DE29913744U1 - Sales counter - Google Patents

Description

Applicant:

akf Allgemeine Kühlmöbelbau GmbH & Co. KG Zusanistr. 24 86165 Augsburg

Representative:

Patent Attorneys Dipl.-Ing. H.-D. Ernicke Dipl.-Ing. Klaus Ernicke Schwibbogenplatz 2b 86153 Augsburg / DE

Date:

04.08.1999 782-100 ern/ge

—1—

OJ DE-G 299 13 744.9

CHANGED DESCRIPTION INTRODUCTION

Sales counter

The invention relates to a sales counter with a substructure covered by a goods support floor and with at least one viewing window protecting the goods on display on the buyer's side, which extends diagonally upwards towards the service side and in the upper area merges into a curved horizontal section.

Such counters are generally known, which is why there is no need for a specific statement of the state of the art.

The viewing windows of common sales counters are usually relatively steep, which makes it difficult to see goods that are located further away. In addition, the horizontal upper section of the viewing window extends towards the service side, which results in a relatively large distance from the buyer. If viewing windows are connected to light metal profiles at the edges, hygiene problems sometimes arise as a result of dirt accumulating in the joints.

The invention is therefore based on the object of specifying a sales counter which improves the view of the goods and facilitates handling by the buyer.

Based on the generic term mentioned at the beginning, the essence of the invention is that the curved section has a curved V- or U-shape, the curvature of which faces the operating side and the horizontal section of which faces the buyer side.

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This design of the viewing window offers the advantage that it is arranged at a much flatter angle of inclination and yet is easier for the customer to access in the horizontal section.

Such a viewing window has a self-supporting self-rigidity due to its curvature.

&iacgr;&ogr; If you want to avoid the curvature of a one-piece pane, measures according to claims 2 to 4 are recommended.

Based on the basic designs of the viewing window mentioned above, there are many different variants. For example, it is advisable to support the viewing window at its lower edge with a fitting on the base that allows a rotating or tilting movement and, if necessary, a lifting movement of the viewing window. Such an arrangement and mounting of the viewing window is known from EP-0 611 539 B1. The application of this known mounting to the viewing window specified in the main claim has a particular advantage, however, because the viewing window is particularly rigid due to its upper curvature and does not need to be supported by supports on the sales counter.

However, the invention also includes another variant, according to which the viewing window according to the main claim is pivotably or tiltably mounted in the area of the upper curved section at the free end of a support arranged on the operator side and extending obliquely upwards. A bearing known per se can be used for this. However, a particularly advantageous form of bearing is disclosed later.

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If the upper edge of the viewing window is supported on supports, it is advisable to provide the lower part of the viewing window with a curve such that the adjacent free edge area extends approximately vertically when the viewing window is closed and lies in front of the side wall of the substructure facing the buyer. This makes access to the goods support floor difficult or even impossible for the buyer.

The invention also has an independently protectable inventive concept which solves the specific problem of facilitating access to the goods support from the operator side and, above all, of making those goods which are located directly behind a support of the sales counter more easily accessible.

The object of this independent invention is that the inclination of the support relative to the horizontal is in the order of 20° to 30°.

In the current state of the art, the supports usually have an angle of inclination of 45°. In the drawing of DE-GM 80 19 324, the angle of inclination is about 35°, but this may well be a coincidence. Such angles of inclination mean that the viewing window must also have a steep angle of inclination, which, as already mentioned at the beginning, makes it difficult to see the goods in the distance.

If, however, according to the invention, the support has a much flatter angle of inclination, for example 25 °, then the operator can more easily reach around the flat supports and reach goods on the goods support floor. It also follows that the inclination of the

- 4 viewing windows
becomes much flatter.

In an advantageous embodiment, the support is connected at its free end to a support element for the viewing window that is set back towards the operating side. The viewing window is conveniently mounted at the free end of the support element so that it can rotate, tilt or be lifted out. The bearing fitting should conveniently be located at the beginning of the

The hinges must be connected to the viewing window by means of a U- or V-shaped curvature extending towards the operating side. This measure has the advantage that the support and rotary fitting are arranged on the underside of the viewing window when it is closed, i.e. hidden, and thus no gaps are created that are accessible from above and in which dirt can collect.

Although the viewing window in this embodiment is arranged flat so that the customer has a better view of the goods, the V- or U-shaped curvature of the upper edge of the viewing window with the horizontal section extending towards the buyer means that the latter is brought within the customer's easier reach. These horizontal sections are essentially used for handing over the goods and the means of payment. At the same time, the area of the horizontal section can be increased, making the exchange of goods even easier.

Finally, the flat inclination of the supports means that more space is created on the operating side for the installation of appliances on the worktop.

Finally, within the framework of a further embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the free ends of adjacent supports are provided with a profile extending along the sales counter, in particular
Light metal extruded profile, which are used for

- 4a -

serves to provide mutual bracing of the supports and can also be designed to accommodate additional equipment, such as lighting fixtures,

These and other features of the invention are shown schematically and by way of example in the drawing. They show:

Figure 1: a cross section through a

Sales counter with a viewing window mounted at the bottom

Figure 2: a cross-section through a sales counter in the sense of a

independent inventive idea, in which the viewing window is supported and mounted at the upper end of a gently rising support,

Figure 3: a perspective view of two

neighboring sales counters and

Figure 4: a cross-section through a sales counter according to Figure 1 with an alternative

Disc training.

The sales counter shown in Figure 1 is based on the spatial form of EP-O 611 539 Bl. According to this, the sales counter (1) has a goods support base (2) which closes off a substructure (3) at the top. A curved viewing window (4) is mounted on the substructure (3) at its lower edge (10) via a fitting (11). This mounting can correspond to the state of the art according to EP-O 611 539.

At the upper edge, the viewing window has a V- or U-shaped curvature (7), the curvature (8) of which extends towards the service side (5) and the horizontal section (9) towards the buyer side (6). The horizontal section (9) serves as a base for exchanging goods and means of payment and can be

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Direction towards the buyer side (6) can be extended as desired to allow a more generous circulation of the goods or means of payment.

This form of sales counter also has the advantage that the operator has easier access to the goods on the goods support floor (2) from the operating side (5), whereby the inclination of the viewing window (4) can also be selected to be considerably flatter than shown in Figure 1.

In the independent embodiment of Figure 2, the sales counter has at least one, preferably several supports (12) which are arranged at a relatively flat incline (17). This incline (17) can advantageously be dimensioned in the order of 20 to 30°, preferably 25°. It has the consequence that the operator has easier access to the goods support floor (2) and can also more easily grasp goods which are located directly under or behind the support (12).

A particular advantage is how the viewing window (4) can be connected to such a relatively flat support (12) or supported on it. At the free end (19) of the support there is a support element (18) connected to it, which extends towards the operating side and carries a bearing (13) for the viewing window (4) at the free end (20) of the support element. This bearing (13) can be a pivot bearing, tilt bearing and/or lifting bearing, depending on which pivoting movements are intended with the viewing window (4).

The support element (18) rests on the underside of the viewing window (4) (in the closed position), with the bearing fitting (13) at the beginning of the U- or V-shaped and extending towards the operating side

Curvature of the viewing window is connected to it. An open viewing window (4) is shown in dashed lines.

In such a design, the viewing window (4) can be provided with a curvature (14) in the lower area, which means that the adjacent free edge area (15) comes to lie approximately vertically in front of the side wall (16) of the base (3). This prevents contamination or undesired access to the goods support floor (2) from the buyer's side (6).

Finally, the example in Figure 3 shows that the supports (12) of the sales counters (1) can be connected to one another by profiles (21) in the upper area. These profiles (21) are preferably extruded light metal profiles, the cross-section of which can be designed as desired. These profiles (21) serve primarily to stiffen the supports (12). However, they can also be designed in such a way that additional equipment can be connected to them, for example the installation of lighting fixtures.

The invention therefore shows in the various embodiments that the special shape of the viewing panel in its upper area can be used in a variety of ways, whereby it remains open whether the mounting of the viewing panel is provided at its lower edge or in the area of the curvature at the upper edge. This form of viewing panel does not require supports (12) of the sales counters (1) (see Figure 1), but is particularly advantageous if relatively flat supports (12) are present on which the viewing panel (4) is mounted via the support elements (18).

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The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown but also extends to all variants that become apparent to the person skilled in the art with knowledge of the disclosure of the invention.

For example, according to the embodiment of Figure 4, it is possible to design the viewing pane (4) and the horizontal section (9), which in practice is referred to as the dispensing pane, as separate glass units and to surround their edges in the area of the curvature (8) with a connecting profile (22). This also makes it possible to arrange the dispensing panes (9) only in certain places and to hold them on sections of the connecting profile (22). The connecting profile

(22) or its sections may contain arrangements for accommodating lighting, price displays, advertising material or the like.

- 9 LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

1 sales counter

2 Goods support floor 3 Substructure

4 Viewing window

5 Operating page

6 Buyer side

7 curved V or U shape 8 curvature

9 horizontal section

10 lower edge

11 Fitting

12 Support

13 Swivel or tilt bearing fitting

14 Curvature

15 free edge area

16 Side wall

17 Inclination

18 Support element

19 free end of the support

20 free end of the support element

21 Profile

22 Connection profile 25

Claims (12)

1. Sales counter with a substructure ( 3 ) covered by a goods support floor ( 2 ) and with at least one viewing window ( 4 ) protecting the goods on display on the buyer's side, which extends diagonally upwards in the direction of the service side ( 5 ) and in the upper region merges into a horizontal section ( 9 ) in a curved manner, characterized in that the curved section has a curved V- or U-shape ( 7 ), the curvature ( 8 ) of which faces the service side ( 5 ) and the horizontal section ( 9 ) of which faces the buyer's side ( 6 ). 2. Sales counter according to claim 1, characterized in that the curvature ( 8 ) is formed by a connecting profile ( 22 ) made of aluminum or plastic, which encompasses the free edges of the viewing window ( 4 ) and the horizontal section ( 9 ). 3. Sales counter according to claim 2, characterized in that horizontal sections ( 9 ) are only partially connected to the viewing window ( 4 ) via sections of the connecting profile ( 22 ). 4. Sales counter according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the connecting profile ( 22 ) has arrangements for receiving lighting, price displays, advertising materials or the like. 5. Sales counter according to claim 1 or one of the following, characterized in that the viewing window ( 4 ) is supported in its lower edge ( 10 ) by a fitting ( 11 ) on the substructure ( 3 ) which allows a rotating or tilting movement and optionally a lifting movement of the viewing window ( 4 ). 6. Sales counter according to claim 1 or one of the following, characterized in that the viewing window ( 4 ) is pivotably or tiltably mounted in the upper region of the upper curved section ( 7 ) at the free end ( 19 ) of a support ( 12 ) arranged on the operator side and extending obliquely upwards. 7. Sales counter according to claim 6, characterized in that the viewing window ( 4 ) has a curvature ( 14 ) in its lower region in such a way that the adjoining free edge region ( 15 ) extends approximately vertically in the closed position of the viewing window ( 4 ) and comes to lie in front of the buyer-side side wall ( 16 ) of the substructure ( 3 ). 8. Sales counter with a substructure ( 3 ) covered by a goods support floor ( 2 ) and with at least one viewing window ( 4 ) protecting the goods on display on the buyer's side, which extends diagonally upwards in the direction of the service side ( 5 ), in the upper region merges into a horizontal section ( 9 ) in a curved manner and is supported on at least one support ( 12 ) arranged on the service side and extending diagonally upwards, in particular according to claim 1 or one of the following, characterized in that the inclination ( 17 ) of the support ( 12 ) with respect to the horizontal is in the order of 20° to 30°. 9. Sales counter according to claim 8, characterized in that the support ( 12 ) is connected at its free end ( 19 ) to a support element ( 18 ) for the viewing window ( 4 ) which springs back in the direction of the operating side. 10. Sales counter according to claim 9, characterized in that the viewing window ( 4 ) is mounted at the free end ( 20 ) of the support element ( 18 ) so as to be rotatable ( 13 ), tiltable or liftable. 11. Sales counter according to claim 10, characterized in that the bearing fitting ( 13 ) is connected to the viewing window ( 4 ) at the beginning of the U- or V-shaped curvature ( 8 ) extending in the direction of the operating side. 12. Sales counter according to claim 8 or one of the following, characterized in that the free ends ( 20 ) of adjacent supports ( 12 ) are connected to a profile ( 21 ) extending along the sales counter ( 1 ), in particular a light metal extruded profile, which is designed, for example, to accommodate lighting fixtures.