A distributor of boxed products such as packets of cigarettes

Abstract: A frame (24, 26, 32, 34), adapted to be attached above a sales counter and having a set of at least two horizontal slots (32, 35, 37), carries a plurality of magazines (36) for boxed products, hanging side by side from said slots. Each magazine comprises a plurality of vertical, side-by-side shafts or chutes (50, 52, 54, 56), aligned in a direction at right angles to the slots, of sizes adapted to contain respective stacks of cigarettes, open at the bottom at heights staggered upwardly starting from the shaft near the frame, and provided with retaining plates (62, 64, 66, 68), whereby the boxed products are prevented from dropping, but are allowed to be pulled out laterally one by one.

Description: DISCLOSURE This invention is concerned with a distributor of boxed products such as packets of cigarettes, boxes of sweetmeat, and similar block-shaped products, for installation at tobacconists and other sales points, preferably in association with the sales counter. Tobacconists have stored packets of cigarettes for sales as stacks placed on shelves located behind the sales counter. Due to the small size of the packets of cigarettes and to the large number of brands and kinds found on the market, the front space required for accommodating all the products is very large, although the depth taken is small. Moreover, since the shelves are located behind the counter, at each customer's request the salesperson has to turn to the shelf, pick the required product, and turn back toward the counter to deliver it to the customer. Such maneuver, which is repeatedly performed over the day, is not only tiresome for the salesperson, but also slows up the sales operations, lengthening the customers' waiting times at rush hour. Finally, the salesperson is compelled to frequently turn his eyes away from the sales counter, thereby offering a chance to malingerers for stealing from the products which are usually on display on the counter. The same situation is true also in relation to other products of similar size and shape, such as block-shaped boxes of sweetmeat, chocolates, which are also often sold by tobacconists. A cigarette dispenser of the free standing variety is described in EP 0 695 528. It is therefore a main object of the invention to provide a distributor of boxed products such as packets of cigarettes, boxes of sweetmeat, and similar block-shaped products, for installation at tobacconists, stalls and other sales points in lieu of shelves or cases as known heretofore, in order to accommodate, with good efficiency, a large number of packets of cigarettes in different sizes, and which will spare the salesperson having to turn his back to the counter in order to pick each time the product requested by the customer. The invention achieves the above and other objects and advantages, such as will appear from the following disclosure, with a distributor of boxed products, particularly packets of cigarettes, and having the features recited in claim 1. Other advantageous features are recited in the dependent claims. The invention is further disclosed below, with reference to a preferred embodiment shown, by way of nonlimiting example, in the attached drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is a perspective, exploded view of a distributor of packets of cigarettes according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is an end view, to an enlarged scale, of a detail of Fig. 1, in the direction of arrow II; Fig. 3 is a view in vertical, longitudinal cross-section, to an enlarged scale, of a magazine of packets of cigarettes used in the distributor of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a plan view from above of the magazine of Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is another perspective, exploded view of the distributor of cigarettes of Fig. 1, in a different mode of installation. With reference to Fig. 1, two tubular uprights 10, 12 are vertically attached to a sales counter 14 of a tobacconist, by means of attachment flanges and counterflanges 16, 18 and of bolts such as 20, 22. Respective rods 24, 26 are received in the tubular uprights, which can be blocked at a desired height by screws (not shown) engaged in holes such 28, 30. Rods 24, 26 are braced with crosspieces 32 to build a stiff frame. Each of crosspieces 32 carries a respective channel 34, as shown to an enlarged scale in the detail view of Fig. 2, which shows a crosspiece 32 in transverse cross-section. Channel 34, of a section commonly known as "hat", has two skirts 35, 37, defining, together with crosspiece 32, upward and downward slots, respectively. Having now reference also to Figs. 3 and 4, a magazine 36 for packets of cigarettes, which is part of the distributor of the invention, comprises a main metal sheet bent in a C-shape to define two side walls 40, 42, which are joined by a transverse back wall 44, with end ledges 46. Further, a plurality of welded, transverse partitions such as 48, which extend between both side walls 40, 42, and are parallel to back wall 44, define a plurality of shafts or chutes 50, 52, 54, 56, which are adapted to contain respective stacks of superimposed packets of cigarettes, as shown with 58. Side sheets 40, 42 are preferably lightened by windows 60. Moreover, they are staggered at their bottom end, so that the bottom ends of shafts 50, 52, 54, 56 are also staggered, and are further provided with respective horizontal plates 62, 64, 66, 68, which partially shut the bottom end of the respective magazine, whereby they retain the stacked packets while allowing them to be trasnversely withdrawn, one by one. Preferably, the height of a magazine is designed so that each shaft can accommodate the equivalent of an entire carton of packets of cigarettes. Two spaced hooks 70, 72 are welded to back wall 44. Hooks 70, 72 comprise bent metal plates, which can be inserted in the slots defined by skirts 35. As it can be seen on Fig. 1, a number of magazines are hung side by side, up to the entire width of the crosspieces, building up a loading capacity (depending on the frame width) of several tens or even of a hundred different brands and types of cigarettes. It will be appreciated that the salesperson at the counter can quickly pick the requested packet without having to move or turn. Whenever one of the shafts is empty, it can be easily reloaded by dropping from above one or more stacks of packets taken out of a carton, either by momentarily unhooking the magazine, or by climbing on a stool or small ladder. It is known that the packets of cigarettes ar substantially standardized to a few different sizes, depending on the number and length of the cigarettes. In practice, therefore, the magazines may be provided in only a few models, which are substantially identical in structure, but having different widths and depths of the shafts, possibly with reduction of the shafts from four to three in the case of the deeper shafts. The mode of hanging allows the different models to be hung freely, independently of their widths. Fig. 5 shows how the distributor of the invention may be installed hanging above the counter and without any connections to it, where it is desired to keep the entire surface of the counter free. The frame is substantially the same as shown on Fig. 1, but is capsized and attached to the ceiling (rather than to the counter) by means of tasselli 80. In this case, the magazines will be hung onto skirts 37 of crosspieces 32 rather than onto skirts 35. A preferred embodiment of the invention has been described, to which, however, numerous changes may be made, such as will be evident for the person skilled in the art, within the scope of the claims. In particular, it should be noted that, although the preferred embodiment concerns a distributor of packets of cigarettes, the same distributor is equally applicable to boxes of cigars, and to boxed products generally, such as sweetmeat, medicines, and the like, so long as their packages are small and block-shaped.

Claims: A distributor of boxed products, particularly of packets of cigarettes, comprising a frame (24, 26, 32, 34) adapted to be attached above a sales counter and having a set of at least two horizontal slots (32, 35, 37); a plurality of magazines (36) for boxed products, hanging side by side from said slots, each magazine comprising a plurality of vertical, side-by-side shafts or chutes (50, 52, 54, 56), aligned in a direction at right angles to the slots, of sizes adapted to contain respective stacks of boxed products, and open at the bottom at heights staggered upwardly starting from the shaft near the frame, and provided with retaining plates (62, 64, 66, 68), whereby the boxed products are prevented from dropping, but are allowed to be pulled out laterally one by one. The distributor of boxed products of claim 1, characterized in that said frame comprises at least two crosspieces (32) carrying said slots, and extending between two vertical rods (24, 26) which are inserted in an adjustable degree in respective tubular uprights (10, 12) provided with flanges (16, 18) for attachment to a horizontal surface. The distributor of boxed products of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said frame has two sets of slots (32, 35, 37) opening to opposite directions, whereby said tubular uprights are attachable either to the top surface of a counter or to the ceiling, so that in each case said magazines can be hung. The distributor of boxed products of one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the magazines (36) have different widths, depending on the size of the products. The distributor of boxed products of one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the magazines (36) are of metal sheet.

Inventors: CASATI GIUSEPPE, CASATI, GIUSEPPE
Applicants: MEZZI ALTERNATIVI MAIS & ASSOC, MEZZI ALTERNATIVI MAIS & ASSOCIATI S.R.L.
Application year: 2000
Main classification: A47F1
IPC codes: A47F1