RU2637972C2 - Device for storage of packs containing tobacco products - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: tobacco industry.

SUBSTANCE: device includes a rack with a number of sockets, each of which is adapted to store a certain number of packs, so that the packs can be removed from the corresponding socket one after another. In addition, the device includes a cabinet adapted to accommodate the rack and which has an opening for access to the rack, the sockets and the packs therein. The rack is installed in the cabinet with the possibility of rotating about the rotation axis in at least the first rotation direction. The rack and the cabinet are arranged in such a way that in the initial corner position of the rack, no one of the sockets is accessible from outside the cabinet through an access opening in order to remove a pack from any socket, wherein an accessible subgroup of the sockets becomes accessible only after the rack is rotated in the first rotation direction into the corner delivery position or into one of several corner delivery positions. The accessible subgroup depends on the corner position of the rack relative to the cabinet.

EFFECT: increasing the storage convenience.

22 cl, 3 dwg

Description

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

The present invention relates to a device suitable for storing packs that contain ready-for-sale tobacco products. The device can also be used to temporarily display these packs to a customer.

BACKGROUND

Tobacco products, such as cigarettes, etc., are usually sold at retail in small packs, which may contain, for example, about 20 cigarettes, and which may be in the form of a box made of cardboard or a pack made of soft paper.

Today on the market you can find a significant number of different types of tobacco products, in particular many varieties of cigarettes. Types of tobacco products may differ, for example, in flavor, tobacco blend used, price, brand, etc. Since there are many types of tobacco products and since the retailer usually prefers to keep a certain number of individual packs of each type ready for sale, in the past it was considered preferable to have some type of display case for displaying and selling these packs, preferably sorted by brand and aroma, for example, packaged tobacco products.

Such a known display case is described in DE 9417898 U1 and includes shelves attached to uprights. These shelves are divided into compartments for packs containing tobacco products, and are tilted so that when the first pack is taken from the compartment, the remaining packs slide into the front of the display case under the action of a pressure roller acting on the rear end of the corresponding row of packs.

However, when packs containing tobacco products, such as cigarettes, are stored ready for sale using a well-known display case of this type, packs contained in compartments are constantly visible to any customer in a store selling tobacco products. However, current law may require a retailer to hide packs of tobacco products that a retailer stores in a store for sale from buyers present on the trading floor, except for the actual sale of the pack.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the aim of the present invention is to provide a device which, on the one hand, is suitable for storing packs containing tobacco products for sale, and which, if desired, can also be used to temporarily display such packs to a customer who wants to buy one or several such packs, and which, on the other hand, complies with the rules on the prohibition of showing the above type. The device should preferably be suitable for storing a significant number of different types of packaged tobacco products, ready for sale. It is also preferred that the device occupies a limited space in the store.

The above problem is solved, according to the invention, by a device having the features specified in paragraph 1 of the claims.

Accordingly, a device for storing packs containing tobacco products ready for sale, and / or for temporarily showing the packs to the buyer, which includes:

a rack having a number of nests, each nest being adapted to accommodate a certain number of packs in such a way that the packs can be removed from the corresponding nest one after another;

a cabinet adapted to accommodate the rack, and the cabinet is provided with an opening for access to the rack, nests and the bundles contained therein.

According to the invention, the rack is mounted in the cabinet in such a way that the rack rotates about an axis of rotation in at least a first direction of rotation. In addition, the rack and cabinet are located in such a way that in the initial angular position of the rack, none of the sockets can be accessed from the outside of the cabinet through the access hole to remove the pack from any socket, and that the accessible group of sockets is accessible only after the rack is turned in the first direction rotation in the angular position of the issuance or in one of several angular positions of the issuance of the bundle from the rack. The available group depends on the angular position of the rack relative to the cabinet.

The idea underlying the present invention is that by arranging a swivel rack inside the cabinet and by placing individual packs containing tobacco products in a number of nests, preferably sorted by type of tobacco product, a significant number of different tobacco products can be prepared for sale types, and a nest containing packs of the type of tobacco product that the buyer wants can be easily selected by turning the rack. The device of the invention, due to the rotatable arrangement of the rack inside the cabinet, thus occupies a limited area and also has a limited front surface, and a relatively narrow access opening is sufficient to gain access to a significant number of different types of tobacco products. After selling the packs to the buyer, the rack can be turned back to its original angular position, so that the packs and the corresponding labels that may be present on the sockets cannot be seen outside the cabinet. Thus, the device of the present invention also complies with the display prohibition rules mentioned above.

Preferred embodiments and improvements of the device according to the invention are contained in the dependent claims, as well as in the detailed description, which contains reference to the drawings.

According to one preferred embodiment of the device of the invention, the axis of rotation of the rack is oriented in the vertical direction of the cabinet. The vertical direction in this context refers to the direction relative to the cabinet, which is oriented vertically when the cabinet is assembled and installed for use by the retailer. Rotating the rack around an axis oriented in the vertical direction has the advantage that the nests of the rack will not turn upside down during the rotation of the rack, and therefore no means are needed to prevent the packs containing tobacco products from falling out of the nests.

According to another preferred embodiment of the device of the invention, the rack includes a helical surface on which the sockets are located. Preferably, the helical surface has a small elevation angle, in particular less than 20 degrees, and more preferably less than 10 degrees. Such a rack has a unique appearance, which differs significantly from the known designs of display cases for tobacco products and which excites the buyer’s interest when he buys a pack of tobacco products, which the seller or seller removes from the nest in the rack. Moreover, placing the nests on a screw surface, as proposed according to this embodiment, can help the retailer or retailer when he needs to quickly find a nest containing a particular type of tobacco product, since the vertical position of the available group of nests varies with rotation of the rack.

In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, the nests are located along parts of the imaginary cylindrical envelope surface of the rack. Thus, a large number of sockets can be placed in a rotary rack with a given cabinet size, and the nests due to their location will be easily accessible along the envelope surface of the rack.

In accordance with another preferred embodiment, each socket is provided with an opening, which allows you to remove from it the packs located in the socket. The sockets are located on the rack so that their holes face outward from the axis of rotation. Preferably, the slots are arranged so that the openings allowing the packs to be removed are turned radially outward from the axis of rotation. Thus, when the rack is rotated to the angled position of delivery, the retailer can easily remove the bundle from the nest of the desired type and sell it to the buyer.

According to another embodiment of the device of the invention, the sockets are located on the rack at several levels. This makes it possible to include more nests in the rack cabinet, and thus more different types of tobacco products.

According to another embodiment of the device of the invention, the sockets are arranged on the rack in such a way that one sector of the rack is left without sockets along the entire longitudinal length of the rack. Preferably, such a sector extends through an angle between 60 and 180 degrees, if measured in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation. In particular, the sector can be oriented in the direction of the access opening when the rack is installed in its initial angular position. In this embodiment, it is possible to avoid that any nests or bundles contained therein will be visible to the customer in the initial angular position.

According to another embodiment, the device further includes an opening and closing door adapted to close the access opening in the closed position of the door to prevent the shelf from being seen from the outside of the cabinet. A door may be opened by a retailer by selling one or more packs contained in a device. After the sale, the door provided in this embodiment can be closed, making it possible to better hide the nests, packs and labels possibly present on the nests in the closed position from buyers present in the sales area. Moreover, the door may be useful for further improving the aesthetic appearance of the device when it is closed.

According to another embodiment, the door is rotated so that it pivots from its closed position about an axis parallel to or coinciding with the axis of rotation of the rack to open the access hole and provide access to the slots on the rack. According to this embodiment, when the access hole is fully open, the door is located essentially in the cabinet. If the door and the rack are arranged in this way, the movements of the door and the rack can be connected to each other in a simple way. In addition, this embodiment ensures that the entire access opening is easily accessible from the outside of the cabinet, and the seller or retailer is not interrupted by an open or half-open door protruding from the front surface of the cabinet.

According to one particularly preferred embodiment, the door is connected to the rack so that it rotates with the rack, while the door closes the access hole in the initial angular position of the rack. Thus, the door can simply be opened and closed with the rotation of the rack.

According to a variant of the previous embodiment, the door rotated together with the rack is connected to the rack so as to substantially close the circumference of the rack in a sector that does not have slots. Thus, the door can be connected to the shelf in a simple manner, without hampering access to the nests with packs of tobacco products.

According to another embodiment, the door is connected to the rack in such a way that it can be pushed radially inward in the direction of the axis of rotation in the closed position of the door, preferably overcoming the force exerted by the elastic means that connects the door and the rack, so that it can then open the access hole by turning rack from the initial angular position in the first direction of rotation. Preferably, the rotation of the rack is prevented by a suitable locking means when the rack is in the initial angular position and the door is not pressed inward. Locking means can be used to allow the rack to be rotated by pressing the door inward, as described above. This prevents accidental rotation of the rack and the accidental opening of the access opening.

In yet another embodiment, the door is pivotally mounted on the cabinet, and the pivoting movement of the door is connected to the rotation of the rack about the axis of rotation by means of a transmission, in particular by means of a gear mechanism or traction. This can be useful if it is desired to empty the nests on the rack around the entire circumference of the rack.

In one embodiment of the device, the rack can be rotated from the first angular position corresponding to one of the angular positions of the issuance, around the axis of rotation in the first direction of rotation until the rack reaches the final angular position, which corresponds to another angular position of the issuance of the rack. Due to this, it is preferable that different subgroups of the whole set of shelving sockets become sequentially accessible from the outside through the access hole when the rack is rotated.

According to another embodiment of the device of the invention, the door and the rack are arranged and connected in such a way that when the door is opened, the rack takes the first angular position immediately after the access opening is completely opened. The rack rotates from the first angular position around the axis of rotation in the first direction of rotation until it reaches the final angular position in which the access hole is still fully open. The first angular position and the final angular position of the rack coincide respectively with one corresponding of the angular positions of the issuance. Thus, different subgroups of the entire set of shelving sockets become sequentially accessible from the outside through the cabinet access hole after opening the door. Removing bundles from the nests that are accessible after the rack reaches its final angular position becomes as easy as removing bundles from the nests that are available when the rack has taken its first angular position.

According to one preferred embodiment, the device also includes biasing means, which can be implemented preferably as spring means and which is arranged to allow the operator to rotate the rack, overcoming the force or moment developed by the biasing means, in the first direction of rotation. In one preferred embodiment, this operation can be performed manually by the operator. The biasing means is adapted to cause the rack to rotate in a second direction of rotation opposite to the first direction of rotation when the rack is released after rotation by the operator. Due to this feature, when the operator (for example, a retailer or seller) releases the rack, for example, removing his hands from the rack after turning it, the rack always returns to a certain angular position. This may be preferable, for example, when packs of tobacco products need to be sold to different customers, one immediately after the other. Due to the action of the biasing means, the seller or retailer can be sure that the rack has turned back due to the moment or force created by the biasing means since the last sale.

According to one preferred embodiment, the biasing means is adapted to return the rack to its initial angular position, if the rack is released after being turned into the angular position of the dispensing or in one of the angular positions of the dispensing. Thanks to this embodiment, the operation of the device is further simplified. After the sale of the bundle, the rack can be automatically transferred to a state in which the nests and the bundles contained in them are not accessible through the access hole, even if the seller or retailer forgets to turn the rack back to its original angular position.

In one preferred embodiment, if the device also includes a door, the door automatically closes when the rack returns to its original angular position under the action of biasing means. The advantage is that if the rack is released after turning into the corner position of the dispensing or in one of the corner positions of the dispensing, then even if the seller or retailer forgets to close the door again, this will be done automatically. This ensures that the door will be closed after each sale without the action of the seller or retailer, and that packs containing tobacco products will be stored ready for sale in accordance with the law.

According to another preferred embodiment, the biasing means is adapted to return the rack to the first angular position when the rack is released after turning to the final angular position or to any angular position between the first angular position and the final angular position. This is especially preferred since the seller or retailer can always be sure to start from the first corner position when looking for a specific jack in the rack. In addition, it is planned to fill in the nests of the subgroup, which is available when the rack is in the first corner position with packs containing tobacco products of the types that should be visible to a particular buyer at the time of purchase of the pack for the maximum possible time.

In order to indicate the type of packs contained in a particular nest, according to one preferred embodiment, each nest may be provided on its front surface facing outward and from the axis of rotation with a suitable label or designation. This is especially preferred if the nests contain packs, covering them almost completely, which are made of opaque material. Alternatively or additionally, the nests can be made of transparent material, so that the bundles can be at least partially visible to the buyer when the retailer goes to the sale and the door is in the open position so that the access opening is open.

Nests and shelving can be, according to one variant of implementation, made as one unit. Alternatively, the nests may be made removable from the rack. For example, the sockets and / or the rack may be provided with means for releasably securing the nests to the rack. In yet another alternative embodiment, different sections or tiers of the rack, which are preferably identical, can be made integrally with sockets located in such a section or on such a tier of the rack. An integral structure of either the entire rack and sockets or each of the sections or tiers of the rack, which, after assembly with each other, constitute a complete rack, may be preferable from the point of view of manufacturing the device. In particular, the manufacture can be simplified, for example, by manufacturing the nests and the rack from a suitable synthetic plastic material, for example, by injection molding a synthetic thermoplastic material.

Detachable sockets can be advantageous when replenishing nests with packs containing tobacco products.

All shelving sockets can be identical to each other, except that they will usually - if provided with a label or pointer - be labeled differently to indicate different types of tobacco products. According to yet another embodiment, however, different types of sockets can be provided, in particular different sockets for different sizes or shapes of packs.

The cabinet of the device can be made of metal material, for example, sheet steel or aluminum. More preferably, however, the cabinet includes walls made of synthetic material, in particular acrylic glass or PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate), which is painted or coated to make it opaque. In the same way, stained or coated acrylic glass or PMMA can be used to make the door.

According to one preferred embodiment, the cabinet is in the form of a block or a cube and preferably has rounded vertical edges. This type of cabinet makes it possible to easily place several devices according to the invention next to each other, if, for example, the capacity of one device - despite its ability to accommodate a significant number of different types of tobacco products - is not enough for the needs of a particular retailer. A system for storing packs containing ready-for-sale tobacco products and / or for temporarily displaying packs to a customer can be constructed in a modular manner.

The embodiments described above may be arbitrarily combined with each other when it makes sense. Other possible embodiments of the invention include combinations of features of the invention that are described above or will be described below in the detailed description of embodiments, even if such a combination is not explicitly mentioned.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be explained below with reference to the schematic figures of the drawings illustrating embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a device according to one embodiment of the present invention, showing a cabinet and a door of the device, the door being closed.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the device according to the embodiment of FIG. 1, further showing a rack having a number of sockets.

FIG. 3 is a front view of four devices, each of them being made according to the embodiment of FIG. 1, located next to each other, with the doors of the three devices open, and the shelves of the devices whose doors are open, shown in three different angular positions.

The accompanying drawings are intended to illustrate embodiments of the invention so that the invention can be better understood. The drawings, together with the description, serve to explain the principles and ideas of the invention. Other embodiments and many of the advantages described may be deduced from the drawings by inference. Elements of the drawings are optionally scaled.

Elements, features and components that are identical to each other or have the same function or effect are indicated in the drawings by the same reference symbols, unless otherwise expressly indicated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

In FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a device 1 for storing packs containing tobacco products ready for sale and / or for temporarily showing the packs to a customer. The device 1 includes a cabinet 2 having vertical side walls 2a and 2b, as well as a vertical rear wall 2c. Cabinet 2 is usually in the form of a cube, but has rounded vertical edges 3. The vertical direction of cabinet 2 is indicated by a reference symbol V. The top and bottom of cabinet 2 is closed by a substantially flat upper wall 4a and a substantially flat lower wall 4b, with upper and lower walls 4a, 4b are substantially parallel to each other.

Cabinet 2 is provided with an access hole 5 of a substantially rectangular shape extending along the front side F of cabinet 2 from the lower wall 4b to the upper wall 4a.

In FIG. 1, the access hole 5 is closed by an opening and closing door 6, which is shown in FIG. 1 in the closed position. The longitudinal lateral edges 7 of the door 6 extending in the vertical direction V are bent backward towards the interior of the cabinet 2 in sections 7a.

In FIG. 2 also shows the device 1 of FIG. 1, here is an exploded view. As shown in FIG. 2, the device 1 also includes a rack 11 including a screw surface 12 extending around a central axis 13 with which the screw surface 12 is rigidly connected. The rack 11 has a number of slots 14, only some of which are referenced in FIG. 2 for clarity. Sockets 14 are located on the screw surface 12 of the rack 11 so as to rest on the top of the screw surface 12.

As can also be seen in FIG. 2, the helical surface 12 is configured to have a series of turns around the central axis 13. The elevation angle of the helical surface 12 is preferably sufficiently small and does not exceed, in particular, 20 degrees, and is preferably approximately 10 degrees or less.

According to the example shown in FIG. 2, the sockets 14 are located on the screw surface 12 in five levels 15a-15e, with ten sockets 14 located on each of the levels 15a-15e along parts of the imaginary cylindrical envelope surface of the rack 11. Preferably, the sockets 14 on each of the levels 15a-15e are located on equal distance from each other, but preferably close to each other so that a large number of slots 14 fit on the rack 11.

Each slot 14, as shown in FIG. 2, is provided with an opening 16, which is configured to allow tobacco packets containing packs 17 to be removed from the corresponding slot 14. Slots 14 are located on the screw surface 12 of the rack 11 with their holes 16 facing radially outward from the central axis 13, and thus radially outward from the axis of rotation A defined by the central axis 13.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, each socket 14 is preferably box-shaped, but is open on top 14a. The cross section of the nests 14 is selected so that the stack of packs 17 can be stacked in each of the nests 14. The nests 14 can be filled by inserting the packs 17 through the open top 14a of the nest 14. An opening 16 for removing the packs 17 sequentially from each nest 14 is located on the lower end of the front surface 14b of the socket 14, this front surface 14b facing radially outward from the axis of rotation A and the central axis 13. The hole 16 is dimensioned to allow one pack 17 to be pulled out, in particular the bottom stack 17 feet in the nest 14, from the nest 14 through the hole 16. The packs 17 remaining in the nest 14 move downward under the action of gravity as soon as the pack 17 is taken through the hole 16.

As also shown in FIG. 2, the cabinet 2 is adapted to accommodate the rack 11 inside the cabinet 2. The rack 11 is installed in the cabinet 2 so that the axis of rotation A defined by the central axis 13 is oriented in the vertical direction V of the cabinet 2, as indicated by the reference symbol A ′ in FIG. 2. When using device 1, i.e. when the device 1 is installed for storing the packs 17 ready for sale, for example, in a store, the vertical direction V of the cabinet 2 lies essentially perpendicular to the ground. What is not shown in FIG. 2 in detail, the rack 11 is installed in the cabinet 2 so that the rack 11 can be rotated around the axis of rotation A.

In FIG. Door 6 is also shown in Figure 2. Door 6 serves to substantially make the shelving 11, slots 14 and packs 17 in slots 14 outside the cabinet 2 invisible, in order to comply with legal requirements that tobacco products must be hidden from view of buyers, except the moment the retailer completes the sale.

In addition, in FIG. 2 shows that the sockets 14 are located on the rack 11 in such a way that the sector 21 indicated by the dashed line in this figure does not have sockets 14 along the entire longitudinal length of the rack 11. Sector 21 can pass through an angle β measured in a plane perpendicular to the axis rotation A, and comprising from 60 degrees to 180 degrees, for example, through an angle β substantially equal to 90 degrees.

On the front surface 14b of each of the sockets 14, a label or pointer 18 is appropriately attached indicating the type of packs contained in the corresponding socket 14. For example, the labels 18 can be glued to the front surface 14b of each of the sockets 14.

Now with reference to FIG. 3, the operation mode of the device 1 will be explained, including the operation of the door 6 and the rack 11. As shown in FIG. 3, the rack 11, the cabinet 2 and the door 6 of the device 1 are so dimensioned that when the door 6 of the device 1 is open, a subgroup of sockets 14 is accessible through the access hole 5 outside the cabinet 2. The available subgroup depends on the angular position α ( see Fig. 2) of the rack 11 about the axis of rotation A relative to the cabinet 2, i.e. different sockets 14 become accessible through the access hole 5 when the rack 11 is rotated in the cabinet 2 around its axis of rotation A. This means that the rack 11 can take several angular positions of delivery, in each of which a different group of sockets 14 is accessible through the access hole 5.

In FIG. 3 shows four devices 1 according to the embodiment of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, located, for example, next to each other and indicated by symbols 1a-d. The door 6 of the leftmost device 1a in FIG. 3 is closed, so that the rack 11 with sockets 14 and packs 17 therein is essentially hidden from view, and there is no access to the rack 11, sockets 14 and packs 17. The door 6 is arranged so that it can be rotated from the closed position shown for the device 1a around an axis parallel or coincident with the axis of rotation A of the rack 11 to open the access hole 5.

As shown for device 1b in FIG. 3, when the door is open, access to the slots 14 on the rack 11 is possible. The access hole 5 is fully open in the operating states of devices 1b, 1c and 1d in this drawing, and in these operating states, a corresponding door 6 is located in the cabinet 2. In FIG. 3, the rack 11 of each of the devices 1b, 1c and 1d takes a different angular position of the dispensing relative to the cabinet 2.

In the embodiment described with reference to FIG. 1-3, the door 6 is connected to the rack 11 to rotate together with the rack 11. In the state of the device 1a in FIG. 3, the door 6 closes the access hole 5, while the rack 11 is located in the initial angular position relative to the cabinet 2.

The door 6 is connected to the rack 11 and is dimensioned so that it essentially covers the circumference of the rack 11 along its entire length in the region of a sector 21 that does not have sockets 14, as shown in more detail in FIG. 2.

In a preferred embodiment of this embodiment, the door 6 is connected to the rack 11 by a suitable mechanism such that the door 6 can be in its closed position, as shown in FIG. 3 for the device 1a, push radially inward in the direction of the central axis 13. This is indicated by arrow P. Elastic means, not shown in the drawings, connecting the door 6 and the rack 11 and, for example, located between the door 6 and the rack 11, which creates the force against which the door 6 can be pushed inward by hand in the direction of arrow R.

The door 6 and the rack 11 are rotated together after the door 6 has been pushed inward, as indicated by the reference symbol R in FIG. 3 around the axis of rotation A, defined by the central axis 13, in the first direction of rotation from the initial angular position of the rack 11 shown for the device 1a, to the first angular position of the rack 11 shown for the device 1b in FIG. 3. The rack 11 thus takes the first angular position shown immediately after the opening of the access hole 5 is fully open. 5. In the operational state of the device 1b, this subgroup of sockets 14 is accessible through the access hole 5. Preferably, the sockets 14 available in this state of the device 1b are filled with those types of packs of 17 tobacco products that the buyer should see the most and the longest in case of sale of pack 17.

In yet another alternative embodiment of this embodiment, device 1, 1a-d may be presented without door 6. In this case, in order to fulfill the function of preventing the visibility of packs 17 containing tobacco products and labels or pointers 18 from the outside of cabinet 2, sector 21, which has no sockets, is positioned so as to be oriented in the direction of the access hole 5 when the rack 11 occupies the initial angular position. In this case, it is preferable that the angle β be chosen sufficiently large so that in the initial angular position of the rack 11 was not visible through the access hole 5, the front surface 14b of none of the sockets 14 on the rack 11.

From the first angular position of the rack 11 shown for the device 1b and corresponding to the angular position of the dispensing of the rack 11, the rack 11 can be rotated further in the cabinet 2 in the first direction of rotation R to a second, intermediate, angular position corresponding to the other angular position of the issuing of the rack 11, as shown for the device 1 s, and when turning even further in the direction R to the final angular position, which is shown for the device 1d. The final angular position of the rack 11 corresponds to another angular position of the issuance.

When the rack 11 is in the first angular position, in the final angular position, or in any intermediate angular position, the retailer or seller can remove the tobacco product bundle 17 from the selected receptacle 14 of the corresponding available subset of receptacles 14.

The device 1 includes a biasing means, not shown, which may take the form of, for example, spring means, and which is preferably positioned so as to connect the rack 11 and the cabinet 2 so that the rack 11 can rotate against the force or moment created by the biasing means in the first direction of rotation R. The biasing means is designed in such a way that the rotation operation in the direction R can be performed by an operator, in particular manually. When the retailer or seller releases the rack 11 after he has taken the pack 17, the biasing means causes the rack 11 to rotate in a second direction of rotation R 'opposite to the first direction of rotation R. The rack 11 thus automatically rotates in the opposite direction, in the case of the embodiment shown in the drawings, to the first angular position of the rack shown for the device 1b, in which the rack 11 shows those slots 14 containing packs 17 of tobacco products, which the buyer should preferably do as much as possible in the event of a sale. The rotation of R 'is caused by the biasing means when the operator releases the rack 11 in any angular position of the rack 11 between the first and final angular positions.

In an alternative and preferred embodiment, the biasing means may be adapted to return the rack 11 to the initial position of the rack 11 shown in FIG. 3 for the device 1a, which means automatically closing the door 6 when the operator releases the rack 11.

In one preferred embodiment, when the rack 11 returns to its original angular position, the door 6 moves radially outward from the central axis 13 under the action of the elastic means mentioned above connecting the rack 11 and the door 6, as a result of which the access hole 5 closes. In this state, the rotation of the rack 11 is preferably prevented by a suitable locking mechanism, unless the operator again pushes the door 6 inward in the direction P.

In yet another embodiment of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1-3, the door 6 can be mounted on the cabinet 2 with the possibility of rotation separately from the rack 11. In this case, a transmission, not shown in the drawings, in particular a suitable gear mechanism or a suitable rod, can be provided for connecting the rotary movement of the door 6 with the rotation rack 11 around the axis of rotation A.

As shown by the dashed line in FIG. 1, in one preferred embodiment of the embodiment shown in this drawing, the lower wall 4b of the cabinet 2 can be replaced by a box-shaped base 4b 'having a greater height than the lower wall 4b. Box-shaped base 4b 'can be used to accommodate mechanical components, not shown in detail in the drawings, allowing for the rotation of the rack 11 and the rotational or pivoting movement of the door 6, as well as to allow the door 6 to be pushed inward along the arrow P, as described above. The biasing means described above can also be located inside the box-shaped base 4b '.

In particular, a pivot plate 9 may be located in the box base 4b ′. It is shown schematically in FIG. 2 dashed line. Preferably, such a pivot plate 9 is round in shape and substantially fills the corresponding annular recess formed in the inner lower area 8 of the cabinet 2 so as to be flush with the internal lower area 8, which is formed by the top of the box base 4b ′. By means of the rotary plate 9, the above rotations in the first and second directions of rotation R, R 'about the axis A can be performed (see Fig. 3). More specifically, the rack 11 can be located on the pivot plate 9, and the door 6 and the rack 11 can be connected to each other by the pivot plate 9 so that the device 1 can operate as described above with reference to the embodiments of FIG. 1-3 and / or variants thereof.

The upper and lower walls 4a, 4b, as well as the side walls 2a, 2b and the rear wall 2c of the cabinet 2 and also the box base 4b ', if present, can be made of a metal material such as steel or aluminum, but preferably made of acrylic glass or PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate) that is colored or coated to be opaque. The door 6 may also be made of a metal material, such as sheet steel or aluminum, but preferably also of acrylic glass. The rack 11 can be made integrally with the sockets 14 and the central axis 13. Alternatively, the rack 11 can be made by assembling a certain number of sections or tiers, for example, corresponding to one of the levels 15a-15e. Each section or tier can then be made integrally with the respective sockets 14. The rack 11 and the sockets 14 can be made of thermoplastic synthetic material, for example, injection molding.

Alternatively, the sockets 14 may be manufactured separately from the axis 13 and the screw surface 12 of the rack 11, and the sockets 14 may be provided with suitable means, not shown, which allow the sockets to be permanently or detachably fixed at predetermined positions on the screw surface 12.

Although in the embodiment shown in the drawings, all sockets 14 are made with the same shape and size and differ only in the bundles 17 contained therein and the label or pointer 18 placed on the corresponding front surface 14b, sockets 14 of different sizes and / or shapes, for example, of variable width, on the helical surface 12, although the design of the sockets 14 identical may be more preferable.

Although the invention has been fully described above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not limited to them and can be modified in various ways.

List of reference characters

1 device

2 Wardrobe

2a Side wall (cabinet)

2b Side wall (cabinet)

2s Rear wall (cabinet)

3 Rounded vertical edge (cabinet)

4a Upper wall (cabinet)

4b Bottom wall (cabinet)

4b 'Box Base

5 Access hole (cabinet)

6 doors

7 Longitudinal lateral edge (doors)

7a Area (doors)

8 Indoor lower platform (cabinet)

9 swivel plate

11 Rack

12 Screw surface (shelving)

13 Central axis (shelving)

14 Socket

14a Top (sockets)

14b Front surface (sockets)

15a-15e Level (Racking)

16 Hole (sockets)

17 Pack containing tobacco products

18 Label or Index

21 Sector without sockets

F front side

V vertical direction

A axis of rotation (rack)

A 'axis of rotation (when the rack is located in the cabinet)

P Direction of pushing

R First direction of rotation

R 'Second direction of rotation opposite to the first direction of rotation

Claims (26)

1. A device (1) for storing packs (17) containing ready-to-sell tobacco products and / or for temporarily showing packs (17) to a customer (11), the device (1) including: a rack (11) having a certain number of nests (14), each of which is adapted to store a certain number of packs (17) in such a way that the packs (17) can be removed from the corresponding nest (14) one after another; a cabinet (2) adapted to accommodate the rack (11) and having an opening for access (5) to the rack (11), sockets (14) and packs (17) in them; moreover, the rack (11) is installed in the cabinet (2) so that it can be rotated around the axis of rotation (A) at least in the first direction of rotation (R); and moreover, the rack (11) and the cabinet (2) are located in such a way that in the initial angular position of the rack (11) none of the sockets (14) is accessible from the outside of the cabinet (2) through the access hole (5) for removing the packet (17) from any nest (14), and the available subgroup of nests (14) is accessible only after the rack (11) is rotated in the first direction of rotation (R) to the angular position of delivery or to one of several angular positions of the issuing of the rack (11), and this is available the subgroup depends on the angular position (α) of the rack relative to the cabinet (2). 2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the axis of rotation (A) is oriented in the vertical direction (V) of the cabinet (2). 3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the rack (11) includes a helical surface (12) on which the sockets (14) are located. 4. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that the rack (11) includes a helical surface (12) on which the sockets (14) are located. 5. The device according to one of paragraphs. 1-4, characterized in that each nest (14) is equipped with an opening (16), which allows you to remove from it packs (17) contained in the nest (14), and the nests (14) are located on the rack (11) with their holes ( 16) facing outward, preferably radially outward, from the axis of rotation (A). 6. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the nests (14) are located on the rack (11) at several levels (15a-15e). 7. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that the nests (14) are located on the rack (11) at several levels (15a-15e). 8. The device according to one of paragraphs. 1-4, characterized in that the nests (14) are located on the rack (11) so that one sector (21) of the rack (11) remains without nests (14) along the entire longitudinal length of the rack (11), and sector (21) ) preferably passes through an angle (β) between 60 degrees and 180 degrees when measured in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation (A), and in particular in that the sector (21) is oriented in the direction of the access hole (5) when the rack ( 11) is in its initial angular position. 9. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that the nests (14) are located on the rack (11) so that one sector (21) of the rack (11) remains without nests (14) along the entire longitudinal length of the rack (11), moreover, sector (21) preferably passes through an angle (β) between 60 degrees and 180 degrees when measured in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation (A), and in particular in that sector (21) is oriented in the direction of the access hole (5) when the rack (11) is in its original angular position. 10. The device according to one of paragraphs. 1-4, characterized in that the device (1), furthermore, includes an opening and closing door (6), adapted to close the access hole (5) in the closed position of the door (6), to essentially prevent the visibility of the rack (11 ) outside the cabinet (2). 11. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that the device (1) further includes an opening and closing door (6) adapted to close the access hole (5) in the closed position of the door (6), in order to essentially prevent the visibility of the rack (11) outside the cabinet (2). 12. The device according to p. 10, characterized in that the door (6) is located so as to rotate from a closed position around an axis parallel to or coinciding with the axis of rotation (A) of the rack (11) in order to open an access hole (5) and provide access to the sockets (14) on the rack (11), and the door (6) is essentially located in the cabinet (2) when the access hole (5) is fully open. 13. The device according to p. 10, characterized in that the door (6) is connected to the rack (11) so as to rotate with the rack (11), and the door (6) opens an access hole (5) in the initial angular position of the rack (eleven). 14. The device according to p. 13, characterized in that the door (6) is connected to the rack (11) so that in the closed position of the door (6) it can be pushed radially inward in the direction of the axis of rotation (A), preferably against force, created by an elastic means connecting the door (6) and the rack (11), to then open the access hole (5) by rotating the rack (11) from the initial angular position in the first direction of rotation (R). 15. The device according to p. 10, characterized in that the door (6) is mounted on the cabinet (2) with the possibility of rotation, and the fact that the rotary movement of the door (6) is associated with the rotation of the rack (11) around the axis of rotation (A) by transmissions, in particular by means of a gear mechanism or traction. 16. The device according to p. 10, characterized in that the door (6) and the rack (11) are located and connected in such a way that when the door (6) is opened, the rack (11) takes the first angular position immediately after the access hole is fully opened (5), and the fact that the rack (11) can be rotated from the first angular position around the axis of rotation (A) in the first direction of rotation (R) until it reaches the final angular position in which the access hole (5) is still fully open and the first angular position and the final angular position coincide, ka each, with the corresponding angular position of the dispensing rack (11). 17. The device according to p. 16, characterized in that the device (1) further includes biasing means, in particular spring means, which is positioned so as to allow the operator to rotate the rack (11) against the force or moment created by the biasing means, in the first direction of rotation (R), the biasing means being adapted to cause the rack (11) to rotate in the second direction of rotation (R ') opposite to the first direction of rotation (R) when the rack (11) is released after the rotation. 18. The device according to p. 17, characterized in that the biasing means is adapted to return the rack (11) to its original angular position, when the rack (11) is released after turning into an angular position of delivery or one of the angular positions of the issuance, or that biasing the means is adapted to return the rack (11) to the first angular position, when the rack (11) is released after turning to the final angular position or to any angular position between the first angular position and the final angular position. 19. The device according to one of paragraphs. 1-4, characterized in that the device (1) also includes biasing means, in particular spring means, which is arranged so as to allow the operator to rotate the rack (11) against the force or moment generated by the biasing means in the first direction of rotation (R), the biasing means being adapted to cause the rack (11) to rotate in a second direction of rotation (R ') opposite to the first direction of rotation (R) when the rack (11) is released after the rotation. 20. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that the device (1) further comprises biasing means, in particular spring means, which is positioned so as to allow the operator to rotate the rack (11) against the force or moment created by the biasing means, in the first direction of rotation (R), the biasing means being adapted to cause the rack (11) to rotate in the second direction of rotation (R ') opposite to the first direction of rotation (R) when the rack (11) is released after the rotation. 21. The device according to p. 19, characterized in that the biasing means is adapted to return the rack (11) to its original angular position, when the rack (11) is released after turning into an angular position of delivery or one of the angular positions of the issuance, or the fact that the rack (11) it is possible to rotate from the first angular position corresponding to one of the angular positions of the dispensing around the axis of rotation (A) in the first direction of rotation (R) until it reaches the final angular position corresponding to the other of the angular positions of the dispensing, during adapted to return the rack (11) in the first angular position when the rack (11) is released after the rotation in the final angular position or in any angular position between a first angular position and end angular position. 22. The device according to p. 20, characterized in that the biasing means is adapted to return the rack (11) to its original angular position, when the rack (11) is released after turning into an angular position of delivery or one of the angular positions of the issuance, or the fact that the rack (11) it is possible to rotate from the first angular position corresponding to one of the angular positions of the dispensing around the axis of rotation (A) in the first direction of rotation (R) until it reaches the final angular position corresponding to the other of the angular positions of the dispensing, during adapted to return the rack (11) in the first angular position when the rack (11) is released after the rotation in the final angular position or in any angular position between a first angular position and end angular position.

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