AND ASSEMBLING METHOD

The present invention relates to a joining device for joining a row of adjoining cases, to a row of such cases joined to each other by means of said joining devices, and to a method for assembling such a row of cases. The cases may be display cases, e.g. refrigerated display cases, and they may be designed as a modular row.

Modular rows of display cases are widely used in retail shops and supermarkets to display products to be sold. Alignment of the modular cases is desired to obtain an uniform look of the row. To ease the process of assembling a modular row fixation rails are known to which each display case is secured. The fixation rails need to be mounted stationery to the floor of the shop which is not favored very much by the shop owners in general. In case a row needs to be moved, the fixation rails need to be dismounted leaving damages to the floor that come into sight when the row is moved to another position in the shop.

Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide improved means for assembling a row of cases as well as an improved method of assembling a row of cases, e.g. a row of modularly designed display cases.

In accordance with a first aspect, the invention provides a joining device for joining in a row adjoining cases, comprising a support member having a first foot adapted to be attached to a first one of the cases and a supporting platform extending in a

row direction from the foot and designed to support a second foot adapted to be attached to a second one of the cases which is adjacent to the first case.

The joining device according to the present invention has the advantage that it ensures the alignment of the row of cases without need of mounting to the floor a fixing rail, and it enables the row to be moved without taking it apart. This is favorable in view of the interior of the shops which are frequently re-organized. The joining device according to the present invention is especially useful for a modular design of cases arranged in a row (herein called modularly designed row of cases). At least a part of the cases may be display cases, e.g. refrigerated display cases. The term refrigerated display case includes cases for cooling, freezing and deep-freezing of products. The display cases can be formed as chests, cabinets, shelves or other designs suitable to display products to be sold.

In an embodiment of the invention, the joining device is exclusively supported by the first foot. The supporting platform is constructed as a cantilever extending from the first foot and does not touch the floor so that the only point of contact between the floor and the joining device is the bottom surface of the first foot of the joining device. Thus local unevenness of the floor does not need to be compensated by changing a relative height between the first foot and the supporting platform.

In an embodiment of the invention, the first foot of the joining device is height adjustable. This allows height adjustment of the support member in order to bring a particular case onto a predetermined level and facilitates in particular the levelling of a row of cases. As the second feet of the cases do not stand on the floor but are supported by the support platform of an associated support member, the height adjustment of the first foot results automatically in height adjustment of the adjacent end of the adjoining case. Thus the height adjustment of an entire row of

cases is facilitated and needs less time than in case the second feet were feet independently standing on the floor.

In an embodiment of the invention, the first foot and the supporting platform of the joining device are separate components comprising complementary connecting sections designed for securely connecting to each other the first foot and the supporting platform. As a result, the same type of first foot can be used for all cases including the first and last cases of a row which do not need supporting platforms at both of their ends.

In an embodiment of the invention, the first foot is made height adjustable by comprising a screw bolt screwable into a screw hole extending into the first foot from the bottom surface thereof. The same type of foot can be used as the second foot, however, without having a screw bolt screwed into its screw hole. Thus one type of foot can be used for all feet required for the entire row of cases.

In an embodiment of the invention, a supporting surface of the supporting platform and a bottom surface of the second foot each have a profile adapted to position the second foot in a predetermined position relative to the supporting surface of the support member. This structure facilitates the aligned assembly of a row of cases.

In an embodiment of the invention, the profiles of the supporting surface and of the bottom surface are designed to urge the second foot into alignment with the first foot when the second foot is positioned on the supporting surface so that the end of a particular case being provided with the second feet automatically comes into alignment with the adjoining case just by placing the second feet of said particular case onto the associated supporting platforms attached to the next case. This may be obtained by providing the supporting surface and the bottom surface with profiles having complementary cross-sections in a direction perpendicular to the alignment

direction causing alignment of the second foot to the adjacent first foot.

In an embodiment of the invention, the profiles of the supporting surface and of the 90 bottom surface are designed to allow movement of the second foot relative to the first foot in the alignment direction which corresponds to the row direction. For that purpose, in the alignment direction, the dimension of the supporting surface is larger than the dimension of the bottom surface of the second foot so that the second foot when resting on the supporting surface is able to be shifted relative to 95 the supporting surface in the alignment direction. By this structure, the second feet can be just placed somewhere onto the respectively associated supporting platform and the cases are then shifted towards the respective neighbouring case until the cases closely adjoin each other. This makes the assembling of a row of aligned cases much easier than in case the second feet would have to be placed onto an oo exact position on the associated supporting platform from the beginning.

Under a second aspect, the invention provides a plurality of cases attached to each other in a row by means of joining devices according to the invention wherein neighboured ends of adjacent cases each are joined by means of at least one of said 05 joining devices, and wherein of the respective joining device, the first foot of the support member is attached to one of the adjacent cases and the second foot is attached to the other one of the adjacent cases and is resting on the supporting surface of the associated joining member.

o The invention not only allows secure adjoining and aligning a row of cases without the need of fixing rails to be mounted to the floor but also enables the row to be moved without taking it apart.

Li an embodiment of the present invention having such a plurality of cases, each 15 case has a pair of first end feet and a pair of second end feet, with a first one of the

cases having four feet each in the form of a first foot of a joining device of the invention, and the rest of the cases having both first end feet in the form of a first foot of a joining device of of the invention and both second end feet in the form of a second foot of a joining device of the invention, with each of the second end feet 120 resting on the supporting surface of the supporting platform belonging to the first end foot of the respective adjacent case.

At least a one of the cases may be a display case, e.g. a refrigerated display case.

125 Under a further aspect, the invention provides a method of assembling a row of aligned and joined cases by means of joining devices according to the present invention comprising the following steps. Two feet each in the form of a first foot of a joining device of the present invention are attached to two corners at a first end as well as to two corners at a second end of a first one of the cases. To each of the

130 rest of the cases are attached two feet in the form of the first foot of a joining device the present invention to two corners at a first end of the respective case and two feet in the form of the second foot of a joining device of the present invention to two corners at a second end of the respective case. The cases are positioned then and each foot at the second end of each of said rest of the cases is placed onto the

135 supporting surface belonging to the respectively associated foot at the first end of the respectively preceding case.

The positioning of the cases can be made by positioning into a row all cases first and placing the second feet onto the respective supporting platforms only then, or 140 by positioning only one case at a time and placing the second feet onto the respective supporting platforms before a next case is positioned in the row.

In case of using joining devices wherein the first foot and the support platform are separate components, a supporting member is connected to each of the feet at the

145 corners at the first end of the respective case before the second foot attached to a next case is placed on the supporting platform of said support member.

In case of use of height adjustable first feet all cases are adjusted to the same height by adjusting the heights of the first feet without the requirement of height

150 adjustment of the second feet as well, as the second feet rest on the supporting platforms the heights of which are automatically adjusted by the height adjustment of the first feet, e. g with the help of a water-level. In contrast, conventional modularly designed rows of display cases each comprise four height adjustable feet so that the height adjustment or levelling of all cases of the row requires height

155 adjustment of a double number of feet. Due to the reduction of the amount of adjustable feet present in a row in case of the present invention, compared to the prior art, the reduced effort needed for levelling becomes obvious.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention wherein the first foot 160 and the supporting platform of the support member are separate parts, a connecting section of the supporting platform is U-shaped whereas a connecting section of the first foot is provided with at least one radial recess designed to be engagingly received between the U-legs of the supporting platform, with the U-shaped connecting section of the supporting platform embracing the first foot on three 165 sides, for example.

hi accordance with an embodiment of the present invention the supporting platform has a concave supporting surface whereas the second foot has a complementarily shaped convex bottom surface. Such complementary profiles urge the second foot 170 into a predetermined position relative to the supporting surface when the second foot is placed onto the supporting surface.

Embodiments of the present invention are illustrated now with reference to the Figures, wherein:

175

Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a joining device according to the present invention with a first foot and a supporting platform designed as separate components, pictured in a detached condition; and

Figure 2 shows a modularly designed row of three display cases joined by means 180 of joining devices according to Figure 1.

Figure 1 shows a detached joining device 1 having a support member comprising a height adjustable first foot 2 and a supporting platform 7 for supporting a second foot 8. The supporting platform 7 has a supporting surface 7a and a connecting

185 section 6 extending towards the first foot 2 from the supporting surface 7a. The connecting section 6 is U-shaped comprising two parallel legs 6a and 6b with a gap 6c there between. The height adjustable foot 2 comprises a connection section 3 in the form of two diametrically positioned radial recesses 3 resulting in a connecting profile of the first foot 2 which allows the first foot 2 to be received in a connecting

190 profile of the connecting section 6 of the supporting platform 7 formed between the two legs 6a and 6b. The connecting section 6 extends towards the first foot 2 from the supporting platform 7. In addition, at the height adjustable foot 2 an adjustable screw bolt 4 is provided for the levelling of the adjustable foot 2. The supporting platform 7 further comprises a supporting surface 7a formed by a concave-type

195 recess having a polygonal cross-section in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the supporting platform 7. The second foot 8 comprises a bottom surface 9 having a convex-type bulge having a polygonal cross-section in said direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the supporting platform 7 which is complementary to the concave-type cross-section profile of the supporting surface

200 7a. Thus, when placed onto the supporting surface 7a, the second foot 8 is centred with the profile of the supporting surface 7a in said direction perpendicular to a

longitudinal axis of the supporting platform 7 and, in turn, with the longitudinal axis of the first foot 2 which is centred to the longitudinal axis of the supporting platform when the connecting sections 3 and 6 are in engagement. In the 205 embodiment shown in Figure 1, the supporting platform 7 is longer than the bottom surface 9 of the second foot 8 seen in the longitudinal axis of the supporting platform 7. Therefore, the second foot 8 can be placed onto the supporting surface 7a at any lengthwise position thereof first and then be pushed to its final position on the supporting surface 7a.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, both feet 2 and 8 have identical shapes. Each of the feet 2 and 8 has an upper plate section 2a and 8a, respectively, for attaching the respective foot to a bottom surface of a case (shown in Figure 2), radial recesses 3, a convex-type bottom surface 9, and a screw through-hole 4a. Thus the same type 215 of foot can be used as the first foot 2 or as the second foot 8 so that less components are to be manufactured and held on stock. The only difference between the feet 2 and 8 is that a screw bolt 4 is screwed into the screw through-hole 4a in case of the first foot 2 only but not into the screw through-hole 4a of the second foot 8 as only the first foot 2 is to be height adjustable.

220

In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the inner faces of the legs 6a and 6b each comprise a locking lance 10 having free ends projecting from the respective leg 6a and 6b towards the supporting surface 7 so that the locking lances 10 can lock behind the first foot 2 when the connecting sections 3 and 6 are in full engagement.

Figure 2 shows an embodiment of a row of display cases, e.g. refrigerated cases, with a modular design. In the example shown in Figure 2, there are three modular display cases 11, 12, 13 comprising a first display case 11 having four height adjustable first feet 2, each attached to one of the four corners of the case 11, and a 230 second and a third display case 12 and 13, respectively, having two height

adjustable first feet 2 attached to their corners at their (in Figure 2) right hand ends and two second feet 8 attached to their corners at their (in Figure 2) left hand ends. The first feet 2 attached to the left hand ends of the cases 12 and 13 each are connected to a supporting platform 7 supporting an associated one of the second 235 feet 8. The feet at the left hand end of case 11 and at the right hand end of case 13 are identical to the first foot 2 shown in Figure 1 but are not connected to a supporting platform 7. There are always two feet of the same type attached to one end of a case.

240 The modularly designed row of display cases 11, 12, 13 is assembled as follows. First, the first display case 11 at the (in Figure 2) left hand end of the row is positioned and the four height adjustable feet 2 of the first foot type are adjusted in height with the help of a water-level to obtain a levelled positioning of the first display case 11. Two supporting platforms 7 are connected to the two adjustable

245 feet 2 attached to the right hand end of the display case 11. Next, the two second feet 8 attached to the left hand end of the second display case 12 are placed onto the respectively associated supporting platform 7 mounted to the right hand end of the first case 11, with the convex-type bottom surface 9 of the respective second foot 8 being received in the concave-type supporting surface 7a of the respectively

250 associated one of the supporting platforms 7. Thereafter, the height of the two adjustable feet 2 at the right hand end of the second display case 12 is adjusted with the help of a water-level to obtain a levelled positioning of the second case 12. The third display case 13 is assembled in the same manner as described above for the second display case 12.

255

The minimum axial length of the second foot 2 of each support member, including its screw bolt 4 , is dimensioned such that the associated supporting platform 7 does not touch the floor even if the screw bolt 4 is projecting from the lower end of the screw hole 4a at a minimum. Thus it is made sure that the height of a supporting

platform 7 is exclusively determined by the height adjustment of the associated first foot 2.