WO2002096244A1

WO2002096244A1 - Exposure front

Info

Publication number: WO2002096244A1
Application number: PCT/SE2002/001008
Authority: WO
Inventors: Lena Landin Lorentzen
Original assignee: Oy Karl Fazer Ab
Priority date: 2001-05-28
Filing date: 2002-05-27
Publication date: 2002-12-05
Also published as: EE200300591A; SE519049C2; DE60219004T2; SE0101861D0; NO319469B1; EP1395148A1; ATE357170T1; EE04987B1; NO20035267D0; SE0101861L; RU2295904C2; PL367210A1; DE60219004D1; DK1395148T3; EP1395148B1

Abstract

Container (2) suitable for the exposure of commodities, the container (2) being provided with a pick part (4) provided with a lid (6) for the access of the commodities as well as a refilling part (5) having a refilling container (5') arranged to enable refilling of the commodities exposed in the container (2), the container (2) being provided with a flow limiting member (8) for the commodities, which member is placed between the refilling part (5) and the pick part (4), which member forms a glap between the member (8) and the inner wall of the container (2) in order to limit the flow of commodities in the container (2) when commodities are removed from the pick part (4), the flow limiting member (8) being fixedly connected to an exposure front (7) in which commodities are contained for additional exposure.

Description

EXPOSURE FRONT

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the area of exposure of bulk commodities in shop sections consisting of vertically piled containers containing the bulk commodities. The invention especially relates to a front to such a container. The containers are especially suitable for self-service of confectionery and others sweets.

Background of the Invention Confectionery and other sweets for self-service are usually exposed in shops by being visibly well placed in transparent containers, each kind in this way being exposed in an own container thereof. The containers are piled on each other in a rack, which enables that each container may be lifted out from the rack when refilling should be effected. Considering the size, shape and surface structure of the bulk commodities, a varying degree of flow of commodities is obtained in the containers. For instance, small round flattened commodities having a smooth surface have a large flow ability while larger elongate commodities having an abrasive or sticky surface have a low flow ability. At the refilling of a container, it is in this connection desirable to obtain a reasonably uniform flow ability between dif- ferent containers so that a withdrawal from a container having rough commodities gets the same flow as a withdrawal from a container having smooth commodities. By the UK patent specification 2,322,794, a container for "pick 'n' mix" is known that is provided with an exposure front being possible to lower and in this connection is used as a flap for refilling of the container. Furthermore, the con- tainer according to the specification is provided with a flow limiting wall mounted internally in the container placed between a refilling part and a pick part in the container.

Since the flow limiting wall is fixedly mounted in the container at the same time as also the exposure front is fixedly mounted in the container, it is associated with large difficulties to alter the commodity contents in a container. The exposure front has to initially be emptied on the previous contents thereof, and then refilled and closed having the new contents. Then, the flow limiting wall should be altered or replaced in order to obtain an optimal flow for the new contents. An additional drawback is that all these hand grips should be carried out in the shop or by the container being transported away from the shop and later be transported back.

Object of the Invention The object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems by providing an exposure front that entails a reasonably equal flow ability of a type of commodity through the container irrespective of which container the front is applied to.

An additional object is that the exposure front should be detachable and adaptable to the type of commodity as regards the flow ability of commodities through the container, i.e. to provide a coupling between the flow limitation and the commodity in the container.

Furthermore, the object is to avoid that the exposure front is applied to a container having another contents than what the front is adapted for. Further, the object of the invention is to increase the keeping qualities, and thereby prolong the freshness of the commodities that are exposed in the front.

Summary of the Invention

By the present invention, as this stands out in the independent claim, the above-mentioned objects are met, said disadvantages having been eliminated. Suitable embodiments of the invention are given in the dependent claims.

According to the invention, a container is provided with a transparent exposure front that furthermore is detachable. The front is made as a container that is intended to be filled and then airtightly closed with the commodity in ques- tion that, in doing so, is exposed. In this way, the contained commodities are kept in the front fresh for months. Furthermore, the front is in the lower part thereof provided with a flow limiting sheet that is fixedly connected on the front and arranged to stick down or into the container and form a gap with the same between the edge of the sheet and the bottom of the container. In this way, different containers may be provided with exposure fronts that are provided with flow limiting sheets of lengths being individually adapted for the commodities that on one hand are in the fronts and on the other hand are in the containers.

Within the scope of the invention, embodiments is also contained, the containers of which are provided with other forms of flow limiters, as a unit or as a plurality of co-operating units, all connected to an exposure front. For instance, a flow limiter may be located anywhere in the container between a refilling part and a pick part in order to form a gap of a suitable width between the flow limiter and the inner wall of the container. The invention is applicable to containers having a refilling part directed upwards as well as a refilling part directed backwards.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention will now be closer described by means of embodiment examples, reference being made to the accompanying drawing figures, where Figure 1 shows a schematic illustration of a first embodiment of an exposure front mounted to a container according to the invention. Figure 2 shows the exposure front with the flow limiting members thereof inside the container. Figure 3 shows an entirely free exposure front according to the invention.

Description of the Invention

Figure 1 shows a first embodiment according to the invention. In a shop module 1 , a number of containers 2 are placed that are piled on top of each other in a holder 3. Each container 2 is provided with a pick part 4 and a refilling part 5 having a refilling container 5'. Further, the pick part 4 is provided with a lid 6 that can be opened for access of the commodities laid in the containers. Further, each container is provided with an exposure front 7. In the figure, the exposure front is shown mounted on the container. Figure 2 shows how the exposure front 7 according to the invention is mounted on the container 2. As is seen in the figure, each exposure front 7 is provided with a flow limiting member 8. This flow limiting member is arranged to, when the exposure front is mounted on the container, extend downwards towards the bottom of the container in order to form a gap 9 there. The exposure front 7 is mounted to the container 2 by the flow limiting member 8 thereof being stuck down into the container and then the exposure front is folded inwards towards the holder 3, the front being snapped into the holder. The exposure front may, for instance, be provided with mounting members that at mounting snap into holes fitting the corresponding mounting members in the frame. Thus, each container 4 is provided with a refilling part 5, refilling of commodities to the container 2 involving a sliding downwards of the commodities along the inclined bottom 11 of the refilling part 5 and further into the container 2. In this connection, the commodities slide down past the gap 9 formed by the flow limiting member 8 and down into the pick part 4 of the container 2.

Figure 3 shows the exposure front 7 detached from the container. The exposure front is formed as a hermetic container in which commodities may be refilled in order to be exposed thereby. The exposure front may after refilling be hermetically closed which means that commodities in the exposure front may be stored up to a plurality of months without being perished. Further, the exposure front is in the lower part thereof provided with the previously described flow limiting member 8. As has been described under figure 2, the member is arranged to form a gap between itself and the inner wall of the container, which usually consists of the bottom of the container. By this gap, a flow of commodities is provided in the same way as has been described under figure 2 when commodities are picked from the container from the pick part thereof and then commodities flow down into the pick part through this gap.

Claims

1. Container (2) suitable for the exposure of commodities, the container (2) being provided with a pick part (4) provided with a lid (6) for the access of the commodities as well as a refilling part (5) having a refilling container (5') arranged to enable refilling of the commodities exposed in the container (2), the container (2) being provided with a flow limiting member (8) for the commodities, which member is placed between the refilling part (5) and the pick part (4), which member forms a gap between the member (8) and the inner wall of the container (2) in order to limit the flow of commodities in the container (2) when commodities are removed from the pick part (4), characterized in that the flow limiting member (8) is fixedly connected to an exposure front (7) in which commodities are contained for additional exposure.

2. Container according to claim 1 , characterized in that the flow limiting member (8) is fixedly connected along one of the sides of the exposure front (7).

3. Container according to claim 2, characterized in that the exposure front (7) with the flow limiting member (8) thereof is detachably mounted to the con- tainer (2), whereby an exposure front (7) may be mounted on an optional container (2).

4. Container according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that the exposure front (7) consists of a container provided with a flow limiting member (8) in which commodities may be contained.

5. Container according to claim 4, characterized in that the inclusion is hermetic.

6. Container according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that the exposure front (7, 27) is vertically placed at a distance from the refilling container (5¹) of the container (2).