EP3153068B1

EP3153068B1 - Reinforced shelves for metal shelving units having apertures for the passage and the support of electric wiring

Info

Publication number: EP3153068B1
Application number: EP16192693.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Giancarlo Bonzi; Massimo Poggi
Original assignee: Cefla SCARL
Current assignee: Cefla SCARL
Priority date: 2015-10-09
Filing date: 2016-10-06
Publication date: 2018-04-18
Anticipated expiration: 2036-10-06
Also published as: PL3153068T3; ES2668779T3; EP3153068A1; ITUB20154261A1

Description

The present invention relates to the technical field of shopfitting for large point-of-sales, and particularly to a building element of the shelving for displaying goods. More particularly, the invention relates to electrified shelves, modified so as to allow the passage and the support of electric wiring aimed to supplied peripherals, e.g. LED bars for lighting the displayed goods.
Such shelving is manufactured starting from plate sheets having a thickness of about 1,5 mm (0,5-2,5 mm), which are shaped, cut and welded to obtain the single components belonging to the shelving. Said components (bases, posts, back-panelling, shelves, brackets) are produced inside a factory and successively assembled in the point-of-sale to obtain a shelving having the desired features.
The application EP2832262A3 of the same applicant describes a shelving of the same kind. Said shelving comprises two distinct solutions, involving the presence of apertures and supports obtained in the beams of said shelves. The two alternative solutions of apertures are indicated in the figures of EP2832262A3 with number 1 and 10, respectively.
Nonetheless, in practice the solution described in EP2832262A3 has several disadvantages.
First, the apertures 1 of EP2832262A3 allow to anchor a cable in the lower part of the beam. They have the serious disadvantage of not being suitable for providing pre-wired shelves, in that the wiring protrudes under the shelf, and therefore could be damaged during transport due to vibrations, when the shelves are shipped piled up or one next to the other. The wiring can be performed only when assembling the shelving in the point-of-sale, with apparent inefficiency with respect to an assembly process performed inside the factory, in a shop provided with a suitable work bench, materials supplied according to Kanban, and staff trained to perform repetitive actions.
A second severe disadvantage of apertures 1 is that the wiring passes along the lower part of the shelf, so that during cleaning or while collecting goods during the purchasing process, one might get caught in the wiring, with the risk of jerking and damaging the wiring, so that the shelving does not offer an ordered displaying any more.
The apertures 10 of EP2832262A3 allow to anchor a wiring in the intermediate part of the beam; nonetheless, due to the need to respect load capacity, the aperture 10 cannot be in the upper part of the beam, therefore the wiring is in the middle of the beam, not preventing the jerking. To prevent jerking, a raceway 2 can be used, which is difficult to insert. Said difficulty does not allow to perform an easy assembly at the point-of-sale.
Finally, as the aperture is open on the side, the wiring assembly can be performed only when the shelf is disassembled, not allowing a retrofit direct assembly on a set-up shelf at the point-of-sale. With these geometries, the retrofit assembly in the point-of-sale can be performed in the following way only: removal of displayed goods from the shelving; disassembling of the shelves from their supports; turning the shelves upside down; assembling of the wiring and raceway; re-assembling of the shelves on their supports; re-displaying of goods on the shelves.
Aim of the present invention is providing a shelf free from the above-mentioned drawbacks, cheap to produce and easy to assemble, even in the point-of-sale with a retrofit assembling.
This object is achieved by an apparatus and a method having the features of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiment and refinements are specified in the claims dependent thereon.
The solution consists in an aperture for the passage and the support of electric wiring realized with a full aperture in the beam, in a position wherein the shelf is not undergoing a significant bending stress (distance from the bracket shorter than 300 mm) and wherein the shear stress is not significant.
Thanks to said aperture, the assembling of wiring and shelf can be performed in two distinct moments, having each different levels of efficiency:

Factory assembling, with upside down shelf, simply inserting the wiring from above (inserting the wire from above is faster and more efficient than inserting it from a side);
Retrofit point-of sale assembling, without disassembling the shelf from the shelving and without removal of displayed goods, inserting the wiring from below through the apertures.

Said aperture combines its efficiency with special clips, having the function of positioning, stretching, supporting and covering the wiring; said clips can be inserted in said apertures. Said clips, preferably in an elastic material (e.g. plastic material), are snap-inserted in said apertures, and firmly anchor the wiring. With their upper branches, the clips stretch the wiring and bring it into contact with the lower surface of the shelf, so as to limit the probability of jerking, as the wiring is adherent to the lower surface of the shelf.
The clips being snap-fitted, they can be easily inserted in case of:

Factory assembling, with upside down shelf, simply inserting the clips from above;
Retrofit point-of-sale assembling, without disassembling the shelf from the shelving, inserting the clips from below to compress the wiring towards the top.

The first advantage of the present invention consists in allowing the assembling of the supplying wiring already inside the factory, providing the customer with a suppliable/illuminable, ready-to-assemble shelf.
A second advantage of the present invention is the possibility of retrofit assembling at the point-of-sale. In fact, with the shelf and the clips according to the present invention, the point-of-sale can purchase the shelves provided with the aperture according to the present invention without wiring, and assemble them with the electric wiring in a second time, even if the shelving are loaded with displayed goods, given the extreme simplicity of the assembling of the electric wiring and clips.
A third advantage of the present invention consists in a better aesthetic look of the shelving itself, in that the wiring does neither protrude nor dangle from the shelf.
A fourth advantage consists in an improvement of shelving safety, in that the probability of jerking in the wiring are radically reduced during assembling/disassembling of the shelving, and also during the use of the shelving by point-of-sale customers during their purchasing.
Further advantages and properties of the present invention are disclosed in the following description, in which exemplary embodiments of the present invention are explained in detail based on the drawings:

Figure 1: Axonometric view of a shelving comprising the aperture according to the present invention;
Figure 2: Axonometric view from below of a standard metal shelf;
Figure 3: Axonometric view from below of a thin metal shelf;
Figure 4: View of three embodiments of the clip according to the present invention;
Figure 5: Axonometric view from below of a shelf provided with clips;
Figure 6: Section view of the wiring path fixed by the clip.

Figure 1 shows a shelving 1 for points-of-sale, loaded with goods as usually occurs in points-of-sale. Said shelving 1, widely known in the art, comprises a plurality of shelves 2, each supported by a pair of brackets 3. Said brackets 3 are fixed to a pair of posts 4, which in turn are supported by a pair of bases 5.
A rail 6 allows the supplying of all shelves 2 belonging to shelving 1. Said rail 6 must be connected to the (not shown) peripherals, e.g. a LED bar, fixed to the anterior portion of the single shelf 2, through the supplying electric wiring 20.
Figure 2 shows a view from below of a standard shelf 2 according to the present invention, while Figure 3 shows a view from below of a thin shelf 2 according to the present invention. Indicatively, the overall thickness, comprising its beams, of the shelf 2 shown in Figure 2 is 25 mm, while the overall thickness, comprising its beams, of the thin shelf 2 shown in Figure 3 is below 19 mm. Both shelves have beams 9 under the shelf 2 itself, the beam having a thickness compatible with the overall thickness of the shelf 2.
In both Figures an aperture 7 can be observed, allowing the passage and the support of the supplying wiring, not shown in these Figures, which goes from the rail 6 on the rear of shelf to the (not shown) peripheral placed on the front of the shelf. The aperture is realized through a whole cut of beam 9, in a position wherein the shelf is not under an appreciable bending stress (distance from the lateral edge 8 of the shelf, leaning against the not shown bracket 3, shorter than 300 mm), and wherein shear stress is not significant. In the preferred embodiment, the distance of the aperture 7 from shelf edge 8 is 14 mm, while the aperture 7 has a preferred width of 5 mm. The aperture 7 is a carve transversal to the longitudinal axis of the beam which ends at a given distance from the fixing extremity of the beam to the lower plane of the shelf. In particular, the aperture 7 has a C-shape, comprising a lower portion of the anterior vertical wall 11, the whole horizontal wall 12, and a lower portion of the posterior vertical wall 13 of the beam 9. Anterior and posterior are always defined with respect to the position of an imaginary customer in front of shelving 1.
In the illustrated example, the beam 9 is made of a channel section having a trapezoidal section, open on the side fixing it to the shelf, to which the beam is connected through a peripheral flange along each longitudinal edge of the open side of the beam. Obviously also beams realized in other ways can be provided, without departing from the scope of the present invention.
The aperture 7 allows the passage of a supplying wiring, which is kept still and stretched by the presence of suitable clips 14, 15, 16, which are provided according to three embodiments.
Generally speaking, said clips are fastening elements which snap-fit to the aperture on the different sides (three in the illustrated embodiment) along which said aperture extends. Said element has appendixes holding the wiring, e.g. end wings that overlap to the beam sides which are transversal with respect to the support plane, said wings holding the wiring between themselves and the lower side of the support plane. Said wings can have tapered or bevelled end surfaces of the fastening element, which slope on the beam side wherein the aperture is present, from the beam side which is farthest from the shelf plane towards said plane. The trend of said surfaces, also called serifs, can be concave, convex, rectilinear or with other shapes.
Figure 4 shows three preferred embodiments 14, 15, 16 in comparison to each other. In the preferred embodiment, the clip 14 has a symmetrical serif-U shape, having two serifs 17 of large dimensions. On the other hand, the clip 15 is an asymmetric object, wherein the U has a serif 17 having large dimensions only on one of its branches. Finally, the clip 16 has a symmetric substantially sans-serif-U shape.
The serifs 17 of large dimensions are substantially appendixes having a triangular section having the aim of pushing the supplying electric wiring against the lower surface of shelf 2. As is clearly visible in Figure 4, the appendixes 18 have a smaller surface for the contact between wiring 20 and lower surface of shelf 2, and therefore their action of stretching the wiring 20 is less effective.
The preferred embodiment of the clip 14 is the one having the best features in terms of grip and support of wiring 20; nonetheless, this expanded shape can be too cumbersome and not suitable for inserting clip 14 in all the beams 9. The other two embodiments of the clip 15 and 16 ensure to provide clips that can be fixed in any position, at the expense of an inferior stretching of wiring 20.
Figure 5 shows a shelf 2 having two beams 9, each having an aperture 7 inside which the wiring 20 passes, kept in place through two clips 14, one for each beam 9.
The clip 14 is snap-fitted in the aperture 7, and has the aim to prevent the falling of wiring 20, to cover the wiring, and in the vertical walls 11 and 13 of the beam, to keep the wiring as much as possible adherent to the lower plane of shelf 2.
The clips 14, 15, 16, can be produced in any elastic material, e.g. plastic material or metal.
Finally, Figure 6 shows the path of the supplying electric wiring 20 supported by two clips 14 and one clip 15. In Figure 6, the wiring 20 appears in stops and starts, because, when wiring 20 is pressed by the serifs 17 of clips 14 and by the appendix 18 of clip 15, the wiring 20 flows inside a small groove in the serifs 17 and appendixes 18.
The metal shelf 2 is produced in factory and can be provided inside the factory with wiring 20 and clips 14, 15, 16, which support and stretch it. In this case, the assembling of the wiring 20 and of the shelf 2 inside the factory is particularly easy, in that it is sufficient to turn the shelf 2 upside down, to insert the wiring 20 from above, and to fix the clips 14, 15 or 16. Also the assembling of shelving 1 in the point-of-sale is particularly simple and fast, because once the pre-wired shelf 2 is in place, it is sufficient to connect each wiring 20 to the rail 6 through suitable connectors to have an electrified shelving.
Nonetheless, it is possible that shelves 2 leave the factory without wiring 20 and clips 14, 15, 16, and are mounted non-wired in the point-of-sale to obtain a standard shelving 1. When, in a successive moment, the shelving 1 has to be electrified, it is sufficient to insert wiring 20 in the already present apertures 7 and to apply clips 14, 15, 16, without disassembling shelves 2, and without removing the goods displayed on them. In this case the wiring 20 shall be simply inserted in the apertures 7 and the clips 14, 15, 16 applied.

1 shelving
2 shelf
3 bracket
4 post
5 base
6 rail
7 aperture
8 lateral edge of the shelf
9 shelf beam
11 anterior vertical wall of the beam
12 horizontal wall of the beam
13 posterior vertical wall of the beam
14 serif clip
15 asymmetrical clip
16 sans serif clip
17 serif
18 appendix
20 wiring

Claims

Reinforced shelf (2) for metal shelving (1) comprising at least a lower beam (9) provided with an aperture for the passage and the support of a supply electric wiring (20) and a U-shaped clip (14, 15, 16), characterized in that it comprises at least an aperture (7) obtained in the anterior vertical wall (11), in the horizontal wall (12) and in the posterior vertical wall (13) of beam (9) for the passage of said wiring (20) and in that said wiring (20) is supported through a U-shaped clip (14, 15, 16).
Reinforced shelf (2) for metal shelving (1) according to claim 1, wherein said aperture (7) is obtained at a distance shorter than 300 mm, preferably shorter than 20 mm from the lateral edge (8) of said shelf (2).
Reinforced shelf (2) for metal shelving (1) according to claim 1, wherein clip (14) has a symmetrical serif U-shape with two serif (17).
Reinforced shelf (2) for metal shelving (1) according to claim 1, wherein said clip (15) has an asymmetric U-shape, wherein the first branch of said U has a serif (17), and the second branch of said U has an appendix (18) having dimensions smaller than said serif (17).
Reinforced shelf (2) for metal shelving (1) according to claim 1, wherein said clip (16) has a symmetrical sans serif U-shape, having two identical appendixes (18) of small dimensions.
Reinforced shelf (2) for metal shelving (1) according to one of the claims 3-5, wherein said clip (14, 15, 16) is made of an elastic material and is snap-fitted to said beam (9) of shelf (2).
Shelving (1) comprising at least a pair of bases (5), at least a pair of posts (4), which support a plurality of brackets (3) which in turn support a plurality of shelves (2) according to claims 1 to 6.
Factory assembling method for reinforced shelves (2) for metal shelving (1) according to claims 1 to 6, comprising the following steps:
- Turning said shelf (2) upside-down, said shelf (2) comprising at least an aperture (7);

- Inserting wiring (20) from above;

- Applying clips (14, 15, 16) according to need, one for each beam (9);

- Shipping of the pre-wired shelf (2) to the point-of-sale;

- Assembling of a plurality of pre-wired shelves (2) to obtain a shelving (1) having the desired features.
Point-of-sale assembling method for reinforced shelves (2) for metal shelving (1) according to claims 1 to 6, comprising the following steps:
- Shipping the shelves (2) comprising at least an aperture (7) from the factory to the point-of-sale;

- Assembling at the point-of-sale a plurality of shelves (2) to obtain a shelving (1) having the desired features;

- Loading of shelving (1) with goods;

- Inserting wiring (20) inside apertures (7);

- Applying clips (14, 15, 16) to support wiring (20).
Kit of parts for obtaining electrified shelving, characterized in that it comprises at least a pair of bases (5), at least a pair of posts (4), supporting a plurality of brackets (3), which in turn support a plurality of shelves (2); said metal shelves (2) being realized according to one or more of the claims 1 to 6; further comprising at least an electric wiring (20) and at least a clip (14, 15, 16) for fixing said electric wiring (20).