EP2617330A1

EP2617330A1 - A zigzag stand

Info

Publication number: EP2617330A1
Application number: EP12461502.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Wojciech Radzki
Original assignee: Drukarnia "ellert" Sp Z Oo
Current assignee: Drukarnia "ellert" Sp Z Oo
Priority date: 2012-01-19
Filing date: 2012-01-19
Publication date: 2013-07-24

Abstract

A zigzag stand comprising a base and box-like inclined shelves arranged alternately in opposite directions. The stand comprises individual cardboard modules (100) constituting the shelves, wherein the side walls (103) of the modules have a shape of a letter L, one arm of which forms the side wall of the shelf and the second arm of which, extending below the bottom (101) of the module forms a connector (105) inserted to a slot (131) between the side wall (103) and the back wall (107) of the lower module (100).

Description

The present invention relates to zigzag stands for displaying products.
There are known zigzag stands made of plastic, aluminum or steel, used to present various products, such as brochures or leaflets. These stands are usually single-sided or double-sided and have inclined shelves. The shelves of double-sided stands are usually arranged alternately in opposite directions.
A US patent 3926314 presents a zigzag stand, comprising a zigzag column and a base, into which the column is pressed. The column comprises two plastic zigzag elements facing each other. In these elements there are mounted shelves having a shape of a box and arranged in a slanted manner one above another, facing the same direction. The height of the shelves of one unit is shifted with respect to the second element, so that the shelves of the stand are arranged alternately in opposite directions
A US patent 4008809 presents a zigzag stand made of plastic, comprising a zigzag column mounted on a base. The column is made of plates arranged in a slanted manner, alternately in opposite directions, forming a double-sided zigzag construction. Rectangular chambers having a box-like construction are mounted to each plate, forming a stand with a plurality of chambers inclined to alternate directions, to which containers for storage of products may be inserted. The chambers may have ribs, which allow stable placement of a higher number of containers therein.
Stands of this type are heavy, have a complicated structure and must be manufactured in large batches in order to achieve a low cost per unit.
The aim of the present invention is to provide a zigzag stand having a stable structure, which can be produced in small batches at a low cost per unit.
The object of the invention is a zigzag stand comprising a base and box-like inclined shelves arranged alternately in opposite directions, wherein the stand comprises individual cardboard modules constituting the shelves, wherein the side walls of the modules have a shape of a letter L, one arm of which forms the side wall of the shelf and the second arm of which, extending below the bottom of the module forms a connector inserted to a slot between the side wall and the back wall of the lower module.
Preferably, the modules facing the same direction are parallel to each other.
Preferably, the modules facing the same direction are perpendicular with respect to the modules facing the opposite direction.
Preferably, the base of the stand provides support for the bottom side of the bottom of the lowest module and the front wall of the lowest module, as well as for the front wall of an upper module connected with the lowest module.
Preferably, the back wall of each module forms support for a fragment of the bottom side of the bottom of a module located above.
Preferably, the connectors of the lowest module are inserted into slots between the side walls and the front wall of the base.
Preferably, successive modules are adjacent to each other by the back wall and a fragment of the bottom side of the bottom.
Preferably, the stand comprises an extender placed on the top module of the stand and joined with this module by connectors inserted into slots between the side wall and the back wall of the top module.
The object of the invention is shown by means of exemplary embodiments on a drawing, in which:

Figs. 1A, 1B show an embodiment of the zigzag stand viewed from the first and second usable side,
Fig. 2 shows an assembly view of the stand,
Fig. 3 shows a single module of the stand,
Fig. 4 shows a base of the stand,
Fig. 5 shows an extender of the stand,
Figs. 6A-6C show successive stages of transforming the stand to a transport configuration,
Fig. 7 shows a cardboard blank for assembling the stand module,
Fig. 8 shows a cardboard blank for assembling the extender of the stand
Figs. 9A, 9B show cardboard blanks for assembling the base of the stand.

Dashed lines on the drawings of the blanks correspond to bending lines, and continuous lines correspond to edges and cutting lines.
Hatched areas indicate the areas where adhesive is applied to join individual elements of the cardboard blank.
Figs. 1A, 1B show an embodiment of the zigzag stand viewed from a first and second usable side.
The zigzag stand comprises a base 200 and cardboard shelves in a form of modules 100 having a box-like construction, arranged in an inclined manner, alternately in opposite directions. The stand further comprises an extender 300, placed over the top module 100A, useful for example to carry a poster or an advertisement. The modules which face towards the same direction are parallel to each other and perpendicular with respect to the modules facing the opposite direction.
In the present embodiment all components of the stand are made of cardboard, preferably of corrugated cardboard. However, other embodiments are also possible, wherein the base and/or the extender are made of a material different than cardboard, such as plastic.
Fig. 2 shows an assembly view of the zigzag stand. The stand modules, which are shown individually on Fig. 3, are joined with each other in the working configuration such that the back wall 107 of each module 100 forms a support for the bottom side 102 of the bottom of the module located above. The back wall 107 of each lower module is therefore adjacent to the higher module in the area of a part of the bottom side 102 of the bottom adjacent to the front wall 106 of that module.
The base 200 of the stand forms a support for the whole bottom 102 of the lowest module 100B and the front wall 106 of that module, as well as for the front wall 106 of the module 100 located just above the lowest module 100B.
Fig. 3 shows a single module of the stand. The module 100 has a box-like construction in form of a flat cuboid with an open top wall. The module comprises a bottom 101, a front wall 106, a back wall 107 and two side walls 103, 104. Each of the side walls 103, 104 has a shape of a letter L, the fragment of which that extends below the bottom 101 forms a connector 105. The connectors 105 are used to couple individual components 100, 200 of the stand. When assembling the stand to a working configuration, the connectors 105 of a higher module are inserted to slots 131 formed between elements 109 and 118 of the blank of the side walls 103, 104 of a lower module 100. The slots 131 are located between the side wall 103 and the back wall 107 of each module. The connectors 105 of the lowest module 100B are inserted to slots 231 of the base 200 so that they enter inside the base 200.
Fig. 4 shows the base of the zigzag stand. The base 200 has a shape of a non-convex box having seven walls, which has two rectangular walls: the front wall 202A and the back wall 202B having different areas, two vertical side walls 203A, 203B having a shape of a concave pentagon, one horizontal rectangular bottom wall 204 and two rectangular inclined top walls 201A, 201 B. The walls 201A, 201 B are perpendicular to each other. The first inclined wall 201A has a larger area than the second inclined wall 201 B.
Fig. 5 shows an extender of the zigzag stand. The extender 300 has a shape of a flat hexahedronal box with open top and bottom walls, assembled from a blank shown in Fig. 8. When assembling the zigzag stand to a working configuration, the extender is placed on the top module 100A. The extender 300 is joined with the top module 100A by means of connectors 308, which form extensions of the side walls 302 of the extender, in a similar manner as the connectors 105 of the modules. However, the connectors 308 are arranged at the angle which provides that the main plane of the extender 300 is vertical. When joining the extender 300 with the top module 100A, the connectors 308 are inserted to slots 131 formed between elements 109 and 118 of the side walls 103, 104 of the top module 100A.
Figs. 6A-6C show consecutive stages of transforming the stand to a transport configuration. After the components 100, 200, 300 are disjoined, the base 200 of the stand may function as a transport box for the other elements 100, 300. After folding out the top inclined walls 201A, 201 B of the base 200, the extender 300 and the modules 100 are inserted therein in a stacked configuration, preferably in alternate manner, such that the connectors 105 do not interfere with each other, as shown in Fig. 6A.
The module 100 is made of a cardboard blank shown in Fig. 7. To facilitate assembly of the module to a working configuration, individual elements of the blank are bent inwards according to the bending lines indicated by a continuously dashed line 120 or outwards according to bending lines indicated by variably dashed line 121. The elements 108, 111 are bent to a position perpendicular with respect to the element 102, forming the bottom 102 of the module 100, and next the elements 109, 112 are bent such that the individual pairs of elements 108 and 109 form the side walls 103 and 104, respectively. The elements 111 and 112 form a back wall 107. The elements 110, 113 are bent outwards and supported by element 102 in parallel thereto. In order to connect together the walls 103, 104, 107 formed in this manner, when folding the elements 108, 109, 111, 112, the element 114 is placed between elements 108 and 109. In addition, when bending the element 109 towards element 108, the elements 108, 109 forming the walls 103, 104 are joined with elements 115, 116 bent towards each other and forming the front wall 106 of the module 100, such that the elements 117, 118 bent towards each other are placed between elements 108 and 109 in a manner equivalent to placing elements 114 inside the walls 103, 104. Before the elements 115, 116 are completely bent towards each other, elements 119 are placed therebetween to form a reinforcement for the front wall 106 of the module 100. In the last step, while completing the bending of the elements 115 and 116 towards each other, the element 101 is bent outwards such that it forms inside the module 100 a bottom, which is adjacent from the external side to flaps 110, 113. The module 100 formed this way forms a shelf of the stand, which is characterized in that the fragments of the elements 108 forming the external side of the side walls 103, 104 extend beyond the bottom of the module forming perpendicular extensions of these walls. These extensions form connectors 105 used to join the modules 100 together and to join the bottom module 100B with the base 200 of the stand.
The extender 300 is made of a blank shown in Fig. 8. In order to form the extender 300, individual elements 302-307 of the blank are bent inwards according to bending lines, and next the flap 307 is glued to the wall 303. Preferably, the bending lines 309, 310 are perforated lines. The elements 302 comprise an inclined extension forming a connector 308 between the extender 300 and the top module 100A.
The base 200 is made of blanks 200A, 200B shown in Fig. 9A, 9B. To facilitate its assembly, the individual elements of the blanks are bent inwards along bending lines indicated by dashed lines, apart from the line 217, which indicates bending outwards. Next, the blanks 200A and 200B are joined together by gluing a flap 207 to the wall 202B and a flap 208 to the wall 202A, such as to form a body of a box having four vertical and parallel walls 202A, 202B, 203A, 203B, which after bending the flaps 205A, 205B, 206A, 206B is positioned on the ground, such that the flaps face the ground. In the next step the elements 209A, 209B are bent together with the bent elements 210A, 210B. Next, the element 204 is bent inwards together with the element 201 B bent inwards. The flaps 215 bent inwards are positioned in the openings 218A, 218B to connect the wall 201 B with the walls 203A, 203B. The elements 209A, 209B, 210A, 210B form a support for the element 201 B, and the flaps 211A, 211B form a support for the element 204. At the end, the element 201 A and the flap 213 with the bent flaps 214 are bent, and next the flap 213 with the flaps 214 fully bent is inserted to the opening 216, such that after extension the flaps 214 block unintentional slip-out of the flap 213 from the opening 216. Therefore, the flaps 215 and 214 protect the construction of the base of the stand from unfolding or loosening.
In order to facilitate bending of the elements of the blanks, some bending lines, especially the lines indicated by the variably dashed line, may be perforated lines.

Claims

A zigzag stand comprising a base and box-like inclined shelves arranged alternately in opposite directions, characterized in that the stand comprises individual cardboard modules (100) constituting the shelves, wherein the side walls (103) of the modules have a shape of a letter L, one arm of which forms the side wall of the shelf and the second arm of which, extending below the bottom (101) of the module forms a connector (105) inserted to a slot (131) between the side wall (103) and the back wall (107) of the lower module (100).
The zigzag stand according to claim 1, characterized in that the modules (100) facing the same direction are parallel to each other.
The zigzag stand according to claim 1, characterized in that the modules (100) facing the same direction are perpendicular with respect to the modules (100) facing the opposite direction.
The zigzag stand according to claim 1, characterized in that the base (200) of the stand provides support for the bottom side (102) of the bottom of the lowest module (100B) and the front wall (106) of the lowest module (100B), as well as for the front wall (106) of an upper module (100) connected with the lowest module (100B).
The zigzag stand according to claim 1, characterized in that the back wall (107) of each module (100) forms support for a fragment of the bottom side (102) of the bottom of a module (100) located above.
The zigzag stand according to claim 1, characterized in that the connectors (105) of the lowest module (100B) are inserted into slots (231) between the side walls (203A, 203B) and the front wall (202A) of the base (200).
The zigzag stand according to claim 1, characterized in that successive modules (100) are adjacent to each other by the back wall (107) and a fragment of the bottom side (102) of the bottom.
The zigzag stand according to claim 1, characterized in that the stand comprises an extender (300) placed on the top module (100A) of the stand and joined with this module by connectors (308) inserted into slots (131) between the side wall (103) and the back wall (107) of the top module (100A).