EP0658327B1

EP0658327B1 - Display cabinet or rack

Info

Publication number: EP0658327B1
Application number: EP94203539A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Kees Coster; Bertus Wolswinkel
Original assignee: Rothmans Services BV
Current assignee: British American Tobacco Exports BV
Priority date: 1993-12-15
Filing date: 1994-12-06
Publication date: 1998-06-10
Anticipated expiration: 2014-12-06
Also published as: BE1007833A3; DE69410961T2; DE69410961D1; EP0658327A1

Description

The invention relates to a display cabinet with an open front or open rack in which several drawers are provided for the display of small articles, in particular cigarette boxes.

In many tobacconists' shops there is because of the excessive supply of smoking articles offered for sale too little space for the effective display of smoking materials such as cigarette boxes or packets, so that it is essential to make the most effective use possible of all the available space. Moreover existing display cabinets are difficult to refill with smoking materials such as cigarette boxes which are arranged standing up in the drawers, so that the brand names applied to them are less easily visible.

In the U.S. Patent 2.953.254, the source of the preamble of claim 1, is described a filing office frame in which basket-like insets are provided for office papers. The frame comprises guide rails capable of accomodating said insets and having a vertical projection in the center. The insets are provided with rollers for engagement with said rails whereby said insets are forced to take up an inclined position on said projections when moved in said rails for wihtdrawal from said frame.

However such display cabinet or frame has the disadvantage that it is not possible to give different desired sloping positions to the drawers or to slid out of the display the drawers in an horizontal position. Besides the display cabinet needs expensive guide rails.

In order to remedy these disadvantages a display cabinet has been realized as described in independent claim 1.

As a result a display cabinet is provided of which the drawers can be easily and simply filled in the horizontal position with all kinds of articles such as cigarette boxes and which can afterwards be placed in a sloping position, so that not only are the articles offered for sale clearly visible but they can also be removed below from the sloping drawers without difficulty.

Particular embodiments of the invention are defined in dependent claims 2 to 7.

By way of example, and without in any way being exhaustive, a description of a preferred embodiment of the display cabinet in accordance with the invention is given below. This description refers to the attached drawing where:

fig. 1 shows a vertical cross-section through the display cabinet;

fig. 2 shows a front elevation of a drawer of the cabinet;

fig. 3 shows the display cabinet with the drawers pulled out in perspective;

fig. 4 shows the display cabinet with the drawers in the sloping position in which the articles offered for sale are displayed.

In these figures it is seen that the display cabinet 1 has an open front 2. In the inner surface of each of the two side walls 3-4 of the display cabinet 1 several guide grooves 5 are provided one above the other. Each guide groove 5 consists of a horizontal part 6, the entrance 7 to which is located on the front of the display cabinet 1, which part 6 is extended by a vertical part 8 which serves as a striker and which changes into a horizontal part 9 which terminates in a curved section 10 which runs upwards. Two guide pins 11-12, which are attached to each of the side panels 13-14 of each drawer 15 engage in each of the two opposing guiding grooves 5. The front guide pin 11 of each set of guide pins is by preference fitted behind the mid-section of each drawer 15 so that the centre of gravity of each empty or filled drawer is always situated in front of said guide pins and each drawer can remain in place in the sloping position without difficulty, without falling back into the horizontal starting position. Each drawer 15 is provided at the front with a front panel 16 and is open or closed at the rear. The drawers are by preference made of metal and/or transparent material. Several compartments 17 of different widths can be provided in each drawer 15, depending on the dimensions of the articles displayed for sale. Instead of said compartments 17, it is also possible to arrange several cylindrical boxes with a filling and dispensing opening in the drawers in such a way that they can be removed.

In order to insert a drawer 15 in the display cabinet 1, the guide pins 11-12 of the drawer are slid into the horizontal part 6 of the guide grooves 5 and the drawer is slid into the display cabinet until the guide pins 11-12 are located in the second horizontal part 9 of said guide grooves 5. For filling a drawer 15 with for example cigarette boxes, the drawer 15 is pulled out in the horizontal position, until the front guide pins 11 of the drawer come up against the vertical striker section 8 of the guide grooves. The drawer 15 can then be filled without difficulty. Afterwards the filled drawer 15 is slid backwards into the display cabinet 1 until the rearmost guide pins 12 of the drawer strike against the curved section 10 of the guide grooves 5 and then the drawer is tilted forwards, with the result that the rearmost guide pins 12 will move upwards in aforementioned curved sections. As the centre of gravity of the drawer is still in the foremost part of the drawer regardless of whether the drawer is empty, half full or entirely full of articles, the drawer will remain in the sloping position without difficulty.

It goes without saying that the number of drawers, as well as the type and the dimensions thereof, just as the dimensions of the display cabinet or rack may differ. Furthermore it goes without saying that the nature, the form and the dimensions of the guide grooves or guide tracks and the guide pins may differ and that the guide grooves can be applied in separated slats or panels of any material whatsoever and which are fastened against the inside panels of the cabinet or rack.

Claims

Display cabinet (1) with open front or open rack and provided with several drawers (15) in which articles for display and sale, such as cigarette boxes, are arranged and whereby the drawers (15) are arranged one above the other in the display cabinet and means of guidance (5-11-12) are provided between each side panel (3-4) of the display cabinet (1) or rack and the adjacent side panel (13-14) of each drawer (15) for the horizontal placement and withdrawal of each drawer (15) and for placing each drawer (15) in a sloping position and maintaining it there, characterized by the fact that each means of guidance consists of a groove (5) with a largely horizontal section (6-9) extended by an upwards section (10) and provided in the inner surface of the side panels (3-4) of the display cabinet (1), and guide pins (11-12) which engage in said groove (5) and which are provided on the side panels of each drawer (15), so that different sloping positions can be given to the drawers.
Display cabinet in accordance with claim 1, characterized by the fact that each side panel (13-14) of each drawer (15) is provided with two guide pins (11-12) one behind the other.
Display cabinet in accordance with claim 1, characterized by the fact that the guide grooves (5) consist of a horizontal section (6) the entrance (7) of which is located on the front of the display cabinet (1) for the insertion of the guide pins (11-12) of each drawer in the guide grooves, a vertical section (8) which serves as a striker for the foremost guide pins (11) of each drawer (15), a horizontal section (9) for the horizontal positioning and withdrawing of each drawer, and a curved section (10) which runs upwards in which the rear guide pins (12) move over for the inclined positioning of each drawer (15).
Display cabinet in accordance with claim 2, characterized by the fact that the foremost guide pin (11) of each set of guide pins, is located behind the central section of each drawer (15) so that the centre of gravity of the drawer lies in front of said guide pin.
Display cabinet in accordance with claim 1, characterized by the fact that each drawer (15) is transparent and closed at the front and back.
Display cabinet in accordance with claim 5, characterized by the fact that each drawer (15) is provided with compartments (17) for the display and offer for sale of articles.
Display cabinet in accordance with claim 5, characterized by the fact that each drawer (15) is provided with removable tubular boxes with a filling and dispensing opening, for the display and offer for sale of articles.