PREFABRICATED MODULAR POINT OF SALE

The following invention covers a prefabricated furnishing structure conceived for the construction of points of sale and that can be adapted to any shopping arcade or other indoor or exterior large space.

Traditional equipped walls, fitted according to various needs, are known in the industry and in the production of elements of decor; however, they exhibit other disadvantages such as the necessity to be implemented by specialized skilled labor, the significant work and commitment of a large number of working hours, lack of standardization of the installed elements that from time to time must be adapted to the specific container environment or which to be furnished must benefit from the support of walls in shops that have been designed in a standard manner.

The scope of this invention is to allow the construction of new, compact points of sale, with strictly necessary dimensions, having furnishings that define a revolutionary method for sales compared to what has been conceived of to date.

Based on limited size and simple assembly, the invention can be perfectly adapted to any container environment, be it in a shopping arcade in the city center, or along walkways in a large shopping center. Obviously, in alternative, it can be erected in any other indoor or exterior space.

It consists of a load-bearing skeleton made from aluminum profiles, or other material, on which all of the elements that make up the furnishing elements are anchored: flooring and wall elements, rack shelves, display case slats for ties and/or other small objects, mirrors and case of drawers with shelf.

The structure is self-standing: it is inserted inside the container environment and fixed to the ground after performing simple installation and assembly of the various component elements: the compact furnishing element constitutes the shop or point of sale. The skeletal elements are simply bolted together and screwed together using special anchoring elements, no elements are anchored or fastened to the walls, rather the composition of the furnishing element consists of the suitable assembly of the modular elements that allows it to be universally adaptable to any container space.

For this reason, with this new invention, the following and other aims can be obtained with respect to the known existing art:

- Simplicity of mounting prefabricated elements;

- Adaptability to any environment due to the limited size of the components;

- Speed of mounting and elimination of the need for expert specialized skills for constructing the furnishing elements for standardized shop units;

- Reduction of the occupation cost of a shop or sales unit of greater size;

- Possibility to disassemble and move the compact element, and move it to another location;

- Continuous visibility of the product as it is linear;

- Double visibility of the product on both sides of the structure; - The same or greater profitability of a traditional shop, with the benefit of a reduction in the costs of management;

- Greater visible, tactile impact of the product in a smaller exhibition space which differs from a traditional (square) shop as it is linear;

- Ability to fit the length to the available space thanks to the modularity of the structural elements.

In essence, in a short time and with modest initial installation costs, it is possible to furnish a sales unit without the need to procure commercial premises, also creating the possibility of constructing a network of small sales units that are easily recognizable and identifiable as part of a large sales chain.

A further advantage of the invention is that it allows the construction of small, identical sales units with the same features in terms of space, color and shape, of standardized shops, located along the walkways of shopping arcades, that is, where there is the maximum flow of consumers who in general access shops only after they are attracted by the goods on display in the show cases: the construction of this small point of sale creates a direct relationship with the consumer, without filters.

Other characteristics and advantages of this invention are best illustrated in the detailed description that follows for a sample construction, provided for the purpose of illustration but not limited to, where:

1) Figure 1 shows a vertical upright element (1), load-bearing skeleton for the entire structure; ) Figure 2 shows the T-shaped element (2) to which the vertical uprights are anchored, which constitutes the ground base, and the horizontal cap element;

) Figure 3 shows the screw-on elements (3) required to anchor the vertical and horizontal elements to the structure, which act as supports for the glass shelves;

) Figure 4 shows the L-shaped profiles (4) needed to anchor the chest of drawers to the load-bearing elements of the structure;

) Figure 5 shows the interior panels for the structure (5), that make up the background for the rack;

) Figure 6 shows the base chest of drawers (6) for the structure;) Figure 7 shows an enclosure panel (7), preferably sized 100 x 240 cm, for the rack on the header;

) Figure 8 shows the shop counter element (8), preferably sized 100 x 110 x 50 cm, to be inserted in one of the headers of the structure;

) Figure 9 shows the box element (9) that caps the structure;0) Figure 10 shows the display case slat structure for small objects (10) to be located on the blank walls of the structure;

1) Figure 1 1 shows the metal profiles (1 1) required to constitute the roof side walls of the changing room;

2) Figure 12 shows the enclosing panels (12) for the changing room;

3) Figure 13 shows the changing room door (13) equipped with mirror; 14) Figure 14 shows the flooring element (14) of the changing room;

15) Figure 15 shows the container element (15) of the crowning cap on the changing room;

16) Figure 16 shows the glass, or other equivalent material, shelf (16) to be positioned on the racks.

As shown in the figures attached, the component mounting system of the prefabricated modular point of sale calls for the following phases, preferably:

1) As shown in Figure 17, connect the rack uprights (1) by screwing them to the T-shaped elements (2) positioned horizontally; make up the frames using the screw-on elements (3) to anchor the vertical elements to the horizontal elements;

2) As shown in Figure 18, construct at least 3 frames, each containing 4 pairs of perforated uprights, obtained as described in Figure 17, to house the fixing screws and to support the shelves; thereafter insert the backing panels (5) for the rack, anchoring it using the L-shaped elements (4) and self-threading screws;

3) As shown in Figure 19, insert the chests of drawers (6) at the base of the rack and anchor them, if necessary, to the load- bearing metal structure using self-threading screws;

4) As shown in Figure 20, position the header panel elements (7), the panels should be preferably 100 x 240 cm, using the L-shaped elements (4) and self-threading screws (3);

5) As shown in Figure 21, place the shop counter element (8) and the cap elements (9) close together, and anchor them using self-threading screws (3), thus constructing the covering of the rack;

6) As shown in Figure 22, insert the display case slats (10) and fasten them to the wall panels above the shop counter using self-threading screws, alternatively they can be built-in to the wall of the changing room, and install the metal profiles that make up the skeleton of the changing room (1 1 );

7) As shown in Figure 23, position the changing room flooring (14) and position the container element above the changing room, which acts as its roof (15);

8) As shown in Figure 24, insert the shelves (16) in the rack above the screw elements, equipped with suitable rubber rings;

9) Figures 25 and 26 show the completed structure open and with security shutters.

In conclusion, the vertical load-bearing elements are suitably fastened to the horizontal elements; the frames thus formed are then anchored to the lower chest of drawers and to the boxes on top in order to create a furnishing element and at the same time a basic sales unit that is equipped with all the requisites for a point of sale. The base elements installed in this manner are equipped with a group of elements that are ancillary to the structure: protective glass for the display case slats, shutters for the shop counter and rack, shoplifting prevention systems, locks for each container element, including the changing room.

Furthermore, the structure can be equipped, as shown in Figure 25, with one or more pull-out shelves (19) that can act both as a table top, providing the salesperson with a work surface for displaying goods, and as a ladder to allow the salesperson easier access to the upper shelves of the structure.

Of further importance are the color scheme and materials used for the structure which define the specific stylistic and design values of this invention: this is a two-faced, self-standing, modular structure consisting of metal frame elements, or their equivalent, which constitute the frames, preferably 90 cm wide by 240 cm high. This structure can also be single-faced, and as such can be set along the walls of the container environment.

The structure is capped by box elements, preferably 60 cm high, that contain the closing shutters for the rack: the cap box elements have a constant modular size, preferably equal to 90 x 100 x 60 cm. The nighttime security shutter for the rack is equipped with an electric locking device with a control button at the shop counter. Each rack can house 8 mm tempered glass, or other equivalent material, shelves that are located at a constant center distance, preferably equal to 13 cm: the first shelf is located preferably at a height of 45 cm, and the shelves continue until they cover the entire height of 240 cm, preferably with 15 shelves at regular distance from each other.

The display case slats, made from transparent plastic or other equivalent material, are equipped with locking tempered glass (or other equivalent material) doors.

The changing room element should preferably be 90 x 100 x 240 cm. The changing room is equipped with LED luminaries (or equivalent) (18) as shown in Figure 27.

The changing room cap element (15) is, as are the others, box-like with shelves and tilting doors, constituting a container for the goods on sale and acting as a storage container as shown in Figure 27. The only smaller element is represented by the shop counter (8), preferably 100 x 50 x 1 10 cm, equipped with a pull-out work top, security compartment, and compartment for the cash register, with shutter and security lock as shown in Figure 24.

The other cap elements in the structure may consist of:

a) Installation of a video display, preferably located on the box element located above the front display case slat structure; b) Installation of luminaries between the overhead box elements and the shelves/display case slats to illuminate these.

This invention is applicable to any container environment, it is therefore independent of the size and the structural conditions of the environment.

The invention is designed to undergo numerous modifications and variations, all of which fall within the same inventive concept; furthermore, all details can be replaced by other, technically equivalent elements (for example, the chrome plated metal elements can be replaced by coated metal elements, the screws, profiles, and panels can be replaced by similar systems, etc.).

Any materials, dimensions, and shapes can be used if compatible with the final application of the invention. The description of this patent and the graphic examples contained herein are provided to offer an example of the invention and are provided purely as examples.

The figures attached show a structure with a minimal development: the modular characteristic of the structure, due to the fixed size of the base-rack element and changing room, preferably equal to 90 x 100 cm, allows the construction of a variety of different structures generated by summing base elements.