Field of the invention
[0001] The present invention relates to a support structure for supporting shelf brackets,
and particularly a support structure of the type forming a post comprising at least
two parallel sidewalls and at least one supporting wall arranged between said sidewalls
and being provided with a plurality of slots, wherein said sidewalls and said supporting
wall are roll-formed of a continuous piece of metal. The present invention further
relates to a method for manufacturing such a support structure.
Background of the invention
[0002] A very common type of commercial shelves include vertically extending posts with
a plurality of vertically arranged slots receiving the proximal end of shelf brackets
cantileveredly mounted thereto. The brackets include a plurality of fingers at the
proximal end that project into the slots allowing the shelf resting atop the fixture
to be adjusted to and from a horizontal position and/or an inclined position. Such
shelves are widely used in e.g. retail shops. Such shelves assemblies are e.g. disclosed
in
US 6 641 098 and
GB 2 362 808.
[0003] Further, it is known to roll-form the support structures for such shelves assemblies.
Roll-forming are e.g. disclosed in
US 6 742 234 and
GB 989 027, both said documents hereby incorporated by reference.
[0004] On the one hand, such shelves assemblies need to fulfill standard requirements related
to the intended use. For example, a common requirement for retail shop shelves is
that each shelve should be able to carry about 300 kg of merchandise goods. On the
other hand, there is a need for shelves assemblies which can be manufactured to a
lower cost.
Summary of the invention
[0005] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a support structure
for supporting shelf brackets, and particularly a support structure of the type forming
a post comprising at least two parallel sidewalls and at least one supporting wall
arranged between said sidewalls and being provided with a plurality of slots, wherein
said sidewalls and said supporting wall are roll-formed of a continuous piece of metal,
which can be made more cost-efficiently.
[0006] This object is achieved with a support structure and a method of manufacture according
to the appended claims.
[0007] According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a support structure
for supporting shelf brackets, said support structure comprising at least two parallel
sidewalls and at least one supporting wall arranged between said sidewalls and being
provided with a plurality of slots, wherein said sidewalls and said supporting wall
are roll-formed of a continuous piece of metal. The support structure further comprises
a reinforcement wall connected to said supporting wall, and provided with a corresponding
plurality of slots.
[0008] It has been found by the present inventor that the force exerted on the support structure,
and in particular the posts, in the vicinity of the connection to the shelve brackets
is significantly greater, due to the torque (turning moment) exerted by the cantilevered
shelve structures, than the axial force exerted on the support structure. Accordingly,
the forces exerted on the support wall(s) is much greater than the forces exerted
on the side walls. Consequently, it is possible to significantly reduce the thickness
of the sidewalls without compromising the overall strength and robustness of the support
structure. In practice, this is accomplished by the provision of a reinforcement wall
connected to the supporting wall, and provided with a corresponding plurality of slots.
[0009] For example, a conventional post of this type has two sidewalls with a cross-sectional
width extension of 80 mm, and two support walls with a cross-sectional width extension
of 30 mm. Conventionally, these walls are formed by equal thickness of about 2.5 mm.
By means of the present invention, these wall could instead be made with a 1.25 mm
thickness, and with reinforcement walls of about the same extension as the support
walls, and with a thickness of 1.25 mm. Hereby, the support walls and the reinforcement
walls together provides the same thickness as in the conventional posts, whereas the
sidewalls are significantly thinner. Consequently, the material needed for the posts
can be reduced with about 40%, providing a significantly more cost-efficient production.
[0010] The support structure preferably comprises two parallel supporting walls arranged
between said sidewalls, wherein the walls forms a hollow structure with an essentially
rectangular cross-section. This support structure preferably has two reinforcement
walls, one for each supporting wall. Such a support structure can be used to support
shelve brackets on two opposite sides, which is very useful e.g. in self-standing
shelve systems. Alternatively, the support structure may have e.g. an essentially
U-shaped cross-section.
[0011] Preferably the sidewalls and the at least one supporting walls are essentially equally
thick. Further, the thickness of the reinforcement wall is preferably at least 50%
of the thickness of the supporting wall. The thickness of the sidewalls and the at
least one supporting wall are preferably within the range 0.5 - 2 mm, and preferably
in the range 1 - 1.5 mm, and most preferably about 1.25 mm. The thickness of the reinforcement
wall is preferably within the range 0.5 - 2 mm, and preferably in the range 1 - 1.5
mm, and most preferably about 1.25 mm.
[0012] The reinforcement wall is preferably arranged on the inside of the support structure.
Hereby, connection of the reinforcement wall to the support wall becomes less critical,
and the reinforcement wall will e.g. be automatically held in place by the shelve
brackets during use. Further, the exterior appearance of the support structure is
in this case not affected by the provision of the reinforcement wall. However, arrangement
of the reinforcement wall on the exterior side of the support structure is also feasible.
[0013] The reinforcement wall is preferably connected to the supporting wall by means of
at least one of welding, and preferably point welding, and adhesion. The connection
may be provided over the whole contacting area. However, it is preferred that the
connection is only arranged in a few connection points, such as in the upper and lower
end, and perhaps in one or a few intermediate points, depending e.g. on the length
of the support structure.
[0014] The reinforcement wall preferably has a cross-sectional width extension which exceeds
the cross-sectional width extension of the slots, and which is less than 1.5 times
the cross-sectional width extension of the supporting wall. Preferably, the reinforcement
wall has a cross-sectional width extension which is within 80-120 % of the cross-sectional
width extension of the supporting wall, and preferably within 90-110 % of said width
extension of the supporting wall, and most preferably about the same as said width
extension of the supporting wall. In case the width extension of the reinforcement
wall is greater than the width extension of the supporting wall, the reinforcement
wall is preferably arranged to continue in to the adjacent sidewalls.
[0015] The reinforcement wall is preferably of the same type of material as the sidewalls
and the supporting walls. However, it is also possible to use a stronger material
in the reinforcement wall. In such a case, the reinforcement wall can be made thinner,
and still provide the same strength and robustness as a thicker wall of weaker material.
[0016] According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of manufacturing
a support structure for supporting shelf brackets, comprising the steps of: providing
a first metal sheet material; roll-forming said first sheet material to form a support
structure comprising at least two parallel sidewalls and at least one supporting wall
arranged between said sidewalls; and punching a plurality of slots in said supporting
wall; characterized in that it further comprises the step of: providing, before or
after the roll-forming, at least one second metal sheet material; connecting said
second metal sheet material as a reinforcement wall to said supporting wall; and providing
said reinforcement wall, before, after or in conjunction with connecting it with said
supporting wall, with a plurality of slots corresponding to the slots of said supporting
wall.
[0017] Hereby, similar advantages are obtained as discussed above in relation to the first
aspect of the invention.
[0018] According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system
for manufacturing a support structure for supporting shelf brackets, comprising: a
feeding device for feeding a first metal sheet material; a feeding device for feeding
at least one second metal sheet material; a connecting device for connecting said
second metal sheet material to said first metal sheet material; a roll-forming apparatus
for forming said first sheet material to a support structure comprising at least two
parallel sidewalls and at least one supporting wall arranged between said sidewalls,
wherein said second metal sheet material is arranged to form a reinforcement wall
connected to said supporting wall; and a punching apparatus for punching a plurality
of slots in said supporting wall and said reinforcement wall, wherein said punching
occurs before or after said roll-forming.
[0019] Hereby, similar advantages are obtained as discussed above in relation to the first
and second aspect of the invention.
[0020] These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with
reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.
Brief description of the drawings
[0021] For exemplifying purposes, the invention will be described in closer detail in the
following with reference to embodiments thereof illustrated in the attached drawings,
wherein:
Fig 1 is a schematic overview of a method for producing support structures in accordance
with an embodiment of the present invention;
Fig 2 is a perspective view from the side illustrating the material arrangement for
forming a support structure in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention
before roll-forming;
Fig 3 is a perspective view from one side illustrating a support structure in accordance
with an embodiment of the present invention; and
Fig 4 is a cross-sectional view of a support structure having a shelve bracket arranged
thereto, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
Description of preferred embodiments
[0022] With reference to fig 3, the invention generally relates to a support structure 10
for supporting shelf brackets, such as posts for use in shelve systems for displaying
merchandise or the like. The support structure 10 comprises at least two parallel
sidewalls 11 and at least one supporting wall 12 arranged between said sidewalls.
In the shown embodiment, two parallel supporting walls 12 are provided, providing
a hollow structure with an essentially rectangular cross-section. The supporting walls
12 are each provided with a plurality of slots 13. Further, there is provided reinforcing
walls 14 on the inside of the supporting walls 12, and being provided with corresponding
slots 13.
[0023] In an operative position, the slots are arranged to receive holding structures 21,
such as hooks or the like, on shelve brackets 20. Such an arrangement is illustrated
in Fig 4. Several different types of shelve brackets may be used with the above-discussed
type of support structures. Many such shelf brackets are known in the art, and e.g.
disclosed in
US 6 641 098, said document hereby incorporated by reference.
[0024] In an exemplary embodiment, the two sidewalls have a cross-sectional width extension
W1 of about 80 mm, and the two support walls have a cross-sectional width extension
W2 of about 30 mm. The wall thickness is about 1.25 mm, and the reinforcement walls
have about the same extension as the support walls, and with a thickness of 1.25 mm.
The center to center distance between adjacent slots is in this example about 50 mm.
[0025] The reinforcement walls 14 are preferably connected to the supporting walls 12 by
means of at least one of welding, and preferably point welding, and adhesion. The
connection is preferably only arranged in a few connection points, such as in the
upper and lower end, and perhaps in one or a few intermediate points.
[0026] Next, a method and an apparatus for manufacturing of a support structure of the above-discussed
type will be discussed in some detail with reference to Fig 1. In a first step, metal
sheet material is provided in the form of rolls of sheet material. Preferably, a roll
20 of broader sheet material is provided for the formation of the sidewalls and the
supporting walls, and two rolls 21 of narrower material is provided for the formation
of the reinforcement walls.
[0027] Thereafter, in a second step, the metal sheets are connected to each other, so that
the sheets forming the reinforcement walls are connected to the part of the larger
sheets to form the supporting walls, as illustrated in Fig 2. The connection could
be made by point welding in a weld station 22, while the metal sheets are continuously
moved along the production line.
[0028] In a third step, the slots are punched into the sheet materials in a punch station
23.
[0029] In a fourth step, the metal sheets are roll-formed into the intended cross-sectional
shape, which in the above-discussed example is a rectangular tube. This is made in
a roll-forming station 24. Such roll-forming apparatuses are per se previously known,
and disclosed in e.g.
GB 989 027 and
US 6 742 234, both said documents hereby incorporated by reference.
[0030] In a fifth step, the now formed support structure is welded together along the joint,
typically in the center of one of the sidewalls, in a weld station 25.
[0031] Finally, in a sixth step, the support structures are cut into adequate lengths in
a cutting station 26.
[0032] It is to be noted that the above-discussed order of the steps may be varied in many
ways. For example, the punching of the slots may be performed after the roll-forming
of the posts, and also after the cutting into suitable lengths. It may also be possible
to insert and connect the reinforcement walls to the support walls after the roll-forming
step.
[0033] Still further, alternative ways of forming the reinforcement walls are feasible.
For example, it is possible to form the reinforcement wall by folding the sheet material
forming the supporting walls.
[0034] Specific embodiments of the invention have now been described. However, several alternatives
are possible, as would be apparent for someone skilled in the art. For example, more
than one reinforcement wall may be provided. Such multiple reinforcement walls may
be arranged at various positions in the supporting structure, and/or arranged in an
overlapping fashion. Further, the reinforcement wall may have different extensions
and be of different material than the supporting wall. In addition, the supporting
structure is particularly useful as posts in shelve systems for displaying merchandise,
but the support structure of the present invention is useful for many other applications
as well. Such and other obvious modifications must be considered to be within the
scope of the present invention, as it is defined by the appended claims.
1. A support structure for supporting shelf brackets, said support structure comprising
at least two parallel sidewalls and at least one supporting wall arranged between
said sidewalls and being provided with a plurality of slots, wherein said sidewalls
and said supporting wall are roll-formed of a continuous piece of metal, characterized in that the support structure further comprises a reinforcement wall connected to said supporting
wall, and provided with a corresponding plurality of slots.
2. The support structure of claim 1, wherein the support structure comprises two parallel
supporting walls arranged between said sidewalls, wherein the walls forms a hollow
structure with an essentially rectangular cross-section.
3. The support structure of claim 1, wherein the support structure has an essentially
U-shaped cross-section.
4. The support structure of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sidewalls and
the at least one supporting walls are essentially equally thick.
5. The support structure of claim 4, wherein the thickness of the reinforcement wall
is at least 50% of the thickness of the supporting wall.
6. The support structure of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the thickness of
the sidewalls and the at least one supporting wall are within the range 0.5 - 2 mm,
and preferably in the range 1 - 1.5 mm, and most preferably about 1.25 mm.
7. The support structure of claim 6, wherein the thickness of the reinforcement wall
is within the range 0.5 - 2 mm, and preferably in the range 1 - 1.5 mm, and most preferably
about 1.25 mm.
8. The support structure of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the reinforcement
wall is arranged on the inside of the support structure.
9. The support structure of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the reinforcement
wall is connected to the supporting wall by means of at least one of welding, and
preferably point welding, and adhesion.
10. The support structure of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the reinforcement
wall has a cross-sectional width extension which exceeds the cross-sectional width
extension of the slots, and which is less than 1.5 times the cross-sectional width
extension of the supporting wall.
11. The support structure of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the reinforcement
wall has a cross-sectional width extension which is within 80-120 % of the cross-sectional
width extension of the supporting wall, and preferably within 90-110 % of said width
extension of the supporting wall, and most preferably about the same as said width
extension of the supporting wall.
12. A method of manufacturing a support structure for supporting shelf brackets, comprising
the steps of:
providing a first metal sheet material;
roll-forming said first sheet material to form a support structure comprising at least
two parallel sidewalls and at least one supporting wall arranged between said sidewalls;
and
punching a plurality of slots in said supporting wall;
characterized in that it further comprises the step of:
providing, before or after the roll-forming, at least one second metal sheet material;
connecting said second metal sheet material as a reinforcement wall to said supporting
wall; and
providing said reinforcement wall, before, after or in conjunction with connecting
it with said supporting wall, with a plurality of slots corresponding to the slots
of said supporting wall.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the support structure is roll-formed to comprise two
parallel supporting walls arranged between said sidewalls, wherein the walls forms
a hollow structure with an essentially rectangular cross-section.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein the support structure is roll-formed to an essentially
U-shaped cross-section.
15. The method of any one of the claims 12-14, wherein the sidewalls and the at least
one supporting walls are essentially equally thick.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the thickness of the reinforcement wall is at least
50% of the thickness of the supporting wall.
17. The method of any one of the claims 12-16, wherein the thickness of the first metal
sheet material is within the range 0.5 - 2 mm, and preferably in the range 1 - 1.5
mm, and most preferably about 1.25 mm.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the thickness of the second metal sheet material is
within the range 0.5 - 2 mm, and preferably in the range 1 - 1.5 mm, and most preferably
about 1.25 mm.
19. The method of any one of the claims 12-18, wherein the reinforcement wall is connected
to the inside of the support structure.
20. The method of any one of the claims 12-19, wherein the reinforcement wall is connected
to the supporting wall by means of at least one of welding, and preferably point welding,
and adhesion.
21. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the reinforcement wall has
a cross-sectional width extension which exceeds the cross-sectional width extension
of the slots, and which is less than 1.5 times the cross-sectional width extension
of the supporting wall.
22. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the reinforcement wall has
a cross-sectional width extension which is within 80-120 % of the cross-sectional
width extension of the supporting wall, and preferably within 90-110 % of said width
extension of the supporting wall, and most preferably about the same as said width
extension of the supporting wall.
23. A system for manufacturing a support structure for supporting shelf brackets, comprising:
a feeding device for feeding a first metal sheet material;
a feeding device for feeding at least one second metal sheet material;
a connecting device for connecting said second metal sheet material to said first
metal sheet material;
a roll-forming apparatus for forming said first sheet material to a support structure
comprising at least two parallel sidewalls and at least one supporting wall arranged
between said sidewalls, wherein said second metal sheet material is arranged to form
a reinforcement wall connected to said supporting wall; and
a punching apparatus for punching a plurality of slots in said supporting wall and
said reinforcement wall, wherein said punching occurs before or after said roll-forming.