Merchandise display case

• US 6,571,969 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2001
• Issued: 06/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Larbaletier SA
• Original Assignee: Larbaletier SA
• Inventors: Larbaletier, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Stodola, Daniel P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harris, Erica B
• Application Number:
  US09/891,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20020023889A1
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• Field of Search: 211/150, 211/149, 108/102, 108/106, 108/147.11, 108/147.2, 108/92
• US Class Current: 211/150
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/12 Tiltable stands

Abstract

A merchandise display case has several trays, each installed to pivot freely about first hinge pins at two opposite sides on uprights to form a deformable parallelepiped with these uprights. Second pivot hinge pins mount the uprights on a frame. The second hinge pins of at least one pair of articulated uprights at opposite ends close to the same longitudinal side of the trays are fixed to a structure that can slide vertically with respect to the frame.

Claims

1. Merchandise display case comprising a frame;

a structure mounted on said frame and capable of sliding vertically with respect to said frame; and

a plurality of trays, each tray being installed to pivot freely about hinge pins at first and second opposite sides of the tray on uprights to form a deformable parallelepiped with said uprights, the uprights being installed on said structure through said hinge pins that mount a central tray to said uprights, hinge pins of said central tray of at least one pair of said uprights being in proximity to the first and second opposite sides and close to one longitudinal side of the tray, wherein the longitudinal side is between the first and second opposite sides.

2. Merchandise display case according to claim 1, wherein, on each side of each of said trays one of the hinge pins is located close to the one longitudinal side of the trays, one of the hinge pins being mounted at a fixed, non-zero distance from the second opposite side of the tray.

3. Merchandise display case according to claim 2, wherein the distance at which said one of the hinge pins is installed is a location approximately half way along the length of the side of the tray.

4. Merchandise display case according to claim 1, wherein, for each of the first and second opposite sides of the tray, the hinge pins used to connect the tray to the uprights are located in the same plane parallel to the plane of the tray.

5. Merchandise display case according to claim 1, wherein, for each side of the tray, the hinge pins used for connecting the tray to the uprights are offset parallel to the plane of the bottom of the tray such that in a position of maximum rotation, all trays are located in the same plane.

6. Merchandise display case according to claim 1, wherein the display case comprises a locking arm which in a pivoting position of the uprights, has a first end mounted to pivot freely on a first of the uprights, the locking arm comprises a longitudinal groove in which a locking pin fixed to a second of the uprights is free to slide, the locking pin comprising a lock for locking the locking arm in translation and in rotation.

7. Merchandise display case according to claim 1, wherein the display case comprises a locking arm, which in a pivot position of the uprights, has one end free to pivot on a first upright on one side edge of the tray, and the locking arm comprises notches in which a stirrup, fixed to a second upright of the same side, can be inserted.

8. Merchandise display case according to claim 1, wherein the vertically sliding structure comprises an arm on each of the first and second sides, the arm being free to slide in a stand of the frame close to the same longitudinal side of the tray, a first end of the arm including a housing for an assembly including the arm and the second pivot hinge pin of an upright, the arm comprising a structure for preventing movement in translation with respect to the frame.

9. Merchandise display case according to claim 1, wherein one of the hinge pins of the tray is articulated on an attachment bracket fixed under the bottom of the tray, another of the hinge pins being articulated on an edge of the tray in a plane parallel to the bottom.