Flat type showcase

Abstract

To improve an external appearance and to reduce manufacturing costs of exterior panels and labor required for assembly in a flat type showcase where the exterior panels are provided on four peripheral side surfaces.SOLUTION: An exterior panel 4 includes: a pair of first panels 15 having a flat first main wall 24 orienting a back and forth direction and forming a front rear surface; a pair of second panels 16 which have flat second main walls 28 directed in the horizontal direction and form left and right surfaces; and corner panels 17 which have flat left and right walls 31 directed in the horizontal direction and flat front and rear walls 32 directed in the back and forth direction, and form corner parts in four corners. The first main wall 24 of the first panel 15 and the front rear surfaces 32 of the corner panels 17 are disposed flush, the left and right walls 31, 31 of the corner panels 17, 17 adjacent to the front and back of the second panels 16 are configured at end parts left and right of the second main walls 28 of the second panels 16, and the second panels 16 and the corner panels 17, 17 are integrally formed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a flat showcase having exterior panels on all four outer peripheral surfaces. [Background technology]

[0002] Flat showcases known as island showcases, which are installed in supermarkets and other stores, are equipped with exterior panels covering the front, rear, left, and right exterior surfaces of an insulated box that divides the display compartment. For example, in the flat open showcase (hereinafter referred to as the "showcase") disclosed in Patent Document 1, the four side walls surrounding the product display area (front, rear, left, and right) are constructed with a transparent windshield at the top and flat panels containing insulating material at the bottom. Adjacent panels (front and left, front and right, rear and left, and rear and right) are fastened together with panel joint members, and handrails are provided between the windshields and the panels. Decorative panels are attached to the exterior surfaces of each panel, and corner bumpers protrude outward from the decorative panels on the outer surfaces of the panel joint members. The exterior panels consist of decorative panels and corner bumpers, which are also fastened to the panel joint members to which the panels are fastened. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-180492 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the showcase of Patent Document 1, the corner bumpers protrude outward beyond the decorative panels, creating a step between the decorative panels and the corner bumpers. This makes the corner bumpers stand out and significantly mars the exterior appearance of the showcase, making it difficult to create a clean impression for the exterior panel. Furthermore, the exterior panel is made up of a total of eight components, including the decorative panels on the front, rear, and left and right sides, and the corner bumpers at each corner, which inevitably increases costs due to the number of components. Another disadvantage is that the assembly of the exterior panel requires time and effort because each component must be fixed to a panel joining member.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to improve the appearance of a flat showcase provided with exterior panels on all four outer surfaces, and to reduce the manufacturing costs of the exterior panels and the labor required for assembling them. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The flat showcase according to the present invention comprises an insulated box 3, which is a rectangular box with an opening on the top surface, and an exterior panel 4 that covers the outer surfaces of the four peripheries of the insulated box 3. The exterior panel 4 comprises a pair of first panels 15 that form the front and rear surfaces, a pair of second panels 16 that form the left and right surfaces, and corner panels 17 that form the four corners. The first panel 15 has a flat, plate-shaped first main wall 24 that faces the front or rear outer surface of the insulated box 3 and extends in the front-to-rear direction. The second panel 16 has a flat, plate-shaped second main wall 28 that faces the left or right outer surface of the insulated box 3 and extends in the left-to-right direction. The corner panel 17 has flat, plate-shaped left and right walls 31 that face the left and right directions and flat, plate-shaped front and rear walls 32 that face the front-to-rear direction, that cover the protruding corners of the insulated box 3. The first main wall 24 of the first panel 15 and the front and rear walls 32 of the corner panel 17 are arranged flush with each other, and the left and right walls 31 of the corner panels 17 adjacent to the front and rear of the second panel 16 are formed by the left and right ends of the second main wall 28 of the second panel 16, so that the second panel 16 and the corner panels 17 are formed integrally.

[0007] The first panel 15 has first engagement walls 27 formed by bending each of the left and right edges of the first main wall 24 toward the insulated box 3, and the corner panel 17 has second engagement walls 34 formed by bending each of the free end edges of the front and rear walls 32 toward the insulated box 3. The first panel 15 and the corner panel 17 are configured so that the first engagement wall 27 and the second engagement wall 34 are in surface contact with each other. A support piece 39 formed on the free end edge of at least one of the first engagement wall 27 and the second engagement wall 34 receives and holds the free end edge of the other engagement wall 34 (27).

[0008] The first engagement wall 27 and the second engagement wall 34 are fastened together at their upper ends 27A and 34A and at their lower ends 27B and 34B by fasteners 38. A support piece 39 is provided between the upper and lower fasteners 38 and 38.

[0009] The first panel 15 includes a first upper fixed wall 25 formed from the upper edge of the first main wall 24 toward the insulated box 3 and fixed to the upper part of the insulated box 3, and a first lower fixed wall 26 formed from the lower edge of the first main wall 24 toward the insulated box 3 and fixed to the lower part of the insulated box 3. The second panel 16 includes a second upper fixed wall 29 formed from the upper edge of the second main wall 28 toward the insulated box 3 and fixed to the upper part of the insulated box 3, and a second lower fixed wall 30 formed from the lower edge of the second main wall 28 toward the insulated box 3 and fixed to the lower part of the insulated box 3.

[0010] The first panel 15 and the second panel 16 are fixed to the insulated box 3 with a gap G provided between the first main wall 24 and the outer surface of the insulated box 3, and between the second main wall 28 and the outer surface of the insulated box 3. A spacer 40 made of an elastic material is provided in each gap G, and each of the main walls 24, 28 is supported by the insulated box 3 via the spacer 40. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] In the flat showcase according to the present invention, the first main wall 24 of the first panel 15 and the front and rear walls 32 of the corner panels 17, which constitute the exterior panel 4, are arranged flush, and the left and right walls 31 of the corner panels 17 adjacent to the front and rear of the second panel 16 are formed by the left and right ends of the second main wall 28 of the second panel 16, thereby integrally forming the second panel 16 and the corner panels 17. This eliminates a step at the joint between the first main wall 24 and the front and rear walls 32 between the first panel 15 and the corner panel 17, and also eliminates the need for a joint between the second main wall 28 and the left and right walls 31 between the second panel 16 and the corner panel 17, thereby giving the exterior panel 4 a clean and tidy appearance. In addition, the exterior panel 4 is formed from a total of four members: a pair of front and rear first panels 15 and a pair of left and right second panels 16 integrally formed with the front and rear corner panels 17, thereby suppressing increases in costs due to the number of members. Reducing the number of parts also reduces the labor required to assemble the exterior panel 4. As described above, the flat showcase of the present invention can improve the appearance and reduce the manufacturing cost of the exterior panel 4 and the labor required to assemble it.

[0012] If the first panel 15 and the corner panel 17 are configured so that the first engagement walls 27 formed on the left and right edges of the first main wall 24 and the second engagement walls 34 formed on the free end edges of the front and rear walls 32 are in surface contact with each other, the first main wall 24 and the front and rear walls 32 can be tightly attached to each other, preventing gaps from forming at the joints. In addition, if the support pieces 39 formed on the free end edges of at least one of the first engagement wall 27 and the second engagement wall 34 receive and hold the free end edge of the other engagement wall 34 (27), the support pieces 39 can restrict the engagement walls 27, 34 from shifting relative to each other in the front and rear directions, thereby reliably preventing steps from forming at the joints between the first main wall 24 and the front and rear walls 32.

[0013] When the first engagement wall 27 and the second engagement wall 34 are fastened together with fasteners 38 at the upper ends 27A and 34A of the engagement walls 27 and 34 and at the lower ends 27B and 34B of the engagement walls 27 and 34, the fasteners 38 prevent the first panel 15 and the corner panel 17 from shifting relative to each other even when an external force is applied to the exterior panel 4, preventing a step from forming at the joint between the panels 15 and 17. Furthermore, when the top and bottom of the engagement walls 27 and 34 are fastened together with fasteners 38, the fasteners 38 are not visible to the outside of the exterior panel 4, preventing the screws 38 from being visible to the user, thereby firmly fixing the engagement walls 27 and 34. In addition, when a support piece 39 is provided between the upper and lower fasteners 38, 38, the engagement walls 27, 34 can be aligned using the support piece 39 as a reference, and then the fastening work of the engagement walls 27, 34 can be carried out using the fasteners 38. This makes it possible to easily fasten the engagement walls 27, 34 with the fasteners 38 so that the first main wall 24 and the front and rear walls 32 are flush with each other.

[0014] The first panel 15 includes a first upper fixed wall 25 formed from the upper edge of the first main wall 24 toward the insulated box 3 and fixed to the upper part of the insulated box 3, and a first lower fixed wall 26 formed from the lower edge of the first main wall 24 toward the insulated box 3 and fixed to the lower part of the insulated box 3. The second panel 16 includes a second upper fixed wall 29 formed from the upper edge of the second main wall 28 toward the insulated box 3 and fixed to the upper part of the insulated box 3, and a second lower fixed wall 30 formed from the lower edge of the second main wall 28 toward the insulated box 3 and fixed to the lower part of the insulated box 3. This allows the upper and lower parts of both panels 15 and 16 to be fixed to the insulated box 3, which are easier to fix than the back surfaces of the first main wall 24 and the second main wall 28, and therefore the effort required to assemble the exterior panel 4 can be further reduced.

[0015] The first panel 15 and the second panel 16 are fixed to the insulated box 3 with a gap G provided between the first main wall 24 and the outer surface of the insulated box 3 and between the second main wall 28 and the outer surface of the insulated box 3, and an elastic spacer 40 is provided in each gap G, and the main walls 24, 28 are supported by the insulated box 3 via the spacer 40. This prevents deformation of the first main wall 24 and the second main wall 28 due to bending by the spacer 40, and securely fixes the panels 15, 16 to the insulated box 3. Furthermore, the elastic spacer 40 absorbs the impact when a shopping cart comes into contact with the first main wall 24 and the second main wall 28, preventing damage to the first main wall 24 and the second main wall 28. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2 showing a cross-sectional view of a main part of the flat showcase according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the entire flat showcase. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional plan view of the flat showcase. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing a first panel covering the front wall of the insulating box. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional front view showing a second panel covering the right wall of the insulating box. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing the fastening portion between the first engagement wall and the second engagement wall, where (a) is an oblique view showing the upper part of the corner portion omitting the support pillar and corner molding, and (b) is an oblique view showing the lower part of the corner portion. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the support piece. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] (Embodiment) Figures 1 to 8 show an embodiment in which a flat showcase according to the present invention is applied to a 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 Figures 1 to 4 and the indications of front, back, left, right, and top and bottom written near each arrow. In Figure 2, the refrigerated open showcase (hereinafter referred to as "showcase") comprises a case body 1 having a rectangular (square) upper opening that is long in the left-right direction, and a stand 2 that is arranged below the case body 1 and supports the case body 1.

[0018] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the case body 1 comprises an insulated box body 3, which is a horizontally long rectangular box with an opening on the top surface; exterior panels 4 covering the outer surfaces of the insulated box body 3; glass panels 5 erected in a rectangular frame shape on the upper edge of the insulated box body 3; and handrail moldings 6 fixed along the outer base ends of each glass panel 5. The glass panels 5 are supported by supports 7 provided at the four corners of the upper edge of the insulated box body 3. The insulated box body 3 is formed by inner and outer box bodies and insulating material filled in the interior space defined by the two box bodies, and is composed of front and rear walls 3A and 3B, left and right walls 3C and 3D, and a bottom wall 3E. The interior space surrounded by the walls 3A-3E defines a product display room 8 and includes an inner case 10 defining a ventilation duct 9 along the inner surface of the insulated box body 3. The inner case 10 consists of a box body with a horizontal U-shaped cross section, arranged with a predetermined gap from the inner surfaces of the front and rear walls 3A and 3B and the bottom wall 3E of the insulated box body 3, and a ventilation duct 9 is formed between this inner case 10 and the insulated box body 3 so as to surround the display room 8.

[0019] The stand 2 also serves as a machine room housing the equipment that makes up the refrigeration cycle. Inside the stand 2, a compressor and condenser (not shown) are installed, along with a cooling fan that cools these devices. The evaporator that makes up the refrigeration cycle, along with the compressor and condenser, is installed in the ventilation duct 9 along with a circulation fan. When the circulation fan is driven, circulating air is blown from the air outlet 11 located at the top front of the display chamber 8 toward the air inlet 12, consisting of a group of vents located at the top rear of the display chamber 8, forming an air curtain at the outlet of the display chamber 8. The air outlet 11 opens toward the rear, and each vent of the air inlet 12 opens upward. The circulation fan is constantly driven while the showcase is in operation, forming an air curtain that prevents outside air from entering the display chamber 8. The display chamber 8 is cooled by circulating air that has undergone heat exchange in the evaporator.

[0020] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the exterior panel 4 is composed of a first panel 15 that forms the front and rear surfaces, a second panel 16 that forms the left and right surfaces, and corner panels 17 that form the four corners. Each of the panels 15, 16, and 17 is made of painted steel plate and is fixed to the insulated box 3. The upper surface of the exterior panel 4 is provided with the handrail molding 6, which consists of four straight moldings 18 arranged on the upper surfaces of the first panel 15 and the second panel 16 and four corner moldings 19 arranged on the upper surface of the corner panel 17. Each straight molding 18 is made of aluminum strip material and is fixed to a molding bracket 20 fixed to the upper end of the insulated box 3 (see Figures 5 and 6). The corner moldings 19 are made of aluminum and are fixed to the ends of the butt joints of the straight moldings 18 so that they cover them from above. In FIG. 5 and other figures, reference numeral 21 denotes a groove-shaped mounting rail that opens upward and into which the glass plate 5 is inserted and mounted. The glass plate 5 is supported by the support 7 while being inserted into the mounting rail 21.

[0021] 5 and 7, the first panel 15 includes a flat first main wall 24 whose plate surface is oriented in the front-to-rear direction and covers the front outer surface (the outer surface of the front wall 3A) or the rear outer surface (the outer surface of the rear wall 3B) of the insulating box 3, a first upper fixed wall 25 formed from the upper edge of the first main wall 24 toward the insulating box 3 (front-to-rear direction), a first lower fixed wall 26 formed from the lower edge of the first main wall 24 toward the insulating box 3 (front-to-rear direction), and first engaging walls 27, 27 formed as vertical walls bent from each of the left and right edges of the first main wall 24 toward the insulating box 3 (front-to-rear direction). The first upper fixed wall 25 is formed to have an L-shaped cross section, and the first lower fixed wall 26 is formed to have a J-shaped cross section.

[0022] 6 and 7, the second panel 16 includes a flat second main wall 28 whose plate surface is oriented in the left-right direction and covers the left outer surface (the outer surface of the left wall 3C) or the right outer surface (the outer surface of the right wall 3D) of the insulating box 3, a second upper fixed wall 29 formed from the upper edge of the second main wall 28 toward the insulating box 3 (left-right direction), and a second lower fixed wall 30 formed from the lower edge of the second main wall 28 toward the insulating box 3 (left-right direction). The second upper fixed wall 29 is formed to have an L-shaped cross section, and the second lower fixed wall 30 is formed to have a J-shaped cross section.

[0023] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 7 , the corner panel 17 includes flat left and right walls 31 with their plate surfaces oriented in the left-right direction and covering the protruding corners of the insulated box 3, flat front and rear walls 32 with their plate surfaces oriented in the front-rear direction, an inclined wall 33 provided between the left and right walls 31 and the front and rear walls 32 and inclined relative to both walls 31 and 32, and second engaging walls 34 formed by bending the free end edges of the front and rear walls 32 toward the insulated box 3 (in the front-rear direction). The corner panel 17 of this embodiment is integrally formed with the second panel 16. Specifically, the left and right walls 31 of the corner panels 17 adjacent to the front and rear of the second panel 16 are formed by the left and right ends of the second main wall 28 of the second panel 16, and the second main wall 28 and each of the left and right walls 31 are formed as a single, seamless, flat plate.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 5, the first panel 15 is fixed to the insulated box 3 at the front and rear (front wall 3A and rear wall 3B) by fastening the first upper fixed wall 25 and the first lower fixed wall 26 with screws 37. Specifically, the first panel 15 is fastened to the straight molding 18 with the screws 37 in a state in which the first upper fixed wall 25 and the upper end of the first main wall 24 are inserted into fitting grooves 36 provided on the outer lower surface of the straight molding 18, and the upper side of the first panel 15 is fixed to the insulated box 3 via the straight molding 18 and the molding bracket 20. Furthermore, the first lower fixed wall 26 of the first panel 15 is fastened to the front edge or rear edge of the lower surface of the bottom wall 3E with the screws 37, and the lower side of the first panel 15 is fixed to the insulated box 3. The first panel 15 fixed to the insulating box 3 is sandwiched between the left and right first engaging walls 27, 27, which sandwich the front wall 3A or rear wall 3B of the insulating box 3 from the left and right, preventing the first panel 15 from shifting left and right relative to the insulating box 3. A plurality of screws 37 for fixing the first upper fixing wall 25 and the first lower fixing wall 26 to the insulating box 3 are provided at equal intervals.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 6 , the second panel 16 is fixed to the left and right sides (left wall 3C and right wall 3D) of the insulated box 3 by fastening the second upper fixing wall 29 and the second lower fixing wall 30 with screws 37. Specifically, the second panel 16 is fastened to the straight molding 18 with the screws 37 in a state in which the second upper fixing wall 29 and the upper end of the second main wall 28 are inserted into fitting grooves 36 provided on the outer lower surface of the straight molding 18, and the upper side of the second panel 16 is fixed to the insulated box 3 via the straight molding 18 and the molding bracket 20. The second panel 16 also has the second lower fixing wall 30 fastened to the left edge or right edge of the lower surface of the bottom wall 3E with the screws 37, and the lower side of the second panel 16 is fixed to the insulated box 3. A plurality of screws 37 are provided at equal intervals to fix the second upper fixing wall 29 and the second lower fixing wall 30 to the insulated box 3.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 1, the first panel 15 and corner panel 17 fixed to the insulating box 3 are in surface contact with the first engagement wall 27 and second engagement wall 34, and the first main wall 24 and the front and rear walls 32 are flush with each other. As shown in Fig. 4, the first engagement wall 27 and the second engagement wall 34 are fastened and fixed at their upper and lower ends with screws (fasteners) 38. As shown in Fig. 8, no fixed walls are formed above or below the corner panel 17, so fastening the upper and lower ends of the engagement walls 27 and 34 with the screws 38 can be performed relatively easily. The fasteners 38 fastening the engagement walls 27 and 34 together are not limited to screws, and may be rivets, bolts, nuts, or the like.

[0027] As shown in Figure 4, the first main wall 24 and the front and rear walls 32 are arranged flush, and there is a risk of their joints (butting portions) becoming misaligned front to back, resulting in a step. Furthermore, when fastening the engagement walls 27, 34 with the screws 38, it is necessary to align the first main wall 24 and the front and rear walls 32 flush. Therefore, in order to prevent the formation of the step and to facilitate the alignment of the walls 24, 32, support pieces 39 are formed on the free end edges of each first engagement wall 27, extending in the left-right direction toward the second engagement wall 34, and these support pieces 39 are designed to receive the free end edges of the second engagement wall 34.

[0028] Specifically, the first engagement wall 27 on the right end side of the first main wall 24 has a support piece 39 extending rightward from its free end edge (tip), which receives the free end edge (tip) of the second engagement wall 34 (see FIG. 1 ). The first engagement wall 27 on the left end side of the first main wall 24 has a support piece 39 extending leftward from its free end edge (tip), which receives the free end edge (tip) of the second engagement wall 34. When assembling the exterior panel 4, after the first panel 15 and the second panel 16 are fixed to the insulated box 3, the second engagement wall 34 is temporarily held in a state where it is received by the support piece 39, which makes it easy to arrange the first main wall 24 and the front and rear walls 32 flush with each other. After the temporary holding, the engagement walls 27 and 34 are fastened together with upper and lower screws 38 to connect and secure the first panel 15 and corner panel 17. After the engagement walls 27 and 34 are fixed with the screws 38, the support piece 39 receives and holds the second engagement wall 34, preventing steps from occurring at the joints between the first main wall 24 and the front and rear walls 32.

[0029] The support piece 39 in this embodiment is formed so that its vertical length is approximately one-fifth the vertical length of both engagement walls 27, 34, and is disposed in the vertical center of the first engagement wall 27, i.e., between the upper and lower screws 38, 38. The vertical length of the support piece 39 is not limited to the above, and it may be formed to be larger or smaller, or the support piece 39 may be formed on the free end edge of the second engagement wall 34 so as to receive the free end edge of the first engagement wall 27.

[0030] 5 and 6 , the first panel 15 and the second panel 16 are fixed to the insulated box 3 with gaps G provided between the first main wall 24 and the outer surface of the insulated box 3, and between the second main wall 28 and the outer surface of the insulated box 3, and plate-shaped spacers 40 are provided in the gaps G. The spacers 40 are made of an elastic material, and the first main wall 24 and the second main wall 28 are supported by the insulated box 3 via the spacers 40. The spacers 40 are made of an elastic material, and can absorb external forces acting on the first main wall 24 and the second main wall 28.

[0031] 9 shows a modified example of the support piece 39, in which the support piece 39 is formed on the free end edges (tips) of the first engagement wall 27 and the second engagement wall 34. The support piece 39 of the first engagement wall 27 receives the free end edge (tips) of the second engagement wall 34, and the support piece 39 of the second engagement wall 34 receives the free end edge (tips) of the first engagement wall 27.

[0032] As described above, in this embodiment, the first main wall 24 of the first panel 15 and the front and rear walls 32 of the corner panels 17 constituting the exterior panel 4 are arranged flush, and the left and right walls 31 of the corner panels 17 adjacent to the front and rear of the second panel 16 are formed by the left and right ends of the second main wall 28 of the second panel 16, so that the second panel 16 and the corner panels 17 are integrally formed. With this configuration, there is no step at the joint between the first main wall 24 and the front and rear walls 32 between the first panel 15 and the corner panel 17, and joints between the second main wall 28 and the left and right walls 31 between the second panel 16 and the corner panel 17 are eliminated, giving the exterior panel 4 a clean appearance. In addition, the exterior panel 4 is formed from a total of four members: a pair of front and rear first panels 15 and a pair of left and right second panels 16 integrally formed with the front and rear corner panels 17, thereby suppressing increases in costs due to the number of members. Reducing the number of parts also reduces the labor required to assemble the exterior panel 4. As described above, the flat showcase of this embodiment can improve the appearance and reduce the manufacturing cost of the exterior panel 4 and the labor required to assemble it.

[0033] The first panel 15 and the corner panel 17 are configured so that the first engagement walls 27 formed on the left and right edges of the first main wall 24 and the second engagement walls 34 formed on the free end edges of the front and rear walls 32 are in surface contact with each other, thereby tightly fitting the first main wall 24 and the front and rear walls 32 together and preventing gaps from forming at their joints. In addition, the support pieces 39 formed on the free end edges of the first engagement walls 27 receive and hold the free end edges of the second engagement walls 34, making it possible to restrict the engagement walls 27, 34 from shifting relative to each other in the front and rear direction by the support pieces 39, thereby reliably preventing steps from forming at the joints between the first main wall 24 and the front and rear walls 32.

[0034] The first engaging wall 27 and the second engaging wall 34 are fastened together with screws 38 at the upper ends 27A and 34A of the engaging walls 27 and 34 and at the lower ends 27B and 34B of the engaging walls 27 and 34, respectively. Therefore, even if an external force is applied to the exterior panel 4, the screws 38 prevent the first panel 15 and the corner panel 17 from shifting relative to each other, preventing a step from being formed at the joint between the panels 15 and 17. Furthermore, the screws 38 are not visible to the outside of the exterior panel 4, preventing the appearance from being impaired by being visible to the user, and allowing the engaging walls 27 and 34 to be firmly fixed together. In addition, since a support piece 39 is provided between the upper and lower screws 38, 38, it is possible to align the two engagement walls 27, 34 using the support piece 39 as a reference, and then proceed with the work of fastening the two engagement walls 27, 34 with the screws 38.This makes it possible to easily fasten the two engagement walls 27, 34 with the screws 38 so that the first main wall 24 and the front and rear walls 32 are flush with each other.

[0035] The first panel 15 includes a first upper fixed wall 25 formed from the upper edge of the first main wall 24 toward the insulated box 3 and fixed to the upper part of the insulated box 3, and a first lower fixed wall 26 formed from the lower edge of the first main wall 24 toward the insulated box 3 and fixed to the lower part of the insulated box 3. The second panel 16 includes a second upper fixed wall 29 formed from the upper edge of the second main wall 28 toward the insulated box 3 and fixed to the upper part of the insulated box 3, and a second lower fixed wall 30 formed from the lower edge of the second main wall 28 toward the insulated box 3 and fixed to the lower part of the insulated box 3. This allows the upper and lower parts of both panels 15 and 16 to be fixed to the insulated box 3, which are easier to fix than the back surfaces of the first main wall 24 and the second main wall 28, and therefore the effort required to assemble the exterior panel 4 can be further reduced.

[0036] Spacers 40 made of an elastic material are provided in each gap G provided between the first main wall 24 and the outer surface of the insulated box 3 and between the second main wall 28 and the outer surface of the insulated box 3, and each of the main walls 24, 28 is supported by the insulated box 3 via the spacers 40. This prevents deformation due to bending of the first main wall 24 and the second main wall 28 by the spacers 40, and securely fixes both panels 15, 16 to the insulated box 3. Furthermore, the spacers 40 made of an elastic material can absorb the impact when a shopping cart comes into contact with them, preventing damage to the first main wall 24 and the second main wall 28.

[0037] In this embodiment, the longitudinal direction of the showcase in plan view is defined as the left-right direction, but the lateral direction of the showcase can also be defined as the left-right direction. The present invention can also be applied to a flat closed showcase in which a sliding door for opening and closing the display chamber 8 is provided at the upper end of the glass plate. Furthermore, the showcase is not limited to a refrigerated showcase, but may also be a freezer or warmer showcase. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 3. Insulated box 4 Exterior panels 15 Panel 1 16 Second Panel 17 Corner Panel 24 1st main wall 25 1st upper fixed wall 26 1st lower fixed wall 27 1st engagement wall 28 Second main wall 29 2nd upper fixed wall 30 2nd lower fixed wall 31 Left and right walls 32 Front and rear walls 34 Second engagement wall 38 Fasteners (Screws) 39 Support piece 40 spacer G gap

Claims

1. A heat-insulating box body (3) consisting of a square box having an opening on the top surface; an exterior panel (4) covering the outer surfaces of the four peripheries of the heat-insulating box body (3); Equipped with The exterior panel (4) comprises a pair of first panels (15) forming the front and rear surfaces, a pair of second panels (16) forming the left and right surfaces, and corner panels (17) forming the four corners. The first panel (15) has a flat plate-shaped first main wall (24) oriented in the front-to-rear direction and covering the front outer surface or the rear outer surface of the insulating box body (3), The second panel (16) has a flat second main wall (28) oriented in the left-right direction, covering the left or right outer surface of the insulating box body (3); The corner panel (17) has flat left and right walls (31) oriented in the left-right direction and flat front and rear walls (32) oriented in the front-rear direction, which cover the corners of the insulating box body (3), This flat showcase is characterized in that the first main wall (24) of the first panel (15) and the front and rear walls (32) of the corner panel (17) are arranged flush with each other, and the left and right walls (31, 31) of the corner panels (17, 17) adjacent to the front and rear of the second panel (16) are formed by the left and right ends of the second main wall (28) of the second panel (16), so that the second panel (16) and the corner panels (17, 17) are integrally formed.

2. The first panel (15) includes first engaging walls (27) formed by bending the left and right edges of the first main wall (24) toward the insulating box body (3), The corner panel (17) is provided with a second engaging wall (34) formed by bending each of the free end edges of the front and rear walls (32) toward the insulating box body (3), The first panel (15) and the corner panel (17) are configured so that the first engagement wall (27) and the second engagement wall (34) are in surface contact with each other, 2. A flat showcase as claimed in claim 1, wherein a support piece (39) formed on the free end edge of at least one of the first engaging wall (27) and the second engaging wall (34) (27 (34)) receives and holds the free end edge of the other engaging wall (34 (27)).

3. The first engagement wall (27) and the second engagement wall (34) are fastened together at their upper ends (27A, 34A) and at their lower ends (27B, 34B) by fasteners (38), respectively; 3. A flat showcase according to claim 2, wherein a support piece (39) is provided between the upper and lower fasteners (38, 38).

4. The first panel (15) comprises a first upper fixed wall (25) formed from the upper edge of the first main wall (24) toward the insulating box (3) and fixed to the upper part of the insulating box (3), and a first lower fixed wall (26) formed from the lower edge of the first main wall (24) toward the insulating box (3) and fixed to the lower part of the insulating box (3), A flat showcase as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the second panel (16) comprises a second upper fixed wall (29) formed from the upper edge of the second main wall (28) toward the insulated box body (3) and fixed to the upper part of the insulated box body (3), and a second lower fixed wall (30) formed from the lower edge of the second main wall (28) toward the insulated box body (3) and fixed to the lower part of the insulated box body (3).

5. The first panel (15) and the second panel (16) are fixed to the insulating box (3) with a gap (G) provided between the first main wall (24) and the outer surface of the insulating box (3) and between the second main wall (28) and the outer surface of the insulating box (3), respectively; 5. A flat showcase according to claim 4, wherein a spacer (40) made of an elastic material is provided in each gap (G), and each main wall (24, 28) is supported by the insulating box body (3) via the spacer (40).

Images