NZ272578A - Display rack; comprises spaced apart elongated members defining a channel for receiving and suspending items, the channel defining an inclined pathway with an end stop - Google Patents

Description

Patents Form S N.Z. No. 272578 NEW ZEALAND Patents Act 1953 COMPETE SPECIFICATION HACKING DEVICE We, CEREBOS GREGG'S LIMITED, a New Zealand company of East Tamaki Road, Greenmount, Auckland, New Zealand, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- 272578 The present invention provides a racking device, particularly, although by no means exclusively, for use in displaying and storing jars or other containers, of condiments, such as herbs and spices, in supermarkets, and other retail outlets.

Conventional racking systems for jars of herbs and spices generally consist of horizontal shelving whereby jars are stood upright in rows. As jars are taken by customers, gaps appear in the display and customers either have to take further jars from towards the back of the shelving or supermarket staff have continually to pull forward jars to the front of the shelves or restock the shelves.

In other shelving systems in which the containers or jars stand on a surface which is sloped towardi the front, whereon once an item is taken from the front of a shelf the next item drops forward to take its place under gravity, problems are often encountered as items don't always fall in the correct orientation thereby disrupting the system.

The present invention provides a racking device which overcomes, at least to some extent, the problems aforesaid.

According to the present invention there is provided a racking device comprising at least two spaced apart elongate members defining a channel capable of receiving and suspending an item to be stored, the channel defining an inclined pathway so that items suspended in the channel are biased towards a lower dispensing end of the channel, said 1A 272 5 78 channel having a stop mechanism at the lower end to prevent items falling out of the channel whilst at the same time enabling the items to be removed thereftom, wherein the stop mechanism comprises a widened portion of the elongate members, that provides a corresponding narrowing of the pathway.

The items may comprise jars for herbs and spices.

The jars may be suspended in the channel by a rim around the neck of the jar suspended therein.

The degree of inclination may be selected, in dependence upon the items to be displayed, so that the items move, by gravity, towards the dispensing end of the channel, at an acceptable rate, that is at a rate whereby the items move to replace items taken from the display immediately without causing damage to the display or items themselves. The degree of inclination may be adjustable.

The jars may be removed from the channel by lifting the neck portion of a jar above the stop mechanism.

The elongate members may be angled at the lower end of the channel so that the jars are presented in the racking device in an upright position.

The racking device may additionally comprise one or more tilted shelving element wherein items are stored standing on their base, said shelving having dividers therein to maintain single rows of items, with a stop mechanism 272578 t ) comprising a wall at the lower end of the shelves.

The racking device may be made of PVC and/or metal or any other suitable material and may be constructed to any convenient size.

The invention will be further described by reference to the several figures of the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a side view of the racking device of. .the present invention/ Figure 2 shows a front view of the racking device of figure l and Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the racking device of figure 1. f Referring to figures 1 and 2 it will be seen that a racking device 11 comprises a plurality of parallel spaced apart elongate members 12 defining therebetween a number of channels 13, each capable of receiving and suspending a spice jar 14. Each channel 13 is inclined so that jars 14 received in channel 13 are biased towards a lower end 15 of the channel 13. The channel 13 has a stop mechanism 16 at the lower end 15 to prevent the jars 14 falling out of the channel 13. The jars 14 are removed from the channel 13 by lifting the jar 14 above the stop mechanism 16.

The racking device 11 includes a rearward support element 19 and a forward support element 20, each extending generally transversely of the racking device 13. The support members 3 27 2 5 19, 20 are connected by side struts 22. The elongate members 12 each have a rearward anchor portion 21, connected with and supported by the rearward support element 19 and a forward anchor portion 23 adapted to be supported by the forward support 20.

Ti*e spacing between the widened portions 16 of the elongate member 12 is selected so that jars or containers to be dispensed are able to move freely along the channel towards the front thereof, but a cap, or other enlarged portion of the container or jar is wider than the width of the channel and thus can be supported therein.

At the forward end, the widened portions 16 turn generally upwardly; to define a stop point. The elongate members terminate in a narrowed region 24 so that the width of th-j spacing between them is widened sufficiently to allow the cap or enlarged portion of the container or jar to pass for dispensing. Thus, jars 14 are suspended in the channel 13 by the rim 17 around the neck of the jar 14 sitting on top of the inner edges 12a of elongate members 12.

The elongate members 12 are angled to define a substantially horizontal region at the lower end of the channel 13 so that the jars 14 are presented in the racking device ll in an upright position.

The elongate members 11 are fixed to conventional shelving systems in a known manner. 272578 t i The channels 13 may hold 10-30 jars 14 so that when jars 14 are removed from the racking device 11, retained jars 14 fall forwards under gravity to take the place of those removed. The angled portion of members 12 ensure that the jars are always presented in an upright position.

The racking device 11 may be filled/re-filled with jars 14 from the front of the device 11 by inserting the rim 17 of the neck 18 of jars 14 above the stop mechanism 16. Jars are then pushed sequentially up channel 13.

The racking device 11 may be made of PVC and/or metal or any other suitable material and may be made to any suitable size.

It will be appreciated that it is not intended?to limit the invention to the above example only, many variations, such as might readily occur to a person skilled in the art, being possible without departing from the scope thereof.

Any convenient number of channels may be provided in a single layer rack. The racking device may include one or more layers of channels. The racking system of the invention may be combined with other known racking devices to form a composite device. .27 2 5 2S

Claims (10)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A racking device comprising at least two spaced apart elongate members defining a channel capable of receiving and suspending an item to be stored, the channel defining an inclined pathway so that items suspended in the channel are biased towards a lower dispensing end of the channel, said channel having a stop mechanism at the lower end to prevent items falling out of the channel whilst at the same time enabling the items to be removed therefrom, wherein the stop mechanism comprises a widened portion of the elongate members, that provides a corresponding narrowing of the pathway.

2. A racking device according to claim 1, wherein the items comprise jars or other containers.

3. A racking device according to claim 2, wherein the jars or containers are suspended in the channel by a rim around the neck of the jar.

4 . A racking device according to claim 2, wherein the jars or containers are suspended in the channel by a cap having a transverse width wider than the width of the channel.

5. A racking device according to any of the claims 1 to 4 wherein the degree of inclination of the inclined pathway 272 5 78 is selected, in dependence upon the items to be displayed, so that the items move, by gravity, towards the dispensing end of the channel, at an acceptable rate.

6. A racking device according to claim 5, wherein the degree of inclination is adjustable.

7. a racking device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the items may be removed from the channel by lifting an enlarged portion above the stop mechanism.

8. A racking device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the elongate members are angled at the lower end of the channel so that the items are presented in the racking device in an upright position.

9. A racking device substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

10. A method of displaying and or dispensing items, comprising supporting the items in a device according to any one of claims 1 to 9. CEREBOS GREGG'S LIMITED By Their Attorneys HENRY HUGHES