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(11) | EP 1 217 596 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Sliding system for exhibitor panels |
| (57) The "Sliding system for exhibitor panels", purpose of this Patent and the use of
which is indicated in the title of the invention, is of the type guided along the
upper part by hanging pulleys and along the lower part by a specific independent means. It structure includes: An inverted U-shape (1) between the wings of which two equal pulleys (2) are housed and linked by a dynamic driving ring belt (3). A friction pulley (6) is applied to the center of the upper section (7) of the belt (3) through its smooth outer face, operating alternately and optionally as a tightener or driving force, operated by an independent motor. The set is inserted into the base of the smaller lower side of each panel so that it cannot be seen. |
PURPOSE
[0001] The purpose to which the invention protected by this Patent refers consists of a "Sliding system for exhibitor panels".
[0002] The system is to be preferably applied to the sliding and rectangular exhibitor panels in which the piece of furniture has a front width twice that of the one corresponding to a panel to permit each one to be optionally removed from the block formed by the rest, in order to exhibit the samples of which it is composed.
HISTORY
[0003] The exhibitors are commercial furniture components intended to exhibit the materials on sale in order to stimulate the purchasing interests of the potential purchasers. For this reason, their efficiency is proportional to the ease with which the purchasers are able to examine, by means of visual and even tactile verification, the characteristics of said materials.
[0004] In the specific case of the sliding panel exhibitors, all of them are removable, each on its own plane, in a movement guided along the upper part by hanging pulleys located on the smaller upper side that run along parallel guides constituting the ceiling of the exhibitor; and on the lower part by means of a guide consisting of a profile or inverted part, arranged on the floor in a perpendicular way to the parallel planes of the sliding panels, with a transversal hole through each panel at the same distance as the former and with the necessary width for them to be guided through.
[0005] The described lower guiding system establishes a reduced contact between the smaller lower side of the frame of each panel and the corresponding holes of the guide profile, which may allow undesirable movements during sliding of the panels resulting in harmful consequences for the exhibited materials, such as detachment or rubbing among the materials in adjoining panels.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The purpose of the invention of this Patent consists in eliminating the disadvantages of the known lower guiding system of the sliding panels for exhibitors described above, which has been conceived and designed taking into account this priority objective.
[0007] The principle on which the new system is based is to achieve a larger contact surface between the smaller lower side of the panel frame and its guiding means to obtain better stability of the panel during its sliding.
[0008] For this reason the guiding means has been individualized, assigning one to each panel and forming its structure with the following elements:
- An inverted U-shape, with long and little separated wings that constitute the support of the guiding means
- Two equal pulleys housed in the inverted U-shape near its ends, the turning axles of which pass through the wings of said shape and rest on them
- A dynamic ring driving means (preferably belt) that joins the two pulleys in a simultaneous turn by means of an interior central nerve tightly coupled to their throat, whilst its interior section rests on the floor and is affixed to it by its smooth exterior surface
- A friction pulley that establishes tangential contact with the dynamic driving means in the center of its upper section and by its smooth external face through a hole made in the transversal branch of the U-shape.
[0009] The friction pulley can alternately perform two different functions:
a) Passive, pulled by the dynamic driving means as its tightener
b) Active, pulling the dynamic driving means as its driving force
[0010] In the first case, sliding of the panel is worked manually, whilst in the second it is motorized through the friction pulley.
[0011] The overall mounting of all the described structural components is inserted into the smaller lower side of each panel, introduced through its base in the area near its external end so that it cannot be seen.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] To complete the description of the invention and facilitate the interpretation of its formal, structural and functional characteristics, attached are drawings in which the different aspects of a preferred performance of the "Sliding system for exhibitor panels" constituting the object of this Patent.
[0013] In said drawings:
- Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the claimed system with all its structural components mounted.
- Figure 2 represents a perspective view of the arrangement of the dynamic driving means.
- Figure 3 shows in an indicative way the insertion of the mounted system into the base of the smaller lower side of each panel.
- Figure 4 is a transversal section of the mounted system.
DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED PERFORMANCE
[0014] In order to clearly show the nature and scope of the advantageous application of the "Sliding system for exhibitor panels", constituting the object of the invention, the following is a description of its application and structure, making reference to the drawings which, on representing a preferred performance of the device and its components for information purposes, must be considered in the widest sense and not limitative of the application and content of the claimed invention.
[0015] The claimed sliding system is of the type where each of the panels is able to slide along its own plane, in a movement guided on the upper part by hanging pulleys that run along parallel individual guides integrated on the ceiling of the exhibitor, and on the lower part by a specific independent means.
[0016] The lower guiding means operates due to sliding by means of the following components of its structure:
- An inverted U-shape (1), with long and little separated wings that constitute the support of the guiding means
- Two equal pulleys (2) housed in the inverted U-shape (1) near its ends, the turning axles of which pass through the wings of said shape and rest on them
- A dynamic ring driving belt (3) that joins the two pulleys (2) in a simultaneous turn by means of an interior central nerve (4) tightly coupled to their throat, whilst its interior section (5) rests on the floor and is affixed to it by its smooth exterior surface
- A friction pulley (6) that establishes tangential contact with the dynamic driving belt (3) in the center of its upper section (7) and by its smooth external face through a hole (8) made in the transversal branch of the U-shape (1).
1. Sliding system for exhibitor panels of the type where each panel is able to slide
along its own plane, in a movement guided on the upper part by hanging pulleys that
run along parallel individual guides integrated on the ceiling of the exhibitor, and
on the lower part by a specific independent means, characterized by the fact that the lower guiding means operates due to sliding by means of the following
components of its structure: An inverted U-shape (1), with long and little separated
wings, that constitutes the support of the guiding means; Two equal pulleys (2), housed
in the U-shape (1) near its ends, the turning axles of which pass through the wings
of said shape and rest on them; A dynamic driving ring belt (3) or similar that joins
the two pulleys (2) in a simultaneous turn by means of an interior central nerve (4)
tightly coupled to their throat, whilst its interior section (5) rests on the floor
and is affixed to it by its smooth exterior surface; A friction pulley (6) that establishes
tangential contact with the dynamic driving belt (3) in the center of its upper section
(7) and by its smooth external face through a hole (8) made in the transversal branch
of the U-shape (1).
2. Sliding system for exhibitor panels, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the friction pulley (5) performs a passive function where it is pulled
by the dynamic driving belt (3) and acts as its tightener; or alternately and optionally,
an active function where it would pull the belt (3) and operate as its driving force
when operated by an individual motor.
3. Sliding system for exhibitor panels, according to the above claims, characterized by the fact that the set of all the duly mounted structural elements is inserted into
the smaller lower side of each panel, introduced through its base and in an area near
the lower external angle of the panel so that it cannot be seen.