GB2303587A

GB2303587A - Display apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2303587A
Application number: GB9515901A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Enzo Focardi
Original assignee: HARPER PRODUCTS
Current assignee: HARPER PRODUCTS
Priority date: 1995-08-03
Filing date: 1995-08-03
Publication date: 1997-02-26
Anticipated expiration: 2015-08-03
Also published as: GB2303587B; GB9515901D0

Abstract

A display apparatus comprises a frame (22, 24 figure 1), a plurality of shelf mounting members 38, each being pivotally attached 34 to the frame and arranged to pivot relative to the frame so as to remain parallel to one another, each shelf mounting member having at least one pivotal shelf mounting point (48 figure 1). The frame may have ground engaging wheels 14 such that the apparatus forms a trolley and can be wheeled with the shelf mounting members in any position. The pivot points of the shelf mounting members may be arranged such that the centre of gravity of the apparatus when laden acts through the area bounded by the ground engaging wheels. The apparatus may be arranged such that a shelf 50 mounted on the apparatus tilts relative to the frame or is maintained horizontal relative to the frame. A locking assembly 36, 46 may be provided to lock the shelf mounting members in various positions.

Description

DISPLAY APPARATUS The invention relates to display apparatus and particularly to, although not exclusively limited to, display trolleys for plants.

Display trolleys are used in garden centres, nurseries and florists to display plants. One such display trolley is shown in United Kingdom Patent No. 1569405 and comprises a wheeled rectangular base having an upstanding column at each corner, the columns being arranged with a plurality of shelf mounting slots. In that way, a series of shelves can be arranged on the trolley and plants displayed thereupon. That design of trolley is in widespread use, however, it suffers from the drawback that plants displayed on lower shelves will be deprived of light by the shadow cast by the higher shelves. Moreover, it is difficult for customers to see plants arranged on the rear parts of the lower shelves.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved display apparatus.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a display apparatus comprising a frame, shelf mounting members, each shelf mounting member being pivotally attached to the frame at a pivot point and arranged to pivot relative to the frame and to be parallel with the or each other shelf mounting member during such pivoting, each shelf mounting member having first and second pivotal shelf mounting points, the frame pivot point of each shelf mounting member being arranged between the first and second pivotal shelf mounting points.

In that way, the apparatus can be moved into an offset position.

The frame may be mounted on a base having wheels. In such a case, the pivot point of each member is preferably arranged so that the line of action of the centre of gravity of the trolley acts through an area bounded by the wheels regardless of the position of the shelf mounting members.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a display trolley for displaying goods comprising a base having ground engaging elements such as wheels, a frame mounted on the base, a plurality of shelf mounting members, each mounting member being pivotally attached to the frame at a pivot point and arranged to pivot relative to the frame so as to be parallel with the or each other mounting member, each mounting member having at least one pivotal shelf mounting point, the pivot point of each mounting member being arranged such that the line of action of the centre of gravity of the trolley when unladen with goods acts through an area bounded by the ground engaging elements, in any position of the shelf mounting members.

When the ground engaging elements are wheels, the trolley can be wheeled around with the shelf mounting members in any position.

Each shelf mounting member of the display trolley may include first and second pivotal shelf mounting points.

Each shelf mounting member preferably comprises an elongate upstanding member.

The pivot point is preferably located substantially at the mid-point of each member.

The shelf mounting points on the shelf mounting members may be arranged so that a shelf mounted on the mounting points tilts relative to the frame. Preferably, the shelf mounting points are located on the mounting members such that a shelf mounted on the mounting points is horizontal relative to the frame. The pivotal shelf mounting points ensure that the shelf maintains its correct orientation in any position of the shelf mounting members.

The first and second shelf mounting points on each shelf mounting member are preferably equispaced, one each side of the pivot point.

Such an arrangement means that tilting of the shelf mounting member does not affect the centre of gravity of the apparatus or the trolley, providing shelves mounted on the first and second shelf mounting points have a similar weight.

Each shelf mounting member may comprise further shelf mounting points and, in the most preferred embodiment, each shelf mounting member has four pivotal shelf mounting points, in pairs, each pair being equispaced about the pivot point.

The shelf mounting members may be lockable in position by means of a locking assembly. The mounting members are preferably lockable in three positions, such as closed, i.e. when the shelf mounting members are substantially vertical relative to the frame, half-open, and fully open.

The full open position is preferably reached when the mounting members are tilted at 600 to the horizontal, taking the frame as a reference. The locking assembly may comprise a locking element on one of the frame or the mounting member which engages in a recess formed in the other of the frame or member. The locking element is preferably spring biassed into the recess. The locking assembly may comprise three spring biassed locking elements on one of the member or frame and three corresponding recesses on the other of the member or frame, the locking elements and recesses being arranged so that the device can be selectively locked in any of the three aforesaid positions.

Alternatively, the locking assembly may comprise a bore defined through the frame and a bore in the member, the bores being arranged to coincide in one of the aforesaid positions of the shelf mounting member, the locking assembly further comprising an elongate locking element which can be inserted through the bores, when they are coincident, to lock the mounting member in place. Preferably, three such bores are provided in the frame and three corresponding bores are provided in the mounting member, each pair of bores being arranged to coincide when the mounting member is in one of the positions described above.

The base is preferably similar to the base of the transport trolley known as the "Danish trolley".

A display apparatus in accordance with both aspects of the invention will now be described in detail, by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a prospective view of a trolley in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is an elevation of the trolley of Figure 1 looking in the direction of arrow II in Figure 1 and with the shelves tilted into the fully open position; Figure 3 is a perspective view of part of the trolley of Figures 1 and 2 shown to a larger scale; and Figure 4 is a perspective view of a shelf mounting column of the trolley of Figures 1 and 2 shown to a larger scale.

In Figure 1 a trolley (10) comprises a rectangular base (12) having wheels (14). At each corner (16) of the base (12), an upstanding tube (18) is provided and depending from each corner is a pointed element (20). The pointed element (20) allows stacking of multiple bases (12) on top of one another, the element (20) being arranged to engage in the tube (18).

Frames (22,24) are mounted on the base (12) at opposite sides thereof by means of downwardly depending spigots (26) (see Figure 3), which are received by the tubes (18).

The frame (24) is illustrated in more detail in Figure 3. Each frame (22,24) comprises two spaced, upstanding legs (28) connected by a middle cross member (30) and an upper cross member (32).

One of the legs (28) may have an angle piece (28a) perpendicular thereto so as to define an angle bracket (29). A pivot bore (34) is formed at each of the apices of the legs (28) and top cross member (32).

Three locking bores (36) are formed in the middle cross member (30).

Four shelf mounting columns (38) are provided, one at each corner of the base (12).

Each column (38) has a pivot receiving bore (40) formed therein (see Figure 4). Each column (38) is pivotally mounted to one of the frames (22,24) by means of, e.g. a bolt (42) which extends through the bores (34,40) and is secured by a nut (44). The columns are preferably square tube sections.

One of the columns (38) on each frame (22,24) has three locking apertures (46) therein. The locking apertures (46) are arranged to coincide with the associated locking bores (36) in the frame (22,24) in three positions of the column. A locking pin (not shown) can be inserted through one of the locking bores (36) and into an associated locking aperture (46) to lock the column in place. The bores (36) and apertures (46) are arranged to lock the column in one of three positions: closed, half-open, and fully open. The closed position is defined by the column (38) being parallel to the associated leg (28) to which it is mounted. The half-open position is when the column is tilted at approximately 150 to the leg (28), and the fully open position is when the column is tilted at approximately 300 to the leg (28).

The columns (38) each have five shelf mounting points (48) regularly spaced along their length on which shelves (50) are mounted. The mounting points (48) are pivotable so that the shelves (50) can tilt relative to the columns (38) as the columns are pivoted. Two of the mounting points (48) are located above the pivot bore (40) and three are located below it on the column.

Preferably, one of the mounting points (48) is positioned adjacent the bore (40) and two mounting points (48) are spaced equidistantly from the bore (40) on each side thereof. This gives a choice of the number of tiers of shelves on a display. For example, four shelves can be positioned in a series using all mounting points (48) except that adjacent bore (40). Also, three shelves can be positioned one at each end of a column (38) and one adjacent bore (40), again using mounting points (48) as shown in Figure 4.

The shelves (50) remain parallel with the cross members (30,32) of the frame (22,24) at all times and at any orientation of the columns (38).

That is to ensure that goods arranged on the shelves (50) do not fall off when the columns (38) are tilted.

Figure 2 shows the trolley (10) with the columns (38) in the fully open position. The shelves (50) serve to link the columns (38) together so that tilting of one of the columns (38) will cause the other three columns (38) to tilt. The columns (38) thus remain parallel at all times and in all positions.

When in the closed position, the columns are held in place by the locking pin and by abutment against the angle bracket (29).

The frames (22,24) and columns (38) may be made from metal, such as steel or aluminium.

The trolley is most advantageously used to display plants. Positioning the columns (38) in the open position allows light to reach all of the plants on the trolley and provides easier access for the customer, who can readily see all of the plants displayed. The position of the pivot and shelves on the columns (38) ensure that the shelves counter balance one another when the columns (38) are tilted.

Claims

1. A display trolley for displaying goods comprising a base having ground engaging elements such as wheels, a frame mounted on the base, a plurality of shelf mounting members, each mounting member being pivotally attached to the frame at a pivot point and arranged to pivot relative to the frame so as to be parallel with the or each other mounting member, each mounting member having at least one pivotal shelf mounting point, the pivot point of each mounting member being arranged such that the line of action of the centre of gravity of the trolley when unladen with goods acts through an area bounded by the ground engaging elements, in any position of the shelf mounting members.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the ground engaging elements are wheels, such that the trolley can be wheeled around with the shelf mounting members in any position.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 wherein each shelf mounting member of the display trolley include first and second pivotal shelf mounting points.

4. Apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein each shelf mounting member preferably comprises an elongate upstanding member.

5. Apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the pivot point is preferably located substantially at the mid-point of each member.

6. Apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the shelf mounting points on the shelf mounting members may be arranged so that a shelf mounted on the mounting points tilts relative to the frame.

7. Apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the shelf mounting points are located on the mounting members such that a shelf mounted on the mounting points is horizontal relative to the frame.

8. Apparatus according to claim 3 and claims dependent thereon wherein the first and second shelf mounting points on each shelf mounting member are substantially equispaced, one each side of the pivot point.

9. Apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein each shelf mounting member may comprise further shelf mounting points.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein each shelf mounting member has four pivotal shelf mounting points, in pairs, each pair being equispaced about the pivot point.

11. Apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the shelf mounting members may be lockable in position by means of a locking assembly.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the mounting members are lockable in three positions, such as closed, i.e. when the shelf mounting members are substantially vertical relative to the frame, half-open, and fully open.

13. Apparatus according to claim 11 or 12 wherein the full open position is preferably reached when the mounting members are tilted at substantially 60 to the horizontal, taking the frame as a reference.

14. Apparatus according to claim 11, 12 or 13 wherein the locking assembly may comprise a locking element on one of the frame or the mounting member which engages in a recess formed in the other of the frame or member.

15. Apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the locking element comprises a spring biased into the recess.

16. Apparatus according to claim 14 or 15 wherein the locking assembly comprises three spring biased locking elements on one of the member or frame and three corresponding recesses on the other of the member or frame, the locking elements and recesses being arranged so that the device can be selectively locked in any of the three aforesaid positions.

17. Apparatus according to any of claims 11 to 16 wherein the locking assembly comprises a bore defined through the frame and a bore in the member, the bores being arranged to coincide in one of the said positions of the shelf mounting member, the locking assembly further comprising an elongate locking element which can be inserted through the bores, when they are coincident, to lock the mounting member in place.

18. Apparatus according to claim 17 wherein three such bores are provided in the frame and three corresponding bores are provided in the mounting member, each pair of bores being arranged to coincide when the mounting member is in one of the selected positions.

19. A display apparatus comprising a frame, shelf mounting members, each shelf mounting member being pivotally attached to the frame at a pivot point and arranged to pivot relative to the frame and to be parallel with the or each other shelf mounting member during such pivoting, each shelf mounting member having first and second pivotal shelf mounting points, the frame pivot point of each shelf mounting member being arranged between the first and second pivotal shelf mounting points.

20. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the frame is mounted on a base having wheels.

21. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the pivot point of each member is arranged so that the line of action of the centre of gravity of the trolley acts through an area bounded by the wheels regardless of the position of the shelf mounting members.