Showcase

Abstract

To provide a showcase that is excellent in operability of descending operation of a shelf.SOLUTION: A showcase comprises a connection unit 20 connecting an end part in the width direction of an upper shelf 11 and an end part in the width direction of a lower shelf 12 so that the upper shelf 11 can move between an upper position and a front position with respect to the lower shelf 12. The connection unit 20 includes an upper slide mechanism 30 supporting the end part of the upper shelf 11 so that the upper shelf 11 can move in the front-back direction, and a rotation mechanism 40 connecting the upper slide mechanism 30 and the end part of the lower shelf 12 so that the upper slide mechanism 30 can rotate while keeping a posture parallel with the lower shelf 12. The rotation mechanism 40 includes: a rotary damper 481; a damper attachment plate 82 to which the rotary damper 481 is attached; and a damper connection mechanism 84 rotatably connecting the rotary damper 481 to the damper attachment plate 82, and capable of switching a rotation allowance state in which the rotation of the whole rotary damper 481 is allowed, and a rotation regulation state in which the rotation is regulated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a showcase, and more particularly to a showcase having a plurality of shelves disposed in a product compartment and spaced apart from one another in the vertical direction. [Background technology]

[0002] Showcases are used in stores such as supermarkets and convenience stores to display merchandise for sale. Known examples of such showcases include a showcase with multiple shelves as shown in Patent Document 1. The showcases represented by Patent Document 1 are configured so that the shelves can be moved back and forth within the case body to make it easier for customers to place or remove merchandise on or from the shelves.

[0003] However, when users such as store clerks and customers put products in and take products out of the shelves of a showcase, it can be difficult to do so simply by moving the shelves back and forth, and there is a demand for improved accessibility to the shelves of the showcase.Here, the top shelf among multiple shelves is located at a relatively high position, making it difficult to put products in and take products out, and there is a particular demand for improved accessibility.

[0004] In order to meet the above-mentioned demands, various showcases have been proposed that are designed to improve user accessibility to the upper shelf among the vertically adjacent upper and lower shelves. For example, a showcase has been developed in which the upper shelf located above the lower shelf slides forward using a sliding mechanism, and then can be lowered in front of the lower shelf using a pivoting mechanism that can rotate the upper shelf while maintaining a parallel orientation relative to the lower shelf. In this showcase, the upper shelf can be lowered in front of the lower shelf without interfering with products placed on the lower shelf, allowing products to be inserted and removed from the upper shelf at a position lower than the upper shelf's normal position. This makes this showcase an excellent showcase with improved accessibility to the higher shelves.

[0005] In showcases with improved accessibility to the upper shelf, a large number of products may be placed on the upper shelf, placing a heavy load on the shelf. In such cases, lowering the upper shelf may cause it to suddenly descend due to the weight of the products, potentially impacting other parts of the showcase. Therefore, a shock-absorbing damper is typically installed in the pivoting mechanism to absorb the impact of the product weight. Furthermore, to prevent the upper shelf from accidentally flying forward from its storage position due to an impact from an earthquake or other causes, the arm supporting the upper shelf in the pivoting mechanism is designed to tilt somewhat rearward in the front-to-rear direction of the showcase when the upper shelf is positioned in the storage position. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-068975 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In showcases that incorporate measures to counter the above-mentioned impacts, the buffer damper always acts as a resistance to movement. Therefore, when a user attempts to lower the upper shelf, a large force is required at the start of the movement. Furthermore, when lowering the upper shelf, the arm of the pivot mechanism, which is tilted backward, must first be tilted forward after being vertical. In other words, the upper shelf must be slightly lifted at the start of the lowering movement. With the damper's resistance constantly acting, even a slight lift of the upper shelf feels heavy. Moreover, even greater force is required when products are placed on the upper shelf. Thus, showcases incorporating buffer dampers have the problem of poor operability, as the upper shelf feels heavy and requires a large force at the start of the lowering movement. In particular, when a short person or someone with weak strength lowers the upper shelf of the showcase, it is difficult to maintain an appropriate working posture, making operation difficult. Poor operability, as described above, can lead to an awkward posture and inadvertent application of force, which can result in damage to the equipment or the collapse of products.

[0008] Therefore, in a showcase incorporating a shock-absorbing damper, it is desired to improve the operability when lowering the upper shelf.

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a showcase that is easy to operate when lowering the shelves. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] According to the present invention, a showcase having a plurality of shelves spaced apart from one another in the vertical direction includes a connection unit that connects an end portion of the upper shelf in the width direction with an end portion of the lower shelf in the width direction so that the upper shelf of a predetermined upper shelf and lower shelf that are adjacent to one another in the vertical direction can move between an upper position above the lower shelf and a front position of the lower shelf, and the connection unit includes an upper slide mechanism that supports the end portion of the upper shelf so that the upper shelf can move in the front-rear direction, and the upper slide mechanism that supports the upper shelf so that the upper shelf, whose end portion is supported by the upper slide mechanism, can rotate while maintaining an attitude parallel to the lower shelf. A showcase is provided which includes a rotation mechanism which connects the upper slide mechanism to the end of the lower shelf, the rotation mechanism including a damper which applies resistance to the rotational movement of the upper slide mechanism, a damper mounting plate to which the damper is attached, and a damper connecting mechanism which connects the damper to the damper mounting plate, which connects the entire damper so that it can rotate coaxially with the rotation axis of the rotational movement of the upper slide mechanism, and which can switch between a rotation-permitting state which allows the entire damper to rotate, and a rotation-restricting state which restricts the rotation of the entire damper. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The showcase of the present invention is a showcase having a plurality of shelves spaced apart from one another in the vertical direction, and is provided with a connection unit that connects an end portion of the upper shelf in the width direction with an end portion of the lower shelf in the width direction so that the upper shelf of a predetermined upper shelf and lower shelf that are adjacent to one another in the vertical direction can move between an upper position above the lower shelf and a front position of the lower shelf, and the connection unit includes an upper slide mechanism that supports the end portion of the upper shelf so that the upper shelf can move in the front-rear direction, and a front slide that supports the upper shelf so that the upper shelf, whose end portion is supported by the upper slide mechanism, can rotate while maintaining an attitude parallel to the lower shelf. The apparatus includes a rotation mechanism that connects the slide mechanism and the end of the lower shelf, the rotation mechanism including a damper that applies resistance to the rotation of the upper slide mechanism, a damper mounting plate to which the damper is attached, and a damper coupling mechanism that connects the damper to the damper mounting plate, the damper coupling mechanism rotatably coupling the entire damper coaxially with the rotation axis of the rotation of the upper slide mechanism and capable of switching between a rotation-permitted state that allows the entire damper to rotate and a rotation-restricted state that restricts the entire damper to rotate. With this configuration, the damper itself is rotatable and can be switched between a rotation-permitted state that allows the damper itself to rotate and a rotation-restricted state that restricts the rotation. In the rotation-permitted state, the damper itself rotates, so no resistance is exerted. This allows the upper shelf to be moved easily. On the other hand, in the rotation-restricted state, the rotation of the damper itself is restricted, so resistance is exerted. Therefore, the shock caused when the upper shelf is lowered can be absorbed. In this way, the showcase according to the present invention is excellent in operability because resistance force is applied only when necessary. Therefore, according to the present invention, a showcase with excellent operability for the lowering operation of the shelf can be provided. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a showcase according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an assembly of essential parts of the showcase. [Figure 3]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the assembly from another angle. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of a swing unit of the assembly. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the swing unit as viewed from another angle. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an upper end portion of a connecting unit of the swing unit. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is an enlarged front view of a lower end portion of the connecting unit as viewed from the front. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the rotary damper. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a front view schematically showing a damper mounting plate. [Figure 11] FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a partial perspective view showing a state in which the movable plate is combined with the damper mounting plate. [Figure 13] 10 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the relationship between a rotation locus Z and the operations of the movable plate and the rear arm. FIG. [Figure 14] 10 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the relationship between the movable plate and the rear arm when the rear arm returns to its original position. FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a partial perspective view showing another example of the movable plate. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a partial perspective view showing an embodiment in which the movable plate is omitted. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 is a perspective view of a showcase 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The showcase 100 is a refrigerated showcase installed in, for example, a convenience store. The showcase 100 may also be a showcase for freezing or keeping warm.

[0014] The showcase 100 has a case body 1 with a heat-insulating structure that is open at the front, and an installation stand 2 that is attached to the bottom surface of the case body 1 and supports the case body 1. Here, front and back, left and right, and top and bottom are defined when viewed from the front of the showcase 100.

[0015] An internal panel 3 is attached to the inside of the case body 1. The internal panel 3 and the left and right side walls 1a, 1a form a product compartment 4 that opens to the front. Each side wall 1a is made of a transparent plate, such as a glass plate, that allows the interior of the product compartment 4 to be seen through. An air duct is formed in a predetermined location in the case body 1. The air duct houses an evaporator, a cool air circulation fan, and other components. Cool air is circulated by the cool air circulation fan through an outlet (hidden and not shown in FIG. 1 ) formed on the upper edge of the front opening of the product compartment 4 (the top plate 3a of the internal panel 3) and an intake port 5 formed on the lower edge of the front opening of the product compartment 4 (the bottom plate 3b of the internal panel 3). A machine compartment is formed inside the installation base 2 to house a compressor, a condenser, a condenser fan, and other components. The compressor and condenser, along with the evaporator, form a refrigeration circuit.

[0016] The product room 4 is provided with a plurality of shelves 10 spaced apart vertically. Each shelf 10 is used to place (display) products. Here, a total of 12 shelves 10 are arranged in two rows, six vertically and six horizontally. The shelves 10 other than the top shelf 11, which is located at the highest position among the plurality of shelves 10, and the second-highest shelf 12, i.e., the third shelf 13, the fourth shelf 14, the fifth shelf 15, and the sixth shelf 16, are attached to the rear panel portion 3c of the interior panel 3. Specifically, the rear panel portion 3c is composed of a plurality of support columns 60 extending vertically and a back panel 70 combined with these support columns 60. In this embodiment, the support columns 60 include a wide center support column 61 located in the center and two side support columns 62, 63 located near the left and right ends, each narrower than the center support column 61, as shown in FIG. 1 . The back panel 70 includes a plurality of rectangular flat plates, including a left main flat plate 71 disposed between the center support column 61 and the left side support column 62, a right main flat plate 72 disposed between the center support column 61 and the right side support column 63, a left sub-flat plate 73 disposed between the left side support column 62 and the left sidewall 1a, and a right sub-flat plate 74 disposed between the right side support column 63 and the right sidewall 1a. Of the plurality of shelves 10, the third shelf 13 to the sixth shelf 16 are provided with claws (not shown) at their rear ends. The center support column 61, the left side support column 62, and the right side support column 63 are provided with a plurality of vertically extending engagement holes (not shown) into which the claws provided on the shelves 13 to 16 can be detachably engaged. This allows the shelves 13 to 16 to be detachably attached to the support column 60 via the claws. Although not shown in the drawings, a slide mechanism is attached to each end of the third and subsequent shelves (13-16) to support the corresponding shelf (13-16) so that the shelf can move in the front-to-rear direction relative to the rear panel portion 3c.

[0017] The following mainly describes the structure of the assembly 80A including the swing unit 80, which is a main part of the showcase 100. Figures 2 to 4 are perspective views of the assembly 80A, with Figure 2 being a perspective view seen from the front, Figure 3 being a perspective view seen from the rear, and Figure 4 being an exploded perspective view of the assembly 80A.

[0018] As shown in Fig. 1, the swing unit 80 is applied to predetermined upper and lower shelves that are adjacent to each other in the vertical direction among the multiple shelves 10, and in this embodiment, it is applied to the top shelf 11 and the second shelf 12 that are adjacent to each other in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the top shelf 11 corresponds to the "upper shelf" according to the present invention, and the second shelf 12 corresponds to the "lower shelf" according to the present invention. Hereinafter, the top shelf 11 will be referred to as the upper shelf 11 as appropriate, and the second shelf 12 will be referred to as the lower shelf 12 as appropriate.

[0019] The assembly 80A includes an upper shelf 11, a lower shelf 12, and a swing unit 80 for connecting the upper shelf 11 and the lower shelf 12. An assembly 80A is provided for each of the top shelf in the left column and the top shelf in the right column, and the assembly 80A for the top shelf in the left column and the assembly 80A for the top shelf in the right column have the same structure. The assembly 80A is attached to a support 60 included in the rear panel portion 3c. The support 60 has a plurality of engagement holes (not shown) drilled in the vertical direction into which claws 6 provided on the rear of the assembly 80A can be detachably engaged, and the assembly 80A is attached to the support 60 via the claws 6.

[0020] 2 to 4, the upper shelf 11 has a shelf board 111 that is rectangular in plan view, guard parts 112 that are erected on three sides of the shelf board 111 other than the front end to prevent products from falling, and a front end part 113 that extends in the width direction at the front end of the shelf board 111. Similarly, the lower shelf 12 has a shelf board 121, a guard part 122, and a front end part 123.

[0021] The swing unit 80 has a connecting unit 20 that connects the widthwise (left-right) end of the upper shelf 11 to the widthwise end of the lower shelf 12. The connecting unit 20 includes a link mechanism for connecting the widthwise end of the upper shelf 11 to the widthwise end of the lower shelf 12 so that the upper shelf 11 can move between an upper position (see the left column in FIG. 1 ) where the upper shelf 11 is located directly above (above) the lower shelf 12, and a front position (see the right column in FIG. 1 ) where the upper shelf 11 is located in front of the lower shelf 12. During normal operation, the upper shelf 11 is located above the lower shelf 12, and products are placed (displayed) on the upper shelf 11 and the lower shelf 12.

[0022] The swing unit 80 has a connecting unit 20 for connecting the left ends of the shelves 10 (11, 12) in the width direction and for connecting the right ends of the shelves 10 (11, 12). In other words, the swing unit 80 (assembly 80A) has a pair of connecting units 20, 20 on the left and right. Hereinafter, when distinguishing between left and right, the left connecting unit 20 will be referred to as the left connecting unit 20L, and the right connecting unit 20 will be referred to as the right connecting unit 20R. The structures of the left connecting unit 20L and the right connecting unit 20R are identical except that they are symmetrical.

[0023] The swing unit 80 has an upper connecting plate 21, a lower connecting plate 22, and a rear connecting arm 23 that connect a pair of connecting units 20, 20 (left connecting unit 20L, right connecting unit 20R) to each other. The upper connecting plate 21 extends in the width direction of the upper shelf 11 near the lower surface of the upper shelf 11, the lower connecting plate 22 extends in the width direction of the lower shelf 12 near the lower surface of the lower shelf 12, and the rear connecting arm 23 extends in the width direction of the upper shelf 11 near the rear of the upper shelf 11.

[0024] Figures 5 and 6 are partial perspective views of the swing unit 80. In Figure 6, a first outer cover 412 and a second outer cover 422, which will be described later, have been removed. Figure 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the upper end portion of the connection unit 20 (20L), and Figure 8 is an enlarged front view of the lower end portion of the connection unit 20 (20L) as viewed from the front.

[0025] An upper slide mechanism 30 is attached to the widthwise ends (left end, right end) of the upper shelf 11 to support the upper shelf 11 so that it can move in the front-to-rear direction (see FIG. 5). In this embodiment, each connecting unit 20 of the swing unit 80 includes the above-mentioned upper slide mechanism 30 for sliding the upper shelf 11 back and forth, and a rotation mechanism 40 for rotating the upper shelf 11.

[0026] The upper slide mechanism 30 is a mechanism that supports the widthwise ends (left end and right end) of the upper shelf 11 from below so that the upper shelf 11 can move in the front-to-rear direction. The upper slide mechanism 30 faces the side surface of the upper box body 41 (described later) of the rotating mechanism 40 that is closer to the center in the widthwise direction of the shelf 10, and is attached to a first upper rail mounting plate 413 (described later) and to the end of the upper shelf 11 via an upper shelf mounting plate 34.

[0027] 7 , the upper sliding mechanism 30 has an upper fixed rail 31, an upper movable rail 32, an upper intermediate rail 33 that connects the upper fixed rail 31 and the upper movable rail 32 so that they can slide freely in the front-to-rear direction, and an upper shelf mounting plate 34. The upper fixed rail 31 is fixed to the rotating mechanism 40 (specifically, the first upper rail mounting plate 413), and the upper movable rail 32 is connected to the upper fixed rail 31 via the upper intermediate rail 33 so that it can slide relative to the upper fixed rail 31 and is fixed to the upper shelf 11 via the upper shelf mounting plate 34. The upper shelf mounting plate 34 is a bracket for attaching the upper shelf 11 to the connecting unit 20. The upper shelf mounting plate 34 extends along the upper movable rail 32 and is fixed to the surface of the upper movable rail 32 opposite to the upper fixed rail 31. The upper shelf 11 is attached to the upper moving rail 32 via the upper shelf mounting plate 34. The upper shelf mounting plate 34 has, for example, a vertical piece 341 located between the upper box body 41 and the upper moving rail 32, and a horizontal piece 342 extending inward from the upper edge of the vertical piece 341, and has an L-shaped cross section as a whole. The upper shelf 11 is provided to bridge between the left and right upper shelf mounting plates 34, 34 (horizontal pieces 342, 342), and is movable in the front-rear direction relative to the member (first upper rail mounting plate 413) on the rotating mechanism 40 side via the upper slide mechanism 30.

[0028] The upper slide mechanism 30 has a front limit piece and a rear limit piece (not shown) that define its own slide stroke. The upper shelf 11 can be pulled out to the maximum extent up to the front end (front limit) of the range of movement of the upper slide mechanism 30 determined by the front limit piece, and can also be pushed back to the maximum extent up to the rear end (rear limit) of the range of movement of the upper slide mechanism 30 determined by the rear limit piece.

[0029] As shown in Fig. 5, the rotation mechanism 40 is a mechanism that connects the widthwise end of the upper shelf 11 and the widthwise end of the lower shelf 12 via the upper slide mechanism 30, and can rotate the upper shelf 11 supported by the upper slide mechanism 30 while maintaining a parallel attitude with respect to the lower shelf 12. As shown in Fig. 6, the rotation mechanism 40 has lower shaft portions (431, 441) that extend in the width direction near the widthwise end of the lower shelf 12, and the upper shelf 11 can rotate via the upper slide mechanism 30 with the lower shaft portions (431, 441) as a fulcrum between a position above the lower shelf 12 (see the left column in Fig. 1) and a position in front of the lower shelf 12 (see the right column in Fig. 1).

[0030] In this embodiment, the rotation mechanism 40 has an upper box body 41 for supporting the upper slide mechanism 30, a lower box body 42 for supporting the widthwise end of the lower shelf 12, and a front arm 43 and a rear arm 44 that are spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction for connecting the widthwise end of the upper shelf 11 and the widthwise end of the lower shelf 12 via the upper slide mechanism 30. The lower shaft portions (431, 441) will be described in detail later.

[0031] 7, the upper box body 41 has a first inner cover 411 and a first outer cover 412. The first inner cover 411 is located closer to the upper shelf 11 than the first outer cover 412. The upper box body 41 is configured by combining the first inner cover 411 and the first outer cover 412. The lower and rear surfaces of the upper box body 41 are open to allow the arms (43, 44) to rotate.

[0032] An upper rail mounting bracket 415 extending in the front-rear direction is fixed to the side surface of the upper box body 41 facing the upper shelf 11 (see FIG. 7). The upper rail mounting bracket 415 is a bracket for mounting the upper slide mechanism 30 to the turning mechanism 40, and includes a first upper rail mounting plate 413 and a second upper rail mounting plate 414. The first upper rail mounting plate 413 has a vertical piece 413a facing the vertical piece 341 of the upper shelf mounting plate 34, a horizontal piece 413b facing the horizontal piece 342 below the horizontal piece 342 of the upper shelf mounting plate 34 and connected to the lower edge of the vertical piece 413a, and an upper connecting plate connection piece 413c extending inward from a predetermined position in the front-rear direction on the upper edge of the vertical piece 413a. The second upper rail mounting plate 414 has a horizontal piece 414a connected to the underside of the horizontal piece 413b of the first upper rail mounting plate 413, and a vertical piece 414b extending from the edge of the horizontal piece 414a and facing the first inner cover 411 of the upper box body 41.

[0033] In the upper rail mounting bracket 415, the vertical piece 413a of the first upper rail mounting plate 413 is fixed to the upper fixed rail 31, and the vertical piece 414b of the second upper rail mounting plate 414 is fixed to the first inner cover 411 of the upper box body 41, thereby supporting the upper slide mechanism 30 on the upper box body 41 of the connecting unit 20. An end of the front upper connecting plate 21 is connected to the upper connecting plate connection piece 413c of the first upper rail mounting plate 413. As a result, the left and right upper box bodies 41 are connected together via the upper connecting plate 21 without moving relative to each other.

[0034] The upper rail mounting bracket 415 is formed by combining two components, the first upper rail mounting plate 413 and the second upper rail mounting plate 414, but is not limited to this form and may also be formed as a single component by processing a plate material.

[0035] As shown in Fig. 8, the lower box body 42 has a second inner cover 421 and a second outer cover 422. The second inner cover 421 is located closer to the lower shelf 12 than the second outer cover 422. The lower box body 42 is configured by combining the second inner cover 421 and the second outer cover 422. The top surface of the lower box body 42 is open to allow the arms (43, 44) to rotate, and an arm slit 42a that allows the arms (43, 44) to rotate is formed in the front surface of the lower box body 42.

[0036] A lower slide mechanism 50 is attached to the widthwise ends (left end, right end) of the lower shelf 12, supporting the lower shelf 12 so that it can move in the front-to-rear direction. In this embodiment, the lower box body 42 includes the above-mentioned lower slide mechanism 50 that supports the widthwise ends of the lower shelf 12 from below so that the lower shelf 12 can move in the front-to-rear direction. The lower slide mechanism 50 faces the side surface of the lower box body 42 facing the lower shelf 12, and is attached to a first lower rail mounting plate 423 of the lower box body 42, which will be described later, and is also attached to the end of the lower shelf 12.

[0037] The lower slide mechanism 50 has a lower fixed rail 51, a lower movable rail 52, a lower intermediate rail 53 that connects the lower fixed rail 51 and the lower movable rail 52 so that they can slide freely in the front-to-rear direction, a lower shelf mounting plate 54, and a stopper piece 55. The lower fixed rail 51 is fixed to the second inner cover 421 (specifically, a lower rail mounting bracket 425), and the lower movable rail 52 is connected to the lower fixed rail 51 via the lower intermediate rail 53 so that it can slide, and is fixed to the lower shelf 12 via the lower shelf mounting plate 54. The lower shelf mounting plate 54 is a bracket for attaching the lower shelf 12 to the connecting unit 20 (lower box body 42). The lower shelf mounting plate 54 extends along the lower movable rail 52 and is fixed to the surface of the lower movable rail 52 opposite to the lower fixed rail 51. The lower shelf 12 is attached to the lower movable rail 52 via the lower shelf mounting plate 54. The lower shelf mounting plate 54 has, for example, a vertical piece 541 located between the lower box body 42 and the lower movable rail 52, and a horizontal piece 542 extending inward from the upper edge of the vertical piece 541, and has an L-shaped cross section overall. The lower shelf 12 is provided to bridge between the left and right lower shelf mounting plates 54, 54 (horizontal pieces 542, 542), and the stopper piece 55 is a member attached to the front end of the lower slide mechanism 50 to prevent movement of the lower movable rail 52 relative to the lower fixed rail 51. When the assembly 80A is viewed from the side with the upper shelf 11 in a position above the lower shelf 12, the position of the front surface of the lower box body 42 in the front-to-rear direction roughly coincides with the position of the front end face of the lower shelf 12 in the front-to-rear direction, and for example, during normal operation, the stopper piece 55 restricts the front-to-rear movement of the lower shelf 12 by the lower slide mechanism 50 at this position.

[0038] A lower rail mounting bracket 425 extending in the front-to-rear direction along the side surface of the lower box body 42 facing the lower shelf 12 is fixed to this side surface (see FIG. 8). The lower rail mounting bracket 425 is a bracket for mounting the lower slide mechanism 50 to the lower box body 42, and includes a first lower rail mounting plate 423 and a second lower rail mounting plate 424. The first lower rail mounting plate 423 has a vertical piece 423a that faces the vertical piece 541 of the lower shelf mounting plate 54, a horizontal piece 423b that faces the horizontal piece 542 below the horizontal piece 542 of the lower shelf mounting plate 54 and connects to the lower edge of the vertical piece 423a, and a lower connecting plate connection piece 423c that extends inward from a predetermined position in the front-to-rear direction on the upper edge of the vertical piece 423a. The second lower rail mounting plate 424 has a horizontal piece 424a connected to the underside of the horizontal piece 423b of the first lower rail mounting plate 423, and a vertical piece 424b extending from the edge of the horizontal piece 424a and facing the second inner cover 421 of the lower box body 42.

[0039] In the lower rail mounting bracket 425, the vertical piece 423a of the first lower rail mounting plate 423 is fixed to the lower fixed rail 51, and the vertical piece 424b of the second lower rail mounting plate 424 is fixed to the second inner cover 421 of the lower case body 42, thereby supporting the lower slide mechanism 50 and the lower shelf 12 on the lower case body 42 of the connecting unit 20. An end of the lower connecting plate 22 is connected to the lower connecting plate connection piece 423c of the first lower rail mounting plate 423. As a result, the left and right lower case bodies 42 are connected together via the lower connecting plate 22 without moving relative to each other.

[0040] The lower rail mounting bracket 425 is formed by combining two components, the first lower rail mounting plate 423 and the second lower rail mounting plate 424, but is not limited to this form and may also be formed as a single component by processing a plate material.

[0041] The front arm 43 and the rear arm 44 are members for connecting the widthwise end of the upper shelf 11 and the widthwise end of the lower shelf 12, and connect the upper box body 41 and the lower box body 42. Specifically, they connect the upper slide mechanism 30 located at the widthwise end of the upper shelf 11 and the lower slide mechanism 50 located at the widthwise end of the lower shelf 12. The front arm 43 and the rear arm 44 are configured to connect the upper box body 41 and the lower box body 42 so that the upper slide mechanism 30 supported by the upper box body 41 can rotate about the lower shaft portions (431, 441) as a fulcrum between a position above the lower shelf 12 (see the left column in FIG. 1 ) and a position in front of the lower shelf 12 (see the right column in FIG. 1 ) while maintaining a parallel posture with respect to the lower shelf 12 supported by the lower box body 42 via the lower slide mechanism 50.

[0042] 6, each of the front arm 43 and the rear arm 44 is a member that, in an upright state, extends from an area inside the lower box body 42 to an area inside the upper box body 41. In this embodiment, the arms (43, 44) extend linearly as a whole.

[0043] Here, a front lower shaft portion 431 extending in the width direction of the lower shelf 12 and a rear lower shaft portion 441 extending in the width direction of the lower shelf 12 rearward of the front lower shaft portion 431 are provided within the lower box body 42 so as to be positioned near the width direction end of the lower shelf 12. A front upper shaft portion 432 extending in the width direction of the upper shelf 11 and a rear upper shaft portion 442 extending in the width direction of the upper shelf 11 rearward of the front upper shaft portion 432 are provided within the upper box body 41 so as to be positioned near the width direction end of the upper shelf 11. The rear lower shaft portion 441 is positioned higher than the front lower shaft portion 431 in the up-down direction, and the rear upper shaft portion 442 is positioned higher than the front upper shaft portion 432 in the up-down direction. In this embodiment, the front lower shaft portion 431, the front upper shaft portion 432, the rear lower shaft portion 441, and the rear upper shaft portion 442 correspond to the "lower shaft portion" and "upper shaft portion" of the present invention for the front arm 43, and the "lower shaft portion" and "upper shaft portion" of the present invention for the rear arm 44, respectively.

[0044] The forearm 43 has a forearm main body 43a and a forearm extension 43b. One end of the forearm main body 43a is rotatably supported by a front lower shaft 431, and the other end of the forearm main body 43a is rotatably supported by a front upper shaft 432. The forearm extension 43b is a portion that extends continuously from the other end of the forearm main body 43a.

[0045] The rear arm 44 has a rear arm main body 44a, a rear arm upper extension 44b, and a rear arm lower extension 44c. One end of the rear arm main body 44a is rotatably supported by a rear lower shaft 441, and the other end of the rear arm main body 44a is rotatably supported by a rear upper shaft 442. The rear arm upper extension 44b is a portion that extends continuously from the other end of the rear arm main body 44a, and the rear arm lower extension 44c is a portion that extends continuously from one end of the rear arm main body 44a.

[0046] In other words, each of the front arm 43 and the rear arm 44 has an arm body (43a, 44a) whose one end is rotatably supported on a lower shaft portion (431, 441) extending in the width direction near the width end (lower slide mechanism 50) of the lower shelf 12, and whose other end is rotatably supported on an upper shaft portion (432, 442) extending in the width direction near the width end (upper slide mechanism 30) of the upper shelf 11.

[0047] When the upper box body 41 and the lower box body 42 are connected to each other by the upright front arm 43 and rear arm 44, the upper shelf 11 supported via the upper slide mechanism 30 (upper shelf mounting plate 34) supported on the upper box body 41 is arranged parallel to the lower shelf 12 (lower shelf mounting plate 54) supported on the lower box body 42 via the lower slide mechanism 50. When the upright front arm 43 and rear arm 44 rotate forward about the corresponding shafts (431, 441) on one end side (lower box body 42 side) of each arm, the upper box body 41 rotates about the shafts (431, 441) from a position above (directly above) the lower box body 42 toward a position in front of the lower box body 42. During this rotation, the upper shelf 11 supported via the upper slide mechanism 30 maintains a parallel position with respect to the lower shelf 12.

[0048] A stopper portion 41a is provided at a portion of the rear portion of the upper box body 41 that corresponds to the rear arm upper extension portion 44b of the rear arm 44, and a rear stopper plate 45 is provided at a rear portion of one end of the rear arm 44 on the lower box body 42 (see FIG. 6). When the corresponding portions of the rear arm 44 abut against the stopper portion 41a and the rear stopper plate 45, further rearward rotation of the rear arm 44 is restricted. A first front stopper plate 46a is provided in front of the rear arm upper extension portion 44b on the upper box body 41, and a second front stopper plate 46b is provided at a rear portion of one end of the front arm 43 on the lower box body 42 (see FIG. 6). When the corresponding portions of the rear arm 44 abut against the first front stopper plate 46a and the second front stopper plate 46b, further forward rotation of the rear arm 44 is restricted. A third front stopper plate 46c is provided in front of the front arm extension 43b on the upper box body 41 (see FIG. 6). Under normal conditions, the front arm extension 43b does not come into contact with the third front stopper plate 46c. However, if a component is damaged for some reason and the first front stopper plate 46a or the second front stopper plate 46b is unable to stop the rotation of the rear arm 44, the third front stopper plate 46c will restrict further forward rotation of the front arm 43 and prevent the upper shelf 11 from descending beyond the expected range. In other words, the third front stopper plate 46c constitutes a fail-safe mechanism.

[0049] In this embodiment, when the upper shelf 11 supported by the upper slide mechanism 30 is positioned in the storage position, the front arm 43 and the rear arm 44 are inclined to some extent rearward in the front-to-rear direction of the showcase, as shown in Fig. 6. This prevents the upper shelf 11 from accidentally flying forward from the storage position when subjected to an impact due to an earthquake or other cause.

[0050] In this embodiment, a rear connecting arm 23 is connected to the rear arm 44. The rear connecting arm 23 has a connecting body 23a extending in the width direction of the upper shelf 11 and a pair of left and right connecting plates 23b, 23b that connect the end of the connecting body 23a to the rear arm 44. This allows the left connecting unit 20L and the right connecting unit 20R to be integrally connected via the rear connecting arm 23 without moving relative to each other. Here, in this embodiment, the rear arm 44 and the connecting plate 23b are separate components and are combined together, but this is not limited to this. For example, the rear arm 44 and the connecting plate 23b can also be formed as a single component by pressing a metal plate. Combining them as a single component in this way reduces the number of components and the number of connection processes, contributing to reduced manufacturing costs.

[0051] In this embodiment, the lower box body 42 is provided with a first biasing portion 47 and a second biasing portion 48. The first biasing portion 47 biases the front arm 43 in a direction that rotates rearward around the front lower shaft portion 431 as a fulcrum. This first biasing portion 47 is, for example, a spiral spring 471. The second biasing portion 48 is a unidirectional rotary damper 481 for absorbing impact during descent, and is configured to generate no resistance force (braking torque) when the rear arm 44 rotates rearward around the rear lower shaft portion 441 as a fulcrum, but to generate resistance force (braking torque) when the rear arm 44 rotates forward around the rear lower shaft portion 441 as a fulcrum.

[0052] Here, inside the lower box body 42, the rotary damper 481 is connected to a damper mounting plate 82 by a damper connecting mechanism 84. As shown in Fig. 6, the damper mounting plate 82 is a plate-like body that is erected inside the lower box body 42 at approximately the center in the direction along the width direction of the lower shelf 12. A front lower shaft portion 431 and a rear lower shaft portion 441 are also journaled on this damper mounting plate 82.

[0053] The rotary damper 481 is not particularly limited, and a commonly known one can be used. As shown in FIG. 9 , the rotary damper 481 used in this embodiment includes a cylindrical main body 482, a pair of left and right flanges 483, 483 provided on the peripheral wall of the main body 482, and a shaft 485 disposed at the center of the main body 482. The shaft 485 is fitted into and fixed to a central hole of a rotor (not shown) disposed inside the main body 482. In other words, the shaft 485 is fixed to and integrated with the rotor. The flanges 483, 483 are provided with fitting holes 484, 484 into which connecting pins 92, 92 (described later) are fitted. The rotary damper 481 can apply a resistance force in one rotational direction to an object connected to the shaft 485.

[0054] 10, the damper mounting plate 82 is made of a metal plate material processed into a predetermined shape, and includes a shaft through-hole 86, which is drilled at a position opposite the rear lower shaft portion 441 and through which the rear lower shaft portion 441 is inserted, and arc-shaped slits 88, 88 that are concentric with a center 85 of the rotation shaft of the rear lower shaft portion 441. The slits 88, 88 are formed in pairs at positions opposite each other across the center 85 on a circumference 87 that is centered on the center 85 of the rotation shaft of the rear lower shaft portion 441.

[0055] In the rotary damper 481, the connecting pins 92 are fitted (for example, press-fitted) into the fitting holes 484, 484, respectively, and fixed thereto. These connecting pins 92, 92 form protruding portions of the rotary damper 481. The connecting pins 92, 92 are cylindrical, and protrude from the flanges 483, 483 in the same direction as the protruding direction of the shaft 485. The diameter of the body portions of the connecting pins 92, 92 is equal to or smaller than the width of the slit 88.

[0056] The rotary damper 481 with the connecting pins 92, 92 fitted thereto is attached to the damper mounting plate 82. More specifically, the connecting pins 92, 92 fixed to the rotary damper 481 are inserted into the slits 88, 88 from one surface of the damper mounting plate 82. As a result, the shaft 485 of the main body 482 of the rotary damper 481 is positioned in the shaft through-hole 86 of the damper mounting plate 82. At this time, the center of the shaft 485 is disposed so as to overlap with the center 85 of the rotation shaft of the rear lower shaft portion 441.

[0057] The connecting pins 92, 92 inserted through the slits 88, 88 of the damper mounting plate 82 have their tips protruding from the opposite surface of the damper mounting plate 82. To prevent these connecting pins 92, 92 from coming out of the slits 88, 88, a movable plate 90 serving as a drop-out prevention mechanism is disposed so as to overlap the damper mounting plate 82 and is connected to the connecting pins 92, 92.

[0058] Here, the movable plate 90 is not particularly limited, but for example, a metal plate-like member as shown in Fig. 11 is adopted. More specifically, the movable plate 90 adopted in this embodiment is a member obtained by punching a metal plate material into an elongated, approximately octagonal plate material, with notches 91, 93 partially formed in the octagonal plate material and bending the portions of the notches 91, 93 to form upright pieces 96, 98. The movable plate 90 has a central through-hole 97 formed in approximately the center of a plate surface 95 thereof, which faces the shaft through-hole 86 of the damper mounting plate 82, and further has connecting pin fixing holes 99, 101 formed at both ends of the plate surface 95 on either side of the central through-hole 97.

[0059] As described above, the movable plate 90 is placed on the damper mounting plate 82 from the other side opposite to the side on which the rotary damper 481 is placed, and the connecting pins 92, 92 protruding from the slits 88, 88 are received in the connecting pin fixing holes 99, 101. At this time, it is preferable that the tip portions of the connecting pins 92, 92 protruding from the connecting pin fixing holes 99, 101 are firmly fixed to the movable plate 90 by, for example, crimping. In this way, the damper mounting plate 82 is sandwiched between the movable plate 90 and the rotary damper 481, and the rotary damper 481 is connected to the damper mounting plate 82.

[0060] As described above, the damper connecting mechanism 84 is formed by the slits 88, 88 of the damper mounting plate 82, the connecting pins 92, 92 attached to the rotary damper 481, and the movable plate 90 which serves as a slip-out prevention mechanism that prevents the connecting pins 92, 92 from slipping out of the slits 88, 88.

[0061] Next, the shaft through-hole 86 of the damper mounting plate 82 and the central through-hole 97 of the movable plate 90 are aligned with each other, so that the shaft 485 of the rotary damper 481 is positioned within these holes, and the rear lower shaft portion 441 that is integrated with the rear arm 44 is connected to this shaft 485 (see FIG. 12). This allows the rotary damper 481 to apply a resistance force in one direction to the rotational movement of the rear arm 44.

[0062] In this embodiment, the width of the slits 88 is the same as or larger than the diameter of the body portions of the connecting pins 92, and the connecting pins 92 are movable along the circumference 87 within the range of the slits 88. Therefore, when the rear arm 44 is rotated, the entire rotary damper 481 rotates following the movable plate 90 while the connecting pins 92 move along the circumference 87 within the slits 88. In other words, the range within which the connecting pins 92 can move along the circumference 87 within the slits 88 is a rotation permitted state in which rotation of the entire rotary damper 481 is permitted. In this rotation permitted state, the entire rotary damper 481 rotates in the same manner in conjunction with the rotation of the rear arm 44, and therefore the rotary damper 481 does not exert resistance to the rotation of the rear arm 44. As the movement continues along the circumference 87, and the connecting pins 92 abut against the ends of the slits 88, the rotation of the rotary damper 481 is restricted and stopped at that position. In other words, when the connecting pins 92 abut against the ends of the slits 88, the rotary damper 481 enters a rotation restricted state in which the entire rotation of the rotary damper 481 is restricted. In the rotary damper 481 in this rotation restricted state, the main body 482 and flange 483 are fixed, and the shaft 485 integrated with the rotor follows the rear arm 44. Therefore, in the rotation restricted state, the rotary damper 481 applies resistance to the rotation of the rear arm 44.

[0063] Next, the operation of the damper connecting mechanism 84 and the rear arm 44 when a user performs an operation to rotate the upper shelf 11 will be described in detail.

[0064] First, the rotation trajectory Z of the connecting portion of the rotation mechanism 40 to the upper slide mechanism 30 will be described. As shown in FIG. 13 , the rotation trajectory Z is an arc-shaped trajectory having a vertex position Zt, and is divided into a front arc range Rf and a rear arc range Rr with the vertex position Zt as the boundary. The connecting portion of the rotation mechanism 40 to the upper slide mechanism 30 is the front arm 43 or the rear arm 44, and the rotation trajectory Z of this connecting portion is expressed by tracing, for example, the center of the front upper shaft portion 432 or the center of the rear upper shaft portion 442. In this embodiment, the rotation trajectory Z, which is the trajectory of rotation of the rear upper shaft portion 442 around the rear lower shaft portion 441, which is the rotation center of the rear arm 44, will be described. FIG. 13 shows the rotation trajectory Z obtained when the rear upper shaft portion 442 rotates around the rear lower shaft portion 441.

[0065] Here, the front arm 43 and the rear arm 44 define the radius of rotation of the upper slide mechanism 30 (upper shelf 11) by the rotation mechanism 40. Specifically, the radius of rotation of the upper slide mechanism 30 by the rotation mechanism 40 is determined by the distance between the center of the lower shaft portions (431, 441) and the center of the upper shaft portions (432, 442).

[0066] The rotation locus Z has an apex position Zt between the rear end position Zr and the front end position Zf. Within the range of the rotation locus Z, the upper slide mechanism 30 (upper shelf 11) is located at the highest position at the apex position Zt and is farthest upward from the lower shelf 12, is located at the lowest and most forward position at the front end position Zf, and is located slightly lower and most rearward than the apex position Zt at the rear end position Zr. In other words, the rear end position Zr of the rotation locus Z is a point rearward and slightly below the apex position Zt, and the front end position Zf of the rotation locus Z is a point forward of the apex position Zt and below both the apex position Zt and the rear end position Zr. The rear end position Zr of the rotation locus Z is defined by the stopper portion 41a and the rear stopper plate 45, and the front end position Zf of the rotation locus Z is defined by the first front stopper plate 46a and the second front stopper plate 46b.

[0067] When the upper shelf 11 is pushed back to the maximum extent to the rear end of the movement range of the upper slide mechanism 30 and the rear upper shaft portion 442 of the turning mechanism 40 moves to the rear end position Zr, the upper slide mechanism 30 and the upper shelf 11 are positioned above (directly above) the lower shelf 12 (see the state shown in the left column of FIG. 1). The position above the lower shelf 12 with respect to the upper shelf 11 is determined by the radius of the turning locus Z, the angular position of the rear end position Zr, and the rear end of the movement range of the upper slide mechanism 30.

[0068] When the upper shelf 11 is pulled out to the maximum extent to the front end of the range of movement by the upper slide mechanism 30 and the rear upper shaft portion 442 of the turning mechanism 40 moves to the front end position Zf of the turning locus Z, the upper slide mechanism 30 and the upper shelf 11 are positioned in front of the lower shelf 12 (see the state shown in the right column of FIG. 1). The forward position of the lower shelf 12 with respect to the upper shelf 11 is determined by the radius of the turning locus Z, the angular position of the front end position Zf, and the front end of the range of movement of the upper slide mechanism 30.

[0069] Figure 13 also schematically shows the states of the rear arm 44, connecting pins 92, 92, slits 88, 88, and movable plate 90 at each position. The relationship between each position of the rotation locus Z and the operations of the rear arm 44, connecting pins 92, 92, slits 88, 88, and movable plate 90 will be explained using Figure 13. Note that the configurations of the rear arm 44, movable plate 90, etc. are depicted in a simplified manner in Figure 13.

[0070] First, at the rear end position Zr, the upper shelf 11 is positioned in the storage position, and the rear arm 44 is tilted rearward to a certain extent to prevent the upper shelf 11 from accidentally jumping forward from the storage position due to an impact caused by an earthquake or other cause. At this rear end position Zr, the connecting pins 92, 92 are in contact with one end of the slits 88, 88. Specifically, as shown in (a) in FIG. 13, which shows the state at the rear end position Zr, the right connecting pin 92 in FIG. 13(a) is located at the lower end of the right slit 88, and the left connecting pin 92 in FIG. 13(a) is located at the upper end of the left slit 88.

[0071] When a user pulls the upper shelf 11 further forward, the upper shelf 11 being fully extended to the front end of the range of movement of the upper slide mechanism 30, the rear arm 44 starts to move in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 13( a) and starts to rotate from the rear end position Zr of the rotation locus Z toward the apex position Zt. At this time, the connecting pins 92 are movable within the slits 88 along the circumference 87, so the rotary damper 481 and the movable plate 90 connected by the connecting pins 92 are also rotatable. In other words, the rotary damper 481 is not fixed to the damper mounting plate 82. Therefore, when the rear arm 44 rotates, the entire rotary damper 481 also rotates in conjunction with the rear arm 44. When the entire rotary damper 481 and the movable plate 90 are moved in conjunction with the rear arm 44, the connecting pins 92 move within the slits 88 along the circumference 87. While the connecting pins 92, 92 are moving along the circumference 87 within the slits 88, 88, i.e., in the rotation permitted state, the entire rotary damper 481 rotates in conjunction with the rear arm 44, so no resistance force acts on the rear arm 44. In other words, since no braking torque is applied in the rotation permitted state, the upper shelf 11 moves easily. Although there is a slight upward stroke in the process from the rear end position Zr to the apex position Zt, since no braking torque is applied, the operation can be performed easily with a small force.

[0072] Next, when the rear arm 44 reaches the apex position Zt, the connecting pins 92 come into contact with the other ends of the slits 88. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 13(b), which illustrates the state at the apex position Zt, the right connecting pin 92 in FIG. 13(b) is located at the upper end of the right slit 88, and the left connecting pin 92 in FIG. 13(b) is located at the lower end of the left slit 88. When the connecting pins 92 reach the above positions within the slits 88, the rotation of the rotary damper 481 itself is restricted even if the rear arm 44 moves further in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 13(b). In other words, a rotation restricted state is reached. In the rotation restricted state, the braking torque of the rotary damper 481 acts on further rotation of the rear arm 44.

[0073] 13(c), in the intermediate position range Zm between the apex position Zt and the front end position Zf, which corresponds to a position on the way down of the upper shelf 11, the rotation is restricted, and a braking torque acts on the rotation of the rear arm 44. Therefore, the lowering operation of the upper shelf 11 does not proceed abruptly, and strong impacts on other parts of the showcase 100 are suppressed.

[0074] As the lowering operation of the upper shelf 11 continues and the upper shelf 11 reaches a position in front of the lower shelf 12, the rear arm 44 reaches the front end position Zf as shown in (d) of Figure 13. At this front end position Zf, as described above, the upper shelf 11 is lowered to a position in front of the lower shelf 12, making it easier for the user to perform operations such as putting products in and taking products out of the upper shelf 11.

[0075] As described above, within the range of the rotation-permitted state, the resistance force of the rotary damper 481 does not act, so the upper shelf 11 can be moved with a small force. This rotation-permitted state is determined by the range of the slit 88 within which the connecting pin 92 can move freely along the circumference 87. The range within which operation with less force is desired (hereinafter also referred to as the rotation-permitted range) is considered to be at least the range from the rear end position Zr to the apex position Zt, i.e., the rear arc range Rr. Therefore, it is preferable to form the slit 88 with a length corresponding to the rear arc range Rr.

[0076] However, the rotation-permitted state may be maintained even in a range that extends beyond the apex position Zt and into a part of the intermediate position range Zm. This is because there are cases in which high operability is desired even if the rear arm 44 enters the intermediate position range Zm to some extent. Here, in this embodiment, the length of the rotation-permitted range in the intermediate position range Zm is defined as the percentage of the range in which the rear arm 44 has entered the intermediate position range Zm after passing beyond the apex position Zt, assuming that the length of the front arc range Rf corresponding to the intermediate position range Zm in Figure 13, that is, the length of the arc from the apex position Zt to the front end position Zf, is 100%.

[0077] In the showcase 100, the upper shelf 11 itself may be large, and in this case, the upper shelf 11 is likely to fall under its own weight. Also, heavy items may be displayed on the upper shelf, and in this case, the upper shelf 11 is also likely to fall. In such cases, if the allowable rotation range in the intermediate position range Zm is too long, it becomes difficult for the rotary damper 481 to absorb impacts. Therefore, it is preferable to set the allowable rotation range to the apex position Zt or a range slightly beyond the apex position Zt. Specifically, if the upper shelf 11 itself is heavy or heavy items are displayed, it is considered that the rotary damper 481 will have difficulty absorbing impacts if the length of the allowable rotation range in the intermediate position range Zm exceeds 5%. Therefore, if the upper shelf 11 itself is heavy or heavy items are displayed, it is preferable to set the length of the allowable rotation range in the intermediate position range Zm to be between 0% and 5%.

[0078] On the other hand, when the upper shelf 11 itself is light or when lightweight products are displayed, the allowable rotation range in the intermediate position range Zm can be made longer to improve operability. Specifically, when the upper shelf 11 itself is light or when lightweight items are displayed, it is considered that the rotary damper 481 can sufficiently absorb impact if the length of the allowable rotation range within the intermediate position range Zm is 20% or less. Therefore, when the upper shelf 11 itself is light or when lightweight items are displayed, it is preferable to set the length of the allowable rotation range in the intermediate position range Zm to between 0% and 20%.

[0079] Since the length of the allowable rotation range can be changed by the length of the slit 88, it is preferable to form the slit 88 with a length corresponding to the range of the rear arm 44 from the rear end position Zr to a position 20% beyond the apex position Zt into the intermediate position range Zm, appropriately depending on the weight of the upper shelf 11 and the weight of the products to be placed thereon.

[0080] Next, when performing a return operation to return the upper shelf 11 from the front end position Zf to the rear end position Zr, the upper shelf 11 can be returned by performing the operation in the order of (d) → (c) → (b) → (a) in FIG. 13. At this time, a spiral spring 471 serving as the first biasing portion 47 is disposed on the front arm 43, and biases the upper shelf 11 in the direction returning it. In addition, since the rotary damper 481 is a unidirectional damper, no braking torque acts on the rotation of the upper shelf 11 in the direction returning it. Therefore, the upper shelf 11 can be easily returned to the rear end position Zr, which is the initial position.

[0081] Here, the function of the upright pieces 96, 98 of the movable plate 90 during the return operation will be described. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the movable plate 90 is provided with standing pieces 96 and 98. When the upper shelf 11 is lowered to the front end position Zf in front of the lower shelf 12 and returned to the storage position, that is, the rear end position Zr above the lower shelf 12, the rear arm 44 is first rotated in the direction of the arrow as shown in Fig. 14(a) which shows the state of the front end position Zf. At this time, the movable plate 90 remains in the position where the rear arm 44 was at the apex position Zt.

[0082] As the rear arm 44 continues to rotate and reaches the apex position Zt as shown in FIG. 14(b), the rear arm lower extension 44c of the rear arm 44 comes into contact with the upright piece 96 of the movable plate 90, and the rear arm main body 44a of the rear arm 44 comes into contact with the upright piece 98 of the movable plate 90. When the rear arm 44 continues to rotate in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 14(b) from this state, the movable plate 90 rotates in conjunction with the rear arm 44. At this time, the connecting pin 92 of the movable plate 90 is in a state in which it can move along the circumference 87 within the slit 88, i.e., is in a rotation-permitted state, so the movable plate 90 follows the rear arm 44. As a result, the entire rotary damper 481 connected to the movable plate 90 also rotates.

[0083] 14(c), the rear arm 44 returns to the rear end position Zr. Accordingly, the rotary damper 481 also returns to its initial position via the movable plate 90.

[0084] As described above, the upright pieces 96, 98 of the movable plate 90 function to return the rotary damper 481 to its initial position.

[0085] Here, in order to return the rotary damper 481 to its initial position via the movable plate 90, the portions that come into contact with the rear arm main body 44a and the rear arm lower extension portion 44c of the rear arm 44 are not limited to the upright pieces 96, 98, and may be, for example, as shown in FIG. 15 , cylindrical return pins 102, 102 that are provided upright at the positions on the movable plate 90 where the upright pieces 96, 98 were provided.

[0086] Next, a description will be given of a modified example of the damper linking mechanism 84. In the description of the modified example, the same components as those already described will be given the same reference numerals and detailed description will be omitted.

[0087] 16 , a modified example is one in which the movable plate 90 is omitted and a washer 104, a nut 106, and a bolt 108 are used instead. In this modified example, instead of the connecting pins 92, bolts 108 are used as protrusions that are fitted into fitting holes 484 of a rotary damper 481 to secure the rotary damper 481. The tips of the bolts 108 are inserted into slits 88 of the damper mounting plate 82 and protrude from the surface of the damper mounting plate 82 opposite the surface through which they were inserted. A washer 104 is inserted over the protruding tips of the bolts 108, and a nut 106 is further screwed onto the bolts. The washer 104 and the nut 106 function as a mechanism for preventing the bolts from coming off.

[0088] Here, the diameter of the bolt 108 is set to be equal to or smaller than the width of the slit 88 , and the bolt 108 is movable within the slit 88 along the circumference 87 .

[0089] In this modification, the washer 104 and nut 106 prevent the bolt 108 from coming off the damper mounting plate 82, allowing the rotary damper 481 to be connected to the damper mounting plate 82. In addition, by adjusting the diameter of the washer 104, it can also serve as the upright pieces 96, 98 and the return pin 102.

[0090] According to this modification, the movable plate 90 having a specific shape can be omitted, and versatile bolts, nuts, and washers can be used, so that the manufacturing cost of the showcase 100 can be reduced.

[0091] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and further modifications and changes are possible based on the technical concept of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 10 shelves (product display shelves) 11 Top shelf (upper shelf) 12 Second shelf (lower shelf) 20 Connecting Units 30 Upper slide mechanism 40 Rotating mechanism 41 Upper box 42 Lower box 43 Forearm 43a Front arm body (arm body) 43b Forearm extension 431 Front lower shaft part (lower shaft part) 432 Front upper shaft part (upper shaft part) 44 rear arm 44a Rear arm body (arm body) 44b Rear arm upper extension 44c Rear arm lower extension 441 Rear lower shaft part (lower shaft part) 442 Rear upper shaft part (upper shaft part) 481 Rotary Damper 82 Damper mounting plate 88 Slit 90 Movable plate 92 connecting pin 100 Showcase Z rotation locus Zt vertex position Rf forward arc range Rr Rear arc range

Claims

1. A showcase having a plurality of shelves spaced apart from one another in the vertical direction, A connecting unit is provided to connect an end portion of the upper shelf in the width direction to an end portion of the lower shelf in the width direction so that the upper shelf of a predetermined upper shelf and a predetermined lower shelf adjacent to each other in the vertical direction among the plurality of shelves can move between an upper position of the lower shelf and a front position of the lower shelf, The connection unit is an upper slide mechanism that supports the end of the upper shelf so that the upper shelf can move in the front-rear direction; a rotation mechanism that connects the upper slide mechanism that supports the upper shelf and the end of the lower shelf so that the upper shelf, the end of which is supported by the upper slide mechanism, can rotate while maintaining a parallel attitude with respect to the lower shelf, The rotation mechanism includes: a damper that applies resistance to the rotational movement of the upper slide mechanism; a damper mounting plate to which the damper is attached; A showcase including a damper connection mechanism that connects the damper to the damper mounting plate, which connects the entire damper so that it can rotate coaxially with the rotation axis of the upper slide mechanism during rotational movement, and which can switch between a rotation-permitting state that allows the entire damper to rotate and a rotation-restricting state that restricts the rotation of the entire damper.

2. a rotation trajectory of a connecting portion of the rotation mechanism to the upper slide mechanism is an arc-shaped trajectory having a vertex, and is divided into a forward arc range and a rearward arc range with the vertex as a boundary; The showcase according to claim 1, wherein the damper connecting mechanism is configured to maintain the rotation permitted state at least in the rear arc range of the rotation locus.

3. the rotating mechanism has a front arm and a rear arm spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction for connecting the upper slide mechanism and the end of the lower shelf, The showcase according to claim 2, wherein the damper connecting mechanism switches between the rotation-permitted state and the rotation-restricted state using rotational displacement of a lower shelf side portion of one of the front arm and the rear arm.

4. the damper is a unidirectional rotary damper; one end of each of the front arm and the rear arm is rotatably supported by a lower shaft portion extending in the width direction near the lower shelf, and the other end of each of the front arm and the rear arm is rotatably supported by an upper shaft portion extending in the width direction near the upper slide mechanism, the rotary damper is connected to the damper mounting plate by the damper connecting mechanism in a state where a center of a rotation shaft of the rotary damper coincides with a center of a rotation shaft of the lower shaft portion on the rear arm side so as to apply a resistance force to at least the rear arm of the front arm and the rear arm, The damper connecting mechanism is a slit formed in the damper mounting plate, the slit being an arc-shaped slit concentric with the center of the rotation axis of the lower shaft portion; a protrusion formed on the rotary damper and protruding toward the damper mounting plate, the protrusion being inserted into the slit and movable along the slit; The showcase according to claim 3, further comprising a slip-out prevention mechanism that prevents the protrusion from slipping out of the slit.

5. The showcase according to claim 4 , wherein the slit is formed in a range corresponding to the rear arc range.

6. the protrusion is a connecting pin made of a columnar member, The showcase described in claim 4, wherein the anti-slip mechanism is a plate-shaped movable plate arranged parallel to the damper mounting plate, rotatable coaxially with the rotation axis of the lower shaft portion, large enough to overlap at least a portion of the slit, and having a fitting hole into which the tip of the connecting pin protruding from the slit is fitted and fixed.

7. The showcase according to claim 6, wherein the movable plate has an abutment portion that abuts against a corresponding position of the rear arm when the rear arm performs a return operation to return to its initial position, and performs a return operation in accordance with the rear arm.

Images