Product display for seeds and grains

Abstract

Recyclable product display arrangement (10, 12) comprising (a) a product display (12), and (b) a holder (10) for rotatably mounting the product display, the holder comprising an upper part (16) which is fixedly connected to the product display (12) and a lower part (14) which forms a base which stands fixedly on a floor or is connected to such a base, the holder (10) being made of cardboard, wood or another material which can be recycled at the place of use together with other packaging or materials, characterized in that (c) the upper (16) and lower parts (14) of the holder (10) have parallel, facing, flat surfaces (58, 60), (d) a flat intermediate plate (18; 70; 80) is rotatably supported between the surfaces (58, 60) of the upper and lower parts of the holder (10), and (e) the intermediate plate (18; 70; 80) forms a ball bearing which comprises at least three balls (48, 50, 52, 54; 63, 65, 67; 73, 75, 77), each of which is arranged in an associated through-bore (40, 42, 44, 46; 62, 64, 66; 72, 74, 76) in the intermediate plate (18; 70; 80), wherein the through-bores (40, 42, 44, 46; 62, 64, 66; 72, 74, 76) are arranged remote from the axis of rotation (56) to prevent tilting.

Description

Technical area

[0001] The invention relates to a product display arrangement comprising (a) a product display made of cardboard, wood or any other material that can be recycled at the point of use together with other packaging or materials, and (b) a support for rotatably mounting the product display, the support comprising an upper part fixedly connected to the product display and a lower part forming or connected to a base fixedly supported on a floor.

[0002] The invention further relates to a holder for use in such a product display arrangement.

[0003] Product displays are used in supermarkets and other retail outlets, for example, to display and offer smaller products for sale. Similar to a shelf, they have a variety of compartments or metal hooks in which the products are arranged. Products can be removed from these compartments as needed. Examples of products include seeds and seedlings or flower bulbs in bags, cans, or other packaging.

[0004] The displays serve a seasonal business. When the products are fully or partially sold out, the display must be restocked. This is uneconomical due to the high labor requirements associated with "penny items." Therefore, product displays made of materials that can be disposed of on-site in the supermarket or at the point of sale are known. For example, product displays made of sturdy cardboard are known, which, like cardboard packaging for other sales items, can be recycled and economically replaced with new product displays. State of the art

[0005] Rotating displays are known for selling smaller products in supermarkets, hardware stores, and other retail outlets. An example of such a display with a metal frame to hold the products is disclosed in EP 2 281 490 A1. However, there are also rotating displays in which the products are arranged in cardboard displays suspended from a rotating metal stand. The metal stand is comparatively solid to absorb all the forces. Accordingly, the metal stand is over a meter high, voluminous, heavy, and expensive. The stand has casters and / or a swivel joint, and has arms so that the products can be arranged all around. The disadvantage of known product display arrangements is that the metal stand is too expensive and cannot be disposed of on site. The manufacturer must collect the stand to be reconditioned for the next season or to be recycled for metal after 3-4 seasons.if it isn't disposed of with the residual waste. Both alternatives are expensive and environmentally unfriendly.

[0006] DE 29 53 183 A1 discloses a rotating filing cabinet in which bearing plates are used to hold the balls of a ball bearing. The balls run on flat surfaces and are held in special tabs in the openings of the bearing plate. The rotating cabinet is made of metal and is not intended for on-site disposal.

[0007] DE 20 2011 003 869 U1 discloses a dining table with a rotating plate as the tabletop, comprising a stationary lower plastic plate, an upper plastic plate that can be placed on the plate, and a pivot bearing made of glass balls arranged between the lower and upper plates. The balls run in a groove in the lower plate.

[0008] DE 2214424 discloses an extendable metal turntable for televisions.

[0009] DE 20105861U1 discloses a product carrier, in particular for wallpaper rolls, with several shelf elements arranged one above the other, in whose compartments open to the front the goods are stored and presented.

[0010] DE 9018042U1 discloses a turntable device for audio and / or video equipment, spotlights, flowerpots, exhibits, etc., as described by the preamble of claim 1. Essential to the turntable device is that two bearing rings arranged radially spaced from each other with correspondingly assigned raceways are provided between the turntables. Disclosure of the invention

[0011] It is an object of the invention to provide a product display arrangement of the type mentioned above which is cost-effective to produce, stable and economically recyclable.

[0012] According to the invention, the object is achieved by a device having the features of claim 1, namely by providing a

[0013] Recyclable product display arrangement (10, 12) containing (a) a product display (12), and (b) a support (10) for rotatably mounting the product display, the support comprising an upper part (16) which is fixedly connected to the product display (12) and a lower part (14) which forms or is connected to a base which stands fixedly on a floor, wherein the holder (10) is made of cardboard, wood or other material that can be recycled at the place of use together with other packaging or materials, characterized in that (c) the upper (16) and lower parts (14) of the holder (10) have parallel, facing, flat surfaces (58, 60), (d) a flat intermediate plate (18; 70; 80) is rotatably supported between the surfaces (58, 60) of the upper and lower parts of the holder (10), and (e) the intermediate plate (18; 70; 80) forms a ball bearing comprising at least three balls (48, 50, 52, 54; 63, 65, 67; 73, 75, 77), each of which is arranged in an associated through-bore (40, 42, 44, 46; 62, 64, 66; 72, 74, 76) in the intermediate plate (18; 70; 80), wherein the through holes (40, 42, 44, 46; 62, 64, 66; 72, 74, 76) are arranged away from the axis of rotation (56) to prevent tilting.

[0014] The particular advantage of this design is that the entire product display arrangement disintegrates into the recyclable components after loosening the screw (32) guided through the bore (28; 68; 78), the plug connection or the rod as well as the optional screws or nails for fastening the feet (20, 22), as explained below.

[0015] Unlike known arrangements, the display arrangement has a holder with three simple plates that can be manufactured and stored particularly cost-effectively. Only holes need to be made in the intermediate plate for the ball bearing. The balls run freely in these holes on the surface of the lower part of the holder. Additional grooves, cages or tabs are not required with this design of the ball bearing. A particularly advantageous feature of the invention is that the balls are arranged away from the axis. This achieves a high level of stability, unlike on-axis pivot bearings. The balls therefore serve not only as bearings, but also to support the weight. Surprisingly, it has been found that, given the typical requirements for recyclable displays, it is sufficient for the balls of a ball bearing designed in this way to support the weight.The holes have a diameter that's only slightly larger than the outer diameter of the balls. The balls are therefore held securely in the holes.

[0016] In the inventive design, the upper and lower sections of the holder and the intermediate plate are made of cardboard, wood, or another material that can be recycled at the point of use along with other packaging or materials. Typically, smaller metal parts are collected on-site and sent separately for metal recycling. Packaging made of cardboard, wood, and plastic are separated at the point of sale and sent directly for recycling. In the present invention, the parts of the holder are also made of plates. These can not only be manufactured particularly cost-effectively, but if a suitable material, such as cardboard or wood, is selected, they can also be disposed of on-site along with other packaging. Therefore, no parts of the product display need to be returned to the manufacturer.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the intermediate plate is smaller than the surfaces of the upper and lower parts of the bracket. This saves material costs and weight. However, the intermediate plate can also be the same size as the surfaces of the upper and lower parts of the bracket.

[0018] In one embodiment of the invention, the holes in the intermediate plate are located near the edge of the intermediate plate. This achieves maximum stability. However, the holes can also be located further inside, in the middle area, or both in the middle and outer areas, if the dimensions and rigidity of the plates make this necessary to achieve sufficient stability and stability. It is only important that the balls are positioned away from the axis, thus spanning a surface that ensures the display is held securely in place.

[0019] In one embodiment of the invention, the surface at the upper part of the holder has an area between 0.01 m 2 up to 1 m 2 , preferably 0.05 m 2 up to 0.5 m 2 and most preferably 0.20 m 2 up to 0.30 m 2and the distance between the holes and the axis of rotation is at least 8 cm, preferably at least 10 cm and most preferably 12 to 14 cm. It is easy to see that a surface made of rigid material is more stable if the distance between the balls and the axis is greater. This applies as long as the material does not sag or is not unevenly loaded. For commercially available displays with a rectangular base area of, for example, 400 mm x 600 mm, distances between the balls in the region of 13 cm have proven to be very good. The surface at the top of the holder can be rectangular. However, the invention can also be implemented on displays with a circular or oval floor plan. In the same way, the balls can be arranged along the edge or with a different geometry further inwards. In simple embodiments of the invention, four balls are sufficient to support the entire weight.Depending on the design of the invention, more balls can also be arranged in a circular, star-shaped, row-like or other, even random, distribution.

[0020] Advantageously, the surfaces at the top and bottom of the bracket are formed by plates with a hole in them, and the plates are connected to the intermediate plate by means of a screw or rod passed through this hole so they can rotate against each other. The plates are inexpensive to manufacture, easy to store and transport, and if the material is suitable, can be disposed of. Suitable materials include chipboard or plastic. Only the screw or rod for connecting them and the balls are possibly made of a more stable material, such as metal. However, these are so small that they do not pose any problems for on-site metal disposal. The balls can also be made of wood or plastic. The use of a screw simplifies both assembly and disassembly for disposal.

[0021] Embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims. One embodiment is explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Short description of the drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a bracket for rotatably mounting a product display. Fig. 2 is a side view of the bracket from Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an exploded view of the bracket from Fig. 1. Fig. 4 shows a product display with a holder on which the product display is rotatably mounted. Fig. Figure 5 is a plan view of a rectangular intermediate plate for 4 balls for use in a holder made of Fig. 1. Fig. Figure 6 is a plan view of a rectangular intermediate plate for 3 balls for use in a holder made of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is an exploded view of a bracket made of Fig. 1, where the intermediate plate is made of Fig. 6 is used. Fig. Figure 8 is a plan view of a triangular intermediate plate for 3 balls for use in a holder made of Fig. 1. Fig. 9 is an exploded view of a bracket of Fig. 1, where the intermediate plate is made of Fig. 8 is used. Description of the embodiment

[0022] Fig. Figure 1 is a perspective view of a support generally designated 10, on which a product display 12 ( Fig. 4) can be rotatably mounted. The holder 10 essentially consists of three chipboards 14, 16, and 18. In an alternative embodiment, the holder consists essentially of sturdy corrugated cardboard. The intermediate plate 18 is somewhat smaller than the upper plate 16 and the lower plate 14 and is therefore only shown in the exploded view. Fig. 3. Plates 14, 16, and 18 are arranged flat and parallel. The bottom plate is nailed to two elongated, cuboid wooden feet 20 and 22 with three grooved nails 24 each.

[0023] Each of the plates 14, 16 and 18 has a center hole 26, 28 and 30 respectively. A standard metal screw 32 extends through the center holes 26, 28 and 30. This is in Fig. 3. A disc 34 is arranged between the intermediate plate 18 and the lower plate 14. The plates 14, 16, and 18 are connected to one another with the screw 32 and an associated lock nut 38, allowing rotation about an axis 56. A disc 36 is inserted between the upper plate 16 and the nut 38.

[0024] The intermediate plate 18, which is rectangular in the present embodiment, is provided with a through hole 40, 42, 44 and 46 in each corner. This is shown in Fig. 5 shown separately. Metal balls 48, 50, 52 and 54 are inserted into the through holes 40, 42, 44 and 46 ( Fig. 3). The outer diameter of the metal balls is only slightly smaller than the diameter of the through holes 40, 42, 44 and 46. This allows the balls to rotate practically friction-free. In the assembled state, as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the upper plate 16 rests on the balls 48, 50, 52, and 54. Since the balls are arranged off-axis, i.e., spaced from the axis of rotation, the upper plate 16 rests on the balls with its underside 58. The balls, in turn, rest on the upper side 60 of the lower plate 14. Since the balls are held in position in the through-bores of the intermediate plate 18, no raceways or cages are required. The balls thus support the weight of the upper plate 16 and everything arranged on it.

[0025] The rotary plate with ball bearing thus formed by the upper plate 16 can be manufactured, transported, stored and disposed of cost-effectively.

[0026] The arrangement would also work with only 3 balls. This is in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7. The holes 62, 64 and 66 for balls 63, 65 and 67 in the rectangular intermediate plate 70 form a triangle and are arranged away from the center hole 68. The intermediate plate 70 can be used in the same way as the intermediate plate 18. This is shown in Fig. 7 shown. Fig. Figure 8 shows a configuration in which a triangular plate 80 is used as the intermediate plate. Three holes 72, 74, and 76 for balls 73, 75, and 77 are arranged in the corners of the plate. The center hole 78 is located in the center of the plate. Similarly, any plate geometry can be used for the intermediate plate. The intermediate plate 80 can also be used in the holder, as shown in Fig. 9. Depending on the size and weight of the panels, it may be necessary to use more than four balls. These can be positioned at the edges and further inside, and can be easily adjusted to the load if necessary.

[0027] Fig. Figure 4 shows an assembled, functional product display. The display has a holder 10 on its underside. The display body 12 with compartments 61 is made of cardboard, which, like the holder 10, can be disposed of at the point of sale along with other cartons and packaging typically generated at retail outlets.

[0028] The Fig. The display shown in Figure 4 has a rectangular cross-section. Numerous compartments for products are arranged in the upper area.

[0029] Such product displays are shown in the present embodiment as rotating floor displays. However, it is also possible to use rotating table displays and provide different compartment sizes for different products. A particularly advantageous use is for seeds, seedlings, and bulbs in single-serve bags, boxes, or cans, with or without accessories, brochures, leaflets, or books.

[0030] The invention was explained above using a specific exemplary embodiment. It is understood that the invention can be modified in many ways. For example, it is not necessary to attach feet to the bottom panel. It is also possible to use and attach feet made of other materials, in other shapes, and in a different number, for example by gluing or dowelling. The feet can also be molded onto the bottom panel. It is also possible to implement the invention with other panel shapes and display cross-sections, such as round, oval, polygonal, or the like. The materials in this case are wood, plastic, or cardboard. However, it is also possible to use other materials and adapt them to changing disposal and recycling practices at retail outlets.In addition to cardboard and wood, the use of laminates and light metals is also conceivable, although not yet practical because such materials are not usually used for transport packaging of products.

Claims

[1] Recyclable product display assembly (10, 12) comprising (a) a product display (12), and (b) a support (10) for rotatably mounting the product display, the support comprising an upper part (16) which is fixedly connected to the product display (12) and a lower part (14) which forms a base which stands fixedly on a floor or is connected to such a base, the support (10) being made of cardboard, wood or other material which can be recycled at the place of use together with other packaging or materials, characterized by , that (c) the upper (16) and lower parts (14) of the holder (10) have parallel, facing, flat surfaces (58, 60), (d) a flat intermediate plate (18; 70; 80) is rotatably supported between the surfaces (58, 60) of the upper and lower parts of the holder (10), and (e) the intermediate plate (18; 70; 80) forms a ball bearing which comprises at least three balls (48, 50, 52, 54; 63, 65, 67; 73, 75, 77), each of which is arranged in an associated through-bore (40, 42, 44, 46; 62, 64, 66; 72, 74, 76) in the intermediate plate (18; 70; 80), wherein the through-bores (40, 42, 44, 46; 62, 64, 66; 72, 74, 76) are arranged remote from the axis of rotation (56) to prevent tilting. [2] Product display arrangement according to claim 1, characterized by that the upper and lower parts (14, 16) of the holder (10) and the intermediate plate (18; 70; 80) are made of the same material. [3] Product display arrangement according to claim 1, characterized by that the upper and lower parts (14, 16) of the holder (10) are made of corrugated cardboard. [4] Product display arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the upper and lower parts (14, 16) of the holder (10) and the intermediate plate (18; 70; 80) are made of cardboard, wood, plastic or another material that can be recycled at the place of use together with other packaging or materials. [5] Product display arrangement (10, 12), characterized by that the intermediate plate (18; 70; 80) is smaller than the surfaces (58, 60) of the upper and lower parts of the holder (10). [6] Product display arrangement (10, 12) according to claim 5, characterized by that the bores (40, 42, 44, 46; 62, 64, 66; 72, 74, 76) in the intermediate plate (18; 70; 80) are arranged in the edge region of the intermediate plate. [7] Product display arrangement (10, 12) according to claim 6, characterized by that the surface (58) on the upper part (16) of the support (10) has an area between 0.01 m 2 up to 1 m 2 , preferably 0.05 m 2 up to 0.5 m 2 and most preferably 0.20 m 2 up to 0.30 m2 and the distance of the through holes (40, 42, 44, 46; 62, 64, 66; 72, 74, 76) from the axis of rotation is at least 8 cm, preferably at least 10 cm and most preferably 12 to 14 cm. [8] Product display arrangement (10, 12) according to claim 7, characterized by that the surface (58) on the upper part (16) of the holder (10) is rectangular. [9] Product display arrangement (10, 12) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the surfaces (58, 60) on the upper and lower parts of the holder (10) are formed by plates (14, 16) each having a bore (26, 30) and the plates (14, 16) are connected to the intermediate plate (18; 70; 80) in a manner which can rotate relative to one another by means of a screw (32), plug connection or rod guided through this bore (28; 68; 78). [10] Product display arrangement (10, 12) according to claim 9, characterized bythat the holder (19) is made of chipboard or plastic panels except for the balls (48, 50, 52, 54; 63, 65, 67; 73, 75, 77) and the screw (32) or the rod including the nut (38). [11] Product display arrangement (10, 12) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the balls (48, 50, 52, 54; 63, 65, 67; 73, 75, 77) are made of plastic or wood. [12] A holder for use in a product display arrangement (10, 12) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising an upper part which is rigidly connectable to a product display and a lower part which forms or is connectable to a base which stands rigidly on a floor, characterized by , that (c) the upper (16) and lower parts (14) of the holder (10) have parallel, facing, flat surfaces (58, 60), (d) a flat intermediate plate (18; 70; 80) is rotatably supported between the surfaces (58, 60) of the upper and lower parts of the holder (10), and (e) the intermediate plate (18; 70; 80) forms a ball bearing which comprises at least three balls (48, 50, 52, 54; 63, 65, 67; 73, 75, 77), each of which is arranged in an associated through-bore (40, 42, 44, 46; 62, 64, 66; 72, 74, 76) in the intermediate plate (18; 70; 80), wherein the through-bores (40, 42, 44, 46; 62, 64, 66; 72, 74, 76) are arranged remote from the axis of rotation (56) to prevent tilting.

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