WO1993013692A1

WO1993013692A1 - Shelving/display system

Info

Publication number: WO1993013692A1
Application number: PCT/GB1993/000003
Authority: WO
Inventors: Clive Jeremy Blass
Original assignee: Cil Shopfitters Limited
Priority date: 1992-01-08
Filing date: 1993-01-05
Publication date: 1993-07-22
Also published as: GB2263227B; GB9200276D0; JPH07502669A; GB2263227A; AU3170093A

Abstract

An upright (1) for a shelving/display system of the type wherein mounting means (11) on a support member (10) engage in one or more elongate apertures (6) in the upright (1), the longitudinal axes of the apertures (6) being vertically aligned and the support member (10) being mountable in the apertures at any location along the length of the upright (1) to extend outwardly therefrom, the upright (1) being made of a material other than metal. Preferably the apertures (6) are located in one or more rebates (2) provided in the front face of the upright (1) which can be formed as a post (81A) or a planar panel (81B).

Description

- 1 - SHELVING/DISPLAY SYSTEM

This invention relates to a shelving/display system of the "type wherein a support member co-operates with an upright having formed therein one or more elongate apertures whose longitudinal axes are vertically aligned, the support member being mountable in the apertures on the upright at any location along its length whereby the support member extends outwardly from the upright. The invention is more particularly concerned with a novel upright for use with such a system.

Shelving/display systems of the above mentioned type are known but they generally use a hollow slotted metal upright of tubular form into which metal support members for shelves or garment hanging rails are fitted. In certain circumstances , particularly shopfitting, a wood effect is wanted for the display system. This can only be achieved with known systems for instance by mounting a series of slotted metal uprights at regular spacings around the perimeter of the shop, e.g. at lm intervals, and then fitting solid wood or wood veneered panels in - 2 - between the metal uprights. The problem with this is that the slotted metal uprights and the metal support brackets are still visible at lm intervals which spoils the overall wood effect which the designer is trying to achieve. Similarly, if a free-standing wooden upright is required, then a known slotted metal tubular upright has to be covered with a wooden cladding which is complicated to manufacture and assemble. As a result, such uprights are costly to produce.

It is an object of the invention therefore to provide a shelving/display system and an upright for use therewith which overcomes or substantially reduces the aforementioned problems.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided an upright for a shelving/display system of the type wherein mounting means on a support member engage in one or more elongate apertures in the upright, the longitudinal axes of said apertures being vertically aligned and the support member being mountable in the apertures at any location along the length of the upright to extend outwardly therefrom, the invention being - 3 - characterised in that the upright is made of a material other than metal.

Preferably, the apertures are located in a rebate in the front face of the upright.

Preferably, the plurality of spaced apertures are located in the bottom of said rebate and extend through to the rear face of the upright. In some embodiments, the upright can also include one or more rebates on its rear face, the apertures therein extending through to the front face. This arrangement would be used if the upright is intended to have merchandise displayed on both sides thereof.

Preferably, the upright has a top and bottom edge between which the rebate extends continuously. It can however terminate short of the top and bottom edges if required.

Preferably the apertures are regularly spaced along the length of the rebate and are separated from each other by a predetermined distance. - 4 - The upright can take any convenient form. In one preferred embodiment it comprises a generally planar panel or^* post provided with one or more rebates in its front and/or rear faces. Conveniently, the panels have a rebate extending along and adjacent each side edge of the panel.

Alternatively, the upright can take the form of a free-standing post with the rebate formed in one or more faces thereof. The post can be of any required cross section such as square, rectangular, circular, oval or triangular.

In a preferred embodiment, the rebate has two facing side walls and each aperture is formed as a slot with its two longest side walls co-planar with the side walls of the rebate.

The upright of the present invention- is designed to co-operate with a support member which includes mounting means adapted to engage in said apertures to mount the support member in the rebate with its side faces juxtaposed with the side walls of the rebate thereby laterally locating the support member therein. - 5 -

Conveniently the support member is made of wood or MDF but any other non metalic material can be used.

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows on an enlarged scale part of an upright of the invention in the form of a planar panel;

Figure 2 is a cross section of the upright shown in Figure 1;

Figures 3 is a side view of a support member for use with the upright shown in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a support member similar to that shown in Figure 3 mounted in the upright of Figures 1 and 2; - 6 - Figure 5 is a perspective view of several uprights of the invention fitted together to form a free-standing post of square cross sections

Figure 6 is a perspective view of several uprights of the invention fitted together to form a free-standing post of round cross section;

Figure 7 shows another form of upright of the invention similar to that shown in Figure 1 but with apertures formed in its front and rear faces;

Figure 8A-8F show various ways in which the invention can be used to display merchandise; and

Figure 9 is a side view of part of an alternative support member.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, there is shown part of an upright of the present invention which comprises a body portion 1 which in the illustrated embodiment is formed as an elongate planar panel which can _ 7 > be of any dimensions. For instance it can be in the form of a generally planar upright or post 81A for use as shown in Figure 8A or alternatively it can be in the form of a panel 8IB which is say 2m wide for use as shown in Figure 8B. It can also be used to form a free-standing post, for instance as shown in Figures 5 and 6. As already mentioned, the cross sectional shape of the free-standing post can be of any configuration such as square (see Figure 5) oval, circular (see Figure 6), triangular, hexagonal, etc.

The front face of the body portion 1 of the upright has a rebate 2 therein with side walls 3,4 and a bottom wall 5.

A series of apertures 6 is formed in the bottom 5 of the rebate 2, the apertures being spaced equidistantly along the length of the rebate 2 and the side walls of each aperture, illustrated as an elongate slot, being co-planar with the side walls 3,4 of the rebate 2 for reasons which will be explained hereafter. - 8 - The rebate 2 in the illustrated upright 1 extends along the whole length thereof between top edge 7 and its bottom edge (not shown) . The rebate 2 can however stop short of the top and bottom edges of the upright. The configuration of the rebate 2 and the apertures 6 therein shown in

Figure 1, is particularly suitable for manufacture using a numerically controlled routing machine as it can be programmed with great accuracy to pass along the panel and initially drill into it to a first depth to form the rebate 2 and then drill through the rebate to a second depth to form the first hole 6 returning then to its first depth to continue to form the rebate 2. This operating sequence can then be repeated along the whole length of the upright.

Figure 3 shows a support member 10 for use with the upright 1 of the present invention provided at one end with a pair of hook-shaped portions 11. Each hook portion 11 has a latching part 12 which defines a re-entrant recess 14 with end edge 13 of the support member 10. It should be noted that the distance between edge 13 and face 15 of the hook portion 11 is equal to the width of each portion 16 between adjacent holes 6 in the upright 1 as - 9 - indicated by the dimension X in Figure 2. It can be seen therefore that when the hook portions 11 of a support member 10 are inserted in the apertures 6 in the upright 1 and the support member 10 is pushed downwardly, the faces 15 of the hook portions 11 will engage with the rear face of the portions 16 of the upright 1, and edge 13 will engage with the bottom wall 5 of the rebate 2 to lock the support member 10 in position on the upright. The side walls 3 and 4 of the rebate contact the opposite side face of the support member 10 and thereby locate it against lateral movement relative to the upright 1.

In an alternative support member 10 shown in Figure 9, the hook portions 12,12A face in opposite directions, the arrangement being such that the top hook portion 12 is inserted first in an upwardly direction into hole 6 in the upright 1. The support member 10 is then pivotted downwardly to allow the lower hook portion 12A to enter hole 6A. The support member 10 is then pushed downwardly so that the bottom of hole 6A engages with end wall 36 of hook portion 12A thereby fixing it in position in the upright 1. - 10 - The upright and support members of the present invention are preferably made of wood so it will be appreciated that when used as a display or shopfitting system for instance as illustrated in Figures 8A-8F, a complete wood effect is achieved with no metal being visible.

Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings shown uprights of the invention used to form a free-standing post. The post of Figure 5 comprises four panels LA-ID of the type shown in Figures 1 and 2 assembled into a post which is square in cross section. Each panel has a central rebate 2A-2D extending centrally along its length in which apertures 6 (not visible) are provided to receive a support member 10 or some other member such as display sign 20. The end of the sign 20 located in the rebate 2A would be configured to include the hook portions 11 and the re-entrant recess 14 as shown in Figure 3. The top of the hollow post is closed by a cap 21 and the bottom of the post is mounted in a base 22.

The free-standing post shown in Figure 6 is circular in cross section and comprises two uprights IA and IB connected by spacers 23,24. Upright IB has a centrally - 11 - located rebate 2B in it with apertures 6 spaced equidistantly along its length to receive the hook portions 11 of support or other members 10 when inserted therei .

The panel shown in Figure 7 has a rebate 2 with spaced apertures 6 along its length provided in both the front and rear face thereof so that support members 10 can extend outwardly from both faces of the upright.

Figures 8A-8F show various different uses for the upright of the present invention. Figure 8A shows a pair of uprights 81 with a central rebate 2 with apertures 6 therein mounted on a wall 16. Support members 10 are fitted in the rebates 2 and a glass shelf 26 is fitted on each pair of support members 10.

Figure 8B shows a pair of juxtaposed panels 8IB attached to a wall (not visible), each having a rebate 2 extending along the full length of its opposite side edges. Support members 10 have shelves 27 fitted thereto or a display head board 28 or a hanging rail 29. Figure 8C shows a free-standing display unit comprising a base 29 to which a panel 1 of the invention is attached, the panel having a rebate 2 along each side edge with apertures therein. Support members 10 have shelves 30

fitted thereto.

Figure 8D shows another free-standing display unit comprising a base 31 to which a panel 1 of the invention is attached, the panel having a single rebate 2 extending centrally along its entire length. A support member 10 is fitted to the apertures 6 in the rebate 2 on which garments 32 are displayed.

Figure 8E shows an A-frame system in which shelves 35 are fitted to the support members 10.

Figure 8F shows an alternative display system in which panels 1 are hingedly attached together in concertina fashion. The support members 10 have shelves 33 fitted

thereto or head board 34.

Claims

1. An upright for a shelving/display system of the type wherein mounting means on a support member engage in one or more elongate apertures in the upright, the longitudinal axes of said apertures being vertically aligned and the support member being mountable in the apertures at any location along the length of the upright to extend outwardly therefrom, the upright being made of a material other than metal.

2. An upright as claimed in claim 1 wherein the apertures are located in a rebate in the front face of the upright.

3. An upright as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the plurality of spaced apertures are located in the bottom of said rebate and extend through to the rear face of the upright.

4. An upright as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the upright includes one or more rebates on its rear face, said apertures extending through to the front face of the upright.

5. An upright as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the upright has a top and bottom edge between which the rebate extends continuously.

6. An upright as claimed in any of claims 1-4 wherein the upright has a top and bottom edge between which the rebate extends but terminates short of said top and bottom edges.

7. An upright as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the apertures are regularly spaced along the length of the rebate and are separated from each other by a predetermined distance.

8. An upright as claimed in any preceding claim comprising a generally planar panel or post provided with one or more rebates in its front and/or rear faces.

9. An upright as claimed in claim 8 wherein the panel has a rebate extending along and adjacent each side edge of the panel. - ,5 - .93..00.3

10. An upright as claimed in any of claims 1-6 wherein the upright is a free-standing post with the rebate forme in one or more faces thereof.

5 11. An upright as claimed in claim 9 wherein the post is square, rectangular, circular, oval or triangular i cross section.

12. An upright substantially as herein described with 10 reference to the accompanying drawings.