Product display shelf and method for manufacturing product display shelf

Abstract

The present invention provides a product display shelf that allows products to slide easily on the display surface, and a method for manufacturing the product display shelf. [Solution] A product display shelf 1 is provided, in which a coating layer 13 is formed on a plate material 10, and the coating layer 13 serves as the product display surface 1a. The coating layer 13 is a cured layer of a silicone-containing polymer coating material, with a large amount of silicone arranged on the surface 13a side. As a result, the product display surface becomes smooth and the coefficient of friction decreases, allowing products on the product display surface to slide due to their own weight.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a product display shelf board constituting a product display shelf, and a method for manufacturing the product display shelf board. Background Art

[0002] Product display shelves for displaying products such as beverages and foods in supermarkets, convenience stores and the like are known.

[0003] Conventionally, for products displayed on the product display shelf board that constitutes a product display shelf, so-called forward arranging work is performed, in which the products are manually moved to the frontmost row of the shelf to make them more noticeable to consumers, but this forward arranging work requires a great deal of labor. Accordingly, there has been developed a product display shelf board that enables automatic forward arranging by inclining the front side of the product display shelf board downward and arranging a large number of rollers on the product placement surface, so that the products on the product display surface are moved to the frontmost row of the shelf using the rotation of the rollers. However, such a product display shelf board has a problem that the number of components increases to configure the large number of rollers arranged on the product placement surface, leading to higher manufacturing costs.

[0004] To solve such problems, the product display shelf board of Patent Document 1 has a coating film layer containing polyamide powder and a small amount of fluororesin powder on the product display surface, and minute uneven surfaces derived from the resin powder are formed on the coating film layer, whereby the contact area between the product display surface and the products is reduced to improve slipperiness, and the products on the product display surface can slide to the frontmost row of the shelf by their own weight, thus realizing automatic forward arranging of products at low cost. Prior Art Documents Patent Documents

[0005] Patent Document 1 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-307866 (Pages 3 to 8, Figures 1 to 2) Summary of Invention [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] However, in the product display shelf described in Patent Document 1, in order to allow products on the product display surface, which has a coating layer formed on it, to slide to the front of the shelf by their own weight, the inclination angle of the product display shelf needs to be set to about 8°. If the inclination angle is smaller than this, there is a problem in that it becomes difficult to automatically bring out products made of soft materials, such as PE bottles. Furthermore, in such product display shelves, the larger the inclination angle of the product display shelf, the greater the height of the fall prevention device erected at the front end of the product display shelf to prevent products from falling when they are automatically brought out. In addition, if the spacing between the upper and lower shelves is not increased, it becomes difficult to put products in and take them out, which reduces the amount of products that can be displayed. For these reasons, there is a need for a product display shelf that can automatically bring out products on the product display surface by sliding them by their own weight while ensuring a sufficient amount of products can be displayed.

[0007] This invention was made in view of these problems, and aims to provide a product display shelf that allows products to slide easily on the display surface, and a method for manufacturing a product display shelf. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the aforementioned problems, the product display shelf of the present invention is: A product display shelf board in which a coating layer is formed on a board material, and the coating layer is used as the product display surface, The aforementioned coating layer is characterized by being a cured layer of a silicone-containing polymer coating material in which a large amount of silicone is arranged on the surface side. According to this characteristic, the high concentration of silicone on the surface side of the coating layer makes the product display surface smoother and reduces the coefficient of friction, making it easier to slide products on the display surface. In addition, because the coating layer is a cured layer of silicone-containing polymer coating material, it also has excellent durability for repeated use.

[0009] The aforementioned plate material comprises a base material and a colored coating layer that covers the surface of the base material. The aforementioned coating layer is characterized by its transparency. According to this characteristic, the coating layer does not interfere with the color tone of the board material.

[0010] The aforementioned coating layer is characterized by having a thinner film thickness than the aforementioned protective film layer. According to this characteristic, the coating layer does not further interfere with the color tone of the board material.

[0011] The aforementioned product display surface is characterized by being installed at an angle. This feature allows products on the display surface to slide due to their own weight.

[0012] The present invention's method for manufacturing product display shelves is as follows: The process involves applying a coating material containing a silicone polymer to a plate while it is in a nearly horizontal position, A step of drying the coating material, The method is characterized by including a step of baking the aforementioned coating material. This feature allows for the uniform formation of a coating film layer, which is a hardened layer of the coating material, onto the plate material.

[0013] The viscosity of the aforementioned coating material is characterized by being 10-20 seconds according to the Ford Cup No. 4 standard. This characteristic allows for a lower viscosity of the coating material, reducing surface tension and enabling a thinner coating layer to create a smoother, more slippery surface.

[0014] The process of baking the coating material onto the plate material is characterized by performing the process while the plate material is in a nearly vertical position. This feature allows for improved productivity in product display shelving. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1]It is a perspective view showing a merchandise display shelf provided with a merchandise display shelf board according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a diagram showing a state in which merchandise on the merchandise display surface is automatically advanced forward by sliding under its own weight in the merchandise display shelf board of the embodiment. [Figure 3] It is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the merchandise display shelf board of the embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a merchandise display shelf board according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0016] Modes for carrying out the merchandise display shelf board and the method for manufacturing the merchandise display shelf board according to the present invention will be described below based on the embodiments. [Examples]

[0017] The merchandise display shelf board according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. Hereinafter, the lower right side of the paper surface of Figure 1 is defined as the front side (front side) of the merchandise display shelf board, and the description is made based on the up, down, left and right directions when viewed from the front side.

[0018] As shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2, the merchandise display shelf 100 of the present embodiment enables automatic forward advancement of merchandise P such as pet bottle beverages displayed on the merchandise display surface 1a of the merchandise display shelf board 1 by sliding the merchandise P to the frontmost row of the shelf under its own weight, in supermarkets, convenience stores and the like.

[0019] More specifically, as shown in Figure 1, the product display shelf 100 of this embodiment mainly consists of a pair of left and right support columns 2,2 extending in the vertical direction, a pair of upper and lower connecting rods 3,3 extending in the left and right directions and connecting the upper and lower ends of the support columns 2,2 respectively, a lattice-shaped back member 4 fitted into the space enclosed by the support columns 2,2 and the connecting rods 3,3, a pair of left and right legs 5,5 extending in the front and back directions and fixed to the lower ends of the support columns 2,2 respectively, and three upper and lower product display shelves 1,1,1 supported by a pair of left and right brackets 6,6 attached to the front of the support columns 2,2. Since the product display shelves 1,1,1 of this embodiment have the same configuration, the uppermost product display shelf 1 will be mainly described, and a detailed description of the other product display shelves 1,1 will be omitted. Furthermore, in the product display shelf 100, the product display shelves 1 are not limited to being installed in multiple tiers, but may be installed in only one tier. Furthermore, the product display shelf 1 may be fixed to a mounting body such as a support column 2 without using a bracket 6.

[0020] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the front surfaces of the support columns 2, 2 are provided with a plurality of locking holes 2a, 2a, ... in the vertical direction, and locking claws 6a, 6b, 6c provided at the rear ends of the brackets 6, 6 are locked into these locking holes 2a, 2a, ... respectively. Furthermore, the mounting angle of the brackets 6, 6 can be changed by changing the combination of locking points of the locking claws 6a, 6b, 6c to the locking holes 2a, 2a, ... of the support columns 2, 2. In this embodiment, the product display shelf 1 supported by the brackets 6, 6 is installed with its front side tilted downward so that the inclination angle of its upper surface, i.e., the product display surface 1a, is approximately 5°. The inclination angle of the product display surface 1a may be appropriately changed depending on the material of the displayed products, and is preferably 8° or less, more preferably 5° or less.

[0021] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the product display surface 1a of the product display shelf 1 is divided into left and right sections by a plurality of partition plates 7 extending in the front-to-back direction. In addition, a fall prevention device 8 is attached to the front end of the product display shelf 1 to prevent products P from falling.

[0022] Next, the structure of the product display shelf 1 in this embodiment will be explained in detail using Figure 3.

[0023] As shown in Figure 3, the product display shelf 1 is composed of a plate material 10 consisting of a base material 11 made of a metal such as steel and a colored coating layer 12 that covers the entire surface of the base material 11, and a transparent coating layer 13 formed only on the upper surface of the plate material 10. In other words, the product display surface 1a of the product display shelf 1 in this embodiment is composed of the surface 13a of the coating layer 13.

[0024] In this embodiment, the coating layer 12 is a cured layer of solvent-based paint (melamine resin or acrylic resin-based paint) that is baked onto the entire surface of the substrate 11, which is made of a metal such as steel, to prevent corrosion of the substrate 11, and the film thickness is formed to 20-30 μm.

[0025] Furthermore, the viscosity of the solvent paint used to form the coating layer 12 is approximately 20-40 seconds according to the Ford Cup No. 4 standard.

[0026] In this embodiment, the coating layer 13 is a cured layer of a silicone-containing polymer coating material with a large amount of silicone arranged on the surface 13a side, and its film thickness is approximately 10 μm. In other words, the coating layer 13 in this embodiment is thinner than the film layer 12.

[0027] In this embodiment, the cured layer is obtained by, for example, placing a plate material 10 on which a coating film has been formed with a silicone-containing polymer coating material into a drying oven and heating it to a high temperature of 100°C or higher, a process known as baking, which rapidly hardens and dries the coating film and causes a thermal polymerization reaction in the resin components contained in the coating film. Compared to a coating layer obtained by natural drying or low-temperature drying where a thermal polymerization reaction does not occur, the adhesion to the plate material 10 and hardness are improved.

[0028] Furthermore, the viscosity of the silicone-containing polymer coating material used to form the coating layer 13 is preferably about 10 to 20 seconds according to the Ford Cup No. 4 standard. In other words, the silicone-containing polymer coating material used to form the coating layer 13 has a lower viscosity than the solvent-based paint used to form the coating layer 12.

[0029] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the silicone-containing polymer contained in the silicone-containing polymer coating material is preferably a polymer containing acrylic resin and silicone resin. In particular, it is preferably a silicone-modified acrylic polymer, known as a polymer having an acrylic main chain and silicone side chains and possessing the characteristics of both acrylic resin and silicone resin, i.e., a graft copolymer of acrylic resin and silicone resin.

[0030] Furthermore, because acrylic resin has a transparent and clear finish, the coating layer 13 is laminated onto the surface of the plate material 10 covered with the coating layer 12, thereby giving the product display surface 1a a glossy appearance and improving its aesthetics. In addition, because acrylic resin has high processability, it is easy to form a nearly uniform coating even with a thin film thickness.

[0031] Furthermore, because silicone resin has high water and oil repellency, the surface 13a of the coating layer 13, i.e., the product display surface 1a, repels water and oil, thus providing an anti-fouling effect. In addition, silicone resin has excellent weather resistance, being resistant to ultraviolet rays, rain, wind, and temperature changes. For example, even when used indoors or outdoors exposed to direct sunlight, the coating layer 13 is less likely to deteriorate, extending its service life. Moreover, because silicone resin is highly flexible, the coating layer 13 can easily follow the expansion and contraction and vibration of the plate material 10, making it less prone to cracking and other damage.

[0032] Furthermore, because silicone resin reduces surface free energy, the acrylic resin naturally aligns with the plate material 10, and the silicone resin accumulates on the surface side. During the drying and curing process of the coating film formed by the coating material, the silicone resin accumulates on the surface side of the coating film, resulting in a large amount of silicone being arranged on the surface 13a side of the coating film layer 13.

[0033] Furthermore, even if the silicone-containing polymer coating material contains resins other than acrylic resin and silicone resin, the silicone resin undergoes phase separation from the other resins, resulting in a higher concentration of silicone on the surface 13a side of the coating layer 13.

[0034] Furthermore, due to the low viscosity of the silicone-containing polymer coating material, the surface tension is reduced, and the surface free energy of silicone is low. As a result, the leveling properties of the coating film formed by the coating material are improved, and the surface 13a of the coating layer 13 is almost free of irregularities, resulting in a very smooth surface. This reduces snagging and friction when the bottom surface of product P comes into contact with it. In addition, since the coating layer 13 is coated on the film layer 12 rather than the substrate 11, it is easy to obtain a highly smooth coating layer 13 with almost no irregularities on the surface 13a. Moreover, the low surface energy of the silicone, which is largely arranged on the surface 13a side of the coating layer 13, weakens the intermolecular attractive forces at the contact surface with product P. This reduces the coefficient of friction of the surface 13a of the coating layer 13, resulting in a slippery surface.

[0035] Furthermore, when the silicone-containing polymer coating material includes a silicone-modified acrylic polymer, the acrylic main chain of the silicone-modified acrylic polymer constituting the coating layer 13 undergoes the thermal polymerization reaction described above by baking, thereby improving its adhesion to the plate material 10 and its hardness. In addition, the silicone side chains coordinated to the surface 13a side of the coating layer 13 are less likely to break due to copolymerization with the acrylic main chain firmly adhered to the plate material 10. As a result, the coating layer 13 has a very smooth and slippery surface due to the silicone side chains, which improves repeated durability.

[0036] According to this, in this embodiment, the product display shelf 1 has a product display surface 1a made of the surface 13a of the coating layer 13. For example, as shown in Figure 2, when a product P displayed in the front row of the shelf is removed, multiple products P displayed behind it slide forward on the product display surface 1a due to their own weight (see arrow). As the products P slide out on the product display surface 1a, they are guided between the left and right partition plates 7, and their movement in the left and right direction is restricted. As a result, the products P move forward while remaining in a front-to-back arrangement, and the products P on the front side come into contact with the fall prevention device 8, preventing the products P from falling, and enabling automatic forwarding to the front row.

[0037] Next, the manufacturing method of the product display shelf 1 in this embodiment will be explained in detail with reference to Figure 4.

[0038] As shown in Figure 4, the manufacturing method of the product display shelf board 1 in this embodiment includes: a first coating step S1 in which a solvent paint is applied to the entire surface of the base material 11 with the base material 11 in a substantially vertical position; a first drying step S2 in which the coating film of the solvent paint formed on the entire surface of the base material 11 is dried; a first baking step S3 in which the dried coating film is baked; a second coating step S4 in which, with the plate material 10 having a coating layer 12 formed on the entire surface of the base material 11 by the first baking step S3 in a substantially horizontal position, a coating material containing a silicone polymer is spray-applied only to the upper surface of the plate material 10 (coating layer 12); a second drying step S5 in which the coating film of the coating material formed on the upper surface of the plate material 10 is dried while the plate material 10 is maintained in a substantially horizontal position; and a second baking step S6 in which the dried coating film is baked while the plate material 10 is in a substantially vertical position. In other words, the manufacturing method for the product display shelf board 1 is a two-coat, two-bake coating system in which, after applying, drying, and baking a solvent-based paint to the substrate 11 which is to be painted, a coating material is applied to the upper surface of the board material 10 on which the film layer 12 has been formed, followed by further application, drying, and baking of a coating material.

[0039] Furthermore, the viscosity of the solvent-based paint with surface protection function used in the first coating process S1 is approximately 20-40 seconds according to the Ford Cup No. 4 standard. Due to its high viscosity, it is possible to paint, dry, and bake the substrate 11 in a nearly vertical position, as is done in normal baking paint.

[0040] In contrast, the viscosity of the coating material containing a silicone-containing polymer used in the second coating step S4 is preferably 10 to 20 seconds on the Ford Cup No. 4 standard. Because of its low viscosity, the applied coating material will flow off if the plate material 10 is held in a nearly vertical position. However, because the coating material used in the second coating step S4 has low viscosity and reduced surface tension, spray application with the plate material 10 in a nearly horizontal position allows the coating material to spread easily on the surface of the plate material 10, making it possible to form a thin coating film on the upper surface of the plate material 10.

[0041] Furthermore, in the second drying step S5, the viscosity of the coating film can be improved by drying the coating film while the plate material 10 is kept in a nearly horizontal position and volatilizing the organic solvent that dissolved the coating material. Therefore, in the second baking step S6, the dried coating film can be efficiently baked with the plate material 10 in a nearly vertical position, thereby improving productivity.

[0042] The drying temperature and drying time in the second drying step S5 can be adjusted as appropriate depending on the film thickness, crosslinking state, etc., but for example, the drying temperature is preferably 10°C to 100°C, and the drying time is preferably 3 minutes to 72 hours. The baking temperature and baking time in the second baking step S6 can also be adjusted as appropriate depending on the film thickness, crosslinking state, etc., but for example, when forming a hardened layer of a coating material with a film thickness of about 10 μm in this embodiment, it is preferably 150°C for about 40 minutes. Alternatively, after the second coating step S4, the second drying step S5 may be omitted, and the second baking step S6 may be performed while the plate material 10 is maintained in a nearly horizontal position.

[0043] According to this, the manufacturing method of the product display shelf board 1 in this embodiment allows for the uniform formation of a coating film layer 13, which is a hardened layer of the coating material, on the board material 10. Furthermore, by making the coating film layer 13 thin, the surface 13a of the coating film layer 13 can be made a smoother, more slippery surface.

[0044] Next, product display shelf 1 was manufactured based on the manufacturing method for product display shelves, and sliding performance tests and durability performance tests were conducted. The products used in the tests included PET bottle products, PE bottle products, glass bottle products, pouch products, steel can products, aluminum can products, and paper carton products, which differed not only in material but also in content volume.

[0045] (Slip performance test) First, regarding the sliding performance test, after placing a new product P2 behind product P1, which was displayed in the front row of product display shelf 1 fixed at a predetermined angle, product P1 was removed from the front, and the angle of inclination was measured so that product P2 on the rear side slid completely forward within 1 second (excluding items that fell over). The results showed that product display shelf 1 could slide all products, even those made of different materials and with different contents, under their own weight, even on a gentle inclination of 5° or less during the initial sliding cycles of 10 times or less. Note that products P1 and P2 are the same product.

[0046] (Durability test) Next, regarding the durability performance test, a product display shelf 1 was installed on a seesaw-type angle-adjustable tilting device, and product P1 was slid a specified number of times at a sliding angle of approximately 10°. Then, similar to the sliding performance test described above, a new product P2 was placed behind product P1, and the product P1 in the front was removed. The tilt angle was measured so that the product P2 at the rear slid completely forward within 1 second (excluding those that fell over). As a result, it was confirmed that the product display shelf 1 had excellent durability for PET bottle products, PE bottle products, glass bottle products, and pouch products. Even after 10,000 slides, it was possible to slide products under their own weight at an inclination angle of 7° or less. In particular, for PE bottle products and glass bottle products, it was possible to slide products under their own weight at a gentle inclination angle of 4° or less, confirming its excellent repeated durability.

[0047] As explained above, in this embodiment, the product display shelf 1 has a cured layer of silicone-containing polymer coating material in which the coating layer 13 formed on the upper surface of the board material 10 has a large amount of silicone on the surface 13a side. Because a large amount of silicone is placed on the surface 13a side of the coating layer 13, the product display surface 1a becomes smooth and the coefficient of friction is reduced, making it easy to slide products on the product display surface 1a. In addition, because the coating layer 13 is a cured layer of silicone-containing polymer coating material, it also has excellent durability for repeated use.

[0048] Furthermore, the plate material 10 has a base material 11 and a colored coating layer 12 that covers the surface of the base material 11, and since the coating layer 13 is transparent, the coating layer 13 does not interfere with the color tone of the plate material 10.

[0049] Furthermore, because the coating layer 13 is thinner than the protective film layer 12, the coating layer 13 does not further interfere with the color tone of the board material 10.

[0050] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configurations are not limited to these embodiments, and additions and modifications that do not depart from the spirit of the present invention are also included.

[0051] For example, in the above embodiment, the product display shelf 1 was described as being installed with its front side tilted downward, so that the product display surface 1a is inclined. However, the product display shelf is not limited to this configuration, and may be installed so that the product display surface is approximately horizontal. In this case, it is easier to manually slide and move the products displayed on the product display surface.

[0052] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the silicone-containing coating material forming the coating film layer 13 was described as preferably a coating material containing acrylic resin and silicone resin. However, it is not limited to this, and the silicone-containing coating material may be, for example, a mixture of silicone resin and other resins, as long as it can form a cured layer with a large amount of silicone on the surface side of the coating film layer.

[0053] Furthermore, although the above embodiment described the product display shelf 1 as having a coating layer 13 directly formed on the upper surface of the board material 10, it is not limited to this, and a coating layer may be formed on the upper surface of a separate board material that is placed on top of the shelf of an existing product display shelf. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0054] 1 Product display shelf 1a Product display surface 2 pillars 3 connecting rod 4. Rear panel 5 legs 6 brackets 7 Partition Plates 8. Fall prevention device 9 Price Rail 10 Board material 11 Base material 12 Coating layer 13. Coating layer 13a surface 100 product display shelves P product

Claims

1. A product display shelf board in which a coating layer is formed on a board material, and the coating layer is used as the product display surface, The product display shelf is characterized in that the coating layer is a cured layer of a silicone-containing polymer coating material in which a large amount of silicone is arranged on the surface side.

2. The aforementioned plate material comprises a base material and a colored coating layer that covers the surface of the base material. The product display shelf according to claim 1, characterized in that the coating layer is transparent.

3. The product display shelf according to claim 2, characterized in that the coating layer is thinner than the film layer.

4. The product display shelf according to claim 1, characterized in that the product display surface is installed at an angle.

5. The process involves applying a coating material containing a silicone polymer to a plate while it is in a nearly horizontal position, A step of drying the coating material, A method for manufacturing product display shelves, characterized by including a step of baking the aforementioned coating material.

6. The method for manufacturing product display shelves according to claim 5, characterized in that the viscosity of the coating material is 10 to 20 seconds according to the Ford Cup No. 4 standard.

7. The method for manufacturing a product display shelf according to claim 5, characterized in that the step of baking the coating material is performed with the plate material in a substantially vertical position.

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