Refrigerated showcase

Abstract

A refrigerated showcase of which the slide doors can be automatically opened and closed without producing much noise which is annoying to both cooks and diners. The showcase includes a showcase body having a work side through which a cook can access the interior of the showcase by opening slide doors, and a transparent display side. The slide doors are opened and closed by two electric motors arranged one over the other through cables which are supported by a pair of independent sheaves rotatably mounted on a common shaft. Each cable is coupled to one of the slide doors through a coupling arrangement including a cushioning member such as a pair of springs.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] This invention relates to a refrigerated showcase for storing and displaying e.g. sushi materials or rare cakes. [0002] Such a showcase is disclosed in JP patent publication 2004-73537, in which reversible motors for driving double slide doors are mounted in a machine room of the showcase. The doors are connected to the respective reversible motors through wires. An optical sensor is mounted to the showcase. When a cook puts out his hand to take out sushi materials in the showcase, the optical sensor produces a signal. The reversible motors thus turn to open the double slide doors. Simultaneously, a clock circuit is activated. When a predetermined time has passed, the double slide doors are closed. The circuit is structured such that while the optical sensor is detecting the hand of the cook, the clock circuit is reset so that the double slide doors will not close. [0003] While this showcase has been received rather favorably by customers, it has t...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006] According to this invention, there is provided a refrigerated showcase comprising a showcase body having a work side and a display side through which the interior of the showcase body can be seen and including a pair of guides provided on the work side, a pair of double slide doors each received in one of the guides so as to be slidable along the guide, a pair of cables each supported by a sheave and movable along one of the guides, a drive unit for driving the cables, and a pair of coupling arrangements each for coupling one of the cables to the corresponding slide door, the coupling arrangements each including a cushioning member for absorbing any shock when the slide doors begin to move or come to a stop.

Problems solved by technology

While this showcase has been received rather favorably by customers, it has the following problems.

The slide doors tend to start and stop rather abruptly and impulsively, producing much noise, which annoys both cooks and diners.

It is difficult to dismount the slide doors.

Without dismounting the slide doors, it is difficult to completely wash the interior of the showcase, which is not hygienically desirable.

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