EP0069003B1 - Apparatus for storing and dispensing articles, e.g. small boxes - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a device for storing and distributing rectangular objects and packages, in particular cigarette packages, boxes and other similar articles.

There are already known devices for storing and distributing packages or boxes, in particular of the type described in FR-A-2 310 603, which include a frame or profile rack in which are fixed, by clipping or other method, a certain number of distributor pushers biased forward by a spring or elastic. Such a frame or rack often serves as a stop at the front of the dispenser in order to contain the thrust exerted on the packages or boxes. Such devices have a number of drawbacks.

In the first place, their installation is often difficult because they do not necessarily adapt to existing shelving. In addition, their price is always very high because these devices require the contribution of the frame or the rack and in most cases, they require the installation of new shelving adapted to the size of the distribution assembly.

The present invention aims to remedy these various drawbacks by providing a storage and distribution apparatus of particularly simple design which can very easily adapt to all types of shelving of different depths and which has a low cost price.

To this end, this device for storing and distributing parallelepipedic objects such as boxes, packages or similar articles, comprising an elongated main body on which the objects are placed, one behind the other, a pusher mounted with longitudinal sliding on this body and an elastic member urging the pusher forward so as to apply it against the last object in the queue, is characterized in that it comprises an auxiliary body mounted to slide longitudinally in the main body, to extend the latter over a variable length, and the pusher comprises guide members cooperating with slides of the main body and the auxiliary body to ensure continuous guiding of the pusher over the entire length of the telescopic assembly formed by the two bodies.

According to an additional characteristic of the invention, the pusher comprises external and internal guide members cooperating respectively with external slides provided on the main body and with internal slides provided on the auxiliary body.

The device according to the invention offers the advantage that it allows storing packages or boxes in a minimum volume on an existing shelving, whatever the width thereof, since the length of the main body and the body auxiliary forming the base of the device can be adapted to the depth of the shelving. In addition, it makes it possible to always have a package fully visible to the public on the front and an easy unitary grip for the sale of boxes or packages.

The storage and distribution device according to the invention can also be arranged in several copies side by side, to use the entire width of a shelf.

• la figure 1 est une vue en perspective d'un appareil de rangement et de distribution suivant l'invention, les objets, tels que boîtes ou paquets, distribués n'étant pas représentés ;
• la figure 2 est une vue en perspective du poussoir ;
• la figure 3 est une vue en coupe transversale du corps principal, du corps auxiliaire et de la partie inférieure du poussoir ;
• la figure 4 est une vue en plan du corps principal seul ;
• la figure 5 est une vue en élévation du corps principal ;
• la figure 6 est une vue de face, prise de la droite sur la figure 5, du corps principal ;
• la figure 7 est une vue en perspective partielle de la partie avant de l'appareil, munie de la plaque formant butoir ;
• la figure 8 est une vue de profil de la plaque formant butoir ;
• la figure 9 est une vue de face de la plate- forme en butoir ;
• la figure 10 est une vue en prespective schématique d'un intercalaire en carton découpé et replié en U ;

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below, by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the appended drawing in which:

• Figure 1 is a perspective view of a storage and distribution apparatus according to the invention, the objects, such as boxes or packages, distributed not being shown;
• Figure 2 is a perspective view of the pusher;
• Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the main body, the auxiliary body and the lower part of the pusher;
• Figure 4 is a plan view of the main body alone;
• Figure 5 is an elevational view of the main body;
• Figure 6 is a front view, taken from the right in Figure 5, of the main body;
• Figure 7 is a partial perspective view of the front part of the apparatus, provided with the plate forming a stopper;
• Figure 8 is a side view of the stopper plate;
• Figure 9 is a front view of the stop platform;
• Figure 10 is a schematic perspective view of a cardboard interlayer cut and folded into a U;

The apparatus for storing and distributing parallelepiped objects according to the invention, shown in FIG. 1, comprises an elongated main body 1 on which the objects are placed one behind the other. On this body is mounted in longitudinal sliding a pusher 2 which is applied against the last object in the series and is urged forward by a spring 3.

The main body 1 is constituted by a profile advantageously made of plastic.

According to the invention the main body 1 is extended towards the rear by an auxiliary body 4 which is mounted to slide longitudinally in the main body 1 and thus forms therewith a telescopic assembly of variable length depending on the depth. shelving or furniture in which the device according to the invention is housed.

The pusher 2 is shaped so as to be able to slide both on the front main body 1 and on the rear auxiliary body 4.

The main body 1 and the auxiliary body 4 each have a cross section which is substantially U-shaped as can best be seen in FIG. 3. The main body 1 has, on its two walls lateral and vertical, parallel longitudinal slides 5 and 6 which may be constituted by inclined ramps, as in the example illustrated, or by grooves or ribs. With these slides cooperate respective external guide members 7 and 8 provided at the lower part of the pusher 2. These members are constituted, in this case, by ramps inclined downward and inward and which slide along the ramps 5 and 6. forming the slides of the main body 1. However, the guide members 7 and 8 could be constituted by ribs or even grooves.

The main body 1 also has, on the internal faces of its side walls, two slides 9 and 10 with which cooperate respective guide members 11 and 12 provided in the external faces of the two side walls of the auxiliary body 4. In the example illustrated, the slides 9 and 10 are constituted by grooves in which engage corresponding ribs 11 and 12 of the auxiliary body 4.

This auxiliary body 4 also has, on the internal faces of its lateral walls, two internal slides 13 and 14 with which cooperate respectively internal guide members 15 and 16 integral with the lower part of the pusher 2. These guide members 15 and 16 may consist of ribs engaging in the grooves constituting the internal slides 13 and 14.

It is therefore seen from the above that the pusher 2 can slide on the main body 1 by its ramps 7, 8 constituting guide members cooperating with the ramps 5 and 6 of the main body 1, and on the auxiliary body 4 by its guide members or ribs 15 and 16 sliding in the internal slides 13 and 14 of the auxiliary body 4.

Naturally, the auxiliary body 4 has a height slightly less than that of the main body 1 so that the upper faces of the two bodies 1 and 4 are at the same level.

The parallelepipedic objects to be distributed are placed vertically on these upper faces and are pushed forward by the pusher 2 urged by the spring 3. This spring 3 is hooked to a lug 17 secured to the core of the profile constituting the main body 1 , at the front end of the latter and also to a lug 18 provided under the pusher 2.

At its anterior end, the main body 1 has a transverse front wall 19 in front of which extends a lower transverse edge 20. On the front wall 19 is fitted a vertical plate 21 forming a stopper, which has, on its face posterior, a U-shaped groove 22 coming to engage on the front wall 19. On its anterior face the plate 21 has a U-shaped rib 23 turned downward and delimiting with the edge 20 a groove 24 with a T-shaped straight section .

The plate 21 forming a stopper is preferably made of transparent material and it optionally allows the establishment of a label.

The groove 24, delimited between the lower edge 20 and the upper rib 23, is intended to receive an intermediate tongue 25 forming part of an interlayer 26 produced from a plate of cardboard or similar material cut out in an appropriate manner. This cardboard plate 26 is folded in a U so that the central core of the U, of very low height, can constitute the tongue 25 which is received in the groove 24. The branches of the U are then folded longitudinally on either side. other of the main body 1 and they serve to separate the various rows of objects, when several dispensing devices are placed side by side. This avoids snagging between these objects and this facilitates their sliding.

As can be seen in FIG. 5, the main body 1 preferably has, in its front part, two ramps 27 inclined from bottom to top and from back to front, at the top of the two side walls of the body 1. These two ramps 27 are intended to cause the relative and progressive lifting of the first objects in the queue, as they are pushed forward by the pusher 2.

According to an alternative embodiment, the two ramps 27 of the body 1 could be replaced by a ramp of the same inclination 28, provided on the plate 21 forming a stop, this ramp being provided on the rear face of this plate and being indicated in phantom on Figure 7.

To allow the pusher 2 to advance to the plate 21 forming a stopper, the pusher 2 is provided, at its lower part, with two lateral notches 29 which are intended to overlap the two ramps 27, when the pusher 22 arrives at the anterior part of its course.

As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pusher 2 preferably has, in its front and upper part, a hollow part 30 making it possible to accommodate an inch there during loading, the operation during which the pusher 2 is pushed back. This recessed portion 30 delimits, in the anterior face of the pusher 2, lateral branches 31 of smaller width framing a U-shaped notch so that the pusher exerts, by each of the branches 31, a stronger thrust per unit of area than the base of the pusher, which prevents objects and in particular packages from getting in the way.

The device according to the invention which has just been described is fixed on its support at three points, for example by means of a double-sided adhesive or screws, namely two points situated respectively at the front and at the 'rear of the base of the main body 1, the third point being provided at the base of the sliding auxiliary body 4.

Claims (9)

1. Apparatus for storing and distributing parallelepipedic objects, such as boxes, packets or similar articles, comprising an elongated main body (1) on which the objects are placed one behind the other, a pusher (2) mounted for longitudinal slide on this body (1) and an elastic member (3) urging the pusher forwards so as to apply it against the last object in the line, characterized in that it comprises an auxiliary body (4) mounted for longitudinal slide in the main body (1), to extend the latter over a variable length, and the pusher (2) comprises guide members (7, 8, 15, 16) cooperating with slides on the main body and on the auxiliary body to ensure continuous guiding of the push element over the whole length of the telescopic assembly formed by the two bodies.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pusher (2) comprises outer (7, 8) and inner (15, 16) guide members cooperating respectively with outer slides (5, 6) provided on the main body (1) and with inner slides (13, 14) provided on the auxiliary body (4).

3. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 and 2, wherein the main body (1) presents, at its front end, a transverse front wall (19) adapted to receive a plate (21) forming front stop for the objects.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the plate (21) forming stop presents, on its rear face, a groove (22) covering the front wall (19) of the main body (1) and, on its rear face, a rib (23) defining, with the lower edge (20) of the main body (1), a groove (24).

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a tongue (25) constituting the web of low height of a generally U-shaped insert (26) is housed in the groove (24) defined between the rib (23) of the plate forming stop (21) and the lower edge (20) of the main body (1), the two side arms of the insert (26) extending along the apparatus to isolate the objects located on this apparatus from those located on adjacent apparatus.

6. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the main body (1) presents, in its front part, ramps (27) inclined upwardly and forwardly, these ramps lying plumb with the side walls of the body (1), and the pusher (2) comprises, in its lower part, lateral notches (29) intended to overlap the two ramps (27).

7. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the plate (21) forming stop presents, on its rear face, a ramp (28) inclined upwardly and forwardly.

8. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the pusher (2) presents, in its front, a recessed part (30) defining, in the front face of the pusher (2), side arms (31) of smaller width framing a U-shaped notch.

9. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein it is fixed on its support at three points, namely two points located respectively at the front and at the rear of the base of the main body (1) and a third point at the base of the sliding auxiliary body (4).

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