Module, Modular Transport and Display Unit for Transporting and Displaying Products, and Related Methods

The present application relates to a module for a modular transport & display unit. In particular, the present application relates to a module for a modular transport & display unit of the type that can be used to load products thereon for transportation to a store and can then be seamlessly and readily used to display said products in, for example, said store, such as in conjunction with a special offer on said products, with minimum effort.

The present application also relates to said modular transport & display units, and to related methods of erecting or collapsing said module and/or modular transport & display unit for, respectively, loading said products thereon, or for returning the module and/or the transport & display unit to a service centre, before it can again be used to transport & display new products, after repair, cleaning or reconditioning, if necessary.

In the quest for a truly circular economy, it is increasingly important to reduce or eliminate single-use packaging and adopt pooled product-distribution solutions.

While pallets can be used to display products in-store, and they come in a range of suitable sizes such as full pallets, half pallets and quarter pallets-they may be unattractive or inconvenient to the consumer.

To attract consumer interest, whilst retaining ease of transportation, there are available from the prior art transport & display units which are, effectively, built upon a transportation platform, such as a pallet or a pallet on wheels (a ‘dolly’). These units may be dressed, on-site, or before transportation, with promotional material, usually made of cardboard, such as advertising strips, banners or boards. Further, some of these units may be reconfigurable, foldable or collapsible-which greatly facilitates circularity: when the products have been sold, or a specific offer is terminated, store operators can fold or dismantle these units for return and reuse. Before the units are reused, however, it may be necessary to repair, clean or, in some other manner, recondition them. These operation may be costly or time-consuming.

There is therefore a need for improved solutions which are more convenient, easier to handle and/or, if needed, recondition, whilst still being attractive to the consumer and easy to operate by store operators.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a module for a modular transport & display unit for transporting products to a store and for then displaying said products in said store, said module comprising a shelf (or tray), adapted to receive said products thereon; and, at least one reconfigurable support structure, wherein said at least one reconfigurable support structure is adapted to be deployed in a first, erected configuration, wherein the support structure is adapted to support one or more additional such modules, so that all modules collectively may form said transport & display unit, and to be stowed away in a second, collapsed configuration.

Such an independent module, yet combinable with one or more modules of the same type to provide a full or fuller transportation & display unit, makes for a sturdy yet easy-to-operate transport & display solution which has good manoeuvrability and is easy and friendly to operate in store, and to return for reuse.

Said at least one reconfigurable support structure may be rotatably arranged with respect to the shelf or tray.

The shelf or tray may comprise a border adapted to retain said products on the shelf or tray. The border may at least partially surround the shelf or tray. It is preferred, however, that the border completely surround the shelf or tray, such as by it being integrally formed with said shelf or tray, for example as a skirt that extend perpendicularly from the shelf or tray. To maximise the number of products that can be accommodated on the shelf or tray, the skirt may extend from an edge of said shelf or tray.

In preferred configurations, the at least one reconfigurable support structure and said border may be integrated, so that maximum space may be retained on the shelf or tray for products. For example, the reconfigurable support structure and the border may be adapted to form, or may be joined/jointed by, a pivotable connection. In other words, the at least one reconfigurable support structure may be pivotally connected to the border, rather than elsewhere on the module, for example, to the shelf-as this will further maximise the module's payload.

Particular attention is given in this disclosure to how the reconfigurable support structure and the border may be integrated. For example, the reconfigurable support structure in the erected configuration may be adjacent to, contiguous to, or even be provided as a portion of, or be part of-the border, or a specific zone of it, such as a corner. When the reconfigurable support structure is erected, therefore, as much of the space available on the tray or shelf may be left to accommodate products for transport and/or display.

The reconfigurable support structure may comprise one or more stems which may be disposed adjacent to, contiguous to or even incorporated as part of-the shelf border. The pivotable connection may comprise at least one pin, which may be provided on a respective stem, and at least one guide, which may be provided on the shelf border, for receiving said pin and guiding its movement such that the at least one reconfigurable support structure may rotate and/or translate with respect to the shelf, such that a pivotable end of said stem can clear the shelf border during reconfiguration.

This configuration is advantageous in that the stem may be positioned adjacent or even contiguous to the border, or may form part of the border itself, to maximise the space for products on the shelf, yet it can clear the border upon rotation to reconfigure the reconfigurable support structure. Of course, alternatively, the at least one pin may be provided on the border and the at least one guide on the stem.

Preferably, the at least one pin is provided on the pivotable end of the reconfigurable support structure, which pivotable end may be a pivotable end of said stem. The at least one guide may be provided in the shape of a slot, and in particular as a cut-out which cuts through the (relatively thin) shelf border.

The pivotable connection may be arranged such that, throughout a reconfiguration of the reconfigurable support structure, a minimum distance between the pivotable end of the reconfigurable support structure, for example measured from a base of said stem, that is between the stem base and the border, is less than a predetermined value. It is important that the support structure clears the border when reconfigured, and it is as important that in the erected position the support structure leaves as much space as possible on the shelf or tray of the module.

The pivotable connection may comprise upper and lower pins provided on said pivotable end of the reconfigurable support structure, such as on a proximal end of said stem, and two respective upper and lower slots provided on the shelf border for guiding the movement of said two respective pins. The lower slot may extend linearly alongside the shelf border, and the upper slot may be arcuate with a downward concavity. Forming the slots according to these shapes may facilitate simultaneous and/or sequential translation and/or rotation of the at least one reconfigurable support structure, which may be required for the stem base to clear the border upon reconfiguration of the reconfigurable support structure.

Said upper slot may form a retaining cusp at an end thereof, for retaining the at least one support structure in the first or second configuration. However, said border may alternatively and/or additionally comprise a resiliently flexible retainer for retaining the at least one support structure in the first or second configuration. Other types of retainers may however be provided.

Each reconfigurable support structure may comprise a pair of opposed pivotable stems and a bridge that connects respective distal ends of said pivotable stems. This arrangement is particularly simple and robust.

Said stems may be cross-sectionally L-shaped and are arranged such that the respective angles formed by said L-shapes face the shelf, which again is a simple measure which saves, or contributes to save, space on the shelf for any products to be accommodated thereon.

Said bridge may comprise a pair of opposed brackets arranged to engage with said distal ends of the pivotable stems. The pairs of opposed brackets may have different shapes, but a preferred shape is an L-shape, so as to match with the cross-sectional shape of the respective L-shaped stems.

The module may comprise two reconfigurable support structures disposed at opposed ends of said shelf or tray.

Further, the module may be arranged such that their respective second, collapsed positions are reached by equal and opposite stowing-away operations, such that said two reconfigurable support structures fold inwardly towards the shelf from their respective first, erected positions. In this arrangement, the reconfigurable support structure may be intuitively and/or neatly stowed away.

Said at least one reconfigurable support structure may be, in addition to it being reconfigurable, extendable. It will be understood that this is particularly advantageous in connection with the modularity of the arrangement. When multiple modules are stacked one on another, by changing the lengths of the respective support structures, variable and/or adjustable spacings between the shelves or trays can be easily achieved. This of course allows different products, or different sizes of the same product, for example drinks or cosmetics, to be efficiently stored in the modular units, thereby saving space and retaining compactness.

Said bridge may be adapted to be positioned in at least a first, fully retracted position and in a second, fully extended position with respect to said two stems. These may be the only two positions that the bridge is configured to take, or of course there could be intermediate configurations in any arbitrary number. Preferably, the bridge may be telescopically extendable. Said stem-engaging brackets may each be slidably arranged on a respective stem.

Advantageously, the bridge may incorporate an actuation mechanism arranged such that on actuation of the actuation mechanism the bridge may be extended or retracted. This mechanism may be manually actuatable, for example by a store operator.

Preferably, said actuation mechanism may comprise one or more bolts and a biasing means for biasing said bolts to a projected configuration. In the projected configuration, said bolts may engage with one or more of the brackets and/or stems of the reconfigurable support structure, for example with a set of openings or recesses provided thereon for this purpose. The actuation mechanism may be configured such that the actuation of the actuation mechanism retract said bolts against said biasing means.

In a particularly preferred arrangement, the shelf is generally rectangular. Preferably, said shelf is sized to correspond to the size of a pallet or a dolly, or to that of a fractional pallet or a dolly. More preferably, said shelf is the size of a quarter pallet or a dolly.

Each reconfigurable support structure may be provided adjacent, next, at or in proximity of a short side of the rectangular shelf or tray, and this will facilitate access (from at least one of the rectangle's long sides) to any products supported on the shelf. Each pivotable stem may be provided at a respective corner of said rectangular shelf, to save further space on the shelf to accommodate products thereon. Each bridge may extend parallel to, and may have the same length, as a corresponding short side of said rectangular shelf. With a border, or skirt, extending perpendicular from the shelf or tray, then the reconfiguration motion of the reconfigurable support structures may effectively be a two-dimensional rotation/translation, on a notional or reference plane parallel to, or in addition containing, said border or skirt.

At least one reconfigurable support structure may be dimensioned and arranged such that, in its second, collapsed configuration, it lies flat, completely inside of said border. This will prevent or reduce accidental damage to the module, for example during transport to a repair and/or reconditioning facility, before the module can be reused.

Both reconfigurable support structures may be dimensioned and arranged such that, when both support structures are configured in the second, collapsed configuration, they lie flat, completely inside of said border.

Preferably, the above condition is also met when at least one or both of said reconfigurable support structures are extended—so the store operator does not necessarily have to retract the bridge to be able to stow away the reconfigurable support structure in a flat, secure configuration.

Further, said at least one reconfigurable support structure may be dimensioned and arranged such that, in the second, collapsed configuration, it lies flat, with a footprint that is completely contained inside said shelf—which propagates the above-referenced advantages even further.

Further still, both reconfigurable support structures may be dimensioned and arranged such that, when both support structures are configured in the second, collapsed configuration, they lie flat, with respective footprints being completely contained inside said shelf.

Preferably, the above condition is also met when at least one or both of said reconfigurable support structures are extended.

An underside of the shelf may be configured to snugly fit over a further module and/or over a loading surface of a pallet or a dolly, for increasing stability of the unit.

The border or skirt may be provided with one or more recesses or handles for facilitating the handling of the module, such as by a user who can then better grip said module by hand via said on or more recesses or handles.

Further still, in the first, erected configuration the at least one support structure may be configured to be snugly received by an underside of said one or more additional such modules, also for improving stability of the unit, in the erected configuration.

Finally, the at least one reconfigurable support structure may comprise one or more features constructed and disposed to hold in place a packaging element such as a cardboard sheet, when the at least one reconfigurable support structure is in the first, erected configuration. Said packaging element or cardboard sheet may prevent access to the products during, for example, transportation to the store. Said features may comprise one or more tongues configured to hold in place said packaging element. Preferably, this is done in cooperation with at least a portion of said border. Alternatively, or additionally said features may comprise one or more slits configured to hold in place said packaging element. Preferably, this is done in cooperation with another reconfigurable support structure as described herein. Said tongues or slits may be configured such that the packaging element is arranged flush with an outer surface of the border and/or one or more outer surfaces of the relevant support structure.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a modular transport & display unit for transporting products to a store and for then displaying said products in said store, wherein the unit comprises at least a first module as described herein. Said first module may comprise at least one erected reconfigurable support structure as described herein. Said first module may comprise at least one collapsed reconfigurable support structure as described herein.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a combination of a module as described herein or a modular transport & display unit also as described herein, with a corresponding pallet or dolly. Preferably, the module, modular unit and the pallet or dolly are sized to correspond to a quarter-pallet size.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of erecting and/or collapsing a module as described herein, or a modular unit as described herein, the method comprising deploying a collapsed at least one reconfigurable support structure as described herein in the first, erected configuration and/or stowing away an erected at least one reconfigurable support structure as described herein in the second, collapsed configuration.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of preparing a modular transport & display as described herein, the method comprising:

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of collapsing a modular transport & display unit as described herein, the method comprising:

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a module for a modular transport & display unit for transporting products to a store and for then displaying said products in said store, said module comprising:

The various aspects described herein, and the features disclosed in association with each of such aspects, may be combinable with one another, unless expressly stated otherwise or specific technical considerations exist which would prevent such combinations.

Like features across different arrangements will generally be labelled using the same reference number. Features described in connection with any one of the aspects of this disclosure may be provided in any other of the aspects disclosed herein, unless there are specific reasons for which such combination may not be possible.

Depicted for the purposes of orientation, the axis system inindicates a first direction, a second direction, and a third direction, in relation to the orientation of the RFSDU. The first directionmay be considered as pointing in the width dimension, from right to left. The second directionmay be considered as pointing in the height dimension, from down to up. The third directionmay be considered as pointing in the depth dimension, from back to front.

As seen in, a reusable free-standing display unit (RFSDU)according to an arrangement of the present disclosure includes a pallet base, a connector, at least one pillar support, and at least one tray. The RFSDU shown inis fully assembled, being fully erected, fully extended, and having a desired number of trays inserted.

The pallet baseis for supporting the connector and pillar supports of the RFSDU. The connector is for connecting the pillar supports to the pallet base. The pillar supports are for supporting the trays. The traysare for supporting products.