IE20100253U1 - A frame for a tobacco product gantry - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT A front cover for a tobacco product gantry comprises a pair of ‘frame members arranged to be fixed in substantially parallel spaced apart relationship to an otherwise exposed front surface of the gantry, and first and second substantially parallel spaced apart roller shutters whose rotational axes extend transversely between the frame members. At least one motor is associated with each shutter to rotate the respective shutter so that its free end can be selectively extended or retracted. Control means control the shutters so that, starting from a rest position wherein their free ends are mutually adjacent to substantially close the otherwise open front of the gantry, one or both shutters may be rotated to expose a selected area of the gantry for a period of time sufficient to enable a tobacco product to be retrieved therefrom, after which the shutters automatically return to a rest position. The selected area is no larger, and the period of time being no longer, than permitted by tobacco product display regulations.

Description

A Front Cover For a Tobacco Product Gantry Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a front cover for a tobacco product gantry.

Background Regulations restricting the display of tobacco products in retail outlets have come, or are coming, into force in many jurisdictions. While some regulations ban the display of‘ some allow for a limited display of tobacco in the tobacco products, products while a product is being sold. For example; UK it is proposed to allow an.area no greater than 7500 cm2 displaying cigarettes to be exposed for a limited time during‘ a transaction.

The consequences of breaching the regulations could lead to the outlet being fined and/or being barred from retailing tobacco for a time.

It is an object of the invention to provide a front cover which can be retro-fitted to an existing tobacco product gantry to enable a retail outlet to comply with the regulations.

Summary of the Invention According to the present invention there is provided a front cover for a tobacco product gantry, the cover comprising a pair of frame members arranged to be fixed in substantially parallel spaced apart relationship to an otherwise exposed front surface of the gantry, first and second substantially parallel spaced apart roller shutters whose rotational axes extend transversely between the frame members, at least one motor associated with each shutter to rotate the respective shutter so that its free end can be selectively extended or retracted, and control means for controlling the shutters so that, starting from a rest position wherein their free ends are mutually adjacent to substantially close the otherwise open front of the gantry, one or both shutters may be rotated to.expose a selected area of the gantry for a period of time sufficient to enable a tobacco product to be retrieved therefrom, after which the shutters automatically return to a and the rest position, the selected area being no larger, period of time being no longer, than permitted by tobacco product display regulations.

Preferably the control system is arranged to always return the shutters to the same predetermined rest position.

In the predetermined rest position the mutually adjacent free ends of the shutters are preferably disposed at least approximately centrally between the rotational axes of the shutters.

Preferably the shutters are arranged so that when initially rotated from the rest position they always expose a predetermined central area of the gantry irrespective of the location of the selected area.

Preferably, too, the control system is arranged to return the shutters to a rest position upon the earlier of removal of a product from the gantry or expiration of permitted period of time.

The invention enables tobacco products a retail assistant wants to find to be exposed in compliance with the law. The frame members may be fitted in advance of the coming into force of regulations, with the roller shutters being quickly fitted on the introduction of the regulations to ensure immediate compliance with.the law. The front Cover is readily adapted to conform to gantries of different,widths. and indeed multiple front covers can be fitted along relatively wide gantries.

Brief Description of the Drawings Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic front view of a first embodiment of a front cover for a tobacco product gantry according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional side View of the cover of Figure 1 when positioned on a tobacco product gantry.

Figure 3 is a schematic front view of a second embodiment of a front cover for a tobacco product gantry according to the present invention.

Figures 4(a) to 4(d) are front views of the front cover of Figure 1 or 3 at various stages of operation.

.Figure 5 shows a button panel or alternatively an EPOS control of the front cover of Figure 1 or 3. _Detailed Description of Embodiments Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, a front cover 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is arranged to be fixed to a gantry 12 for tobacco products. The gantry 12 comprises a generally rectilinear open—fronted housing 14 comprising opposite vertical side walls 16 joined at the top and bottom by upper and lower horizontal walls 18, 20 respectively, and includes a plurality of horizontal shelves on which tobacco products 24 are stacked, typically in front to back rows.

The front cover 10 comprises a rectangular outer frame 26 comprising opposite vertical side members 28 connected at the top and bottom by horizontal upper and lower frame members , 32 respectively. The frame members 28 to 32 are IE 100253 typically made of extruded metal, e.g. steel or aluminium, and have a generally hollow U-shaped cross-section with the mouth of the U facing inwards. This allows the frame members to accommodate various components internally, or parts of components which project laterally into the frame members, as will be described. (In Figures 1 and 3 the front surface of the frame 26 is shown as though it were transparent in order to show internal components.) The rectangular outer frame 26 of the front cover 10 has substantially the same dimensions as the rectangular open front of the gantry 12, so that the frame members 28, 30, 32 .are fixed, for example with screws, to the otherwise exposed front surfaces of the gantry walls 16, 18, 20 respectively .(see Figure 2). This ensures that the cover l0.can be fitted to a gantry which itself may be located in a tight recess.i The front cover 10 includes upper and lower substantially parallel spaced apart roller shutters 34, 36 whose rotational axes (defined by axles 38, 40) extend substantially horizontally between the frame members 28 at the top and bottom of the frame 26 respectively. The right hand end of each axle (as seen in Figure 1) rotates freely in a respective bearing 42 within the right hand frame member 28, while the left hand end of each axle is connected to a respective electric motor 44 within the left hand frame member 28. In use, as will be described, each motor 44 when energised rotates the respective roller shutter 34 or 36 to selectively extend or retract the shutter material 46 by a selected amount. The roller shutter material 46 may be a ‘IE100253 continuous length of fabric or it may comprise a large number of narrow parallel slats; in any case, whatever the material of the shutter, it must be flexible enough to be wound on and off the roller as the associated motor 44 is energised.

The free end 48 of the lower roller shutter 36 is biased upwardly by tension springs 50. The tension in the springs 50 is not sufficient by itself to cause the roller shutter 36 to unwind, but it ensures that the material 46 remains taut when the associated motor 44 is energised to unwind the material. The free end 52 of the roller shutter 34 may similarly be biased downwardly if desired, but if the material 46 is heavy enough, or if the end 52 is weighted, the weight of the shutter material 46 may be sufficient in itself to ensure that the material remains taut.

A typical sequence of operations of the roller shutters 34, 36 in use of the embodiment to retrieve a particular tobacco to 4(d). These operations product is shown in Figures 4(a) are under the control of a control system which will be described later with reference to Figure 5.

Figure 4(a) shows the roller shutters 34, 36 in a fully extended rest position where their free ends 48, 52 abut one . In this another centrally between the roller axles 38, position the otherwise open front of the gantry 12 is closed and no tobacco products are visible. The shutters remain in this rest position at all times when no product is being retrieved for sale.

IE 100253 When the control system signals that a product is to be retrieved, both shutters are partially retracted to expose a predetermined central area 56 of the gantry 12, Figure 4(b).

This central area 56 is always exposed first, irrespective of the location of a desired tobacco product within the gantry.

Next, both shutters are moved simultaneously up, Figure 4(c), or down, Figure 4(d), so that the exposed area 56 (which remains the same height throughout) effectively moves up or down the gantry until the exposed area comes to rest in front of the shelf containing the particular tobacco product to be . retrieved.

After a predetermined period of time, and even if the product has not yet been retrieved, the control system automatically returns the shutters to the original rest position shown in Figure 4(a) by a reversal of the movements previously made.

However, in some embodiments retrieval of the product may be sensed by a sensor (not shown) within the frame 26, and upon the system sensing that both product has been removed the shutters may be returned to the rest position even if the predetermined period of time has not expired.

The predetermined period of time is no longer, and the size of the exposed area 56 is no larger, than permitted by tobacco product display regulations.

The importance of first opening the central area of the gantry, Figure 4(b), rather than directly moving to the position shown in Figure 4(c) or 4{d) is that the gantry 12 lE1oo253 is usually owned by a particular tobacco company and they place their product towards the centre rows of the gantry.

Thus, during the course of any given transaction, the owning company's products are always shown when the shutters first open, but only for a portion of the permitted time, whereas the non—owning companies‘ products are only shown when A specifically requested for the remainder of the permitted time, but sufficient to withdraw the product.

In a second embodiment, Figure 3, the roller shutters 34', 36' have spring loaded hubs (as in domestic roller blinds) so that they tend to retract automatically. In that case each shutter has its free end 48 or 52 attached by a respective. pair of cords 60a or 60b to respective pulleys 62 disposed at the opposite ends of an axle 64. Each axle 64 is driven by a respective motor 66, so that a shutter can be extended by rotating the associated motor in a direction to draw the free end away from the roller, or allowed to retract by rotating the motor in the opposite direction.

In either embodiment, the motors 44 or 66 may be stepper motors which rotate between the various state positions, or they may be geared motors in conjunction with sensors 54 disposed along the frame member 28 (Figures 1 and 3) to detect the position of the free ends 48, 52 of the rollers.

Turning to Figure 5, the control system may comprise a button panel 70 for controlling the movement of the roller shutters.

The panel comprises a decal 72 comprising an array displaying the relative location of products within the gantry 12.

’ IE 10 02.53 Beside each row of the array, there is provided a button 74.

When an assistant identifies the location of a required the assistant presses the Within tobacco product within the array, corresponding button 44 for that row of the array. the button panel there are provided control electronics (not shown) for controlling the motors 44 or 66 to carry out the sequence of shutter operations described with reference to Figure 4.

Where there is a one to one relationship between the button panel.and the frame/gantry, then the control electronics can be programmable to drive the motors housed within the frame 26 directly. in the case of a large outlet where a number of tills may be used by a number of assistants drawing However, products from a common gantry, a plurality of button panels can be connected through a common controller 76 to control motors. In this case, the button panels need only signal to the controller which button of the panel 40 has been actuated and the controller can then drive the motors within the frame accordingly. So, for example, the controller whether located in the button panel or not, can be programmed to determine how long a door remains open and if two requests for products are received within such a period, the controller can ensure that only one door is open at any given time. In the latter case, the timing for opening a second or subsequent door after another can be adjusted to ensure the delay for the customer is not unacceptable, yet products can be accessed as required and in compliance with regulations.

I510 og53 Alternatively, a till/EPOS 78 can be programmed to display an array 80 of tobacco products available for sale. The till can either be connected to the controller 50 or another controller or a controller integrated within the frame, to communicate the selection to the frame and to have the motors actuated appropriately to enable the selected tobacco product to be retrieved. Again, it will be noted that any controlling electronics must take into account any other devices connected to the frame, to ensure that frame doors only open to the extent permitted by the regulations; If desired product lighting may be provided in the gantry 12 behind the.shutters 34, 36. To save energY: the control system may be arranged to switch off the lighting when the shutters are in their rest position, Figure 4(a).

In further variants of the above—described embodiments, the control system can be arranged to control an alarm or indicator to sound when the shutter is open; advertising can be printed on the outside of the shutters; and locks can be fitted to the shutters to thereby secure the gantry.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein which may be modified or varied without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (5)

Claims

1. A front cover for a tobacco product gantry, the cover comprising a pair of frame members arranged to be fixed in substantially parallel spaced apart relationship to an otherwise exposed front surface of the gantry, first and second substantially parallel spaced apart roller shutters whose rotational axes extend transversely between the frame members, at least one motor associated with each shutter to rotate the respective shutter so that its free end can be selectively extended or retracted, and control means for controlling the shutters so that, starting from a rest position wherein their free ends are mutually.adjacent to substantially close the otherwise open front of the gantry, one or both shutters may be rotated to expose a selected area of the gantry for a period of time sufficient to enable a tobacco product to be retrieved therefrom, after which the shutters automatically return to a rest position, the selected area being no larger, and the period of time being no longer, than permitted by tobacco product display regulations.

2. A cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control system is arranged to always return the shutters to the same predetermined rest position.

3. A cover as claimed in claim 2, wherein in the predetermined rest position the mutually adjacent free ends of the shutters are disposed at least approximately centrally between the rotational axes of the shutters. wherein the shutters are

4. A cover as claimed in claim 3, arranged so that when initially rotated from the rest position they always expose a predetermined central area of the gantry irrespective of the location of the selected area.

5. A cover as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the control system is arranged to return the shutters to a rest position upon the earlier of removal of a product from the gantry or expiration of permitted period of time.