moving smoothly in and out.

In a broad aspect the present invention provides an arrangement in tray, shelf or drawer structures or the like structures arranged for movement between an inserted storage position and a withdrawn use position in brackets which are located on a mutually opposite sides of the trays or the like and which are movably and/or detatchedly mounted on a frame structure. The trays or the like include catch means operative to latch the trays in a fully inserted position in the brackets. The brackets can be pivoted between a horizontal position and an inclined position. The trays or the like and/or the brackets are so configured khat when the brackets are adjusted to their horizontal position, movement of the trays or the like is stopped before the trays or the like are fully inserted and before the catch means have come into operation, whereas when the brackets are adjusted to their inclined positions, the tray or the like can be fully inserted and therewith latched by said catch means.

- 2a - ~ 3 1 ~ 3 The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to an exemplifying embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a cassette or drawer storage arrangement which is adapted for use in a horizontal drawer mode in which the catch facility is passive; Figure 2 is a sid~ view of the arrangement, similar to JCH 5604b/11-lZ

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Fiyure 1, with the arrangement adjusted to a sloping cassette or drawer mode in which the catch ~acility i~
active; Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line III-III in Figure 1; and Figure 2 is an enlarged p~r-spective view of the front part of the ca~sette or drawer illustra~ed in Figures 1 and 2.

The 6torage arrangement illustrated in Figure 1 includes a drawer or tray 10 for storing packages, e.g. packaged drugs or medicines, in tin or bo~tle ~orm. The drawer lo is withdrawably mounted in brackets 12 located on res-pective opposite ~ides of the drawer, via an inter-mediate rail 14, and the bracket structures 12 and the drawer 10 are each ~itted with re~pective wheels 16, 18 which run in U-shaped profile~ on the rail 14. The drawer 10 has an upper flange 20 which covers the rail 14 and the bracket ~tructure~ 12 when the drawer is ~itted into a frame ~tructure 22. The brackets 12 are mounted on the frame structure 22 in a conventional manner, with the aid of hook elements 24, 26 which engage in slot~ in the frame 2~. The end of the drawer 10 remote from the ~rame 22, i.e. the outer end of the drawer, is fitted with a grip 28, which is pivotally mounted on ~ournals 30 provided on mutually opposing side faces oE the drawer 10. The grip has an upstanding flange 32 which is gripped by the user when wishing to pull out the drawer 10. The grip ~8, which may be made of a plastics material, is also provided with a resi-lient tongue 34, which when the drawer 10 is fully inserted functions to lock a drawer catch arrangement hereinafter described. Located at the bottom of the grip 28 i~ a leg 3~ which extend~ along the outside of res-pective brackets 12 in the in~ertion direction of the drawer. The leg 36 includes a part ~Figure 4) which extends transversely to said drawer insertion direction ~3~2~

and which, when the drawer ~ 8 ~ully inserted in accor-dance with Figure 2, is intended to engage in a recess 38 provided in a re~pective bracket 12, ~uch as to prevent the drawer from sliding along the brackets 12 under its own weight. The aforesaid resilient tongue 3 on the grip 28 will abut an lnclined 6urface on the bracket 12, when the drawer is pushed to its fully closed position, and therewith prevsnt the leg 36 from swinging out o~ en~agoment w~th the recess 38. Con-sequently, in order to open the drawer, it is necessary to press the upper part o~ the grip 28 inwards, against the spring force o~ the r~ilient tongue 34.

In accordance with the prQ~ent lnvention, the drawer 10 and the bracket~ 12 are conflgured 60 that the drawer 10 can be used in a horizontal storage ~ode in which the catch is pass~ive, ~r in an inclined ~torage mode in which the drawer or cas~ette 10 coact with a drawer catch. In the caæe of the pr~ent inventlon this is achieved by provid~ng the drawer with ~top means which, when the arrangement iæ in it~ horizontal draw mode, are opexative to prevent the drawer ~rom being fully inserted, i.e. from baing pu6hed fully home, as illu-strated in Figure 1. In the case of the illustrated embodiment, the ~top means i8 provided by con~iguring the 10 wi~h an inclined rear wall ~urface 40, ~uch that wheb the arrangement i8 in its horizontal drawer mode, the upper part o~ ~a~d rear wall ~rface 40 will come into abutment with the ~rame 22 be~ore the leg or catch 36 reaches th~ rece5B 38. A~ ~hown in Figure 1, in thi~
horizontal mode o~ the 6tor~ge arrangement the catch leys 36 are unable to reach and engage the recesses 38 in the brackets 12, therewith enabling the drawer to be withdrawn easily and ~moothly, in the absence of an 3~ active drawer latching effect. The hook elements 24, 26 ~2~ ~

on the brackets 12 and the intexm~3diate bracket part 42 are con~igured to ena~le the ~racke~s ~2 to ~e inclined to the vertical, as ~hown in Figure 2, ~o as to enable the drawer to slope and to be used for ~;loping storage purposes in the aforedescribed manner. Tha ~torage arrangement is brought to its sloping storage mode, by rotating respective hook elements 26 in th~ir slots in the frame 22, so that the intermediate bracket part 42 located between said hook elemen~s 24, ~6 is brought lo into abutment with the vertical ~ace of the frame 22.
The drawer 10 can then be pushed ~ully home, along the brackets 12, therewith enabling the catch legs 36 to ~nap into the recess~s 38 provid~d in the brackets 12, in the aforesaid manner, said legs being locked in the recesses through the action of the locking tongues 34, ~uch as to prevent the drawer from sliding open under its own weight.

It will be evident from the above description that the inventive arrangement enable6 one and the same storag~
device, e.g. tray or drawer 19, and one and the same bracket structure 12 to be u~ed as a horizontally move-able drawer arrangement in which the catch facility remains inactive, or as an inclined drawer or cassette arrangement in which the catch facility i8 brought to an active ~tate. This storage arrangement affords two important advantages: ~he ~anufacturer can produce the dual-purpose ~torage arrangement in large numbers, instead of manu~acturing each ~eparate aspect of the arrangement separately, whereas the user obtains a produck which can be rsadlly adapted between a storage arrangement for the storage of ~requently purchased packaged goods and a ~torage arrangement ~or packaged goods which are bought less ~requently, e.g. ~or the storage of drugs and medicines in drug stores and chemist shops. Both advantages have ~avourable economic consequences, since the invention solves the problem of latching or not latching the drawer t depending on whe-ther the user selects a sloping or horizontal drawer position when mounting the bracket~ in the wall-carried rails or frame structure normally used to support storage module systems.

It will be understood that the invention is not restric-ted to the descrlbed and illustrated e~bodiment, and that modifications can be nade within the scope of the following claim~. Although the invention has been described in relation to drawers for the ~torage of packaged unit~, it will be under~tood that the invention can be applied to other ~torage system~ utilizing alter-nate horizontal and ~loping storage facilities employing different kind6 of ~torage device~, such as shelves, trays, baskets etc. Furthermore, the arrangement may include drawer and bracket configurations dif~erent to those described and illustrated for ter~inating horizon-tal inward movement of the drawer before the catch arrangement is able to come into operation, or include separate devices which function to the same end. The illustrated e~bodiment, however, can be manufactured readily a~d chsaply and will encroach on the available drawer space to the least possible extent.

Claims

1. An arrangement in tray, shelf or drawer structures or like structures arranged for movement between an in-serted storage position and a withdrawn use position in brackets which are located on mutually opposite sides of the trays or the like and which are movably and/or detachably mounted on a frame structure, characterized in that the trays or the like include catch means (36) operative to latch the trays in a fully inserted posi-tion in the brackets (12); in that the brackets (12) can be pivoted between a horizontal position and an inclined position; and in that the trays or the like (10) and/or the brackets (12) are so configured that when the brackets (12) are adjusted to their horizontal position movement of the trays or the like is stopped before said trays or the like are fully inserted and before said catch means (36) have come into operation, whereas when the brackets (12) are adjusted to their inclined posi-tions, the tray or the like can be fully inserted and therewith latched by said catch means.

2. An arrangement according to Claim 1, characterized in that the trays or the like (10) are configured with a sloping rear wall surface (40) which is intended to abut said frame structure such as to stop movement of the trays or the like in their insertion direction before the catch means (36) can reach its effective latching position.

3. An arrangement according to Claim 2, characterized in that the rear end surface (40) of the trays or the like (10) slopes at an angle such that when the brackets (12) are adjusted to their inclined positions said rear edge surface will extend parallel with and contiguous to the vertical edge surface of the frame structure (22).

4. An arrangement according to any one of Claims 1-3, characterized by a grip (28) which is mounted on the front end of the trays or the like (10) for pivotal movement about a horizontal pivot axle (30) located on the lower edge of the tray or the like and which is provided with a locking device (36) which when the tray is fully inserted is intended to engage a complementary locking device (38) on respective brackets (12), the mutual engagement between said locking devices (36,38) being engaged and disengaged by pivoting the grip (28) about said pivot axle (30).

5. An arrangement according to Claim 4, characterized in that the locking device on said grip (28) comprise one or more outwardly projecting legs (36) intended for engagement in recesses (38) provided in the brackets (12).

6. An arrangement according to Claim 4, characterized in that the grip (28) is biased in the engaging position of said locking means by a resilient tongue (34) which in the fully inserted position of a tray abuts one edge of a respective bracket.

7. An arrangement according to Claim 5, characterized in that the grip (28) is biased in the engaging position of said locking means by a resilient tongue (34) which in the fully inserted position of a tray abuts one edge of a respective bracket.