Shed structure

Abstract

To provide a shelf structure capable of reliably preventing an object placed on a shelf body from falling while easily and quickly changing an attitude of a fall prevention tool.SOLUTION: A shelf structure 16 comprises a shelf body 18 including an upper surface defined as a placement surface 17, and a fall prevention tool 19 provided at a front end of the shelf body 18. The fall prevention tool 19 includes a prevention tool body 20 configured to be able to change an attitude between a protrusion attitude located above the placement surface 17 and a retraction attitude located below the placement surface 17 and serving to prevent an object from falling in the protrusion attitude, a hinge body 22 for rotationally supporting the prevention tool body 20, and an energizing body 23 for energizing the prevention tool body 20 toward the protrusion attitude. The shelf structure further comprises a lock structure 25 for preventing the prevention tool body 20 in the protrusion attitude from rotationally turning to the retraction attitude side, and a holding mechanism 24 for holding the prevention tool body 20 in the retraction attitude against energizing force of the energizing body 23.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a shelf structure provided with a fall-preventing device at the front end of a shelf body to prevent articles placed on the shelf body from falling forward. The shelf structure of the present invention is applicable to display shelves such as refrigerated showcases and gondolas (registered trademark). [[ID=...]]

Background Art

[0002] The shelf structure of the present invention includes a fall-preventing device responsible for preventing articles placed on the shelf body from falling. As a conventional example of a shelf structure equipped with such a fall-preventing device, for example, Patent Document 1 (Title of the Invention: Shelf Device) can be cited. The shelf device of Patent Document 1 includes a shelf board and a decorative board (fall-preventing device) rotatably attached to the front part of the shelf board. Locking pieces provided with L-shaped slits are fixed to each of the left and right ends of the decorative board. Each locking piece is connected by a screw screwed into the side surface of the shelf board through the slit. The locking piece and the decorative board are configured to be rotatable around the screw.

[0003] The decorative board can switch its posture between an upper posture protruding above the upper surface of the shelf board and a lower posture positioned below the upper surface of the shelf board. Specifically, from the state where the decorative board protrudes above the upper surface of the shelf board (upper posture), an operator can lift the decorative board upward, then pull the mounting board forward, and further rotate the decorative board downward around the screw to switch the decorative board to a posture (lower posture) positioned below the upper surface of the shelf board. Also, from the state where the decorative board is positioned below the upper surface of the shelf board (lower posture), an operator can rotate the decorative board upward around the screw, then push the decorative board backward, and further push the decorative board downward to switch the decorative board to a posture (upper posture) protruding above the upper surface of the shelf board.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005] In the shelf device described in Patent Document 1, by positioning the decorative plate so that it protrudes above the top surface of the shelf (upper position), the decorative plate can catch items on the shelf, preventing them from falling off. Furthermore, by switching to a position where the decorative plate is located below the top surface of the shelf (lower position), items can be placed on or removed from the shelf without the decorative plate getting in the way. However, switching the position of the decorative plate relative to the shelf requires operations such as moving the decorative plate up and down, moving the decorative plate back and forth, and rotating the decorative plate, which has the disadvantage of being time-consuming and laborious in switching the position of the decorative plate.

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a shelf structure that can reliably prevent items placed on the shelf from falling, while allowing the position of the fall prevention device to be easily and quickly switched. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The shelf structure according to the present invention comprises a shelf body 18 whose upper surface is a surface 17 for placing articles, and a fall prevention device 19 provided at the front end of the shelf body 18 for the purpose of preventing articles placed on the surface 17 from falling. The fall prevention device 19 is configured to be able to change its posture between a protruding position located above the surface 17 and a retracted position located below the surface 17, and comprises a prevention device body 20 that is responsible for preventing articles from falling in the protruding position, a hinge body 22 that rotatably supports the prevention device body 20 with respect to the shelf body 18, and a biasing body 23 that biases the prevention device body 20 from the retracted position side toward the protruding position side. Furthermore, it is characterized by comprising a lock structure 25 that prevents the prevention device body 20 in the protruding position from rotating toward the retracted position side, and a holding mechanism 24 that holds the prevention device body 20 in the retracted position against the biasing force of the biasing body 23.

[0008] The hinge body 22 comprises a first hinge member 44 fixed to the shelf body 18, a second hinge member 45 fixed to the prevention device body 20, and a hinge shaft 46 which is a horizontal axis connecting both hinge members 44 and 45 so that they can rotate relative to each other. The biasing body 23 is incorporated into the hinge body 22 and consists of a spring 47 that biases the first hinge member 44 and the second hinge member 45 to rotate relative to each other around the hinge shaft 46. The holding mechanism 24 is incorporated into the hinge body 22 and consists of a stopper 48 that maintains the relative position of the first hinge member 44 and the second hinge member 45 against the biasing force of the biasing body 23.

[0009] The fall prevention device 19 includes a mounting body 21 that detachably holds the prevention device body 20, and a second hinge member 45 is fixed to this mounting body 21.

[0010] The shelf body 18 comprises a top wall 28 whose upper surface is a mounting surface 17, a vertical wall 30 extending downward from the front edge of the top wall 28, and a bottom wall 31 extending backward from the lower end of the vertical wall 30. The mounting body 21 comprises an upper piece 62 and a lower piece 63, and a front piece 64 connecting the front ends of the upper and lower pieces 62 and 63. When the protective device body 20 is in a protruding position, the lower piece 63 is positioned in front of the bottom wall 31 of the shelf body 18. A first hinge member 44 is fixed to the bottom wall 31, and a second hinge member 45 is fixed to the lower piece 63. The hinge shaft 46 is positioned below the bottom wall 31 and the lower piece 63.

[0011] The mounting body 21 is provided with a contact piece 65 that contacts the shelf body 18 to define the protruding position of the fall prevention device 19, and is configured so that the shelf body 18 and the contact piece 65 make surface contact.

[0012] The locking structure 25 includes a locking piece 74 connected to the shelf body 18, which can be displaced between a locked position that overlaps with the movement trajectory of the contact piece 65 when the protective device body 20 moves from a protruding position to a retracted position, and an unlocked position that deviates from the movement trajectory of the contact piece 65. The locking piece 74 is configured to slide in the left-right direction between the locked position and the unlocked position.

[0013] The lock piece 74 is equipped with a vertical piece 76 that faces the shelf body 18, and in the locked position, the vertical piece 76 of the lock piece 74 cooperates with the shelf body 18 to clamp the contact piece 65 from front to back. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the shelf structure of the present invention, which includes a fall prevention device 19 configured to allow for positional displacement between an extended position and a retracted position, the fall prevention device body 20, which is responsible for preventing items from falling, is rotatably supported by a hinge body 22, and the position of the fall prevention device body 20 can be appropriately displaced from an extended position to a retracted position, or from a retracted position to an extended position, simply by rotating the prevention device body 20. Furthermore, since the prevention device body 20 is biased toward the extended position by a biasing body 23, the prevention device body 20, which has been rotated to the retracted position, can be automatically returned to the extended position simply by removing the rotational force.

[0015] Furthermore, by providing a locking structure 25 that prevents the protective device body 20, which is in a protruding position, from rotating to the retracted position, the protective device body 20 can be prevented from being unintentionally displaced to the retracted position by enabling the locking structure 25. As a result, even when an item placed on the shelf body 18 comes into contact with the protective device body 20, the protective device body 20 can be prevented from being displaced to the retracted position, thereby reliably preventing the item placed on the shelf body 18 from falling. In addition, by providing a holding mechanism 24 that holds the protective device body 20 in the retracted position against the biasing force of the biasing body 23, the protective device body 20, which has been displaced to the retracted position after the locking structure 25 has been released, can be held by the holding mechanism 24, allowing the worker to perform tasks such as placing items on or removing items from the shelf body 18 with both hands free and without the protective device body 20 getting in the way. In addition, after placing or removing an item, the holding mechanism 24 releases its hold, allowing the biasing force of the biasing body 23 to automatically return the anti-fall device body 20 to its protruding position. At this time, the locking structure 25 is activated to prevent the item from falling again. As described above, the shelf structure 16 of the present invention allows for easy and quick switching of the position of the fall prevention device 19. Furthermore, it reliably prevents items placed on the shelf body 18 from falling.

[0016] The hinge body 22 comprises a first hinge member 44 fixed to the shelf body 18, a second hinge member 45 fixed to the anti-scratch body 20, and a hinge shaft 46 which is a horizontal axis connecting both hinge members 44 and 45 so that they can rotate relative to each other. The biasing body 23 is incorporated into the hinge body 22 and consists of a spring 47 that biases the first hinge member 44 and the second hinge member 45 to rotate relative to each other around the hinge shaft 46. With the biasing body 23 incorporated into the hinge body 22 in this way, it is not necessary to individually attach the hinge body 22 and the biasing body 23 between the shelf body 18 and the anti-scratch body 20, thus shortening the work process required to assemble the shelf structure 16. Furthermore, if the holding mechanism 24 is incorporated into the hinge body 22 and consists of a stopper 48 that maintains the relative position of the first hinge member 44 and the second hinge member 45 against the biasing force of the biasing body 23, then the assembly process for the shelf structure 16 can be shortened because it is not necessary to individually attach the hinge body 22 and the holding mechanism 24 between the shelf body 18 and the prevention device body 20. In addition, if the biasing body 23 and the holding mechanism 24 are incorporated into the hinge body 22, the structure of the fall prevention device 19 can be kept from becoming complicated. Note that this type of hinge body with a spring and stopper is commercially available as a click hinge and comes in various sizes and with different relative positions of the two hinge members 44 and 45 when held. By using these commercially available products, it is possible to appropriately select and attach a hinge body 22 suitable for the intended use of the shelf structure 16, which also has the advantage of easily providing various variations of the shelf structure 16.

[0017] If the fall prevention device 19 includes a mounting body 21 that detachably holds the prevention device body 20, and a second hinge member 45 is fixed to this mounting body 21, then the display mode and display function of the shelf structure 16 can be easily changed simply by changing the form of the prevention device body 20, for example, by making the prevention device body 20 a card rail equipped with a price card holding structure, or a card rail composed of a frame on which an electronic price display device can be hung.

[0018] If the hinge shaft 46 is positioned below the bottom wall 31 of the shelf body 18 and the lower piece 63 of the mounting body 21, it is not necessary to provide an area for the hinge body 22 between the vertical wall 30 of the shelf body 18 and the mounting body 21, thus increasing the front-to-back dimensions of the shelf body 18. Consequently, the space on the display surface 17 for displaying items can be increased.

[0019] The mounting body 21 is provided with a contact piece 65 that contacts the shelf body 18 to define the protruding position of the fall prevention device 19, and the shelf body 18 and the contact piece 65 are configured to make surface contact. This allows the impact of the mounting body 21 on the shelf body 18 when it returns to the protruding position due to the biasing force of the biasing body 23 to be dispersed by the contact piece 65 and absorbed by the shelf body 18. This prevents damage to the shelf body 18 or the fall prevention device 19 due to the impact.

[0020] The locking structure 25 includes a locking piece 74 connected to the shelf body 18, which can be displaced between a locked position that coincides with the movement trajectory of the contact piece 65 when the fall prevention device body 20 moves from a protruding position to a retracted position, and an unlocked position that deviates from the movement trajectory of the contact piece 65. This allows the state of the locking structure 25 to be switched simply by the position of the locking piece 74 relative to the movement trajectory of the contact piece 65 when the fall prevention device 19 is rotated, thus simplifying the configuration of the locking structure 25. Furthermore, if the locking piece 74 is configured to slide between the locked and unlocked positions, the locked state of the locking structure 25 can be switched with a simple operation of sliding the locking piece 74. Therefore, because the switching operation of the locking structure 25 is easy, the position of the fall prevention device 19 relative to the shelf body 18 can be switched easily and quickly.

[0021] The lock piece 74 is equipped with a vertical piece 76 that faces the shelf body 18, and when the lock piece 74 is in the locked position, the vertical piece 76 of the lock piece 74 cooperates with the shelf body 18 to clamp the contact piece 65 back and forth, thereby restricting the back and forth movement of the contact piece 65 between the shelf body 18 and the lock piece 74, and preventing the fall prevention device 19 from rattling.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] [Figure 1] It is a longitudinal side view showing the main part of the shelf structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a longitudinal side view of a refrigerated showcase to which the same shelf structure is applied. [Figure 3] It is a longitudinal side view showing a fall prevention device. [Figure 4] It is a bottom view showing the connection part between the shelf body and the fall prevention device. [Figure 5] It is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the holding mechanism. [Figure 6] It is a bottom view showing a lock structure. [Figure 7] It is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 1, where (a) shows the state where the lock piece is in the unlocked position and (b) shows the state where the lock piece is in the locked position.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0023] (Embodiment) FIGS. 1 to 7 show an embodiment in which the shelf structure according to the present invention is applied to an open-type refrigerated showcase. In this embodiment, the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions follow the cross arrows shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 and the front-rear, left-right, and up-down indications marked near each arrow.

[0024] As shown in Figure 2, the refrigerated display case comprises a main case 1 consisting of an insulated box with a front opening. The interior 2 enclosed by the main case 1 is divided by an inner case 3 into a display chamber 4 for refrigerated display of goods and a ventilation duct 5. The ventilation duct 5 is equipped with an evaporator 6 that constitutes the refrigeration cycle and a circulation fan 7 that forms the airflow circulating in the interior 2. When the circulation fan 7 is driven, circulating air is blown out from an outlet 8 located at the upper front end of the display chamber 4 towards an intake 9 located at the lower front end, forming an air curtain at the front opening. The circulation fan 7 is driven continuously while the refrigerated display case is in operation, and the resulting air curtain suppresses the intrusion of outside air into the display chamber 4. The interior 2 is cooled by the circulating air that has undergone heat exchange in the evaporator 6. The machine room 10, located on the lower side of the main case 1, houses a compressor 11 and a condenser 12 that, together with the evaporator 6 located in the ventilation duct 5, constitute the refrigeration cycle, as well as cooling fans 13 for cooling both 11 and 12.

[0025] In the display room 4, a multi-tiered shelf structure 16 is installed vertically for placing goods (items) such as food and beverages. Packaging boxes B containing the goods are placed on the shelf structure 16. As shown in Figure 3, the shelf structure 16 consists of a shelf body 18 whose upper surface is a mounting surface 17, and a fall prevention device 19 provided at the front end of the shelf body 18. The fall prevention device 19 comprises a prevention device body 20 that performs the fall prevention function, a mounting body 21 that detachably holds the prevention device body 20, and a hinge body 22 that rotatably supports the prevention device body 20 and the mounting body 21 with respect to the shelf body 18. The protective device body 20, which is rotatably supported by the hinge body 22, can be displaced between a protruding position in which it protrudes above the mounting surface 17 and a retracted position in which the upper end of the protruding position rotates away from the shelf body 18 (counterclockwise in Figure 3), causing the entire protective device body 20 to retract below the mounting surface 17. When the protective device body 20 is in the retracted position, the mounting body 21 is also positioned below the mounting surface 17.

[0026] As shown in Figure 1, the fall prevention device 19 includes a biasing body 23 that biases the prevention device body 20 from the retracted position to the protruding position, a holding mechanism 24 that holds the prevention device body 20 in the retracted position against the biasing force of the biasing body 23, and a locking structure 25 that prevents the prevention device body 20 in the protruding position from rotating to the retracted position. The prevention device body 20 is normally held in the protruding position because the rotation toward the protruding position by the biasing body 23 is received by the shelf body 18.

[0027] The shelf body 18 is formed in the shape of a rectangular box with a top wall 28 that is long from left to right and a perimeter frame 29 that is integrally formed on the lower side of the four edges of the top wall 28, with the bottom surface being flattened vertically and long from left to right and open. As shown in Figure 3, each side of the perimeter frame 29 is formed in an L-shape in cross-section by a vertical wall 30 that extends downward from the edge of the top wall 28 and a bottom wall 31 that extends inward from the lower end of the vertical wall 30. In Figure 3, reference numeral 32 denotes a reinforcing frame for reinforcing the top wall 28, and the reinforcing frame 32 is provided across the left and right ends of the shelf body 18.

[0028] As shown in Figure 2, the shelf body 18 is supported by a pair of left and right brackets 33 on the main case 1. Each bracket 33 is connected to the rear side of the left and right frame portions of the peripheral frame 29 and is attached to bracket mounting holes (not shown) provided on shelf posts 34 erected on the left and right sides at the back of the display room 4. Multiple bracket mounting holes are provided on the shelf posts 34 in the vertical direction, and the shelf body 18 can be installed in the display room 4 using any of the bracket mounting holes.

[0029] The protective device body 20 comprises a holding rail portion 37 for holding price cards and the like, and a mounting rail portion 38 for attaching to the mounting body 21. In other words, the protective device body 20 of this embodiment also functions as a card rail. The holding rail portion 37 is formed in a U-shape with a straight section that is in close contact, and the price card is inserted between the opposing walls and held in place. The mounting rail portion 38 is formed of a support wall 39 consisting of a vertical wall that supports the holding rail portion 37, a clamping wall 40 with an inverted L-shape in cross-section integrally formed on the rear surface of the support wall 39, and a retaining wall 41 extending backward from the lower end of the support wall 39. The protective device body 20 is made of an extruded product of an elastically deformable transparent resin material.

[0030] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the hinge body 22 comprises a first hinge wing (first hinge member) 44 fixed to the shelf body 18, a second hinge wing (second hinge member) 45 fixed to the mounting body 21, and a hinge shaft 46 that connects both hinge wing 44 and 45 so that they can rotate relative to each other. The first hinge wing 44 and the second hinge wing 45 of the hinge body 22 are relatively biased to rotate by a torsion coil spring 47 attached to the hinge shaft 46. Furthermore, when the anti-slip device body 20 is in the retracted position, the relative position of the first hinge wing 44 and the second hinge wing 45 is maintained by a stopper 48 incorporated in the hinge body 22. The hinge body 22 in this embodiment is composed of a commercially available flat hinge called a spring hinge with a stopper or a click hinge. Multiple hinge bodies 22 are provided between the shelf body 18 and the fall prevention device 19, spaced apart in the left-right direction.

[0031] As shown in Figure 4, the spring 47 is built into the first hinge vane 44 in a state where it is fitted onto the hinge shaft 46, with one of a pair of acting arms 49 provided at each end of the torsion coil in contact with the first hinge vane 44 and the other in contact with the second hinge vane 45. In this embodiment, the spring 47 provided in the hinge body 22 constitutes a biasing body 23 that biases the anti-fault device body 20 toward the protruding position.

[0032] The stopper 48 is provided between the two hinge vanes 44 and 45. Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, the stopper 48 is provided between the sliding surface 52 of the first hinge vane 44 and the sliding surface 53 of the second hinge vane 45. The stopper 48 consists of a mortar-shaped recess 54 formed in the sliding surface 52 of the first hinge vane 44, a ball 56 inserted into a ball hole 55 formed in the sliding surface 53 of the second hinge vane 45, and an extrusion spring 57 that pushes the ball 56 out of the ball hole 55 and biases it.

[0033] When the ball 56 is housed in the ball hole 55 and in contact with the sliding surface 52 of the first hinge blade 44, the ball 56 can roll or slide, allowing both hinge blades 44 and 45 to rotate relative to each other. Also, when the prevention device body 20 rotates so that the recess 54 and the ball hole 55 face each other, and the ball 56 pushed out of the ball hole 55 falls into the recess 54, the ball 56 gets caught in the recess 54, restricting the relative rotation of both hinge blades 44 and 45. The recess 54 is provided in two locations around the hinge shaft 46 so that the stopper 48 functions when the fall prevention device 19 is rotated 120 degrees counterclockwise from its protruding position and when it is rotated 170 degrees counterclockwise (see the dashed line in Figure 3). In this embodiment, the stopper 48 constitutes a holding mechanism 24 that holds the prevention device body 20 in a retracted position against the biasing force of the spring 47 (biasing body 23).

[0034] As shown in Figure 1, the mounting body 21 comprises a base frame 60 and a front frame 61 which are fixed together. The base frame 60 is formed in a roughly C-shape in cross-section by an upper piece 62 and a lower piece 63, a front piece 64 that connects the front ends of the upper and lower pieces 62 and 63, and a contact piece 65 that extends downward from the rear end of the upper piece 62. The front frame 61 comprises a horizontal piece 66, a vertical piece 67 that extends upward from the tip of the horizontal piece 66, and side pieces 68 and 68 that extend backward from the left and right ends of the vertical piece 67, respectively. The left-right length of the mounting body 21 is formed to be slightly shorter than the left-right length of the shelf body 18.

[0035] The base frame 60 and the front frame 61 are connected and integrated in such a way that the lower piece 63 and the horizontal piece 66 overlap vertically. When these two frames 60 and 61 are integrated, a gap is provided between the front piece 64 and the vertical piece 67, and this gap forms horizontally elongated mounting grooves 69 for attaching the protective device body 20. The mounting grooves 69 open upwards, and the left and right ends of the grooves are closed by side pieces 68.

[0036] To attach the protective device body 20 to the mounting body 21, the gap between the support wall 39 and the clamping wall 40 is widened, and the protective device body 20 is inserted from above so that the vertical piece 67 fits between these two walls 39 and 40. At this time, the clamping wall 40 is inserted into the mounting groove 69, and when the retaining wall 41 goes over the lower end of the vertical piece 67, the support wall 39 returns to its original position due to the elastic force of the protective device body 20 itself, so that the retaining wall 41 covers the horizontal piece 66. In this way, the vertical piece 67 is clamped front to back by the support wall 39 and the clamping wall 40, and the retaining wall 41 further catches on the horizontal piece 66 to prevent it from coming off upward, and the protective device body 20 is attached to the mounting body 21. The protective device body 20 attached to the mounting body 21 can be separated upward by elastically deforming the support wall 39 and releasing the catch of the retaining wall 41 on the horizontal piece 66.

[0037] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the hinge body 22 is configured such that the hinge shaft 46 is positioned below the bottom wall 31 and the lower piece 63. The first hinge wing 44 is fastened and fixed with screws 70 to the underside of the bottom wall 31 of the front frame portion of the peripheral frame 29, and the second hinge wing 45 is fastened and fixed with screws 70 to the underside of the overlapping portion between the lower piece 63 and the horizontal piece 66 of the mounting body 21. The position of the axis of the hinge shaft 46 in the front-rear direction is positioned slightly behind the front end position of the shelf body 18, in other words, slightly behind the front position of the vertical wall 30 of the front edge portion of the peripheral frame 29. In Figure 3, the spring 47 of the hinge body 22 exerts a biasing force in the clockwise direction, and this biasing force causes the prevention device body 20 to rotate clockwise around the hinge shaft 46 as the pivot point.

[0038] The fall prevention device body 20, biased by the spring 47, is restricted from rotating when the contact piece 65 of the base frame 60 contacts the vertical wall 30 of the front frame portion of the peripheral frame 29. In this way, the fall prevention device 19 has its mounting body 21 received by the shelf body 18, defining its protruding position. With rotation restricted, the fall prevention device 19 has the upper halves of both rail portions 37 and 38 of the prevention device body 20 protruding above the mounting surface 17, and this state is the protruding position. In the protruding position with the mounting body 21 received by the shelf body 18, the contact piece 65 is in surface contact with the vertical wall 30, and the biasing force from the spring 47 acts on the vertical wall 30 (shelf body 18) in a distributed state. A cushioning material can be provided on at least one of the contact surfaces between the contact piece 65 and the vertical wall 30, thereby mitigating the impact between the two (contact piece 65 and vertical wall 30) with the cushioning material.

[0039] In Figure 3, when the upper end of the protective device body 20, which is in a protruding position, is rotated counterclockwise around the hinge axis 46, against the biasing force of the spring 47 (biasing body 23), away from the shelf body 18, the protective device body 20 will be in a retracted position where its entirety is below the mounting surface 17. The protective device body 20, supported by the hinge body 22, can rotate until the second hinge wing 45 contacts the first hinge wing 44; specifically, in Figure 3, the lower surface of the fastening portion of the second hinge wing 45 contacts the lower surface of the fastening portion of the first hinge wing 44. Therefore, the retracted position of the protective device body 20 extends from the position where the protective device body 20 is retracted below the mounting surface 17 to the rotation limit position where the second hinge wing 45 contacts the first hinge wing 44. Furthermore, as mentioned earlier, the protective device body 20 is configured to be held in two positions in the retracted position shown by the dashed lines in Figure 3 by stoppers 48 provided at two locations around the hinge shaft 46.

[0040] When the protective device body 20 rotates around the hinge shaft 46, the rotational trajectory of the mounting body 21 is configured to be below the height position of the mounting surface 17. Specifically, when the protective device body 20 is in a protruding position, the upper piece 62 of the base frame 60 is positioned horizontally and below the mounting surface 17, and the hinge body 22, whose axis of the hinge shaft 46 is positioned slightly behind the front end position of the shelf body 18, is rotatably supported. Therefore, when the mounting body 21 rotates, the upper piece 62 does not move upward from its protruding position. Consequently, the mounting body 21 does not protrude above the mounting surface 17.

[0041] The protective device body 20, which is rotated to the retracted position and held by the stopper 48, is released from the stopper 48 when rotated to the protruding position, and rotates clockwise in Figure 3 around the hinge shaft 46 as the pivot point due to the biasing force of the spring 47. When the contact piece 65 comes into contact with the peripheral frame 29 due to this rotation, the rotation of the protective device body 20 is restricted and it returns to the protruding position. In this way, the fall prevention device 19 is configured such that simply releasing the hold of the stopper 48 causes the protective device body 20 to automatically change position from the retracted position to the protruding position due to the biasing force of the spring 47. When the protective device body 20 returns to the protruding position, the impact that the mounting body 21 receives on the shelf body 18 is dispersed by the surface contact between the vertical wall 30 and the contact piece 65.

[0042] Since the protective device body 20 is biased toward the protruding position by the biasing body 23, the protective device body 20 is maintained in the protruding position until the rotational torque acting on the protective device body 20 in the direction of rotation toward the retracted position exceeds the biasing force of the biasing body 23. Therefore, even when an item placed on the shelf body 18 moves forward and comes into contact with the protective device body 20, the protective device body 20 is maintained in the protruding position until a rotational torque exceeding the biasing force of the biasing body 23 acts on the protective device body 20, thereby preventing the item from inadvertently falling from the front end of the shelf body 18. However, if a rotational torque exceeding the biasing force of the biasing body 23 acts on the protective device body 20, the protective device body 20 may rotate toward the retracted position, potentially releasing the fall prevention function of the fall prevention device 19. Therefore, the shelf structure 16 is provided with a locking structure 25 that prevents the protective device body 20, which is in the protruding position, from rotating toward the retracted position, in order to prevent the fall prevention function from being released.

[0043] As shown in Figures 1 and 7, the locking structure 25 is connected to the bottom wall 31 of the shelf body 18 and includes a locking piece 74 that can be displaced between a locked position in which it interferes with the movement trajectory of the contact piece 65 when the protective device body 20 moves from a protruding position to a retracted position, and an unlocked position in which it moves away from the movement trajectory of the contact piece 65. The locking piece 74 is connected to the front frame portion of the peripheral frame 29 of the shelf body 18 and includes an L-shaped horizontal piece 75 and a vertical piece 76, an operating piece 77 extending downward from the right end of the horizontal piece 75, and a guide piece 78 extending left and forward from the left end of the vertical piece 76.

[0044] As shown in Figures 1 and 6, the lock piece 74 is positioned with the horizontal piece 75 facing the bottom wall 31 and the vertical piece 76 facing the vertical wall. A pair of left and right guide screws 80 are screwed into the bottom wall 31 through elongated sliding holes 79 formed in the horizontal piece 75, thereby connecting the lock piece 74 to approximately the left-right center of the front frame portion of the peripheral frame 29. A small gap is provided between the horizontal piece 75 and the bottom wall 31, allowing the lock piece 74 to slide left and right between the locked and unlocked positions relative to the peripheral frame 29. Additionally, a gap with a front-to-back width corresponding to the thickness of the contact piece 65 is provided between the vertical piece 76 and the vertical wall 30.

[0045] Figure 7(a) shows the lock piece 74 in the unlocked position. In this unlocked position, the vertical piece 76 and the guide piece 78 are positioned to face an upwardly recessed notch 81 formed in the contact piece 65 when viewed from the front. When the lock piece 74 is in the unlocked position, the vertical piece 76 and the guide piece 78 are positioned away from the rotational trajectory of the contact piece 65 by the notch 81. Therefore, even when the prevention device body 20 is rotated to the retracted position, the contact piece 65 does not come into contact with the lock piece 74, and the prevention device body 20 can rotate to the retracted position without any problems. When the operating piece 77 is grasped and slid to the left in the unlocked position, the lock piece 74 can be slid to the locked position shown in Figure 7(b). Even if there is a slight gap between the contact piece 65 and the vertical wall 30, the contact piece 65 is pressed by the guide piece 78 toward the side that is in close contact with the vertical wall 30 and moves to the correct position, so that the lock piece 74 can be slid smoothly.

[0046] When the lock piece 74 is in the locked position, the upper left portion of the vertical piece 76 of the lock piece 74 overlaps with the contact piece 65 in the front-to-back direction, and is positioned to coincide with the movement trajectory of the contact piece 65 when the prevention device body 20 moves from the protruding position to the retracted position. Therefore, the movement of the contact piece 65 due to the rotation of the prevention device body 20 is restricted by the vertical piece 76 of the lock piece 74, and rotation of the prevention device body 20 from the protruding position toward the retracted position is prevented. In addition, since the vertical piece 76 cooperates with the vertical wall 30 (shelf body 18) of the peripheral frame 29 to clamp the contact piece 65 in the front-to-back direction (see Figure 1), the prevention device body 20 does not rotate. When the operating piece 77 is grasped and slid to the right in the locked position, the lock piece 74 can be slid to the unlocked position shown in Figure 7(a).

[0047] Here, we will explain how to place the packaging box B containing the goods onto the shelf body 18 and how to remove it (how to lower the packaging box B from the shelf body 18). The operation of the shelf structure 16 is the same when placing and removing the goods. First, the worker slides the lock piece 74 to release the lock structure 25. Specifically, the worker pinches the operating piece 77 with their fingers and slides it to the right. This displaces the lock piece 74 from the locked position to the unlocked position, and the fall prevention device 19 becomes rotatable. Next, the worker rotates the fall prevention device 19 to switch the prevention device body 20 to the retracted position and displace it to a position where the stopper 48 is activated. This holds the prevention device body 20 in the retracted position. After the prevention device body 20 is held in the retracted position, the packaging box B can be easily placed on or removed from the placement surface 17 without the prevention device body 20 getting in the way.

[0048] After placing or removing the packaging box B, the worker rotates the prevention device body 20 to the protruding position to release the stopper 48 from holding it. Once the stopper 48 has released the prevention device body 20, the biasing force of the spring 47 automatically returns it to the protruding position. After the prevention device body 20 returns to the protruding position, the worker grasps the operating piece 77 with their fingers and slides it to the left. This displaces the lock piece 74 from the unlocked position to the locked position, preventing the fall prevention device 19 from rotating.

[0049] As described above, according to the shelf structure 16 of this embodiment, the posture of the protective device body 20 can be appropriately displaced from a protruding position to a retracted position, or from a retracted position to a protruding position, simply by rotating the protective device body 20. Furthermore, since the protective device body 20 is biased toward the protruding position by the biasing body 23, the protective device body 20 that has been rotated to the retracted position can be automatically returned to the protruding position simply by removing the rotational force.

[0050] Furthermore, the device is configured to include a locking structure 25 that prevents the protective device body 20, which is in a protruding position, from rotating to the retracted position. By enabling the locking structure 25, it is possible to prevent the protective device body 20 from being unintentionally displaced to the retracted position. As a result, even when an item placed on the shelf body 18 comes into contact with the protective device body 20, for example, it is possible to prevent the protective device body 20 from being displaced to the retracted position, thereby reliably preventing the item placed on the shelf body 18 from falling. In addition, the device is configured to include a holding mechanism 24 that holds the protective device body 20 in the retracted position against the biasing force of the biasing body 23. By holding the protective device body 20, which has been displaced to the retracted position after the locking structure 25 has been released, with the holding mechanism 24, the worker can proceed with placing items on or removing items from the shelf body 18 with both hands free and without the protective device body 20 getting in the way. In addition, after placing or removing an item, the holding mechanism 24 releases its hold, allowing the biasing force of the biasing body 23 to automatically return the anti-fall device body 20 to its protruding position. At this time, the locking structure 25 can be activated to prevent the item from falling again. As described above, the shelf structure 16 of this embodiment allows for easy and quick switching of the position of the fall prevention device 19. Furthermore, it reliably prevents items placed on the shelf body 18 from falling.

[0051] Since the biasing body 23 that biases the prevention device body 20 from the retracted position to the protruding position is made up of a spring 47 incorporated into the hinge body 22, it is not necessary to individually attach the hinge body 22 and the biasing body 23 between the shelf body 18 and the prevention device body 20, thus shortening the work process required to assemble the shelf structure 16. Furthermore, since the holding mechanism 24 that holds the prevention device body 20 in the retracted position against the biasing force of the biasing body 23 is made up of a stopper 48 incorporated into the hinge body 22, it is not necessary to individually attach the hinge body 22 and the holding mechanism 24 between the shelf body 18 and the prevention device body 20, thus shortening the work process required to assemble the shelf structure 16. In addition, incorporating the biasing body 23 and the holding mechanism 24 into the hinge body 22 prevents the structure of the fall prevention device 19 from becoming complicated. Furthermore, this type of hinge body with a spring and stopper is commercially available as a click hinge, and is available in various sizes and with different relative positions of the two hinge members 44 and 45 when held in place. By using these commercially available products, it is possible to appropriately select and install a hinge body 22 suitable for the intended use of the shelf structure 16, thus offering the advantage of easily providing a variety of shelf structures 16.

[0052] Since the fall prevention device 19 includes a mounting body 21 that detachably holds the prevention device body 20, and the second hinge member 45 is fixed to this mounting body 21, the display mode and display function of the shelf structure 16 can be easily changed simply by changing the form of the prevention device body 20, for example, by making the prevention device body 20 a card rail equipped with a price card holding structure, or a card rail composed of a frame on which an electronic price display device can be hung.

[0053] Since the hinge shaft 46 is positioned below the bottom wall 31 of the shelf body 18 and the lower piece 63 of the mounting body 21, there is no need to provide an area for the hinge body 22 between the vertical wall 30 of the shelf body 18 and the mounting body 21, thus the front-to-back dimensions of the shelf body 18 can be increased. Consequently, the space on the display surface 17 for displaying items can be increased.

[0054] The mounting body 21 is provided with a contact piece 65 that contacts the shelf body 18 to define the protruding position of the fall prevention device 19, and the shelf body 18 and the contact piece 65 are configured to make surface contact. As a result, the impact of the mounting body 21 on the shelf body 18 when it returns to the protruding position due to the biasing force of the biasing body 23 can be dispersed by the contact piece 65 and absorbed by the shelf body 18. This prevents damage to the shelf body 18 or the fall prevention device 19 due to the impact.

[0055] The locking structure 25 is connected to the shelf body 18 and includes a locking piece 74 that can be displaced between a locked position, which coincides with the movement trajectory of the contact piece 65 when the fall prevention device body 20 moves from a protruding position to a retracted position, and an unlocked position, which deviates from the movement trajectory of the contact piece 65. With this configuration, the state of the locking structure 25 can be switched simply by changing the position of the locking piece 74 relative to the movement trajectory of the contact piece 65 when the fall prevention device 19 is rotated, thus simplifying the configuration of the locking structure 25. Furthermore, since the locking piece 74 is configured to slide between the locked and unlocked positions, the locked state of the locking structure 25 can be switched with a simple operation of sliding the locking piece 74. Therefore, because the switching operation of the locking structure 25 is easy, the position of the fall prevention device 19 relative to the shelf body 18 can be switched easily and quickly.

[0056] The lock piece 74 is equipped with a vertical piece 76 that faces the shelf body 18, and the vertical piece 76 of the lock piece 74 in the locked position is configured to cooperate with the shelf body 18 to clamp the contact piece 65 back and forth. Thus, the shelf body 18 and the lock piece 74 restrict the back and forth movement of the contact piece 65, preventing the fall prevention device 19 from rattling.

[0057] In the above embodiment, the biasing body 23 is composed of a spring 47 incorporated into the hinge body 22, but the biasing body 23 can be composed of a spring body such as a leaf spring or a rotary damper provided separately from the hinge body 22. The holding mechanism 24 may be a holding structure provided separately from the hinge body 22, for example, a magnetic attraction structure. The locking structure 25 is configured such that a notch 81 is provided in the contact piece 65 and a vertical piece 76 overlaps the contact piece 65 in the locked position, but it is also possible to provide an extension piece that extends downward from the contact piece 65 and have the vertical piece 76 overlap the extension piece. Multiple locking structures 25 may be provided. The anti-rolling device body 20 can be composed of a roll-stopping frame made by shaping a round bar into a square frame or a roll-stopping plate made of long plates on the left and right sides, in addition to a guard rail. In this case, if the diameter of the round bar or the thickness of the plate is matched to the front-to-back dimension of the mounting groove 69, the anti-tipping frame or anti-tipping plate can be attached to the mounting body 21 simply by inserting it into the mounting groove 69.

[0058] The above describes placing a packaging box B containing goods on the shelf structure 16, but goods removed from the packaging box can also be placed (displayed) on the shelf structure 16. The shelf structure 16 of the present invention can be applied not only to refrigerated (frozen) or heated display cases, but also to display shelves called gondolas for displaying goods that do not have refrigeration or heating functions. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0059] 17 Mounting surface 18 Shelf Unit 19. Fall prevention device 20 Protective device body 21 Mounting body 22 Hinge Body 23. Biased body 24 Retention mechanism 25 Locking structure 28. Ceiling Wall 30 Vertical walls 31 Bottom wall 44. First hinge member (first hinge wing) 45. Second hinge component (second hinge wing) 46 Hinge shaft 47 springs 48 Stopper 62 Top piece 63 Lower piece 64 Front piece 65 Contact piece 74 Rock Pieces 76 vertical piece

Claims

1. The system comprises a shelf body (18) whose upper surface serves as a surface for placing items (17), and a fall prevention device (19) provided at the front end of the shelf body (18) for the purpose of preventing items placed on the surface (17) from falling. The fall prevention device (19) is configured to be able to change its posture between a protruding position located above the mounting surface (17) and a retracted position located below the mounting surface (17), and comprises a prevention device body (20) which is responsible for preventing items from falling in the protruding position, a hinge body (22) which rotatably supports the prevention device body (20) with respect to the shelf body (18), and a biasing body (23) which biases the prevention device body (20) from the retracted position side toward the protruding position side. The device includes a locking structure (25) that prevents the main body (20) of the preventive device from rotating to the retracted position when it is in a protruding position, and a holding mechanism (24) that holds the main body (20) of the preventive device in the retracted position against the biasing force of the biasing body (23). The hinge body (22) comprises a first hinge member (44) fixed to the shelf body (18), a second hinge member (45) fixed to the protective device body (20), and a hinge shaft (46) which is a horizontal shaft that connects both hinge members (44 and 45) so that they can rotate relative to each other. The biasing body (23) is incorporated into the hinge body (22) and consists of a spring (47) that biases the first hinge member (44) and the second hinge member (45) to rotate relative to each other around the hinge axis (46). The holding mechanism (24) is incorporated into the hinge body (22) and consists of a stopper (48) that maintains the relative position of the first hinge member (44) and the second hinge member (45) against the biasing force of the biasing body (23). The fall prevention device (19) includes a mounting body (21) that detachably holds the prevention device body (20), and a second hinge member (45) is fixed to this mounting body (21). The shelf body (18) comprises a top wall (28) whose upper surface is a mounting surface (17), a vertical wall (30) extending downward from the front edge of the top wall (28), and a bottom wall (31) extending backward from the lower end of the vertical wall (30). The mounting body (21) comprises an upper piece (62) and a lower piece (63), and a front piece (64) that connects the front ends of the upper and lower pieces (62 and 63). When the protective device body (20) is in a protruding position, the lower piece (63) is positioned in front of the bottom wall (31) of the shelf body (18). A first hinge member (44) is fixed to the bottom wall (31), and a second hinge member (45) is fixed to the lower piece (63). A shelf structure characterized in that the hinge shaft (46) is positioned below the bottom wall (31) and the lower piece (63).

2. The mounting body (21) is provided with a contact piece (65) that contacts the shelf body (18) and defines the protruding position of the fall prevention device (19), The shelf structure according to claim 1, wherein the shelf body (18) and the contact piece (65) are configured to be in surface contact.

3. The locking structure (25) includes a locking piece (74) connected to the shelf body (18) that can be displaced between a locked position which overlaps with the movement trajectory of the contact piece (65) when the protective device body (20) moves from a protruding position to a retracted position, and an unlocked position which is away from the movement trajectory of the contact piece (65), The shelf structure according to claim 2, wherein the lock piece (74) is configured to slide in the left-right direction between a locked position and an unlocked position.

4. The lock piece (74) is provided with a vertical piece (76) that faces the shelf body (18), The shelf structure according to claim 3, wherein the vertical piece (76) of the locking piece (74) in the locked position cooperates with the shelf body (18) to clamp the contact piece (65) in the front and back.

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