U.S. patent application number 11/602845 was filed with the patent office on 2007-06-14 for door for display units, in particular for refrigerators.
Invention is credited to Cremaschi Alessandro.
Application Number | 20070133192 11/602845 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37836869 |
Filed Date | 2007-06-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070133192 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Alessandro; Cremaschi |
June 14, 2007 |
Door for display units, in particular for refrigerators
Abstract
This invention proposes a door for display units, such as
refrigerators or the like, of the kind used in points of sale,
consisting of a double-glazing unit made of transparent material
and a series of luminous elements, in particular LEDs, suitable to
lighten the inner part of the refrigerator on which the door is
fitted, in such a way as to enable the user to easily view the
displayed products. In particular, the said supporting structure of
the double-glazing unit is made of a sectional shape having at
least a part made of transparent material, and the said lighting
means consist of a plurality of LEDs placed between the said
double-glazing unit and the said transparent side wall of the
section. This inventive idea turns out to be easier and more
economical than the prior art inventive ideas which provide for the
use of LEDs still fitted in the double-glazing unit, with
noticeable advantages resulting, beside from lower production
costs, also from an easier maintenance.
Inventors: |
Alessandro; Cremaschi;
(Pavia, IT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
NOTARO AND MICHALOS
100 DUTCH HILL ROAD
SUITE 110
ORANGEBURG
NY
10962-2100
US
|
Family ID: |
37836869 |
Appl. No.: |
11/602845 |
Filed: |
November 21, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
362/125 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47F 3/0434
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
362/125 |
International
Class: |
A47F 11/10 20060101
A47F011/10 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 6, 2005 |
IT |
MI2005U 000427 |
Claims
1: Door provided with transparent door in particular a
double-glazing unit, for displays, refrigerators and the like,
characterised in that it comprises means for lighting the inside of
the display or refrigerator unit, placed in the supporting
structure of the said double-glazing unit.
2: Door according to the claim 1, characterised in that the said
supporting structure of the double-glazing unit consists of a
sectional shape having at least a part made of transparent
material, and the said lighting means consist of a plurality of
LEDs placed between the said double-glazing unit and the said
transparent part of the section.
3: Door according to the claim 2, characterised in that the
structure is made of two joined together sectional shapes, of which
at least one which, when the door is closed is in the inside part
of the display unit, is made of transparent material.
4: Door according claim 3, characterised in that the LEDs are
fitted on a support placed between the said side wall made of
transparent material and the sectional shape which constitutes the
supporting structure of the said transparent side wall.
5: Door according to the claim 4, characterised in that the said
LEDs support is fitted to the sectional shape.
6: Door according to the claim 4, characterised in that the said
LEDs support is fitted to the side wall made of transparent
material.
7: Door according to claim 1, characterised in that the said LEDs
are fitted on a removable support.
8: Display unit, in particular a refrigerator, characterised in
that it is provided with a door according to claim 1.
Description
[0001] This invention proposes a door for display units, such as
refrigerators or the like, of the kind used in points of sale,
consisting of a double-glazing unit made of transparent material
and a series of luminous elements, in particular LEDs, suitable to
lighten the inner part of the refrigerator on which the door is
fitted, in such a way as to enable the user to easily view the
displayed products.
[0002] The door is characterised by the particular arrangement of
the parts, which provides for LEDs installed on a support fitted
inside the sectional shape which creates the door frame, outside
the double-glazing unit.
[0003] This inventive idea turns out to be easier and more
economical than the prior art solutions which provide for the use
of LEDs still fitted in the double-glazing unit, with noticeable
advantages resulting, beside from lower production costs, also from
an easier maintenance.
[0004] In order to preserve perishable foods, the department
stores, bars or other points of sale are used to store them in
refrigerators provided with a front door made of transparent
material, in order to enable the customers to view the products
displayed inside.
[0005] However, these systems need to be equipped with lightening
systems capable of duly displaying the displayed products, even
when such products are placed, for example, in the rear part, where
the natural light or the lighting level of the environment wherein
the displays are installed are not generally enough to duly lighten
the displayed products.
[0006] According to the prior art, refrigerators provided with one
or more neon lights installed inside the system and able to offer a
good lighting of the products are often used.
[0007] This solution has, on the other hand, several disadvantages,
because the use of neon lights implies the need to equip the inside
of the refrigerators, in an area which is generally accessible to
the user, with an electric system working with a network voltage
and which must be duly insulated and made in such a way as to
prevent any accident risk.
[0008] Beside that, the said systems occupy an area which decreases
the usable area of the system itself.
[0009] A solution to this problem is offered by the Italian
application for utility model No MI2004U 000455 filed on 8.sup.th
Oct. 2004 by the same applicant.
[0010] This application describes a luminous door for display
units, in particular for refrigerators, with a side of it
consisting of a double-glazing unit made of transparent material
provided with a LEDs lighting system fitted to the inside edge of
the double-glazing unit gasket, in such a way as to direct the
light flux inside the display unit and to eliminate the bulky
lighting neon systems of the prior art.
[0011] The said inventive idea turned out to be subject to further
improvements and this invention concerns an improved door for
display units, wherein the LEDs are mounted on a support fitted
inside the sectional shape which creates the door frame, but
outside the double-glazing unit.
[0012] This embodiment, on the one hand, makes the construction of
the door easier, thus avoiding the complexities and the costs
deriving from the need to fit the LEDs inside the double-glazing
unit, and on the other hand, reduces the reflections of light
between the double-glazing unit sheets, thus improving still the
visibility for the customer.
[0013] This invention will be described below in detail, only by
way of example but without any limitation thereto, with reference
to the figures annexed hereto, in which:
[0014] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a display unit
provided with a door according to the invention;
[0015] FIG. 2 is a partial section of a door made in compliance
with the invention.
[0016] With reference to the FIG. 1, numeral 1 indicates in the
whole a display unit, in particular a refrigerator, provided in its
inside with a plurality of shelves 2 for displaying the products on
sale and having its frontal side closed by a door 3 made in
compliance with the invention.
[0017] More particularly, the door 3 consists of a double-glazing
unit made of transparent material indicated as 4, fitted on a
framework 5, which is hinged to the display unit body and equipped
with lighting systems 6, consisting of a plurality of LEDs and
which are better shown by the section of FIG. 2.
[0018] As shown by FIG. 2, the framework 5 of the door is made of
the combination of more sectional shapes, in the case in point a
couple of sectional shapes indicated as 7 and 8 respectively,
between which the double-glazing unit 4 is clamped, which
double-glazing unit in the case at issue consists of three sheets
made of transparent material 9, 9', 9'', with perimetrical gaskets
10.
[0019] According to the invention, the sectional shape 8 is made of
material transparent to light and inside the structure 5, into the
hollow between the sectional shape 8 and the double-glazing unit 4,
a support 11 is fitted into on which a plurality of lightening
devices, in particular LEDs 12, is fitted.
[0020] The LEDs turned out to be particularly suitable for this
application, both because of their small dimensions they can be
easily fitted inside the sectional shapes which are generally used
for manufacturing doors, and because, since they are powered by a
few volts tension, they do not give rise to safety problems and do
not require particular insulations.
[0021] The support 11 can be fixed, according to prior art
technology, to the sheet 9'' of the double-glazing unit or to the
sectional shape 8, otherwise a removable support 11, fitted into
slides (not shown) made in the section, may be provided.
[0022] The support 11 is preferably tilted towards the inside of
the display unit, in such a way as to direct the light flux emitted
by the LEDs on the displayed products.
[0023] This way, the products shall be perfectly lightened both by
the LEDs direct light, and by the indirect light reflected by the
display unit inside walls, thus guaranteeing a good visibility both
of the products closer to the door and those placed in the inside,
placed in the rear part of the display unit.
[0024] The power supply, current at lower voltage, may get to the
inside of the sectional shape through cables or, otherwise, through
sliding contacts or other known systems.
[0025] This way, the inside part of the refrigerators may be
lightened without the need for bulky and dangerous electric systems
to be installed in the areas accessible to the public.
[0026] In addition to the foregoing, since the LEDs are powered by
current at very low voltage, ranging between 5 and 24 Volts, the
display unit is safe and practically free from risks and accidents
due to malfunctions or failures in the lighting system.
[0027] A further advantage, resulting from the use of LEDs and
their location inside the door, derives from the fact that the heat
released by the system is extraordinarily lower than those of the
lamps and is unable to have effects on the displayed products. Also
the expenditure of energy will turn out to be lower than those of
the prior art systems equipped with neon, lights.
[0028] As it will be clear from the description above, the door
according to the invention turns out to be particularly easy to
assembly, since the lighting system does not require complex
assembly operations but can be simply fitted inside the door
framework, between the sectional shape and the double-glazing unit,
or by applying it to one of these two elements before the sectional
shapes which create the framework are assembled together. A skilled
in the art may make changes and different versions, which must be
all considered included within the competence of this
invention.
[0029] For example the LEDs, even though still fitted between the
double-glazing unit and the door transparent sectional shape,
instead of being fitted on a separate support, may be directly
mounted on the sectional shape, for example by fitting them into a
corresponding series of holes made in such a way as to contain a
single LED.
[0030] Analogously, the inventive idea may be applied, in addition
to hinged doors as the one shown in the figure, also to sliding
doors, both vertical and horizontal, of the kind fitted on the
deep-freeze counters used in the supermarkets.
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