Supports: racks – Special article – Stacked articles
Patent
1997-05-30
1999-08-17
Chin-Shue, Alvin C.
Supports: racks
Special article
Stacked articles
A47F 500
Patent
active
059380489
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a tiered rack assembly, and in particular to a modular tiered rack assembly for displaying and merchandising consumer products. A rack assembly should be understood to be an arrangement of racks or channel components for supporting merchandise.
EP-0 295 869 B discloses a modular tiered rack assembly for merchandising flat or flat packed products. That assembly features a hanging means comprising an extruded profile (or pressing) which is shaped so as to connect a first (or starter) `J` shaped rack component to slotted wall panelling. The extrusion connects to a hook-over detail on the longer leg of the `J` shaped rack and its dog-legged shaped back connects to routed slots in the slotted wall panels thus providing the hanging means for the first or starter rack.
The second rack connects to the first rack by means of the same hook-over detail and so on for as many tiers as are required for a particular merchandising situation. The multi-tiered assembly is kept spaced apart from the wall surface by means of removable support rods which attach to the back of the rack components by means of receiver sockets while the racks are suspended from the first hanging means.
While this known structure is ideal for lightweight products such as greeting cards, hosiery etc. it has been found to be less than satisfactory for heavier products such as magazines, picture frames etc. and particularly as larger capacity racks are required by the market place, thus increasing the load factor considerably.
Furthermore, the known rack system, which is designed for hanging from slotted wall panels is not ideally suitable for hanging on modular metal shelving equipment which is used extensively throughout the shopfitting and retail industries, particularly in the supermarket, convenience and forecourt market sectors.
Modular metal shelving equipment generally comprise (hereinafter referred to as the structure) spaced at various intervals from 500 mm to 1500 mm centre to centre apart and varying in height from 500 mm to 3000 mm; base of the metal uprights to create a stable structure, either L shape for single sided wall located units or inverted T shape for double sided free-standing "gondola" type structures; tubular uprights by various fixing means; and required locations anywhere along the height of the uprights.
The components of these shelving systems are modular and generally connect together, with minimum use of tools or expertise.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an improvement in the supporting arrangement of the rack assembly disclosed in European Patent No. 0 295 869 B1 in order to make it possible: structure. profiles. equipment predominant in the retail marketplace. (e.g.--weak back panels, loss of rods, breakages of sockets and the like.
The present invention provides a modular rack or shelf assembly comprising a pair of anchor brackets, each bracket being removably engageable with a generally upright support member and each bracket including means for supporting a demountable display rack or shelf spanning between the brackets, characterised in that the assembly further includes an elongate tie element removably engageable with each bracket, the tie element and/or bracket having fixing means for enabling the tie element and bracket to be securely connected to one another to provide a stable construction.
One or more hanger brackets are conveniently connectable to the anchor brackets and to other hanger brackets so connected, each being removably suspendable from the lowest previously suspended anchor bracket or hanger bracket to construct a tiered merchandise display support structure.
Conveniently, the rack functions as the tie element, with each bracket having means for fastening the rack thereto. The fastening means comprises suction pads fixed to the brackets. Alternatively, the elongate tie element comprises a tie bar engageable to and between the brackets and the fixing means comprises a pair of toothed ends on the
REFERENCES:
patent: 5184737 (1993-02-01), Hardy
patent: 5758781 (1998-06-01), Lord et al.
Carroll Francis Alfred
McElvanny Oliver
Carroll Products and Designs Limited
Chin-Shue Alvin C.
Purol Sarah
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