HK1237224B - Product moving implement and display case - Google Patents

Description

Moving equipment and display racks

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an article moving tool and a display rack. This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-201095 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-201096 filed on September 30, 2014, and incorporates the contents thereof into the present application.

Background Art

Conventionally, convenience stores and other stores have used display racks to display and sell merchandise. Using display racks allows for easy viewing of numerous items within a limited space. This facilitates item management and allows for more effective product promotion for customers.

Items displayed on the display rack include, for example, liquids such as soft drinks in cans and plastic bottles. The items are placed on the display rack in a row from the front side of the display rack, i.e., the side where customers stand to pick up items from the display rack, toward the back side.

When an item placed near the front of a display shelf is removed by a customer, a blank area will be created on the display shelf. To quickly fill the blank area with items, the items placed further back than the blank area can be moved toward the front.

As a means for moving articles placed on a display shelf from the back side to the front side, an article moving tool including a plurality of roller members arranged in a direction connecting the front side and the back side of the display shelf has been proposed.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an article mover in which a plurality of roller members are mounted on a generally rectangular forward pusher body by press-fitting the roller members' shafts into shaft holes formed in a base member. For example, Patent Document 2 discloses an article mover in which roller members for supporting merchandise at right angles to the direction of movement are mounted juxtaposed and rotatably on a base member, with the roller members' shafts supported on a plane at the same height. The base member is covered with a cover member having a through-hole that exposes and protrudes the upper surface of the roller members.

Prior art literature

Patent Literature

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 3635623

Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent No. 3208733

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

However, in the article moving device described in Patent Document 1, the roller shaft is retained by an arc-shaped shaft hole. Therefore, if the overall thickness is reduced, the shaft hole may expand due to deflection of the base member, potentially causing the roller shaft to disengage from the shaft hole and causing the roller member to fall apart. Furthermore, a thin article moving device poses a problem: the base member's strength decreases, making it unable to withstand its own weight or the weight of the article, leading to cracks or partial damage.

In addition, in the article moving device described in the above-mentioned patent document 2, when the overall thickness is reduced for the purpose of lightweighting, there are the following problems: the strength of the base component is reduced, the deflection of the base component causes the cover component to separate from the base component, thereby causing the roller component to scatter, or it cannot withstand its own weight or the weight of the article and is cracked or partially damaged.

The present invention is made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its subject is to provide an article moving device with excellent strength and elasticity and capable of preventing the scattering of roller components caused by deflection and breakage of the base components (for example, when falling or transporting), and a display rack having the article moving device.

Solutions for solving problems

(1) An article moving device, wherein the article moving device includes: a plurality of roller members; a base member that accommodates the plurality of roller members in a manner that allows the plurality of roller members to rotate freely, the base member having a bottom plate portion and a peripheral wall portion rising from a peripheral edge portion of the bottom plate portion; and a cover member that is plate-shaped and is detachably arranged in an opening portion surrounded by the peripheral wall portion in a state in which a portion of the peripheral surface of the plurality of roller members protrudes, the base member being made of a material having a bending elastic modulus of 2500 MPa to 4000 MPa, a first parameter represented by bending elastic modulus (MPa) × tensile yield stress (MPa) × thickness (mm) ÷ density (g/cm ³ ) ÷ 100000 is 7.00 to 18.00, and a second parameter represented by the first parameter × tensile fracture nominal strain (%) ÷ 100 is 2.00 to 10.00.

In addition, the flexural modulus (MPa) shows the value measured according to ISO 178. The tensile yield stress (MPa) and the tensile nominal strain at break (%) show the values measured according to ISO 527-1 and 2.

The specific gravity (g/cm ³ ) indicates a value measured in accordance with ISO 1183.

In addition, the thickness (mm) indicates the thickness of the thickest portion of the base member.

(2) The article moving device according to (1), wherein the cover member is made of the same material as the base member.

(3) An article moving device according to (1) or (2), wherein the peripheral wall portion is provided with a latching protrusion protruding toward the inner side or the outer side of the opening portion, and the cover member is provided with a latching protrusion, which latches with the latching protrusion when the cover member is arranged at the opening portion to prevent the cover member from moving in a direction away from the bottom plate portion, and a latching claw portion is formed on the latching protrusion, which latches toward the latching protrusion when the cover member is arranged at the opening portion, and a latching claw portion is formed on the latching protrusion, which latches toward the latching protrusion and can be latched with the latching claw portion to prevent the end surface of the cover member opposite to the peripheral wall portion from moving in a direction away from the peripheral wall portion.

(4) The article moving tool according to (3), wherein the protruding length of the engaging claw portion is 0.3 mm to 1.3 mm.

(5) The article moving device according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein at least a portion of the peripheral wall portion extending in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the accommodated roller member functions as a beam member.

(6) A display rack comprising at least one article moving device according to any one of (1) to (5).

(7) An article moving device, wherein the article moving device comprises: a plurality of roller components; a base component that accommodates the plurality of roller components in a manner that the plurality of roller components can rotate freely, the base component having a bottom plate portion and a peripheral wall portion rising from the peripheral edge portion of the bottom plate portion; and a cover component, which is plate-shaped and is freely detachably arranged in an opening portion surrounded by the peripheral wall portion in a state in which a part of the peripheral surface of the plurality of roller components protrudes, and a latching protrusion is provided on the peripheral wall portion that protrudes toward the inside or outside of the opening portion, and a latching protrusion is provided on the cover component. There is a locking protrusion, which is engaged with the locked protrusion when the cover component is arranged at the opening portion to prevent the cover component from moving in the direction away from the bottom plate portion. A locked claw portion is formed on the locked protrusion, which protrudes toward the locking protrusion when the cover component is arranged at the opening portion. A locking claw portion is formed on the locking protrusion, which protrudes toward the locked protrusion and can be engaged with the locked claw portion to prevent the end surface of the cover component opposite to the peripheral wall portion from moving in the direction away from the peripheral wall portion.

(8) The article moving tool according to (7), wherein the protruding length of the engaging claw portion is 0.3 mm to 1.3 mm.

(9) A display rack comprising at least one of the article moving tools described in (7) or (8).

(10) An article moving device, wherein the article moving device includes: a plurality of roller components; a base component that accommodates the plurality of roller components in a manner that the plurality of roller components can rotate freely, the base component having a bottom plate portion and a peripheral wall portion rising from the peripheral edge portion of the bottom plate portion; and a cover component that is plate-shaped and is freely detachably arranged in an opening portion surrounded by the peripheral wall portion in a state in which a portion of the peripheral surface of the plurality of roller components protrudes, and at least a portion of the peripheral wall portion that extends in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the accommodated roller components has the function of a beam component.

(11) A display rack comprising at least one of the article moving devices described in (10).

Effects of the Invention

The present invention provides an article moving device and a display rack having the same, which have excellent strength and elasticity even when the device is thinned. As a result, the base member is less likely to be significantly bent or damaged, even when dropped or transported, and the roller member can be prevented from falling.

Furthermore, the present invention provides an article moving tool capable of preventing roller members from being scattered, and a display rack having the article moving tool.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing in exploded form the components of an article moving tool according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of an end portion of a base member of the article moving device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG3 is a plan view of a cover member of the article moving tool according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view (one divided area in size) of the assembled article moving tool shown in FIG. 1 , as viewed from a position corresponding to line AA.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an article moving tool according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a region X1 shown in FIG. 4 .

FIG6 is a schematic diagram showing a display rack according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a portion of the article moving tool shown in FIG. 4 is bent.

FIG8 is a diagram showing a bent state of the article moving tool according to one embodiment of the present invention, and is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the region X2 shown in FIG7 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following describes embodiments of the article moving device and display rack of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are intended to specifically illustrate the main points of the invention and do not limit the invention. The drawings used in the following description are schematic, and the ratios of length, width, and thickness are not necessarily the same as in actual practice and can be modified as appropriate.

Item moving tools

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing components of an article moving device 1 in an exploded manner.

The article mover 1 is installed on a display rack (see FIG6 ) for placing articles P. The article mover 1 is configured to move the articles P placed on the article mover 1 from the back side to the front side of the display rack. For example, liquids such as soft drinks contained in cans or plastic bottles are examples of articles P, but the scope of the invention is not limited to these.

In the following description, the front side of the display rack is referred to as the "front," and the back side of the display rack is referred to as the "back." Furthermore, the side of the article mover 1 on which articles are placed is referred to as the "upper," and the side of the article mover 1 opposite to the side on which articles are placed is referred to as the "lower."

As shown in Figure 1, the article moving tool 1 is formed in a plate shape and includes: a plurality of roller components 10; a base component 5, which accommodates the plurality of roller components 10 in a manner that allows the plurality of roller components 10 to rotate freely; and a cover component 20, which is installed on the base component 5 in a state in which a part of the peripheral surface 10s of the plurality of roller components 10 protrudes.

The article moving device 1 is used to move an article P placed on the peripheral surface 10s of a roller member 10 in one direction (the direction indicated by arrow D1 in FIG1 or a direction opposite to arrow D1) (see FIG6 ). In this embodiment, a plurality of roller members 10 are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the roller member 10 and a plurality of roller members 10 are disposed along the axis of the roller member 10.

The roller member 10 includes a roller body portion 10a that can come into contact with an article, and roller shaft portions 10b, 10b that protrude from both ends of the roller body portion 10a in the axial direction. The roller body portion 10a has a circumferential surface 10s of the roller member 10. The diameter of the roller body portion 10a is not particularly limited, and is preferably appropriately set in consideration of the weight of the article, the bottom area, and the like. The lower end of the roller shaft portion 10b is capable of abutting against the upper surface 6u of the bottom plate portion 6 from above when accommodated in the base member 5. The diameter of the roller shaft portion 10b is not particularly limited, and is preferably appropriately set in consideration of the diameter of the roller body portion 10a, the depth of the roller member accommodating portion 8 described later, and the like.

The material of the roller member 10 may be polyacetal resin (POM), for example, but is not limited to POM as long as the roller member 10 can rotate smoothly and the article can be moved smoothly. In addition, additives such as silicone may be added to impart lubricity to improve friction characteristics.

In order to ensure smooth rotation of the roller body 10a of the roller member 10, the roller shaft 10b is preferably made of a material having a static friction coefficient of approximately 0.1 to 0.5 with respect to the materials of the base member 5 and the cover member 20. The static friction coefficient is a value measured in accordance with ISO 8295.

The base member 5 is formed in a plate shape and has: a bottom plate portion 6; a side wall portion 7, which stands up from the peripheral edge portion 6r of the bottom plate portion 6 and extends in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the roller member 10 accommodated in the base member 5 (i.e., the direction of arrow D1); and a partition support portion 17, which stands up from the peripheral edge portion 6r of the bottom plate portion 6 and extends in a direction parallel to the axial direction of the roller member 10 accommodated in the base member 5 (i.e., the direction of arrow D2).

FIG2 is a side view showing an enlarged view of the end of the bottom plate portion 6. A notch portion 6c is formed on the bottom surface 6d of the bottom plate portion 6 in the portion arranged in front of the display rack 50, that is, on the bottom surface of the partition support portion 17. As shown in FIG2 , by forming the notch portion 6c, when the article moving device 1 is placed on the shelf 60 of the display rack 50 and the stopper 62 is inserted between the partition support portion 17 of the base member 5 and the shelf 60, the bottom surface of the stopper 62 is arranged in the notch portion 6c. Therefore, unlike in the past, the roller member 10 near the partition support portion 17 (that is, the article moving device 1 arranged on the stopper 62) maintains the desired inclination angle before the stopper 62 is set, which can suppress the performance degradation of pushing the article P on the article moving device 1 forward. In addition, the depth of the notch portion 6c is not particularly limited.

As shown in Figure 1, the bottom plate portion 6 is formed with the same number of roller member accommodating portions 8 as the number of roller members 10 accommodated in the base member 5. The roller member accommodating portions 8 can accommodate a portion of the roller body portion 10a. In this embodiment, the top view of the roller member accommodating portions 8 is a rectangular shape, which is identical to the top view shape of the portion of the roller body portion 10a below the roller shaft portion 10b. The cross-sectional shape of the roller member accommodating portions 8 along the longitudinal direction is a rectangular shape or a substantially semicircular shape, which is identical to the cross-sectional shape of the portion of the roller body portion 10a below the roller shaft portion 10b along the longitudinal direction. By forming the roller member accommodating portions 8 in this shape, when the roller member 10 is placed on the base member 5, the portion of the roller body portion 10a below the roller shaft portion 10b can be accommodated in the roller member accommodating portions 8. Furthermore, the roller shaft portion 10b can abut against the upper surface 6u of the bottom plate portion 6 from above. That is, the roller shaft portions 10 b at both ends of the roller member 10 are supported by the upper surface 6 u of the bottom plate portion 6 , and the roller member 10 is rotatably held by the cover member 20 described later.

The roller member accommodating portion 8 is formed at a position corresponding to the placement position of the roller member 10 in the article moving device 1 when viewed from above. In the present embodiment, a plurality of roller member accommodating portions 8 are formed along a direction (the direction of arrow D1 shown in Figures 1 and 2) perpendicular to the long side direction of the roller member accommodating portion 8 when viewed from above. In addition, a plurality of roller member accommodating portions 8 are formed along the long side direction when viewed from above. In the present embodiment, the roller member accommodating portions 8 arranged along the long side direction of the roller member accommodating portion 8 (the direction of arrow D2 shown in Figures 1 and 2) are formed at different positions in the short side direction of the roller member accommodating portion 8. In addition, the roller member accommodating portions 8 arranged along the long side direction of the roller member accommodating portion 8 may also be formed at the same position in the short side direction of the roller member accommodating portion 8.

Considering the ease of assembly of the article mover 1 , the opening 9 surrounded by the side wall 7 and the partition support 17 is divided into a plurality of partitioned areas B. A cover member 20 is allocated to each partitioned area B.

In the present embodiment, for one base member 5, a total of eight cover members 20 can be arranged in a manner such that four are arranged in the direction of arrow D1 and two are arranged in the direction of arrow D2. In FIG1 , one of the eight cover members 20 assigned to one article moving device 1 (opening 9) is illustrated, and the other cover members 20 are omitted. In addition, if it is easy to operate a large-area cover member 20 and there is no problem with the ease of assembly of the article moving device 1, then one cover member 20 or a plurality of cover members 20 less than eight or more than nine can be arranged relative to one base member 5. That is, the number of cover members 20 arranged relative to one base member 5 is not particularly limited, and can be appropriately set in consideration of manufacturing conditions, the size and shape of the display rack 50, etc.

Partition walls 19 for partitioning the region where the roller member accommodating portions 8 are arranged in the directions of arrows D1 and D2 (vertical and horizontal directions) into a plurality of partitioned regions B are provided on the upper surface 6 u of the bottom plate portion 6 .

The side wall portion 7 preferably has the function of a beam component. Here, "having the function of a beam component" means being able to withstand bending stress caused by deflection due to the deadweight of the base member 5, for example, it means being able to suppress the downward movement (deflection) of the other end portion due to the deadweight when one end portion of the side wall portion 7 is placed on a horizontal table, etc. In the present embodiment, the side wall portion 7 is formed in a manner that is erected between the partition support portions 17 at both ends along the direction of arrow D1, thereby having the function of a beam component. In addition, the width dimension of the side wall portion 7 is appropriately set in consideration of the material of the base member 5, etc. The width dimension of the side wall portion 7 is preferably larger than the width dimension of the partition wall 19 and/or the partition support portion 17 described later. In addition, as the side wall portion 7, a raw material that can function as a beam component can also be used alone.

Furthermore, the side wall portion 7 does not need to have a continuous and constant thickness (height) in its longitudinal direction in order to "function as a beam member." Furthermore, the height of the side wall portion 7 may be set so that the upper surface of the side wall portion 7 is located higher than the upper surface 6u of the bottom plate portion 6 and lower than the upper surface of the roller member 10.

One side wall portion 7 (the side wall portion 7 on the front side of the drawing in FIG1 ) is provided with a connecting portion 38 that projects from the outer wall surface of the side wall portion 7 in a direction parallel to the axial direction of the roller member 10 (i.e., the direction indicated by arrow D2). A claw portion projects upward from the tip of the connecting portion 38. The other side wall portion 7 (the side wall portion 7 on the back side of the drawing in FIG1 ) is formed with a connected portion 39 that is cut inward from the outer wall surface of the side wall portion 7. Connected portion 39 is formed to match the shape of connecting portion 38 so that it can be fitted into connecting portion 38.

As shown in Figures 1 and 5, when a plurality of rows of articles P are formed on the article moving device 1, it is preferable to arrange partition members 15 between the rows of articles P. Considering the structure for supporting the partition members 15, the partition support portion 17 is formed to have a width dimension larger than the side wall portion 7. In this embodiment, a plurality of interlocking holes 16 having a size smaller than the width dimension of the partition support portion 17 are formed at intervals along the moving direction of the articles P. The partition member 15 is a longitudinally long plate-shaped member made of, for example, an acrylic plate, plastic, or an aluminum plate. Legs 15d that can be interlocked with the interlocking holes 16 are provided at the bottom end portion in the longitudinal direction of the partition member 15. That is, by interlocking the legs 15d with the desired interlocking holes 16, the partition member 15 is arranged along the moving direction of the articles P. By attaching the partition member 15 to the base member 5, the articles P on the article moving device 1 move along the partition member 15, and therefore, the moving direction of the articles P is less likely to deviate from the desired direction.

The shape and form of the partition member 15 are not particularly limited as long as they can be mounted on the article moving device 1. The shape and form of the groove 16 can also be appropriately changed according to the shape and form of the partition member 15.

For example, when a plurality of base members 5 are connected in the direction of arrow D1 on the display rack 50 , the connecting portion 38 or the connected portion 39 may also be formed on the partition support portion 17 as needed.

On the wall surfaces of both the partition wall 19 and the partition member support portion 17 facing the inside of each partition area B, there are provided engaging protrusions 32 that protrude toward the inside or outside of each partition area B. In addition, in Figures 1 to 8, the engaging protrusions 32 that protrude toward the inside of each partition area B are illustrated. An engaging claw portion 34 is formed at the top end of the engaging protrusion 32. In addition, the shape of the engaging claw portion 34 is not particularly limited. The cross-sectional shape of the engaging claw portion 34 can be appropriately designed to be, for example, a rectangle or a triangle, and in particular, can be appropriately designed to be a right triangle.

The base member 5 is made of a material having a bending modulus of elasticity of 2500 MPa to 4000 MPa, preferably 2500 MPa to 3000 MPa, a first parameter S1 of 7.00 to 18.00, preferably 7.00 to 15.00, and a second parameter S2 of 2.00 to 10.00. The first parameter S1 and the second parameter S2 are values expressed by the following equations (1) and (2), respectively.

Mathematical formula 1

S1＝Flexural modulus (MPa)×Tensile yield stress (MPa)×Thickness (mm)÷Density (g/cm ³ )÷100000…(1)

Mathematical formula 2

S2＝S1×nominal strain at break (%)÷100…(2)

As described above, the flexural modulus (MPa) indicates a value measured in accordance with ISO 178. The tensile yield stress (MPa) and the tensile nominal strain at break (%) indicate values measured in accordance with ISO 527-1 and 527-2. The density (g/cm ³ ) indicates a value measured in accordance with ISO 1183. Furthermore, the thickness (mm) indicates the thickness of the thickest portion of the base member 5 .

As materials that maintain a balance in the physical properties described above, resins such as POM, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), and high-impact polystyrene (HIPS) can be cited, but are not limited to these resins. From the perspective of being able to thin the article moving device 1 and to allow the roller member 10 to rotate smoothly, the material of the base member 5 is preferably POM. From the perspective of easy handling and easy processing, the material of the base member 5 is preferably POM, product number F30-03 (sold by Mitsubishi Engineering-Plastics Corporation), product number M90-44 (sold by Polyplastics Co., Ltd.), etc. Table 1 shows a structural example of the structure of the base member 5 for illustrating the present embodiment.

Table 1

In the examples 1 to 4 and comparative examples 1 to 4 of the base member 5 shown in Table 1, the base member 5 is firstly provided with strength against bending by setting the flexural modulus of the material of the base member 5 to 2500 MPa to 4000 MPa. This is the case, for example, with examples 1 to 4 and comparative examples 1, 3, and 4 shown in Table 1. To further enhance the impact absorption capability of the base member 5, which absorbs external forces such as shocks through elastic deformation, the flexural modulus of the base member 5 is preferably 2500 MPa to 3000 MPa.

Even when the physical properties of the material of the base member 5 are balanced and thinning is achieved, in order to prevent the weight of the base member 5 from becoming excessive and to provide the base member 5 with both strength and elasticity, it is important to consider not only the thickness (mm) and density (g/ ^cm3 ) of the material of the base member 5, but also the tensile yield stress (MPa) because tensile stress is locally applied to the base member 5 due to deflection during transportation. The first parameter, which includes these physical property values, can be said to be an indicator for judging whether the thickness, density, and bending and tensile physical properties of the base member 5 are sufficiently balanced. As the material of the base member 5, a material with a bending modulus within the above range and a first parameter S1 of 7.00 to 18.00 is used. For example, the structural examples 1 to 4 and the comparative structural examples 3 and 4 shown in Table 1 fall into this category. In order to further improve the rigidity and impact absorption, it is preferable to use a material with a first parameter S1 of 7.00 to 15.00. If the first parameter S1 is less than 7.00, the thickness, strength, and elasticity of the base member 5 are not balanced, and the base member 5 may be significantly deflected or partially fractured due to its own weight or external forces. On the other hand, if the first parameter S1 is greater than 18.00, the rigidity of the material becomes too high, reducing the impact absorption of the base member 5. This makes it impossible to disperse a large impact such as from a drop, and the base member 5, roller member 10, and cover member 20 may fracture.

Furthermore, in order to ensure that the base member 5 exhibits excellent strength and elasticity, is resistant to breakage, and exhibits sufficient shape retention and resistance to external forces such as impact, it is important to consider not only the aforementioned factors but also the tensile nominal strain at break (%) of the base member 5 material. The second parameter, including the tensile nominal strain at break (%), can be considered an indicator that also considers the brittleness of the base member 5. The lower the second parameter, the more brittle the base member 5. The material used for the base member 5 is one that not only has a flexural modulus and the first parameter within the aforementioned ranges but also has a second parameter S2 between 2.00 and 10.00. For example, Examples 1 to 4 shown in Table 1 fall within this range. If the second parameter S2 is less than 2.00, the base member 5 is brittle and may be susceptible to breakage due to external forces or flexure. On the other hand, if the second parameter S2 is greater than 10.00, the base member 5 will experience significant deformation before breaking. While it will not break under significant impact, such as from being dropped, it will deform and may not be able to recover its original shape.

Furthermore, from the viewpoint of smoothly rotating the roller body portion 10 a of the roller member 10 , the base member 5 is preferably made of a material having a static friction coefficient of approximately 0.1 to 0.5 with respect to the roller shaft portion 10 b .

The cover member 20 is a plate-shaped member that is detachably arranged in each of the plurality of partitioned areas B of the base member 5 .

Figure 3 is a top view of the cover member 20. As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the cover member 20 is formed with the same number of roller member penetrations 28 as the number of roller members 10 accommodated in the partitioned area B. In this embodiment, the top view shape of the roller member penetrations 28 is a rectangular shape identical to the top view shape of the portion of the roller body 10a above the roller shaft 10b. The roller member penetrations 28 are formed at positions corresponding to the placement positions of the roller members 10 in the article moving device 1 when viewed from above. This allows the roller members 10 to be placed in the roller member accommodation portion 8 of the partitioned area B. When the cover member 20 is positioned in the partitioned area B, the portion of the roller body 10a above the roller shaft 10b can pass through the roller member penetrations 28 and protrude from the cover member 20 (see Figure 1). The amount of protrusion of the roller body 10a from the cover member 20 is not particularly limited, as long as the articles P placed on the article moving device 1 can be smoothly moved from the rear to the front of the display rack 50. The height of the roller body 10a protruding from the cover member 20 is preferably, for example, 1.5% to 15.0% of the diameter of the roller body 10a. By controlling the depth of the roller member accommodating portion 8, the thickness of the cover member 20, etc., the height of the roller body 10a protruding from the cover member 20 can be adjusted.

The cover member 20 is provided with an engaging protrusion 22 protruding from the outer wall portion (end face 20e). An engaging claw portion 24 is formed at the top end of the engaging protrusion 22. As shown in Figure 2, when the cover member 20 is arranged in the partition area B, the engaging protrusion 22 is arranged at a position overlapping with the engaged protrusion 32 when viewed from above. When the cover member 20 is arranged in the partition area B, the engaging claw portion 24 is arranged at a position overlapping with the engaged claw portion 34 when viewed from above. In addition, the shape of the engaging claw portion 24 is not particularly limited. The cross-sectional shape of the engaging claw portion 24 can be appropriately designed to be, for example, a rectangle, a triangle, and in particular, can be appropriately designed to be a right triangle, etc. From the viewpoint of making it easy to install the cover member 20 on the base member 5 and preventing the cover member 20 from leaving the base member 5, the cross-sectional shape of the engaging claw portion 24 is preferably a right triangle.

The positions of the engaging protrusions 22 on the outer wall of the cover member 20 are not particularly limited. The positions of the engaged protrusions 32 on both the partition wall 19 and the spacer support portion 17 of the base member 5 are also not particularly limited.

In this embodiment, the engaging protrusions 22 are disposed opposite to each other across the plate surface of the cover member 20 in two outer wall portions extending in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the roller member through-portion 28 (the direction of arrow D2 shown in Figures 1 and 2 ) of the cover member 20 in a plan view. Furthermore, the engaged protrusions 32 are disposed opposite to each other across the bottom plate portion 6 in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the roller member accommodating portion 8 (the direction of arrow D1 shown in Figures 1 and 2 ).

1 and 3 , from the perspective of more reliably preventing the cover member 20 from being separated from the base member 5, the engaging protrusions 22 and engaging claws 24 (illustrated by dashed lines) may be disposed opposite each other across the plate surface of the cover member 20 in a plan view on two outer wall portions of the cover member 20 extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the roller member through-passing portion 28 (the direction of arrow D1 in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 ). From this perspective, the engaged protrusions 32 and engaged claws 34 (illustrated by dashed lines) may be disposed opposite each other across the bottom plate portion 6 in a plan view on the side wall portion 7 in the longitudinal direction of the roller member accommodating portion 8 (the direction of arrow D2 in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 ).

Here, the peripheral wall portion in the present invention refers to a part or all of the side wall portion 7 , a part or all of the partition support portion 17 , and a part or all of the partition wall 19 .

FIG4 is a cross-sectional view of the article moving device 1 taken along line AA shown in FIG1 , showing one of the partitioned areas B in the article moving device 1 , with the cover member 20 positioned in the partitioned area B and no external force or the like being applied and no deflection occurring. FIG5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of area X1 shown in FIG4 .

As shown in Figures 4 and 5 , the upper end surface of the cover member 20 is substantially flush with the upper end surface of the partition wall 19 of the base member 5, the upper end surface of the engaged claw portion 34 of the partition support portion 17, and the upper end surface of the side wall portion 7. As a result, the moving surface 52 (see Figure 6 ) of the article moving device 1 is ensured to extend to the outer edge of the base member 5, including the side wall portion 7.

The engaging protrusion 22 can engage with the lower surface 32d of the engaged protrusion 32. This prevents the cover member 20 from moving away from the bottom plate portion 6 of the base member 5 (in the direction of arrow D3 shown in FIG. 4).

The engaging protrusion 22 is formed to be engageable with the tip of the engaged claw portion 34. That is, the engaged claw portion 34 is formed at the tip of the engaged protrusion 32 so as to protrude toward the engaging protrusion 22 when the cover member 20 is arranged in the opening 9 of the base member 5.

In addition, the engaging claw portion 24 protrudes toward the engaged protrusion 32 and can be engaged with the engaged claw portion 34. As a result, the end face 20e of the cover member 20 is prevented from moving in a direction away from the partition wall 19 of the base member 5 or the partition support portion 17 (the direction of arrow D1 shown in Figure 4 or the opposite direction of arrow D1). From the perspective of ensuring sufficient engagement between the engaging claw portion 24 and the engaged claw portion 34 and maintaining the engagement more reliably, the length of the engaging claw portion 24 protruding from the engaging protrusion 22 is preferably 0.3mm to 1.3mm. From this perspective, the length of the engaged claw portion 34 protruding from the engaged protrusion 32 is preferably 0.3mm to 1.3mm. Thus, it is possible to fully ensure the allowable range of the distance between the top end of the engaging claw 24 and the lower surface 32d of the engaged protrusion 32, and the allowable range of the distance that the wall surface of the engaging claw 24 facing the inner side of the cover member 20 deviates from the inner side surface 34d of the engaged claw 34 in the wall surface direction, in order to maintain the engaged state between the engaging claw 24 and the lower surface 32d of the engaged protrusion 32.

The material of the cover member 20 is not particularly limited, but preferably, it is a material that allows the roller member 10 housed in the roller member housing 8 to rotate smoothly and has appropriate elasticity and strength. Examples of materials having appropriate elasticity and strength include resins such as POM, HIPS, polycarbonate (PC), and PPS. Furthermore, from the perspective of achieving appropriate elasticity and strength to prevent breakage even when the article moving device 1 is made thinner, the cover member 20 is preferably made of POM, similar to the base member 5.

Furthermore, from the viewpoint of smoothly rotating the roller body portion 10 a of the roller member 10 , the cover member 20 is preferably made of a material having a static friction coefficient of approximately 0.1 to 0.5 with respect to the roller shaft portion 10 b .

display racks

FIG6 is a schematic diagram of the display rack 50 according to this embodiment.

The display rack 50 includes one or more article moving devices 1. Specifically, the article moving devices 1 are placed on the display rack so that one direction of the article moving devices 1 (i.e., a direction perpendicular to the axis of the roller body 10a of the roller member 10, which is the direction D1 shown in FIG6 ) corresponds to the front-to-back direction of the display rack 50. In FIG6 , from the perspective of rapidly moving the articles P from the rear to the front of the display rack 50, the rear of the display rack 50 may be arranged slightly above the front. With this arrangement, the article moving surface 52, formed by the peripheral surface 10s of the roller member 10, is formed to descend as it moves from the rear to the front of the display rack.

FIG6 illustrates a display rack 50 in which two article movers 1 are connected in the direction of arrow D2, and the connected article movers 1 are arranged in multiple layers. The number of connected article movers 1 and the number of layers of connected article movers 1 in display rack 50 are not particularly limited and can be appropriately set based on the size and shape of display rack 50 and the size of the refrigerator in which the display rack is to be housed.

The arrangement of the articles P on the article moving device 1 in the display rack 50 is not particularly limited. To enable the articles P to be quickly moved from the rear to the front of the display rack 50 in the direction indicated by arrow D1, the articles P are preferably arranged in a row along the direction extending from the peripheral surface 10s of the roller member 10 (in other words, the one direction perpendicular to the axis of the roller body 10a of the roller member 10).

With respect to the articles on the article mover 1, the frontmost article P is removed from the display rack 50, and the rearmost articles P are moved forward. The moving surface 52 is configured to cause the articles P to descend from the rear of the display rack 50 toward the front, thereby causing the roller member 10 to rotate due to friction with the articles P. This rotation of the roller member 10 conveys the articles P along the roller member 10 in one direction (i.e., the direction indicated by arrow D1). Consequently, the articles P move forward on the article mover 1, ensuring that an article P is always positioned at the front of the article mover 1.

The formation of article moving equipment and display racks

To construct the article moving device 1, the roller members 10 are first placed in one direction on the base member 5 (see Figure 2) so that their axes are parallel to one another. At this point, the portion of each roller member 10 below the roller shaft portion 10b is accommodated in the roller member accommodation portion 8. This completes the positioning of the roller members 10. Furthermore, the pair of roller shaft portions 10b, 10b of each roller member 10 abut against the upper surface 6u of the bottom plate portion 6 of the base member 5 from above.

Next, the cover member 20 is mounted on each partitioned area B of the base member 5 by fitting the engaging protrusions 22 and engaging claws 24 into the corresponding engaged protrusions 32 and engaged claws 34. This allows the multiple roller members 10 placed on the base member 5 to be accommodated and rotatably positioned between the base member 5 and the cover member 20. Simultaneously, the portion of the roller body 10a of each roller member 10, located above the roller shaft 10b, passes through the roller member penetration portion 28 from below and protrudes upward from the cover member 20. At this point, a portion of the circumferential surface 10s of the roller member 10 is exposed through the roller member penetration portion 28 of the cover member 20. This arrangement completes the article moving device 1.

When forming the display rack 50, the connecting portion 38 of the article mover 1 formed as described above is fitted into the connected portion 39 of another article mover 1, and the connected article movers 1 are arranged to correspond to the shapes of the shelf 60 of the display rack 50. When the article movers 1 are formed as described above or when they are transported for movement, the article movers 1 may bend.

FIG7 is a cross-sectional view of the article moving device 1 as viewed along line AA shown in FIG1 , showing the article moving device 1 in a state where the cover member 20 is disposed in the partitioned area B and is deflected, for example, in the direction of arrow D3 due to an input external force. FIG8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of area X2 shown in FIG7 .

When the article mover 1 is transported, one end of the article mover 1 in the front-rear direction is held, and the other end droops due to its own weight, so that the article mover 1 bends in a convex shape and external force is input to the article mover 1.

As shown in Figure 7, when an external force within the range representing the elasticity of the cover member 20 and the base member 5 is input into the article moving device 1, for example, the article moving device 1 bends in the direction of arrow D3, and the bottom plate portion 6 of the base member 5 and the cover member 20 are elastically deformed in a convex shape in the direction of arrow D3 in turn.

At this time, the end face 20e of the cover member 20 moves in a direction away from the bottom plate portion 6 of the base member 5 (in the direction of arrow D5 shown in FIG7 ) and in a direction away from the partition wall 19 or the partition support portion 17 of the base member 5 (in the direction of arrow D6 shown in FIG7 ). Furthermore, the top end of the engaging claw portion 24 approaches the lower surface 32d of the engaged protrusion 32, and the wall surface of the engaging claw portion 24 facing the inner side of the cover member 20 more strongly abuts against the wall surface of the engaged claw portion 34 facing the partition wall 19 or the partition support portion 17 of the base member 5. Therefore, the engaging claw portion 24 of the cover member 20 is more strongly engaged with the engaged claw portion 34 of the base member 5 at position C. Position C is a position where the wall surface of the engaging claw portion 24 facing the inner side of the cover member 20 abuts against the wall surface of the engaged claw portion 34 facing the partition wall 19 or the partition support portion 17 of the base member 5. The greater the degree of elastic deformation of the bottom plate portion 6 of the base member 5 and the cover member 20, the stronger the engagement between the engaging claw portion 24 and the engaged claw portion 34. Due to the strong engagement between the engaging claw portion 24 and the engaged claw portion 34, the movement of the cover member 20 away from the bottom plate portion 6 and the movement of the end surface 20e of the cover member 20 away from the partition wall 19 or the partition member support portion 17 are suppressed within a range in which the engagement between the engaging claw portion 24 and the engaged claw portion 34 is not released.

Furthermore, it is also conceivable that when the article mover 1 is transported, when both ends of the article mover 1 in the front-rear direction are grasped, the article mover 1 bends so as to form a concave shape in the direction of arrow D3 .

In this situation, the article moving device 1 flexes in a direction opposite to the direction of arrow D3, and the bottom plate 6 of the base member 5 and the cover member 20 are elastically deformed, bending concavely in the direction of arrow D3. Although not shown, in this situation, similar to the case where the bottom plate 6 of the base member 5 and the cover member 20 are elastically deformed, bending convexly in the direction of arrow D3, the top end of the engaging claw 24 approaches the lower surface 32d of the engaged protrusion 32, and the wall surface of the engaging claw 24 facing the inside of the cover member 20 contacts the inner side surface 34d of the engaged claw 34, which faces the partition wall 19 or the partition support portion 17 of the base member 5. As a result, the engaging claw 24 of the cover member 20 is strongly engaged with the inner side surface 34d of the base member 5 at position C. Furthermore, due to the strong engagement between the engaging claw portion 24 and the inner side surface 34d, the movement of the cover member 20 in the direction away from the bottom plate portion 6 and the movement of the end face 20e of the cover member 20 in the direction away from the partition wall 19 or the partition member support portion 17 are suppressed within a range in which the engagement between the engaging claw portion 24 and the inner side surface 34d is not released.

In the article mover 1 of the present embodiment described above, the flexural modulus, first parameter, and second parameter of the material of the base member 5 are within the aforementioned ranges. This balance of physical properties ensures that the base member 5 possesses appropriate strength and elasticity, taking into account its thickness. Consequently, even when external forces are applied to the article mover 1, such as during dropping or transport, the article mover 1 of this embodiment can suppress significant deflection and damage of the base member 5 and reliably prevent the cover member 20 from detaching from the base member 5, thereby causing the roller members 10 to scatter. Furthermore, the efficiency of transporting the article mover 1 and attaching and detaching it to a display rack, etc., can be improved.

Furthermore, in the article moving device 1 of this embodiment, the cover member 20 is made of the same material as the base member 5. Therefore, like the base member 5, the cover member 20 is also endowed with appropriate strength and elasticity. Therefore, even if an external force is applied to the article moving device 1 and the base member 5 and the cover member 20 elastically deform, they are unlikely to break, and the situation in which the cover member 20 separates from the base member 5 and the roller members 10 scatters can be more reliably prevented.

In addition, in the article moving device 1 of the present embodiment, even if an external force is input to cause elastic deformation of the bottom plate portion 6 of the base member 5 and the cover member 20, the above-mentioned structure can prevent the end face 20e of the cover member 20 from moving to a large extent in a direction away from the dividing wall 19 or the partition support portion 17, and the cover member 20 will not separate from the base member 5, and the cover member 20 can be more reliably maintained in a state of being installed on the base member 5.

As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent the multiple roller members 10 from scattering due to the cover member 20 detaching from the base member 5 during dropping or transport, significantly improving the efficiency of transporting the article mover 1 and attaching and detaching it to a display rack, etc., and facilitating the storage and management of the article mover 1. Furthermore, the cover member 20 not only serves to position the roller members 10 but also functions as a reinforcement, thereby increasing the flexural strength of the article mover 1 relative to the roller members 10 as a whole and achieving a thinner profile of the article mover 1.

Furthermore, in the article moving device 1 of this embodiment, the side wall portion 7 preferably functions as a beam member. With this structure, even if the article moving device 1 is subjected to external force during dropping or transport, causing the bottom plate portion 6 of the base member 5 to elastically deform, the side wall portion 7 can withstand the bending stress of the base member 5. This reliably prevents damage to the base member 5 and the scattering of the roller members 10 due to the cover member 20 detaching from the base member 5.

Furthermore, the display rack 50 according to this embodiment includes one or more article moving devices 1 .

Therefore, it is possible to provide a display rack 50 that has high efficiency in transport and disassembly, is easy to manage, and has excellent strength and elasticity.

Furthermore, since the thickness of the base member 5 is considered when selecting the material of the base member 5 as described above, the article moving device 1 can be significantly thinned while maintaining appropriate strength and elasticity.

The article moving device 1 and the display rack 50 according to one embodiment of the present invention have been described above. However, the article moving device and the display rack according to the present invention are not limited to the above-described exemplary embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention as described in the claims.

For example, bearings for the roller shaft portions 10 b, 10 b of the roller members 10 may be formed in portions of the bottom plate portion 6 of the base member 5 located on both sides of the roller member accommodating portion 8 in the axial direction, and the roller shaft portions 10 b, 10 b of the plurality of roller members 10 may be supported by the bearings. As another embodiment, the roller member 10 does not include the roller shaft portions 10 b, 10 b, and the roller member 10 consists only of the roller body portion 10 a.

1 and 2 , but can be freely set according to the shape of the article P, the installation space of the display shelf, etc. For example, the top view shape of the article moving tool 1 can also be circular or fan-shaped.

Industrial applicability

The present invention can be widely applied to article moving tools, display racks, and fields related to retail and logistics to which the same are applied.

Description of Reference Numerals

1. Article moving device; 5. Base member; 6. Bottom plate portion; 6r. Peripheral edge portion; 7. Side wall portion (peripheral wall portion); 9. Opening portion; 10. Roller member; 10s. Peripheral surface; 17. Partition member support portion (peripheral wall portion); 19. Partitioning wall (peripheral wall portion); 20. Cover member; 20e. End surface; 22. Engaging protrusion; 24. Engaging claw portion; 32. Engaged protrusion; 34. Engaged claw portion; 50. Display rack; P. Article.

Claims (10)

1. A means of moving items, wherein, The article-moving device includes: a plurality of roller members; a base member that rotatably accommodates the plurality of roller members, the base member having a base plate portion and a peripheral wall portion rising from the periphery of the base plate portion; and a cover member, which is plate-shaped, is detachably disposed within an opening formed by the peripheral wall portion, and a portion of the peripheral surface of the plurality of roller members protrudes from the cover member. The base component is made of a material with a flexural modulus of elasticity of 2500 MPa to 4000 MPa. A first parameter, expressed as flexural modulus of elasticity × tensile yield stress × thickness ÷ density ÷ 100000, has a value of 7.00 to 18.00. A second parameter, expressed as the first parameter × nominal tensile strain at break ÷ 100, has a value of 2.00 to 10.00. The unit for the flexural modulus is MPa, the unit for the tensile yield stress is MPa, the unit for the thickness is mm, the unit for the density is g/ ^cm³ , and the unit for the nominal strain at tensile fracture is %. 2. The article moving device according to claim 1, wherein, The cover component is made of the same material as the base component. 3. The article moving device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The peripheral wall portion is provided with a locking protrusion that protrudes inward or outward from the opening. The cover member is provided with a locking protrusion, which engages with the locked protrusion when the cover member is positioned in the opening to prevent the cover member from moving away from the base plate. The engaging protrusion has an engaging claw portion that protrudes toward the engaging protrusion when the cover member is positioned in the opening. The engaging protrusion has an engaging claw portion that protrudes toward the engaged protrusion and engages with the engaged claw portion to suppress the end of the cover member opposite to the peripheral wall portion from moving away from the peripheral wall portion. 4. The article moving device according to claim 3, wherein, The protruding length of the engaging claw is 0.3mm to 1.3mm. 5. The article moving device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, At least a portion of the peripheral wall extending in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the accommodated roller member functions as a beam member. 6. The article moving device according to claim 3, wherein, At least a portion of the peripheral wall extending in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the accommodated roller member functions as a beam member. 7. A display shelf, wherein, The display shelf includes one or more articles moving devices as described in any one of claims 1 to 6. 8. A means of moving items, wherein, The article-moving device includes: a plurality of roller members; a base member that rotatably accommodates the plurality of roller members, the base member having a base plate portion and a peripheral wall portion rising from the periphery of the base plate portion; and a cover member, which is plate-shaped, is detachably disposed within an opening formed by the peripheral wall portion, and a portion of the peripheral surface of the plurality of roller members protrudes from the cover member. The peripheral wall portion is provided with a locking protrusion that protrudes inward or outward from the opening. The cover member is provided with a locking protrusion, which engages with the locked protrusion when the cover member is positioned in the opening to prevent the cover member from moving away from the base plate. A locking claw portion is formed on the locking protrusion, which protrudes toward the locking protrusion when the cover member is disposed in the opening. The engaging protrusion has an engaging claw portion that protrudes toward the engaged protrusion and engages with the engaged claw portion to suppress the end of the cover member opposite to the peripheral wall portion from moving away from the peripheral wall portion. 9. The article moving device according to claim 8, wherein, The protruding length of the engaging claw is 0.3mm to 1.3mm. 10. A display shelf, wherein, The display shelf includes one or more of the article moving devices as described in claim 8 or 9.