GB2120221A

GB2120221A - Display unit

Info

Publication number: GB2120221A
Application number: GB08214214A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Charles Kahn
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-05-15
Filing date: 1982-05-15
Publication date: 1983-11-30

Abstract

A display unit (10) includes shelves (12) which slope towards the front face of the unit and are provided with bearings (16) on the shelf slope. The shelves (12) include stops (14) which prevent articles located on the shelves from sliding out. A lowermost shelf sloping towards the rear of the unit is provided. The face of the unit (10, 30) has instructions on how to use the unit. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Display unit This invention relates to display units for goods to be sold particularly to a display unit that does not need to be constantly attended to by sales staff and from which the goods to be sold can be removed by a customer for inspection prior to purchase.

The invention will be described with reference to a shoe display unit but it will be appreciated that the invention is not restricted thereto and can be used for the display of a multitude of goods, particularly if the goods are packaged in boxes.

According to the invention a display unit comprises a plurality of vertically spaced shelves inclined to the horizontal, sloping towards a foward-facing, display side of the unit, and adapted to receive the articles to be displayed or packaged articles, the shelves including stop means to prevent the unintentional exit of the articles from the unit and at least one of the shelves having friction reducing means to facilitate movement of the articles on the shelf slope.

One of the shelves may have a reverse slope towards the rear of the unit where the goods may be retrieved by the sales staff from time to time and replaced on the shelves, which may conveniently be open at the back in order to allow replacement of goods on the shelves.

The friction reducing means may comprise a material having a low coefficient of friction, rollers, bearings or the like. The bearings or rollers may ideally be rotationally held in housings mounted on the shelves.

In the preferred form of the invention the unit is adapted for the display of shoes and the dispensing of shoes in boxes, the unit being wider than one shoe box and including on an upper front face thereof, means to locate and display at least a pair of shoes. The unit may conveniently include, on a lower front face thereof, a set of instructions for the use of the unit.

The shoes will therefore be displayed at the top of the unit and the boxes will be arranged, in diminishing shoe sizes, from top to bottom in the shelves. A customer wishing to try on a pair of shoes will select his shoe size, fit the shoes and if he does not approve of the shoes, by following the instructions printed on the bottom face, insert the shoes, in the box, into the lower shelf to return the shoes to the rear of the unit where they may be re-inserted into the unit by the sales staff.

it will be appreciated that the angle of slope of the shelves will depend on the co-efficient of friction between the boxes and the shelves which will, in turn, depend on the texture of the box and the mass of the goods therein.

The spacing between adjacent shelves may be dimensioned to allow for articles to be fed on the shelves from the forward end.

Embodiments of the invention are described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure lisa schematic front view of one embodi mentofa display unit of the invention; Figure 2 is a schematic side view of the embodiment of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a schematic front view of another embodiment of a display unit of the invention; and Figure 4 is a schematic side view of the embodiment seen in Figure 3.

In Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings a unit generally represented by reference 10 is provided with a plurality of shelves 12 which slope forwardly and are provided with stop means 14 in the form of upstanding projections to prevent gravity from causing unintentional removal of articles from the shelves.

In order to facilitate feeding of articles into the unit (and also, of course, to assist the articles moving downwardly), a series of rollers or ball bearings 16 is provided, on which the articles can moves. The bearings 16 are rotationally mounted in housings in a manner known in the art. It will be appreciated that the distance apart of adjacent rollers or bearings should be less than the dimension of the articles otherwise valleys will be created for the articles and they will not be able to move at all. A strut or struts 18 may be provided for strengthening purposes.

Items of footwear 19 may be displayed on the top of the unit 10.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4 shoes housed in the unit 30 are displayed on the upper face 32 thereof while the shoe boxes 34 are located on the shelves 36. The shelves 36 slope towards the front of the unit, but are prevented from sliding out by the stops 38 in the form of upstanding walls on the front of the shelves. Bearings or rollers as described in Figure 1 may be provided in the shelves 36. The lowermost shelf 40 has a reverse slope towards the back of the unit 30 so that any unwanted shoes may be fed onto the shelf 40 and they will slide to the back where an attendant can retrieve them and relocate them in their proper shelf.

The unit will be used as follows: The shelves will be filled up with shoes in boxes 34, the sizes ranging from the large sizes at the top, for instance, to the smaller sizes at the bottom. The type of shoe in the boxes can be displayed attractively at the top 32 of the unit and the instructions on how to use the unit 30 will be printed on the bottom front face 31 thereof.

A customer wishing to pruchase a pair of shoes makes his choice, first on the basis of the type of shoe displayed on the top face 32 and then selects his size from the shelves 36, removes the box and fits the shoes. If they do not fit or he is not satisfied, he may, by following the instructions on the bottom face 32, repack the shoes in the box and return the shoes to the back of the unit 30 by sliding them onto the lower shelf 40. Here they can be retrieved by an attendant and relocated on their proper place on the shelves 36.

It will be appreciated that a number of the units can be located adjacent one another to create an attractive, labour-saving display and dispenser unit.

1. A display unit comprising a plurality of vertically spaced shelves inclined to the horizontal, slop

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Display unit This invention relates to display units for goods to be sold particularly to a display unit that does not need to be constantly attended to by sales staff and from which the goods to be sold can be removed by a customer for inspection prior to purchase. The invention will be described with reference to a shoe display unit but it will be appreciated that the invention is not restricted thereto and can be used for the display of a multitude of goods, particularly if the goods are packaged in boxes. According to the invention a display unit comprises a plurality of vertically spaced shelves inclined to the horizontal, sloping towards a foward-facing, display side of the unit, and adapted to receive the articles to be displayed or packaged articles, the shelves including stop means to prevent the unintentional exit of the articles from the unit and at least one of the shelves having friction reducing means to facilitate movement of the articles on the shelf slope. One of the shelves may have a reverse slope towards the rear of the unit where the goods may be retrieved by the sales staff from time to time and replaced on the shelves, which may conveniently be open at the back in order to allow replacement of goods on the shelves. The friction reducing means may comprise a material having a low coefficient of friction, rollers, bearings or the like. The bearings or rollers may ideally be rotationally held in housings mounted on the shelves. In the preferred form of the invention the unit is adapted for the display of shoes and the dispensing of shoes in boxes, the unit being wider than one shoe box and including on an upper front face thereof, means to locate and display at least a pair of shoes. The unit may conveniently include, on a lower front face thereof, a set of instructions for the use of the unit. The shoes will therefore be displayed at the top of the unit and the boxes will be arranged, in diminishing shoe sizes, from top to bottom in the shelves. A customer wishing to try on a pair of shoes will select his shoe size, fit the shoes and if he does not approve of the shoes, by following the instructions printed on the bottom face, insert the shoes, in the box, into the lower shelf to return the shoes to the rear of the unit where they may be re-inserted into the unit by the sales staff. it will be appreciated that the angle of slope of the shelves will depend on the co-efficient of friction between the boxes and the shelves which will, in turn, depend on the texture of the box and the mass of the goods therein. The spacing between adjacent shelves may be dimensioned to allow for articles to be fed on the shelves from the forward end. Embodiments of the invention are described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure lisa schematic front view of one embodi mentofa display unit of the invention; Figure 2 is a schematic side view of the embodiment of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a schematic front view of another embodiment of a display unit of the invention; and Figure 4 is a schematic side view of the embodiment seen in Figure 3. In Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings a unit generally represented by reference 10 is provided with a plurality of shelves 12 which slope forwardly and are provided with stop means 14 in the form of upstanding projections to prevent gravity from causing unintentional removal of articles from the shelves. In order to facilitate feeding of articles into the unit (and also, of course, to assist the articles moving downwardly), a series of rollers or ball bearings 16 is provided, on which the articles can moves. The bearings 16 are rotationally mounted in housings in a manner known in the art. It will be appreciated that the distance apart of adjacent rollers or bearings should be less than the dimension of the articles otherwise valleys will be created for the articles and they will not be able to move at all. A strut or struts 18 may be provided for strengthening purposes. Items of footwear 19 may be displayed on the top of the unit 10. Referring to Figures 3 and 4 shoes housed in the unit 30 are displayed on the upper face 32 thereof while the shoe boxes 34 are located on the shelves 36. The shelves 36 slope towards the front of the unit, but are prevented from sliding out by the stops 38 in the form of upstanding walls on the front of the shelves. Bearings or rollers as described in Figure 1 may be provided in the shelves 36. The lowermost shelf 40 has a reverse slope towards the back of the unit 30 so that any unwanted shoes may be fed onto the shelf 40 and they will slide to the back where an attendant can retrieve them and relocate them in their proper shelf. The unit will be used as follows: The shelves will be filled up with shoes in boxes 34, the sizes ranging from the large sizes at the top, for instance, to the smaller sizes at the bottom. The type of shoe in the boxes can be displayed attractively at the top 32 of the unit and the instructions on how to use the unit 30 will be printed on the bottom front face 31 thereof. A customer wishing to pruchase a pair of shoes makes his choice, first on the basis of the type of shoe displayed on the top face 32 and then selects his size from the shelves 36, removes the box and fits the shoes. If they do not fit or he is not satisfied, he may, by following the instructions on the bottom face 32, repack the shoes in the box and return the shoes to the back of the unit 30 by sliding them onto the lower shelf 40. Here they can be retrieved by an attendant and relocated on their proper place on the shelves 36. It will be appreciated that a number of the units can be located adjacent one another to create an attractive, labour-saving display and dispenser unit. CLAIMS

1. A display unit comprising a plurality of vertically spaced shelves inclined to the horizontal, slop ing towards a forward - facing display side of the unit, and adapted to receive the articles to be displayed or packaged articles, the shelves including stop means to prevent the unintentional exit of the articles from the unit and at least one of the shelves having friction reducing means to facilitate movement of articles on the shelf slope.

2. A display unit according to claim 1 in which the friction reducing means comprises a material having a low coefficient of friction or bearings which are located on the shelf slope.

3. A display unit according to claim 1 or claim 2 including at least one shelf sloping towards the rear of the unit.

4. A display unit according to claim 3 in which the rearward sloping shelf includes stop means to prevent unintentional exit of articles from the unit.

5. A display unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4 in which the stop means comprises an upstanding projection located at the end of the inclined surface of the shelf.

6. A display unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5 in which the shelves are spaced apart and dimensioned to receive items of footwear.

7. A display unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6 including a set of instructions for use of the unit.

8. A display unit substantially as herein described with reference to any one of Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.