Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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INCLINED DISPLAY SHELVES AND ACCESSORIES THEREFOR
This invention relates to inclined display shelves and accessories
therefor which allow the better display of products for sale on display
shelves of the
inclined self feeding type..
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Racks to hold and display packaged products in the fastener industry
are known, both with horizontal and sloped or angled shelves. Shelves that are
angled downwards or toward the viewer or customer are also known, and are
designed in this manner to allow the remaining boxes or packages to slide
forward
as the first container in the row is removed by a worker or customer.
Carton flow racks of this type provide excellent storage density
combined with picking efficiency. No power source is required, and because
frontage per item is greatly reduced, restocking and picking can be done much
faster. In fact, one person can do the work of three or four. Typically static
shelving:
pickers spend only 15% of their time doing productive work. It has been found
that
with gravity carton flow, pickers spend 85% of their time doing productive
work. A
gravity carton flow system may cost a little more than conventional shelving
but it
cuts labor costs drastically. This type of racking is commonly used by
retailers such
, as Home Depot and Lowes. Examples of a system which allows the gravity flow
system to be allied to conventional shelving frame work is shown in Canadian
Patent
2453273 entitled SHELVING DISPLAY RACK which corresponds to US Patent
6,799,689.
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Products for shelving of this type are commonly packaged in square or2
rectangular shaped boxes or containers to be place on the shelf. In some
cases,
heavily loaded boxes may bind or stick to the shelf material thus preventing
the self
feeding system form operating.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is one object of the invention to provide an arrangement of
containers for the rack which will assist with displaying the products
contained on the
inclined shelf.
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a set of
containers for use with a display rack having a plurality of shelves where at
least
some of the shelves are inclined at a shelf angle from a front edge upwardly
and
rearwardly to a rear edge so that articles on the shelf tend to slide
forwardly to the
front edge, the set of containers comprising:
a plurality of containers each having a base for resting on the shelf,
upstanding front and rear walls and upstanding side walls;
the front, rear and side walls of the containers defining a common
width and depth of the containers so that they can be arranged in rows located
side
by side across the width of the shelf with a plurality of containers in each
row from
the front edge to the rear edge;
the containers having the front and rear walls inclined at a wall angle to
a plane at right angles to the base the base, which wall angle is
substantially equal
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to the shelf angle so that with the base sitting on the inclined shelf the
front and rear 3
walls stand substantially upright.
Preferably each container has a top which is substantially parallel to
the base.
Preferably the front and rear walls are planar and parallel and the side
walls are planar and parallel so that the containers are substantially
rectangular.
However the container can also be curved or even circular in horizontal cross-
section.
board but can be any material.Preferably the containers are formed of a board
material such as card
Preferably the cardboard front wall includes an opening covered by a
transparent material to allow viewing of the contents.
As an alternative the walls can be molded from a transparent material
such as a plastic or glass jar.
Preferably the top forms an opening with a covering lid which can be a
snap fit or a screw fit.
Preferably the lid has an opening therein smaller than the opening in
the top with a hinged opening portion which snaps shut on the lid to close the
opening in the lid.
Preferably the lid is circular and the opening is semi-circular so as to
form less than half of the open top.
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...._
Preferably the opening portion carries protruding clips to hold a4
component associated with the product flat against the underside of the
opening
portion. Where the product is a fastener or the like, the component can be a
tool,
such as a nailset or driver bit, to apply the fastener supplied in the
container. Also
the component can be a sample of the contents of the container.
Preferably the clips are arranged in two spaced pairs to hold an
elongate sample clipped between each pair and extending longitudinally between
the pairs flat against the underside of the lid.
Preferably there is provided a tray with a flat base arranged to sit on
the shelf with front and rear walls upstanding from the base, the tray having
a width
substantially equal to the width of the containers for receiving one row of
the
containers.
Preferably the tray includes a removable cover portion for retaining the
containers on the tray and protecting the containers for shipping, the cover
portion
being removable to allow the tray containing the containers to be placed on
the shelf
for display of the containers.
Preferably the tray has at least the base thereof formed from a plastics
material having a coefficient of friction less than that of the shelf.
The arrangement described in more detail hereinafter provides boxes
and containers specifically designed to suit sloped rack shelves. The
container
shapes lend themselves to the larger type of racking
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The arrangement described in more detail hereinafter also provides a5
sleeve or tray beneath the boxes or packages carried by the shelf. This sleeve
or
tray should be manufactured from a material known to have a low coefficient of
friction. Numerous types of plastic with suitable characteristics are
available. This
type of sleeve or tray has the added benefit of being usable as a shipping
container
for several packages or boxes.
The arrangement described in more detail hereinafter also provides a
plastic container or jar which has been modified for use in the sloped rack
system.
The arrangement described in more detail hereinafter also provides
lids for the jars which are provided with openings to allow easy removal of
contained
product without removing the lid from the container. The opening provided may
encompass one half or more of the top surface area of the lid. The opening
portion
of the lid is provided with four or more protrusions to form "clips" in order
to hold a
tool to set or imbed the product when the product is one such as finishing
nails. The
protrusions may also hold a tool known as a "driver bit" when the product held
by the
container is a type of screw which uses a tool to apply it. The lid, when in a
closed
position, is retained by one or more protrusions forming a latch which are in
frictional
contact with the main body of the lid.
When applied to the arrangements shown in Canadian patent
2,453,273 and US patent 6,799,689 related to larger pallet carrying racks, the
self
feeding characteristics greatly reduce labour for warehouse staff who would
normally
be required to pull remaining boxes and packages forward.
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Advantages of the modified container system combined with sloped6
rack shelves are as follows:
The use of packages or containers shaped to suit the angled or sloped
racks improves the ability of remaining packages to slide forward and downward
as
one is removed from the rack, presenting an orderly and attractive
presentation of
product to the customer.
The use of boxes or containers modified in this manner is more
attractive to the customer.
The tendency for boxes and containers to align themselves at the front
of the display reduces time spent by staff in keeping displays orderly.
Product counts are simplified because all boxes or packaged items are
at the front of the rack.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
One embodiment of the invention will now be described in conjunction
with the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a side elevational view of one example of a conventional
shelving rack with angled or sloped shelves.
Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the same conventional shelf of
the rack of Figure 1 with square or rectangular product container boxes placed
on it.
Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the same conventional shelf of
the rack of Figure 1 with modified product container boxes according to the
present
invention placed on it.
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Figures 4A and 4B are respectively front and side views of the7
modified product container boxes of Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the same conventional shelf of
the rack of Figure 1 with modified product container boxes of Figure 3 and a
slide
container or tray according to the present invention placed on the shelf and
containing the boxes of Figure 3.
Figures 6A and 6B are respectively front and side views of the
modified product container jars for use with the shelf of Figure 3 or Figure
5.
Figure 7 is an isometric view of one tray of Figure 5.
Figures 7A and 7B are isometric views of a lid of the modified product
container jars of Figures 6A and 6B in open and closed positions respectively.
Figures 7C and 7B are side elevational views of the lid of Figures 7A
and 7B.
In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding
parts in the different figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Figures 1 and 2 show a conventional display rack which can be of the
type shown in the above patent. In Figure 2 the containers 15 for the articles
to be
sold are of the conventional type typically used with such racks. The
containers 15
are arranged in a series of rows side by side across the shelf. The display
rack 10
has a plurality of shelves 11 where at least some of the shelves 11 are
inclined at a
shelf angle B from a front edge 11A upwardly and rearwardly to a rear edge 11B
so
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that articles on the shelf tend to slide forwardly to the front edge. The
shelves are8
mounted on a frame system 13 of a conventional construction.
In Figures 3, 4 and 5 is shown a set of containers 20 comprising a
plurality of containers 21 each having a base 22 for resting on the shelf 11,
upstanding front 23 and rear 24 walls and upstanding side walls 25. The front,
rear
and side walls of the containers define a common width and depth of the
containers
so that they can be arranged in rows located side by side across the width of
the
shelf with a plurality of containers in each row from the front edge 11A to
the rear
edge 11B.
The containers 21 have the front and rear walls 23, 24 inclined at a
wall angle A to a plane P at right angles to the base 22, which wall angle A
is
substantially equal to the shelf angle B so that with the base sitting on the
inclined
shelf the front and rear walls 23, 24 stand substantially upright.
As shown in Figure 3, each container has a top 26 which is
substantially parallel to the base 22.
As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the front and rear walls 23, 24 are planar
and parallel and the side walls 25 are planar and parallel so that the
containers are
substantially rectangular. These containers are typically formed of a board
material.
The front wall includes a square opening 27 covered by a transparent material
28 to
allow viewing of the contents.
In an alternative arrangement shown in Figure 6, the walls are molded
from a transparent material 30 to form a jar where the molded top 31 forms an
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9
opening 32 with a covering lid 33 with a peripheral rim 34 which is a snap fit
or a
screw fit onto a rib at the opening 32.
As shown in Figures 7A to 7D, wherein the lid 33 has an opening 35
therein smaller than the opening 32 in the top with a hinged opening portion
36
which snaps by a snap edge 37 shut on the lid to close the opening in the lid.
As
shown as an example, the lid 33 is circular and the opening is 35 semi-
circular so as
to form less than half of the open top 32.
The opening portion 36 carries protruding clips 38 to hold a sample 39
of the contents of the container against the underside of the opening portion
36. The
clips are arranged in two spaced pairs 40, 41 to hold the elongate sample 39
clipped
between each pair and extending longitudinally between the pairs.
As shown in Figures 5 and 7, there is provided a tray 40 with a flat
base 41 arranged to sit on the shelf 11 with front and rear walls 42, 43
upstanding
from the base with side walls 44, 45. The tray has a width substantially equal
to the
width of the containers 21 for receiving one row of the containers.
The tray includes a removable cover portion (note shown) attached to
a top edge 47 or wrapped over the tray for retaining the containers 21 on the
tray
and protecting the containers for shipping. The cover portion is removable by
tearing or unwrapping to allow the tray containing the containers to be placed
on the
shelf for display of the containers. This allows the containers to be easily
loaded
and also improves the sliding action in the inclined shelf. For further
improvement,
the side walls 44, 45 and the base 41 can include notches 46 forming narrow
rails on
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which the containers slide. The tray can be used with conventional articles
or10
containers to hold the row of articles or containers to be displayed for sale.
For
improved sliding action, the tray has at least the base thereof formed from a
plastics
material having a coefficient of friction less than that of the shelf.
The arrangement described in more detail hereinafter also provides
lids for the jars which are provided with openings to allow easy removal of
contained
product without removing the lid from the container. The opening provided may
encompass one half or more of the top surface area of the lid. The opening
portion
of the lid is provided with four or more protrusions to form "clips" in order
to hold a
tool to set or imbed the product when the product is one such as finishing
nails. The
protrusions may also hold a tool known as a "driver bit" when the product held
by the
container is a type of screw which uses a tool to apply it. The lid, when in a
closed
position, is retained by one or more protrusions forming a latch which are in
frictional
contact with the main body of the lid.
