GB2154430A - Improved refrigerated display stand - Google Patents

Abstract

An open-fronted refrigerated display stand has bracket carriers (4) on its rear wall, brackets (5) located on the carriers projecting outwardly towards the open front, and shelves (6) mounted on the brackets (5) for carrying refrigerated goods for display and sale. At least one of the shelves is displaceable towards and into the open front of the stand, relative to the brackets carrying it, by virtue of slider-or roller-type extension means (8) located between the shelf (6) and the brackets (5) carrying it. This facilitates restocking of the shelf. The extension means (8) are conveniently located interiorally of the shelf and a stop may be provided to locate and fix the or each displaceable shelf in its projected or normal position. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improved refrigerated display stand This invention relates to an improved refrigerated display stand ofthetype having an open front, bracket carriers on its rearwall, brackets located on the bracket carriers projecting outwardly toward the open front, and shelves mounted on the brackets for carrying refrigerated goods for display and sale.

Refrigerated orcooled display stands are used for the storage and presentation of refrigerated goods in supermarkets and retial shops. Byway of example, dairy and meat products are often kept in refrigerated display stands. The operating temperature of the refrigerated display stand is lower than the ambient temperature and may, for example be in the range of 5 to 1 0 C.

In orderfullyto utilize the depth ofthe shelves, the goods are usually arranged one behind the other in several rows. The customer usuallytakesthe goods from the front row ofthe cooling or refrigerated stand, so that the front row of goods is removed first and then the second row located therebehind, and soon. Since there is unlikely to be the same turnover of all the goods in the refrigerated display stand, the display shelves present a very non-uniform appearance after a shorttime in use, since the front row of goods on some shelves is still in position, whilstthe from row(s) of goods on other shelves has or have long been removed. Hence, it is necessary regularly to replenish the shelpes in the refrigerated display stand.

Due to the perishability of most goods, the original and remaining located on the shelves have to be pushed forwardly, so that they form the front row(s) and will be removed first, while the replenishing goods must be placed in the storage places which have become free at the rear ofthe shelves due to the forward movement ofthe original and remaining goods.

The replenishing operation which, in order to ensure that the refrigerated display stand constantly presents a uniformly filled and attractive appearance, has to be performed relativelyfrequently, that is to say, even during sales periods, is time-consuming and, moreover, interferes with the sale of goods. It is scarcely possible, with a reasonable expenditure of time and effort, to fill the rear portion of a shelf when the front portion of the shelf is still occupied by goods, particularly in the case oftall goods which occupy a large portion of the space between two shelves located one above the other. In this case, replenishing is frequently neglected, leading to temporary nonavailability ofthe goods in the display stand in the event of a short-term increase in the demand for them.

The object ofthe present invention is to develop a refrigerated display stand ofthetype mentioned which facilitates rapid replenishment of goods.

In accordance with the present invention then, in an open-fronted refrigerated display stand ofthetype described, at least one shelf is displaceable relative to the brackets carrying it.

Thisenablestheoreach displaceableshelfto be projected outwardly into the open front ofthe stand to facilitate re-stocking. Advantageously, ifonlyone shelf is displaceable, this is the shelf which holds the goods for which there is the greatest demand. When replenishing the goods, the or each shelf in accordance with the invention is pulled outforwaly into the open front of the stand, the remaining goods on the shelf are moved forwardly to the front ofthe shelf and fresh goods are placed on the rear part of the shelf from above or from the side. The shelf is subsequently pushed back from its projected position into its original position.

The arrangement enables the refrigerated display stand to be restocked very rapidly. The risk of goods being knocked over during restocking is largely excluded or at least reduced.

In a preferred embodiment ofthe invention, a respective slider or roller-type extension means is provided between each side edge of the or each displaceable shelf and the associated brackets carrying it.

The slider or roller-type extension means comprises two rails which are displaceable relative to one another, one of which rails is secured to a bracket and the otherto the shelf it carries.

It is advantageous for the extension means to be disposed interiorallyofthe shelf.

Each displaceable shelf may be made from, for example, a sheet metal shell with an interior cavity in which the slider or roller-type extension means is located. Advantageously, the shelf has a portion which overlaps and covers the bracket.

Conveniently, the displaceable shelf orthe extension means may have a stop for location purposes.

The stop which may, for example, be integrated into the extension means, locates and fixes the shelf in its retracted (display) position and, when required, in its projected (restocking) position.

The location orfixing ofthe shelf in its projected position makes it possible to use the shelf to give prominence to a special promotion or offer of goods.

Afillet may be provided at the rear edge of the or each shelf. The fillet, which can, for example, be a riveted-on angle section, prevents goods from sliding off the back of the shelf when the shelf is pulled out into its projected positio.

The invention, and further details thereof, will now be further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure lisa side vertical cross section through a refrigerated display stand in accordance with the invention, and Figure 2 is an enlarged detail in cross section through part of a shelf thereof viewed from the front of the stand.

Referring to Figure 1, a refrigerated display stand in accordancewiththe invention comprisesa cabinet frame 1 having apparatus 2, 3, forthe cooling and circulation ofairthrough the cabinet. A plurality of outwardly-projecting brackets 5 are secured to an upstanding bracket carrier4 located on the rearwall of she cabinetframe 1. Shelves 6, serving as storage surfaces for refrigerated goods, are disposed on the brackets 5. The front of the refrigerated display stand is open to enable shelves to be loaded and the customer and/orthe sales personnel to remove goods therefrom.

Goods removed from the shelves 6 have to be replaced by fresh goods from time to time. To ensure that older goods are sold first, fresh goods are placed behind the older goods still located on the shelves. In accordance with the invention, in ordertofacilitate the replenishing operation from the rear of the shelves, at least one shelf (the second from the top shelf in Figure 1 ) is displaceable and can be projected forwardly (as shown by broken lines). When the shelf is in its projected position, the fresh goods can be readily arranged on the rear portion ofthe shelf 6.

In orderto prevent the goods from sliding off the back of the shelves 6, a fillet 7 is provided at the rear edge ofthe shelves 6.

The or each projectable shelf6 is displaced along the brackets 5. For this purpose, a slider-type extension means 8 is provided between shelf and bracket and will be described with reference to Figure 2.

Figure 2 shows one side of an extensible shelf6 resting on a bracket 5 which is located in a slotted hole 9 .n thc bracket carrier4. The shelf6 is of hoilow cunstruction and its lateral edge regions carry a U-shaped spacer 10 whose limbs are secured to the top and bottom wall ofthe shelf 6 respectively.

The slider-type extension means 8 comprises two rails 11, 12 which are displaceable relativeto one another on balls 13 located between complementaryshaped end regions ofthe rails. One rail 11 is secured to the U-shaped spacer 10,whilstthe other rail 12 is secured to the bracketS. The shelf 6 is thereby displaceable relative to the fixed bracket 5 at right angles to the plane of Figure 2 ofthe drawings by means ofthe slider-type extension means 8 and manual effort applied to the shelf.

The side edges of the top wall of each projectable shelf 6 overlap the extension means 8 and the bracket Sand are angled downwardly on the other side of the bracket 5, so that they shroud the slider-type extension means.

Astop (not shown in the drawings) may be provided in orderto be able to locate the shelf in specific positions, such as in its fully projected position (during loading) and in its fully retracted position (during display and serving). The stop either securesthe two rails 11, 12 ofthe extension means 8 relative to one another, orthe shelf 6 relative to the bracket 5.

Claims (6)

1. An open-fronted refrigerated display stand having bracket carriers on its rearwall, brackets located on the bracket carriers, and display shelves mounted on the brackets, wherein at least one shelf is displaceable relative to the brackets carrying it.

2. A refrigerated display stand as claimed in claim 1, wherein a slider-type extension means is provided between each lateral edge ofthe or each displaceable shelf and the associated brackets.

3. A refrigerating display stand as claimed in claim 2, wherein the slider-type extension means is disposed interiorally of the shelf.

4. A refrigerating display stand as claimed in any one ofthe claims 1 to 3, wherein the or each displaceable shelf orthe slider-type extension means has a stop.

5. A refrigerating display stand as claimed in any one ofthe claims 1 to 4, wherein a fillet is provided along the rear edge of each shelf.

6. An open-fronted refrigerated display stand substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.