Showcase

Abstract

To provide a showcase for enhancing a design effect of a case front surface and also allowing a suspended plate to be visually recognizable.SOLUTION: A door unit 3 includes: transparent plates 311 constituting doors 31 extending from a lower front surface of a showcase body 2 to a place close to an upper end of an upper front surface 2a; and door attachment mechanisms 35 for fixing the transparent plate 311 to the showcase body 2. The door attachment mechanism 35 is fixedly arranged by extension in a horizontal direction between the upper front surface 2a of the showcase body 2 and a rear surface of an upper end part of the transparent plate 311. A non-transparent part 311b is formed at a part opposing to the door attachment mechanism 35 in the transparent plate 311. The non-transparent part 311b is positioned above a suspended plate 41a which is arranged by extension in a horizontal direction in the upper front surface 2a of the showcase body 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a showcase for keeping frozen foods and fresh foods cool and displaying them. [Background technology]

[0002] Supermarkets, convenience stores, etc. are equipped with showcases for keeping frozen foods and fresh foods cool and displaying them. Among these showcases, there are open showcases that form an air curtain of cool air at the front opening of the case body, which has a roughly U-shaped cross section. However, even with the air curtain of cool air formed, such open showcases cannot avoid the leakage of cool air from the display compartment or the infiltration of outside air into the display compartment, resulting in problems such as a decrease in the cooling efficiency of the display compartment and an increase in power consumption.

[0003] To solve this problem, there is a showcase that has a door unit with a glass door at the front opening of the case body, which has an approximately U-shaped cross section, and the door opens and closes only when a customer wants to remove an item from the display compartment (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6664110 (page 5, Figure 1) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the showcase described in Patent Document 1, the door is disposed between the lower front surface of the upper side of the case body and the upper front surface of the lower side of the case body, which reduces the vertical area occupied by the glass door in the front opening, and a step is formed between the front of the case body and the front of the door, thereby reducing the design effect of the showcase front. Furthermore, since the door is located behind the front of the case body, the effective display volume of the display compartment is reduced. In such showcases, the upper front of the case body has a hanging panel that can display identification information, manufacturer names, categories of displayed products, and the temperature inside the compartment. In the showcase described in Patent Document 1, the thermometer that displays the temperature in the display compartment is attached high near the top of the case body above the door, making it difficult to see from the front, and there is a risk of the thermometer coming into contact with other objects and being damaged during installation of the showcase.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of these problems, and aims to provide a showcase that enhances the design effect of the front of the case and makes the hanging board easier to see. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the showcase of the present invention comprises: A showcase comprising a case body having a generally U-shaped cross section and a front opening with a display chamber formed therein, and a door unit having a door for opening and closing the front opening, and a hanging plate extending in the left-right direction on the upper front surface of the case body, the door unit includes a transparent plate that constitutes the door and extends from the lower front surface of the case body to near the upper end of the upper front surface of the case body, and a door mounting mechanism that fixes the transparent plate to the case body; the door mounting mechanism is disposed and fixed between the upper front surface of the case body and the rear surface of the upper end of the transparent plate, extending in the left-right direction; a non-transparent portion is formed in a portion of the transparent plate facing the door mounting mechanism, The non-transparent portion is characterized by being located above the hanging plate. According to this feature, a wide area from the lower front surface of the case body to near the upper end of the upper front surface is covered by the door made of a transparent plate, and there is almost no step between the upper front surface of the case body and the front surface of the door, thereby enhancing the design effect of the front surface of the showcase. Also, the upper end of the transparent plate is covered by a non-transparent portion formed thereon, so the door mounting mechanism is not visible from in front of the door, improving its appearance. Furthermore, because the non-transparent portion of the transparent plate covering the door mounting mechanism is located higher than the hanging plate on the upper front surface of the case body, showcase information, etc. displayed on the hanging plate can be easily confirmed from in front of the transparent plate, and because the hanging plate is not exposed, it is also prevented from being damaged.

[0008] The transparent plate is characterized in that at least the portion below the non-transparent portion is made of a multi-layer transparent plate formed by laminating a plurality of transparent plates. This feature improves the heat insulating effect of the transparent plate and increases its strength, and also prevents condensation from forming on the transparent plate.

[0009] The hanging plate is characterized in that a display device is attached to it that displays the temperature inside the display room and that can be operated. According to this feature, the display device is placed on the inside of the door, preventing unauthorized operation, and the display of the temperature inside the cabinet can be placed in a position that avoids the non-transparent parts of the transparent plate, making it easy to check.

[0010] A lighting fixture is provided behind the hanging plate. According to this feature, the hanging board blocks the light from the lighting lamp, so that customers standing in front of the showcase are less likely to feel dazzled.

[0011] The door mounting mechanism is characterized in that its color is the same as the color of the non-transparent portion. According to this feature, when the door is opened, the color of the door mounting mechanism becomes the same as the color of the non-transparent portion, creating a sense of unity, so that the door mounting mechanism becomes less noticeable.

[0012] A step is formed on the upper front surface of the upper part of the case body above the hanging plate, and the door mounting mechanism is attached to the step. According to this feature, the transparent panel of the door and the hanging panel are close to each other in the front and rear, improving the visibility of the hanging panel from the front of the door. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view of a showcase according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged, partially cutaway vertical sectional side view taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of part A in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of part B in FIG. 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A showcase according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Example]

[0015] A showcase according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. Showcase 1 is installed in supermarkets, convenience stores, etc. to keep frozen foods and fresh foods cool and display them, and as shown in Figure 2, it comprises a showcase body (case body) 2 and a door unit 3.

[0016] The showcase body 2 includes a product display section 21 with a generally U-shaped cross section that opens at the front, and a box-shaped base 22 that supports the product display section 21. The product display section 21 includes an outer box 211 with an open front, a generally U-shaped cross section, and an inner box 212 with an open front and a generally U-shaped cross section inside. The internal space surrounded by the inner box 212 forms a display chamber 213 that opens at the front. The outer box 211 and the inner box 212 form an insulating wall of the present invention. The openings on both the left and right sides of the product display section 21 are closed by insulating side walls 214, 214. The rear ends of multiple upper and lower brackets 4 facing in the front-to-rear direction are attached to a back panel 212a of the inner box 212, and products (not shown) are displayed on shelves 5 supported on the upper surfaces of the brackets 4.

[0017] The lower internal space between the outer box 211 and the inner box 212 houses an evaporator 6 that evaporates and cools the refrigerant and sends the cooled air into the display chamber 213. The internal space of the base 22 also houses a condenser 7 that condenses the refrigerant, a compressor (not shown) that compresses the refrigerant, and the like.

[0018] An air passage 8 is formed between the outer box 211 and the inner box 212, and a cool air outlet 9 communicating with the air passage 8 is formed at the front end of the upper part of the inner box 212. Furthermore, a cool air inlet 10 opening upward is formed at the upper front end of the lower part of the inner box 212. When the blower of the evaporator 6 is operated, the cool air cooled by the evaporator 6 flows upward in the air passage 8 and is blown out from the outlet 9 towards the inlet 10. This forms an air curtain of cool air at the front opening of the showcase body 2, and some of the cool air flows into the display chamber 213 to keep the displayed merchandise cool.

[0019] The door unit 3 described above is attached to the front opening of the showcase body 2, and includes two left and right doors 31, 31 that open and close the front openings of the outer box 211 and the inner box 212, an upper door mounting mechanism 35 that extends in the left-right direction and is disposed on the back side (rear side) of the upper ends of both doors 31, and a lower door mounting member 33 that is similarly disposed on the back side of the lower ends of both doors 31. The left and right doors 31, 31 are supported by upper hinge mechanisms 16 and lower hinge mechanisms 46, which will be described later, that are disposed on the upper and lower corners of the left and right side ends, respectively. By gripping the handles 11, 11 and moving them in the front-to-rear direction, the doors 31, 31 can be opened and closed around the upper hinge mechanism 16 and the lower hinge mechanism 46 as the rotation center (hereinafter, it may also be simply referred to as opening and closing the doors 31, 31 in the front-to-rear direction).

[0020] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the left and right doors 31, 31 are made of a multi-layer transparent plate formed by laminating two front and rear transparent plates 311, 311 made of transparent glass or transparent acrylic resin. The front transparent plate 311 has a vertical dimension extending from the lower front surface of the lower side of the outer box 211 to near the upper end of the front surface of the upper side of the outer box 211, and at its upper end is formed a thin portion 311a that is shaped like approximately half of the rear surface side has been removed. The lower end of the rear transparent plate 311 is flush with the lower end of the front transparent plate 311, and its upper end extends to a height that makes it flush with the stepped surface of the lower end of the thin portion 311a of the front transparent plate 311.

[0021] Door frames 12, 12 made of metal or hard synthetic resin or the like and extending in the left-right direction are fixed with adhesive or double-sided adhesive tape or the like to the stepped surface at the lower end of thin portion 311a of front-side transparent plate 311, the upper end surface of rear-side transparent plate 311, and the lower end surfaces of front and rear transparent plates 311, 311. The back surface of thin portion 311a of front-side transparent plate 311 is colored by silk screen printing or the like to form non-transparent portion 311b (see Figure 1) that is long in the left-right direction, so that door mounting mechanism 35 cannot be seen from in front of thin portion 311a.

[0022] Next, a description will be given of the support structure of the door unit 3 on the showcase body 2. The left and right door units 3, 3 are symmetrical and have the same support structure, so only the left door unit 3 will be described.

[0023] The door mounting mechanism 35 described above includes a support member 15 fixed to the upper front surface 2a of the showcase body 2, and a mounting mechanism body 30 attached to the support member 15. A step portion 2b that is open upward and forward is formed on both left and right ends of the upper front surface 2a of the showcase body 2. More specifically, the step portion 2b is defined by the upper front surface 2a of the outer box 211 extending vertically and a forward-facing bottom piece 24a that extends forward from below a crank piece 24 attached to the lower upper front end of the outer box 211. The step portion 2b is also disposed above a hanging plate 41a, which will be described later.

[0024] The support member 15 is long in the left-right direction and is connected to a downward piece 15a with an L-shaped cross section and a forward piece 15b with a straight cross section that follows the front surface of the outer box 211, forming an overall T-shaped cross section. The downward piece 15a is arranged along the upper front surface 2a that defines the step portion 2b, and extends downward to the forward bottom piece 24a. The support member 15 is fixed to the outer box 211 of the showcase body 2 at multiple points in the left-right direction with screws.

[0025] The mounting mechanism main body 30 is composed of an upper door mounting member 32 and an upper hinge mechanism 16. The upper door mounting member 32 is inserted from the front into a U-shaped recess formed by the forward piece 15b of the support member 15, the downward piece 15a of the support member 15, and the forward bottom piece 24a of the outer box 211. The upper surface of the front end of the upper door mounting member 32 is screwed to the front end of the forward piece 15b of the support member 15 while abutting against the downward piece 15a of the support member 15. The vertical dimension of the upper door mounting member 32 is approximately the same as the vertical dimension of the thin portion 311a of the front transparent plate 311. This prevents the entire upper door mounting member 32 from being viewed from in front of the thin portion 311a, which is the non-transparent portion 311b. The lower end of the upper door mounting member 32 is supported by the upper surface of the forward bottom piece 15c connected to the lower end of the downward piece 15a.

[0026] A reinforcing member 13 made of aluminum or the like that extends in the left-right direction is fitted into the space above the upper door mounting member 32, and a gasket 14 is attached to the front surface of the lower end, which elastically presses against the rear surface of the upper door frame 12 when the door 31 is closed. The color painted on the upper door mounting member 32 and the upper hinge mechanism 16 is the same color as the non-transparent portion 311b of the thin portion 311a, so that it is not noticeable when the door 31 is open.

[0027] The upper hinge mechanism 16, which supports the upper corner of the left end of the door 31, consists of an upward hinge shaft 16a protruding from a base plate 17 fixed with screws to the top surface of the left end of the upper door frame 12, and a hinge bearing 16b into which the hinge shaft 16a is rotatably fitted, which is formed integrally with the vertical center of the upper door mounting member 32. Magnets 18, 18 that hold the door 31 in a closed position are attached to the rear surface of the right end of the thin portion 311a of the front transparent plate 311 and to the front surface of the upper door mounting member 32 that faces it.

[0028] An optional attachment member 41 extending in the left-right direction is attached to the underside of the front end portion on the upper side of the outer casing 211, and an illumination lamp 43 is attached to the underside of the front end portion via an illumination bracket 42. A hanging plate 41a is disposed facing downward in front of the optional attachment member 41, in front of the illumination lamp 43 and below the upper door attachment member 32, so that the light from the illumination lamp 43 is blocked from the front. In this embodiment, the hanging plate 41a is formed by the front end portion of the optional attachment member 41, and this optional attachment member 41, together with the front surface on the upper side of the outer casing 211, forms the upper front surface 2a of the showcase body 2. The hanging plate 41a may be formed integrally with the front surface on the upper side of the outer casing 211 or the crank piece 24.

[0029] 1 and 3, a hole (not shown) is formed in the right end of hanging plate 41a, and a display device 44 is attached to this hole. The display device 44 includes a display 44a that displays the temperature inside display room 213 and a controller 44b that can adjust the temperature inside the storage compartment. Hanging plate 41a and controller 44b can be seen from the front of transparent plate 311 below non-transparent portion 311b when door 31 is closed.

[0030] 4, the above-mentioned lower door mounting member 33 is made of the same material as the upper door mounting member 32 and is formed with a substantially forward-facing L-shaped cross section in a side view, and is fixed with an adhesive or the like to a stepped surface formed on the front surface of the front side of the outer box 211. A reinforcing member 45 made of aluminum or the like is fitted into a hollow hole that opens on both sides and is formed on the lower part of the lower door mounting member 33. A gasket 14 is attached to the front surface of the upper end of the lower door mounting member 33, which elastically presses against the rear surface of the lower door frame 12 when the door 31 is closed.

[0031] The lower hinge mechanism 46, which supports the lower corner of the left end of the door 31, consists of an upward hinge shaft 46b that protrudes from the upper surface of a base plate 47 that is fixed to the stepped surface of the lower door mounting member 33, and a hinge bearing 46a that is fixed with a screw to the underside of the left end of the lower door frame 12 and into which the hinge shaft 46b is rotatably fitted.

[0032] As explained above, in the showcase 1 according to the embodiment, a wide area from the lower front surface of the showcase body 2 to near the upper end of the upper front surface 2a is covered by the door 31 made of the transparent plate 311, and there is almost no step between the upper front surface 2a of the showcase body 2 and the front surface of the door 31, thereby enhancing the design effect of the front surface of the showcase 1. Furthermore, since the door 31 is located forward of the upper front surface 2a of the showcase body 2, i.e., the front surfaces of the outer box 211 and the inner box 212, the effective display volume of the display chamber 213 is increased. Moreover, since the door 31 is made of a multi-layer transparent plate formed by superimposing two transparent plates 311, one at the front and one at the back, the heat insulation effect is improved and the strength is increased.

[0033] In addition, the upper end of transparent plate 311 is covered with non-transparent portion 311b, which prevents door mounting mechanism 35 from being seen from the front of door 31, improving the appearance. Furthermore, non-transparent portion 311b of transparent plate 311 covering door mounting mechanism 35 is located higher than hanging plate 41a on the upper front surface 2a of showcase body 2, so that information displayed on hanging plate 41a can be easily confirmed from the front of transparent plate 311, and since hanging plate 41a is not exposed, damage to display 44a of display device 44 is prevented in this embodiment, for example. Note that the information displayed on hanging plate 41a in this embodiment is the internal temperature displayed on display 44a.

[0034] Furthermore, because the display device 44 is located inside the door 31, unauthorized operation of the controller 44b is prevented, and in particular, because the display device 44 is located at the right end of the hanging plate 41a, it is difficult to access even when the door 31 is open. Additionally, the display of the internal temperature can naturally be positioned away from the non-transparent portion 311b of the transparent plate 311, making it easy to check.

[0035] Furthermore, by disposing the lighting lamp 43 behind the hanging plate 41a, the light from the lighting lamp 43 is blocked, and customers standing in front of the showcase 1 are less likely to feel dazzled.

[0036] Furthermore, by painting the door mounting mechanism 35 in the same color as the non-transparent part 311b, the door mounting mechanism 35 and the non-transparent part are the same color when the door 31 is opened, giving a sense of unity, and the door mounting mechanism 35 protruding above the non-transparent part 311b is not conspicuous.

[0037] Furthermore, a step 2b is formed on the upper part of the hanging plate 41a on the upper front surface 2a of the showcase body 2, and the door mounting mechanism 35 is attached to this step 2b. Therefore, the transparent plate 311 of the door 31 and the hanging plate 41a are close to each other in the front and rear, improving the visibility of the hanging plate 41a from the front of the door 31.

[0038] Furthermore, magnets 18, 18 are attached to the opposing portions of the transparent plate 311 and the door mounting mechanism 35, and the attraction of these magnets 18, 18 makes it possible to easily hold the door 31 in a closed state, and also makes it easy to open the door 31.

[0039] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and additions and modifications within the scope of the present invention are also included in the present invention.

[0040] For example, in the above embodiment, the transparent plate 311 constituting the door 31 is made up of two multi-layer transparent plates, but it may be made up of only one transparent plate or two or more multi-layer transparent plates.

[0041] In the above embodiment, the non-transparent portion 311b of the transparent plate 311 is formed by silk screen printing or the like, but it can also be formed by painting, taping, frosted glass or the like.

[0042] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the door 31 that can be opened and closed in the front and rear directions is used, but a sliding door can also be used. In this case, the door mounting mechanism is a sliding door rail that supports the door.

[0043] The hanging plate 41a can be used to display other information, the manufacturer's name, the category of the products being displayed, the temperature inside the storage unit, etc., instead of or in addition to the display device 44, and can also be used to attach POPs, advertisements, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 1. Showcase 2 Showcase body (case body) 3 Door Unit 4 Bracket 11 Handle 12 Door Frame 14 Gasket 15 Support member 16 Upper hinge mechanism 18 Magnet 30 Mounting mechanism body 31 Door 32 Upper door mounting member 33 Lower door mounting member 35 Door mounting mechanism 41 Optional mounting parts 41a Hanging board 43 Lighting 44 Display device 211 Outer box 212 Inner box 213 Exhibition room 311 Transparent plate 311a Thin section 311b Non-transparent part

Claims

1. A showcase comprising a case body having a generally U-shaped cross section and a front opening, in which a display chamber is formed, and a door unit having a door for opening and closing the front opening, and a hanging plate extending in the left-right direction on the upper front surface of the case body, the door unit includes a transparent plate that constitutes the door and extends from the lower front surface of the case body to near the upper end of the upper front surface of the case body, and a door mounting mechanism that fixes the transparent plate to the case body; the door mounting mechanism is disposed and fixed between the upper front surface of the case body and the rear surface of the upper end of the transparent plate, extending in the left-right direction; a non-transparent portion is formed in a portion of the transparent plate facing the door mounting mechanism, The non-transparent portion is located above the hanging plate.

2. 2. The showcase according to claim 1, wherein the transparent plate is made of a multi-layer transparent plate in which a plurality of transparent plates are laminated together at least below the non-transparent portion.

3. 2. The showcase according to claim 1, wherein the hanging plate is provided with a display device that displays the temperature inside the display compartment and that can be operated.

4. 2. The showcase according to claim 1, wherein an illumination lamp is disposed behind the hanging plate.

5. 2. The showcase according to claim 1, wherein the color of the door mounting mechanism is the same as the color of the non-transparent portion.

6. 2. The showcase according to claim 1, wherein a step is formed on the upper front surface of the case body above the hanging plate, and the door mounting mechanism is attached to the step.

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