Sliding shelf device

Abstract

To provide a slide type shelf device excellent in operability of a release operation of a lock mechanism of a shelf board.SOLUTION: A lock mechanism 55 of a slide type shelf device 1 comprises a lock member 56 provided operably on the forward end part of a shelf board 50, and a part 52a to be engaged on the bracket 52 side with which an engaging part 56e of the lock member 56 is engaged. The lock member 56 is extended over a lateral width of the shelf board 50, in front of a slide rail 9.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sliding shelf device equipped with slide rails that allow shelves on which products are displayed to move in the forward and backward directions. [Background technology]

[0002] Shelving units for displaying products are used in supermarkets, convenience stores, etc. When stocking products, old products are moved to the front of the shelf body and new products are replenished at the rear of the shelf body, a so-called first-in, first-out system. To facilitate this first-in, first-out system, sliding shelving units equipped with shelves that are supported so as to be able to slide back and forth have been used (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The sliding shelving device in Patent Document 1 is a sliding shelving device that includes a support post with a locking hole on the front surface, a pair of left and right brackets with hooks that can be locked into the locking holes of the support post, and a shelf board that is supported on the brackets via slide rails so that it can slide back and forth.Such sliding shelving devices are typically equipped with a locking mechanism that prevents relative movement between the shelf board and the brackets when in a stored state. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-245222 A (page 4, Figure 2) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The locking mechanism of the sliding shelving device in Patent Document 1 is configured to engage a claw portion of a latch device provided on the underside of a shelf with an engagement portion formed on the front end of a base spanning between brackets. The latch device maintains the engagement between the claw portion and the engagement portion by using a spring to bias the latch device. The engagement between the claw portion and the engagement portion can be released by rotating an operating portion upward against the spring bias with a finger inserted under the shelf. In actual operation, the user places their thumb on the top of the shelf, inserts their index finger under the shelf, hooks the engagement portion, and pinches it between their thumb and index finger to release the engagement. This allows the shelf to be pulled forward while still disengaged, providing excellent operability. However, because the operating portion of this locking mechanism is located in the center of the shelf and is only wide enough to hook an index finger, it can be difficult for store clerks unfamiliar with the sliding shelving device to find the operating portion on the underside of the shelf, which is difficult to see, potentially reducing work efficiency.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has as its object to provide a sliding shelf device that is easy to operate when releasing the locking mechanism of the shelf boards. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the sliding shelf device of the present invention is A sliding shelf device comprising: a base member having a locking hole on the front surface; a pair of left and right brackets having hooks that can be locked in the locking holes; a shelf board supported on the brackets via slide rails so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction; and a locking mechanism that restricts the forward movement of the shelf board when it is in a storage position, The locking mechanism comprises a locking member operably provided on the front end of the shelf board and an engaged portion on the bracket side with which an engaging portion of the locking member engages, The locking member is The pivot end is attached to the front end of the shelf plate so as to be swingable back and forth, The shelf board is characterized in that it is provided in front of the slide rail and extends across the left and right width of the shelf board. According to this feature, the locking member is extended across the left and right width of the shelf board in front of the slide rail, so that the locking member can be accessed from either the left or right side of the front end of the shelf board to perform the unlocking operation to release the engagement between the engaging portion and the engaged portion, providing excellent operability.

[0008] The engaged portion is characterized by being configured by an upward hook formed on the front end of the bracket. According to this feature, the engaging portions that the locking member engages with are positioned only on the left and right ends of the shelf, minimizing the protrusion of the shelf into the space on the underside, allowing for effective use of the display space on the lower level.

[0009] The locking member is suspended from the front end of the shelf plate so as to be swingable back and forth. With this feature, when the shelf is moved backward to the storage position, the locking member swings backward and climbs over the upward-facing hook of the bracket, and then engages with the hook under its own weight. This allows for a simple locking mechanism without the need for a separate component such as a spring.

[0010] The locking member has a slit extending vertically at both ends of its length, and the slit engages with a claw portion formed at both the left and right ends of the lower part of the shelf, thereby allowing the locking member to be attached so as to be freely swingable back and forth relative to the shelf. According to this feature, the locking member can be suspended and supported so as to be swingable back and forth relative to the shelf board without using any separate members such as screws, and therefore the locking mechanism can be configured simply. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a sliding shelf device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of the shelf unit. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] 9 is a side view showing a bracket that constitutes a shelf unit.Note that Fig. 9 shows the structure of the bracket as seen from the outer side. [Figure 5] 5(a) to 5(c) are side views showing the procedure for assembling the slide rail to the bracket, and Fig. 5 shows the structure of the bracket as seen from the outer side. [Figure 6] 6(a) and 6(b) are side views showing the procedure for assembling the shelf body to the slide rail. Note that Fig. 6 shows the structure of the slide rail as seen from the inside surface. [Figure 7] 10(a) to 10(c) are side cross-sectional views showing an engagement operation of a locking member with a locking hook of a bracket. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] 10 is a side cross-sectional view showing a method of attaching a locking member to a shelf board. FIG. [Figure 10] 10 is a side cross-sectional view showing an operation of releasing the engagement of the locking member with the locking hook of the bracket. FIG. [Figure 11] 11 is a perspective view showing a locking mechanism of a sliding shelf device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and shows the structure of the locking mechanism as viewed from below. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view showing the structure of the lock mechanism in the second embodiment, illustrating the operation of engaging the lock member with the lock hook of the bracket. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A sliding shelf device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to an embodiment. [Example]

[0013] A sliding shelf device according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 10. In the following description, the lower left side of the paper in Figure 1 is the front side (front side) of the sliding shelf device.

[0014] Sliding shelf devices are used in supermarkets, convenience stores, etc., when displaying multiple products in the depth direction and left and right directions, and are used in a variety of situations, such as product display shelves that display products at room temperature and refrigerated showcases that are installed in stores where customers move around. Note that sliding shelf devices are not limited to product display shelves and refrigerated showcases, but may also be used as product storage shelves that store products in warehouses, etc. Furthermore, in this embodiment, an example will be described in which the sliding shelf device is used as a product display shelf.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the sliding shelving device 1 is mainly composed of a pair of support posts 2, 2 spaced apart from each other on the left and right, which are the base members of the sliding shelving device 1, and multiple upper and lower shelf units 5, 5, ... supported on the front surfaces of the support posts 2, 2, with items being able to be displayed on the upper surfaces of plate members 51 that make up the shelf units 5. The support posts 2, 2 have legs 6, 6 and are able to stand on their own. The front surfaces of the support posts 2, 2 are provided with a number of engagement holes 7, 7, ... aligned in a vertical row. As will be described in detail later, a shelf board 50 that makes up the shelf unit 5 can slide back and forth relative to a bracket 52 that also makes up the shelf unit 5.

[0016] As shown in Figure 2, the shelf unit 5 is composed of a pair of left and right brackets 52, 52 attached to the front of the supports 2, 2, a cross rod 33 installed between the brackets 52, 52, a pair of left and right slide rails 9, 9, and a shelf board 50 supported so that it can slide back and forth via the slide rails 9, 9.

[0017] 2 and 3, shelf board 50 comprises plate member 51, which is a metal plate material, reinforcing member 53 (see FIG. 4) extending in the left-right direction and fixed to the front-to-rear center of the underside of plate member 51, price rail 15 extending in the left-right direction and fixed to the front end of plate member 51, side components 54, 54 attached to both left and right ends of plate member 51, and is also provided with a locking mechanism 55 at the front end. The front edge of plate member 51 bends downward across the entire width in the left-to-right direction to form hanging portion 51b, and price rail 15 is fixed to hanging portion 51b.

[0018] 4, bracket 52 is made of a metal plate-like member, and has downward-pointing hooks 52c, 52c, ... at its rear end and upward-standing lock hooks 52a, 52a at its front end. The left and right brackets 52A, 52B are symmetrical, with openings 52d, 52e formed on the inner surface (left side) of one bracket 52A (here, the right side). The other bracket 52B (here, the left side) has openings 52d, 52e formed on the inner surface (right side) of the other bracket 52B.

[0019] As shown in Figure 5, openings 52d, 52e formed at the front and rear of the inner surface of bracket 52 engage with claws 91a, 91b formed at the front and rear of the opposing surface of rail member 91 on the outside of slide rail 9, respectively, thereby supporting the load while restricting the relative movement of slide rail 9 in the front-rear and left-right directions relative to bracket 52.

[0020] As shown in Figure 6, the engaging portions 93a, 93b formed on the front and rear of the opposing surfaces of the inner rail member 93 of the slide rail 9 engage with the locking pieces 54A, 54B formed on the front and rear of the side of the plate member 51, respectively, so that the plate member 51 is attached to the slide rail 9 in a state where relative movement in the front-rear and left-right directions is restricted.

[0021] 3, side component 54 is made of a metal plate and is formed to have side portion 54b that forms the side of shelf board 50, base portion 54a that fits along upper surface 51a of plate member 51, and hanging portion 54c that is formed parallel to side portion 54b on the inside and hangs down. Hanging portion 54c has locking pieces 54A and 54B on the front and rear, and has forward-facing locking piece 54d at its front end.

[0022] Specifically, locking pieces 54A and 54B are formed by cutting out the hanging body. Locking piece 54A on the front side of the hanging body is formed between cutouts 54e and 54f spaced apart from each other in the front and rear directions, and hangs downward with a certain width. Locking piece 54B on the rear side is formed between cutouts 54g and 54h spaced apart from each other in the front and rear directions, and includes a hanging portion 54j that hangs downward and a rearward extending portion 54k that extends diagonally downward and rearward from the lower end of hanging portion 54j. The lower end of locking piece 54B, i.e., rearward extending portion 54k, is formed so that its width gradually decreases toward the tip.

[0023] As shown in Figure 7(a), the locking mechanism 55 comprises a locking member 56 operably provided on the front end of the plate member 51, claw portions 54d, 54d of the side components 54, 54 that are open forward at both the left and right ends of the front end of the underside of the plate member 51, and lock hooks 52a, 52a (described later) formed on brackets 52, 52 with which the engaging portions 56e, 56e of the locking member 56 respectively engage.

[0024] 2, 3, and 8, the locking member 56 extends across the left-right width of the plate member 51 in front of the slide rails 9, and is composed of a vertical surface portion 56a, a flat surface portion 56b extending rearward from the lower end of the vertical surface portion 56a, an inclined surface portion 56c extending diagonally upward and rearward from the rear end of the flat surface portion 56b, and an extending portion 56d extending diagonally upward and forward from the tip of the inclined surface portion 56c. The range from the extending portion 56d to a portion of the inclined surface portion 56c is formed to be longer in left-right width than the remaining portion, and this protruding portion protruding to the left and right constitutes an engaging portion 56e that can engage with the lock hooks 52a formed on the bracket 52.

[0025] The locking member 56 also has slits 56f, 56f extending vertically at both left and right ends across the vertical surface portion 56a and the flat surface portion 56b. The slits 56f, 56f are engaged with the claw portions 54d, 54d of the side components 54, 54 arranged at both left and right ends of the underside of the plate member 51, respectively, so that the locking member 56 is attached to the plate member 51 so as to be able to swing back and forth relative to the plate member 51.

[0026] In detail, as shown in Figure 9, the hanging portion 51b at the front edge of the plate member 51 is not fixed to the side components 54, 54 attached to both the left and right ends of the plate member 51, and the free end side is elastically deformable forward, i.e., counterclockwise, around the boundary between the hanging portion 51b and the top surface portion 51a, which is the base of the plate member 51 (see Figure 9(b) in particular).

[0027] 9(a) to 9(c), the procedure for attaching the locking member to the shelf board is as follows: vertical surface portion 56a of locking member 56 is pushed between claw portions 54d of side components 54 arranged on both the left and right ends of the underside of plate member 51 and hanging portion 51b of plate member 51. Then, the free end of hanging portion 51b of plate member 51 elastically deforms forward (see FIG. 9(b)), and accordingly, the insertion of vertical surface portion 56a of locking member 56 progresses, and claw portions 54d engage with slits 56f of locking member 56, so that locking member 56 is suspended below plate member 51. When the engagement between slits 56f and claw portions 54d is completed, the shape of hanging portion 51b of plate member 51 is restored, and the engagement between slits 56f and claw portions 54d is maintained (see FIG. 9(c)).

[0028] Locking member 56 is suspended so as to be able to swing back and forth within a range in which slit 56f is guided by claw portion 54d, and vertical surface portion 56a is adapted to return toward hanging portion 51b of plate member 51 due to its own weight, i.e., a counterclockwise returning moment acts around the upper end of slit 56f due to its own weight, and vertical surface portion 56a abuts against hanging portion 51b, thereby defining the returned position. As shown in Figures 7(b) and (c) , when plate member 51 is located in the rear storage position, engaging portion 56e of locking member 56 rides over peak portion 521 at the tip of lock hook 52a formed on bracket 52 and engages with valley portion 522 (see Figure 4 ), thereby restricting forward movement of plate member 51.

[0029] When stocking shelves, store clerks move old products to the front of shelf board 50 and replenish new products at the rear of board member 51, a so-called first-in, first-out system. As shown in Figure 10, first, the clerk places his or her palm up and places his or her fingers except for the thumb around the back side of shelf board 50, and pushes upward with the fingertips against flat surface 56b or inclined surface 56c of locking member 56, i.e., moves locking member 56 clockwise, thereby releasing the engagement between engagement portion 56e of locking member 56 and lock hook 52a of bracket 52.

[0030] As shown in Figure 2, the locking mechanism 55 of this embodiment has a longitudinal dimension in which the locking member 56 extends to both the left and right ends of the shelf board 50 in front of the slide rail 9, so that a store clerk can access the locking member 56 from either the left or right side of the front end of the shelf board 50 to perform an unlocking operation that releases the engagement between the engaging portion 56e and the lock hook 52a (engaged portion), resulting in excellent operability.

[0031] Furthermore, by forming the lock hook 52a at the front end of the bracket 52, the engaging portions that the locking member 56 engages with are positioned only at the left and right ends of the shelf board 50, minimizing the protrusion of the shelf board 50 into the space on the underside, allowing for effective use of the display space on the lower level.

[0032] Furthermore, because the locking member 56 is suspended from the front end of the plate member 51 so as to be swingable back and forth, when the plate member 51 is moved rearward to the storage position, the locking member 56 swings rearward, climbing over the peaks 521 of the upward-facing lock hooks 52a of the bracket 52, and then engaging with the valleys 522 under its own weight. Therefore, the locking mechanism 55 can be configured simply without using a separate member such as a spring.

[0033] The locking member 56 is provided with slits 56f extending vertically at both longitudinal ends, and is attached to the plate member 51 so as to be swingable back and forth relative to the plate member 51 by engaging these slits 56f with claw portions 54d formed on both left and right ends of the lower part of the plate member 51. This simplifies the configuration because the locking member 56 can be suspended and supported so as to be swingable back and forth relative to the shelf board without using any additional members such as screws. [Example]

[0034] Next, a locking mechanism 55 according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 11 and 12. Note that a description of the same configuration as in the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0035] As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the locking member 156 is provided in front of the slide rail 9 and extends across the left-right width of the shelf board 151, and has a base 152 that extends vertically, a downward hook portion 153 at the upper end of the base 152 that is rotatably engaged with an axis member described later, and an upward hook portion 154 at the lower end of the base 152 that is point-symmetrical to the downward hook portion 153, forming a roughly S-shape.

[0036] In addition, the area extending from the upward hook portion 154 to a portion of the base portion 152 is formed with a longer left-right width than the other portions, and this protruding portion protruding left and right forms an engaging portion 155 that can engage with the lock hook 52a formed on the bracket 52.

[0037] As shown in Figures 12(a) and (b), a slit 157 is formed in the vertical direction at both the left and right ends of the locking member 156, extending from the downward hook portion 153 to a part of the base portion 152, and a hanging piece 158 formed at the front end of each of the left and right side components 54, forward of the front locking piece 54A, is inserted into this slit 157.

[0038] A hole 158a is formed in the hanging piece 158, penetrating in the left-right thickness direction, and a shaft member 160 is inserted into this hole 158a. The shaft member 160 is inserted into the hole 158a after the hanging piece 158 is inserted into the slit 157. The hanging piece 158 also has a protrusion 158b at its lower end facing rearward, against which the base 152 of the locking member 156 abuts, as shown in FIG. 12(a), thereby defining the angle of the locking member 156 in the restored position of its natural state.

[0039] As shown in Figure 12(a), a bent portion 153a extending in the longitudinal direction is formed on each of the left and right ends of the downward hook portion 153, and by bending this bent portion 153a downward when the shaft member 160 is inserted into the hole 158a, the movement of the shaft member 160 in the left-right direction between the bent portion 153a and the side surface portion 54b of the side component 54 is restricted.

[0040] In this way, locking member 156 is attached so as to be able to swing freely back and forth relative to shelf board 151 by engaging downward hook portion 153 with shaft member 160, and therefore locking member 156 is pivotally supported by shaft member 160, allowing for smooth and stable swinging, and providing excellent operability. Also, by configuring shaft member 160 so that assembly can be completed by bending cut-off portion 153a downward with shaft member 160 inserted through hole 158a, a simple locking mechanism can be configured without using fixing means such as screws.

[0041] 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 the present invention also includes modifications and additions that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

[0042] For example, the locking member 56 in the first embodiment is attached to the plate member 51 using an engaging means without using a fixing means such as a screw so as to be able to swing back and forth freely, but this is not limited to this, and for example, the shaft member may be fixed to the shelf board using a fixing means such as a screw.

[0043] In addition, in the first embodiment, the locking member 56 is configured so that its return to the initial position and its swing in the engagement direction after climbing over the locking hook 52a of the bracket 52 are performed by its own weight, but this is not limiting and the locking member 56 may be configured so that these swings are performed by, for example, spring force.

[0044] Furthermore, the locking member 56 is not limited to a configuration in which it engages with the locking hook 52a formed at the front end of the bracket 52, but may also be provided with an engaging portion that can engage with the locking member, separate from the bracket, for example, on the outermost rail that constitutes the slide rail. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1 Sliding shelf device 2. Supports (foundation members) 5 shelving units 7 Engagement hole 9 Slide rails 9a base 9b Hanging part 9c base 9d Extension 9e Opposite surface 15 Price Rail 50 shelves 51 Plate members 51a Top part 51b Hanging part 52 Bracket 52a Lock hook (engaged part) 52d,52e opening 54 Side components 54A,54B Locking piece 54a base 54b Side part 54c hanging part 54d Claw part 54j hanging part 54k rear extension 55 Locking mechanism 56 Locking member 56a Vertical section 56b Plane part 56c Slope section 56d Extension 56e Engagement part 56f slit 91a,91b Claw part 93a, 93b Locked part 153 Downward hook 153a Cut section 155 Engagement part 156 Locking member 157 Slit 158 Hanging piece 158a hole 158b Convex part 160 Shaft member

Claims

1. A sliding shelf device comprising: a base member having a locking hole on the front surface; a pair of left and right brackets having hooks that can be locked in the locking holes; a shelf board supported on the brackets via slide rails so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction; and a locking mechanism that restricts the forward movement of the shelf board when it is in a storage position, The locking mechanism comprises a locking member operably provided on the front end of the shelf board and an engaged portion on the bracket side with which an engaging portion of the locking member engages, A sliding shelf device characterized in that the locking member has a rotating end attached to the front end of the shelf plate so that it can swing back and forth, and is extended forward of the slide rail across the left and right width of the shelf plate.

2. 2. The sliding shelf device according to claim 1, wherein the engaged portion is configured by an upward hook formed on a front end of the bracket.

3. 3. The sliding shelf device according to claim 1, wherein the locking member is suspended from the front end of the shelf plate so as to be swingable back and forth.

4. A sliding shelf device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the locking member has a slit extending vertically at both ends of its length, and the slit engages with a claw portion formed at both left and right ends of the lower part of the shelf, thereby allowing the locking member to swing freely back and forth relative to the shelf.

Images