EP3241465B1

EP3241465B1 - Metal shelving with reduced thickness for displaying merchandise

Info

Publication number: EP3241465B1
Application number: EP17176817.9A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Eros Nanni; Massimo Poggi
Original assignee: Imola Retail Solutions SRL
Current assignee: Imola Retail Solutions SRL
Priority date: 2013-07-04
Filing date: 2014-06-30
Publication date: 2021-08-04
Anticipated expiration: 2034-06-30
Also published as: ES2641730T3; PL2863775T3; ES2886930T3; EP3241465A1; PL3241465T3; ITBO20130077U1; EP2863775A1; EP2863775B1; WO2015000852A1

Description

The invention relates to metal shelving for displaying merchandise for sale, according to the preamble of claim 1.
Documents US2010/0077781 , US 2010/077781 A1 , US 2 845 187 A , DE 103 06 834 B3 , US 4 098 480 A , US 2 005 593 A and DE 297 02 781 U1 disclose a metal shelving.
Also document DE10306834 discloses a metal shelving. Currently the thinnest sheet metal shelves produced by the applicant for the above mentioned shelving have a thickness of about 25 mm and with plan dimensions of about 50x133 cm they have a maximum load capacity of about 240 kg per shelf, e.g. as measured according to the technical regulations UNI 11262. Currently for example it is possible to arrange seven shelves with said thickness one on the other one, the first one being placed at about 10 cm from the ground, they are spaced from each other by about 25-27 cm, such to form a shelving whose last upper shelf is about 1900-2000 mm from the ground. This height is difficult to be reached by elder people and young people.
In addition to this there is the fact that merchandise to be displayed has often a reduced weight, such as for example breakfast products, jams, pasta and other ones that can be supported by shelves with a load capacity lower than the above mentioned one.
In conventional shelving the shelves usually have a thickness equal to the distance between the slots of the upright.
In this case, let p be the distance or pitch between the slots, it has to be noted that between two shelves spaced from each other heightwise by m pitches p, the space available heightwise for displaying the products is equal to (m*p-p), that is the space between two shelves spaced heightwise m*p is equal to m*p minus p, that is the thickness of a shelf itself.
In conventional shelving, a product with a height Hi can be placed between two shelves spaced heightwise by m*p with $m * p - 2 * p < = Hi < m * p - p$
The arrangement of all the shelves for receiving the products can cause the upper shelf to have an overall height from the ground that is too much for people of short stature.
Therefore when manufacturing metal shelving the dimensioning of three contrasting magnitudes has to be faced, which have to be optimized in order to ideally meet the user needs: the display area of each shelf has to be wide enough, the overall height of the shelving has to be sufficiently reduced and contemporaneously it is necessary to guarantee a sufficient mechanical strength to the shelves, so to provide a good payload, and to the structure as a whole for supporting merchandise.
The present invention aims at overcoming these drawbacks of currently known shelving and at optimizing the three magnitudes mentioned above, by providing a metal shelving for displaying merchandise, comprising at least two uprights to which a plurality of shelves is fastened, each upright being provided with slots for fastening the shelves, which slots are spaced from each other by a predetermined distance, wherein each shelf has a thickness lower than said predetermined distance between the slots.
The present invention achieves the above aims with a metal shelving for displaying merchandise for sale according to the preamble of claim 1 which further shows the combination of features of the characterizing part of claim 1.
Thus the shelves have a thickness N lower than p and the space between two shelves spaced heightwise by m pitches p is greater, since the thickness of the shelf is reduced, and therefore the space is equal M*p-N.
In a preferred example the shelves are rested on adjustable brackets, fastened to the uprights by means of the slots for the insertion of brackets at pitch p= 25 mm.
Therefore the shelving is such that it makes it possible to place the shelves at a height from the ground lower than the corresponding case wherein the shelves have a thickness coinciding with the pitch of the slots p.
It is the interest of the exhibitor to maintain the level of the upper shelves as low as possible, such to allow the users, even not tall ones, to willingly buy the products displayed on the upper shelves. For this reason usually the arrangement of the shelves is designed such to guarantee a level of the uppermost shelf sufficiently reachable by the users. The workers of the store have to select the lowest level where the brackets are inserted in the upright, such to place the shelves for properly displaying merchandise and to allow the smallest overall height of the shelving.
Therefore the shelving of the new type is able to arrange under the shelf the products having a height Hi ranging $m * p - 2 * p < = Hi < m * p - p,$
but also the products having H_j such that $m * p - 2 * p < = Hj < m * p - N,$
which on the contrary in a conventional shelving would require to be arranged between two shelves spaced heightwise by (m+1)*p.
The new type of shelving allows therefore to allocate the products having a height H_j even between two shelves m*p apart from each other, which on the contrary in the state of the art would require to be placed between two shelves with a distance in height from each other of (m+1)*p (in other words, with a height increased of one pace p more with respect to m*p). Thus the shelving is able to earn one pace p in height for all those products which have a height with the features of H_j.
Therefore the shelving offers an increased versatility in mounting the products, because it allows to place between two shelves m*p apart from each other, all those products of height H_k such that $m * p - 2 * p < = H_{k} < m * p - N,$
where H_k can represent either the products having a height Hi such that $m * p - 2 * p < = H_{i} < m * p - p,$
or the products having a height H_j such that $m * p - p < = H_{j} < m * p - N .$
From all the above it appears clearly that every time it is possible to place the products between two shelves spaced heightwise by m*p with a height Hi and also those with a height H_j, then it is possible to gain a pitch to the bottom for positioning the shelves and the brackets.
Since in a store there are many displayed products, according to the law of large numbers, the number of cases when it is possible to reduce by a pitch p the positioning heightwise between adjacent shelves is considerable, and this makes it possible to gain several pitches p to the bottom on one upright.
For example in the case of a shelving with 8 shelves, if it is possible for 50% of the cases to lower by a pitch p the height of the bracket supporting the shelf, then on average the height of the uppermost shelf is reduced by 8 shelves * 50% * p = 8*0.5*25 mm = 100 mm, which denotes the gain in height of the shelving, with respect to conventional shelving.
In one embodiment the top shelf has a distance from the ground ranging from 1500 to 1900 mm, preferably ranging from 1600 mm to 1800 mm.
The lower shelf has a distance from the ground ranging from 100 mm to 200, preferably ranging from 110 mm to 160 mm.
In one preferred embodiment there are provided seven shelves, but it is possible to provide also six or eight shelves or similar numbers.
In one embodiment the shelf has a thickness lower than 20 mm, preferably of about 18 mm, and it is obtained from a sheet metal with a thickness of 0.7 mm, by means of subsequent shearing and bending operations.
The shelves have the same plan dimensions as the conventional shelves and are reinforced such to have a load capacity per shelf slightly less than 200 kg.
With these shelves having a reduced thickness, it is possible to make shelving with the same number of shelves as those with a thickness of 25 mm, as in the above example, spaced from each other by an equal or slightly lower distance, wherein the seventh upper shelf has a distance from the ground of about 1800 mm, unlike the previous about 2000 mm, with the intuitable advantages deriving from this condition.
In one embodiment each shelf has a payload greater than 100 Kg, preferably comprised between 160 and 200 Kg, in particular corresponding to 180 Kg.
According to the invention, the front side of the shelf and the rear one are ribbed and profiled by downward and inward bends, and the shelf at the ends is equipped with down-fold lips that are side by side to supporting brackets. The supporting brackets are obtained from a metal plate and are hooked in a projecting manner to the upright of the shelving. The ends of the sheet metal forming said shelf rest on the brackets. Said profiled parts of the front side and of the rear side of the same shelf, as well as the ends of metal stiffeners with an inverted omega profile, also obtained by shearing and bending sheet metal, parallel to said front and rear ribbed sides and that with their lips are fastened on the lower face of the same shelf by means of spot welds rest on such brackets.
The stiffeners are obtained from a sheet metal with a thickness of 1 mm.
Further characteristics of the invention and the advantages deriving therefrom will be more clear from the following description made with reference to the figures of the four annexed drawing tables, wherein:

Figs.1 and 2 are partial and perspective views, from the top and from the bottom and observing at one end, of a portion of the shelf of interest;
Fig.3 is the plan view from the bottom;
Figs. 4 and 5 are front views of the front and rear sides respectively of the shelf of interest;
Fig.6 is the details according to the cross-sectional line VI-VI of figure 3;
Figs. 7 and 8 are side and enlarged views of the parts with the front side and the part with the rear side of the shelf of figure 6, denoted by K1 and K2 respectively;
Fig.9 is a front view of a double metal shelving with on the left of the same upright the known shelves with a thickness of 25 mm hooked thereto and on the right of the upright it has the shelves with the thickness reduced to 18 mm.

From figures 1, 2 and 3 it is clear that the shelf 1 according to the invention has a rectangular plan shape and it is obtained by subsequent operations shearing and bending sheet metal with a thickness S of about 0.7 mm (fig. 8) and it has a depth A of about 504.5 mm and a width B of about 1328 mm. With reference also to figures 5, 6 and 7 it is noted that the rear side of the shelf 1 has a square bend 101 with a thickness of about 16.3 mm and it has a lower recessed part 201 with a corrugated profile, with a width D of about 25 mm. The front side of the shelf 1 has also the thickness C of about 16.3 mm, it has a bend 301 with a hook-like profile so that label holders or price holders can be snap fitted, it has a height E of about 13.8 mm and even this side ends by a lower and recessed bend 201' with a corrugated profile, similar to the rear one and having a width D' of about 25-26 mm. On the intermediate portion of said lower and corrugated profiles 201, 201' rows of holes 2 are formed (figs.2, 3, 6, 7) corresponding holes 2' of the top face of the shelf 1 (figs. 1, 6, 7) are aligned thereto and all these holes have a diameter of about 7 mm and are intended to receive small known guards, not shown, useful for confining the products displayed on the shelf 1 at the front and at the back.
From figures 1 to 3 it is noted that the rear side of the shelf 1 is smaller that the front one since the shelf at the rear corners is provided with recesses 3 having a width E of about 26 mm and a depth F of about 50 mm, useful for housing the uprights of the shelving.
On the lower face of the shelf 1 three stiffeners 4 obtained by sheet metal with a thickness S' (fig.8) of about 1 mm are fastened by a proper number of spot welds Z on their lips 104, spaced from each other by a distance decreasing towards the middle of the shelf 1 and arranged on lines parallel to the front and rear sides of the shelf 1. Good results have been achieved by providing two welds Z close to each other at each end of each lip 104 and by providing thirteen spot welds Z for each stiffener 4. The stiffeners 4 have an intermediate isosceles trapezoidal profile and have the lips 104 bent outwardly and coplanar with each other, and as a whole they have a profile that reminds of the inverted Omega letter of the Greek alphabet. The stiffeners 4 have a width G of the their smallest base 5 of about 71.4 mm, they are characterized by a distance between centers H of about 162 mm and the outer stiffeners are spaced from the front side of the shelf 1 by a distance L1 of about 50 mm and from the rear side of the same shelf 1 by a distance L2 of about 64.2 mm.
The thickness M of the stiffeners 4 is about 17.3 mm that once it is summed to the thickness of the sheet metal forming the shelf 1 (0.7 mm) gives to the shelf 1 an overall thickness N of 18 mm.
The shelf 1 is completed by fold-down lips 6 on the short sides, having rounded corners 106, having a height Q of 12 mm, which are spaced from the rear side and from the front side of the shelf 1 by a distance R1 of about 7 mm and by a distance R2 of about 50 mm respectively, which on the whole have an extension T of about 440 mm, which are spaced from the ends of the stiffeners 4 by a distance V of about 4.5 mm (figs. 4, 5) and at the ends they are provided with holes 7 with a diameter of 5 mm, wherein known appendages of said brackets supporting the shelf 1 can be inserted which are equipped on the top side with small slots also of known type for housing small lugs 8 of about 4 mm obtained by shearing and inwardly bending the lips 6.
By making a shelf 1 with the described characteristics, it is possible to guarantee a load capacity of about 180 kg and to arrange it with a front side as in figure 7 with a profile remarkably articulate such that it can support the same label holders or price holders that can be fit in the shelves of known type made with a metal wire. In the state of the art, it is known that the shelves made with a metal wire are obtained combining in the superior part a circular metal wire with diameter of about 4 mm, in the inferior part a circular metal wire with diameter of about 8 mm, with interposed between them a mesh of transversal wire with diameter of about 2-3 mm, so that the frontal part has a total thickness of about 13,5-14 mm.
In the embodiment of figure 7, it can be seen the shelf 1, whose front side is formed by a sheet metal profile, such that it superiorly has a superior coupling rib 12 and inferiorly an inferior coupling rib 13.
The superior coupling rib 12 is constituted by a tooth-like profile, which is provided posteriorly with a recess.
The inferior coupling rib 13 is constituted by a further tooth-like profile, which is provided posteriorly with a coupling wall.
In this way, the front side is suitable to couple with a label holding element with a C-like profile, being the two ends of the C-like profile suitable to couple respectively with the superior rib 12 and with the inferior rib 13.
In an embodiment the C-like profile has preferably two radiuses of curvature which are different from each other.
The said superior coupling rib 12 has a profile which can be comprised in an emicircle 120 with diameter of approximately 4 mm and the said inferior rib 13 has a profile which can be comprised in an emicircle 130 with diameter of approximately 8 mm.
The front side has a thickness of approximately 13,8 mm and with its shape can carry the same label holders or price holders mountable to the known shelves made with metal wire.
By means of metal shelves with a thickness of 18 mm as in the present invention, it is possible also to achieve the advantages of the non limitative example of figure 9, where 10' shows conventional metal shelving using shelves 1' with the known thickness of 25 mm, spaced from each other by about 25 mm and hooked by their supporting brackets 11' to the left of an upright 9 with an height Y of about 2000-2100 mm, at the right thereof shelves 1 according to the invention with a thickness of 18 mm are hooked by their brackets 11, such to form a second shelving 10 whose shelves 1 are spaced from each other such to easily support, both for the insertion and for the removal, the same products X with an height of about 23-24 cm which are supported with a higher vertical allowance in the known shelving 10'. In the known shelving 10' the seventh upper shelf 1' is at a distance Y1 from the ground of about 1900-2000 mm, while in the shelving 10 on the right with the shelves 1 reduced to 18 mm, the seventh upper shelf 1 is at a distance Y2 from the ground of about 1700 mm, with the intuitable ergonomic advantages deriving therefrom.

Claims

Metal shelving for displaying merchandise, comprising at least two uprights (9) to which a plurality of shelves (1) is fastened, each upright (9) being provided with slots for fastening the shelves (1), which slots are arranged at a predetermined distance from each other, wherein each shelf (1) has a thickness (N) lower than said predetermined distance between the slots (p) and such that the space between two shelves spaced heightwise by M pitches p is equal to M*p-N, and wherein the shelves can be arranged so to have a distance of one shelf to the other according to one of the two options:
at a distance one to the other corresponding to a products height (Hi) for which the relation $m * p - 2 * p < = Hi < m * p - p$
is true, where m is the number of pitches p, and alternatively at a distance one to the other corresponding to the products height (Hj) for which the relation $m * p - 2 * p < = Hj < m * p - N$
is true, where m is the number of pitches p, and wherein each shelf (1) is obtained from a sheet metal by subsequent shearing and bending operations, wherein front and rear sides of each shelf (1) are ribbed and profiled with downward (301; 101) and inward (201'; 201) bends, wherein at ends of the other two short sides each shelf (1) is provided with down-fold lips (6) which are side by side to supporting brackets (11), wherein the supporting brackets (11) are obtained from a metal plate and are hooked in a projecting manner to the upright (9) of the shelving, wherein ends of the sheet metal forming said shelf (1) rest on said brackets (11), and wherein said profiled parts of the front side and of the rear side of the same shelf (1), as well as ends of metal stiffeners (4) with an inverted omega profile, obtained by means of shearing and bending operations from sheet metal, parallel to said front and rear sides of the shelf (1) and that with their lips are fastened on the lower face of the same shelf (1) by means of spot welds (Z), rest on said brackets (11), characterized in that said down-fold lips (6) have rounded corners (106) and have a height (Q) of about 12 mm, and said down-fold lips (6) are spaced from the front side and from the rear side of the shelf (1) by a distance (R1) of about 7 mm and by a distance (R2) of about 50 mm respectively, and said down-fold lips (6) on the whole have an extension (T) of about 440 mm, and said down-fold lips (6) are spaced from ends of the stiffeners (4) by a distance (V) of about 4.5 mm, and said down-fold lips (6) at ends are provided with holes (7) with a diameter of about 5 mm, wherein appendages of said brackets (11) supporting the shelf (1) can be inserted which are equipped on a top side with small slots for housing small lugs (8) of about 4 mm obtained by shearing and inwardly bending the fold-down lips (6).
Shelving according to claim 1, wherein two shelves m*p apart from each other allow housing of products having a height (Hk) for which the following relation is true: $m * p - 2 * p < = Hk < m * p - N$
and wherein H_k represents either a height H_i such that $m * p - 2 * p < = H_{i} < m * p - p,$
or a height H_j such that $m * p - p < = H_{j} < m * p - N .$
Shelving according to claims 1 or 2, wherein there are provided eight shelves.
Shelving according to claim 3, wherein the height of the eighth top shelf ranges from 1500 to 1900 mm, preferably ranges from 1600 to 1800 mm.
Shelving according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the shelf (1) has a thickness (N) lower than 20 mm.
Shelving according to claim 5, wherein said thickness (N) of the shelf is about 18 mm.
Shelving according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein each shelf (1) has a payload greater than 100 kg, preferably comprised between 160 and 200 kg, in particular corresponding to 180 kg.
Shelving according to claim 7, wherein the front side is formed by a sheet metal profile, such that it superiorly has a superior coupling rib (12), constituted by a tooth-like profile which is provided posteriorly with a recess, and inferiorly an inferior coupling rib (13) constituted by a further tooth-like profile which is provided posteriorly with a coupling wall, such that the front side is suitable to couple with a label holding element with a C-like profile.
Shelving according to claim 8, wherein the C-like profile has preferably two radiuses of curvature which are different from each other.
Shelving according to one or more of claims 8 to 9, wherein the said superior coupling rib (12) has a profile which can be comprised in an emicircle (120) with diameter of approximately 4 mm, the said inferior rib (13) has a profile which can be comprised in an emicircle (130) with diameter of approximately 8 mm, and the front side has a thickness of approximately 13,8 mm and with its shape can carry the same label holders or price holders mountable to shelves made with metal wire.
Shelving according to one or more of claims 7 to 10, wherein the shelf (1) is obtained from sheet metal with a thickness of 0.7 mm, while said stiffeners (4) are obtained from sheet metal with a thickness of 1 mm.
Shelving according to one or more of claims 7 to 11, wherein the shelf (1) has a depth (A) of about 504.5 mm and a width (B) of about 1328 mm, characterized by using three of said stiffeners (4) with a isosceles trapezoidal median profile, with the smallest base having a width (G) ranging from 70 to 72 mm, for example of about 71.4 mm, as well as a distance between centers (H) ranging from 160 to 165 mm for example of about 162 mm and by the fact that said stiffener (4) is spaced from the front side of the shelf (1) by a distance (L1) of about 50 mm, while the opposite stiffener (4) is spaced from the rear side of the shelf (1) by a distance (L2) ranging from 60 to 65 mm, for example of about 64.2 mm.
Shelving according to claim 12, characterized in that as the plan dimensions (A, B) of the shelf change, the dimensioning related to the stiffeners (4) and their positioning within the same shelf (1) can change in a proportional manner.
Shelving according to claim 13, wherein said spot welds (Z) fastening to the same shelf the lips of the lower stiffeners (4), are characterized by a pitch decreasing towards the middle line of the same shelf (1), they are provided in pairs with a closer distance at the ends of the same shelf (1) and they are in a number of at least twenty-six for each stiffener (4).
Shelving according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the thickness (C) of the rear and front sides of the shelf (1) ranges from 16 to 16.5 mm and for example it is of about 16.3 mm.