Fall prevention device for inclined shelves

Abstract

To provide a fall prevention tool of an inclined shelf capable of effectively preventing an item from falling without increasing a height unnecessarily.SOLUTION: A fall prevention tool 10 is provided in a front end portion of an inclined shelf 8 configured such that a placed item P automatically slides forward by its own weight. The fall prevention tool 10 has an upper end located in further rear portion from a base portion 10a erected from a shelf plate surface 8a, with respect to the shelf plate surface 8a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fall prevention device that is attached to the front end of an inclined shelf that allows placed products to automatically slide forward due to their own weight. [Background technology]

[0002] In the past, horizontal display shelves used in supermarkets, convenience stores, etc., required manual replenishment when products on the shelves were sold out or in low supply, ensuring that products were always displayed in the front row, which required a great deal of time and effort. To solve this problem, in recent years, inclined shelves have been used, in which products placed on the shelves automatically slide to the front row under their own weight. When using such inclined shelves, it is necessary to provide a fall prevention device (a fall prevention plate in Patent Document 1) at the front end of the shelf board to prevent products from falling, as described in Patent Document 1, for example. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2008-307866 A (page 6, Figure 2) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The fall prevention device described in Patent Document 1 is attached to the front end of the inclined shelf at a right angle to the shelf surface. Therefore, when products slide out from the rear of the inclined shelf and are displayed, the products may fall forward if they come into contact with the fall prevention device. In particular, when products with narrow, tapered middle sections, such as plastic bottles, slide out from the rear of the inclined shelf and are displayed, the bottom end, which is lower than the center of gravity, first comes into contact with the fall prevention device. This creates a large forward rotational moment around the bottom end, making the product more likely to climb over the fall prevention device and fall forward. To prevent this, the fall prevention device can be made taller, but if it is made taller than necessary, it not only impairs product visibility but also makes it difficult to remove products from the front.

[0005] The present invention has been made in light of such problems, and aims to provide a fall prevention device for an inclined shelf that can effectively prevent products from falling without making the height higher than necessary. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, the fall prevention device for an inclined shelf of the present invention comprises: A fall prevention device that is installed at the front end of an inclined shelf that allows placed products to automatically slide forward due to their own weight, The fall prevention device is From the shelf surface of the inclined shelf At right angles Standing base and a sloped portion that slopes rearward continuously from the base portion upward, The inclined portion is formed above the center of the fall prevention device in the vertical direction, and the upper end of the inclined portion extends diagonally forward and upward and is bent in an arc shape. It is characterized by the fact that According to this feature, when a product slides out from the rear of the inclined shelf, it always comes into contact with the upper end located at the rear, which is always at a high position, first, so the forward rotation moment acting on the product is small, and the product can be effectively prevented from falling. In addition, the height of the fall prevention device does not need to be higher than necessary, and can be lowered, which improves the visibility of the product and makes it easier to take out the product.

[0007] The base is perpendicular to the shelf surface, and above the base there is a continuous inclined portion that slopes rearward. According to this feature, the upper part of the inclined shelf is inclined backward, so that the visibility of the products from the front is good.

[0008] The inclined portion is characterized in that it is formed above the center of the fall prevention device in the vertical direction. This feature makes it difficult for the bottom end of the product to come into contact with the base of the fall prevention device, thereby increasing the fall prevention effect. Also, even if the base of the fall prevention device is perpendicular to the shelf surface, the top end can be positioned further back than the base.

[0009] The upper end of the inclined portion is characterized by extending upward or obliquely forward and upward. According to this feature, when a product comes into contact with the upper end of the inclined portion, the product is less likely to be damaged. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a product display shelf equipped with a fall prevention device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is an enlarged side view of the inclined shelf in a state where the slid-out product abuts against the fall prevention device. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is an enlarged side view of the inclined shelf when the front row of products is removed. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is an enlarged side view illustrating the effect of preventing the product from falling. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is an enlarged side view of a main part of an inclined shelf according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an enlarged side view of a main part of an inclined shelf according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is an enlarged side view of a main part of an inclined shelf according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an enlarged side view of a main part of an inclined shelf according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A fall prevention device for an inclined shelf according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the following examples. [Example]

[0012] A fall prevention device according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. Figure 1 shows a product display shelf 1 used in supermarkets, convenience stores, etc. This product display shelf 1 includes a pair of left and right support posts 2, 2, horizontal connecting rods 3, 3 connecting the opposing surfaces of the upper and lower ends of the support posts 2, 2, a lattice-shaped back member 4 fitted into the space surrounded by the support posts 2, 2 and the upper and lower horizontal connecting rods 3, 3, and a pair of left and right leg rods 5, 5 facing in the front-to-rear direction and having the lower ends of the left and right support posts 2, 2 fixed to the upper surfaces of the rear end.

[0013] Locking claws 7a at the rear ends of a plurality of upper and lower brackets 7, 7, each consisting of a pair of left and right brackets, are locked into a plurality of locking holes 6 arranged in a row on the front surfaces of the left and right support columns 2, 2 so that the brackets 7 are tilted downward and forward. The lower surfaces of both side ends of an inclined shelf 8, which is inclined downward and forward, are fixed to each of the upper and lower left and right pairs of brackets 7, 7. The shelf surface (top surface) 8a of each inclined shelf 8 is divided into multiple left and right rows by a plurality of partition plates 9 facing in the front-to-back direction, and a plurality of products P, such as plastic bottles, are displayed lined up in the front-to-back direction on the top surface of each row.

[0014] A slippery sheet or slippery coating made of, for example, fluororesin or the like with a low coefficient of friction is applied to the shelf surface of the inclined shelf 8 by means of adhesion or coating, so that the placed product P automatically slides forward under its own weight. Note that instead of using such a slippery sheet or slippery coating, it is also possible to arrange a number of rollers facing left and right in the front-to-back direction to slide the product P. In this way, by automatically sliding the product P forward under its own weight, as shown in Figure 3, when a customer takes out the front product P, the rear products P automatically slide forward and come into contact with fall prevention devices 10, which will be described later, and stop.

[0015] As shown in the enlarged side view of Figure 2, a fall prevention device 10 for preventing products P from falling is attached to the front end of each tier of inclined shelf 8. The fall prevention device 10 is made of a transparent resin. The lower end of the fall prevention device 10 is fitted and held between a display board 11 for displaying the product name, price, etc., fixed to the underside of the front end of the inclined shelf 8 and the front end face of the inclined shelf 8. The fall prevention device 10 may be fixed to any material, and may be opaque.

[0016] In the fall prevention device 10, the base 10a that rises from the shelf surface of the inclined shelf 8 is perpendicular to the shelf surface, and the inclined portion 10b that is continuous with the base 10a is bent backward in a dogleg shape. As a result, the upper end of the inclined portion 10b is located further rearward than the lower end of the base 10a that rises from the shelf surface, relative to the shelf surface of the inclined shelf 8. The inclined portion 10b is formed above the center in the vertical direction of the part that rises from the shelf surface. The inclination angle of the inclined portion 10b with respect to the shelf surface is preferably in the range of, for example, 45 to 80 degrees so as not to scratch the product P. Furthermore, the inclined portion 10b is preferably inclined so that its upper end is located rearward relative to the vertical plane.

[0017] In this way, by using the fall prevention device 10 in which the inclined portion 10b is bent backward, it is possible to prevent the product P from falling. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, when a product P is slid from the rear of the inclined shelf 8 to be displayed in order to replenish sold-out products P, the product P first abuts against the upper end of the inclined portion 10b of the fall prevention device 10 at a high position close to the center of gravity, so the forward (i.e., counterclockwise) rotational moment acting on the product P is reduced. As a result, it is possible to effectively prevent the product P from falling. In other words, regardless of the shape of the product P, the product P always first abuts against the upper end of the inclined portion 10b, which is the uppermost end of the fall prevention device 10, so the forward rotational moment acting on the product P can be stably reduced.

[0018] Furthermore, since the fall prevention device 10 is made of resin, it has flexibility and can bend due to the impact when the product comes into contact with the fall prevention device 10, thereby cushioning the impact and making it difficult for the product P to tip forward. In addition, since the inclined portion 10b is bent rearward from the base portion 10a, even when it is bent due to an impact, the upper end of the inclined portion 10b does not protrude forward beyond the upper end of the base portion 10a in its natural state, making it difficult for the fall prevention device 10 to tilt forward.

[0019] Another fall prevention effect can be explained with reference to Figure 4. When product P comes into contact with the upper end of inclined portion 10b of fall prevention device 10 and stops, the rotational moment acting on product P is distributed to the upper and lower parts with contact line (L) as the reference point. That is, the rotational moment is distributed into a downward rotational moment (M1) formed by the product (A x a) of the upper mass (A) of product P and the distance (a) from its center of gravity (G1) to the contact line (L), and an upward rotational moment (M2) formed by the product (B x b) of the lower mass (B) of product P and the distance (b) from its center of gravity (G2) to the contact line (L). Therefore, even if the center of gravity (G) of product P is above the upper end of fall prevention device 10, the downward rotational moment (M1) that causes product P to tip forward is slightly canceled out by the upward rotational moment (M2) and becomes smaller, making it less likely for product P to climb over fall prevention device 10.

[0020] In the fall prevention device 10 according to the first embodiment, the inclined portion 10b is formed above the center in the vertical direction, and therefore, even in the case of a product P such as a plastic bottle with a narrow, tapered middle portion, the lower end is less likely to come into contact with the base portion 10a, and the narrowed middle portion comes into contact with the upper end of the inclined portion 10b first, thereby effectively preventing the product P from falling. Furthermore, when the inclined portion 10b is formed above the center in the vertical direction, the upper end can be positioned further back than the lower end, even if the base portion 10a is perpendicular to the shelf surface.

[0021] Furthermore, since the inclined portion 10b of the fall prevention device 10 is bent backward, the visibility of the product P from the front is good. Also, since the fall prevention device 10 is see-through, the visibility of the product P is good. Moreover, since the fall prevention device 10 can prevent the product P from falling, there is no need to make the height of the fall prevention device 10 higher than necessary, and it can even be made lower, which further improves the visibility of the product P and makes it easier to take out the product P from the front. In addition, it becomes easy to take out the product P from the front. [Example]

[0022] A fall prevention device according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Note that the same components as those in the first embodiment will be given the same reference numerals and redundant description will be omitted.

[0023] The fall prevention device 10 of Example 2 has the upper end of the inclined portion 10b bent upward so as to form a right angle with the shelf surface. In this way, the tip of the inclined portion 10b comes into surface contact with the product P, making it less likely for the product P to be scratched. [Example]

[0024] 6 shows a fall prevention device 10 according to a third embodiment, in which the upper end of the inclined portion 10b is bent in an arc shape diagonally upward and forward in this fall prevention device 10. In this way, unlike in the first embodiment, the corners at the upper end of the inclined portion 10b do not come into contact with the product P, so that the product P is less likely to be damaged. [Example]

[0025] 7 shows a fall prevention device 10 according to a fourth embodiment, in which the portion of the fall prevention device 10 that rises from the shelf surface is bent in an arc shape toward the front, upper, and rear. In this way, the lower portion of the product P is spaced far away from the fall prevention device 10, so even products with a large narrowing in the middle can be prevented from falling. [Example]

[0026] 8 shows a fall prevention device 10 according to a fifth embodiment, in which a synthetic resin abutment member 12, the upper end of which curves backward, is detachably fitted to the upper end of the device body, which is erected at a right angle to the shelf surface. Even a fall prevention device 10 fitted with such a abutment member 12 can reliably prevent products P from falling. Furthermore, detachably attaching a separate abutment member 12 has the advantage that only the abutment member 12 can be replaced to accommodate products P with different vertical dimensions or shapes.

[0027] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and additions and modifications within the scope of the present invention are also included in the present invention.

[0028] For example, in the above embodiment, the fall prevention device 10 is attached by being pressed between the display panel 11 and the front end surface of the inclined shelf 8, but it is also possible to provide a slit-shaped fitting groove that opens upward at the front end of the inclined shelf 8 and fit the lower end of the fall prevention device 10 into this fitting groove from above to attach it, or the lower end, which is bent forward into an L-shape, can be directly fixed to the shelf surface at the front end of the inclined shelf 8 with a screw or the like.

[0029] The fall prevention device 10 of the present invention is not limited to the shapes of the above-described embodiments, as long as the upper end is positioned further rearward than the lower end relative to the shelf surface. It goes without saying that the fall prevention device 10 of the present invention can be applied to prevent the fall of any product that can be displayed on the inclined shelf 8, in addition to the above-described product P such as PET bottles. [Explanation of symbols]

[0030] 1 Product display shelf 2 pillars 3 horizontal connecting rod 4 Back member 5 leg rod 6 Locking hole 7 Bracket 7a Locking claw 8 Inclined Shelves 9 Partition 10 Fall prevention equipment 10a base 10b Slope 11 Display board 12 Contact member P product

Claims

[Claim 1] A fall prevention device that is installed at the front end of an inclined shelf that allows placed products to automatically slide forward due to their own weight, The fall prevention device has a base portion that stands at a right angle from the shelf surface of the inclined shelf, and an inclined portion that is continuous and inclined rearward above the base portion, A fall prevention device for an inclined shelf, characterized in that the inclined portion is formed above the center of the fall prevention device in the vertical direction, and the upper end of the inclined portion extends diagonally forward and upward and is bent in an arc shape.

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