Shelf tag mounting device

Abstract

A shelf tag attachment device (100) comprising an electronic shelf tag (101) and a shelf tag holding unit (103) for holding the electronic shelf tag (101). The electronic shelf tag (101) has a groove (105) that extends in the left / right direction, on both the upper and lower ends thereof. The shelf tag holding unit (103) has protruding sections (115) that protrude downwards and upwards and fit into an upper groove (105) and a lower groove (105), respectively. At least either the combination of the upper groove (105) and the protruding section (115) that fits into the upper groove (105) or the combination of the lower groove (105) and the protruding section (115) that fits into the lower groove (105) are provided discretely.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a shelf label mounting device. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART For example, a display holder described in Patent Document 1 has been proposed as a shelf label attaching device for attaching shelf labels for displaying product prices and the like to product shelves.

[0003] The holder described in Patent Document 1 consists of a display body mounting member and a slide member that fits onto the back surface of the display body mounting member and slides up and down to determine the fixed position. Furthermore, the holder described in Patent Document 1 has an engagement groove in the display body mounting member and a flange portion of the slide member as guide means for guiding the up and down sliding of the slide member relative to the display body mounting member.

[0004] The slide member is provided with a leaf spring member having a protrusion at its tip that protrudes forward, and the display mounting member is provided with a recess on the upper and lower wall surfaces that slopes upward from the bottom side to the top side, and the positioning is locked by engagement between the protrusion and recess on the leaf spring member. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3148719 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the holder described in Patent Document 1, the engagement groove is open only at the top, so the flange of the sliding member must be inserted into the engagement groove from above. Therefore, when attaching the sliding member to the display mounting member, a working space at least equal to the length of the flange is required above the top end of the engagement groove. It is desirable to be able to attach shelf tags in a smaller working space.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and one of its objects is to make it possible to attach shelf labels in a narrow working space. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the shelf label mounting device according to the present invention comprises: Shelf tags and a shelf label holding unit for holding the shelf label, The shelf tag has at each of its upper and lower ends: It consists of a front step and a rear wall. A groove extending laterally is provided. the shelf label holder has a protrusion that protrudes upward and downward and fits into the upper groove and the lower groove, The rear wall portions are spaced apart in the lateral direction, the rear wall portion is pressed from the front of the shelf label holder so as to pass through the gap between the protrusions, and the protrusions move along the grooves, so that the protrusions fit into the grooves; a combination of the upper groove portion and the protrusion portion fitted into the groove portion, and a combination of the lower groove portion and the protrusion portion fitted into the groove portion are both provided discretely; A combination of the upper groove and the protrusion that fits into the groove and a combination of the lower groove and the protrusion that fits into the groove are: The aforementioned The horizontal positions of the gaps are different between the top and bottom Include Region . [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, shelf tags can be attached in a small working space. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a shelf label mounting device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view of an electronic shelf label according to an embodiment; [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which a support member according to an embodiment is attached to a first product shelf. [Figure 4]1 is a perspective view of a shelf label holder to which an electronic shelf label according to an embodiment is attached, viewed obliquely from above front right. [Figure 5] 1 is a perspective view of a shelf label holder to which an electronic shelf label according to an embodiment is attached, viewed from diagonally above and behind to the right. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a front view of a shelf label holder according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the shelf label holder according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a right side view of the shelf label holder according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the shelf label holder according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a diagram showing an example of a second product shelf to which a shelf label mounting device according to an embodiment is attached. FIG. [Figure 11A] 1 is a diagram showing a first example of a state in which an electronic shelf label according to an embodiment is pressed against a shelf label attachment portion. FIG. [Figure 11B] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a second example of a state in which the electronic shelf label according to the embodiment is pressed against the shelf label attachment portion. [Figure 12] 1 is a view showing a state in which an electronic shelf label according to an embodiment is held by a shelf label attachment portion, as viewed from the right side; [Figure 13] 1 is a diagram showing a state in which a shelf label holder holding an electronic shelf label according to an embodiment is attached to an arm for attachment to a first product shelf, as viewed from the left. FIG. [Figure 14] 10 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which a shelf label holder holding an electronic shelf label according to an embodiment is rotated around a rotation axis so that a display unit faces upward. FIG. [Figure 15A] 1 is a view from the right side of a first example of a state in which a shelf label holder holding an electronic shelf label according to an embodiment is attached to a second product shelf. FIG. [Figure 15B] 10 is a view from the right side of a second example of a state in which a shelf label holder holding an electronic shelf label according to an embodiment is attached to a second product shelf. FIG. [Figure 16] 10 is a rear view showing an example in which shelf label holders according to an embodiment are arranged at close intervals so as to be substantially in contact with each other in the left-right direction. FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a front view of a shelf label holding section according to Modification 1. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a front view of a shelf label holder according to a second modification. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In all the drawings, like components are designated by like reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0012] <<Configuration of shelf label attachment device 100>> As shown in the perspective view of Figure 1, a shelf label mounting device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention is a device for mounting electronic shelf labels 101 for displaying product prices and the like on product shelves, and comprises the electronic shelf label 101, a support member 102, and a shelf label holding unit 103.

[0013] The electronic shelf label 101 is a shelf label having a display unit 104 on its display surface, which is configured, for example, by a liquid crystal display panel. The display unit 104 typically displays product names, prices, advertisements, etc. Note that the electronic shelf label 101 is an example of a shelf label, and shelf labels may be made of paper, paper held on a resin plate, resin, etc.

[0014] In this embodiment, when the orientation of characters, symbols, etc. displayed on display unit 104 is correctly oriented in the up-down direction and display unit 104 (i.e., the display surface) is arranged parallel to the vertical direction, the direction in which display unit 104 faces is defined as the forward direction, and the opposite direction is defined as the backward direction. In this case, the up-down direction corresponds to the vertically upward direction and its opposite, the vertically downward direction. The left-right direction is defined as viewed from the front, and corresponds to the horizontal direction. Note that these directions are used for the purpose of explaining the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0015] 2, the electronic shelf label 101 is generally rectangular parallelepiped and has a groove 105 extending laterally at its upper end. The upper end of the electronic shelf label 101 according to this embodiment is flat, and the groove 105 is provided near the rear end of the upper end of the electronic shelf label 101.

[0016] In detail, groove 105 is composed of a front step 106, an upper surface 107 facing upward, and a rear wall 108 provided at a distance from the rear end of upper surface 107. Because rear wall 108 is provided at a distance (gap), groove 105 is provided discretely at intervals in the lateral direction. Therefore, groove 105 has a portion that opens to the rear.

[0017] In this embodiment, three rear wall portions 108 are provided lined up horizontally, and a gap is provided between the central rear wall portion 108 and each of the left and right rear wall portions 108, so that the groove portion 105 is open to the rear in two places.

[0018] Here, the groove 105 (upper groove 105) provided at the top end of the electronic shelf label 101 has been described with reference to FIG. 2, but a similar groove 105 is also provided at the bottom end of the electronic shelf label 101.

[0019] That is, the groove 105 (lower groove 105) provided at the bottom end of the electronic shelf label 101 is composed of a front step, a bottom surface facing downward, and a rear wall provided at a distance from the rear end of the bottom surface. The lower groove 105 also has three rear walls 108 arranged horizontally at intervals. As a result, the lower grooves 105 are also provided discretely at intervals in the horizontal direction, similar to the upper grooves 105.

[0020] In this embodiment, the left-right positions of the rearward-opening regions are the same for the upper and lower groove portions 105 .

[0021] The support member 102 is a member that supports the shelf label holding portion 103, to which the electronic shelf label 101 is attached, so that it can rotate around a rotation axis P that extends laterally of the electronic shelf label 101, and is attached to the first product shelf MS1, as shown in an example in Figure 3.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 3, the support member 102 is attached to the tip of a rod-shaped body 109 that protrudes forward from the first product shelf MS1. The support member 102 and the rod-shaped body 109 are made of resin, metal, or the like. The support member 102 and the rod-shaped body 109 may be made individually of different materials or the same material, or may be made integrally.

[0023] The support member 102 has a pair of arm portions 110 provided on the left and right, and a connecting and fixing portion 111 for connecting the arm portions 110 and fixing them to the rod-shaped body 109 .

[0024] The left and right arm portions 110 are flat plate-like portions that are spaced apart in the left-right direction and are elongated in the front-rear direction. The tip of each arm portion 110 is roughly semicircular when viewed from the side.

[0025] Each of the left and right arm portions 110 has a shaft portion 112 serving as a second fitting portion that extends inward near the tip of the inner surface. Here, the inner surface refers to the surface facing inward. Furthermore, the inner surface refers to the right side for the left arm portion 110, and the left side for the right arm portion 110.

[0026] In this embodiment, the shaft 112 is provided so as to pass through the center of the semicircle formed by the outer shape of the tip when viewed from the side. The connecting and fixing part 111 is a flat plate-like part that is parallel to the up-down direction and elongated in the left-right direction, and the tip of the rod-shaped body 109 is fixed to approximately the center in the left-right direction. The rear ends of the arm parts 110 are connected to the left and right ends of the connecting and fixing part 111.

[0027] 4 and 5, the shelf label holding portion 103 is a portion for holding the electronic shelf label 101, and is made of, for example, resin. As shown in the front view, rear view, right side view, and bottom view of FIGS. 6 to 9, the shelf label holding portion 103 has a shelf label attachment portion 113, upper and lower flange portions 114, three upper and lower protrusion portions 115, a spring portion 116, left and right clip portions 117, left and right insertion portions 118, a holding plate portion 119, and a holding plate connection portion 120.

[0028] The shelf label attachment portion 113 is a generally rectangular flat plate-shaped portion having a thickness in the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, the upper and lower ends of the shelf label attachment portion 113 extend in the left-right direction, and the left and right ends extend in the up-down direction.

[0029] The flanges 114 protrude forward from both the upper and lower ends of the shelf label attachment portion 113 and are continuous in the lateral direction.

[0030] The upper protrusion 115 protrudes downward, and the lower protrusion 115 protrudes upward. As a result, the upper protrusion 115 fits into the upper groove 105, and the lower protrusion 115 fits into the lower groove 105, thereby holding the electronic shelf label 101.

[0031] Specifically, the upper protrusions 115 protrude downward from the upper flange 114 and are provided lined up discretely in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, three of them are provided lined up with intervals (gaps) in the left-right direction.

[0032] The lower protrusions 115 protrude upward from the lower flange 114 and are provided in a line spaced apart arrangement in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, three of the lower protrusions 115 are provided in a line spaced apart arrangement in the left-right direction.

[0033] In this embodiment, protrusion 115 is provided near the front end of flange 114, thereby forming a groove between shelf label attachment portion 113 and protrusion 115. Since upper protrusion 115 and lower protrusion 115 are arranged with a gap in the left-right direction as described above, the groove between shelf label attachment portion 113 and protrusion 115 opens forward through that gap.

[0034] The gap provided in the upper protrusion 115 and the gap provided in the lower protrusion 115 are located at the same position in the left-right direction. That is, the left-right positions of the regions that are open forward are the same for the upper and lower grooves.

[0035] When viewed from the front, the spring portion 116 is a cantilever-shaped portion provided approximately in the center of the shelf label attachment portion 113, and has a pressing protrusion 121 that protrudes forward near the tip. When the electronic shelf label 101 is attached to the spring portion 116, the pressing protrusion 121 is pressed by the back surface of the electronic shelf label 101, and the spring portion 116 pushes the electronic shelf label 101 forward by its elastic force.

[0036] The clip portion 117 is provided on the back surface of the shelf label attachment portion 113, and forms a notch that is open downward for clamping a plate provided on the second product shelf MS2 as a shelf.

[0037] As shown in the perspective view of FIG. 10, the second product shelf MS2 has the same structure as the first product shelf MS described above. 1 The second product shelf MS2 is a shelf that has a different method of attaching electronic shelf labels 101. The second product shelf MS2 has a shelf 122 on which products are generally arranged, a partition board 123 that extends up, down, left, and right in front of the shelf 122, and an L-shaped board 124 that is disposed in front of the partition board 123 and below the shelf 122.

[0038] The L-shaped plate 124 is a plate-like member bent into an L shape when viewed from the left and right. The L-shaped plate 124 has a front plate 125 that is placed generally parallel to the partition plate 123 in front of the partition plate 123 with a relatively narrow gap between them, and a fixing portion 126 that is fixed to the bottom of the shelf 122 by screws or the like. The clip portion 117 is a portion for clamping the front plate 125 that is inserted from below.

[0039] In detail, each of the left and right clip portions 117 has an extending portion 127 that extends rearward from the back surface of the shelf label mounting portion 113, and a hanging portion 128 that hangs downward from the rear end of the extending portion 127. By having the extending portion 127, a gap for sandwiching the front panel 125 is formed between the hanging portion 128 and the shelf label mounting portion 113, as described above, and when the front panel 125 is sandwiched, an elastic force for sandwiching and holding the front panel 125 can be applied to the front panel 125.

[0040] Furthermore, bearing portions 129 are provided at the portions where the left and right clip portions 117 are connected to shelf label attachment portion 113, as first fitting portions into which shaft portion 112 fits. Bearing portion 129 according to this embodiment forms a cylindrical through-hole extending left and right, and is provided in extending portion 127, hanging portion 128, and shelf label attachment portion 113.

[0041] The vertical lengths of hanging portions 128 of left and right clip portions 117 are different, and in this embodiment, the left hanging portion 128 is longer than the right hanging portion. 128 The left hanging portion 128 is provided with a stopper 130, which is a pin-shaped portion that protrudes leftward from the left end thereof.

[0042] In this embodiment, the right end of right clip portion 117 is configured to be flush with the right end of shelf label mounting portion 113, and the left end of left clip portion 117 is configured to be flush with the left end of shelf label mounting portion 113. Therefore, stopper 130 protrudes leftward from the left end of left hanging portion 128, and thereby protrudes laterally from the side of shelf label holding portion 103 (left end of shelf label mounting portion 113).

[0043] The stopper 130 in this embodiment is provided only on the left hanging portion 128, and not on the right hanging portion 128, and the vertical position of the stopper 130 is lower than the lower end of the right hanging portion 128.

[0044] The insertion portion 118 is provided on the back surface of the shelf label attachment portion 113, and forms a notch that is open at the top for holding the display board 131. The display board 131 is a relatively thin sheet-like member made of paper, resin, or the like, for displaying product advertisements and the like.

[0045] The holding plate 119 is a flat portion of the back surface of the shelf label attachment part 113 that protrudes rearward and extends laterally below the left and right clip parts 117. The holding plate 119 is flat with its upper and lower surfaces parallel to each other, and is preferably approximately perpendicular to the back surface of the shelf label attachment part 113. This makes it easier to remove from the mold and facilitates manufacturing.

[0046] The holding plate connecting part 120 connects the base end of the holding plate part 119 and the shelf label mounting part 113. The holding plate connecting part 120 is thinner than the holding plate part 119 in terms of thickness, which is the length in the vertical direction, and is provided with a plurality of through holes H (long holes that are long in the left-right direction in this embodiment) that penetrate in the vertical direction.

[0047] By connecting the holding plate 119 to the back surface of the shelf label mounting portion 113 via such holding plate connecting portion 120, the holding plate 119 can be easily detached from the shelf label mounting portion 113. For example, by swinging the holding plate 119 up and down several times around the holding plate connecting portion 120 while holding the shelf label mounting portion 113, the holding plate connecting portion 120 easily undergoes brittle fracture. This allows the holding plate 119 to be easily detached from the shelf label mounting portion 113.

[0048] Note that the holding plate connecting portion 120 only needs to be configured to allow the holding plate portion 119 to be separated from the shelf label mounting portion 113, and as long as it is thinner than the holding plate portion 119, it does not need to have a through hole. When a through hole is provided in the up-down direction, the through hole is not limited to a large, elongated hole that is long in the left-right direction as in the embodiment, but may be a relatively small hole that is roughly cylindrical and has a length in the left-right direction that is shorter than that of the embodiment. When a small through hole is used, the holding plate connecting portion 120 may be perforated by providing a plurality of through holes lined up in the left-right direction at relatively short intervals.

[0049] <<How to attach and remove electronic shelf labels>> So far, we have explained the configuration of the shelf label attaching device 100. Now, we will explain how to attach and detach the electronic shelf label 101 to and from the shelf label holder 103.

[0050] The electronic shelf label 101 is pressed against the shelf label attachment portion 113 from the front of the shelf label holding portion 103 so that the rear wall portion 108 passes through the gap of the protrusion portion 115.

[0051] In detail, the electronic shelf label 101 is pressed against the shelf label attachment portion 113 from the front of the shelf label holder 103 so that the upper rear wall portion 108 passes through the gap in the upper protrusion portion 115 and the lower rear wall portion 108 passes through the gap in the lower protrusion portion 115. At this time, the upper protrusion portion 115 passes through the gap in the upper rear wall portion 108 and the lower protrusion portion 115 passes through the gap in the lower rear wall portion 108.

[0052] 11A or 11B, the protrusion 115 and the rear wall 108 are positioned, with the protrusion 115 positioned in the groove 105 and the rear wall 108 positioned in the groove between the shelf label attachment portion 113 and the protrusion 115. Figures 11A and 11B are front views showing the state in which the electronic shelf label 101 is pressed against the shelf label attachment portion 113 in order to attach the electronic shelf label 101 to the shelf label holder 103, and the dotted lines indicate the back surface of the electronic shelf label 101.

[0053] In the state shown in Figure 11A or 11B, the protrusion 115 can move left and right along the groove 105, and the rear wall 108 can move left and right along the groove between the shelf label mounting portion 113 and the protrusion 115.

[0054] 11A, for example, by sliding the electronic shelf label 101 to the right, each of the protrusions 115 is positioned between the rear wall 108 and the step 106 and locked so as not to move forward or backward. From the state shown in Fig. 11B, for example, by sliding the electronic shelf label 101 to the left, each of the protrusions 115 is positioned between the rear wall 108 and the step 106 and locked so as not to move forward or backward.

[0055] As a result, the electronic shelf label 101 is held by the shelf label holder 103, and the attachment of the electronic shelf label 101 is completed.

[0056] When removing the electronic shelf label 101 from the shelf label holder 103, the above-described steps of the attachment method may be carried out in reverse order.

[0057] That is, the electronic shelf label 101 is slid left or right so that the upper rear wall portion 108 is positioned behind the gap between the upper protrusions 115, and the lower rear wall portion 108 is positioned behind the gap between the lower protrusions 115. Then, by moving the electronic shelf label 101 forward relative to the shelf label attachment portion 113, the electronic shelf label 101 is removed from the shelf label holding portion 103.

[0058] In this way, in the shelf label mounting device 100 of this embodiment, both combinations of an upper groove portion 105 and a protrusion portion 115 that fits into the groove portion 105, and a lower groove portion 105 and a protrusion portion 115 that fits into the groove portion 105 are provided discretely.

[0059] As a result, when attaching or detaching the electronic shelf label 101 to or from the shelf label holding unit 103, it is no longer necessary to slide the right end of the electronic shelf label 101 to the left end of the shelf label holding unit 103, or the left end of the electronic shelf label 101 to the right end of the shelf label holding unit 103. The electronic shelf label 101 according to this embodiment can be attached or detached to or from the shelf label holding unit 103 with an amount of movement that is smaller than the amount of such left-right sliding movement.

[0060] Therefore, it becomes possible to attach the electronic shelf label 101 in a small working space.

[0061] In this embodiment, the flange 114 is provided continuously in the horizontal direction. 114 The lower protrusion 115 is a flange portion that protrudes forward from the lower end of the shelf label attachment portion 113. 114 protrude upward from 。

[0062] This makes it more difficult for dust to get into the grooves 105 when the electronic shelf label 101 is attached to the shelf label holder 103 than when the flanges 114 are provided discretely with gaps between them. This reduces the possibility that dust that has gotten into the grooves 105 will hinder the sliding movement of the protrusions 115.

[0063] Therefore, even if time passes while the electronic shelf label 101 is attached to the shelf label holder 103, the electronic shelf label 101 can be easily removed from the shelf label holder 103.

[0064] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in the side view of Fig. 12, the spring portion 116 (pressing protrusion 121) presses the electronic shelf label 101 forward when the electronic shelf label 101 is attached to the shelf label holding portion 103. This allows the shelf label holding portion 103 to firmly hold the attached electronic shelf label 101. Therefore, it becomes possible to make it difficult for the electronic shelf label 101 held by the shelf label holding portion 103 to come off from the shelf label holding portion 103. Note that the spring portion 116 need not be provided with the pressing protrusion 121 as long as it presses the electronic shelf label 101 forward.

[0065] In particular, in this embodiment, as described above, the electronic shelf label 101 is removed from the shelf label holder 103 with a relatively slight sliding movement. There is a possibility that the electronic shelf label 101 may easily come off the shelf label holder 103, fall, and be damaged. By using the spring portion 116 to restrict the sliding movement of the electronic shelf label 101, it is possible to reduce the possibility of such damage to the electronic shelf label 101.

[0066] 12, in this embodiment, a recess 132 that forms a depression is provided on the back surface of the electronic shelf label 101. This recess 132 is provided in a position that is pressed by the spring portion 116 (pressing protrusion 121) when the electronic shelf label 101 is attached to the shelf label holding unit 103. This makes it even more difficult for the electronic shelf label 101 held by the shelf label holding unit 103 to come off from the shelf label holding unit 103.

[0067] Furthermore, in this embodiment, there is provided an insertion portion 118 that forms a notch with an open top for holding a display board 131. This allows the display board 131 to be attached as shown in Fig. 12. By using the display board 131 to display product advertisements and the like, it is possible to provide more information to customers who are about to purchase a product.

[0068] <<Installation method on first product shelf MS1 and operation when installed on first product shelf MS1>> The left and right shafts 112 are positioned so that they are sandwiched between the left and right arm parts 110 from the left and right directions, and are inserted from below into the left and right clip parts 117. Then, the shelf label holder 103 is pressed downward against the arm parts 110.

[0069] As a result, as shown in Fig. 13, the left and right shafts 112 fit into the left and right bearings 129, respectively. Fig. 13 is a view from the left showing the shelf label holder 103 holding the electronic shelf label 101 attached to the arm 110, with the arm 110 indicated by a dotted line. When attaching to the first product shelf MS1, the holding plate 119 may remain connected to the shelf label attachment part 113 via the holding plate connection part 120, but since the holding plate 119 is not necessary, it is separated as described above. Moyo 13 shows the state in which the holding plate portion 119 is separated, and the same is true in FIG.

[0070] The shelf label holder 103 attached to the arm 110 can rotate about a rotation axis P passing through the centers of the left and right shafts 112. In particular, in this embodiment, since the tip of the arm 110 is semicircular, the shelf label holder 103 can rotate around the stopper 130 as shown by the arc-shaped arrow in FIG. GaA Team 110 By moving along the tip of the support member 102, the support member 102 can rotate about a rotation axis P.

[0071] 14 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which the shelf label holder 103 holding the electronic shelf label 101 has been rotated around the rotation axis P so that the display unit 104 faces upward. As shown in FIG. 14, the display unit 104 may be easier for customers purchasing products to see if it is tilted so that it faces slightly upward. For this reason, it is not preferable for the display unit 104 to be tilted so that it faces downward.

[0072] Generally, the display unit 104 may be turned downward when touched by the hand of a customer purchasing a product.

[0073] Furthermore, electronic shelf tags 101 generally weigh approximately 30 grams, which is heavier than paper or plastic shelf tags. Therefore, when an electronic shelf tag 101 is held in a shelf tag holder 103, its own weight may cause the display unit 104 to face downward.

[0074] In particular, the center of gravity of a typical electronic shelf label 101 is often located roughly in the center or near the center in the vertical direction, and as shown in Fig. 13, the rotation axis P may be located above the center of gravity G of the shelf label holder 103 that holds the electronic shelf label 101 when viewed from the left. In such a case, even if the electronic shelf label 101 is placed at an angle so that the display unit 104 faces slightly upward as shown in Fig. 14, there is a high possibility that the display unit 104 will face downward due to its own weight.

[0075] In this embodiment, as described above, stopper 130 that protrudes to the left is provided on left hanging portion 128. Therefore, by contacting the lower end of left arm portion 110 behind rotation axis P, shelf label holder 103 is locked so that it does not rotate beyond a predetermined range in the direction in which display portion 104 faces downward.

[0076] Rotation in a direction in which the display unit 104 faces downward means clockwise rotation around the rotation axis P in FIGS.

[0077] Referring to Figure 13, in this embodiment, the shelf label holding unit 103 is locked by contact between the stopper 130 and the arm unit 110 so that the display unit 104 does not rotate beyond a forward facing direction and further downward facing.

[0078] As described above, according to this embodiment, simply providing the stopper 130 that protrudes laterally can prevent the display unit 104 of the electronic shelf label 101 from rotating downward beyond a predetermined range. Therefore, the shelf label mounting device 100, which has a relatively simple structure, can prevent the display unit 104 of the electronic shelf label 101 from rotating downward beyond a predetermined range.

[0079] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the stopper 130 In the left and right direction, ,shelf Bill holder 103 The stopper 130 is provided at a position away from the center of gravity G. By being away from the center of gravity G in the left-right direction, a relatively small force can be used to prevent the display unit 104 of the electronic shelf label 101 from rotating downward beyond a predetermined range. Therefore, even if the stopper 130 is relatively small, it can sufficiently prevent rotation.

[0080] Therefore, the shelf label mounting device 100 with a simple structure can prevent the display unit 104 of the electronic shelf label 101 from rotating downward beyond a predetermined range.

[0081] Generally, the center of gravity of the electronic shelf tag 101 is often located near the center in the left-right direction, and therefore the center of gravity G of the shelf tag holding unit 103 that holds the electronic shelf tag 101 is also often located near the center in the left-right direction.

[0082] In particular, stopper 130 according to this embodiment protrudes leftward from the left end of left hanging portion 128. This means that stopper 130 is provided at a position that is often the farthest in the left-right direction from the center of gravity G of shelf label holder 103 that holds electronic shelf label 101.

[0083] Therefore, in this embodiment, an extremely small force can be used to prevent the display unit 104 of the electronic shelf label 101 from rotating downward beyond a predetermined range, and even if the stopper 130 is small, rotation can be sufficiently prevented.

[0084] Therefore, the shelf label mounting device 100 with an even simpler structure can prevent the display unit 104 of the electronic shelf label 101 from rotating downward beyond a predetermined range.

[0085] <<How to install on the second product shelf MS2>> When attaching the shelf label holder 103 holding the electronic shelf label 101 to the second product shelf MS2, there are two attachment methods depending on the relationship between the lengths L1 and L2, as shown in Figures 15A and 15B. The length L1 is the vertical length between the upper end of the front panel 125 and the lower surface of the shelf 122. The length L2 is the vertical length between the upper surface of the holding plate 119 and the bearing portion 129.

[0086] The first attachment method to the second product shelf MS2 is a method of attaching the shelf label holder 103 to the second product shelf MS2 when the length L1 is equal to or less than the length L2. Fig. 15A shows an example of this case, in which the lengths L1 and L2 are approximately equal. In this case, the front plate 125 provided on the second product shelf MS2 is inserted from below between the clip portion 117 and the back surface of the shelf label attachment portion 113. Then, the holding plate portion 119 is placed below the shelf 122.

[0087] 15A, the front panel 125 provided on the second product shelf MS2 is sandwiched between the clip portion 117 and the back surface of the shelf label attachment portion 113, and is held by the holding plate portion 119. In this way, the shelf label holder 103 holding the electronic shelf label 101 is attached to the second product shelf MS2. To remove the electronic shelf label 101, the steps described here can be performed in reverse order.

[0088] In this case, the electronic shelf label 101 attached to the second product shelf MS2 via the shelf label holding part 103 is not only sandwiched between the front panel 125 as described above, but is also held by the holding plate part 119. In other words, even if a force is applied to swing the display part 104 so that it faces upward or downward, or a force to move it upward, the holding plate part 119 comes into contact with the underside of the second product shelf MS2 (in the example of FIG. 15A , the fixing part 126), thereby limiting the range of swing or movement.

[0089] Therefore, even if a force is applied to the electronic shelf label 101, for example, when a purchaser touches the electronic shelf label 101 with their hand, the electronic shelf label 101 is unlikely to come off the second shelf MS2. This reduces the possibility that the electronic shelf label 101 will fall and be damaged.

[0090] The second attachment method to the second product shelf MS2 is a method for attaching the shelf label holder 103 to the second product shelf MS2 when the length L1 is longer than the length L2, and an example of this method is shown in Figure 15B. In this case, the holder plate 119 is detached. Then, the front plate 125 provided on the second product shelf MS2 is inserted between the clip portion 117 and the back surface of the shelf label attachment portion 113 from below.

[0091] 15B, the front panel 125 provided on the second product shelf MS2 is sandwiched between the clip portion 117 and the back surface of the shelf label attachment portion 113, causing the front panel 125 to bend due to its own elasticity. Therefore, the front and back surfaces of the front panel 125 come into contact with the back surface of the shelf label attachment portion 113 and the clip portion 117, respectively, with the elastic force of the front panel 125 being applied. In this way, the shelf label holder 103 holding the electronic shelf label 101 is attached to the second product shelf MS2. To remove the electronic shelf label 101, for example, the electronic shelf label 101 can be removed by holding it and moving it upward, thereby pulling out the clip portion 117 from between the clip portion 117 and the back surface of the shelf label attachment portion 113.

[0092] The shelf label mounting device 100 according to this embodiment can mount electronic shelf labels 101 on the first product shelf MS1 and the second product shelf MS2, which have different mounting methods. Furthermore, as described above, the holding plate 119 can be easily separated from the shelf label mounting portion 113, so that the electronic shelf labels 101 can be mounted on various second product shelves MS2.

[0093] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this and may be modified as follows.

[0094] For example, in the embodiment, an example has been described in which the shelf label holder 103 has the bearing portion 129 as a first fitting portion that is one of a shaft portion and a bearing portion for rotating about the rotation axis P relative to the support member 102. Also, an example has been described in which the support member 102 has the shaft portion 112 as a second fitting portion that is the other of a shaft portion and a bearing portion for rotating about the rotation axis P relative to the support member 102.

[0095] However, the shelf label holder 103 may have a shaft portion as the first fitting portion, and the support member 102 may have a bearing portion as the second fitting portion. This also provides the same effects as the embodiment.

[0096] For example, an example has been described in which right hanging portion 128 is shorter than left hanging portion 128, and stopper 130 is provided only on the longer left hanging portion 128, and is positioned below the lower end of right hanging portion 128. This makes it possible to arrange shelf label holders 103 at a narrow interval so that they are generally in contact in the left-right direction, as shown in FIG.

[0097] However, the right hanging portion 128 may be provided with the same length as the left hanging portion 128, and the stopper 130 may be provided on both the left and right hanging portions 128.

[0098] Furthermore, for example, in the embodiment, the stopper 130 protrudes leftward from the left end of the left hanging portion 128, thereby protruding from the side of the shelf label holding portion 103. However, The stopper 130 is It does not have to protrude from the side of the shelf label holder 103.

[0099] For example, the outer dimensions of the left and right arm portions 110 in the left and right direction may be accommodated inside the left and right clip portions 117, and the shaft portions 112 of the arm portions 110 may extend outward, unlike in the embodiment.

[0100] That is, a shaft 112 extending leftward from the left end face of the left arm section 110 and a shaft 112 extending rightward from the right end face of the right arm section 110 may be provided. In this case, the shaft 112 provided on the left arm section 110 may be inserted into the left bearing section 129 from the right, and the shaft 112 provided on the right arm section 110 may be inserted into the right bearing section 129 from the left.

[0101] At this time, left arm portion 110 is positioned to the right of left hanging portion 128, so stopper 130 should extend rightward from the right end of left hanging portion 128, that is, in the left-right direction, toward the center of shelf label mounting portion 113. The positions of stopper 130 in the front-to-rear and up-down directions may be the same as in the embodiment.

[0102] As in the embodiment, this allows the shelf label holding unit 103 to be locked by contact between the stopper 130 and the arm unit 110 so that the display unit 104 does not rotate beyond a forward-facing direction and further downward.

[0103] Therefore, the shelf label mounting device 100, which has a relatively simple structure, can prevent the display unit 104 of the electronic shelf label 101 from rotating downward beyond a predetermined range.

[0104] (Variation 1) In the embodiment, an example has been described in which the horizontal position of the gap is the same between the combination of the upper groove portion 105 and the protrusion portion 115 that fits into the groove portion 105 and the combination of the lower groove portion 105 and the protrusion portion 115 that fits into the groove portion 105.

[0105] However, the horizontal position of the gap between the combination of the upper groove 105 and the protrusion 115 that fits into said groove 105 and the combination of the lower groove 105 and the protrusion 115 that fits into said groove 105 may be different from each other at the top and bottom.

[0106] 17 shows an example of a shelf label holder 203 according to this modification. In the shelf label holder 203, the combination of the upper groove 105 and the protrusion 115 that fits into the groove 105 is the same as in the embodiment. In contrast, the position at which the combination of the lower groove 205 and the protrusion 215 that fits into the groove 205 is provided is different from that of the embodiment.

[0107] The lower groove 205 (rear wall 208) is provided below the gap between the upper groove 105 (rear wall 108). The lower protrusion 215 is provided below the gap between the upper protrusion 115.

[0108] In the figure, the dotted line shows an example of the position where the back surface of the electronic shelf label 201 will be placed when the electronic shelf label 201 is pressed against the shelf label attachment section 113 to attach the electronic shelf label 201 to the shelf label holder 203.

[0109] As can be seen from the figure, in this modified example, as in the embodiment, the protrusions 115, 215 can move left and right along the groove 105, and the rear wall 108 can move left and right along the groove between the shelf label mounting portion 113 and the protrusions 115, 215.

[0110] Therefore, the same effects as those of the embodiment are achieved.

[0111] Furthermore, according to this modification, the electronic shelf label 201 cannot be attached upside down to the shelf label holder 203. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the electronic shelf label 201 from being attached to the shelf label holder 203 with the upside down orientation reversed by mistake.

[0112] (Variation 2) In the embodiment, an example has been described in which both a combination of an upper groove portion 105 and a protrusion portion 115 that fits into the groove portion 105, and a combination of a lower groove portion 105 and a protrusion portion 115 that fits into the groove portion 105 are provided discretely.

[0113] However, the upper groove 105 and the protrusion that fits into the groove 105 115 and the combination of the lower groove 105 and the protrusion 115 fitted into the groove 105 may be provided discretely.

[0114] 18 is a front view of the shelf label holder 303 according to this modification. The shelf label holder 303 is provided with a continuous series of protrusions 315 that fit into the lower grooves 105. In the same figure, the dotted line shows an example of the position where the back surface of the electronic shelf label 101 will be placed when the electronic shelf label 101 is pressed against the shelf label attachment portion 113 to attach the electronic shelf label 101 to the shelf label holder 303.

[0115] In this modified example, the electronic shelf tag 101 is tilted slightly, and the lower protrusion 315 is fitted into the lower groove 105, and then the electronic shelf tag 101 is pressed against the shelf tag attachment portion 113 from the front of the shelf tag holding portion 103 so that the upper rear wall portion 108 passes through the gap of the upper protrusion 115.

[0116] As a result, similar to the embodiment, the protrusions 115, 315 can move left and right along the groove 105, and the rear wall 108 can move left and right along the groove between the shelf label mounting portion 113 and the protrusions 115, 315.

[0117] This modification also provides the same effects as the embodiment.

[0118] Some or all of the means of the above-described embodiments can be described as, but are not limited to, the following supplementary notes.

[0119] 1. Shelf tags and a shelf label holding unit for holding the shelf label, The shelf label has a groove extending laterally at each of its upper and lower ends, the shelf label holder has a protrusion that protrudes upward and downward and fits into the upper groove and the lower groove, At least one of the combination of the upper groove and the protrusion that fits into the groove and the combination of the lower groove and the protrusion that fits into the groove is provided discretely. Shelf tag mounting device.

[0120] 2. Both the combination of the upper groove and the protrusion that fits into the groove, and the combination of the lower groove and the protrusion that fits into the groove are provided discretely. The shelf tag mounting device described in 1 above.

[0121] 3. The combination of the upper groove and the protrusion that fits into the groove and the combination of the lower groove and the protrusion that fits into the groove have different lateral positions of the gaps between the upper and lower grooves. The shelf tag mounting device described in 2 above.

[0122] 4. The shelf label holder is a shelf label attachment portion to which the shelf label is attached; a flange portion that protrudes forward from each of the upper and lower ends of the shelf label mounting portion and is continuous in the horizontal direction; The protrusion protrudes downward from a flange protruding forward from the upper end of the shelf label mounting portion, and protrudes upward from a flange protruding forward from the lower end of the shelf label mounting portion. A shelf label mounting device according to any one of 1 to 3 above.

[0123] 5. The shelf label holder has a spring that pushes the shelf label forward when the shelf label is attached. A shelf label mounting device according to any one of 1 to 4 above.

[0124] 6. The shelf tag has a recess that forms a depression at a position where it is pressed by the spring portion when attached to the shelf tag holder. 6. The shelf tag mounting device according to item 5 above.

[0125] 7. The spring portion has a pressing protrusion that protrudes toward the shelf label, The recess forms the recess at a position where the pressing protrusion presses the recess. The shelf tag mounting device according to 6 above.

[0126] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-130342, filed on July 31, 2020, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety. [Explanation of symbols]

[0127] 100 Shelf tag mounting device 101,201 Electronic shelf label 102 Support member 103,203,303 Shelf label holding part 104 Display section 105,205 Groove 106 Step 107 Top part 108,208 Rear wall 109 Rod-shaped body 110 Arm section 111 Connection fixing part 112 Shaft 113 Shelf tag attachment part 114 Brim 115,215,315 Protrusion 116 Spring part 117 Clip part 118 Insertion part 119 Holding plate part 120 Retaining plate connection part 121 Pressing protrusion 122 Shelf 123 Partition 124 L-shaped board 125 Front Panel 126 Fixed part 127 Extension 128 Drooping part 129 Bearing 130 Stopper 131 Display board 132 recess

Claims

1. Shelf tags and a shelf label holding unit for holding the shelf label, The shelf label has a groove portion at each of its upper and lower ends, the groove portion being formed by a front step portion and a rear wall portion at the rear and extending in the horizontal direction; the shelf label holder has a protrusion that protrudes upward and downward and fits into the upper groove and the lower groove, The rear wall portions are spaced apart in the lateral direction, the rear wall portion is pressed from the front of the shelf label holder so as to pass through the gap between the protrusions, and the protrusions move along the grooves, so that the protrusions fit into the grooves, a combination of the upper groove portion and the protrusion portion fitted into the groove portion, and a combination of the lower groove portion and the protrusion portion fitted into the groove portion are both provided discretely; The combination of the upper groove and the protrusion that fits into the groove and the combination of the lower groove and the protrusion that fits into the groove include regions where the lateral positions of the gaps are different between the upper and lower. Shelf tag mounting device.

2. The shelf label holding unit a shelf label attachment portion to which the shelf label is attached; a flange portion that protrudes forward from each of the upper and lower ends of the shelf label mounting portion and is continuous in the horizontal direction; The protrusion protrudes downward from a flange protruding forward from the upper end of the shelf label attachment part, and protrudes upward from a flange protruding forward from the lower end of the shelf label attachment part. The shelf label mounting device according to claim 1.

3. The shelf label holder has a spring portion that pushes the shelf label forward when the shelf label is attached. The shelf label mounting device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The shelf tag has a recess that forms a depression at a position where the shelf tag is pressed by the spring when attached to the shelf tag holder. The shelf label mounting device according to claim 3.

5. the spring portion has a pressing protrusion that protrudes toward the shelf label, The recess forms the recess at a position where the pressing protrusion presses the recess. The shelf label mounting device according to claim 4.

Images