Folding base for counters

A folding base for counters having a left side panel, a left front panel hingedly connected to the left side panel, a right front panel hingedly connected to the left front panel, and a right side panel hingedly connected to the right front panel. The base further includes a left door hingedly connected to the left side panel, and a right door hingedly connected to the right side panel. The base has an upright position, in which the doors are opposite the front panels, while the side panels are opposite one another. The base also has a collapsed position, in which the side and front panels and the doors are arranged adjacent to one another. The base optionally includes a cover that can be separate from or hingedly mounted to one of the side panels.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to techniques employed in the manufacture and design of furniture, showcases and counters that offer products and services and, in particular, the invention relates to a folding base for counters, which includes a pair of doors, and preferably, adds a cover that is mounted on the base.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In many places where public gather for the acquisition and exposure of products and services, such as fairs, conventions, information centers and so on, there is a need to use furniture and counters approach the public to the suppliers and present their products to them. In this regard, there is an important variety of such furniture, e.g. wooden-made, metallic, furnished with shelves, partitions; in general terms, though, they are bulky, difficult to handle and transport thereof results in hardships since they take up a lot of space.

One art-known solution to such problems has involved the creation of carton folding furniture and counters. Nevertheless, their structural rigidity is poor and, furthermore, it is impossible for one person to lean thereon. In addition, this type of carton-made furniture lacks of an outstanding aesthetical appearance, which is an important factor to achieve a commercial impact of the product or service being supplied.

There also exists furniture with countless panels, rods and posts that cooperate to each other; however, assembly thereof is time-consuming and the pieces to be assembled are too many.

Despite the above, there are counters that have been broadly accepted and which are practical to use for such purposes, among them those counters that contain a base and a cover mounted on the base and a board assembled on at least one post that is inserted in the cover. In this type of counters, the board helps to identify the name of the supplier or the product being offered while the supplier is located behind the counter to attend to the customers approaching the module.

One of such counters is disclosed in Mexican patent No. 212,227, whose most significant advantage is that the counter elements can be disassembled and stored in the form of a briefcase, in which the cover forms a shield of said briefcase and the base is housed within; at the same time the other pieces of the counter are also housed therein.

The counter of the above-mentioned patent was restructured in Mexican patent No. 225,710, wherein the most significant changes are the inclusion of 45° cuttings between the post sections that support the board and a second shelf that runs on a rail, in addition a support to secure the post sections within the second shelf was included. In spite of such modification, the board is still unstable since it sways over the cover. Furthermore, the shelves frequently fall off their horizontal position because at their free side ends the shelves are secured only by pressure between the side panels of the base.

In international patent application No. PCT/1B2005/002083, there are provided a series of modifications to the counter of Mexican patent No. 225,710, and such modifications relate to the inclusion of media to support shelves firmly so that they do not move, either that the counter is in a upright position or folded.

In this type of counters, the cover is an independent piece that must be manipulated to mount it on the base, and serves as a house for the folded base, which may become complicated for some people, apart from the fact that it takes time to do these operations.

As it may be observed, the base of the counters of the previous art has a substantial role, since it is the part that supports all the weight, and products to offer are placed on it. Another function of the base is that it functions as a housing for storing the other pieces of the counter, and furthermore, it is preferably foldable so that it takes little space when the counter is disassembled.

In addition, bases for the counters of the prior art are fully open on the back, being desirable to have a closed base to keep the products shown in these counters. However, it should not lose the characteristics of being a foldable, light-weight base.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Pursuant to the above, the purpose herein has been to overcome the drawbacks of the bases for counters on which a cover is mounted, and above the last a board, developing a base provided with doors, in which the base is foldable and takes minimal space when folded. The base is structurally resistant to place on it the products that will be exhibited on the counter.

The base for counters of the present invention comprises a left side panel, a left front panel hingedly connected to the left front panel; a right front panel hingedly connected to the left front panel; and a right side panel hingedly connected to the right front panel. Moreover, the base of the present invention further comprises a left door hingedly connected to the left side panel; and a right door hingedly connected to the right side panel.

The base has an “upright” position, in which the doors are opposed to the front panels, while side panels are opposed to each other. In addition, the base has a “folded” position in which side panels, front panels and doors are adjacent one next to the other in an accordion way.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, in the “folded” position of the base, the left door and the right door are housed in the left front panel and the right front panel, respectively, with which the volume of the folded base is reduced considerably.

In an additional embodiment of the present invention, the base further comprises a cover that is mounted on the base. The cover may be an independent piece or it may be hingedly connected to one of the side panels, in such a way that it may be taken from a horizontal position when the base is in its upright position to a vertical position when the base is its folded position.

In a specific embodiment of the invention, in the folded position of the base, the cover is laterally placed next to one of the side panels of the base.

In an additional embodiment of the invention, the base also comprises a pair of wheels mounted on at least one of the side panels, with which the base can easily move, either in the upright position or in the folded position, which is extremely useful when products are shown on the counter.

In one aspect of the invention, a counter is provided, comprising the base as it has been defined previously, a cover mounted on the base; at least one post inserted in the cover; and a board that is coupled to the post. Preferably, the post is inserted into the cover and it is received in one of the side panels of the base.

With reference to the accompanying drawings and more specifically, toFIG. 1thereof, it is shown a counter100comprising a base200; a cover300which is mounted on the base200; a pair of posts400that are inserted in the cover300and are supporting a board500vertically separated from the base200. The posts400are formed by a pair of sections401, upper and lower, which couple with each other. The board500may also be supported by a single post and even, each post400may be done in a single piece. The counter100ofFIG. 1is a typical example where the base of the present invention may be used, which is described as follows in its preferred embodiment.

So, reference is made toFIG. 2which shows the base200in its “upright” position, which includes a left side panel210; a left front panel220hingedly connected to the left side panel210; a right front panel230hingedly connected to the left front panel220; and a right side panel240hingedly connected to the right front panel230. Over the base200, there is a cover300placed, which is provided with a couple of holes301, where the posts supporting the board are inserted, and which were illustrated inFIG. 1. In the present invention, it is possible that the cover300only has one hole301for those boards supported only by one post. Likewise, posts may cross the cover and get inserted in the side panels to make a stronger mount.

In the lower part of the base200, there is a pair of wheels201mounted at the lower part of the left side panel210, in a similar way, in the lower part of the right side panel240, there is another pair of wheels that, inFIG. 2, cannot be seen. The wheels201make it easier to move all the base200from one side to another, mainly when, within it, there are products, and particularly in its upright position.

FIG. 3shows a left side view of the base200according to the embodiment that is currently disclosed, where it can be observed, the left side panel210hingedly connected to the left front panel220by means of a plastic hinge202running up downward.

The left front panel220is formed by a frame221of rectangular shape on which there is a plate222joined. In this sense, it is worth mentioning that the right front panel230, as well as the side panels, left and right,210and240are formed in a similar manner, that is to say, each of them comprises a frame on which there is a plate assembled. The hinged connection of side and frontal panels210,220,230and240of the base is done by means of plastic hinges such as the plastic hinge202. However, other type of hinges such as metal, piano-type hinges may be used to achieve the structural connection required for the base of the present invention. Finally, inFIG. 3, it is also observed the wheels201and the cover300which is mounted on the base200.

Now, reference is made toFIGS. 4 and 5to show some characteristic elements of the base200of the embodiment described in here, and as observed, the base comprises a left door250hingedly connected to the left side panel210by means of a pair of metal hinges255; and a right door260hingedly connected to the right side panel240, by a pair of metal hinges265separated vertically from one another. TheseFIGS. 4 and 5show that the base200rests on the wheels201, with which it may be moved easily from one place to another in an upright position, where the side panels210and240are opposite to each other, and the front panels220and230are opposite to the doors250and260, and these latter ones allow to have access and control on the products that are placed inside the base200and on which there is the cover300. The doors250and260may be locked with each other through locking means like locks, keyholes, pins, etc., to restrict access to the inside part of the base.

Going toFIG. 6, it shows the base200with its doors250and260open, each door is formed respectively by a frame251or261which preferably has a rectangular shape, on which a plate252or262is joined. In a preferred embodiment, the doors250and260have a size smaller than the frontal panels220and230in order to be housed inside them, and so reduce the size of the base200once it is folded. The doors250and260have a wide movement, more than 270°, to be able to move both inside and outside of the base, and to place them to one side of the side panels210and240when the base200gets folded.

Inside the base200, there is an upper shelf600and a lower shelf700mounted between the side panels210and240, of them, the upper shelf600is formed by a frame601which has a plate602attached, said frame601is oriented upward. The upper shelf600is mounted in a sliding and rotating manner to the frame211of the left side panel210, this means that the upper shelf600may move upward on its left side, and when it is at its uppermost position, it rotates on the left side in a descending direction to be housed within the left side panel210, as shown in the teachings of international application No. PCT/IB2005/002083 incorporated herein by reference.

On the other hand, the lower shelf700is formed by a frame701and a plate702joined on such frame, the shelf700is hingedly connected to the lower side of the frame241of the right side panel240in such a way that, when lifting it, the lower shelf700is housed in the right side panel240, as shown in the teachings of the afore mentioned international application No. PCT/1B2005/002083. The connection of the lower shelf with the frame241is done with a piano-type hinge.

Now, in a preferred embodiment, the shelves600and700are elements separated of base200and they may be mounted on supports provided in the frames211and241of the left and right side panels210and240. At this point, it is convenient to mention that the shelves600and700are optional elements of the base of the present invention, but they are illustrated in the mode described to give evidence on the advantages and flexibility of the present invention. Furthermore, structural configuration of these shelves may be such that the upper shelf600is connected in a sliding fashion to one of the side panels210or240, while the lower shelf is connected as a hinge also to one of the side panels210or240. This is, the shelves600and700may be connected to one of the two side panels210or240.

Another important characteristic of the embodiment of the base described in here, is related to the cover300, which is hingedly connected to one of the side panels by hinge means, in such a way that it may be taken from a horizontal position to a vertical position in order to fold it. This solves one of the problems of the previous designs, where the cover is an independent element, and when trying to assemble or disassemble it from the base, it requires effort and it is time-consuming.

In order to explain this characteristic, reference is made toFIGS. 7 and 8, where it may be observed that in the embodiment describe in here, hinge means include a lower rotary base310mounted over the right side panel240, particularly over the frame241, the lower rotary base310includes a rotation axis311; another piece of this connection is an arm320which has a lower end321and an upper end322, of which the lower end321is crossed by the rotation axis311of the lower base310, while the upper end322is crossed by the rotation axis331of an upper rotary base330which is mounted and hidden under the cover300.

The cover300has a rectangular shape with a perimeter wall340with a height enough in order to hide the arm320, as well as the rotary bases310and330when the base200is either standing-up or folded. Other hinge means may be used for this connection of the cover with one of the side panels, among said hinge means may be a moving frame as a replacement of arm, or an arm-shock absorber, etc.; what is important is that the arm320allows to connect the cover300to one of the side panels210or240and take it from a substantially horizontal position up to a substantially vertical position, in order to make easier the assembly or disassembly of the cover300on base200.

On the other hand,FIG. 8illustrates the ascending rotation movement that follows the lower shelf700in order to be housed inside the left side panel that is hidden by the cover300.

With the aid ofFIGS. 9 to 14, a description will be given of the way in which base200is taken up to its folded position. InFIG. 9, the base has its doors250and260open, while the lower shelf700is already housed in the right side panel240. On the one hand, the upper shelf600is lifted over its left side and then it rotates downward to be housed in the left side panel210. In thisFIG. 9, it may be seen that the lower shelf700includes a pair of supports710to assemble with them the connectable sections401with which posts supporting the board of the counter are assembled, which is illustrated inFIG. 1. In turn, on the upper shelf600, already assembled, it is possible to assemble on it the counter board, also illustrated inFIG. 1to hold it also to the left side panel210. These characteristics are illustrated in the international application No. PCT/1B2005/002083.

Back toFIG. 9, on one side of the right side panel240there is the cover300in vertical position. The right door260is turned 180° to place it next to the right side panel240covering the lower shelf700until reaching the position shown inFIG. 10. In this figures, it is possible to see that, in order to continuing folding the base200, the left door250is turned toward the inside of base200to assemble it next to the left side panel210and so, reach the position shown inFIG. 11.

Then, and just as shown inFIG. 11, both, the left side panel210and the right side panel240are turned inward so that the left250and the right260doors are housed in the front panels220and230, this movement becomes easier thanks to the wheels201, in such a way that, at the end of this movement, there are two halves that turn to one another, supporting again on wheels201as illustrated inFIG. 12so that finally, they reach the base in the folded position, as illustrated inFIGS. 13 and 14.

FIGS. 13 and 14show the folded position of the base200, which is extremely compact, where it is possible to see that next to the left side panel210there is the left front panel220in which there is the left door housed. Likewise, next to the left front panel220there is the right front panel230in which there is the right door housed.FIG. 14shows the plastic hinge203by which connection is made among the front panels220and230. Finally, next to the right front panel230there is the right side panel240and next to it, there is the cover300. The base200in its folded position is supported by the wheels201, with which the base in this position may move from one place to another very easily.

It is preferred that materials with which the most important elements of the base are manufacture, this is, the side panels, the front ones, doors, shelves and cover are light-weight materials such as polymers, preferably polyvinyl chloride (PVC), although they may be manufactured with other materials, such as wood, cardboard, etc.

Even when a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described and exemplified, it should be stressed that several modifications of it are possible, such as the choice of placing shelves inside the base or mount one, two or more posts to support a board. Therefore, this invention should not be considered as limited except for what it is required by the prior art and by the scope of the appended claims.

REFERENCE LIST

100Counter200Base201Wheels202Plastic hinge203Plastic hinge210Left Side Panel211Frame of the left side panel220Left Front Panel221Frame of the left front panel222Plate of the left front panel230Right Front Panel240Right Side Panel241Frame of the right side panel250Left Door251Frame of the left door252Plate of the left door255Metal hinges260Right Door261Frame of the right door262Plate of the left door265Metal hinges300Cover301Holes310Lower rotary base311Rotation axis of the lower base320Arm321Lower end322Upper end330Upper rotary base331Rotation axis of the upper base340Perimeter wall400Posts401Sections of the posts that may be connected500Board600Upper shelf601Frame of the upper shelf602Plate of the upper shelf700Lower shelf701Frame of the lower shelf702Plate of the lower shelf710Supports for the post sections