Shelf for a trolley

A shelf for a trolley comprising a plate providing a surface for carrying goods, such as potted plants and flowers, and hooks for mounting the shelf in the trolley. One or more of the hooks are formed from a metal strip bent about an axis extending perpendicular to the central plane of the plate.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to and the benefit of the filing of Netherlands Patent Application No. 2015371, filed on Aug. 31, 2015, and the specification and claims thereof are incorporated herein by reference.

Not Applicable.

THE NAMES OF PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

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COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention (Technical Field)

The present invention relates to a shelf for a trolley comprising a plate providing a surface, preferably a planar or substantially planar surface for carrying goods, such as potted plants and flowers, and hooks for mounting the shelf in the trolley.

Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 C.F.R. §§ 1.97 and 1.98:

Trolleys for potted plants, flowers et cetera are known in the art, e.g., from EP 2 340 978, which relates to a “holder (20) for the reduction of noise from a shelf mounted on the pillars (50) of a load carrier by means of holders. The holder is introduced into complementary slots in the pillars (50) and is configured with a notch (22) having a carrier face. Hereby the holder is able to engage with the slot in such a manner that the holder has bearing on the pillar. The holder comprises a resilient element (30) arranged in the notch to the effect that the resilient element (30) causes the carrier face to not enter into contact with the pillar when the shelf is not loaded with goods; and that the resilient element is compressed when a load of goods is loaded onto the shelf.”

DK 2000 01677 relates to a method and installation for separating and assembly of shelf containers which involve the containers having a base frame, removable corner uprights and shelves.

US 2003/160409 relates to a wheeled agricultural cart for transporting plant materials having at least one removable shelf. The cart has vertical pillars at each corner thereof with a plurality of substantially rectangular vertical slots. Each shelf has a frame including downward facing hook members at each corner thereof. The shelf is removably attached to the cart by insertion of each hook member into a slot on a corresponding vertical pillar.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The shelf according to the present invention is intended for use in returnable transport trolleys, i.e., trolleys that are part of a vast and open pool of trolleys, e.g., hundreds of thousands or more, for moving goods in standard sizes. Such a pool facilitates logistics from producers via wholesalers, cross-docking, and/or storage to retailers and vice versa. An open pool enables free exchange of trolleys, which saves time, transport costs, and administration. Empty trolleys can be exchanged for trolleys carrying goods, or the other way round, all through the supply chain.

Such pools are typically owned, managed, and maintained by one or few entities and items from the pool are hired and used by many entities. Maintaining a pool is a costly affair, especially when the pool ages and/or when similar, cheaper items of an inferior quality are added to the pool by third parties to avoid having to hire shelves.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved shelf for a trolley intended for use in a pool.

To this end, in the shelf according to the present invention one or more, preferably all of the hooks are formed from a metal strip bent about an axis extending perpendicular to the central plane of the plate. In an embodiment, the hooks comprise two portions, i.e., legs, of the strip, preferably diverging or parallel portions, each of the portions comprising a notch, and the notches are aligned.

The hooks according to the present invention allow efficient use of metal and a robust construction at relatively low weight and little waste and facilitate the manufacture of the shelves. Further, the strip facilitates inclusion of further features as will become apparent from the preferred embodiments.

In an embodiment, a portion of a strip extends along and/or in a side of the plate. In a refinement, a first portion of a strip extends along and/or in a first side of the plate and a second portion of a strip extends along and/or in a second side of the plate.

In a further refinement, the plate comprises one or more channels or (box) girders and a portion of a strip extends in a channel or (box) girder of the plate and preferably closes off or even seals an end of such channel or girder.

Thus, both the short sides and the long sides of the plate are directly supported by the hooks, i.e. the long sides via the inner legs of the hooks and the short sides via the outer legs of the hooks. This avoids or at least reduces concentration of loads.

In an embodiment, at least two hooks on opposite sides of the plate are identical and, when built into the plate, mirrored. Thus, the number of unique parts is reduced and manufacturing is further simplified.

A reinforcing and/or dampening material is positioned between the portions (legs) defining the hooks.

In an embodiment, the strip is attached to the plate, e.g. by welding, clinching, riveting or an adhesive, and forms a beam for transferring forces from a load on the shelf to the hooks, and via the hooks to the posts of the trolley.

In another embodiment, two hooks are formed in the same strip and located on or near opposite (long) sides of the shelf.

For use in current pools of trolley, it is preferred that the shelf is rectangular and elongated and comprises a hook at each corner, preferably having a length in a range from trolley 1250 to 1350 mm, e.g. 1320 mm, and two parallel relatively short sides, preferably having a width of 530 to 570 mm, e.g. 550 mm.

To prevent or at least hinder the shelf from being used in existing pools, in an embodiment, the hooks extend in lateral direction, i.e. a direction parallel to the short sides.

To render the shelf more robust, it is preferred that the material of the strip has a yield strength of at least 500 MPa, preferably at least 600 MPa. Within the framework of the present invention, yield strength of a material is defined as the stress at which a material begins to deform plastically.

The invention further relates to a trolley comprising a plurality of rectangular and elongated shelves as described above and a plurality of corner posts, sometimes also referred to as pillars or uprights, provided with a series of openings receiving the hooks of the shelves.

The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the figures, which schematically show embodiments according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1 and 2show a trolley1for carrying goods, such as potted plants and flowers, comprising a rectangular and elongated frame2provided with four wheels3at its underside near each corner and a holder4for a post5at each corner. A post5is placed in each holder. In this example, the holders and posts all have a square cross-section with the posts having outer dimensions (width) that are slightly smaller than the inner dimensions of the holders. Thus, the posts are slidably and removably positioned in the holders in one of four positions. Each post has on one of its four sides a series of openings6and on the side opposite from the openings a slot7running the length of the post. A plurality of shelves10is mounted in the trolley.

FIGS. 3 and 4show a single rectangular and elongated shelf10suitable to be mounted in the trolley1shown inFIGS. 1 and 2. The shelf has a plate11providing a planar top surface12for carrying goods. A plurality of box girders13is formed on and/or attached to the bottom surface of the plate, to render the shelf sufficiently stiff and strong. The long and short edges of the plate are provided with raised edges14.

The shelf has a hooks20at each corner. With these hooks, the shelf10can be mounted at a selected height in the trolley by tilting the shelf, inserting a pair of hooks in openings at the selected height, lowering the shelf until it is horizontal and slightly shifting the shelf to insert the pair of hooks on the opposite side of the shelf in openings6in the posts5on the opposite side of the trolley1.

As shown inFIGS. 5, 6, and 8-10, the hooks20are made from a metal strip21. In this example, the strip is made of resilient steel having a yield strength of 600 MPa, a thickness of 2 mm, and a height of 20 mm. At both ends, the strip is bent about an axis A extending in the height direction of the strip (perpendicular to the central plane of the plate in the finished shelf). Two notches22are provided near each end of the strip, which notches align after bending the strip about axis A, thus forming hooks.

The strip is provided with a plurality of holes23, which allow, e.g., clinching the ends of the plate to the strip, and four notches.

In this example, the strip is bent, at each end, at three further positions and all about axes extending in the height direction of the strip, to form portions24for clinching the plate11to the strip21and providing an appropriate distance between the hooks20and the plate11, portions25for closing off the ends of the box girders in or near the long sides of the plate11and portions26extending in the box girders in or near the long sides of the plate11.

The plate11is clinched to the strip21by folding edge portions of the plate over the strip and clinching the portions of the plate together through the openings23in the strip. Identical but mirrored strips are attached to each of the short sides of the shelf, as shown inFIGS. 3 and 8.

The present shelf is a robust construction at relatively low weight and facilitates the manufacture of the shelves with little waste. By providing hooks, which, seen in a top view, each have two legs, one supporting a long side of the shelf and one supporting a short side, forces in the shelf are distributed more evenly. E.g., concentration of forces from a long side and a short side are avoided, e.g., when forces are transferred from a long to a hook via a short side, are avoided or at least reduced.

The invention is not restricted to the above-described embodiments, which can be varied in a number of ways within the scope of the claims. For instance, instead of forming two hooks in a strip and providing two strips in a shelf, in an embodiment, hooks are formed from four (shorter) strips, i.e., one hook in each strip. Also, the strips(s) may comprises bends about axes at other angles. E.g., the strip21shown inFIG. 9comprises at each end a bend about an axis B of 45 degrees, relative to the plate11in the finished shelf. It further comprises bends about an axis parallel to the plane of the plate, to raise the ends of the strip, e.g., to enable attaching, i.e., clinching, the plate to the strips at different heights. Also, in addition to one or more bent portions the strips(s) may comprise stepped or inclined portions27, e.g., to match features in the plate.