Show case

Abstract

To provide a show case provided with a positioning structure defining relative positions of unit case bodies arranged in parallel, in which construction of the positioning structure in connection work can be more easily and reliably performed while suppressing a decrease in appearance design.SOLUTION: Unit case bodies 4 (4A, 4B) includes: a heat insulation box body 7 having a front wall 11; and a front exterior package 10 provided so as to cover a front surface of the front wall 11 across right and left ends. A positioning structure 43 provided between adjacent unit case bodies 4A, 4B includes: rail-shaped fitting parts 44 provided in right and left ends of the front exterior package 10 and formed in a right and left direction; and a connection body 45 fitted and mounted across the fitting parts 44, 44 of the unit case bodies 4A, 4B on an inner surface side of the front exterior packages 10, 10 of adjacent unit case bodies 4A, 4B. The front exterior package 10 is provided with a regulation structure 51 that regulates an entrance depth in the right and left direction of the connection body 45 with respect to the fitting parts 44.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a showcase formed by connecting two or more unit case bodies arranged side by side. [Background technology]

[0002] It is well known that this type of showcase has an alignment structure for determining the relative positions of adjacent unit case bodies. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an alignment structure consisting of a connecting portion having an insertion hole and a connecting member inserted across the insertion hole of an adjacent showcase (unit case body). The connecting portion is provided across the left and right ends of the front of the showcase, with an insertion hole formed on each end face of the connecting portion. The connecting member is composed of a thin plate-like main body whose outer shape is slightly larger than the cross-sectional shape of the connecting portion and a pair of insertion pieces protruding in the left and right directions from each plate face of the main body. When connecting adjacent showcases, first, one insertion piece is inserted into the insertion hole of one showcase until the main body contacts the connecting portion. Next, the remaining other insertion piece is aligned with the connecting portion of the other showcase, and the other insertion piece is inserted into the insertion hole of the other showcase while the other showcase is moved toward the first showcase. As described above, an alignment structure is constructed, and by fixing both showcases together in this state, the two showcases can be connected to each other.

[0003] A showcase equipped with an alignment structure is also disclosed in Patent Document 2. The alignment structure in Patent Document 2 is composed of a handrail provided across the left and right ends of the front of the showcase (unit case body) and having a connecting pin housing portion (hereinafter referred to as "housing portion") on each end face, and a connecting pin (hereinafter referred to as "pin") with a circular cross section that is inserted and held across the housing portion of an adjacent showcase. When connecting adjacent showcases, first, the pin is inserted halfway into the housing portion of one showcase, and then the pin protruding from the end face of the handrail is aligned with the handrail of the other showcase. Then, while inserting the pin into the housing portion, the other showcase is moved close to the first showcase. As described above, an alignment structure is constructed, and the two showcases can be connected by fixing them together in this state. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Microfilm of Utility Model Application No. 54-82717 (Utility Model Application No. 56-470) [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-222307 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the showcase of Patent Document 1, the main body of the connecting material is exposed between the connecting parts of the connected showcases, allowing users to see the main body from the outside. This impairs the left-right continuity of the connecting parts, which is a disadvantage in that it reduces the aesthetic appeal of the showcase's exterior. In the showcase of Patent Document 2, the entire pin is housed within the housing, making it impossible for users to see the pin from the outside. This maintains the continuity of the handrails of the connected showcases, preventing the disadvantage of reducing the aesthetic appeal of the showcase. However, during the process of connecting showcases, when a pin protruding from the handrail of one showcase is inserted into the housing of the other showcase, the movement of the other showcase may push the pin into the housing (the housing of one showcase) with the end face of the handrail, causing the pin to sink into the housing. Once the pin is immersed in the storage section in this way, it becomes impossible to continue the work of constructing the alignment structure or connecting the showcases. Once the pin is immersed, it is necessary to remove it from the storage section and then perform the construction and connection work again, which requires time and effort to connect the showcases.

[0006] The object of the present invention is to make it possible to construct an alignment structure more easily and reliably while preventing a reduction in the design quality of the exterior of a showcase equipped with an alignment structure that determines the relative positions of unit case bodies arranged side by side. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention relates to a showcase in which a showcase body 1 with a display chamber 3 is constructed by connecting two or more unit case bodies 4 (4A and 4B) arranged side by side in the left-right direction. Each unit case body 4 (4A and 4B) has an insulated box body 7 with a front wall 11 and a front exterior casing 10 provided to cover the front surface of the front wall 11 from left to right. An alignment structure 43 is provided between adjacent unit case bodies 4A(4) and 4B(4) to determine the relative positions of the unit case bodies 4A(4) and 4B(4) in the front-to-back and up-to-down directions. The alignment structure 43 is composed of rail-shaped fitting portions 44 formed in the left-to-right direction and provided at the left and right ends of the front exterior casing 10, respectively, and a connecting body 45 fitted and attached across the fitting portions 44 of the unit case bodies 4A(4) and 4B(4) on the inner surface of the front exterior casings 10 of adjacent unit case bodies 4A(4) and 4B(4). The front exterior 10 is characterized by being provided with a restricting structure 51 that restricts the depth of insertion of the connector 45 into the fitting portion 44 in the left-right direction.

[0008] The fitting portion 44 is composed of an insertion hole 40 extending in the left-right direction and having a C-shaped inner cross section with a slit 39. The connector 45 includes a connecting pin 46, which is a round pin that is long in the left-right direction and is inserted into and fitted into the insertion hole 40, and a restricting piece 47 that extends parallel to the extension direction of the connecting pin 46, and the restricting piece 47 is led out of the insertion hole 40 through the slit 39 of the insertion hole 40. The restricting structure 51 is composed of the restricting piece 47 and an abutment portion 52 that is formed in the front exterior 10 and receives the restricting piece 47.

[0009] The front exterior 10 includes an upper frame 24 that forms the upper edge of the front exterior 10, and a front panel 25 that forms the lower side of the upper frame 24, and insertion holes 40 are provided in the upper frame 24. The upper frame 24 is formed from a metal strip material whose cross-sectional shape is constant in the left-right direction.

[0010] The front exterior 10 includes an upper frame 24 that forms the upper edge of the front exterior 10, and a front panel 25 that forms the lower side of the upper frame 24. The front panel 25 includes a main wall 28 made of a vertical plate that is arranged so as to be continuous with the upper frame 24, and an upper wall 29 that is set to be shorter than the left-right length dimension of the main wall 28 and is formed by bending rearward from the upper end of the front panel 25, with the left and right end faces of the upper wall 29 configured as abutment portions 52. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] In the showcase of the present invention, when the alignment structure 43 is composed of rail-like fitting portions 44 formed in the left-right direction at the left and right ends of the front exterior 10, and a connecting body 45 that is fitted and attached across the fitting portions 44 of unit case bodies 4A(4) and 4B(4) on the inner surface of the front exteriors 10 of adjacent unit case bodies 4A(4) and 4B(4), the connecting body 45 does not appear outside the showcase at the abutment portion of the front exteriors 10 and 10 of the connected unit case bodies 4A and 4B, and the connecting body 45 is not visible to the user. Therefore, the continuity of the front exteriors 10 and 10 can be maintained, preventing a decrease in the design of the showcase's appearance. In addition, if the front exterior 10 is provided with a restriction structure 51 that restricts the depth of insertion of the connecting body 45 into the fitting portion 44 in the left-right direction, it is possible to prevent the connecting body 45 from becoming completely immersed in the fitting portion 44 of one of the unit case bodies 4A (4B) during the connecting work of the unit case bodies 4A and 4B. As described above, according to the showcase of the present invention, the construction of the alignment structure 43 during the connecting work can be carried out more easily and reliably while preventing a decrease in the design of the external appearance.

[0012] Specifically, fitting portion 44 is configured as insertion hole 40 extending in the left-right direction and having a C-shaped inner cross section with slit 39, and includes round pin-shaped connecting pin 46 that is inserted into insertion hole 40 to fit connector 45, and restriction piece 47 that extends parallel to the extension direction of connecting pin 46. Restriction piece 47 that is led out of insertion hole 40 through slit 39 of insertion hole 40 and abutment portion 52 formed on front exterior 10 to receive restriction piece 47 constitutes restriction structure 51. With restriction structure 51 as described above, a showcase installer can grasp restriction piece 47 and move restriction piece 47 left-right along slit 39 to move connecting pin 46 within insertion hole 40 and fit connector 45 into fitting portion 44, thereby allowing the construction of alignment structure 43 to proceed more efficiently. Furthermore, the structural strength of the connecting body 45 can be increased by the restricting piece 47, which can prevent problems such as bending of the connecting pin 46 during the operation of connecting the unit case bodies 4A and 4B.

[0013] The front exterior 10 includes an upper frame 24 that forms the upper edge of the front exterior 10, and a front panel 25 that forms the lower side of the upper frame 24, with insertion holes 40 formed in the upper frame 24. If this upper frame 24 is formed from a metal strip material that has a uniform cross-sectional shape in the left-right direction, then simply cutting the metal strip material to a predetermined length can form rail-shaped fitting portions 44, and the upper frame 24 can be obtained with insertion holes 40 formed at the left and right ends. This makes it possible to reduce the cost of the front exterior 10, and further reduce the cost of the showcase.

[0014] Front exterior 10 is configured to include an upper frame 24 that forms the upper edge of front exterior 10, and a front panel 25 that forms the lower side of upper frame 24. Front panel 25 is equipped with a main wall 28 made of a vertical plate that is arranged to be continuous with upper frame 24, and an upper wall 29 that is set to be shorter than the left-right length dimension of main wall 28 and is formed by bending rearward from the upper end of front panel 25, and if the left and right end faces of upper wall 29 are configured as abutment portions 52, abutment portions 52 of restriction structure 51 can be provided without adding a separate dedicated member, thereby reducing the cost of front exterior 10 and further reducing the cost of the showcase. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing a main part of a showcase according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional side view of the showcase. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway front view of the alignment structure. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway plan view of the alignment structure. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the showcase body. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a perspective view for explaining an alignment structure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] 1 to 7 show an embodiment in which the showcase according to the present invention is applied to a flat refrigerated open showcase installed in a store such as a supermarket. In this embodiment, front, back, left, right, and top and bottom refer to the crossed arrows shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and the indications given near each arrow. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the refrigerated open showcase comprises a showcase body 1 with openings on the top and on the left and right sides, and a pair of left and right side walls 2 and 2 that close the openings on the left and right sides of the showcase body 1, and the showcase body 1 and the pair of side walls 2 and 2 define a display chamber 3 having an access opening on the top surface.

[0017] 2, the showcase body 1 is formed by connecting two or more unit case bodies 4 arranged side by side in the left-right direction, and in this embodiment, the showcase body 1 is made up of two unit case bodies 4, a left-half unit case body 4A(4) and a right-half unit case body 4B(4). Both unit case bodies 4A and 4B have the same shape and structure, and are connected with the right end face of unit case body 4A and the left end face of unit case body 4B butted against each other.

[0018] As shown in Figure 3, each unit case body 4 (4A, 4B) includes an insulated box body 7 made of a thermal insulator, an inner case 9 defining a ventilation duct 8 along the inner surface of the insulated box body 7, and a front exterior casing 10 provided in front of the insulated box body 7. The insulated box body 7 is formed of inner and outer box bodies and a thermal insulating material filling the internal space defined by the two box bodies, and is formed into a box-like shape with a horizontal U-shaped cross section, including vertical front and rear walls 11 and 12 arranged parallel to the front and rear, and a bottom wall 13 connecting the lower ends of the front and rear walls 11 and 12. The inner case 9 is also a box with a horizontal U-shaped cross section, positioned at a predetermined gap from the inner surface of the insulated box body 7, and a ventilation duct 8 is formed between the inner case 9 and the insulated box body 7 so as to surround the display room 3. In Figure 2 etc., symbol 14 denotes a leg member that supports the insulated box body 7 while floating above the floor surface, and symbol 15 denotes a glass plate erected on the upper front edge of each unit case body 4 and the upper edge of each side wall 2.

[0019] The ventilation duct 8, defined above the bottom wall 13, is fitted with an evaporator 17, which constitutes a refrigeration cycle, and a circulation fan 18, which creates an airflow circulating through the display chamber 3 and the ventilation duct 8. When the circulation fan 18 is driven, circulating air is blown out from an air outlet 19 located at the upper rear of the display chamber 3 toward an air inlet 20 located at the upper front, forming an air curtain at the outlet of the display chamber 3. The air outlet 19 opens forward, and the air inlet 20 opens rearward. The circulation fan 18 is constantly driven while the refrigerated open showcase is in operation, and the air curtain it creates prevents outside air from entering the display chamber 3. The evaporator 17 is connected to a condensing unit 21, which together with the evaporator 17 constitutes a refrigeration cycle. The display chamber 3 is cooled by circulating air that has undergone heat exchange in the evaporator 17 and to which refrigerant is supplied from the condensing unit 21. The condensing unit 21 is composed of a compressor, a condenser, a cooling fan for cooling these devices, and is installed outside the refrigerated open showcase, for example, outside the store.

[0020] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the front exterior casing 10 is composed of an upper frame 24 that forms the upper edge of the front exterior casing 10 and a front panel 25 that forms the lower portion of the upper frame 24. The front panel 25 is further composed of an upper panel 26 that forms the upper half and a lower panel 27 that forms the lower half. The upper panel 26 is disposed below the upper frame 24 and includes a main wall 28 made of a vertical plate that covers the upper half of the front wall 11, an upper wall 29 that is formed by bending rearward from the upper end of the main wall 28, and reinforcing ribs 30 that are formed by bending rearward from the left and right ends of the main wall 28 to reinforce the upper panel 26 (see Figure 1). The upper end of the main wall 28 is recessed inside the tip of the upper frame 24. The lower panel 27 has a generally crank-shaped cross section and covers the gap between the lower half of the front wall 11 and the floor to the underside of the insulated box 7. Each of the panels 26 and 27 is made of a painted steel plate, and is formed by cutting out a painted steel plate into a predetermined shape and then bending it.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1 , the upper frame 24 includes a molding portion 33 having a non-circular cross-section, a horizontal fixed wall 34 fixed to the upper end of the front wall 11, and a vertical connecting wall 35 connecting the molding portion 33 and the fixed wall 34. The molding portion 33 includes a horizontal molding wall 36 that forms the upper surface of the molding portion 33, a vertical molding wall 37 that forms the front surface of the molding portion 33, and an inclined molding wall 38 that connects the front end of the horizontal molding wall 36 to the upper end of the vertical molding wall 37 at an angle. The connecting wall 35 connects the front end of the fixed wall 34 to the rear end of the horizontal molding wall 36, and an insertion hole 40 that forms a fitting portion 44 of an alignment structure 43 (described later) is provided at the corner between the connecting wall 35 and the horizontal molding wall 36. The insertion hole 40 is shaped like a rail that is long in the left-right direction and has a C-shaped inner cross section with a slit 39.

[0022] The upper frame 24 of this embodiment is made of an aluminum strip (metal strip) with a uniform cross-sectional shape in the left-right direction. The upper frame 24 can be obtained by cutting the aluminum strip to a predetermined length. Because the upper frame 24 is made of aluminum strip, the insertion holes 40 are also formed across the left and right ends of the upper frame 24, with insertion holes 40 formed at each of the left and right ends of the upper frame 24. As shown in FIG. 6 , the left-right widths of the upper frame 24, the main wall 28 of the upper panel 26, and the lower panel 27 that make up the front exterior 10 are set to the same width as the left-right width of the insulated box 7, and the front exterior 10 is provided across the left and right sides of the unit case body 4. The upper and lower panels 26 and 27 are fastened to the insulated box 7 with brackets (not shown), and the lower end of the vertical molding wall 37 of the upper frame 24 covers the upper end of the upper panel 26 from the outside. The glass plate 15 described above in each unit case body 4 is inserted and fixed in a groove 41 extending in the left-right direction and formed on the rear side of the connecting wall 35.

[0023] The showcase body 1 is composed of two unit case bodies 4A and 4B. Therefore, to ensure that the unit case bodies 4A and 4B arranged side by side in the left-right direction are connected to each other without misalignment in the front-rear and up-down directions, an alignment structure 43 is provided at the butt joint between the adjacent unit case bodies 4A and 4B to determine the relative positions of the two unit case bodies 4A and 4B. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the alignment structure 43 is composed of rail-shaped fitting portions 44 provided at the left and right ends of the front exterior casing 10, respectively, and a connecting body 45 that is fitted and attached across the fitting portions 44 of the unit case bodies 4A and 4B on the inner surface of the front exterior casings 10 of the adjacent unit case bodies 4A and 4B. In this embodiment, the insertion hole 40 of the upper frame 24 constitutes the fitting portion 44, as described above.

[0024] The connecting body 45 is a resin molded product including a round connecting pin 46 that is inserted into and fitted into the insertion hole 40, and a restricting piece 47 that has a generally T-shaped cross section and extends parallel to the extension direction of the connecting pin 46. The connecting pin 46 and the restricting piece 47 are formed long in the left-right direction. The length dimension of the connecting pin 46 is set longer than the restricting piece 47. The restricting piece 47 also functions as a reinforcement to increase the structural strength of the connecting pin 46. To make it easier to insert the connecting pin 46 into the insertion hole 40, each end of the connecting pin 46 is rounded into a hemispherical shape.

[0025] When the round pin-shaped connecting pin 46 is inserted into the insertion hole 40, there is a risk that the connecting pin 46 will be completely immersed in the insertion hole 40 of one of the unit case bodies 4. If the connecting pin 46 is immersed in the insertion hole 40 in this way, the connecting pin 46 (connecting body 45) cannot be installed across the insertion holes 40 / 40 (fitting portions 44 / 44) of the adjacent unit case bodies 4A / 4B, and the alignment structure 43 cannot be constructed. Therefore, in this embodiment, a restriction structure 51 is provided that restricts the depth of insertion of the connecting body 45 into the fitting portions 44 in the left-right direction, thereby preventing the connecting pin 46 from being completely immersed in the insertion hole 40.

[0026] The restricting structure 51 is composed of the restricting piece 47 of the connecting body 45 and an abutment portion 52 provided on the inner surface of the front exterior 10 and configured to receive the restricting piece 47. Specifically, the connecting body 45 is configured so that the restricting piece 47 is led out of the insertion hole 40 through the slit 39. The upper wall 29 of the upper panel 26 (front panel 25) is disposed in the area facing the restricting piece 47, and the upper wall 29 is configured to be shorter than the left-right length dimension of the main wall 28. The left and right end surfaces of the upper wall 29 are configured as abutment portions 52, and when the connecting pin 46 is inserted into the insertion hole 40, the abutment portion 52 receives the restricting piece 47, preventing the connecting pin 46 from being completely inserted into the insertion hole 40. The left-right distance from each side end face of the main wall 28 to the abutment portion 52 should be set so that the connecting pin 46 is not completely immersed in the insertion hole 40, and it is desirable that it be approximately half the left-right length dimension of the connecting pin 46.

[0027] The operation of connecting unit case bodies 4A and 4B involves, with unit case body 4A serving as the reference side, first inserting connecting pin 46 into insertion hole 40 exposed at the right end of unit case body 4A with restriction piece 47 extending out of insertion hole 40 via slit 39, as shown in FIG. 7. At this time, restriction piece 47 of restriction body 45 is grasped with the fingers and fitted into fitting portion 44. Specifically, the installer of the refrigerated open showcase grasps restriction piece 47, aligns connecting pin 46 with insertion hole 40, and then slides restriction piece 47 along slit 39. With this operation, connecting pin 46 is guided by insertion hole 40 and restriction piece 47 is guided by slit 39, so that connecting pin 46 can be easily inserted into insertion hole 40, and the work of constructing alignment structure 43 can proceed efficiently. It is desirable to insert the connecting pin 46 into the insertion hole 40 until the restricting piece 47 is received by the abutment portion 52. It is sufficient that the connecting pin 46 of the connector 45 is inserted into the insertion hole 40 to an extent that it does not fall out of the insertion hole 40.

[0028] Next, the connecting pin 46 protruding from the right end of unit case body 4A is aligned with the insertion hole 40 exposed at the left end of unit case body 4B, and then unit case body 4B is brought closer to unit case body 4A, and the connecting pin 46 is inserted into the insertion hole 40 of unit case body 4B. From this point, unit case body 4B is further moved toward unit case body 4A, until the right end face of unit case body 4A and the left end face of unit case body 4B are brought into close contact. At this time, even if connecting body 45 tries to move toward unit case body 4A as unit case body 4B moves, the movement of connecting body 45 is prevented by restriction structure 51, and connecting body 45 is fitted and attached across the insertion holes 40 / 40 (fitting portions 44 / 44) of unit case bodies 4A / 4B, and alignment structure 43 is established. Finally, the two unit case bodies 4A and 4B are fastened together with a fastening structure (not shown), thereby connecting the two unit case bodies 4A and 4B. After the unit case bodies 4A and 4B are connected to form the showcase body 1, the side walls 2 are fastened to the left and right sides of the showcase body 1 with a fastening structure (not shown), thereby forming a refrigerated open showcase.

[0029] As described above, in the showcase of this embodiment, the alignment structure 43 is composed of rail-like fitting portions 44 formed in the left-right direction at the left and right ends of the front exterior 10, and the connecting body 45 that is fitted and attached across the fitting portions 44 of the unit case bodies 4A and 4B on the inner side of the butt joint of the front exteriors 10 of adjacent unit case bodies 4A and 4B. Therefore, at the butt joint of the front exteriors 10 of the connected unit case bodies 4A and 4B, the connecting body 45 does not appear outside the showcase and is not visible to users. Therefore, the continuity of the front exteriors 10 and 10 can be maintained, preventing a decrease in the design of the showcase's appearance. In addition, the front exterior 10 is provided with a restriction structure 51 that restricts the depth of insertion of the connecting body 45 into the fitting portion 44 in the left-right direction, so that when the unit case bodies 4A and 4B are connected, the restriction structure 51 prevents the connecting body 45 from becoming completely immersed in the fitting portion 44 of one of the unit case bodies 4A (4B). As described above, according to the showcase of the present invention, the construction of the alignment structure 43 during the connection work can be carried out more easily and reliably while preventing a decrease in the design of the external appearance.

[0030] Fitting portion 44 is configured as insertion hole 40 extending in the left-right direction and having a C-shaped inner cross section with slit 39, and includes round pin-shaped connecting pin 46 that fits into and is inserted into insertion hole 40, and restriction piece 47 that extends parallel to the extension direction of connecting pin 46. Restriction piece 47 that extends to the outside of insertion hole 40 through slit 39 of insertion hole 40, and abutment portion 52 formed on front exterior 10 that receives restriction piece 47 constitute restriction structure 51. With restriction structure 51 as described above, a worker installing a refrigerated open showcase can grasp restriction piece 47 and move it left-right along slit 39 to move connecting pin 46 within insertion hole 40 and fit connector 45 into fitting portion 44, thereby allowing the work of constructing alignment structure 43 to proceed more efficiently. Furthermore, the structural strength of the connecting body 45 can be increased by the restricting piece 47, which can prevent problems such as bending of the connecting pin 46 during the process of connecting the unit case bodies 4A and 4B.

[0031] For example, if the insertion hole is cylindrical (the inner cross section of which is a ring) and a rod-shaped connector is inserted into the insertion hole, a restriction structure must be formed inside the cylindrical insertion hole to limit the insertion limit of the connector. However, in consideration of processability and manufacturing costs, forming a restriction structure inside the insertion hole is not easy. However, as in this embodiment, if the restriction structure 51 is formed by the restriction piece 47 and the abutment portion 52 provided on the outside of the insertion hole 40, the restriction structure 51 can be more easily provided. Furthermore, if the restriction structure 51 is formed by the restriction piece 47 and the abutment portion 52 provided on the outside of the insertion hole 40, there is an advantage that the restriction structure 51 can be designed more freely depending on the thickness of the fitting portion 44, the thickness of the front exterior 10, etc.

[0032] The upper frame 24 with the insertion holes 40 is formed from aluminum strip material with a constant cross-sectional shape in the left-right direction, so rail-shaped fitting portions 44 can be formed simply by cutting the aluminum strip material to the specified length, and the upper frame 24 with insertion holes 40 formed at the left and right ends can be obtained. Also, the left and right end faces of the upper wall 29, which is formed by bending the upper end of the front panel 25 rearward, are configured as abutment portions 52, so the abutment portions 52 of the restriction structure 51 can be provided without adding any additional dedicated components. As a result, the cost of the front exterior 10 and, in turn, the cost of the showcase can be reduced.

[0033] In addition to the above, the connector 45 can be formed as a cylindrical body that fits externally onto the shaft-shaped fitting portion 44 extending in the left-right direction. In this case, the cylindrical connector 45 can be received by the abutment portion 52 so that the connector 45 also serves as the restricting piece 47. The showcase of the present invention can be applied to an open showcase having an outlet on the front, or a closed showcase having a door that opens and closes the outlet. Furthermore, the showcase is not limited to a refrigerated showcase, but may also be a freezer or warmer showcase. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 1 Showcase body 2 side wall 3 Display room 4 (4A·4B) unit case body 7. Insulated box 10 Front exterior 11 Front wall 24 Upper frame 25 Front Panel 28 Main wall 29 Upper Wall 39 Slit 40 insertion hole 43 Alignment structure 44 Fitting part 45 Connector 46 connecting pin 47 Regulatory piece 51 Regulatory Structure 52 Contact part

Claims

1. In a showcase in which a showcase body (1) having a display chamber (3) is constructed by connecting two or more unit case bodies (4 (4A, 4B) arranged side by side in the left-right direction, Each unit case body (4 (4A, 4B)) has a heat-insulating box body (7) having a front wall (11) and a front exterior (10) provided so as to cover the front surface of the front wall (11) across the left and right ends, Between adjacent unit case bodies (4A(4) and 4B(4)), a positioning structure (43) is provided for defining the relative positions of the unit case bodies (4A(4) and 4B(4)) in the front-rear direction and the up-down direction, The alignment structure (43) is composed of rail-shaped fitting portions (44) formed in the left-right direction and provided at the left and right ends of the front exterior (10), respectively, and a connecting body (45) fitted and attached across the fitting portions (44, 44) of the unit case bodies (4A(4) and 4B(4)) on the inner surface side of the front exteriors (10, 10) of the adjacent unit case bodies (4A(4) and 4B(4)), The showcase is characterized in that a front exterior (10) is provided with a restricting structure (51) for restricting the depth of insertion of the connector (45) into the fitting portion (44) in the left-right direction.

2. The fitting portion (44) is configured as an insertion hole (40) extending in the left-right direction and having a C-shaped inner cross section with a slit (39), The connector (45) includes a round pin-shaped connector pin (46) that is elongated in the left-right direction and is inserted into and fitted into the insertion hole (40), and a restricting piece (47) that extends parallel to the extension direction of the connector pin (46), and the restricting piece (47) is led out of the insertion hole (40) through a slit (39) in the insertion hole (40), 2. The showcase according to claim 1, wherein the restricting structure (51) comprises a restricting piece (47) and an abutment (52) formed on the front exterior (10) for receiving the restricting piece (47).

3. The front exterior (10) includes an upper frame (24) that forms the upper edge of the front exterior (10) and a front panel (25) that forms a lower side of the upper frame (24), and an insertion hole (40) is provided in the upper frame (24); 3. The showcase according to claim 2, wherein the upper frame (24) is formed of a metal strip material having a uniform cross-sectional shape in the left-right direction.

4. The front exterior (10) includes an upper frame (24) that forms the upper edge of the front exterior (10) and a front panel (25) that forms the lower side of the upper frame (24), The front panel (25) comprises a main wall (28) made of a vertical plate arranged so as to be continuous with the upper frame (24), and an upper wall (29) which is set to be shorter than the length dimension of the main wall (28) in the left-right direction and is formed by bending the upper end of the front panel (25) backward, 3. The showcase according to claim 2, wherein the left and right end surfaces of the upper wall (29) are configured as abutment portions (52).

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