GB2265825A

GB2265825A - Sales counter

Info

Publication number: GB2265825A
Application number: GB9307016A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Detlef Hesterberg
Original assignee: WESCHO AG
Current assignee: WESCHO AG
Priority date: 1992-04-11
Filing date: 1993-04-02
Publication date: 1993-10-13
Also published as: ITMI930714A0; GB9307016D0; ES2062949B1; ES2062949R; ES2062949A2; ITMI930714A1; FR2689744B3; DE4303323A1; IT1264788B1; FR2689744A1

Abstract

In order to provide a sales counter for foodstuffs, in particular baked goods, consisting of a lower portion of the counter, which can be installed on an underlying floor, and an upper portion of the counter with display surfaces, glass panels and similar structural elements, it is proposed that the lower portion of the counter (1) consists of vertical support posts or containers (4) arranged at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the counter, which are aligned with gaps between one another over the longitudinal extent of the counter, following its shape and course, and in that the upper portion of the counter (2) consists substantially of a plate (5), laid on the top end surfaces of the lateral panels (4), which is a support for elements which can be attached on or to it, in particular glass panels (3) and display surfaces. <IMAGE>

Description

2265825 SALES COUNTER The invention relates to a sales counter for

foodstuffs, such as baked goods, consisting of a lower portion of the counter which can be erected on the underlying floor and an upper portion of the counter comprising display surfaces, glass panels and similar structural elements.

Until now it has been customary to construct such sales counters from a solid base element comprising counters and glass panel attachments, where the base part can be supported on the floor by support feet or the like. This method of construction necessitates the assembly and fitting of the complete unit at the site of manufacture, and this complete unit is then transported, optionally disassembled to component parts, to the installation site and erected there. This results in considerable transportation problems since the complete pre-assembled counters or sections of counters.are very heavy and have very large dimensions.

A further problem with this type of sales counter is that such sales counters are usually supported on the floor by means of the foot portion, formed in one piece with the counter, which foot portion is formed at the front side of the counter by a continuous wall reaching down to the floor. When the floor is uneven it is necessary, in order to make it possible to obtain a suitable gap-free, or almost gap-free, contact with the floor and to ensure a perfect contact surface at the end edges of the base portion, that the base part be adapted at the site to the uneveness of the ground at the location, and so the end edge is appropriately shaped with cutting tools or saws. This requires considerable expenditure of time and money.

Starting from this state of the art, the basic aim of the invention is to provide a sales counter of this general type which, being simple to erect, enables simple manufacture and easy transportation, and in addition the installation of the sales counter can also be performed rapidly and without great problems even on uneven floor surfaces.

To achieve this objective it is proposed that the lower portion of the counter consists of vertical support posts or containers arranged at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the counter, which are aligned with gaps between one another over the longitudinal extent of the counter, following its shape and course., and in that the upper portion of the counter comprises a plate, laid on upper end surfaces of the support posts or containers, which forms a support for elements such as display surfaces and glass panels which can be attached on or to it.

With an arrangement of this kind, the plate forming the counter top is located at a height of about 75 to 80 cm above the installation floor. The support posts are of appropriate lengths or the containers have an appropriate height so that, when the plate laid on them is included, the desired value for the distance of the top surface of the flat top from the installation surface (the floor) is obtained. To manufacture the counters it is only necessary to produce and stock the appropriate support posts or containers and to premanufacture appropriate flat tops with built-on glass panels and the like.

Such premanufactured elements can be transported relatively easily since, in contrast to the state of the art, a solid counter body which also comprises the attached elements does not have to be transported, but instead the plate with the built-on attachments and the support posts or containers associated with it can be transported as individual elements. The containers can serve various different purposes. Containers can, for example, be premanufactured to receive trays for cakes, with open compartments, with drawers, with waste containers, or with a cash till and stored in appropriate numbers. For this purpose, of course, the plate may consist of a plurality of modular individual elements which are placed against one another in the installation position and cover corner regions or the like, for example. During installation of a particular sales counter it is possible first to arrange and align the support posts or the containers at preselected locations so that the plate or the plate modules can then be positioned on these support posts or containers and can be attached in a suitable manner to the support posts or containers.

Alignment and adaptation of the support surfaces of the support posts or containers on the underlying floor can be achieved particularly easily, especially in the case of uneven floors, since the support posts or containers can be adjusted to the appropriate height simply by adjustment wedges or the like, so that then the tops of the support posts or the top panel of the containers form a level bearing surface for the plate. The installation of such a sales counter is thereby simplified considerably.

A preferred further development consists in arranging that the support posts are connected together by cross supports.

It is particularly preferable that at least the front and preferably also the side end edges of the plate is, or are, arranged in the same direction as the longitudinal extent of the support posts or the containers and is, or are, bent-in towards the latter so that the bent-in portion forms a strip hiding from view the positions at which the support posts or containers and the plate meet.

As a result of this design and arrangement it is ensured that the points of connection between the tops of the support posts or top panels of the containers and the plate cannot be seen by the customer, or the like.

It is also preferable that in front of the containers, on the side facing away from the serving side, cover panels are fixed, arranged parallel to the front edge of the plate, which preferably have the same height measurement as the containers.

Because of the modular construction, simple adaptation to an uneven installation surface is also possible with this arrangement, since both the containers and also the cover panels as individual elements can each be erected on the floor, and in the case of the cover panels can possibly form gaps or clearances in the region of meeting of the cover panels with the plates forming the counter top which are, however, covered by the bent-in portions (protection from view strip). Preferably the cover panels are fixed exclusively to the containers and are not connected to the plate, so that additional strengthening and bracing of the adjacent but separated containers is obtained by means of the cover panels.

Preferably it is also arranged that cover panels are fixed between the support posts, arranged parallel to the front edge of the plate which preferably have the same height measurement as the support posts.

Because of the modular construction, simple adaptation to an uneven installation surface is also possible with this arrangement, since both the support posts and also the cover panels as individual elements can each be erected on the floor, and in the case of the cover panels can possibly form gaps or clearances in the region of meeting of the cover panels with the plates forming the counter top which are, however, covered by the bent-in portions (protection from view strip). Preferably the cover panels are fixed exclusively to the support posts and are not connected to the plate.

Preferably it is arranged that height adjustable supporting feet are positioned under the bases of the support posts or under the containers. In this manner a relatively simple possibility of adjustment of the support posts is provided.

An especially preferable further development, which is also cosidered to be inventive in itself, consists in providing that length adjustable supports are arranged between the upper portion of the counter and the lower portion of the counter.

Until now it has been customary in the state of the art to arrange compensating elements immediately below the support surface of the bottom portion, so that as a result of an appropriate height adjustment it is possible to make an adaptation to the floor level and to obtain a uniform height of the sales counter to provide horizontal alignment. It is disadvantageous in this connection that, depending on the uneveness of the floor, greater or smaller gaps are formed between the contact surface and the floor which cannot be hidden or can only be hidden by additional expensive measures.

According to the proposals of the invention such compensating elements are provided between the upper portion of the counter and the lower portion of the counter so that. in particular when the structure is in accordance with one of claims 1 to 6, it is possible to have an invisible arrangement of any gap which occurs because of the adjustment. The gap is thereby formed between the upper portion of the counter and the lower portion of the counter, where the gap can be covered, for example, by the bent-in portion in accordance with claim 3 and consequently is not accessible to the view of the customer or similar person. As a result of this arrangement, in particular with the upper portion of the counter built as a plate with attachments and the lower portion of the counter constructed from support posts or containers, the possibility arises of first erecting the support posts or containers correctly positioned at the predetermined locations and places and, by means of a levelling device or the like, positioning the supports which are adjustable in length, and are preferably fixed to the lower portion of the counter, in a horizontal support plane on which the upper portion of the counter can then be placed.

In this manner it is possible to obtain a horizontal alignment of the upper portion of the counter in an extremely simple and almost invisible manner.

For the same purpose it is particularly preferably to arrange that length adjustable supports are disposed between the tops of the support posts or top panels of the containers, which in particular are fixed to the tops of the support posts or top panels and which support the plate from below by means of support plates located at their free ends.

A preferred further development consists in arranging that pivotable doors are fixed between the support posts or the containers near their front end edges or in front of their front end edges.

For example, in bakery businesses it is thereby possible to push fresh goods, which are supplied through the sales areas of local shops, through the pivotable doors into the space located between the support posts or containers, so that these packaged goods or their containers are accessible from the rear side of the counter, where the sales personnel are located. In a similar manner, similar storage containers or the like can be pushed out of the counter forwards, in order to remove them, without a corresponding additional space being required behind the counter for this purpose, this space being available for the sales staff.

Preferably it is further arranged that storage containers are slidably inserted in the space bordered by the support posts and the plate, or in the space located between the containers and bordered by the' containers and the plate.

In this manner the space located between the support posts or containers can be used for the placing and storage of goods or packaging materials.

An advantageous further development consists in arranging that a cooling unit together with a cooling trough is attached to the plate and if this constructional element extends over a greater breadth than the distance between two support posts, the support posts located beneath the said element are shortened and bear against the said element.

A particularly advantageous.further development consists in arranging that a cooling unit together with a cooling trough is attached to the plate and in this region the plate is lowered towards the supporting plane to form a step relative to the region of the sales counter located next to it in the longitudinal direction, and a container having a smaller height is arranged beneath the said region.

Furthermore it is preferably arranged that over the longitudinal extent of a sales counter a container is positioned approximately at each end and one approximately in the middle region.

A particularly preferred detail is that the free space between two adjacent containers corresponds to about two to three times the container width (measured in the longitudinal direction of the counter), where, in particular, the containers each have a modular width of between 40 and 60 cm, and preferably of 45 cm.

Furthermore it is preferably arranged that the containers are arranged so that on the serving side of the sales counter they are flush with the plate and on the opposite side they are located about a third of the width of the plate behind the edge of the plate, where the depth of the containers is about 50 to 80 cm, and preferably 60 to 70 cm.

Finally, it is preferably arranged that the cover panel consists of panel segments which are arranged and fixed between support posts and extend between the plate and the plane of the supporting floor, and towards the customer's side of the sales counter they are positioned in front of the plane in which the rear walls of the containers extend, and preferably the support posts can be adjusted in height by means of positioning plates or similar elements on their top and/or bottom side.

Embodiments of the invention are described, by way of example only, with reference to thefollowing drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a sales counter in accordance with an embodiment of the invention in front view, Figure 2 shows the same in rear view in an exploded drawing, Figure 3 shows a further embodiment of sales counter in front view as seen from the position of a customer, Figure 4 shows the sales counter of Figure 3 in rear view as seen from the sales staff side, Figure 5 shows the sales counter of Figure 3 in top view, and Figure 6 shows a sales counter of Figure 3 in cross-section.

The sales counter for foodstuffs, in particular baked goods, consists of a lower portion of the counter 1, which can be erected on the underlying floor 11, and an upper portion of the counter 2 comprising display surfaces, glass panels 3 and similar structural elements. The lower portion of the counter 1 consists of vertical support posts 4 arranged at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the counter, which are aligned with regular gaps between one another over the longitudinal extent of the counter, following its shape and course.

The upper portion of the counter 2 consists substantially of a flat plate or top 5, laid on the top end surfaces of the support posts 4, which forms a support for elements which can be attached on or to it, in particular glass panels 3 and display surfaces. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the front and also the side edges 6, 7 of the plate 5 are arranged in the same direction as the longitudinal extent of the support posts 4 and are bent-in towards the latter so that the bent-in portion forms a strip hiding from view the positions, described hereinafter, at which the support posts 4 and the plate 5 meet. Cover panels 8 are arranged between the support posts 4, directed parallel to the front edge of the plate,-as can be seen especially in Figure 1. The cover panels 8 can also be located in front of the front surfaces of the support posts 4, as can be seen in Figure 2. The cover panels 8 have the same height measurments as the support posts 4. As can be seen in particular in Figure 2, length adjustable supports 9 are arranged between the upper portion of the counter 2 and the lower portion of the counter 1, which supports are arranged between the tops of the support posts 4 and the plate 5 and are fixed to th6 tops of the support posts 4, and they comprise support plates at their free ends on which the underside of the plate 5 can be laid. The length adjustable supports can, for example, be screwed into a threaded structure in the top of the support post 4 by means of a threaded rod or spindle. As is shown clearly in Figure 1, pivotable doors 10 can be arranged between the support posts 4, near their front edges which face towards the shopping area, such that, for the purpose of access to the space located beneath the plate 5 for goods transportation baskets or the like, these doors can be swung open so that it is possible to insert or remove storage containers, or the like, running on rollers. For installation of such a sales counter, the elements which are relatively easily transportable as individual parts (support posts 4, cover panels 8, or doors 10, as well as the plate 5 together with attachments) are transported to the appropriate location and first the support posts 4 are erected on the floor in the correct position and at the correct installation site.

By means of the height adjustable supports 9 a horizontal bearing surface can then be made level by appropriately aligning the supports 9, this being relatively easily tested by means of a levelling device or the like. After all the supports 9 are aligned in a common horizontal plane, the plate 5 with the attachments located on it can be set down, and optionally another screw fastening or clamping of the support posts 4 to the plate 5 can be made. In this manner it is possible to align horizontally and correctly install the sales counter easily, even on uneven surfaces. The arrangement of the cover panels 8 and doors 10 can be undertaken before the positioning of the plate 5. By means of the front end edge 7 and the lateral end edges 6, both the supports 9 and also any possible gaps occurring between the tops of the support posts 4 and the underside of the plate 5 are covered from view so that overall a good aesthetic impression.is created. The sales counter for foodstuffs shown in Figs. 3 to 6 consists of a lower portion of the counter 1, which can be erected on an underlying floor 11, and.an upper portion of the counter 2 with display surfaces, glass panels 3 and the like. The lower portion of the counter 1 is, as can be seen in particular in Figure 4, formed from vertical containers 12, arranged at right angles to the longitudinal extent of the counter, which are aligned separated from one another over the longitudinal extent of the counter following its shape and course. The upper portion of the counter 2 consists substantially of a flat plate or top 5 laid on the top faces of the containers, which forms a support for elements which can be attached on or to it, in particular glass panels 3 and display surfaces.

The front and side end edges 6 and 7 of the plate 5 are arranged in the same direction as the longitudinal extent of the containers 12 and are bent-in towards the latter so that the bent-in portion forms a strip hiding from view the positions at which the containers 12 are joined to the plate 5. In front of the containers 12, on the side facing away from the serving side (the view in Figure4), cover panels 8 are fixed parallel to the front end edge of the plate which preferably have the same height as the containers 12. As can be seen in particular in Figure 6, height adjustable support feet 13 are arranged beneath the containers 12. Storage containers or other articles of daily use can be pushed into the space 14 located between the containers 12 and bounded by the containers 12 and the plate 5. A cooling unit comprising a cooling trough can be located in plate 5, for example in the region 15, and in this region the plate 5 is sunk to form a step down towards the level of the supporting floor 11 relative to the region located adjacent to it in the longitudinal direction of the sales counter. A container 12 having a smaller height is located underneath this region 15. Preferably, in every case, over the longitudinal extent of the sales counter containers 12 are arranged at each end and approximately in the middle region. The free space between two adjacent containers 12 is equal to about two to three times the container width (in the longitudinal direction of the counter), where the containers prefera bly have a modular width of about 45 cm. As can be seen in particular in Figure 6, on the serving side of the sales counter (right in Figure 6) the containers 12 are flush with the plate 5, whereas on the opposite side they are arranged displaced back from the edge of the plate 5 by about one-third of the depth of the top. The depth of the container 12 is about 65 cm.

The cover panel 8 is assembled from panel segments which are arranged between support posts 16 and fixed. These support posts 16 bear between the plate 5 and the installation plane 11 and are fixed in front of, towards the customers' side (left in Figure 6), the plane in which the rear walls of the containers are located. Preferably the support posts 16 can be adjusted in height by means of positioning plates or positioning feet at their tops or bottoms. In this manner the top surfaces of the support posts 16, or the support plates or the like projecting above the top surfaces, can be used as additional surfaces on which to lay the plate 5.

The invention is not limited to these embodiment examples but can be modified in many ways within the scope of the appended claims.

In particular it is also possible additionally to fix a continuous shelf as a surface for setting down handbags or the like to the end edge of the support posts 4 located to the front in Figure 1.

z11 - 12

Claims

1. A sales counter for foodstuffs such as baked goods, consisting of a lower portion of the counter which can be erected on an underlying floor and an upper portion of the counter comprising display surfaces, glass panels and similar structural elements, characterized in that the lower portion of the counter (1) consists of vertical support posts (4) or containers (12), arranged to extend at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the counter. which are aligned with gaps between one another over the longitudinal extent of the counter, following its shape and course, and in that the upper portion of the counter (2) comprises a plate (5), laid on the upper end surfaces of the support posts (4) or containers (12), which forms a support for elements such as the display surfaces and glass panels (3) which can be attached on or to it.

2. A sales counter according to claim 1, characterized in that the support posts (4) are connected to one another by means of cross supports.

3. A sales counter according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that at least the front and preferably also the side edges (6, 7) of the plate (5) is, or are, arranged in the same direction as the longitudinal extent of the support posts (4) or the containers (12) and is, or are, bent-in towards the latter so that the bent-in portion forms a strip hiding from view the positions at which the support posts (4) or containers (12) and the plate (5) meet.

4. A sales counter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that in front of the containers (12), on the side facing away from the serving side, cover panels (8) are fixed, arranged parallel to the front edge of the plate, which preferably have the same height measurement as the containers (12).

1.

5. A sales counter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that cover panels (8) are fixed between the support posts (4), arranged parallel to the front edge of the plate, which preferably have the same height measurement as the support posts (4).

6. A sales counter according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that height adjustable supporting feet are positioned under the bases of the support posts (4) or under the containers (12).

7. A sales counter according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that adjustable-length supports (9) are arranged between the upper portion of the counter (2) and the lower portion of the counter (I).

8. A sales counter according to claim 7, characterized in that adjustablelength supports (9) are arranged between the upper ends of the support posts (4) or top panels of the containers (12) and the plate (5), and in particular are fixed to the top ends or top panels and support the plate (5) from below by means of support plates arranged at their free ends.

9. A sdIes counter according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that pivotable doors (10) are fixed between the support posts (4) or the containers (12) near their front end edges or in front of their front end edges.

10. A sales counter according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that storage containers are slidably inserted in the space bordered by the support posts (4) and the plate (5), or in the space located between the containers (12) and bordered by the containers (12) and the plate (5).

A sales counter according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that a cooling unit together with a cooling trough is attached to the plate (5) and if this structural element extends over a greater breadth than the distance between two support posts (4), the support posts (4) located beneath the said element are shortened and bear against the said element.

12. A sales counter according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that a cooling unit together with a cooling trough is attached to the plate (5) and in this region (15) the plate (5) is lowered towards the supporting plane (11) to form a step relative to the region of the sales counter located next to it in the longitudinal direction, and a container (12) having a smaller height is arranged beneath the said region (15).

13. A sales counter according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that over the longitudinal extent of a sales counter a container (12) is positioned approximately at each end and one approximately in the middle region.

14. A sales counter according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the free space (14) between two adjacent containers (12) corresponds to about two to three times the container width measured in the longitudinal direction of the counter, where, in particular, the containers (12) each have a modular width of between 40 and 60 cm, and preferably of 45 cm.

15. A sales counter according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the containers (12) are arranged so that on the serving side of the sales counter they are flush with the plate (5) and on the opposite side they are located about a third of the width of the plate behind the edge of the plate (5), where the depth of the containers is about 50 to 80 cm, and preferably 60 to 70 cm.

16. A sales counter according to any one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the cover panel (8) consists of panel segments which are arranged and fixed_between support posts (16) and extend between the plate (5) and the supporting plane (11), and towards the customer's side of the sales counter they are positioned in front of the plane in which the rear walls of the containers extend, and preferably the support posts (16) can be adjusted in height by means of positioning plates or similar elements on their top andlor bottom side.

17. A sales counter substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.