U.S. patent application number 11/365654 was filed with the patent office on 2006-08-03 for showcase.
This patent application is currently assigned to Sanden Corporation. Invention is credited to Hirokazu Akabane, Junichi Suda.
Application Number | 20060168978 11/365654 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36755053 |
Filed Date | 2006-08-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060168978 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Suda; Junichi ; et
al. |
August 3, 2006 |
Showcase
Abstract
A showcase designed to simultaneously store commodities to be
cooled at different temperatures has a showcase body having an
opening at least in its front, a commodity storage section provided
in the showcase body, a first air passage having an air inlet at a
lower end of the opening, a blower for causing air to flow from the
air inlet into the first air passage, a cooler for cooling the air
flowing into the first air passage, a plurality of second air
passages formed so as to branch off from the first air passage and
extend toward the opening, each second air passage having an air
outlet at its end, and a flow rate adjustment mechanism for
adjusting the flow rates of air flowing from the first air passage
into at least one of the second air passages, whereby the flow
rates of air flowing into the second air passages are respectively
adjusted to different values.
Inventors: |
Suda; Junichi; (Kiryu-shi,
JP) ; Akabane; Hirokazu; (Isesaki-shi, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BANNER & WITCOFF
1001 G STREET N W
SUITE 1100
WASHINGTON
DC
20001
US
|
Assignee: |
Sanden Corporation
Isesaki-shi
JP
|
Family ID: |
36755053 |
Appl. No.: |
11/365654 |
Filed: |
March 2, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
62/251 ;
62/255 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47F 3/0443
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
062/251 ;
062/255 |
International
Class: |
A47F 3/04 20060101
A47F003/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 3, 2005 |
JP |
2005-057375 |
Claims
1. A showcase comprising: a showcase body having an opening at
least in its front; a commodity storage section provided in the
showcase body; a first air passage having an air inlet at a lower
end of the opening; a blower for causing air to flow from the air
inlet into the first air passage; a cooler for cooling the air
flowing into the first air passage; a plurality of second air
passages formed so as to branch off from the first air passage and
extend toward the opening, each second air passage having an air
outlet at its end; and a flow rate adjustment mechanism for
adjusting the flow rates of air flowing from the first air passage
into at least one of the second air passages.
2. The showcase according to claim 1, wherein: the flow rate
adjustment mechanism includes a plurality of communication holes
for communication between the first air passage and the second air
passage, and a closing plate for closing part of the plurality of
communication holes.
3. The showcase according to claim 2, further comprising: a
communication hole opening/closing mechanism for moving the closing
plate in a direction for closing part of the communication holes
and in a direction for opening the part of the communication
holes.
4. The showcase according to claim 3, wherein: the communication
hole opening/closing mechanism includes an elongated hole provided
in a member forming the first air passage, and a fixing member
connected to the closing plate through the elongated hole and
capable of being fixed at a predetermined position in the elongated
hole to fix the closing plate at a predetermined position.
5. The showcase according to claim 1, wherein: the flow rate
adjustment mechanism includes at least one communication hole for
communication between the first air passage and the second air
passage, and a closing plate for closing at least part of the
communication hole.
6. The showcase according to claim 5, further comprising: a
communication hole opening/closing mechanism for moving the closing
plate in a direction for closing the communication hole and in a
direction for opening the communication hole.
7. The showcase according to claim 6, wherein: the communication
hole opening/closing mechanism includes an elongated hole provided
in a member forming the first air passage, and a fixing member
connected to the closing plate through the elongated hole and
capable of being fixed at a predetermined position in the elongated
hole to fix the closing plate at a predetermined position.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a showcase installed in a
store such as a supermarket or a convenience store.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] A conventional showcase of this kind is known which has a
showcase body having an opening at least in its front, a commodity
storage section provided in the showcase body, a first air passage
having an air inlet at a lower end of the opening, a blower for
causing air to flow from the air inlet into the first air passage,
a cooler for cooling the air flowing into the first air passage,
and a plurality of second air passages formed so as to branch off
from the first air passage and extend toward the opening, each
second air passage having an air outlet at its end.
[0005] In the conventional showcase, each of the flow rates of air
flowing from the first air passage to the second air passages
cannot be changed. Therefore, different cooling temperatures cannot
be set for different portions of the commodity storage section by
adjustment of the amounts of air let out through the air outlets of
the second air passages. For example, in a case where commodities
such as chilled food and a packed lunch to be cooled at different
temperatures are sold, showcases having different cooling
temperatures are required. It is, therefore, difficult to sell a
various kinds of commodity in a store of a small sale room
area.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a showcase
capable of simultaneously storing commodities to be cooled at
different temperatures.
[0007] To achieve the above-described object, according to the
present invention, there is provided a showcase including a
showcase body having an opening at least in its front, a commodity
storage section provided in the showcase body, a first air passage
having an air inlet at a lower end of the opening, a blower for
causing air to flow from the air inlet into the first air passage,
a cooler for cooling the air flowing into the first air passage, a
plurality of second air passages formed so as to branch off from
the first air passage and extend toward the opening, each second
air passage having an air outlet at its end, and a flow rate
adjustment mechanism for adjusting the flow rates of air flowing
from the first air passage into at least one of the second air
passages.
[0008] This arrangement enables the flow rates of air flowing into
the second air passages to be respectively adjusted to different
values and thereby enables setting of different cooling
temperatures for different portions of the commodity storage
section, so that commodities such as chilled food and a packed
lunch to be cooled at different temperatures can be simultaneously
stored in the commodity storage section.
[0009] The above-described and other objects, features and
advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the
following detailed description of the invention with reference to
the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the whole of a showcase
which represents an embodiment of the present invention;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a sectional front view of the showcase;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a sectional side view of the showcase;
[0013] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an essential portion of the
showcase, showing the operation of a damper;
[0014] FIG. 5 is another perspective view of the essential portion
of the showcase, showing the operation of the damper;
[0015] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another example the
essential portion of the showcase; and
[0016] FIG. 7 is another perspective view of the another example
the essential portion of the showcase.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0017] This showcase has a showcase body 10 having openings at its
front side, rear side and left or right side, and a duct 20 formed
in the showcase body 10.
[0018] The showcase body 10 has a lower case 11 in the form of a
box opened at its top, a ceiling plate 12 provided as a top cover,
and a side plate 13 provided as a left or right side cover.
[0019] The lower case 11 is formed by heat insulating walls 11a at
its font, rear and bottom sides and right or left side and by the
side plate 13 at the left or right side. The top opening of the
lower case 11 is covered with a bottom plate 11b placed at a
distance from a bottom surface in the lower case 11 formed by the
heat insulating wall 11a. Glass plates 11c are provided on
upper-end peripheral portions of the lower case 11 except at the
side plate 13 side so as to extend upward, so that the bottom plate
11b is visible in a sideway direction from the outside. A machine
chamber 11d is provided under the lower case 11. A pieces of
refrigeration equipment such as a compressor, a condenser and a
condenser blower (not shown) are housed in the machine chamber
11d.
[0020] The ceiling plate 12 is a member in the form of a plate
having a heat insulating property. The ceiling plate 12 is
supported by an upper end of the side plate 13 and a supporting
column 14 extending upward from a position closer to an end of the
lower case 11 in the widthwise direction and generally at a center
in the font-rear direction. A commodity storage section 15 is
formed between the bottom plate 11b and the ceiling plate 12. A
pair of upper and lower commodity shelves 15a are mounted in the
commodity storage section 15. Commodities are placed on upper
surfaces of the bottom plate 11b and the commodity shelves 15a.
[0021] An air passage 20 includes a bottom-side air passage 21
formed as a first air passage between the bottom surface in the
lower case 11 and the bottom plate 11b, a side air passage 22
formed as a first air passage so as to extend upward along the side
plate 13, an upper commodity cooling air passage 23 formed as a
second air passage along a lower surface of the ceiling plate 12, a
lower commodity cooling air passage 24 formed as a second air
passage along a lower surface of the lower commodity shelf 15a, and
a side commodity cooling air passage 25 formed in the supporting
column 14.
[0022] The bottom-side air passage 21 is partitioned into a first
bottom-side air passage 21a formed along the heat insulating walls
11a at the front side, rear side and right or left side, a second
bottom-side air passage 21b formed in a lower section except at the
first bottom-side air passage 21a, and a third bottom-side air
passage 21c formed above the second bottom-side air passage 21b. A
cooler 26 is provided in the third bottom-side air passage 21c
closer to the left or right side, and a cooler blower 27 is
provided at one side of the cooler 26 closer to the right or left
side of the showcase body 10.
[0023] The first bottom-side air passage 21a communicates with the
commodity storage section 15 through air inlets 21d provided
between the heat insulating walls 11a and the bottom plate 11b, and
also communicates with the second bottom-side air passage 21b
through a plurality of communication holes 21f formed in a
partition plate 21e between the first bottom-side air passage 21a
and the second bottom-side air passage 21b. The second bottom-side
air passage 21b communicates with the first bottom-side air passage
21a through the communication holes 21f and with the third
bottom-side air passage 21c through a communication hole 21g
provided below the cooler blower 27. The third bottom-side air
passage 21c communicates with the second bottom-side air passage
21b through the communication hole 21g and with the side air
passage 22 at its one side.
[0024] The side air passage 22 is provided between the side plate
13 and a duct member 22a formed so as to be U-shaped in section and
extending vertically, and communicates with the upper commodity
cooling air passage 23 and with the lower commodity cooling air
passage 24. The side air passage 22 communicates with the lower
commodity cooling air passage 24 through three communication holes
22b provided in the duct member 22a at certain intervals in the
widthwise direction. Of the communication holes 22b, the
communication holes 22b at the opposite sides in the widthwise
direction are opened/closed by a damper 22c provided as a closing
plate in the side air passage 22.
[0025] The damper 22c is formed of a member in the form of a plate
formed into a U-shape and is supported by fixing members 22e such
as thumbscrews through elongated holes 22d formed in the duct
member 22a so as to extend vertically, the damper 22c being
vertically movable in a range corresponding to the elongated holes
22d. The communication holes 22b at the opposite sides in the
widthwise direction is closed by fixing the damper 22c with the
fixing members 22e positioned at the upper ends of the elongated
holes 22d and is opened by fixing the damper 22c with the fixing
members 22e positioned at the lower ends of the elongated holes
22d.
[0026] The upper commodity cooling air passage 23 is formed so as
to extend along the lower surface of the ceiling plate 12 from the
left or right side to the right or left side. The upper commodity
cooling air passage 23 has air outlets 23a at its ends at the front
side, rear side and left or right side.
[0027] The lower commodity cooling air passage 24 is formed so as
to extend along the lower surface of the lower commodity shelf 15a
from the left or right side to the right or left side. The lower
commodity cooling air passage 24 has air outlets 24a at its ends at
the front and rear sides. Further, an end of the lower commodity
cooling air passage 24 at the left or right side communicates with
the side commodity cooling air passage 25.
[0028] The side commodity cooling air passage 25 is formed so as to
extend vertically in the supporting column 14, and has a plurality
of air outlet holes 25a at the left or right side.
[0029] In the showcase constructed as described above, air drawn
from the air inlets 21d at the lower ends of the openings at the
front side, rear side and left or right side into the first
bottom-side air passage 21a by the cooler blower 27 flows into the
bottom-side air passage 21c via the second bottom-side air passage
21b and is cooled by the cooler 26. The air cooled by the cooler 26
diverges from the side air passage 22 into the upper commodity
cooling air passage 23 and into the lower commodity cooling air
passage 24. The air flowing into the upper commodity cooling air
passage 23 flows out through the air outlets 23a. Part of the air
flowing into the lower commodity cooling air passage 24 is let out
through the air outlets 24a at the front and rear sides, while the
other part of the air flows into the side commodity cooling air
passage 25 to be let out through the air outlet holes 25a to the
left or right side. The commodity storage section 15 is thereby
cooled to maintain commodities placed on the commodity shelves 15a
and the bottom plate 11b in a cooled state.
[0030] When the damper 22c provided on the duct member 22a is at
the lower position, all the three communication holes 22b for
communication between the side air passage 22 and the lower
commodity cooling air passage 24 are opened, as shown in FIG. 4. In
this situation, the commodity storage section 15 is cooled at
generally constant temperatures by air flowing through the upper
commodity cooling air passage 23 and the lower commodity cooling
air passage 24.
[0031] When the damper 22c is at the higher position, the
communication holes 22b at the opposite sides are closed and only
the central communication hole 22b is opened, as shown in FIG. 5.
The flow rate of air flowing into the lower commodity cooling air
passage 24 and let out through the air outlets 24a is thereby
reduced. In this way, the temperature at which a lower portion (on
the bottom plate 11b) of the commodity storage section 15 is cooled
can be set higher than that at which an upper portion (on each
commodity shelf 15a) of the commodity storage section 15 is
cooled.
[0032] Thus, in the showcase of this embodiment, the flow rate of
air flowing from the side air passage 22 into the lower commodity
cooling air passage 24 can be adjusted and the flow rate of air
flowing into the lower commodity cooling air passage 24 and let out
through the air outlets 24a can be reduced relative to the flow
rate of air flowing into the upper commodity cooling air passage 23
and let out through the air outlets 23a to increase the temperature
at which the lower portion of the commodity storage section 15 is
cooled relative to the temperature at which the upper portion of
the commodity storage section 15 is cooled, so that commodities to
be cooled at different temperatures, e.g., chilled food and a
packed lunch can be simultaneously stored in the commodity storage
section 15.
[0033] Communication is provided between the side air passage 22
and the lower commodity cooling air passage 24 by means of the
three communication holes 22b provided in the duct member 22a at
intervals in the widthwise direction, and the communication holes
22b at the opposite sides are opened/closed by the damper 22c
vertically movably provided on the duct member 22a. Thus, the flow
rate of air flowing from the side air passage 22 into the lower
commodity cooling air passage 24 can be changed by the device
having a simple construction, and the showcase can be manufactured
at a limited cost.
[0034] The communication holes 22b at the opposite sides in the
widthwise direction are opened/closed by moving the damper 22c in
the opening/closing direction. The communication holes 22b can be
opened/closed without removing/attaching the damper 22c. Thus, the
operation for opening/closing communication holes 22b can be easily
performed.
[0035] The damper 22c is moved in the communication hole 22b
opening/closing direction by means of the elongated holes 22d
provided in the duct member 22a and the fixing members 22e
connected to the damper 22c by being passed through the elongated
holes 22d. The communication holes 22b can be opened/closed by the
device simple in construction. Thus, the operability of the
communication hole 22b opening/closing operation can be improved
while limiting the manufacturing cost.
[0036] The embodiment has been described with respect to the
arrangement in which communication is provided between the side air
passage 22 and the lower commodity cooling air passage 24 by the
three communication holes 22b provided in the duct member 22a at
intervals in the widthwise direction, and in which the
communication holes 22b at the opposite sides are opened/closed by
the damper 22c vertically movably provided on the duct member 22a.
However, a different arrangement is also conceivable in which, as
shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, communication is provided between the side
air passage 22 and the lower commodity cooling air passage 24 by
one communication hole 22f provided in the duct member 22a so as to
extend in the widthwise direction and a portion of the
communication hole 22f is opened/closed by the damper 22c
vertically movably provided on the duct member 22a. The same
advantages as those of the above-described embodiment can be
obtained by using such an arrangement. In this case, the flow rate
of air let out to flow into the commodity storage section 15 can be
freely set by changing the opening ratio of the communication hole
22f.
[0037] While the embodiment has been described with respect to the
arrangement in which communication is provided only between the
side air passage 22 and the lower commodity cooling air passage 24
and in which the communication holes 22b are opened/closed by the
damper 22c, communication may be provided between the side air
passage 22 and the upper commodity cooling air passage 23 by at
least one communication hole as well as between the side air
passage 22 and the lower commodity cooling air passage 24 and the
communication hole may be opened/closed by a damper. In such a
case, the flow rate of air flowing into the upper commodity cooling
air passage 23 and the flow rate of air flowing into the lower
commodity cooling air passage 24 can be respectively adjusted and
the temperatures in the upper and lower portions of the commodity
storage section 15 can be respectively set more reliably.
[0038] The preferred embodiment described in this specification is
not limitative but illustrative of the present invention. The scope
of the present invention is defined in the appended claims, and all
modifications within the meanings of the claims are included in the
present invention.
* * * * *