WO2006051221A1

WO2006051221A1 - Sales kiosk

Info

Publication number: WO2006051221A1
Application number: PCT/FR2005/002807
Authority: WO
Inventors: Roger Blanc
Original assignee: Blanc, Viviane; Blanc-Andrei, Caroline
Priority date: 2004-11-15
Filing date: 2005-11-10
Publication date: 2006-05-18
Also published as: FR2877961A1; FR2877961B1; EP1815089A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a sales kiosk (1) comprising a rear frame (2) and a facade (3) enabling access inside said kiosk, characterized in that the façade is made of a plurality of movable panels (18 to 21) which are suspended on a main set of sliders (60) connected to the frame.

Description

Sales Kiosk

The present invention relates to a sales kiosk comprising a rear frame and a facade through which access is made to the interior of the kiosk. More specifically, these are sales kiosks, such as newsstands, which are installed in shopping malls at railway stations or in the street.

Such kiosks are generally designed to have a non-flexible sales configuration, requiring a choice between a space for self-service, limited in area available for items, and a storage space enlarged but no longer allowing self-service and requesting the assistance of a seller.

The present invention aims to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks, and to propose a kiosk whose configuration can be adapted to the desired sales conditions while optimizing the sales area. For this purpose, the present invention relates to a sales kiosk comprising a rear frame and a facade through which access is made to the interior of the kiosk, characterized in that this facade is made from a plurality of panels mobiles hanging from a main slide set connected to the frame.

Thus, by providing a facade made from movable panels, the facade of the kiosk can be modified and configured as needed. Indeed, it is possible to place the movable panels so as to have two lateral openings, or a single central opening, or a single lateral opening. This is particularly advantageous because it is then always possible to provide a suitable opening according to the flow of customers and possibly external conditions.

Advantageously, the main slide set is broken down into a main rail, substantially parallel to the front, and two end rails.

Preferably, the kiosk comprises at least one secondary slide set connected to the main rail and directed towards the interior of the kiosk. Thus, at least one movable panel can be cleared from the facade and suspended inside the kiosk. Advantageously, the secondary slide set is oriented substantially perpendicular to the main rail. The panels can then be positioned in alignment with each other and therefore occupy the minimum space in front. It should be understood that the configuration of the secondary slide set is adapted to the suspension mode of the vertical movable panels on the main rail, including the number of suspension points. In the event of suspension at two points, it is possible to provide two parallel rails parallel to each other and separated by a distance substantially equal to the distance separating the suspension points.

According to a first preferred embodiment, the kiosk comprises a guide assembly enabling the facade to move alternately from a folding position, in which it is in contact with the frame, to a deployed position, in which it is maintained discounted. In this case, the closure of the kiosk is provided by the vertical panels hanging when the facade is retracted against the frame, and it is therefore no longer necessary to provide doors or closing grilles. This arrangement is interesting in that it reduces the depth of the kiosk in the closed position.

Advantageously, the guide assembly is adapted to cooperate with the main slide set. The main slide set supporting the vertical panels can then be likened to a telescopic arm of the guide assembly.

According to a second preferred embodiment, the kiosk comprises doors integral with the frame and allowing the opening or closing of the kiosk.

The kiosk according to the invention makes it possible to benefit from a modular and convertible sales area, making it possible to have a sales area that is entirely self-service, if desired, with the possibility of having the entry and exit openings. , if desired, possibly modifying them depending on the time or weather conditions.

According to an advantageous development of the invention, the kiosk has an upper part housing at least one image projector and having at least one diffusing wall. Such a device is more particularly intended for the projection of advertising outside the kiosk.

Advantageously, the kiosk comprises a roof at least partially retractable at the level of the facade. Thus, the facade may be covered or cleared depending on the climate. Preferably, the kiosk comprises a steerable pointing device controlled remotely so as to allow the targeting of a given article. Such a device can be advantageously coupled to a computer system to quickly target the location of the article in the kiosk after having scanned the bar code, for example.

The implementation of the invention will be better understood with the aid of the detailed description which is set out below with reference to the appended drawing in which:

FIG. 1 represents a perspective view of a kiosk according to the first embodiment of the invention, in an open facade configuration with two lateral entrances.

Figure 2 is a sectional view along the line U-II of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top view of the kiosk of Figure 1 in which a panel of the facade is moved to change the configuration. Figure 4 is a top view of the kiosk of Figure 1 with the facade in the folded position.

Figure 5 is a top view of the kiosk of Figure 1 in which two sets of secondary slides are provided.

Figure 6 is a top view of a kiosk according to the second preferred embodiment having side doors.

According to a first embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 to 5, a kiosk 1 according to the invention comprises a rear frame 2 and a front 3 defining an interior space.

The rear frame 2 comprises a wall made from a bottom panel 5, two side panels 6, 7 and two corner panels 8, 9. A counter 10 behind which stands a seller is placed in front of the side panel 7 Displays 12 are fixed in the bottom panel 5 and the side panel 6. The displays 12 used may advantageously be of the display type, for postcards to increase the number of items offered for sale.

In addition, the rear frame 2 comprises an upper portion 40, shown in Figures 1 and 2, delimited by a bottom wall 41, an upper wall 42 forming a roof for the rear frame 2, and diffusing side walls 43. The part upper 40 houses an image projection device 44 oriented towards the diffusing side wall 43 to be able to project an advertising animation for example. Moreover, the part upper 40 houses a substantially horizontal retractable panel 45 adapted to be deployed above the facade as a roof, and has side openings 46, 47 at the front inside each of which is fixed a guide assembly . The facade 3 is made from four vertical panels 18 to 21 each suspended at two points to a main slide set 60. The vertical panels 18 to 21 may for example be suspended by means of wheels, rollers, pads or others. Displays 22 facing inward of the kiosk 1 are fixed in each of the vertical panels 18 to 21. The main slide set 60 comprises a main rail 61, substantially parallel to the front, and two end rails 62, 63 end , substantially perpendicular to said main rail 61. In order to achieve the main slide set 60, it should be understood that the main rail 61 and the two lateral rails 62, 63 may be constituted by separate elements connected to each other, or simply correspond to separate parts of the same slide having undergone shaping operations. More specifically, the lateral rails 62, 63 connect the main rail 61 to the rear frame 2, and are each able to cooperate with the associated guide assembly of the lateral openings 46, 47.

To change the configuration of the facade 3 of the kiosk 1, it will be enough to move one or more of the vertical panels 18 to 21 along the main slide set 60. Among all the different possible configurations, there will be mentioned a facade 3 having a central opening and wherein the end panels 18, 21 are respectively placed on the side rails 62, 63, a front 3 having a single side opening as shown in Figure 3, or a front 3 having two side openings as shown in Figure 1. It should be noted that a panel being pivoted has been schematized in Figure 3 and has respectively a first suspension point connected to the main rail 61 and a second suspension point connected to the side rail 63. it is obvious that these configuration examples are absolutely not limiting.

In addition, such a kiosk 1 may comprise at least one set of secondary slides 4 connected to the main rail 61 and oriented towards the inside of said kiosk 1. Referring more particularly to FIG. 5, it is observed that a set of slides secondary 4 perpendicular to the main rail 61 is provided in the vicinity of each of the two ends of the latter. Each set of secondary slides 4 is made using a lateral rail 62, 63 end and a secondary rail 11 parallel thereto. These two carrier rails are separated by a distance substantially equal to the distance separating the two suspension points of each panel 18 to 21. As a result, it is then possible to extract at least one of the panels 18 to 21 of the main slide set 60 and store it inside the kiosk 1. In the particular case of Figure 5, the three panels 18 to 20 were slid along the secondary slide set 4 located on the side rail side 62 , and the panel 21 remains suspended from the main rail 61, in alignment with the other three.

When the user wishes to close the kiosk 1, it is sufficient for him to align the vertical panels 18 to 21 along the main rail 61, then to slide each of the lateral rails 62, 63 inside the guide assembly. which corresponds to it. Therefore, each of the two side rails 62,

63 can be likened to a telescopic arm of the associated guide assembly.

The closed kiosk thus occupies a reduced volume, as is apparent from Figure 4.

Furthermore, as more specifically shown in FIG. 2, a steerable pointing device 70 of the laser pointer type is attached, via a rail 71 fixed in the bottom wall 42, to the upper part 40 of the booth 1, and is able to move along said rail 71. In order for the pointing device 70 to be able to target any article, a second rail (not shown) disposed perpendicular to the rail 71 may be provided. Therefore, when a customer can not find an item in the shelves, it can address the seller who, without leaving his post, can activate the pointing device 71 to designate the desired article. This activation can be done by scanning the barcode of the article in a catalog for example and then by searching the article in a database of locations.

According to a second embodiment of the invention, represented in FIG. 6, a kiosk 30 comprises a rear frame 31 and a frontage 32. The rear frame 31 differs from the rear frame 2 of the kiosk 1 mainly by the fact that it possesses hinges 13, 14 arranged facing the front wall 32 and on which are installed doors 15, 16 able to allow or prohibit access to the interior of said booth 30. The upper part (not shown) of the rear frame 31, unlike the upper portion 40 of the kiosk 1, then is no longer equipped with guide assemblies for retracting the facade 32. Therefore, the latter differs from the facade 3 of the kiosk 1 to the extent that the lateral rails 62, 63 constituting the main slide set 60 are now fixed and secured to the rear frame 31. Advantageously, displays 17 are fixed in the doors 15, 16 to the inside of the kiosk. As for the kiosk 1, the facade 32 can adopt several configurations by moving the vertical panels 18 to 21 along the main guide rail 61 and the side rails 62, 63. The doors 15, 16 also make it possible to modulate the configuration of the front 32 depending on whether they are in the open or closed position. In such a case, the footprint of the kiosk remains the same whether it is in the open position or in the closed position.

Moreover, an image projector and a pointing device similar to those fitted to the kiosk 1 can obviously also be incorporated. Although the invention has been described in connection with particular embodiments, it is obvious that it is not limited thereto and that it comprises all the technical equivalents of the means described and their combinations if they are within the scope of the invention. Thus, in particular, the entire kiosk does not necessarily constitute a self-service area, a bank that can separate the merchant from the zone intended for buyers.

Claims

1. A sales booth (1, 30) comprising a rear frame (2, 31) and a front (3, 32) through which access is made to the inside of the kiosk, characterized in that the facade is made from a plurality of movable panels (18-21) suspended from a main slide set (60) connected to the frame.

2. Kiosk (1, 30) according to claim 1, characterized in that the main slide set (60) is decomposed into a main rail (61), substantially parallel to the front (3, 32), and two rails lateral ends (62, 63).

3. Kiosk (1, 30) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises at least one secondary slide set (4) connected to the main rail (61) and directed towards the inside of the kiosk.

4. Kiosk (1, 30) according to claim 3, characterized in that the set of secondary slides (4) is oriented substantially perpendicular to the main rail (61).

5. Kiosk (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it comprises a guide assembly allowing the facade (3) to pass alternately from a folded position, in which it is at contact of the frame (2), in a deployed position, in which it is kept apart.

6. Kiosk (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the guide assembly is adapted to cooperate with the main slide set (60).

7. Sales kiosk (30) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it comprises doors (15, 16) integral with the frame (31) and allowing the opening or closing of the kiosk.

8. Kiosk (1, 30) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it has an upper portion (40) housing at least one image projector (44) and having at least one diffusing wall (43).

9. Kiosk (1, 30) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it comprises a roof (45) at least partly retractable at the front (3). δ

10. Kiosk (1, 30) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it comprises a pointing device (71) orientable remote control to allow targeting of a given article.