U.S. patent application number 11/218539 was filed with the patent office on 2006-03-09 for showcase.
This patent application is currently assigned to SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Shigeru Arai, Koji Hayase, Koki Kuwabara.
Application Number | 20060049726 11/218539 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35355090 |
Filed Date | 2006-03-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060049726 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hayase; Koji ; et
al. |
March 9, 2006 |
Showcase
Abstract
There is provided a showcase comprising a display room
surrounded with a transparent wall. The costs of rack hanging
structure in the display room can be reduced. The showcase
comprises the display room surrounded with a transparent wall
supported by support pillars erected at four corners of a main
body. The rack supporting portion having two or more engaging holes
is mounted to the pillar. The rack for displaying commercial goods
is hung in the display room by being supported by the rack
supporting portion. The rack receiving member receives the rack by
engaging with the engaging hole of the rack supporting portion. The
rack receiving member is made by bending a metal plate and has an
engaging portion made by contact bending of the metal plate which
is inserted into and engaged with the engaging hole.
Inventors: |
Hayase; Koji; (Ota-shi,
JP) ; Kuwabara; Koki; (Gunma-ken, JP) ; Arai;
Shigeru; (Ota-shi, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ARMSTRONG, KRATZ, QUINTOS, HANSON & BROOKS, LLP
1725 K STREET, NW
SUITE 1000
WASHINGTON
DC
20006
US
|
Assignee: |
SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
Moriguchi-shi
JP
|
Family ID: |
35355090 |
Appl. No.: |
11/218539 |
Filed: |
September 6, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
312/128 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B 57/20 20130101;
A47B 57/40 20130101; A47F 3/0486 20130101; A47F 3/0408 20130101;
A47F 3/0434 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
312/128 |
International
Class: |
A47F 3/06 20060101
A47F003/06 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 7, 2004 |
JP |
2004-260092 |
Claims
1. A showcase comprising: a display room surrounded with a
transparent wall supported by support pillars erected at four
corners of a main body, a rack supporting portion having two or
more engaging holes and mounted to the pillar, a rack for
displaying commercial goods hung in the display room by being
supported by the rack supporting portion, a rack receiving member
for receiving the rack by engaging with the engaging hole of the
rack supporting portion, wherein the rack receiving member is made
by bending a metal plate and has an engaging portion made by
contact bending of the metal plate which is inserted into and
engaged with the engaging hole.
2. The showcase according to claim 1, further comprising: a cold
air outlet formed on one side of the main body, a cold air inlet
formed on the other side of the main body, a heater mounted in the
rack, dampers mounted in both sides of the rack to rotate for open
and close the cold air passages between the rack and the
transparent walls located in both sides of the rack respectively,
wherein the damper opens the cold air passage in stood state and
closes the cold air passage being rotated to horizontal state, and
the damper is supported by the rack receiving member in the
horizontal state.
3. The showcase according to claim 2, further comprising: two or
more racks hung in the display room, an electrical box mounted in
machine room formed under the main body, two or more leads that
connect the electrical box and the heater of the racks
respectively, two or more accommodating portions formed in the main
body that accommodate the rest portion of the leads respectively,
wherein the rest portion of the lead from the rack hung in the
upper position in the display room is accommodated in the
accommodating portion near to the electrical box.
4. The showcase according to claim 1, further comprising: an
openable door which forms at least one of the transparent walls, a
magnet gasket mounted around the inner surface of the door, a metal
reinforcing member mounted to the pillar, wherein the reinforcing
member is located in the outer surface of the pillar, and the
gasket adheres to the reinforcing member when the door is
closed.
5. The showcase according to claim 2, further comprising: an
openable door which forms at least one of the transparent walls, a
magnet gasket mounted around the inner surface of the door, a metal
reinforcing member mounted to the pillar, wherein the reinforcing
member is located in the outer surface of the pillar, and the
gasket adheres to the reinforcing member when the door is
closed.
6. The showcase according to claim 3, further comprising: an
openable door which forms at least one of the transparent walls, a
magnet gasket mounted around the inner surface of the door, a metal
reinforcing member mounted to the pillar, wherein the reinforcing
member is located in the outer surface of the pillar, and the
gasket adheres to the reinforcing member when the door is closed.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a showcase which comprises
a display room surrounded with a transparent wall.
[0002] The showcase of such a type has conventionally been
constituted in a manner that by mounting a left/right and rear
transparent wall and a front transparent door (transparent wall) to
support pillars erected at four corners of a main body, the display
room surrounded with the transparent walls is constituted on the
main body. Then, a structure has been employed in which a rack for
displaying goods is hung in the display room, and cold air is
discharged from one side of the main body, the cold air is sucked
from the other side to circulate in the display room, thereby
cooling the display room to a predetermined temperature (e.g.,
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-203332).
[0003] A hot and cold type showcase has been constituted in a
manner that by mounting a heater to the rack and disposing dampers
in both sides of the rack. Then, only the part over the rack in the
display room can be warmed up by turning on the heater in the state
which the cold air circulation over the rack is shut out by the
damper.
[0004] In the showcase which comprises the display room surrounded
with the transparent walls, usually the rack is made of wires, and
the rack is hung in the display room by engaging the tip of the
wires which protrude backward from the rack with the engaging holes
of the rack supporting portions mounted to the pillars. As other
structures, the rack is received by rack receiving members which
are made of resin and engaged with the engaging holes.
[0005] However, each structure causes problems of high costs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the
aforementioned conventional technical problems, and it is an object
of the invention to provide a showcase comprises a display room
surrounded with a transparent wall, and reducing the costs of rack
hanging structure in the display room.
[0007] A first aspect of the invention is directed to a showcase
comprising a display room surrounded with a transparent wall
supported by support pillars erected at four corners of a main
body; a rack supporting portion having two or more engaging holes
and mounted to the pillar; a rack for displaying commercial goods
hung in the display room by being supported by the rack supporting
portion; a rack receiving member for receiving the rack by engaging
with the engaging hole of the rack supporting portion, wherein the
rack receiving member is made by bending a metal plate and has an
engaging portion made by contact bending of the metal plate which
is inserted into and engaged with the engaging hole.
[0008] According to the invention, the showcase comprises the
display room surrounded with a transparent wall supported by
support pillars erected at four corners of a main body, the rack
supporting portion having two or more engaging holes and mounted to
the pillar, the rack for displaying commercial goods hung in the
display room by being supported by the rack supporting portion, and
the rack receiving member for receiving the rack by engaging with
the engaging hole of the rack supporting portion. The rack
receiving member is made by bending a metal plate and has an
engaging portion made by contact bending of the metal plate which
is inserted into and engaged with the engaging hole.
[0009] Thus, the manufacturing cost of the rack receiving member
can be reduced remarkably, and the costs for hanging the rack can
be reduced. And because of the engaging portion of the rack
receiving member is made by contact bending of the metal plate,
strength of the rack receiving member can be maintained and the
rack can be supported stably.
[0010] A second aspect of the present invention is directed to the
above showcase further comprising a cold air outlet formed on one
side of the main body; a cold air inlet formed on the other side of
the main body; a heater mounted in the rack; dampers mounted in
both sides of the rack to rotate for open and close the cold air
passages between the rack and the transparent walls located in both
sides of the rack respectively, wherein the damper opens the cold
air passage in stood state and closes the cold air passage being
rotated to horizontal state, and the damper is supported by the
rack receiving member in the horizontal state.
[0011] According to the invention, the showcase further comprises a
cold air outlet formed on one side of the main body, a cold air
inlet formed on the other side of the main body, a heater mounted
in the rack, and dampers mounted in both sides of the rack to
rotate for open and close the cold air passages between the rack
and the transparent walls located in both sides of the rack
respectively. The damper opens the cold air passage in stood state
and closes the cold air passage being rotated to horizontal state.
Thus, while the part under the rack in the display room is cooled,
the part over the rack can be warmed up by rotating the damper to
horizontal state and turning on the heater. In this case, because
of the damper is supported by the rack receiving member in the
horizontal state, the horizontal state of the damper can be
maintained stably. And because of particular structure is not
necessary to support the damper, the structure can be simple.
[0012] A third aspect of the present invention is directed to the
above showcase further comprising two or more racks hung in the
display room; an electrical box mounted in machine room formed
under the main body; two or more leads that connect the electrical
box and the heater of the racks respectively; two or more
accommodating portions formed in the main body that accommodate the
rest portion of the leads respectively, wherein the rest portion of
the lead from the rack hung in the upper position in the display
room is accommodated in the accommodating portion near to the
electrical box.
[0013] According to the invention, the showcase further comprises
two or more racks hung in the display room, an electrical box
mounted in machine room formed under the main body; two or more
leads that connect the electrical box and the heater of the racks
respectively, and two or more accommodating portions formed in the
main body that accommodate the rest portion of the leads
respectively. Thus, while the leads have enough length for enabling
the rack to move, the appearance can be up by accommodating the
rest portion of the leads in the accommodating portions.
Especially, the rest portion of the lead from the rack hung in the
upper position in the display room is accommodated in the
accommodating portion near to the electrical box. Thus, the length
of the rest portion of the leads from each rack accommodated in the
accommodating portions can be equal by accommodating the rest
portion of the lead from the rack far from the electrical box in
the accommodating portion near to the electrical box.
[0014] A fourth aspect of the present invention is directed to the
above showcase further comprising an openable door which forms at
least one of the transparent walls; a magnet gasket mounted around
the inner surface of the door; and a metal reinforcing member
mounted to the pillar, wherein the reinforcing member is located in
the outer surface of the pillar, and the gasket adheres to the
reinforcing member when the door is closed.
[0015] According to the invention, the showcase further comprises
an openable door which forms at least one of the transparent walls,
a magnet gasket mounted around the inner surface of the door, and a
metal reinforcing member mounted to the pillar. The reinforcing
member is located in the outer surface of the pillar, and the
gasket adheres to the reinforcing member when the door is closed.
Thus, the surface to which the gasket adheres is made of the
reinforcing member, and it is not necessary to provide a particular
metal plate to which the gasket adheres, therefore the structure
can be simple and the costs can be reduced.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a showcase according to an
embodiment of the present invention;
[0017] FIG. 2 is an expanded horizontal sectional view of the front
corner portion of the showcase of FIG. 1;
[0018] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the inner structure of the
showcase of FIG. 1;
[0019] FIG. 4 is a top view of the rack of the showcase of FIG.
1;
[0020] FIG. 5 is a side view of the rack of FIG. 4;
[0021] FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the rack of FIG. 4;
[0022] FIG. 7 is an elevational view in section of the side part of
the rack of FIG. 4 (the damper is in stood state);
[0023] FIG. 8 is an elevational view in section of the side part of
the rack of FIG. 4 (the damper is in horizontal state);
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0024] Next, the preferred embodiment of the present invention will
be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Showcase 1 of the embodiments is a so-called desktop hot and cold
type showcase (showcase which is changeable to cooled or warmed
state) which is installed at a store such as a convenience store to
sell plastic-bottled or canned drinks such as coffee or green tea
in a cooled or warmed state.
[0025] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the showcase 1 according to
an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an expanded
horizontal sectional view of the front corner portion of the
showcase 1, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the inner structure of
the showcase 1, FIG. 4 is a top view of the rack 2 of the showcase
1, FIG. 5 is a side view of the rack 2, FIG. 6 is a bottom view of
the rack 2, FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 are elevational views in section of
the side part of the rack 2. A main body 3 of the showcase 1 of the
embodiment comprises an insulated wall (not shown) made of formed
polyurethane and a case 6 made of a hard synthetic resin which
surrounds the insulated wall. And front support pillars 7, 7 and
rear support pillars 8, 8 are erected at four corners of the main
body 3, left and right longitudinal transparent walls 9, 9 made of
transparent double glass are supported by the support pillars 7, 7,
and 8, 8, and a ceiling wall 11 is mounted on top of the support
pillars 7, 7 and 8, 8.
[0026] A longitudinal front and rear doors 12 (front door is shown,
rear door is not shown) as a transparent wall in which transparent
double glass 12B is fitted into a surrounding sash 12A is pivotally
supported by the right front support pillar 7 and the left rear
support pillar 8 to rotate. On the main body 3, a display room 14
is constituted by being surrounded with the transparent walls 9, 9,
the doors 12, 12 and the ceiling wall 11. The doors 12, 12 close
front and rear openings of the display room 14 to be freely
opened.
[0027] A reference numeral 15 is a grip mounted to a center front
in an up-and down direction (longitudinal direction) of a
non-pivotal supporting side (front left side) of the sash 12A. A
reference numeral 16 is a magnet gasket mounted around the inner
surface (pillar 7 or 8 side surface) of the door 12, and bonded to
the door 12 to seal it when the door 12 is closed.
[0028] A machine chamber 18 around which grilles 17. are mounted is
constituted below the main body 3 (around the main body 3 is
covered with the panel 13 too). A compressor and a condenser (not
shown) are installed to constitute a refrigerant circuit of a
cooling device in the machine chamber 18. A cooling chamber (not
shown) whose upper surface is open is constituted in the insulated
wall of the main body 3. An evaporator and a blower (not shown)
which constitute the refrigerant circuit are installed in the
cooling chamber. And a cold air outlet 21 is integrally formed from
the front to the deep side on the right of the main body 3. A cold
air inlet 22 is integrally formed from the front to the deep side
on the left of the main body 3. The cold air inlet 22 is
communicated with a cold air suction side of the evaporator in the
cooling chamber, and the cold air outlet 21 is communicated with a
cold air discharge side of the evaporator in the cooling
chamber.
[0029] Angles (not shown) are erected from the four corners of a
base 19 which constitutes the bottom of the machine chamber 18. On
the other hand, metal (steel plate) reinforcing members 23 is
mounted on the front support pillars 7, 7 and the rear support
pillars 8, 8 respectively, each reinforcing member 23 reinforces
the support pillars 7, 8. Each reinforcing member 23 is formed
about a gate shape, and integrally mounted to the front surface
(outer surface) of the front support pillar 7, 7 and the front
surface (outer surface) of the ceiling wall 11, or the rear surface
(outer surface) of the rear support pillar 8, 8 and the rear
surface (outer surface) of the ceiling wall 11. The bottom ends of
each reinforcing member 23 are fixed to the angles (the rear side
reinforcing member is not shown). The magnet gasket 16 adheres to
the reinforcing member 23 when the door 12 is closed. Namely the
reinforcing member 23 also serves as a surface to which the magnet
gasket 16 adheres, therefore it is not necessary to mount a
particular metal plate to which the gasket 16 adheres on the outer
surface of the support pillars 7, 8.
[0030] On the other hand, the rack 2 comprises a metal upper plate
24, an insulated wall (not shown) inserted in the upper plate 24, a
frame member 26 made of resins and mounted around the upper plate
24 and the insulated wall. An electric heater H is mounted to an
inner surface of the upper plate 24. The both sides of the frame
member 26 caved in to form a cold air passage between the rack 2
and the transparent walls 9, 9 located in outside of it
respectively. In the concave portion of the highest rack 2 and the
rack 2 under the highest rack 2, a damper 27 is mounted
respectively (not shown in FIG. 2). The damper 27 is mounted by
being engaged with front and rear pivots 26A, 26A of the frame
member 26 to rotate and move up and down at predetermined range.
The cold air passages are disposed over the cold air outlet 21 and
the cold air inlet 22, and the damper 27 is rotated to open and
close the cold air passage.
[0031] Reference numerals 31, 31 are rack receiving members of the
present invention for supporting the rack 2. This rack receiving
member 31 is made by bending a metal plate (steel plate). The rack
receiving member 31 comprises a receiving portion 31A fixed to the
lower surface of the rack 2, an elevated portion 31B which is
elevated in a staircase pattern at the out side of the receiving
portion 31A, and an engaging portion 31C protrudes backward at the
out side of the elevated portion 31B. The engaging portion 31C is
made by contact bending of the metal plate, and the contact face is
in the vertical direction.
[0032] The receiving portion 31A is fixed to the rear corners of
the lower surface of the rack 2 by screw for mounting the rack
receiving member 31, 31 on the rear both sides of the lower surface
of the rack 2. In this state, the elevated portion 31B is disposed
in the outside far from the concave portion of the rack 2, and the
damper 27 is positioned between the elevated portion 31B and the
rack 2.
[0033] On the other hand, rack supporting portions 8A are formed in
the front surface (surface of the display room 14 side) of the rear
support pillars 8, 8. The rack supporting portion 8A has two or
more engaging holes 33. formed up and down at predetermined
intervals. Rack supporting portions 7A are formed in the surfaces
of the front support pillars 7, 7 facing each other. The rack
supporting portion 7A has two or more engaging holes 34. formed up
and down in a predetermined interval. The engaging portions 31C of
the rear both sides rack receiving members 31 are inserted into and
engaged with any engaging holes 33, and engaging projections 32
protrude from the both sides of the front end of the rack 2 are
inserted into and engaged with the engaging holes 34. In this
state, the rack 2 is hung in a state of being inclined low
obliquely to the front.
[0034] As described, the rack receiving member 31 is made by
bending a metal plate. Thus, the manufacturing cost of the rack
receiving member 31 can be reduced remarkably, and the costs for
hanging the rack 2 can be reduced. The rack receiving member 31 has
an engaging portion 31C made by contact bending of the metal plate
which is inserted into and engaged with the engaging hole, and the
contact face of the engaging portion 31C is in the vertical
direction. Thus, strength of the rack receiving member 31 against
the load of the rack 2 can be maintained and the rack 2 can be
supported stably.
[0035] In the embodiment described above, three vertical stages of
racks 2 are hung in the display room 14, however, the lowest rack 2
constitutes a deck pan. The rack 2 is hung in a state of being
inclined low obliquely to the front by being fixed to the front
support pillar 7, 7 and the rear support pillar 8, 8 not by above
described supporting manner.
[0036] On the other hand, an accommodating groove 36 having a front
opening is made in front of the engaging holes 34 of the front
support pillar 7, 7. The leads 37 from the electric heaters H of
the racks 2 are accommodated downwardly in the accommodating groove
36. The leads 37 are connected to the electrical box 38 mounted on
the rear right corner of the machine chamber 18 for connecting the
heaters H of the racks 2 and the electrical box 38 respectively. In
this case, the lead 37 from the highest rack 2 is accommodated in
the accommodating groove 36 of the right front support pillar 7,
and the lead 37 from the rack 2 under the highest rack 2 is
accommodated in the accommodating groove 36 of the left front
support pillar 7. At the front part of the case 6 of the main body
3, accommodating portions 41, 41 are integrally formed having upper
openings. The rest portion of the lead 37 from the highest rack 2
is accommodated in the right side accommodating portion 41, and the
rest portion of the lead 37 from the rack 2 under the highest rack
2 is accommodated in the left side accommodating portion 41 (see
FIG. 3). The entire rest portion was accommodated in the rack,
therefore the area of validity of the rack is reduced. By making
the accommodating portions 41 in the main body 3, such problem can
be resolved.
[0037] The highest rack 2 and the rack 2 under the highest rack 2
are movable up and down by changing the engaging holes 33, 34 with
which the engaging portion 31C and the engaging projection 32 are
engaged. Thus, while the leads 37, 37 have enough length for
enabling the highest rack 2 and the rack 2 under the highest rack 2
to move, the rest portion of the leads 37 do not appear in the
display room 14 by accommodating the rest portion of the leads 37
in the accommodating portions 41 as described above, therefore the
appearance can be up. Especially, the rest portion of the lead 37
from the rack 2 hung in the upper position in the display room (the
highest rack 2) is accommodated in the right side accommodating
portion 41 near to the electrical box 38. Thus, the length of the
rest portion of the leads 37 from each rack 2 accommodated in the
accommodating portions 41 can be equal by accommodating the rest
portion of the lead 37 from the rack 2 (the highest rack 2) far
from the electrical box 38 in the accommodating portion 41 near to
the electrical box 38 (About the lead 37 from the highest rack 2,
the distance between the rack 2 and the accommodating portion 41
becomes long. About the lead 37 from the rack 2 under the highest
rack 2, the distance between the accommodating portion 41 and the
electrical box 38 becomes long).
[0038] According to the foregoing constitution, when the whole area
in the display room 14 is used in the cooled state, the dampers 27,
27 both sides of the highest rack 2 and the rack 2 under the
highest rack 2 are rotated to stood state (see FIG. 5, FIG. 6 and
FIG. 7). In this state, the damper 27 is positioned between the
elevated portion 31B and the rack 2, and the damper 27 opens the
cold air passages between the rack 2 and the transparent walls 9, 9
located in both sides of the rack 2. The cold air discharged upward
from the cold air outlet 21 goes up in the right side cold air
passage of the rack 2, and goes down in the left side cold air
passage to be sucked in the cold air inlet 22. Thus, the whole are
in the display room 14 is cooled to a refrigerating
temperature.
[0039] When only the area over the highest rack 2 in the display
room 14 is used in the warmed state and the other area under the
highest rack 2 in the display room 14 is used in the cooled state,
only the dampers 27, 27 both sides of the highest rack 2 are
rotated to horizontal state for closing the cold air passages
between the highest rack 2 and the transparent walls 9, 9 located
in both sides of the highest rack 2 (see FIG. 4 and FIG. 8). In
this state, the cold air is not supplied over the highest rack 2.
Thus, the area over the highest rack 2 in the display room is
warmed to a predetermined temperature by executing the electric
heater H of the highest rack 2.
[0040] In this case, because of the rear end of the damper 27 is
put on the elevated portion 31B and supported by the rack receiving
member 31 in the horizontal state (see FIG. 8). Thus, the
horizontal state of the damper 27 can be maintained stably. And
because of particular structure is not necessary to support the
damper 27, the structure can be simple.
* * * * *