U.S. patent application number 17/031129 was filed with the patent office on 2022-03-24 for refrigerator cabinet.
The applicant listed for this patent is True Manufacturing Co. , Inc.. Invention is credited to Daniel Pestka, Christian Pizzi.
Application Number | 20220090838 17/031129 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | |
Filed Date | 2022-03-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20220090838 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Pizzi; Christian ; et
al. |
March 24, 2022 |
Refrigerator Cabinet
Abstract
A foot is connected to the bottom wall of a refrigeration
cabinet. The foot is selectively movable relative to the bottom
wall to adjust a vertical position of the foot with respect to the
bottom wall. The bottom wall provides access to the foot from
within the interior of the cabinet to allow a user to selectively
move the foot to adjust the vertical position of the foot with
respect to the bottom wall. A floor glide is connected to the
bottom wall and initially protrudes downward from the bottom wall
beyond the foot. The floor glide enables the cabinet to slide along
a support surface to a deployment position so then the foot can be
lowered to support the cabinet at the deployment position on the
foot.
Inventors: |
Pizzi; Christian; (St.
Peters, MO) ; Pestka; Daniel; (Wentzville,
MO) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
True Manufacturing Co. , Inc. |
O'Fallon |
MO |
US |
|
|
Appl. No.: |
17/031129 |
Filed: |
September 24, 2020 |
International
Class: |
F25D 11/00 20060101
F25D011/00; F25D 23/02 20060101 F25D023/02; F25D 23/06 20060101
F25D023/06; F25D 29/00 20060101 F25D029/00 |
Claims
1. A refrigeration cabinet, the cabinet comprising: walls
separating an exterior of the cabinet from an interior of the
cabinet that is configured to be refrigerated by a refrigeration
system connected to the cabinet, the walls including a bottom wall;
a foot connected to the bottom wall for supporting the bottom wall
on a support surface, the foot being selectively movable relative
to the bottom wall to adjust a vertical position of the foot with
respect to the bottom wall; wherein the bottom wall is configured
such that the foot is accessible from within the interior of the
cabinet to allow a user to selectively move the foot to adjust the
vertical position of the foot with respect to the bottom wall;
wherein bottom wall has first, second, third, and fourth corner
regions; wherein the foot comprises a first foot located at the
first corner region, a second foot located at the second corner
region, a third foot located at the third corner region, a fourth
foot located at the fourth corner region; wherein each of the first
foot, the second foot, the third foot, and the fourth foot is
partially received in a respective access opening extending through
a thickness of the bottom wall, wherein the cabinet further
comprises a center range gauge configured to be positioned in each
of the access openings to provide an indication of a center range
position of the respective one of the first foot, the second foot,
the third food, and the fourth foot.
2. The cabinet as set forth in claim 1, wherein the bottom wall
comprises a foam panel and the foot comprises a shaft extending
through the foam panel.
3. The cabinet as set forth in claim 2, wherein the bottom wall
comprises an access opening extending through the foam panel.
4. The cabinet as set forth in claim 3, further comprising an
insulating plug configured to be inserted into the access
opening.
5. The cabinet as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a
support bracket connected to the bottom wall, wherein the foot is
coupled to the support bracket.
6. The cabinet as set forth in claim 5, wherein the support bracket
comprises a threaded opening and the foot comprises a threaded
shaft that is threadably received in the threaded opening such that
the vertical position of the foot is adjustable by rotating the
foot relative to the support bracket.
7. A refrigeration cabinet, the cabinet comprising: walls
separating an exterior of the cabinet from an interior of the
cabinet that is configured to be refrigerated by a refrigeration
system connected to the cabinet, the walls including a bottom wall;
a foot connected to the bottom wall for supporting the bottom wall
on a support surface, the foot being selectively movable relative
to the bottom wall to adjust a vertical position of the foot with
respect to the bottom wall; and a support bracket connected to the
bottom wall, wherein the foot is coupled to the support bracket
wherein the bottom wall is configured such that the foot is
accessible from within the interior of the cabinet to allow a user
to selectively move the foot to adjust the vertical position of the
foot with respect to the bottom wall; wherein the support bracket
comprises a threaded opening and the foot comprises a threaded
shaft that is threadably received in the threaded opening such that
the vertical position of the foot is adjustable by rotating the
foot relative to the support bracket; and wherein the support
bracket comprises a bracket plate and a nut affixed to the bracket
plate, the nut defining at least a portion of the threaded
opening.
8. The cabinet as set forth in claim 6, wherein the threaded shaft
comprises a head configured to connect the threaded shaft to a
drill bit for rotation with the drill bit.
9. The cabinet as set forth in claim 6, wherein the support bracket
comprises a flange configured to at least one of (i) attach a kick
plate to the cabinet and (ii) attach the cabinet in side-by-side
relation with another cabinet.
10. The cabinet as set forth in claim 5, wherein the support
bracket comprises a front threaded opening and a rear threaded
opening.
11. The cabinet as set forth in claim 7, wherein bottom wall has
first, second, third, and fourth corner regions; wherein the foot
comprises a first foot located at the first corner region, a second
foot located at the second corner region, a third foot located at
the third corner region, a fourth foot located at the fourth corner
region.
12. The cabinet as set forth in claim 11, wherein each of the first
foot, the second foot, the third foot, and the fourth foot is
partially received in a respective access opening extending through
a thickness of the bottom wall, wherein the cabinet further
comprises a center range gauge configured to be positioned in each
of the access openings to provide an indication of a center range
position of the respective one of the first foot, the second foot,
the third food, and the fourth foot.
13. The cabinet as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a floor
glide on the bottom wall of the cabinet and spaced apart from the
foot, wherein the foot is movable relative to the bracket to an
upper position at which a bottom of the foot is above a bottom of
the floor glide to a lower position at which the bottom of the foot
is below the bottom of the floor glide.
14. The cabinet as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a level
indicator on one of the walls of the cabinet.
15. A method of deploying a refrigeration cabinet, the method
comprising: positioning the refrigeration cabinet at a deployment
location such that the refrigeration cabinet is supported on a
support surface; adjusting levelness of the refrigeration cabinet
at the deployment location by moving at least one of a plurality of
feet connected to a bottom wall of the refrigeration cabinet
relative to the bottom wall to adjust a vertical position of the
bottom wall relative to the support surface, wherein said moving at
least one of a plurality of feet comprises accessing said at least
one of a plurality of feet through an access opening formed in a
bottom wall of the refrigeration cabinet within an interior of the
refrigeration cabinet; and after adjusting levelness, plugging the
access opening with an insulating plug.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein said moving at least one of a
plurality of feet further comprises connecting a tool to a threaded
shaft of said at least one of the plurality of feet in the interior
of the cabinet and rotating the tool to rotate said at least one of
the feet relative to the bottom wall of the cabinet to adjust said
vertical position.
17. A refrigeration cabinet, the cabinet comprising: walls
separating an exterior of the cabinet from an interior of the
cabinet that is configured to be refrigerated by a refrigeration
system connected to the cabinet, the walls including a bottom wall;
at least one foot connected to the bottom wall and protruding
downward from the bottom wall a first distance, the foot being
movable relative to the bottom wall along a vertical axis; and a
floor glide connected to the bottom wall and protruding downward
from the bottom wall a second distance greater than the first
distance; wherein the floor glide is configured to enable the
cabinet to slide along a support surface to a deployment position
and the at least one foot is configured to be lowered after the
cabinet is at the deployment position to raise the floor glide and
support the entire cabinet at the deployment position on the at
least one foot.
18. A method of deploying the refrigeration cabinet as set forth in
claim 17, the method comprising: sliding the refrigeration cabinet
on the floor glide to a deployment location before lowering the
foot; and lowering the at least one foot after the cabinet is at
the deployment location to support the cabinet on the foot.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one foot comprises
a plurality of spaced apart feet and wherein the step of lowering
the at least one foot comprises lowering each of the feet to a
respective center range position by reference to a center range
gauge.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of lowering the
plurality of feet comprises adjusting at least one of the plurality
of feet from the center range position to level the refrigeration
cabinet.
21. A refrigeration cabinet, the cabinet comprising: walls
separating an exterior of the cabinet from an interior of the
cabinet that is configured to be refrigerated by a refrigeration
system connected to the cabinet, the walls including a bottom wall;
a foot connected to the bottom wall for supporting the bottom wall
on a support surface, the foot being selectively movable relative
to the bottom wall to adjust a vertical position of the foot with
respect to the bottom wall; a driver configured to automatically
drive movement of the foot; a level sensor configured to output a
signal representative of a level orientation of the cabinet; and a
controller configured to receive the signal from the level sensor
and to actuate the driver based on the signal to move the foot to
level the cabinet.
22. A refrigeration cabinet, the cabinet comprising: walls
separating an exterior of the cabinet from an interior of the
cabinet that is configured to be refrigerated by a refrigeration
system connected to the cabinet, the walls including a bottom wall;
a foot connected to the bottom wall for supporting the bottom wall
on a support surface, the foot being selectively movable relative
to the bottom wall to adjust a vertical position of the foot with
respect to the bottom wall; wherein the bottom wall is configured
such that the foot is accessible from within the interior of the
cabinet to allow a user to selectively move the foot to adjust the
vertical position of the foot with respect to the bottom wall;
wherein the bottom wall comprises a foam panel and the foot
comprises a shaft extending through the foam panel; wherein the
bottom wall comprises an access opening extending through the foam
panel; and wherein the cabinet further comprises a loose insulating
plug configured to be inserted into the access opening after the
foot has been adjusted to a site-leveled position through the
access opening.
Description
FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure pertains generally to refrigerator
cabinets, and more particularly to refrigerator cabinets with
features for moving and/or leveling the cabinet onsite.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Commercial refrigerator cabinets are widely used to
refrigerate large quantities of goods such as food or medicine. For
example, refrigerated merchandiser cabinets are used to hold
refrigerated food for sale. Many end users require the cabinet to
be installed level for properly storing the refrigerated goods.
Typically, the cabinet is placed on shim stacks, which facilitate
leveling the unit.
SUMMARY
[0003] In one aspect a refrigeration cabinet comprises walls
separating an exterior of the cabinet from an interior of the
cabinet that is configured to be refrigerated by a refrigeration
system connected to the cabinet. The walls include a bottom wall. A
foot is connected to the bottom wall for supporting the bottom wall
on a support surface. The foot is selectively movable relative to
the bottom wall to adjust a vertical position of the foot with
respect to the bottom wall. The bottom wall is configured such that
the foot is accessible from within the interior of the cabinet to
allow a user to selectively move the foot to adjust the vertical
position of the foot with respect to the bottom wall.
[0004] In another aspect, a method of deploying a refrigeration
cabinet comprises positioning the refrigeration cabinet at a
deployment location such that the refrigeration cabinet is
supported on a support surface. At least one of a plurality of feet
connected to a bottom wall of the refrigeration cabinet is moved
relative to the bottom wall to adjust a vertical position of the
bottom wall relative to the support surface. Aaid moving at least
one of a plurality of feet comprises accessing said at least one of
a plurality of feet within an interior of the refrigeration
cabinet.
[0005] In another aspect, a refrigeration cabinet comprises walls
separating an exterior of the cabinet from an interior of the
cabinet that is configured to be refrigerated by a refrigeration
system connected to the cabinet. The walls include a bottom wall.
At least one foot is connected to the bottom wall and protrudes
downward from the bottom wall a first distance. The foot being
movable relative to the bottom wall along a vertical axis. A floor
glide is connected to the bottom wall and protrudes downward from
the bottom wall a second distance greater than the first distance.
The floor glide is configured to enable the cabinet to slide along
a support surface to a deployment position and the foot is
configured to be lowered after the cabinet is at the deployment
position to support the cabinet at the deployment position on the
foot.
[0006] In another aspect, a refrigeration cabinet comprises walls
separating an exterior of the cabinet from an interior of the
cabinet that is configured to be refrigerated by a refrigeration
system connected to the cabinet. The walls include a bottom wall. A
foot is connected to the bottom wall for supporting the bottom wall
on a support surface. The foot is selectively movable relative to
the bottom wall to adjust a vertical position of the foot with
respect to the bottom wall. A driver is configured to automatically
drive movement of the foot. A level sensor is configured to output
a signal representative of a level orientation of the cabinet. A
controller is configured to receive the signal from the level
sensor and to actuate the driver based on the signal to move the
foot to level the cabinet.
[0007] Other aspects will be in part apparent and in part pointed
out hereinafter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective of a refrigerated merchandiser
cabinet;
[0009] FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective of a portion
of the cabinet showing a toe kick connected to a bottom wall via a
support assembly;
[0010] FIG. 3 is a front elevation of the cabinet;
[0011] FIG. 4 is a perspective of one support assembly;
[0012] FIG. 5 is a perspective of a bottom assembly of the cabinet
including a bottom wall and a plurality of support assemblies,
showing feet of the support assemblies in various stages of
use;
[0013] FIG. 6 is a cross-section taken through the plane of line
6-6 of FIG. 5, showing a foot of a support assembly in an upper
position;
[0014] FIG. 7 is a cross-section taken through the plane of line
7-7 of FIG. 5, showing a center range gauge and a drill bit engaged
with a foot of a support assembly in an upper position;
[0015] FIG. 8 is a cross-section taken through the plane of line
8-8 of FIG. 5, showing a drill engaged with another foot of the
support assembly of FIG. 7, wherein the foot is at a lower position
and a center range gauge is received at an indicating position in
an access opening of the bottom wall;
[0016] FIG. 9 is a cross-section taken through the plane of line
9-9 of FIG. 5, showing a foot of a support assembly in a lower
position and an insulating plug in a corresponding access
opening;
[0017] FIG. 10 is a cross-section taken through the plane of line
10-10 of FIG. 5, showing another foot of the support assembly of
FIG. 9 in a lower position, an insulating plug in a corresponding
access opening, and a cap over the insulating plug;
[0018] FIG. 11 is a front elevation of a level indicator;
[0019] FIG. 12 is a perspective of a center range gauge; and
[0020] FIG. 13 is a schematic block diagram of an automated
leveling system of a refrigerated cabinet.
[0021] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding
parts throughout the drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0022] Referring to FIGS. 1-3, one embodiment of a refrigerated
cabinet in the scope of this disclosure is generally indicated at
reference number 110. In the illustrated embodiment, the
refrigerated cabinet 110 comprises a commercial retail merchandiser
cabinet. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, retail
merchandisers may be equipped with one or more glass doors 112 so
that the contents of the cabinet are visible to customers of a
retail establishment. It is also contemplated that refrigerated
cabinets in the scope of the disclosure may be air curtain-type
merchandisers which utilize air curtains in place of doors. Still
further, it is contemplated that other types of refrigerated
cabinets may be used without departing from the scope of the
disclosure. For example, refrigerated cabinets can include upright
commercial refrigerators and/or freezers, under-counter
refrigerators and/or freezers, open-top refrigerators and/or
freezers, drawer refrigerators and/or freezers, or other types of
residential or commercial refrigerators and/or freezers. It is
contemplated that refrigerated cabinets in the scope of this
disclosure may be of the standalone type (where the refrigeration
system is incorporated with the cabinet in a single product), of
the remote refrigeration type (where the refrigeration system
mechanical components are located remote from the refrigeration
cabinet and connected to the refrigeration cabinet by ducting,
plumbing, and electrical lines), or of another type (e.g., where
the cabinet is manufactured separately from the refrigeration
system but is configured to have the separate refrigeration unit
installed on the cabinet in situ).
[0023] The inventors have recognized that refrigeration cabinets of
the various types described above can be difficult to install
level. The problem is particularly acute in large format
merchandiser cabinets, which are very heavy and cumbersome to move.
The typical process requires a crew of technicians to load the
cabinet onto a jack truck or forklift and then move the cabinet to
a deployment position, where the back of the cabinet is typically
positioned against a wall or the back of another cabinet. At the
deployment position, the cabinet is lowered onto a plurality of
stacks of shims, which allow for later height adjustments to level
the unit. If the cabinet is being installed in a side-by-side run
with additional cabinets, the same process is repeated for the
additional cabinets, and then the cabinets are coupled together
using mechanical fasteners and sealant. When all of the cabinets
are arranged side-by-side, the installer checks the cabinets for
levelness. If, as is typical, the cabinets are not initially
installed perfectly level, the installer must crawl on the floor
and reach under the cabinet to iteratively remove shims from
selected shim stacks until the cabinet reaches a level orientation.
The inventors have recognized that this process is time consuming
and difficult for installers. Because refrigerated cabinets are
typically very heavy, it is not easy for installers to load a
cabinet onto a jack or accurately lower a cabinet onto a shim
stack. Further, the process of removing shims that support the
cabinet is challenging, particularly when it is necessary to remove
shims from shim stacks positioned near the rear of the cabinet,
where access is typically obstructed. Accordingly, the inventors
have contemplated an adjustable support system that enables
installers to more easily move the heavy cabinet 110 into place and
then level the cabinet once it is in position.
[0024] Referring to FIGS. 1-3 the cabinet 110 generally comprises a
set of walls that separate a refrigerated interior from an exterior
of the cabinet. In the illustrated embodiment, the cabinet
comprises a pair of side walls 114, a rear wall 116, a top wall
118, and a bottom wall 120. It will be appreciated that, if the
cabinet was to be used in a side-by-side configuration with one or
more additional refrigerated cabinets, one or both of the side
walls could be omitted to provide a contiguous interior along the
span of cabinets. It will be appreciated that cabinets with other
numbers of doors (e.g., one or more doors) may be used without
departing from the scope of the disclosure. In the illustrated
embodiment, the cabinet 110 is configured for top-mounted
refrigeration. Thus, a refrigeration system (not shown) is
mountable on the top wall 118 for cooling the interior of the
cabinet 110. An upper shroud 124 is positioned around the perimeter
of the top wall 118 above the doors 112 for concealing the
refrigeration system. The cabinet 110 has a width extending between
the side walls 114 and a depth extending front-to-rear from the
doors 112 to the rear wall 116.
[0025] The bottom wall 120 of the refrigerated cabinet 110
comprises a foam insulation panel 125 (FIGS. 6-10) extending along
the width and depth of the cabinet. In addition, the bottom wall
120 comprises upper and lower skins 126 (e.g., sheet metal skins,
FIGS. 6-10) that substantially encapsulate the insulation panel
125. The upper skin 126 defines the upper surface of the bottom
wall 120 and the lower skin 126 defines the lower surface of the
bottom wall. As shown in FIGS. 5-10, the illustrated bottom wall
120 comprises a plurality of pluggable access openings 128
extending through the wall thickness from the lower surface through
the upper surface of the wall such that the access openings open to
and are accessible from the interior of the cabinet 110. In
particular, the illustrated bottom wall 120 comprises three access
openings 128 spaced apart widthwise along the front portion of the
bottom wall and three access openings spaced apart widthwise along
the rear portion of the bottom wall. It is contemplated that other
cabinet bottom walls can have other arrangements of one or more
access openings. In certain exemplary embodiments, the bottom wall
may comprise at least one access opening at each of the four corner
regions of the bottom wall.
[0026] Referring to FIG. 1, in the illustrated embodiment, the
cabinet 110 comprises three support assemblies 130 coupled to the
bottom wall 120 at spaced apart locations along the width of the
cabinet between the side walls 114. The three support assemblies
130 form the above-referenced support system of the illustrated
cabinet 110. In general, each of the support assemblies 130 is
configured to support the cabinet 110 on an underlying support
surface (e.g., a floor). Each of the illustrated support assemblies
130 comprises a support bracket 132 that is configured to support
one or more fixed, low-friction floor glides 134 and one or more
adjustable stabilizing feet 136. In the illustrated embodiment,
each of the support assemblies 130 is substantially identical to
the others. But in other embodiments, it is contemplated that the
support assemblies could differ depending on, for example, their
position along the bottom wall.
[0027] Referring to FIG. 4, the support bracket 132 comprises a
bracket plate that includes an elongate upper web 140 extending
longitudinally from a front end portion to a rear end portion. The
support bracket 132 is installed on the lower surface of the bottom
wall 120 so that the elongate web 140 extends generally
front-to-rear with the front end portion underlying the front
portion of the bottom wall and the rear end portion underlying the
rear portion of the bottom wall. The illustrated support bracket
132 further comprises front and rear flanges 142 that extend
downward from the front and rear end portions of the upper web 140
along the front and rear end portions thereof. The front flange 142
includes a front edge portion 144 that forms a toe kick attachment
fixture defining toe kick attachment points (e.g., fastener holes
such as screw or bolt holes) for attaching a toe kick 122 (FIG. 2)
to the remainder of the cabinet 110. In certain embodiments, the
attachment points can be defined by clip-on nuts that are secured
to the front edge portion 144. Each of the flanges 142 further
comprises a side edge portion 146 that forms a cabinet-to-cabinet
attachment fixture that defines attachment points (e.g., faster
holes such as screw or bolt holes) for attaching the refrigerated
cabinet 110 to an adjacent cabinet. Thus, it will be appreciated
that the support assemblies 130 installed along the side portions
of the cabinet should be installed so that the side edge portions
146 of the flanges 142 face laterally outward.
[0028] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 6, in an exemplary embodiment, one
floor glide 134 is attached to the bottom of the upper web 140 at a
location adjacent the front end portion of the bracket 132 and
another floor glide 134 is attached to the bottom of the upper web
at a location adjacent the rear end portion of the bracket. As
shown in FIGS. 6-8, the floor glide 134 can be mounted on the
support bracket 120 to protrude downward from the bottom wall 120
by a vertical distance DF. In one or more embodiments, the distance
DF can be a fixed distance. In other words, the floor glide 134 can
be fixedly mounted on the support plate 130. As will be explained
in further detail below, the feet 136, by contrast, are vertically
adjustable in relation to the support bracket 132 to adjust the
orientation of the cabinet 110 on the support surface (e.g., to
level the cabinet). In exemplary embodiments, the floor glides 134
have lower contact surfaces formed from relatively low-friction
material. For example, in one or more embodiments the floor glides
are formed from one or more of polyoxymethylene, polyethylene,
polypropylene, polyamide, polycarbonate, and nylon. In the
illustrated embodiment, each of the floor glides 134 has an
inverted dome shape or semispherical shape pointing downward. Other
shapes, including flat-bottom shapes, are also possible within the
scope of the disclosure.
[0029] Referring to FIGS. 6-7, the upper web 140 of the support
bracket 132 comprises a front and rear foot openings 148 adjacent
the front and rear end portions of the support bracket. The bracket
132 further comprises a nut 150 affixed (e.g., welded) to the upper
web 150 at each foot opening 148 to define a respective threaded
opening of the bracket. It is also contemplated that a threaded
opening may be tapped directly into a bracket plate in one or more
alternative embodiments. As will be explained in further detail
below, each nut 150 is configured to threadably connect to one of
the feet 136 so that the foot is vertically adjustable with respect
to the bottom wall 120. Each nut 150 is received in a lower portion
of a respective one of the access openings 128 (e.g., the threaded
opening is in registration with the access opening) so that a
portion of the respective foot 136 can extend through the nut and
the access opening.
[0030] Referring to FIGS. 4-10, in general, each support assembly
130 comprises at least one adjustable foot 136 that is connected to
the bottom wall 120 for supporting the bottom wall and the
remainder of the cabinet 110 on a support surface. As explained
more fully below, each foot 136 is movable relative to the bottom
wall 120 to adjust a vertical position of the foot with respect to
the bottom wall. In other words, the foot 136 is movable along a
vertical axis to adjust an adjustable distance DA between the
bottom wall 120 and an underlying support surface. By adjusting the
adjustable distance DA of one or more of a plurality of feet 136
connected to the bottom wall 120 at spaced apart locations along
the depth and width of the cabinet 110, an installer can level the
cabinet. As will be explained more fully below, an installer can
adjust the illustrated feet 136 working inside the cabinet,
eliminating the need for crawling on the floor and reaching under
the cabinet during the leveling process. In the illustrated
embodiment, each foot 136 has a range of motion relative to the
bottom wall 120 along a vertical axis. The complete range of motion
extends from an uppermost position shown in FIGS. 6-7, at which a
bottom of the foot is spaced apart above a bottom of the floor
glide 134, to a lowermost position somewhat lower to the positions
shown in FIGS. 8-10, and at which the bottom of the foot is spaced
apart below the bottom of the floor glide.
[0031] In the illustrated embodiment, each foot 136 comprises a
contact portion 152 and a threaded shaft 154 extending upward from
the contact portion along a vertical axis. In general, the contact
portions 152 of one or more of the feet 135 comprise a bottom
surface formed from material having a greater static coefficient of
friction than the floor glides 134. As such, when the feet 136 are
lowered to lift the cabinet off of the floor glides 134, the
cabinet 110 is stably supported on the feet. In one or more
embodiments, the contact portion 152 of one or more of the feet 136
can comprise a contact pad defining the bottom surface and formed
from an elastomer such as styrene-butadiene rubber. In certain
embodiments, the contact portions 152 of a subset of the feet
include elastomeric contact pads while the bottom surfaces of the
remaining feet are formed from a metal contact part. It is
believed, that including a metal contact part on at least some of
the feet 136 enables greater control of fine height adjustments
when leveling a cabinet 110 or connecting the cabinet end-to-end
with additional cabinets. In exemplary arrangement, four feet
positioned at corner regions of the cabinet bottom wall include
metal contact and one or more feet at central locations along the
bottom wall include elastomeric contact pads.
[0032] The threaded shaft 154 of each foot 136 is configured to be
threadably received in a respective one of the nuts 150. Because
each nut 150 is received in a respective access opening 128 and the
access opening opens to the interior of the cabinet 110, the foot
136--in particular the upper end portion or head 156 of the
threaded shaft 154--is accessible through the access opening from
within the interior of the cabinet. As will now be appreciated,
this enables an installer to adjust the distance DA between the
bottom wall 120 and the support surface on which the cabinet 110
rests from within the interior of the cabinet. The threaded shaft
154 is received in the nut 150 such that the distance DA can be
adjusted by rotating the shaft 154 relative to the support bracket
132. In the illustrated embodiment, the head 156 of the shaft 154
includes a driver bit recess (e.g., a Phillips recess, a slotted
recess, a torx recess, a spline recess, a hexagonal recess, etc.)
configured to connect the threaded shaft to a drill bit B (FIG. 7,
broadly a tool head) or other driver for rotation therewith. Thus,
an installer can use a drill D (FIG. 5, 8) or driver (e.g., a
socket wrench) within the interior of the cabinet 110 to adjust the
vertical distance DA that each foot 136 extends downward from the
bottom wall 120, enabling the installer to perform all of the
required leveling adjustments from within the cabinet interior.
[0033] FIGS. 6-7 depict a foot 136 of the cabinet 110 in an
exemplary initial position. Here, "initial position" broadly refers
to a position of the foot 136 immediately before a cabinet is slid
along a support surface to or from a deployment position.
"Deployment position" refers to a position of the entire cabinet
110 at which the cabinet is deployed for refrigeration, for
example, against the wall of a retail store. As shown in FIGS. 6-7,
in the initial position, the bottom of each foot 136 is spaced
apart above the bottom of the adjacent floor glide 134. In other
words, the fixed distance DF by which the bottom of the glide 134
is spaced apart from the bottom of the wall 120 is greater than the
adjustable distance DA by which the bottom of the foot 136 is
spaced from the bottom of the wall. As such, when the feet 136 are
in the initial (upper) positions, the cabinet 110 is supported on
the floor glides 134. As can be seen, this enables the cabinet 110
to be moved with relative ease along a floor to a deployment
position, without requiring any lifting/moving equipment such as a
pallet jack or a forklift. Thus, in one or more embodiments, the
cabinet 110 ships from a factory or distribution warehouse with
each of the feet 136 in the initial (upper) position shown in FIG.
6. After the cabinet 110 is slid on the protruding glides 134
across the floor to a deployment position, the feet 136 are lowered
to the positions shown in FIGS. 8-10.
[0034] Referring now to FIGS. 8-10, in one or more embodiments,
each of the feet 136 is configured to be lowered to a final
cabinet-supporting position at which the head 156 is recessed below
the top of the corresponding access opening 128. The purpose of
recessing the heads 156 in this manner is so that a portion of the
opening 128 extending through the insulation panel 125 can be
filled with an insulating plug 160, as shown in FIGS. 9-10. Each
insulating plug 160 is formed from a material with good thermal
insulation properties. As such, when each of the feet 136 is
lowered and each of the openings 128 is filled with a respective
plug 160, the bottom wall 120 provides a substantially contiguous
layer of insulation along the bottom of the cabinet interior. In
one or more embodiments, the plugs may be covered with removable
caps 162 suitably matched in appearance and/or material to the
upper skin 126.
[0035] In order to provide sufficient clearance for the plugs 160,
in one or more embodiments, before making final leveling
adjustments, each of the feet 136 is lowered to a "center range
position" that is substantially vertically centered along a lower
portion of the total range of motion that can accommodate the
entire plug 160, e.g., along the entire lower portion of the range
of motion, the plug can be received in the access opening above the
head 156. This allows small leveling adjustments to subsequently be
made to any of the feet 136 (e.g., movement up or down from the
center range position), while ensuring that feet remain within the
lower portion of the range of motion to accommodate the plug 160.
To ensure that the cabinet 110 is installed level with each of the
feet positioned within this lower portion of the range of motion,
as shown in FIGS. 5, 7, 8, and 12, the illustrated cabinet includes
a center range gauge 164 that indicates the location of the head
156 at a center position within the lower portion of the range of
motion. In particular, the center range gauge 164 comprises a lower
annular wall 166 configured to be received over the upper end
portion of the threaded shaft 154, a pair of arms 168 extending
upward from the perimeter edge margin of the lower annular wall on
diametrically opposite sides, and flanges 170 extending radially
outward from the upper end portions of the arms 168. In use, the
lower annular wall 166 is positioned on the head 156 of the
threaded shaft 154 as shown in FIG. 7. The spaced arms 168 and the
opening through the annular wall 166 allow a bit B or other tool to
head engage the shaft head 156. The bit B is then used to rotate
the threaded shaft 154 and thereby lower the foot 136 until the
upper flanges 170 engage the upper surface of the bottom wall 120,
as shown in FIG. 8. The engagement of the upper flanges 170 with
the upper surface of the bottom wall 120 provides an indication
that the foot 136 is located generally at the desired center range
location. In one or more embodiments, after the cabinet 110 is slid
on the floor glides 134 to a deployment position, the center range
gauge 164 is used to position each of the feet 126 at the
respective center range location before making fine adjustments to
the feet to level the cabinet 110. This ensures that, when the
cabinet is finally leveled, each of the feet 136 is positioned low
enough on the bottom wall 120 so that the plug 160 can fit within
the access opening 128.
[0036] Referring to FIG. 11, in one or more embodiments, the
cabinet includes a level indicator 172. In the illustrated
embodiment, the level indicator 172 comprises a spirit or bubble
level. More particularly, the illustrated indicator 172 comprises a
tubular horizontal spirit level 174 and a tubular vertical spirit
level 176. It is contemplated that, in another embodiment, the
level will comprise a bullseye level. Suitably, the level indicator
172 is mounted on the interior surface of at least one of the walls
114, 116 adjacent one of the access openings 128. In certain
embodiments, multiple level indicators 172 are mounted on the walls
114, 116 adjacent respective access openings 128. In some
embodiments, a first level indicator 172 may be mounted on the rear
wall 116 for indicating levelness in the widthwise direction and a
second level indicator may be mounted on one of the side walls 114
for indicating levelness in the front-to-back direction. Providing
one or more integrated level indicators 172 enables the technician
to make a verification of levelness while making adjustments to the
vertical positions of one or more of the feet 136 from within the
interior of the cabinet 110. In certain embodiments the level
indicator 172 may not be affixed to the cabinet 110. For example,
the cabinet 110 may include a manual or decal that provides
instructions on where to place the level during the leveling
process.
[0037] An exemplary method of deploying the cabinet 110 will now be
briefly described. The cabinet 110 is initially shipped from the
manufacturer or distributor with the feet 136 in the initial
positions shown in FIG. 6. In other words, each of the floor glides
134 protrude downward from the bottom wall 120 by a distance DF and
each of the feet 136 protrude downward from the bottom wall by a
distance DA that is less than the distance DF. Thus, the cabinet
110 is supported on the floor glides 134. In this configuration,
the cabinet 110 can slide on the floor glides 134 with relative
ease to move the cabinet to the deployment position (e.g., a
location against the wall).
[0038] Once the cabinet 110 is positioned at the desired deployment
position, the installers can support the cabinet on its feet 136.
Initially, the installers use the center range gauge 164 to lower
each foot 136 to a center range position, as shown in FIGS. 7 and
8. More specifically, the installers place the gauge 164 on the
head 156 of each threaded shaft 154 inside the interior of the
cabinet 110 and then use a drill D or other driver inside the
cabinet to rotate the shaft until the flanges 170 engage the upper
surface of the bottom wall 120, indicating the foot 136 is at the
desired center range position. Subsequently, the installer users a
drill D or other driver to make fine adjustments to the vertical
positions of selected feet 136 until the cabinet is level in both
the widthwise and front-to-rear directions. More particularly, the
installer engages a tool head B to the head 156 of the threaded
shaft 154 of selected ones of the feet 136 within the interior of
the cabinet 110 and rotates the tool head to rotate the foot 136
relative to the bottom wall 120 and thereby adjust the vertical
position as desired. In certain embodiments, the installers utilize
integrated level indicators 172 to determine that the cabinet 110
is roughly level. Optionally, the installer may then place a long
level (e.g., a box beam level) along a reference surface of the
cabinet 110 to ensure that the cabinet is substantially level
widthwise and front-to-rear. Additional adjustments may be made to
the feet 136 from inside the cabinet 110 to further improve
levelness as required. Once the cabinet is leveled to satisfaction,
as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the installer inserts plugs 160 into
each of the access openings 128 and installs caps 162 over the
plugs.
[0039] One potential advantage of the illustrated cabinet 110 is
for use in a setting that may require periodic redeployment of the
cabinet at different locations. The cabinet 110 can be moved by
removing the caps 162 and plugs 160, rotating the threaded shafts
154 of the feet 136 to raise the feet so that the cabinet is again
supported on the glides 134, and then sliding the cabinet on the
glides to the desired redeployment location. Once the cabinet 110
reaches the redeployment location, the feet 136 can be lowered and
used to stabilize and level the cabinet in the same manner
described above.
[0040] It is contemplated, that in one or more embodiments, the
cabinet 110 may be provided with an automated leveling system 178.
Thus, in one or more embodiments, the cabinet 110 comprises a level
controller 180, one or more foot drivers 182, and a level sensor
184. The level sensor 184 may be integrated into the cabinet or may
be a separate instrument configured to plug into the controller 180
of the cabinet via a communication port. Each foot driver 182 may
comprise an electric motor coupled to a gear train configured to
drive rotation of the threaded shaft 154 of a respective one of the
feet. The level sensor 184 suitably comprises one or more
inclinometers or other sensor configured to provide an output
signal representative of an orientation of one or more axes of a
plane of the cabinet 110 intended to be horizontal when deployed.
The controller 180 is connected to the level sensor 184 to receive
the orientation signal. In response to the orientation signal, the
controller is configured to send control signals to the foot
drivers 182 that actuate the drivers 182 to raise and lower the
feet as needed to level the plane of the cabinet.
[0041] It is also contemplated that a controller 180 and an
electronic level sensor 184 can be used with a manually adjusted
foot 136. For example, in one or more embodiments, the controller
180 is connected to an indicator (e.g., a display, a light element,
an audio device, etc.). The controller can interpret the signal
from the level sensor 184 and actuate the indicator to provide
indications to the installer of the levelness of the cabinet.
[0042] When introducing elements of the present invention or the
preferred embodiment(s) thereof, the articles "a", "an", "the" and
"said" are intended to mean that there are one or more of the
elements. The terms "comprising", "including" and "having" are
intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional
elements other than the listed elements.
[0043] In view of the above, it will be seen that the several
objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous
results attained.
[0044] As various changes could be made in the above products and
methods without departing from the scope of the invention, it is
intended that all matter contained in the above description shall
be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
* * * * *