DISPLAY CASE

Abstract: A display case for products, comprising closing means with which the display case is adjustable between an open condition in which the display case is accessible to remove a product and a closed condition in which the display case is not accessible to remove a product. The display case further comprises locking means with which the closing means can be locked or released in the closed condition of the display case. The locking means cooperate with a separate operating device, located at a distance from the display case, for operating the locking means at a distance from the display case.

Description: Title: Display case The invention relates to a display case for displaying products offered for sale. When using such display cases, it is often intended that the consumers themselves remove the products from the display case. This is particularly the case in self-service shops where, to reduce sales prices, as less personnel as possible is present in the shop . When selling products susceptible to theft, such as smoking articles, rolls of film, razor blades, batteries and the like, a display case which is freely accessible to remove an article proves to be unsatisfactory. In particular when in a self-service shop such an always accessible display case is used to* display products susceptible to theft, a substantial part of the displayed products often proves to be stolen. When smoking articles are displayed in self-service shops in this manner, sometimes half of the displayed articles is stolen. To limit theft of the products, it has already been proposed that products susceptible to theft are sold by means of a coin-operated vending machine from which a product is obtained by putting coins into it. This has the drawback that in the absence of the right coins the consumer will often decide not to purchase the product. In practice, only a relatively small amount of sales can be realized by means of such a vending machine. Furthermore, such a coin-operated vending machine is relatively expensive, so that in practice often only one machine can be installed with a limited range of products . Another solution already proposed is to sell products susceptible to theft at a separate counter. This has the drawback that a considerable personnel capacity must be available. Furthermore, the consumer considers it to be laborious to purchase such products susceptible to theft at a separate counter, so that in practice only a small amount of sales of products susceptible to theft is achieved. Moreover, there is the risk that a consumer will go to a self-service shop which does not have this drawback. Yet another solution proposed to inhibit pilferage of products susceptible to theft is to install a display case which is only accessible to the cashier. However, this has the drawback that the selection, removal and handing over of the products is relatively time-consuming for the cashier. During selling rushes, this may lead to increased waiting times at the checkout, which the consumer considers undesirable. In addition, the consumer often considers it unpleasant to make a choice through the cashier and to have her remove the product from the display case, so that he will rather decide not to purchase it. .In practice, products susceptible to theft are often placed in display cases which are freely accessible to the public, and which are located m the checkout area where the cashier has to watch the removal of and payment for the products. In particular when the shop is crowded, the cashier, however, cannot pay sufficient attention to the watch on the removal of and payment for the products. It is an object of the invention to provide a simple and inexpensive display case, m particular for displaying products susceptible to theft m a self-service shop, with which the risk of theft of the products can be substantially reduced without the above drawbacks. To this end, the invention provides a display case for products, comprising closing means w th which the display case is adjustable between an open condition m which the display case is accessible to remove a product and a closed condition m which the display case is not accessible to remove a product, further comprising locking means with which the closing means can be locked or released m the closed condition of the display case, which locking means cooperate with a separate operating device, located at a distance from the display case, for operating the locking means at a distance from the display case. This ensures that the products can be displayed m the display case m the usual manner and can be removed by a consumer from the display case after he has opened it. By means of the operating device, however, a cashier can release or lock the closing means at a distance from the display case, so that she only needs to watch the removal by the consumer of products from the display case when the closing means have been released. Compared with a freely accessible display case, this only requires a small number of adaptations and only a small additional investment, while the risk of theft can be substantially reduced with a minimum of attention and operations by the cashier. In addition, since unlocking requires little effort, the consumer will feel hardly inhibited to ask the cashier to unlock the display case, and the consumer himself can select and remove the desired product . In a further embodiment the display case is provided with a timer which, when an unlocking signal has been given, will automatically apply a locking signal after a time period. This ensures that the operations to be carried out by the cashier can be limited and that the risk of theft of the products can be further reduced. In another embodiment a display case according to the invention is characterized by providing detection means for detecting whether the display case is m the open or in the closed condition. This ensures, inter alia, that after detection of a passage from the open into the closed condition a locking signal can be applied. In a further embodiment the display case according to the invention comprises means for applying a warning signal when an unlocking signal has been applied and after a time period the closed condition has not been detected. This ensures that the risk of theft of products can be reduced even further. It should be noted that when reference is made within this context to applying a signal, this should be understood to mean not only the emission of a signal, but also the interruption of the emission of a signal. The invention also relates to a piece of shop furniture comprising a display case and to a method for operating a display case. Further examples of the invention are described m the subclaims. The invention will now be explained in more detail on the basis of an exemplary embodiment of a display case shown m a drawing. In the drawing: Fig. 1 diagrammatically shows, m perspective view, a display case with remote control; Fig. 2 shows a detail of a locking mechanism with a block diagram of a control of the locking mechanism; Jig. 3 diagrammatically shows, m perspective view, a display case with self-closing flaps, the operating movement of which is coupled; and Fig. 4 diagrammatically shows a mechanism for coupling the operating movement of the self-closing flaps m Fig. 3. Fig. 1 shows a display case 1 for products 2. For clearness 1 sake, only two products 2 are depicted m the display case 1. In practice, however, the display case 1 will contain a large number of, preferably different, products 2, such as cigarettes, shag, cigars, and other products susceptible to theft. By installing the display case 1 m a checkout area located near the checkout, it is ensured that the cashier can properly watch the display case from her place to work. The display case 1 is provided m the usual manner with a frame 3 placed on legs 4. The frame 3 is provided with side walls 5, 5A, an upper wall 6, a lower wall 7, and a back wall not visible m the figure. With the exception of an opening 8 at the front, the display case 1 has a closed housing. Arranged m the interior of the housing are a plurality of shelves 9 on which products 2 can be placed for display. The display case 1 is provided near the opening 8 with closing means with which the display case 1 is adjustable between an open condition m which the interior of the housing is accessible via the opening 8 to remove a product from a shelf 9 of the display case and a closed condition m which the display case 1 is not accessible to remove a product. The closing means are designed as elongated flaps 10 which are pivotally connected with the frame 3 of the display case 1 on a substantially horizontal pivotal axis 11. The flaps 10 are made of transparent material, so that the displayed products 2 are properly visible and the appearance of the display case 1 is the nearest possible approach to an always accessible display case. For clearness' sake, the figure shows only two flaps 10. It will be clear that, m reality, the whole opening 8 can be covered with flaps 10, such that each flap 10 releases a part of the opening 8 which gives access to a shelf 9. The flaps 10 are manually operable by gripping them at the grip 12 and pivoting them relative to the pivotal axis 11 m the direction of the arrow 13. The figure shows a flap 10 m an open position (10A) and another flap 10 m a closed position (10B) . By bringing one of the flaps 10 from a situation m which all the flaps are closed into the open position, the display case can therefore be adjusted from the closed condition into the open condition. The display case 1 further comprises locking means with which the closing means can be locked or released m the closed condition of the display case. In this example the locking means are designed as a plurality of electromagnetically operable locking elements 14 which can each lock and release a flap m the closed condition. Of these, too, only two are shown The display case 1 further comprises a control arranged m the side wall 5A of the display case 1. The locking elements 14 cooperate via the control with a separate operating device 15 located at a distance from the display case 1. By means of the operating device 15 the electromagnetically operable locking elements 14 can be operated at a distance from the display case 1 via the control means 15, e.g. by pressing a button K. It is possible, for instance, to arrange a plurality of buttons K, with each of which buttons K the lock of one flap 10 can be operated. The operating device 15 is separately designed and is connected with the display case 1 by means of an operating cable 17. Referring to Fig. 2, a detail of the locking mechanism is shown with a block diagram of a control of the locking mechanism. Starting from a closed condition of the display case m which the flaps 10 are locked, an unlocking signal which operates a relay 18 can be provided by means of the separate operating device 15 located at a distance from the display case, which operating device will hereinafter be referred to as remote control. In practice, this will happen when a customer lets the cashier know that he desires to remove a product from the display case. This causes a supply voltage, which is stepped down and/or rectified, e.g. by means of a supply 19, to be transmitted to the electromagnetically operable locking element 14, so that the lock 20 of the locking element is operated and the flap 10 is released so as to be manually pivoted by a person to the open position relative to the pivotal axis 11 m the direction of the arrow 13. The display case 1 can thus be adjusted to the open condition and a product can be removed from the shelf 9 located behind the flap 10. After a product has been removed by the customer from the display case and the flap 10 has returned to the closed position, a locking signal is applied by the cashier by means of the remote control 15, so that the relay 18 is operated and the excitation of the electromagnetic locking element 14 is interrupted. This will cause the lock 20 to lock the flap 10 m the closed position, so that the display case is locked m the closed position. Preferably, however, the locking signal is automatically applied,- e.g. by a sensor detecting the closed position of the flap. Only during the period in which the display case is not locked in the closed condition, the cashier or saleswoman needs to watch the removal of the products 2 from the display case 1. In the closed condition of the display case 1 the customer can properly see the products 2 and is practically not hindered in making his choice. Advantageously, the pivotal axis 11 is arranged near the upper side of the flap 10. This ensures that the flap 10 will automatically return from the open position to the closed position under the action of gravity. Fig. 3 shows a second structural variant of the self- closing- flaps . This structural variant provides two substantially superimposed flap parts 10A and 10B which face each other with the free edges 31A, 31B of their wings 30A, 30B and can together close the access opening 31. This ensures that the wings 30A, 30B may have a shorter length, so that less travel space is required during opening. This is particularly advantageous when the flaps of the display case are arranged above the conveyer belt of a piece of checkout furniture. Because of the small length of travel, the front face V of the display case in which the flaps are located in the closed condition may be located closer to the conveyer belt than when only one flap having twice as long a wing is used, without increasing the risk of products placed on the conveyer belt falling down owing to contact with the open flaps 10A, 10B. Furthermore, when the display case is located in a wall of a relatively narrow gangway, the ease of operation is substantially increased because of the smaller length of travel. This is the case, e.g., when the display case is located in a narrow checkout gangway between a piece of checkout furniture and a conveyer belt. The flap parts 10A, 10B are each provided with a substantially horizontal pivotal axis 11A, 11B. The pivotal axes 11A, 11B extend substantially parallel and are vertically spaced apart, such that in the closed position the wings 30A, 30B of the flap parts 10A and 10B substantially extend between the pivotal axes 11A and 11B. The flap parts 10A, 10B are operable between a closed position m which the free edges 31A, 31B of the wings 30A, 30B overlap each other or are at least located against or near each other, and m which the access opening 31 is closed, and an open position m which the free edges 31A, 31B are spaced apart and the access opening 31 is released. Preferably, in the closed position the flap parts 10A, 10B are located substantially m the front face V of the display case . The operating movement of the flap parts 10A, 10B is coupled. by means of a mechanism 30. The coupling is such that when flap part 10A is opened by pivoting the wing 30A m the direction of the arrow 32A relative to the pivotal axis 11A, the flap part 10B is also caused to open via the mechanism 30 through pivotation of the wing 30B relative to the pivotal axis 11B m the direction of the arrow 32B. The mechanism 30 may comprise two gear wheels 33A, 33B, which are each coupled with an axis 11A, 11B, and which are interconnected by means of crossed geared belt 34. This has the advantage not only that the mechanism 30 is of simple construction and takes up little space, but also that the mechanism is likewise free from slip and/or play. Of course, the coupled operating movement can also be realized in another way, e.g. by means of a direct geared transmission, a friction transmission or a controlled electric drive such as a servo control . By making the upper flap part 10A heavier or at least giving it a greater moment of inertia relative to the axis 11A than the lower flap part 10B, it is ensured that the flap part 10A, when released from the open position, will return to the closed position under the action of gravity m the direction of the arrow 34A, while taking along the lower flap part 10B m the direction of the arrow 34B. To this end, the upper flap part 10A can, e.g., be designed with a wing 30A having a greater free length or be provided with a weighting near the free edge 31A. Advantageously, the display case 31 is provided with stop means 35 to prevent the flap parts 10A, 10B from moving to beyond the closed position during closing or from being pressed inwards by a person to gain access to the display case when the flaps 10A, 10B are not released. In this embodiment of the self-closing flaps the locking means and the operation thereof can of course be carried out m the same manner as already explained for the other variant of the display case. Preferably, several flaps 10 and/or 10A, 10B are centrally locked, e.g. by an electromagnetically remote-controllable lock. The self-closing capacity of the flaps can of course also be realized m other manners, e.g. by providing storage means for storing energy during opening, which storage means can give out the energy during closing so as to drive the closing movement. In particular, such storage means can be designed as torsion springs for storing spring energy, hoisting weights for storing potential energy or pressure cylinders for storing pressure. Such variants will be clear to a person skilled m the art and will therefore not be explained herein m more detail . It should be noted that by providing the remote control 15 with a lock 21 it can be ensured that the remote control can be switched off for further protection, so that it is temporarily no longer possible to release the locking means, e.g. when the cashier is not present. By means of such a lock 21, there can also be provided an operating position m which all the flaps 10 can be released at the same time. This is particularly advantageous when the display case 1 is to be filled with products 2. Such a lock may be designed not only as a key lock, but also as a code lock. Again referring to Fig. 2, the control means 15 advantageously comprise a timer 25 which, when an unlocking signal has been given, automatically provides a locking signal after a time period. This reduces the risk of theft of products 2 and reduces the operations to be carried out by the cashier. By providing the display case with detection means 26, e.g. a magnet sensor, for detecting whether the display case 1 is m the open or m the closed condition, the locking signal can also be provided automatically when the flap 10 is closed again. By providing means 26 for giving a warning signal when after a time period the closed condition has not been detected, the risk of theft of products 2 can be further reduced. The means 26 for giving a warning signal can be designed as, e.g., a loudspeaker 27 and/or a lamp 28. Preferably, the lamp 28 gives a warning signal before the loudspeaker 27 gives a warning signal. This can prevent consumers from feeling startled by the noise of the loudspeaker 27, while the attention of the cashier has anyhow been drawn to the fact that the display case has too long been m the open position. The construction of the display case and the configuration of the control will not be explained herein in more detail, since these will be clear to a person skilled m the art . Advantageously, the display case is built into a piece of shop furniture which further comprises an area for payment, an area for placing on products and a checkout. By providing a remote control near the checkout at a distance from the display case for operating locking means provided on the display case at a distance from the display case, it is ensured that the remote control can form part of the checkout or can be connected with the piece of shop furniture m a place otherwise well-considered from an ergonomic point of view for operation by a cashier, while the control means required for the remote control, such as control cables and/or transmitting and receiving units, can be arranged m the correct manner. It should be noted that the invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments described herein. Many variations thereof are possible. Thus, for instance, it is also possible to design the closing means in a manner different from flaps, e.g. as slides or roller blinds. It is further possible to use more or fewer flaps, to place the pivotal axes in a vertical or inclined position or to provide the display case with additional shelves with products which are always accessible for removal. In addition, more sides of the display case may be provided with closing means. Also, a central locking/unlocking may be provided which simultaneously locks or releases a plurality of flaps, and blocking means may be provided which, as soon as a flap has been moved to an open position, block a plurality of other flaps in the closed condition. In addition, it is possible to electrically operate the closing means. It is further possible to carry out the closing means as a PLC, a central processing unit or different programmable or non-programmable control means. It should further be noted that the remote control can also be designed in a manner different from electric, e.g. through a mechanic, pneumatic, hydraulic, optic or auditory coupling between the operating device and the control . A person skilled in the art will immediately have in mind these and many other variations. Such variations are deemed to fall within the scope of the invention as worded in the following claims.

Claims: Claims 1. A display case for products, comprising closing means with which the display case is adjustable between an open condition in which the display case is accessible to remove a product and a closed condition in which the display case is not accessible to remove a product, further comprising locking means with which the closing means can be locked or released in the closed condition of the display case, which locking means cooperate with a separate operating device, located at a distance from the display case, for operating the locking means at a distance from the display case. 2. A display case according to claim 1, wherein the operating device comprises means for providing an unlocking signal, and wherein the locking means are arranged to unlock the closing means when the operating device has given an unlocking signal . 3. A display case according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the operating device comprises means for providing a locking signal, and wherein the locking means are arranged to lock the closing means when the operating device has given an locking signal. 4. A display case according to claim 2 or 3 , wherein there is further provided a timer which, when an unlocking signal has been given, automatically provides a locking signal after a time period. 5. A display case according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the closing means are designed as a plurality of flaps substantially made of transparent material . 6. A display case according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the closing means comprise at least one flap pivotally arranged relative to a substantially horizontal pivotal axis. 7. A display case according to any of the preceding claims, wherein there are provided at least two flap parts which can together close an access opening, and means for coupling the operating movement of the at least two flap parts . 8. A display case according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the closing means are designed as self- closing means. 9. A display case according to any of the preceding claims, wherein there is provided a central locking/unlocking of the closing means. 10. A piece of shop furniture, comprising a display case according to any of the preceding claims, an area for making payments, an area for placing on products, and a checkout, wherein near the checkout at a distance from the display case an operating device is arranged to operate locking means arranged on the display case at a distance from the display case . 11. A method for operating a display case, wherein by means of an operating device located at a distance from the display case locking means of the display case are operated, such that these lock or release closing means of the display case .

Inventors: VAN MARLE RENE ARTHUR, VAN MARLE, RENE, ARTHUR
Applicants: NELLE J VAN BV, VAN NELLE TABAK NEDERLAND B.V.
Application year: 1999
Main classification: A47F3
IPC codes: A47F3