Shelf for storing and displaying products

Abstract

A product shelf for storing and presenting products is presented, comprising a shelf frame made from a flat surface cut, formed from a rear wall, two side walls, and a front wall, defining a rectangular interior space in plan view, in which a plurality of shelves are arranged one above the other as a storage area for the products, wherein the two side walls of the shelf frame each have a centrally arranged vertical fold line, so that the shelf frame can be transformed from a flat-folded transport state into a reversible spatial assembly state having a rectangular floor plan, wherein each shelf (7) has a fold line (15) running centrally in the shelf (7) and connecting the fold lines (8, 9) in the two side walls (3, 4), is connected to the front wall (4) and the rear wall (2) by adhesive tabs (11, 12), and at least a partial area of the edge area of each shelf (7),which is adjacent to the respective side wall (3, 4), is connected to this side wall (3, 4) by means of an adhesive flap (13, 14) in each case, wherein from the centrally running fold line (15) of the shelf (7) several folding lines (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21) extend into the corner regions of the shelf (7) and are arranged symmetrically to the centrally running fold line (15), so that the shelves (7) are arranged folded (1) between the front wall (4) and the rear wall (2) of the shelf frame when the shelf frame (1) is folded flat during transport.

Description

Technical environment

[0001] The invention relates to a goods shelf for the storage and presentation of products, comprising a shelf frame made from a flat surface cut and formed from a rear wall, two side walls and a front wall, defining an interior space which is rectangular in plan view, in which a plurality of shelves are arranged one above the other as a storage area for the products, wherein the two side walls of the shelf frame each have a centrally arranged vertical fold line, so that the shelf frame can be transformed from a flat-folded transport state into a reversible spatial assembly state having a rectangular plan view. State of the art

[0002] Shelves of the type described above are primarily used in retail outlets such as department stores, supermarkets or hardware stores.

[0003] When using such shelves, they can be installed instead of permanently installed shelves in particularly interesting places in the sales area, where they are particularly well positioned in the field of vision of customers moving around the sales area.

[0004] For such use, these shelves must be sufficiently stable to be able to be used freely without a shelf connection.

[0005] Furthermore, the shelving units must be designed to be easily transportable, not only within the company. Furthermore, the shelving units should be easy for the user to set up, dismantle, and store without major problems. Since untrained employees are often entrusted with stocking such shelving units, they often lack the expertise to assemble shelving units, even if they are delivered in individual parts, in an acceptable manner within a reasonable timeframe.

[0006] With regard to the generic product rack described in the "Technical Environment" section, a product stand for storing and displaying objects is known from DE 10 2006 043 829 A1, for example. The product stand comprises a stand structure and several compartments arranged one above the other. The product stand is folded from a single-piece blank. If the product stand, constructed from this blank by folding and forming adhesive joints, is to be transported, it takes up considerable space and cannot be folded due to the adhesive joints.

[0007] Space-saving transport is also not possible for a folding shelf according to US 2008 / 0265726 A1, whereby the assembly of the folding shelf is further complicated by the fact that the folding shelf has to be assembled from several individual parts.

[0008] A foldable shelf with the technical features listed in the generic part of the main claim is known from DE 10 2017 107 660.3, owned by the applicant. The shelf disclosed therein already offers the possibility of converting the shelf from a flat transport form into a three-dimensional presentation form by simply unfolding it. The subject matter protected by the aforementioned patent specification has thus, in principle, proven itself in practice. A disadvantage of the protected implementation, however, is that the durable shelf disclosed therein has a hexagonal layout both in the folded and assembled state.If the shelves disclosed in the above-mentioned patent specification are placed next to each other in the sales room, the hexagonal floor plan structure does not allow for a continuous presentation of goods, since a part of the side surfaces belonging to the shelf always remains visible between the individual shelves. Object of the invention

[0009] Based on the goods racks known from the prior art in the sense of the above-mentioned embodiment, the object of the invention is therefore to provide a goods rack that is space-saving, transportable, and can be prepared in a very short time without prior knowledge so that the goods intended for display can be stored and offered therein. Furthermore, a goods rack is to be created that is suitable for displaying goods within its entire base area, has a conventional rectangular or square floor plan, and with regard to the storage of goods on the individual shelves also meets increased requirements for load and stability, and that can be returned to its flat position in just a few simple steps. Solution to the task

[0010] According to the invention, the stated object is achieved by the technical features mentioned in claim 1.

[0011] Essential to the invention for solving the problem is that each shelf has a crease line running centrally in the shelf, connecting the crease lines in the two side walls, is connected to the front wall and the rear wall by adhesive tabs and at least a partial area of the edge area of each shelf that is adjacent to the respective side wall is connected to this side wall by an adhesive tab, wherein from the central crease line of the shelf several fold lines extend into the corner areas of the shelf and are arranged symmetrically to the central crease line, so that the shelves are arranged folded in between the front wall and the rear wall of the shelf frame when the shelf frame is folded flat during transport.

[0012] The inventive design of the shelves and their attachment to the inside of the shelf frame makes it possible for the first time to firmly connect the shelf frame, which can be folded into an X-shaped floor plan to save space, to a plurality of shelves in order to ensure sufficient stability and load-bearing capacity of the shelves in the unfolded assembly state and, at the same time, to bring the inventive overall design of the goods shelf into a space-saving transport state and from this back into the aforementioned spatial assembly state without any further assembly effort.

[0013] The production of the inventive shelf unit is simple and cost-effective thanks to the ring-bonded radial structure of the shelf frame and the shelves, which consist of a flat blank and are attached to the inside of the shelf frame using standard adhesive tabs. Preparing the shelves for folding can also be carried out quickly and cost-effectively using standard processing machines for corrugated cardboard.

[0014] Overall, the subject matter of the invention further develops a goods shelf of the generic type in such a way that the finished product can be transported in a minimal packing size.

[0015] Particular embodiments of the subject matter of the invention result, in conjunction with the technical teaching of claim 1, from the features of the subclaims which refer back to the main claim.

[0016] It has proven particularly useful to arrange the folding lines required for folding the shelf in such a way that at each of the four corners of the shelf there are three folding lines spaced from each other from the centrally located crease line in the shelf, whereby the size of the angle between the respective folding line and the centrally arranged crease line decreases the further the folding line is away from the side wall of the shelf frame.

[0017] To further facilitate folding the respective shelf, it may also be advantageous for the shelf to have a recess in the area of the intersection line between the centrally located crease line and the two fold lines furthest from the corner areas of the shelf belonging to a side wall. The recess is advantageously provided with a semicircular outline, with the rounded outer contours of the recesses pointing towards the center of the shelf.

[0018] In practice, it has proven to be expedient to arrange the section of the shelf which is connected to the left and right side walls by an adhesive tab in such a way that it extends over the front side area of the shelf facing the front wall up to the centrally arranged fold line or alternatively over the rear side area of the shelf facing the rear wall up to the centrally arranged line.

[0019] Both the shelf frame and the shelves can be manufactured cost-effectively from corrugated cardboard material, whereby this material ensures a sufficient number of folds into the transport state and the assembly state and back and thus a sufficient service life of the goods shelf according to the invention. Character description

[0020] An embodiment of the subject matter of the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It shows: Figure 1 shows a top view of a goods rack according to the invention in the assembled state, Figure 2 shows the goods rack according to the invention with two shelves in the folded state, Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the goods rack according to the invention from Figure 2 with two shelves during a first phase of the folding process from the transport state to the assembly state, Figure 4 the goods shelf from Figure 2in the assembled state without built-in additional shelves and Figure 5 the goods shelf made of Figure 2 with additional floors already installed.

[0021] The Figure 1 The illustrated shelf according to the invention for storing and presenting products has a shelf frame 1, which consists of a rear wall 2, a right-hand side wall 3 (as seen from the front of the shelf), a left-hand side wall 4, and a front wall 5. The components of the shelf frame are made of a flat, flat piece of corrugated cardboard, although other materials, such as plastic, are also conceivable for its construction.

[0022] On the front wall 5, the shelf frame has one or more recesses 10, which are rectangular in the illustrated embodiment and extend around the corner areas between the front wall 5 and the right side wall 3 and the left side wall 4 into the corresponding wall areas. The recess 10 allows access to one or more shelves 7, which are located in the interior 6 of the shelf frame 1, when this shelf frame 1 is moved from its flat transport state with a substantially X-shaped floor plan, in which the side walls 3 and 4 are folded along two vertical fold lines arranged centrally in the side walls 3 and 4, so that the outer surfaces of the respective side wall halves come into contact with one another. The X-shaped transport state of the shelf frame of the goods shelf is sufficiently known from the prior art.

[0023] The innovative design of the shelf results from the fact that the Figure 1 The shelf 7 shown is constructed in such a way that, in the finished state of the goods shelf, it is fixed to the inner wall of the front wall 5 and the rear wall 2 by means of downwardly bent adhesive tabs 11 (front) and 12 (rear) arranged on the front side and rear of the shelf 7.

[0024] In addition, at least a partial area of the shelf 7, which faces the left side wall 4 and the right side wall 3, is firmly connected to the right side wall 3 and the left side wall 4 by means of corresponding adhesive tabs 13 and 14, respectively.

[0025] In practice, it has proven advantageous to connect either the front side section of shelf 7 from the front corner to the center or the rear section of shelf 7 from the rear corner to the center to the inner wall of the shelf frame. Overall, the firm bonding of shelf 7 to the shelf frame 1 creates an extremely stable overall structure.

[0026] The special design of the shelf 7, which allows the shelf according to the invention to be folded despite being attached to the shelf frame 1, is shown in the Figures 1 to 5 made clear.

[0027] According to the invention, a continuous fold line 15 and a plurality of fold lines 16 to 21 in a special arrangement are located parallel to the rear wall 2 and front wall 5 in the middle of the shelf 7.

[0028] The fold lines mentioned run, as the Figure 1As can be seen, they extend diagonally from the corner areas of the shelf 7 to the centrally located crease line 15. They each form an acute angle to the crease line 15, with the angle between the crease line 15 and the fold line 18 closest to the side wall 3 or the fold line 21 directly adjacent to the side wall 4 being the largest in each case, and the respective angle between the fold lines 16 and 17 further away from the right-hand side wall 3 decreasing in size. The same applies to the fold lines 19 and 20 on the opposite side of the shelf 7.

[0029] The fold line in 19 and 16, respectively, ends in their intersection line with the central crease line 15 in a recess 22 and 23 respectively. The recesses 22 and 23 have a semicircular outline, with the curved outer contours of the recesses 22 and 23 pointing towards the center of the shelf 7.

[0030] In the Figure 1It can also be seen that parallel to the centrally arranged crease line 15 in the shelf 7, between the spaced-apart recesses 22 and 23, a crease line 26 and 27 is arranged on each side of the centrally arranged click lines 15.

[0031] In the Figures 2 to 5 The process of unfolding the goods shelf according to the invention from its transport state to its assembly state is illustrated in several steps. It can be clearly seen that, due to the special design of the shelf 7, it gradually deforms from an upwardly directed folding shape to a flat, horizontal shape during the transformation of the shelf frame 1 from its X-shaped layout to a rectangular structure.

[0032] Is the shelf like in the Figure 4shown completely unfolded, ie the rectangular outline of the shelf frame 7 is produced, then according to a further development of the subject matter of the invention an additional floor 24 can be inserted onto the respective shelves 7 (in the present embodiment two), as shown in the Figure 4 is indicated. The respective additional shelf 24 is tray-shaped and has a circumferential raised edge region 25. The additional shelf 24 serves to further increase the load-bearing capacity of the respective shelf 7 and, at the same time, to conceal the recesses 22 and 23 located in the respective shelf 7, as well as the corresponding fold lines 16 to 21 and the crease line 15.

[0033] If appropriate additional shelves 24 are used, they must of course be removed before folding the shelf unit back together. No further preparation steps are necessary for transferring the shelf unit into transport mode. List of reference symbols:

[0034] 1Shelf frame 2Rear wall 3Side wall (right) 4Side wall (left) 5Front wall 6Interior 7Shelf 8Fold line (side wall right) 9Fold line (side wall left) 10Recess 11Adhesive flap (front) 12Adhesive flap (back) 13Adhesive flap (right) 14Adhesive flap (left) 15Fold line 16Fold line 17Fold line 18Fold line 19Fold line 20Fold line 21Fold line 22Recess 23Recess 24Additional shelf 25Edge area 26Fold line 27Fold line

Claims

1. A shelf for storing and presenting products, comprising a shelf frame made from a flat, cut-out surface, formed from a rear wall, two side walls and a front wall, defining a rectangular interior space in plan, in which a plurality of shelves are arranged one above the other as a storage area for the products, wherein the two side walls of the shelf frame each have a centrally arranged vertical fold line, so that the shelf frame can be transformed from a flat-folded transport state into a reversible spatial assembly state having a rectangular floor plan, characterized in thateach shelf (7) has a folding line (15) running centrally in the shelf (7) and connecting the folding lines (8, 9) in the two side walls (3, 4), is connected to the front wall (4) and the rear wall (2) by adhesive flaps (11, 12), and at least a partial area of the edge area of each shelf (7) that is adjacent to the respective side wall (3, 4) is connected to this side wall (3, 4) by an adhesive flap (13, 14), wherein from the central folding line (15) of the shelf (7) several folding lines (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21) extend into the corner areas of the shelf (7) and are arranged symmetrically to the central folding line (15), so that the shelves (7) in the flat-folded transport state of the shelf frame (1) between the front wall (4) and the rear wall (2) of the shelf frame are arranged folded (1).

2. Goods shelf according to claim 1, characterized in thateach shelf (7) is assigned a recess (10) in the front wall (4) of the goods rack above the respective shelf (7).

3. Goods shelf according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that to each of the four corners of the shelf (7) there are three fold lines (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21) spaced from one another starting from the centrally running fold line (15) in the shelf (7), wherein the size of the angle between the respective fold line (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21) and the fold line (15) decreases the further the fold line (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21) is away from the side wall (3, 4) of the shelf frame (1).

4. Goods shelf according to one or more of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the shelf frame (1) and the shelves (7) are made of corrugated cardboard.

5. Goods shelf according to one or more of claims 1 to 4, characterized in thatthe shelf (7) has a recess (22, 23) in the area of the intersection line between the centrally arranged fold line (15) and the two fold lines (16, 19) furthest from the corner areas of the shelf belonging to a side wall.

6. Goods shelf according to claim 5, characterized in that parallel to the centrally arranged crease line (15) in the compartment base (7) between the spaced-apart recesses (22, 23) there is a crease line (26, 27) on each side of the centrally arranged crease line (15).

7. Goods shelf according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the recesses (22, 23) in the shelf (7) have a semicircular outline, wherein the curved outer contours of the recesses (22, 23) point towards the centre of the shelf (7).

8. Goods shelf according to one or more of claims 1 to 7, characterized in thatthe partial area of the shelf (7) which is connected to the left and right side walls (3, 4) by an adhesive flap (13, 14) extends over the front side area of the shelf (7) directed towards the front wall (4) up to the centrally arranged fold line (15).

9. Goods shelf according to one or more of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the partial area of the shelf (7) which is connected to the left and right side walls (3, 4) by an adhesive flap (13, 14) extends over the rear side area of the shelf (7) directed towards the rear wall (2) up to the centrally arranged fold line (15).

10. Goods shelf according to one or more of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that on each of the shelves (7) there is placed an additional shelf the size of which corresponds to the floor plan of the shelf (7).

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