GB2199730A - Display racks - Google Patents

Abstract

A display rack comprises a body portion including a frame 10 formed from a plurality of flat sub-frames 11, 16 and 17 with optional cross-members 18 and 19, and a plurality of body panels 20 releasably secured to the frame 10, including an optional drawer 21, together with a display panel 27. <IMAGE>

Description

"Display Racks" Description of the Invention This invention relates to display racks of the kind used in retail premises, mainly for displaying greeting cards or other similar, generally flat articles of similar size, such as books, records, tape cassettes and compact discs.

Conventionally, such display racks are constructed as substantial items of furniture requiring skilled joinery, with a base portion which contains one or more storage drawers or cupboards and a display portion which inclines generally upwardly and rearwardly above the base portion and is provided with several ledges on which the articles to be displayed can be placed, for example as shown in GB2122479A or GB1425157.

Such conventional designs have the disadvantage that they are relatively expensive to manufacture and require a substantial amount of storage space so that they are not normally kept in stock by distributers of the cards or other articles which they are intended to display.

The object of the present invention is to provide a display rack of simplified construction, which is cheaper to manufacture and can be supplied- in a knocked-down condition, and which thereby requires reduced storage space.

According to the invention we provide a display rack comprising a body portion including a frame formed from a plurality of flat sub-frames releasably secured together and a plurality of body panels releasably secured to the frame, and a display panel releasably assembled with the body portion.

The frame may comprise a bottom sub-frame and two lateral subframes carried at opposite ends of the bottom sub-frame, with a crossmember interconnecting the lateral sub-frames at the upper end thereof.

The lateral sub-frames may each afford an upwardly and rearwardly inclined frame member to which the display panel is releasably secured.

The bottom sub-frame may afford guide rails for a drawer and the drawer may comprise a base panel having releasably secured thereto a pair of flat vertically disposed frames each comprising a horizontal leg on which the base panel rests and a vertical leg to which a front panel is releasably secured, the horizontal legs being adapted to co-operate with the guide rails of the bottom sub-frame.

The panels and sub-frames are all of flat construction and can thus be formed into a compact stack, so that the racks can be supplied in a knocked-down condition.

Preferably, the sub-frames are connected together by means of spigot and socket connections without the need for separate fastening elements. Whilst the panels may likewise be secured to the assembled frame in a similar manner, fasteners, such as screws, may be employed for this purpose.

The display panel may be formed with a plurality of parallel undercut grooves, each of which receives releasably a trough-shaped member which, in use, receives and supports the lower edges of the articles to be displayed.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing which illustrates the various components of a display rack in accordance with the invention, prior to assembly.

In accordance with the invention a display rack comprises a frame 10 which is formed by assembling together a bottom sub-frame II and two lateral frames 16 and 17 with a pair of cross-members 18 and 19.

The bottom sub-frame 11 comprises two parallel square section tubes 12 and 13 which are secured together in spaced relationship by means of respective pairs of spaced transverse square section tubes 14 and 1 5. The tubes Il and 13 each carry at each end a respective rearwardly projecting spigot I la or 13b arranged in the plane of the sub-frame.

Each lateral sub-frame 16 and 17 is fabricated from similar square section tubes including one upwardly and rearwardly inclined member. At its lower edge, each lateral sub-frame carries a pair of socket members 16a, 16b and 17a, 17b formed as short lengths of square section tubing, the internal dimensions of which are such as to receive the spigots I la and 13b of the bottom sub-frame II as a tight fit. The lateral sub-frames 16 and 17 are thereby assembled with the bottom sub-frame I The lateral sub-frames are provided with similar socket members 16c and 17c adjacent to their upper ends for the reception of spigots 18c provided transversely at opposite ends of the cross-member 18.Likewise, the inclined members of the lateral sub-frames are provided, at a position intermediate their ends, with further similar socket members 16d and 17d for the reception of spigots 19d provided at each end of the further crossmember 19. In this way, the two cross-members 18 and 19 are secured to the lateral sub-frames so as to form a rigid frame assembly 10.

Side panels 20 of corresponding size and shape to the lateral subframes 16 and 17 are secured to the latter, for example by means of fastening elements such as screws.

An in-fill panel (not shown) may be provided across the top of the frame.

The body is completed by a drawer 21 which comprises a base panel 22 and front panel 23 which are secured together by means of a pair of Lshaped frames 24 and 25. The base panel 22 rests on, and is secured to, horizontal limbs 24a, 25a of these frames, whilst the front panel 23 is secured to the outer faces of the upright limbs 24b and 25b of these frames. The frames 24 and 25 are spaced apart by such a distance that the horizontal arms 24a, 25a can be engaged between the respective pairs of tubes 14 and 15 of the bottom sub-frame I I. In this way, the drawer 21 is slidably assembled with the bottom sub-frame.

Alternatively, where the display rack is not required to incorporate a drawer, the front panel 23 may be secured to a rectangular sub-frame connected between the front members of the lateral sub-frames. In this case, the bottom subframe may be omitted, and if necessary an additional cross-member may be secured between the lateral sub-frames adjacent to the bottom rear corners thereof.

The display rack is completed by a display panel 26 which is conveniently formed as two separate parts and is secured to the inclined members of the lateral sub-frames 16 and 17, for example by means of screws or bolts. In the embodiment illustrated, the display panel 26 is formed with the plurality of parallel undercut grooves 27, each of which receives a respective trough member 28 which is of substantially J-shape in transverse section.

Whilst, in the embodiment described above, the panels 20, 22, 23 and 26 are secured to the respective frame members by means of screws, it will be appreciated that the may alternatively be assembled by means of spigot and socket connections similar to those used for the assembly of the sub-frames. Thus, the sub-frames may be provided with additional socket members at appropriate locations to receive spigot members attached to the various panels.

Whilst the cross-members 18 and 19 are desirable to ensure that the frame assembly 10 is itself a rigid structure even in the absence of the display panel 26 (since a plurality of interchangeable display panels may be provided, for example with different spacings between the grooves 27) in some cases it may be possible to omit the cross-member 19, and possibly also the cross-member 18, and rely on the body panels for importing the necessary rigidity to the frame.

The spigots are preferably of circular section and so dimensioned as to be received within the square section sockets as' a tight fit, although square section spigots of appropriate dimension could be used if required.

The sub-frames are conveniently made entirely of metal tubes, although the spigots and sockets could alternatively be made from a suitable plastics material. Further, whilst the drawer guides 14, 15 are conveniently formed also as square section tubes, it will alternatively be possible to employ angle section members or linear ball-races. Moreover, whilst spigot and socket connections are particularly suitable for ease of assembly, it will be appreciated that other forms of connection could be employed.

The various components making up the rack are such that they can be arranged in a compact, flat pack for the purposes of transportation and storage and easily assembled where and when required for use.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the accompanying drawing, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, may, separately or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims (10)

CLAIMS:

1. A display rack comprising a body portion including a frame formed from a plurality of flat sub-frames releasably secured together and a plurality of body panels releasably secured to the frame, and a display panel releasably assembled with the body portion.

2. A display rack according to Claim I wherein the frame comprises a bottom sub-frame and two lateral sub-frames carried at opposite ends of the bottom sub-frame with a cross-member interconnecting the lateral sub-frames at the upper ends thereof.

3. A display rack according to Claim I or Claim 2 wherein the lateral sub-frames each afford an upwardly and rearwardly inclined frame member to which the display panel is releasably secured.

4. A display rack according to Claim 2 wherein the bottom sub-frame affords guide rails for a drawer.

5. A display rack according to Claim 4 wherein the drawer comprises a base panel having releasably secured thereto a pair of flat vertically disposed frames each comprising a horizontal leg on which the base panel rests and a vertical leg to which a front panel of the drawer is releasably secured, the horizontal legs being adapted to co-operate with the guide rails of the bottom sub-frame.

6. A display rack according to any one of the preceeding claims wherein the sub-frames are connected together by means of spigot and socket connections.

7. A display rack according to Claim 6 wherein the sockets of such spigot and socket connections are formed as lengths of square section tube and the spigots are of circular shape i n cross-section.

8. A display rack according to any one of the preceeding claims wherein the display panel is formed with a plurality of parallel undercut grooves which receive respective lengths of trough-shaped sections.

9. A display rack substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawing.

10. A flat pack of components for assembly into a display rack as claimed in any one of the preceeding claims.

II. Any novel feature or novel combination of features disclosed herein and/or as shown in the accompany drawing.