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(11) | EP 2 724 646 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Kit for assembling a support frame for a checkout counter like those used in supermarkets, hypermarkets and similar businesses |
| (57) The present invention refers to the field of furniture for stores, supermarkets,
hypermarkets and other businesses in general, and in particular it concerns a kit
for assembling a support frame for a checkout counter in situ.
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[0001] The present invention refers to the field of furniture for stores, supermarkets, hypermarkets and other businesses in general, and in particular it concerns a kit for assembling a support frame for a checkout counter on the premises or in situ.
[0002] As it is known, the checkout counter is mainly made up of an upper top portion on which the goods are placed and moved along, after being scanned, towards one end of the counter itself, so as to be packed and taken away by the customer. The top portion is kept in the raised position with respect to the ground by a support frame made up of supporting elements, such as pieces of furniture. The latter are possibly adapted for supporting, in addition to the top portion, also the cash register. Since they are positioned at the sides of the worker, the supporting elements advantageously also provide shelves or drawers that are available to the user himself.
[0003] At least one of the supporting elements can moreover possibly support mechanical devices that are associated with the checkout counter such as, for example, gates which can be opened/closed to free/block the passage, adjacent to the counter, for customers to pass through towards the exit of the shop.
[0004] Currently, there are no constructive solutions which make it possible to quickly and cost-effectively obtain the support frame, for example through the use of standard components, and assemble it in situ, or rather directly inside the store.
[0005] This is because the shelving units forming the support frame must satisfy precise safety and design criteria, as well as having resistance to stress and vibrations. For such a purpose, the main body of each unit, usually made from metal material, in order to have suitable resistance but at the same time have a shape that is in accordance with safety and design requirements, must be made in welded sheet metal or by assembling a large number of components together, with consequent increase in costs.
[0006] Currently therefore, the manufacturers make the support frame at their productive site and then deliver it, already partially assembled, directly to the store, with significant delivery costs. The packages are also extremely bulky and are thus difficult for the final customer to manage.
[0007] It is therefore strongly needed to have different constructive solutions that make it possible to cut production costs of the support frame, for example by using standard components and that moreover make it possible for there to be a rapid assembly.
[0008] The object of the present invention is therefore that of providing a kit for assembling a support frame of checkout counters that has lower production costs with respect to existing support frames and that is moreover simple to assemble and can be adapted to checkout counters having different shapes and sizes.
[0009] Another object of the invention is that of making the kit of the present invention, adapted to rapidly and quickly assembling the support frame in situ, i.e. directly inside the store.
[0010] A further object is that of making the kit capable of being easily transported making it possible to reduce delivery costs and bulk.
[0011] These and other objects are achieved with the kit according to the invention, the essential characteristics of which are defined by the first of the attached claims. Further important characteristics are defined by the dependent claims.
[0012] The characteristics and the advantages of the kit according to the present invention shall become clearer from the following description of an embodiment thereof given as an example and not for limiting purposes with reference to the attached drawings, in which:
- figure 1 shows in isolation the support frame, already assembled;
- figure 2 is a representation in an exploded view of the support frame of figure 1;
- figures 3a and 3b show a perspective view of a sheet of metal material and of an outer shell of a shelving unit obtained by folding such a sheet, respectively;
- figures 4a and 4b are enlarged views of a portion of the sheet of figure 3a and figure 3b isolated in both figures by the circle indicated with A, during subsequent folding steps of the sheet itself;
- figure 4c is an enlarged view of a portion of the sheet already completely folded, indicated in figure 3b by the circle C; and
- figure 4d is an enlarged view of an angle of the metal sheet of figure 3a, as indicated by the circle D.
[0013] With reference to said figures, a support frame of a checkout counter (the upper top portion of which is not shown), according to what is known, comprises at least one shelving unit 1; in the illustrated embodiment the support frame comprises two shelving units 1.
[0014] Each shelving unit comprises a base platform 2 for resting on the ground (where by ground it is meant any outer resting surface, like also the flooring of the store) from which a U-shaped lateral wall 3 rises vertically, thereby peripherally delimiting a housing 11 of the shelving unit. The lateral wall thus comprises a back portion 30 from which two arms 31 branch off, defining the aforementioned U-shape, said arms being arranged parallel with respect to a (longitudinal) direction of development of the checkout counter, wherein such a direction corresponds to the direction in which the customers and the products pass. The back portion 30 defines with the arms, angles 32 that are rounded for aesthetic and safety reasons.
[0015] The shelving unit also has a front side 10, opposite the back portion 30, which is open so as to allow the worker at the counter to easily access the space inside the unit.
[0016] The lateral wall 3 supports, in a position that is opposite with respect to the base platform 2, a top resting plane 4 that defines a resting face 40 on which the top portion of the checkout counter is fixed. The cash register can be possibly rested on one portion of the face 40 not occupied by the top portion.
[0017] In this last case, seats 41 for the passage of electrical wires of the cash register and other accessories (like for example the counter lights that are associated with cash registers, of the known type) are formed in the face 40. The top plane moreover comprises a lip 42 that extends perpendicularly with respect to the face 40 so as to partially obstruct the front side 10 of the shelving unit; spaces 43 are formed on the lip for housing an electric control panel of the cash register (not shown).
[0018] According to a first aspect of the present invention, the base platform 2, the lateral wall 3 and the top support plane 4 are assembled to one another through reversible connection means 5 such as screws (for example, between the platform and the lateral wall) and/or rivets (for example, between the lateral wall and the top support plane).
[0019] For such a purpose, the lateral wall 3 comprises a boundary edge 33 with a substantially square-shaped section, which is clearly visible in figures from 3a to 4d; the boundary edge 33 thus defined permits to stably rest the lateral wall 3 on the base platform and, vice versa, to stably rest the top support plane on the same wall; moreover, the boundary edge offers a surface that is sufficient for forming holes 330 for the insertion of the aforementioned reversible connection means. In the same way, also on the platform and on the top plane, holes are formed, indicated with 500 and 400, respectively, for carrying out the reversible connection with the base wall.
[0020] Advantageously, the boundary edge fundamentally represents a reinforcement for the sheet in the attachment area between the top plane and the platform, and a stiffening element for the same sheet.
[0021] Support means 7 can moreover be provided on the shelving unit if this is associated with mobile mechanical devices like the already mentioned gates (not shown). In particular, such support means 7 are arranged on the one of the two arms of the lateral wall 3 that runs along the side of the checkout counter suitable for the passage of customers, such an arm being indicated in the figures with reference numeral 31a. In particular, the support means have a metal reinforcement profile 7 that is fixed, preferably through threaded connections, to the arm 31a. In order to assist the attachment of the profile to the peripheral wall, said elements both have holes 70 for the insertion of the threaded connections.
[0022] Again in view of allowing a rapid and easy assembly of the single components, inside the housing 11 connection means are arranged for fixing intermediate shelves 8. In particular, such connection means can comprise bars 9 that are provided with eyelet holes 90 that allow the connection, through engagement screws or hooks, between each bar and the wall 3, as well as the arrangement of the intermediate shelves 8 at the preferred height.
[0023] Referring now to a further new aspect of the present invention, the lateral wall 3 is obtained through folding, starting from a sheet of metal material 3a, shown in isolation in figure 3a. The sheet is substantially rectangular and has two long sides 3a' intended, when the shelving unit is assembled, to contact the top closure plane and the platform, respectively, and two short sides 3a" which extend, on the other hand, perpendicularly between the top plane and platform.
[0024] On the sheet 3a it is possible to identify substantially five portions of which a central portion 30a that, when the sheet is folded, defines the back portion 30 of the lateral wall 3, and two lateral portions 31a that define the arms 31 of the wall 3. Between each lateral portion 31a and the central portion 30a foldable portions 32a are interposed, that is portions that can be curved so as to define the rounded angles 32 of the lateral wall.
[0025] The foldable portions are defined by notches 321a that are formed in at least one segment of the boundary edge 33 so as to interrupt the continuity of the same edge. Specifically, the notches are formed in two segments of the boundary edge along parallel and opposite sides of the sheet; in the example embodiment shown, the notches are formed on the long sides 3a' of the sheet.
[0026] The notches 321a are advantageously V-shaped, so as to compensate for the tightening due to the folding of the sheet (figure 4c), so that, when the lateral wall is formed, the boundary edge is continuous also at the angles.
[0027] The V-shaped notches are optimized in number and in spacing so as to allow the sheet to be folded even simply under manual pressure taking up a configuration that is as smooth and round as possible near to the angles 32, without however weakening the lateral wall and therefore the shelving unit.
[0028] Again, as mentioned previously, the aforementioned boundary edge 33 is defined through folding of the free edges of the sides of the sheet. Consequently, the boundary edge is defined by four pieces (with a length corresponding to the sides of the sheet) which, at the angles of the sheet itself, mutually engage as shown in figure 4d.
[0029] In particular, one piece 33a", corresponding to the short side of the sheet, has a slot 35 at each end, having dimensions such as to be penetrated by the end of a piece 33a', corresponding to the long side of the sheet. In order to compensate for the deformation due to the folding of the sheet, the slot 35 has greater dimensions with respect to the piece 33a'. As a result, therefore, when the sheet is folded, the two pieces are substantially continuous with one another.
[0030] The present invention thus fully satisfies the requirements presented above, by providing a support frame for checkout counters that can be assembled in situ in a rapid and simple manner.
[0031] The support frame is thus formed through simple assembly of standard components; this, in addition to substantially reducing production costs, increasing standardization, also makes it possible to assemble the shelving unit with tools that are easily found on the market. Again, the support frame can be directly assembled inside the store.
[0032] Furthermore, the sheet 3a can be curved, to define the lateral wall 3, under the action of a slight bending force that can also be applied manually, for example by the same worker who assembles the checkout counter. The folding of the sheet can thus also be made in the place of assembly, without particular equipment and without particular effort by the worker in charge of the installation.
1. A kit for assembling a support frame of a checkout counter, comprising at least one
base platform (2) adapted for the resting of the support frame on the ground, at least
one top plane (4) adapted to define a resting surface for a top portion of said checkout
counter, and at least one sheet (3a) which is adapted to be folded in a controlled
manner under a folding action to define a lateral wall (3) of said support frame,
said kit further comprising means for the reversible connection among said base platform
(2), said top plane (4) and said sheet (3a), said sheet (3a) comprising foldable portions
(32a) adapted to be folded in a controlled manner, said portions being defined in
correspondence of a plurality of notches that are formed in a segment of a periphery
of said sheet, said kit being characterised in that said periphery of said sheet provides a boundary edge (33) with a substantially squared
section, said notches being formed in at least one segment of said boundary edge.
2. The kit according to claim 1, wherein said notches are V shaped so that, as a result
of said folding of the sheet, said V-shaped notches become closed, said boundary edge
resulting then substantially continuous, also in correspondence of angles of said
sheet.
3. The kit according to claim 2, wherein said sheet has a rectangular shape, said notches
being formed in correspondence with two segments of said boundary edge along parallel
and opposite sides of said sheet.
4. The kit according to any of the previous claims, wherein said sheet also comprises
a central portion adapted to define a back portion of said lateral wall, and lateral
portions adapted to define arms of said lateral wall, the wall being substantially
U-shaped, said foldable portions being arranged between each of said lateral portions
and said central portion.
5. The kit according to any of the previous claims, further comprising an inner shelf
(8) and connection means (9) of said inner shelf (8) to said lateral wall.
6. The kit according to claim 5, wherein said connection means (9) are bars in which
distributions of eyelet holes are formed for fixing the inner shelf at preferred heights.
7. The kit according any of the previous claims, further comprising support means (7)
of removable devices adapted to be associated with said support frame, such as gates
for the orderly passage of the customers.
8. A method for assembling a checkout counter starting from the kit according to any
of the claims from 1 to 7, the process comprising at least the steps of:- folding
said sheet (3a) to obtain a lateral wall of said support frame; - fixing said folded
sheet to said base platform (2) via the reversible connection means; - fixing said
top plane (4) to said folded sheet with the reversible connection means; - arranging
on a resting surface of said top plane a top portion of said checkout counter; - fixing
said top portion on said top plane.
9. A checkout counter assembled with a kit or a process according to one of the previous
claims.