GB2325462A - Bottle merchandising unit - Google Patents

Abstract

A merchandising unit 1 has a support framework carrying a number of guides 5 which support bottles 2 by neck rings on the bottles 2. Each guide 5 is inclined to gravity feed the bottles 2 to an exit 51. Spring loaded jaws 53 at the exit retain the bottles in the guide but deflect to allow the foremost bottle to be pulled from the guide. Each guide is suspended from a pair of transverse support bars 60 which releasably engage associated receiver brackets 30 on the support framework.

Description

"A Merchandising Unit" Introduction The invention relates to a point of sale merchandising unit for displaying and dispensing beverage bottles.

The invention is particularly concerned with the display for sale of plastics beverage bottles having a neck ring or flange on the neck of the bottle. Such bottles are widely used for packaging soft drinks, spring and mineral waters and carbonated beverages generally.

It is known to provide a gravity feed rail to feed bottles suspended by neck rings along the rail to a dispensing exit of the rail. Various type of stop means are provided at the rail exit to retain the foremost bottle on the rail. Patent Specification Nos. EP 0032122, US 5706958, US 4401221 and FR 2740956 disclose gravity feed rails having upturned portions at the exit to brake the bottles and arrest gravity feed.

In an alternative arrangement, the use of an abutment tab or stop at the rail exit, together with an arresting bar which engages the bottom of the foremost bottle at the rail exit is shown in US 5586665. Patent Specification No. WO 96/25074 shows a rail with a gate mechanism to keep the foremost bottle at the exit vertical, the gate holding the remaining bottles spaced rearwardly of the foremost bottle.

These prior art devices have not been entirely satisfactory.

Some are of relatively complex construction and therefore expensive to manufacture. Also, replacement of faulty rails is often awkward and time consuming. In some cases, customers have found that the removal of bottles at the exit is difficult because of the stop arrangements.

The present invention is directed towards overcoming these problems.

Statements of Invention According to the invention there is provided a merchandising unit for displaying and dispensing beverage bottles comprising a support framework and a plurality of beverage bottle guide means supported on the framework, each bottle guide means supporting a row of bottles and having a front exit closed by a release means through which bottles are removed from the merchandising unit, the release means of each guide means comprising a pair of spring loaded jaws mounted at the exit of the guide means, the jaws being biassed into a closed position to retain bottles in the guide means but movable apart against spring bias from pulling a bottle from the guide means, each guide means having a longitudinal slot extending between a rear end and the front exit for reception of the neck of a bottle, a neck ring of the bottle being slidably engagable within the slot, the guide means being mounted on the framework such that the slot is inclined downwardly for gravity feeding the bottles to the front exit, the bottle guide means being mounted on a transverse support means which is in turn mounted to the support framework.

Advantageously, the merchandising unit of the invention is of relatively simple construction and therefore facilitates cheap manufacture. The spring loaded jaws at the exit of the guide means provide a secure method of retaining the bottles within the inclined slot of the guide while at the same time allowing the bottles to be readily easily pulled from the guide means by a customer in use.

In one embodiment of the invention, a front exit end of each bottle guide means projects forwardly of a front of the framework to present a bottle at the exit of the guide means for removal. This advantageously gives easy access to a customer to remove a bottle from a guide means. This is particularly advantageous where a number of rails are mounted side by side on the framework as it allows close packing of the rails whilst at the same time allowing a customer to easily grip a bottle for removal.

In another embodiment, the transverse support means comprises a pair of spaced-apart support bars which are releasably engageable with the support framework and releasably engageable with each guide means.

Preferably, the support bars comprise a front support bar and a rear support bar, the front support bar being releasably engageable with an associated pair of front receiver brackets on the framework having rearwardly open slots for reception of each end of the front support bar, the rear support bar being releasably engageable with an associated pair of rear receiver brackets on the framework having upwardly open slots for reception of each end of the rear support bar, the front receiver brackets being spaced downwardly of the rear receiver brackets on the framework to incline the guide means between the support bars for feeding the bottles to the exit of the guide means. This construction is relatively simple and allows rapid assembly or changeover of the support bars and guides on the framework.

In another embodiment, the outer ends of each support bar are engageable with complementary vertically spaced-apart pairs of receiver slots on the support frame. In a further embodiment, at each end of the support bar, there is provided a support plate having an inwardly extending spigot which is engageable with the end of the support bar and an outwardly extending lug for engagement with the receiver slots.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, each guide means has a pair of spaced-apart hanging slots which are releasably engageable with the support bars for hanging the guide means on the support bars, each slot being L-shaped extending downwardly and rearwardly from a top of the guide means.

Thus advantageously, the guide means can be easily and quickly mounted on the support bars for rapid assembly or changeover or replacement of guides on the support bars.

In one embodiment of the invention a number of bottle guide means are arranged side by side and supported on a common transverse support means.

Preferably the brackets are mounted on side support rails of the framework.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention the framework includes a number of spaced-apart intermediate side support rails.

In a preferred arrangement the intermediate side support rails extend at different angles for supporting bottles of different sizes.

In one particularly preferred embodiment of the invention the support framework is height adjustable. For example the framework may include height adjustable support feet.

The merchandising unit may be a refrigerated unit.

If desired the support framework may be mounted on wheels or castors.

Brief Description of Drawings The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description thereof given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. la is a front perspective view of a merchandising unit according to the invention; Fig. lb is a rear perspective view of a framework of the merchandising unit; Fig. 2 is a side view of the framework of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view showing a top part of a merchandising unit incorporating the framework of Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4 is a detail partially sectioned side view of the top part of the merchandising unit; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a single bottle guide means used in the merchandising unit of the invention; Fig. 6 is a detail top plan view of a front exit portion of the guide means of Fig. 5, in use; Fig. 7 is a detail end view of a rear entry portion of the guide means of Fig. 5, in use; Fig. 8 is a perspective view of portion of a framework and associated bottle guide of another merchandising unit of the invention; Fig. 9 is a schematic side view of the framework portion of Fig. 8; and Fig. 10 is a detail perspective view showing part of the framework of Fig. 8 and the associated bottle guide.

Detailed Description Referring to the drawings and initially to Figs. 1 to 7 thereof there is illustrated a merchandising unit 1 for displaying and dispensing beverage bottles 2. The merchandising unit 1 comprises a support framework 3 and a plurality of beverage guide means 5 supported on the framework 3. Each guide means 5 has a longitudinal slot extending between an entry end and an exit end of the guide means for reception of the neck of a bottle. A neck ring of the bottle is slidably engageable within the slot, the guide means being mounted on the framework such that the slot is inclined downwardly between the entry and the exit for gravity feeding the bottles to the exit.

The framework 3 is formed in this case by welding box steel sections. The framework 3 comprises a base 10, a top 11, uprights 12, 13, 14, 15, extending between the base 10 and top 11 and defining a back 17, a front 18 and a pair of sides 19, 20. The uprights 12, 13, 14, 15 are interconnected by top and bottom support frame numbers 25.

Intermediate framework support means for supporting the bottle guide means 5 in this case comprises a number of front receivers 30 and a number of rear receivers 31. It will be noted that each front receiver 30 is spaced downwardly from the associated rear receiver 31 to facilitate delivery of the bottles 2 along the guide means 5 towards the front 18 of the merchandising unit 1. In this case the front receivers 30 each comprise a bracket having a rearwardly open receiving slot 35. Each of the rear receivers 31 comprises a channel bracket having an upwardly open slot 36. The brackets 30, 31 are mounted on spaced-apart side support rails 40 extending between adjacent uprights 12, 13, 14, and 15 of the framework. It will be noted that the rails 40 are angled downwardly from the rear uprights 12, 14 towards the front uprights 13, 15 to provide a gravity feed for the bottles 2 to guide them towards the front 18 of the merchandising unit.

The framework 3 includes height adjustable support feet 41 which are used, as will be described in more detail below, to adjust the framework 3 in use to optimise the guiding of bottles towards the front 18 of the merchandising unit.

In more detail, each of the bottle guides 5 comprises a longitudinal slot extending through the guide 5 from a rear entry 50 to a front exit 51. A pair of spring loaded jaws 53 are mounted at the front exit 51 of the guide 5. The jaws 53 are biassed into a closed position to retain bottles in the guide 5 but movable apart against spring bias for pulling a bottle from the guide 5. A number of rows of bottle guide means 5 are arranged in line as illustrated for example in Fig. 3 and supported on a common transverse bottle guide support means which in this case comprises a pair of spacedapart support bars 60 which engage in complementary slots 61 in the guide means 5 and which are engaged and mounted in the front and rear receiving brackets 30, 31 of the framework 3.

The slots 61 are L-shaped extending downwardly and rearwardly from a top 54 of the guide means 5. Thus the guides 5 can be easily and quickly mounted on or replaced on the support bars 60.

In use, a number of the guides 5 are assembled on the support bars 60 and the front support bar 60 is guided into the front bracket 30 and the rear support 60 is dropped into the rear support bracket 31 of the framework 3.

The angles of the intermediate support bars 40 are set to correspond with the angle for delivery of particular size bottles from the rear to the front exit of the guides 5.

When the bottles 2 are loaded into the guides 5 the operation of the unit is checked in its position of use and the support feet 41 may be adjusted to accommodate local use conditions such as an uneven floor.

It will be noted particularly from Fig. la and Fig. 4 that a front exit end of each guide 5 projects forwardly of a front of the framework to present a bottle 2 at the exit of the guide 5 for ease of removal.

The invention provides a merchandising unit of relatively simple construction which greatly facilitates the installation and effective and efficient use of the bottle guide systems for displaying and automatically dispensing beverage bottles 2. When a bottle 2 is removed through the front exit 51 the following bottles are delivered by gravity to the front exit 51.

Many variations on this specific embodiment of the merchandising unit of the invention will be readily apparent.

For example, it will be appreciated that the merchandising unit may be a refrigerated unit or mounted in a refrigerated unit. Further the unit may be made more mobile by mounting the framework on wheels or castors.

Referring to Figs. 8 to 10 there is illustrated part of another merchandising unit according to the invention. Parts similar to those used in the merchandising unit of Fig. 1 to 7 are identified by the same reference numerals. In this case the support framework comprises four uprights 70 which may, for example, be mounted to side walls of a refrigerated unit. Each of the uprights 70 includes a plurality of spaced-apart receiving slots 72 which are engaged, in use, by corresponding lugs 71 carried by the support bars 60 of the bottle guides 5. The lugs 71 of the front and rear support bars 60 are positioned in the appropriate slots 72 to define an angle such that bottles 2 are delivered by gravity along the guides 5 to the front exits 51.

In this case each lug 71 is provided on a support plate 73 having an inwardly projecting spigot 74 for force fitting into an end of the support bar 60. This mounting arrangement is particularly suitable for spreading the load applied.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described which may be varied in construction and detail.

Claims (16)

1. A merchandising unit for displaying and dispensing beverage bottles comprising a support framework and a plurality of beverage bottle guide means supported on the framework, each bottle guide means supporting a row of bottles and having a front exit closed by a release means through which bottles are removed from the merchandising unit, the release means of each guide means comprising a pair of spring loaded jaws mounted at the exit of the guide means, the jaws being biassed into a closed position to retain bottles in the guide means but movable apart against spring bias for pulling a bottle from the guide means, each guide means having a longitudinal slot extending between a rear end and the front exit for reception of the neck of a bottle, a neck ring of the bottle being slidably engageable within the slot, the guide means being mounted on the framework such that the slot is inclined downwardly for gravity feeding the bottles to the front exit, the bottle guide means being mounted on a transverse support means which is in turn mounted to the support framework.

2. A merchandising unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein a front exit end of each bottle guide means projects forwardly of a front of the framework to present a bottle at the exit of the guide means for removal.

3. A merchandising unit as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the transverse support means comprises a pair of spaced-apart support bars which are releasably engageable with the support framework and releasably engageable with each guide means.

4. A merchandising unit as claimed in claim 3, wherein the support bars comprise a front support bar and a rear support bar, the front support bar being releasably engageable with an associated pair of front receiver brackets on the framework, having rearwardly open slots for reception of each end of the front support bar, the rear support bar being releasably engageable with an associated pair of rear receiver brackets on the framework having upwardly open slots for reception of each end of the rear support bar, the front receiver brackets being spaced downwardly of the rear receiver brackets on the framework to incline the guide means between the support bars for feeding the bottles to the exit of the guide means.

5. A merchandising unit as claimed in claim 3, wherein the outer ends of each support bar are engageable with complementary vertically spaced-apart pairs of receiver slots on the support frame.

6. A merchandising unit as claimed in claim 5, wherein at each end of the support bar, there is provided a support plate having an inwardly extending spigot which is engageable with the end of the support bar and an outwardly extending lug for engagement with the receiver slots.

7. A merchandising unit as claimed in any of claims 3 to 6 wherein each guide means has a pair of spaced-apart hanging slots which are releasably engageable with the support bars for hanging the guide means on the support bars, each slot being L-shaped extending downwardly and rearwardly from a top of the guide means.

8. A merchandising unit as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a number of bottle guide means are arranged side by side and supported on a common transverse support means.

9. A merchandising unit as claimed in claim 4, wherein the receiver brackets are mounted on side support rails of the framework.

10. A merchandising unit as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the framework includes a number of spaced-apart intermediate side support rails.

11. A merchandising unit as claimed in claim 10, wherein the intermediate side support rails extend at different angles for supporting bottles of different sizes.

12. A merchandising unit as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the support framework is height adjustable.

13. A merchandising unit as claimed in claim 12, wherein the framework has height adjustable support feet.

14. A merchandising unit as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the merchandising unit is a refrigerated unit.

15. A merchandising unit as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the support framework is mounted on wheels or castors.

16. A merchandising unit substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.