Abstract:
A front-loading storage unit includes a cabinet having an internal storage space and a front opening providing access to the space. Shelves for supporting product are mounted one above the other within the storage space and have a low friction support surface inclined upward to enable remaining product to slide frontwardly downward when product near the front opening is removed by a consumer. The shelves are translatable for servicing to extend outside the cabinet through the opening, moving at an angle equal to that of the low friction shelf surface. A mounting structure supporting the shelves translatably includes slide assemblies each having a bracket fixed to the cabinet, and a slide constrained to move along a predetermined path. The slides connect to the shelves and are movable to extend the associated shelf outside the cabinet. Product is stored and removed in a FIFO sequence. FIFO

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This application relates to a product storage cabinet and, more particularly, relates to an improved product storage cabinet, which is loaded with product units from the front side and in use allows for removal of the product unit by unit from the same front side. Product storage cabinets that permit the end user to remove the product through a front opening, conventionally covered by a moveable door, are extremely common in the United States and in many countries throughout the world.  
           [0002]    A primary example is the household refrigerator, which the home dweller loads from the front with groceries requiring refrigeration, and removes these products in a random fashion according to household consumption needs. This kitchen usage is quite different from that of a refrigerated cabinet in, for example, a supermarket where the purpose of the storage unit is to provide bulk storage and dispensing capabilities. In supermarkets, and before supermarkets, in grocery stores, food requiring refrigeration was kept in refrigerated cabinets usually having doors which open for removal of product and when closed allow visibility of the stored content. The advent of frozen foods has further increased the use of cold storage units that allow the customer to remove product in small quantities and individual units as suits the patron&#39;s needs.  
           [0003]    The types and quantity of establishments that use product storage and dispensing cabinets has also multiplied tremendously in recent years. It is now common to find such cabinets, with and without refrigeration, in small convenience stores, gasoline station shops, food courts in shopping malls, eating areas in department stores, etc.  
           [0004]    In all of these installations, ease of loading the storage cabinet with product and ease for the end user in removing small quantities of the product from the storage cabinet are of paramount importance. Floor space is generally at a premium so that footprint, height and other requirements for space are critical. In permanent installations such as supermarkets, an extended length of wall may be devoted to such cabinets, for example, refrigerated cabinets for milk, orange juice, margarines, butter, eggs, etc. In these permanent installations provision may be provided to load the product into the storage cabinet from a specially reserved area behind a wall so that the storage cabinets are filled periodically from the rear and the customer removes product from the front by opening a door. As refrigeration techniques have improved, the need for a door has been eliminated in many applications and a refrigerated storage zone is thus loaded by store employees from the rear and the product is removed by the customers from the front without opening a door.  
           [0005]    This rear-loading arrangement requires additional space but has an advantage in that new product is input from the rear by pushing forward product remaining in the storage cabinet. Where perishables or items that go stale, for example, bags of potato chips, are stored, this rear loading assures that product that is first put in is the first product to be removed. The likelihood that product quality will deteriorate is diminished.  
           [0006]    To the contrary when the product is front loaded, it is possible that earlier-stored product may remain, bypassed, as later-stored product is removed by customers.  
           [0007]    Where smaller storage and dispensing units are located for impulse sales, for example, near checkout lines in supermarkets, etc., the luxury of rear loading and front dispensing is not available because floor space is simply not available. Customers take product from the front of the cabinet after opening the door and employees periodically refill the unit with product from the front, placing new product in the spaces left open at the front of the cabinet by the customer&#39;s removal of product. Thus, the danger exists that product stored at the inner-most part of the storage space will not be sold over an extended period of time, raising a hazard of deterioration in product quality.  
           [0008]    Storing the product on sloped sliding surfaces within the storage cabinet is beneficial (and well known) for bringing product by gravity from the back toward the front of the storage space as product is removed at the front. However, if the employee still reloads the cabinet by pushing product in from the front, and slides the remaining older product toward the rear of the cabinet, there is no improvement in the problem of quality deterioration. Nevertheless, the sloped shelves serve the consumer more conveniently by placing the product within easy reach when the front door is opened.  
           [0009]    What is needed is a storage cabinet with the space saving advantages of front loading and front dispensing together with an assurance of FIFO product dispensing, that is, first product in is the first product out, thereby avoiding the hazard of product quality deterioration.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0010]    It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved product storage cabinet that is front-loaded and also dispenses product from the front.  
           [0011]    It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved product storage cabinet that receives product for storage and dispenses the product on a FIFO basis to reduce the likelihood of product quality deterioration while in the storage cabinet.  
           [0012]    A further object of the invention is to provide an improved product storage and dispensing cabinet that provides a user with easy access to the stored product.  
           [0013]    Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved product storage cabinet using gravity action to reposition remaining product in storage as product is removed from storage.  
           [0014]    A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved front-loading product storage cabinet that allows easy access to a person refilling the storage cabinet, especially when the storage cabinet is only partially empty.  
           [0015]    Other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.  
           [0016]    A front-loading storage unit in accordance with the invention includes a cabinet having an internal storage space and an opening at the front providing access to the space. A plurality of shelves for supporting product are mounted one above the other within the storage space. Each shelf has a low friction support surface inclined upward from front to back at an angle relative to a horizontal orientation to enable remaining stored product to slide downward toward the cabinet front when product near the front opening is removed from the shelf by a consumer. The shelves are translatable for servicing to extend outside the cabinet through the front opening. The shelves move at an angle approximately equal to the angle of the low friction shelf surface.  
           [0017]    A mounting structure supporting the shelves translatably includes at each side a slide assembly having a bracket fixed relative to the cabinet, and a slide constrained to move along a predetermined path relative to the fixed bracket. The slides connect to a respective one of the shelves and are movable with the associated shelf to extend the associated shelf outside the cabinet.  
           [0018]    In use, the consumer removes nearest product from the front of the cabinet, and remaining stored product slides down the inclined shelf toward the cabinet opening to replace the product that was removed. Periodically, an employee moves each shelf in turn to extend out from the front opening of the cabinet. The employee, standing in front of the cabinet, then stacks new product on the shelves, filling empty spaces at the backs of the exposed rows and columns so that the older unsold product is most accessible to the next consumer. The employee then slides the loaded shelves, in turn, fully into the cabinet and secures them as the construction may require.  
           [0019]    The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the constructions hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0020]    For a fuller understanding of the invention, reference is had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 1 is a top-front perspective view of a front-loading product storage cabinet in accordance with the invention, partially cut away, with parts and details omitted;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the product storage cabinet of FIG. 1;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 3 is a top view, partially cut away, of the product storage cabinet of FIG. 1, and further illustrating a door;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 4 is a right side elevation view, partly cut away, of the food storage unit of FIG. 1;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a shelf slide assembly taken along the line  5 - 5  of FIG. 4. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0026]    With reference to the Figures, the product storage unit  10  in accordance with the invention includes a cabinet  12  (or enclosure), a right side  14 , left side  15 , top panel  16 , rear panel  17 , base panel  18 , and a front-opening  19 . A plurality of shelves  20  are supported one above the other within the interior space of the storage unit  10  defined by the side, rear, top and bottom panels  14 - 18 .  
         [0027]    The shelves  20  are each connected to a slide  24  of a respective slide assembly  26  that has its associated fixed bracket  28  connected to the inner surfaces of the left and right sides  14 ,  15  of the cabinet  12 . The slide assemblies  26  are mounted at a positive angle  30  (FIG. 4) with respect to the horizontal orientation of the base  18 . The base  18  is intended to sit on a horizontal surface such as a floor. Because the slide assembly  26  is mounted at the positive angle  30 , that is, tilted so that it is higher at the rear of the cabinet  12  than at the front opening  19  of the cabinet, the shelves  20  are slidable individually from the enclosure space of the cabinet  12  to a position at least partially external of the storage unit  10  as illustrated in FIG. 1 (top shelf extended).  
         [0028]    Without limitation to the scope of the invention, the figures illustrate shelves for the storage of bottled product  38 , for example, a soft drink. The shelves  20  are laid out to contain a plurality of bottles  38  maintained in rows and columns by a guide structure  32  having guide bars  34  elevated above the tilted shelf floor  36 , and oriented in the direction  40  from front to rear of the cabinet  12 .  
         [0029]    The surface of the shelf floor  36  is of a low friction material or is treated to have a low friction contact with the bottoms of the bottles  38 . Because the shelf floor  36  is tilted at the positive angle  30 , when a bottle  38  is removed from the front of the column, the remaining bottles in that column slide forward by gravity until there is contact made with the forward stop bar  42 . The concept of product units presented on a sloped shelf in a matrix arrangement of rows and columns is not novel. Storage units with static, sloping shelves having low resistance surfaces are well known, for example as manufactured by Beverage Air, Spartanburg, So. Car., and accordingly are not described in great detail herein.  
         [0030]    As explained more fully hereinafter, the novel extending shelf feature of the present invention is not intended to change usage of the storage unit  10  by the consumer of the product. The consumer would generally be unaware that the storage unit includes this extending shelf feature that aids the employee who loads product into the unit. The merchant benefits because the unit is front-loaded and therefore requires a minimum of floor space. The cabinet is quickly and easily filled. The consumer and the product manufacturer benefit because the unit readily delivers the product on a FIFO basis and the consumer can get a “fresher” product at all times.  
         [0031]    When a shelf is moved out of the enclosed space, it moves substantially in a plane, translating in the direction  40  at the angle  30 . With such a shelf  20  arrangement, and assuming that the bottles in the cabinet  10  are all of equal height, a most compact stacking of shelves is possible and all shelves may be slid out of the cabinet  10  at the same time without any interference between bottles on the respective shelves.  
         [0032]    To prevent possible tilting forward of the cabinet  10  should all of the shelves  20  be extended from the front opening  19  at the same time, an interlocking apparatus (not shown) may be provided so that only one shelf may be in extended position at a given time. This is similar to arrangements used in office files for papers and documents. The center of gravity of the entire apparatus moves forward as each shelf is extended. Such an anti-tilt apparatus is not required when the cabinet is positioned with attachment to the floor or adjacent walls.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 5 shows in cross-section a construction of a typical slide assembly  26  including a bracket  28  fixed to the left side wall  15  of the cabinet  12 . The moving slide  24  is spaced away from the stationary bracket  28  by means of a raceway  44  fixed to the bracket  28  and ball bearings  46  on which the slide  24  rolls (into and out of the plane of the paper of FIG. 5). The shelf  20  may be fixed to the slide  24  as illustrated. This is an exemplary construction; the slide assembly itself is not a novel feature of the present invention and slide assemblies suitable for use in the present application are commercially available, for example, from Jonathan Engineer Solutions, Fullerton, Calif. 92831.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 3 illustrates a front door  48  hinged at the left side of the cabinet  12  so that the front opening  19  may be exposed either when loading the unit  10  or when a consumer desires to remove product  38  from the unit  10 . FIG. 4 illustrates the door  48  in its closed position. The door is of conventional construction using conventional latches, hinges, etc. and may provide a window so that the product is visible from the outside. The door  48  may or may not be a necessity for a particular installation as the product storage unit  10  as illustrated is not a vending machine in the sense that currency, a credit card, tokens, etc. are required to extract product from the unit. It is intended that a consumer takes product from the unit and later proceeds to a cashier or checkout counter where payment is made for the amount of product  38  that has been withdrawn from the unit  10 .  
         [0035]    Whether or not a front door  48  is present on the installed cabinet  12 , when the front opening  19  is exposed, it is desired that the shelves  20  not roll out of the cabinet  12  of their own weight and the effect of gravity in view of the sloped storage arrangements. To this end, detents (not shown) may be provided in connection with the moving slide  24 . The detent engages a recess in the fixed bracket  28  and the slide  24  is not able to move forward from its fully recessed position within the cabinet  12  until the employee, who is to input new product  38  into the cabinet, presses the detent and allows the slide  24  and its associated shelf  20  to move out of the cabinet  12 .  
         [0036]    Tension means may also be provided that operate to bias the shelves  20  upwardly and inwardly within the cabinet  12 . FIGS. 1, 3, and  4  illustrate helical springs  50  that are connected between the shelves  20  and the back panel  17  of the cabinet  12 . These springs  50  provide a bias that increases with the extension of a shelf  20  from the cabinet  12 . Thus, even if there is no above-mentioned detent arrangement, the shelf will never emerge by gravity from the cabinet  12  at a dangerous velocity. As an alternative to the springs  50 , an arrangement of counterweights, as used for example, in window sashes, may be used.  
         [0037]    It should be realized, that the amount of force needed to slide a loaded shelf  20  back into the cabinet  12  is relatively low in comparison to the weight of a fully loaded shelf, when the angle  30  is small as it usually is in cabinets  12  having low friction sloped surfaces  36  as discussed above. Typically, the angle  30  will be in the approximate range of 6 to 12 degrees, preferably near 9 degrees. The force needed to push a loaded shelf back into the cabinet  12  depends upon the sine of the angle  30 . Thus, for example, a loaded shelf weighing 100 pounds may only need a force of approximately 10 pounds at a nine-degree angle  30  to move the shelf  20  back into the cabinet  12 .  
         [0038]    In most installations, it will not be necessary for the shelves  20  to extend more than sixty percent of their depth outside of the cabinet  12  for convenient loading. A stop (not shown) in the slide assembly limits the extension. If the cabinet is refrigerated, conventional means may be used and space may be provided above the cabinet  12 , as indicated at  52  of FIG. 4, or in the area  54  below the shelves.  
         [0039]    In the above embodiment, the low friction shelf surface  36  was at a positive angle  30  that was substantially the same as the angle of mounting the slide assembly  26  in the cabinet  12 . Thus the shelf extends from the cabinet  12  at the positive angle angle  30 . In alternative embodiments in accordance with the invention, the slide assembly  26  can provide horizontal extension or extension at any positive angle between the horizontal and the angle  30 , or at an even greater angle, or at a negative angle. Therefore, two angles need consideration, the positive angle  30  that sets the slope of the sliding low friction surface  36  and the angle  31  that sets the direction of motion of the shelf  20  as it extends from the cabinet  12 .  
         [0040]    However, as stated above, the vertical height required for a given number of shelves  20  will be reduced when motion of the slide  24  of the slide assembly  26  and the shelf surface  36  have substantially the same positive angle  30 . On the other hand, a slightly negative value of angle  31  relative to horizontal, while increasing overall shelf spacings, may eliminate the need for biasing springs  50 , counterweights, detents, and the like, and therefore be justified. Shelves  20  would never extend from the cabinet  12  unintentionally due to gravity forces.  
         [0041]    In the above description, the unit  10  was installed for use by a consumer who removed product  38  and paid for it at another site such as a checkout line or a cashier in a store. It should be understood that the concepts of the present invention, namely an extend-out shelf having a low friction sloped surface for supporting the product, can also be applied in vending situations. There the consumer inserts currency, credit card, tokens, etc., and receives the product automatically or is given limited access so that the product paid-for may be withdrawn.  
         [0042]    It should also be understood that in the above-described embodiments, the shelves  20  are directly attached to the inner surfaces of the cabinet  12  via the slide assembly  26 . In an alternative embodiment, the shelves  20  and slide assemblies  26  may be joined together in an independent structure (which may include a refrigeration system), and this independent structure (not shown) as a unit is then inserted, for example, in manufacture or at the site, into a self-standing cabinet  12 . Then the cabinet and the self-supporting structure are joined together in accordance with the invention.  
         [0043]    In use, the consumer removes nearest product from the front of the cabinet, and remaining stored product slides down the inclined shelf toward the cabinet opening to replace the product that was removed. Periodically, an employee moves each shelf in turn to extend out from the front opening of the cabinet. The employee, standing in front of the cabinet, then stacks new product on the shelves, filling empty spaces at the backs of the exposed rows and columns so that the older unsold product is most accessible to the next consumer. The employee then slides the loaded shelves, in turn, fully into the cabinet and secures them as the construction may require.  
         [0044]    It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, and those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above constructions without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.  
         [0045]    It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention, which as a matter of language might be said to fall there between.