WO2001015124A1

WO2001015124A1 - Indicating mechanism

Info

Publication number: WO2001015124A1
Application number: PCT/GB2000/003233
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gaetan Dalle
Original assignee: Bribex Limited
Priority date: 1999-08-21
Filing date: 2000-08-21
Publication date: 2001-03-01
Also published as: GB9919796D0; AU6853000A

Abstract

A price totem (10) includes an upright (11) which carries a display (13). A price unit (23) is counterbalanced by a weight (30) in the upright (11) and can be lowered to a space (12) for price changing.

Description

Indicating Mechanism This invention relates to indicating mechanisms for price display devices and in particular, but not exclusively, to devices known as price totems. Our British Patent No. 2289156 and our later International Patent Application WO98/30997 disclose such indicating mechanisms in which a price change unit is slidable between a price display position and a storage position. In each case the display passes through a price change location as it moves into the storage position and each price on the display can be changed as the price is successively passed through the price change position. The designs described in the specifications have been extremely successful, but they are most suited for an arrangement where the indicating mechanism is spanned between two uprights and they are in practice currently configured, as with all other price totems, so that there is a separate price display unit for each side of the totem.

Particularly in the petrol market, considerable thought and effort is put into the aesthetics of the forecourt and certain operators prefer price totems having a single upright with the prices displayed to one side of that upright. Usually the display portion of such totems does not extend to the ground and for this reason they are commonly known as flag totems. Our previous indicating mechanisms are not ideal for such totems and further problems can be introduced if the operator wants to illuminate the prices from inside. From one aspect the invention consists in a price totem including an upright supporting, on one side thereof, a housing which defines price display locations and the price unit for carrying price indications, slidably mounted on the upright for movement between a price display position and a price change position, wherein the price unit includes a chassis for movement along the upright and a pair of spaced oppositely facing price displays for displaying prices at respective sides of the housing. The interconnection of the two price displays onto a single chassis running on the upright, not only gives a particularly compact formation, which is well suited to a flag style totem, but it also enables the prices on both sides of the totem to be changed at the same time. In a preferred embodiment the totem further includes a lighting unit, for illuminating prices, supported to lie between the price displays. In that case the displays may define a gap between their side edges which are remote from the chassis and the lighting unit and/or its support may extend through the gap to lie between displays. In this way the displays can be moved past the lighting unit, without any interference with it .

The housing and/or the upright may define a vertical runway for each display and the edges of the displays opposite the chassis may carry spring loaded runners for engaging their respective runway. This engagement helps to ensure that there is sufficient rigidity in the price display unit. The housing may be spaced from the ground (e.g. as in a flag totem) , in which case the price unit may be lowered substantially out of the housing to facilitate price changes, for example through a door in the bottom of the housing. In some cases, in its lowered position, a part of the price unit may lie within the housing, in which case a door may be formed in the housing for allowing price changing access to the part .

Preferably the price unit is counterbalanced and it is particularly preferred that the counterbalancing is achieved by means of a counterweight disposed within the upright for raising and lowering therein.

From another aspect the invention consists in a flag price totem including an upright, a price display slidably movable on the upright between a display station and a price change station and a counterweight for counterbalancing price display disposed within the upright.

Although the invention has been defined above, it is to be understood it includes any inventive combination of the features set out above or in the following description.

The invention may be performed in various ways and specific embodiments will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures la to c illustrate flag totems according to the invention of different heights;

Figure 2 is a view of the upright of the totem of Figure 1 with its integral housing framework; Figure 3 is an exploded view of the cladding for use with the totem of Figure 1 ;

Figure 4 is a horizontal section through the price display section of the totem of Figure 1 ; Figure 5 is an enlarged view on the portion A of Figure

4;

Figure 6 is an enlarged view of portion B of Figure 4 ; and

Figures 7a and b are respectively views from above and the front of the price display used in the totem of Figure 1.

Figures la to c illustrate three totems 10, which essentially differ only in the height of their uprights 11 and hence the size of the space 12 which exists below the display 13. The display 13 carries information concerning the company selling petrol in an associated forecourt, information about the credit cards that are accepted and, most importantly perhaps, the prices. These last are displayed at price display locations 14. It will be noted that in the illustrated totems 10 there are four price locations but this may vary, depending on the number of fuels being offered.

As can be seen from Figures 2 and 3, the totem 10 and display 13 are to an extent formed integrally and then externally clad. Thus as is shown in Figure 2 the upright 11 carries framework, generally indicated at 15, for supporting the display cladding 16 which is generally indicated in Figure 3. For the purposes of this invention, the price display section 17 of the framework 15 is of most interest and it comprises an upper horizontal member 18, a lower horizontal tray 19, which has an opening door 20 in its base, and vertically extending runways 21, which are spaced from the upright 11.

Not shown in Figure 2, but illustrated in Figure 5 is a vertically extending channel 22 which runs along the upright 11 to define a slideway for a price unit, which is generally indicated at 23. The price unit 23 includes a chassis 24 and a pair of spaced, oppositely facing price display boards 25. The chassis 24 comprises a vertically extending edge wall element 26, to which the boards 25 are attached, and a carriage 27 having spring loaded elements 28 that engage on the lips 29 of the channel 22. The price unit 23 is counterbalanced by a weight 30 that can move up and down within the hollow body of the upright 11. The weight 30 is connected to the price unit 23 by means of a flexible element (not shown) which passes over a pulley (not shown) that locates on the top of the upright 11 at the locations marked at 31. The combination of the counterweight 30 and the friction generated by the springloaded elements 28, mean that the price unit can be positioned at any point along the channel 22.

To ensure the rigidity of the price unit 23 and its effective running in the channel 24, the boards 25 carry spring- loaded frictional elements 32 that engage respective L-shaped guides 33 mounted on the runways 21.

As is to an extent schematically illustrated at 34 a lighting unit is disposed between the boards 25. In order that this can be properly supported, a gap 35 is left between the free edges 26 of the boards 25 and the support for the lighting unit extends therethrough and is secured onto the runways 21. This structure allows the price unit 23 to have 2 display boards 25 displaying prices on either side of the totem and yet, also, allows it to slide up and down past the supported lighting unit 34.

In Figure 7 the front face of a board 25 is illustrated and it will be seen that it defines a number of price tile locations 37 into which price tiles 38 can be inserted. A handle 39 is mounted on the bottom of the board 25. In use the price unit 23 normally lies within the housing 16 displaying the prices defined by the price tiles 38. When a price change occurs, the operator goes to the price totem 10 and opens the door 20. He then grabs hold of the handle 39 and pulls the price unit 27 down until he can access the lowermost price tile location 37. He changes those tiles to display the new price and then lowers the price unit 23 further so that he can successively change each price as necessary. In the totem illustrated in Figure la, the space 12 is not sufficient to expose the whole of the price unit 23 and in that case the panel 40 may be formed as a door to allow access to the uppermost price tile location 36. When the price unit 23 is fully lowered into the space 12, it may be desirable to link free edges of the boards 25, for example as shown in dotted lines at 41 in Figure 7a in order to prevent distortion of the boards, which are preferably made of sheet metal, by the high winds that are often experienced on exposed forecourts. Alternatively the handles 39 on the respective boards could be turned through 180° so that they bridged between the boards, but did not interfere with the lighting unit 34.

Claims

1. A price totem including an upright supporting on one side thereof, a housing which defines price display locations and a price unit, for carrying price indications, slidably mounted on the upright for movement between a price display position and a price change position wherein the price unit includes a chassis for movement along the upright and a pair of spaced opposite facing price displays for displaying prices at respective sides of the housing.

2. A totem as claimed in Claim 1 further including a lighting unit, for illuminating the prices, supporting to lie between the price displays.

3. A totem as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the displays define a gap between their sides edges which are remote from the chassis and the lighting unit and/or its support extend through the gap to lie between the displays.

4. A totem as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the housing and/or the upright define a vertical runway for each display and the edges of the displays opposite the chassis carry spring loaded runners for engaging their respective runway.

5. A totem as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the housing is spaced from the ground and the price unit can be lowered out of the housing to facilitate price changes.

6. A totem as claimed in Claim 5 wherein, in its lowered position, a part of the price unit lies within the housing its lowered position and further including a door in the housing for allowing price changing access to the part.

7. A totem as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the price unit is counter balanced.

8. A totem as claimed in Claim 7 wherein the counter balance includes a counter weight located within the upright .

9. A flag price totem including an upright price display slidably moveable on the upright between a display station and a price change station and counter weight for counterbalancing the price display disposed within the upright .