Door device for display cases

Abstract

In a rotating door mechanism that opens and closes the front opening of a showcase, the rotational moment in the forward tilting direction acting from the door panel to the showcase is reduced. [Solution] The door device 30 for opening and closing the opening 5 on the front of the showcase 1 comprises a door frame 31 fixed to the edge of the opening 5, a rectangular door panel 32, and a pair of upper and lower door hinges 33 that rotatably connect the door panel 32 to the door frame 31. The door frame 31 includes a side frame 39 along the side edge of the opening 5, and the side frame 39 comprises a vertically elongated frame body 45, a pair of upper and lower hinge seats 46, and a fixing piece 48 fixed to the showcase 1. The door hinges 33 connect the upper and lower hinge seats 46 of the side frame 39 to the upper and lower corners of the door panel 32, respectively. The hinge seats 46 and fixing piece 48 of the side frame 39 are provided behind the frame body 45.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a rotary door device for opening and closing an opening in the front surface of a showcase.

Background Art

[0002] It is known, for example, from Patent Document 1 to attach a door device for opening and closing an opening to an open showcase such as a refrigerator having an opening in the front surface after the fact. The door device (door unit) of Patent Document 1 includes a rectangular frame-shaped door frame (frame) that matches the width dimension of the opening, two pairs of left and right double-opening door panels (doors), and door hinges (hinge mechanisms) that rotatably connect each door panel to the door frame. The door frame is composed of an upper frame (upper frame) arranged along the upper end of the opening, a lower frame (lower frame) arranged along the lower end of the opening, and a pair of side frames (vertical frames) arranged along the left and right ends of the opening. The door hinge is a so-called pivot hinge, and integrally includes a substantially U-shaped door holding member that sandwiches the upper and lower ends of the door panel and a support shaft that projects vertically from the outer surface of the door holding member. The support shaft of the door hinge on the upper end side of the door panel is engaged with a support hole formed in the upper frame, and the support shaft of the door hinge on the lower end side of the door panel is engaged with a support hole formed in the lower frame, and the door panel can be rotated, that is, opened and closed, around these support shafts.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a rotating door device like the one described in Patent Document 1, when the door panel is rotated approximately 90° from the closed position to the open position, the center of gravity of the door panel shifts forward. As a result, the rotational moment acting on the door frame and, consequently, the showcase, increases due to the weight of the door panel. Since this rotational moment acts in a direction that causes the showcase to tilt (fall over) forward, it is desirable to minimize it as much as possible.

[0005] The present invention aims to reduce the forward tilting rotational moment acting from the door panel to the showcase in a rotating door device that opens and closes the front opening of a showcase. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention relates to a door device 30 for opening and closing an opening 5 on the front of a showcase 1. The door device 30 comprises a door frame 31 fixed to the edge of the opening 5, a rectangular door panel 32, and a pair of upper and lower door hinges 33 that rotatably connect the door panel 32 to the door frame 31. The door frame 31 includes a side frame 39 that runs along the side edge of the opening 5, and the side frame 39 comprises a vertically elongated frame body 45, a pair of upper and lower hinge seats 46, and a fixing piece 48 that is fixed to the showcase 1. The door hinges 33 connect the upper and lower hinge seats 46 of the side frame 39 to the upper and lower corners of the door panel 32, respectively. The hinge seats 46 and fixing piece 48 of the side frame 39 are provided behind the frame body 45.

[0007] The side frame 39 is equipped with a pair of upper and lower fixing pieces 48, each fixing piece 48 being positioned within the projection plane of the hinge seat 46 in a side view.

[0008] Each fixing piece 48 is positioned at the rear of the projection surface.

[0009] Each fixing piece 48 is secured to the side panel 4 of the showcase 1 with screws 51, and each hinge seat 46 has an operating hole 52 that is larger than the operating head of the screw 51.

[0010] An operating hole 52 is provided in the upper half of the upper hinge base 46 and in the lower half of the lower hinge base 46, and a door hinge 33 is connected to the lower half of the upper hinge base 46 and in the upper half of the lower hinge base 46, respectively.

[0011] The hinge base 46 is formed to be wider front to back than the frame body 45. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] The door device 30 according to the present invention comprises a door frame 31 fixed to the edge of the opening 5 on the front of the showcase 1, a rectangular plate-shaped door panel 32, and a pair of upper and lower door hinges 33 that rotatably connect the door panel 32 to the door frame 31. The side frame 39 of the door frame 31 along the side edge of the opening 5 comprises a vertically elongated frame body 45, a pair of upper and lower hinge seats 46, and a fixing piece 48 fixed to the showcase 1. The door hinges 33 connect the upper and lower hinge seats 46 of the side frame 39 to the upper and lower corners of the door panel 32, respectively. With this configuration, a rotational moment caused by the weight of the door panel 32 acts on the showcase 1 via the door hinges 33 and the side frame 39 (hinge seats 46 and fixing piece 48). This rotational moment becomes particularly large when the door panel 32 is rotated to the open position.

[0013] In this invention, the hinge seat 46 of the side frame 39 to which the door hinge 33 is connected, and the fixing piece 48 fixed to the showcase 1 are provided behind the frame body 45. Compared to the case in Patent Document 1 where the door hinge is connected to the upper and lower frames of the door frame, this allows the point of application of the rotational moment caused by the door panel 32 to be positioned further rearward, closer to the center of gravity of the showcase 1 itself, and therefore the forward tilting rotational moment acting on the showcase 1 can be reduced.

[0014] By positioning each fixing piece 48 of the side frame 39 within the projection plane of the hinge base 46 in a side view, the fixing pieces 48 can be covered by the hinge base 46, thereby enhancing the aesthetic appeal of the showcase 1 to which the door device 30 is applied.

[0015] By positioning each fixing piece 48 of the side frame 39 at the rear of the projection plane of the hinge seat 46, the point of application of the rotational moment caused by the door panel 32 can be positioned further rearward compared to when they are positioned at the front or center of the projection plane, thereby further reducing the forward tilting rotational moment acting on the showcase 1.

[0016] If the hinge seat 46 of the side frame 39 has an operating hole 52 that is larger than the operating head of the screw 51, the installer who attaches the door frame 31 to the showcase 1 can easily screw the screw 51 into the side panel 4 with a screwdriver and fix the fixing piece 48 through the operating hole 52.

[0017] By connecting the door hinge 33 to the lower half of the upper hinge base 46 and the upper half of the lower hinge base 46, the door hinge 33 can be brought as close as possible to the eye level of a typical adult. This allows installers of the door device 30 to operate the position adjustment mechanism relatively easily when a door hinge 33 equipped with a position adjustment mechanism is used.

[0018] By forming the hinge base 46 to be wider front to back than the frame body 45, the connecting surface of the door hinge 33 can be made sufficiently wide, and even when a relatively large door hinge 33 is used, it can be firmly connected to the hinge base 46. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0019] [Figure 1] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional side view of a showcase to which a door device according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached. [Figure 2] This is a front view of the display case. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 2. [Figure 4] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view along line BB. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view of the door frame and showcase that make up the door device. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional plan view of the main part of the door hinge that constitutes the door device. [Figure 7]It is a diagram showing a state where the hinge body is separated from the attachment base of the door hinge.

Embodiment for Carrying out the Invention

[0020] (Embodiment) FIGS. 1 to 7 show an embodiment in which a door device according to the present invention is applied to a refrigerated showcase. In the front-back, left-right, and up-down directions in this embodiment, follow the cross arrows shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4 and the front-back, left-right, and up-down indications written near each arrow. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the showcase 1 includes a case main body 2 having a substantially U-shaped side view formed of a heat insulating wall, a base 3 that supports the case main body 2 from below, and a pair of side panels 4 that close the left and right openings of the case main body 2 and the base 3. An opening 5 surrounded by the case main body 2 and the side panel 4 is formed on the front surface of the showcase 1, and a door device 30 is attached so as to close this opening 5.

[0021] The interior 8 surrounded by the case main body 2, the side panel 4, and the door device 30 is partitioned by an inner case 9 that is slightly smaller than the case main body 2 into a display chamber 10 that opens forward and a ventilation duct 11 having a U-shaped side view that surrounds the display chamber 10 on three sides. In the display chamber 10 facing the opening 5, display shelves 12 for displaying refrigerated items such as fresh products are installed in multiple upper and lower stages in a stepped manner. In the ventilation duct 11, an evaporator 13 through which a refrigerant having a lower temperature than the air in the interior 8 flows and an interior fan 14 that circulates the air cooled around the evaporator 13 throughout the interior 8 are provided.

[0022] The base 3 defines a machine room 18 together with the lower wall 17 of the case main body 2 and the lower part of the side panel 4. In the machine room 18, a compressor 19 and a condenser 20 that constitute a refrigeration cycle together with the evaporator 13, a machine room fan 21 that air-cools the compressor 19 and the condenser 20, and the like are accommodated. The gaseous refrigerant compressed by the compressor 19 is cooled and condensed by the condenser 20, then decompressed by an expansion valve (not shown) and reaches the evaporator 13, where it vaporizes, cools the surrounding air, and then returns to the compressor 19.

[0023] The case body 2 has horizontally elongated lower front walls 24 that extend upward from the front end of the lower wall 17. The upper end of the lower front walls 24 is at approximately the same height as the bottom surface of the display room 10, and this upper end constitutes the lower edge of the opening 5 of the showcase 1. A horizontally elongated canopy 26 is attached to the front end of the upper wall 25 of the case body 2, and the lower end of this canopy 26 constitutes the upper edge of the opening 5 of the showcase 1. The left and right edges of the opening 5 are formed by the front ends of the left and right side panels 4.

[0024] The door device 30 comprises a rectangular door frame 31 that matches the width of the opening 5 of the showcase 1, a pair of vertically elongated rectangular door panels 32, and door hinges 33 that rotatably connect the upper and lower ends of each door panel 32 to the door frame 31. The left door panel 32 is supported by the door hinge 33 at its left end, and the right door panel 32 is supported by the door hinge 33 at its right end, so the door device 30 as a whole constitutes a so-called double door. Each door panel 32 is made of a transparent glass or acrylic plate, and a handle 34 that can be gripped when opening and closing the door panel 32 is fixed to the rotating tip of the outer surface (front surface in the closed position) of each door panel 32.

[0025] The door frame 31 is constructed by joining together an upper frame 37 extending left and right along the upper edge of the opening 5, a lower frame 38 extending left and right along the lower edge of the opening 5, and a pair of side frames 39 extending up and down along the left and right side edges of the opening 5 in a rectangular frame shape. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the upper frame 37 is directly facing the lower surface of the canopy 26, either in close contact or with a small gap. A pair of left and right stoppers 41 are provided protruding from the center of the lower surface of the upper frame 37 to receive the inner surface of the door panel 32 from the interior 8 side when it is in the closed position. Magnets are embedded in each stopper 41, and metal suction plates 42 that can magnetically attach to the stopper 41 are fitted onto the upper corners on the rotating end side of each door panel 32. The lower frame 38 is supported by contacting the upper and rear surfaces of the lower front wall 24.

[0026] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the side frame 39 integrally comprises a vertically elongated frame body 45 connecting the left ends of the upper frame 37 and the lower frame 38 or the right ends of the upper and lower frames 38, a pair of hinge seats 46 extending from the upper and lower ends of the frame body 45 toward the interior 8, i.e., the rear, connecting portions 47 extending left and right outward toward the side panel 4 from the protruding ends (rear ends) of each hinge seat 46, and fixing pieces 48 extending from the protruding ends of the connecting portions 47 toward the exterior of the interior, i.e., the front. The connecting portions 47 are perpendicular to the hinge seats 46 and fixing pieces 48, respectively, and the hinge seats 46 and fixing pieces 48 are parallel to each other. The hinge seats 46 are formed to be wider front to back than the frame body 45, and the front to back width dimension of the fixing piece 48 is less than half the front to back width dimension of the hinge seat 46. The fixing piece 48 is positioned within the projection plane of the hinge seat 46 in a side view, and more specifically, at the rear end of the projection plane.

[0027] Each fixing piece 48 is fastened to the inner surface of the side panel 4 with two screws 51, one above and one below. Two operating holes 52, larger in diameter than the operating heads of the screws 51, are provided at the rear end of the hinge seat 46 opposite the fixing piece 48 (see Figure 5). Therefore, the installer attaching the door frame 31 to the showcase 1 can easily fasten the fixing piece 48 by screwing the screws 51 into the side panel 4 with a screwdriver through the operating holes 52. The upper fixing piece 48 has its upper half fastened with screws 51, and the lower fixing piece 48 has its lower half fastened with screws 51. Correspondingly, the operating holes 52 are located in the upper half of the upper hinge seat 46 and in the lower half of the lower hinge seat 46, respectively.

[0028] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the door hinge 33 consists of a commercially available slide hinge comprising a hinge body 55, a mounting base 56, and a faceplate 57. The hinge body 55 and faceplate 57 are fixed to the door panel 32, and the mounting base 56 is fixed to the hinge seat 46 of the door frame 31, so that the hinge body 55 and the mounting base 56 are detachably connected. The hinge body 55 comprises an arm 59 that makes up the majority of the hinge, a bottomed container-shaped cup 60 fixed to the door panel 32, and a first link 61 and a second link 62 pivotally supported by the arm 59 and the cup 60, respectively, and these four parts 59 to 62 constitute a four-bar linkage.

[0029] The cup 60 is fitted into a through-hole 65 formed in the corner of the door panel 32 on the pivot end side, from the inner surface side of the door panel 32, and the outer flange 66 that protrudes outward from the outer surface of the cup 60 is in close contact with the inner surface of the door panel 32. A faceplate 57 is provided on the outer surface of the door panel 32 so as to cover the protruding end of the cup 60 that protrudes from the through-hole 65. Two fastening screw bosses 67 are provided on the inner surface of the faceplate 57 (the surface on the door panel 32 side), and male screws 68 inserted through the outer flange 66 are screwed into each of these screw bosses 67, thereby fastening and fixing the cup 60 and the faceplate 57 with the door panel 32 in between.

[0030] The arm 59 is equipped with a pair of front and rear connecting shafts 71 and 72 that connect to the mounting base 56. Both connecting shafts 71 and 72 extend in the vertical direction, with the front connecting shaft 71 being integrally mounted on the arm 59. The rear connecting shaft 72, on the other hand, is integrally mounted on a lock lever 73 connected to the rear end of the arm 59. The lock lever 73 is freely swingable back and forth around a vertical pivot shaft 74 fixed to the arm 59, and is biased forward by a torsion coil type lock spring 75 wound around the circumferential surface of the pivot shaft 74.

[0031] As shown in Figures 3 and 7, the mounting base 56 comprises a rectangular plate-shaped fixing plate 78 fixed to the hinge seat 46 of the door frame 31, and a horizontally elongated connecting block 79 fixed to the upper and lower center of the outer surface of the fixing plate 78. On the back side of the fixing plate 78 on the hinge seat 46, four nuts 80 are arranged at each vertex of a virtual rectangle slightly smaller than the fixing plate 78. Bolts 81 inserted through the fixing plate 78 are screwed into each of these nuts 80, thereby fastening and fixing the fixing plate 78 to the hinge seat 46. The mounting base 56 is positioned on the lower half of the upper hinge seat 46 and on the upper half of the lower hinge seat 46, respectively. In a side view, the rear edges of the fixing plate 78 and the hinge seat 46 coincide, and the fixing plate 78 is positioned close to the rear end of the hinge seat 46.

[0032] The front end of the connecting block 79 has a recessed front connecting hole 83 that opens forward, and the rear end of the connecting block 79 also has a recessed rear connecting hole 84 that opens backward. The hinge body 55 and the mounting base 56 are connected when the front connecting shaft 71 of the arm 59 engages with the front connecting hole 83, and the rear connecting shaft 72 of the lock lever 73 engages with the rear connecting hole 84. The rear connecting shaft 72 is configured to disengage from the rear connecting hole 84 when the lock lever 73 is swung backward against the biasing force of the lock spring 75. Therefore, when a worker performing maintenance on the showcase 1 operates the lock lever 73 to disengage the rear connecting shaft 72 from the rear connecting hole 84, and then disengages the front connecting shaft 71 from the front connecting hole 83, the hinge body 55 and the mounting base 56 can be separated, and the door panel 32 can be removed from the door frame 31.

[0033] As described above, the door device 30 according to this embodiment comprises a rectangular door frame 31 fixed to the edge of the opening 5 on the front of the showcase 1, a pair of rectangular door panels 32, and a door hinge 33 that rotatably connects the upper and lower ends of each door panel 32 to the door frame 31. The side frame 39 of the door frame 31 along the side edge of the opening 5 comprises a vertically elongated frame body 45, a pair of upper and lower hinge seats 46, and a fixing piece 48 fixed to the showcase 1. The door hinge 33 connects the upper and lower hinge seats 46 of the side frame 39 to the upper and lower corners of the door panel 32, respectively. With this configuration, a rotational moment caused by the weight of the door panel 32 acts on the showcase 1 via the door hinge 33 and the side frame 39 (hinge seats 46 and fixing piece 48). This rotational moment becomes particularly large when the door panel 32 is rotated to the open position.

[0034] In this embodiment, the hinge seat 46 of the side frame 39 to which the door hinge 33 is connected, and the fixing piece 48 fixed to the showcase 1 are provided behind the frame body 45. This allows the point of application of the rotational moment caused by the door panel 32 to be positioned further rearward compared to when the door hinge 33 is connected to the frame body 45 of the side frame 39, or to the upper frame 37 and lower frame 38 of the door frame 31, bringing it closer to the center of gravity of the showcase 1 itself. Therefore, the forward tilting rotational moment acting on the showcase 1 can be reduced.

[0035] Since each fixing piece 48 of the side frame 39 is positioned within the projection plane of the hinge base 46 in a side view, the fixing pieces 48 can be covered by the hinge base 46, thereby enhancing the aesthetic design of the showcase 1 to which the door device 30 is applied.

[0036] Since each fixing piece 48 of the side frame 39 is positioned at the rear end of the projection surface of the hinge seat 46, the point of application of the rotational moment caused by the door panel 32 is positioned further rearward compared to when they are positioned at the front or center of the projection surface, thereby further reducing the forward tilting rotational moment acting on the showcase 1.

[0037] Since an operating hole 52 larger than the operating head of the screw 51 is provided in the hinge seat 46 of the side frame 39, the installer who attaches the door frame 31 to the showcase 1 can easily screw the screw 51 into the side panel 4 with a screwdriver and fix the fixing piece 48 through the operating hole 52.

[0038] Since the door hinges 33 are connected to the lower half of the upper hinge base 46 and the upper half of the lower hinge base 46, the door hinges 33 can be brought as close as possible to the eye level of a typical adult. As a result, when a door hinge 33 equipped with a position adjustment mechanism is used, the installer of the door device 30 can operate the position adjustment mechanism relatively easily.

[0039] Since the hinge base 46 is formed to be wider front to back than the frame body 45, the connecting surface of the door hinge 33 can be made sufficiently wide, and even when a relatively large door hinge 33 is used, it can be firmly connected to the hinge base 46.

[0040] In addition to the above, the door device 30 is not limited to a double-hinged type with a pair of left and right door panels 32, but may also have only one door panel 32 that can be opened and closed. The shape of the door frame 31 is not limited to a rectangular frame, but may be a gate type without a lower frame 38, or an inverted gate type without an upper frame 37. The showcase 1 to which the door device 30 is to be installed is not limited to refrigerated showcases, but can also be used for freezing and warming, where the temperature of the interior 8 needs to be maintained, as well as for room-temperature showcases 1 that do not have a temperature control function, for purposes such as preventing dust from entering. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0041] 1. Showcase 4 Side Panels 5 aperture 8 Inside the storage 30 Door device 31 Door frame 32 Door plate 33 Door hinges 39 Side frame 45 Frame body 46. ​​Hinge 48 Fixed piece 51 Bis 52 Operation hole

Claims

1. A door device for opening and closing the front opening (5) of a showcase (1), The door comprises a door frame (31) fixed to the edge of the opening (5), a rectangular plate-shaped door panel (32), and a pair of upper and lower door hinges (33) that rotatably connect the door panel (32) to the door frame (31). The door frame (31) includes a side frame (39) that runs along the side edge of the opening (5). The side frame (39) comprises a vertically elongated frame body (45), a pair of upper and lower hinge seats (46), and a fixing piece (48) that is fixed to the showcase (1). The door hinge (33) connects the upper and lower hinge seats (46) of the side frame (39) to the upper and lower corners of the door panel (32), respectively. A door device for a showcase, characterized in that the hinge seat (46) and fixing piece (48) of the side frame (39) are provided behind the frame body (45).

2. The side frame (39) is equipped with a pair of upper and lower fixing pieces (48), The door device for a showcase according to claim 1, wherein each fixing piece (48) is positioned within the projection plane of the hinge seat (46) in a side view.

3. The door device for a showcase according to claim 2, wherein each fixing piece (48) is positioned at the rear of the projection surface.

4. Each fixing piece (48) is secured to the side panel (4) of the showcase (1) with screws (51). The door device for a showcase according to claim 2 or 3, wherein each hinge seat (46) has an operating hole (52) that is larger than the operating head of a screw (51).

5. Operating holes (52) are provided in the upper half of the upper hinge base (46) and in the lower half of the lower hinge base (46), respectively. The door device for a showcase according to claim 4, wherein a door hinge (33) is connected to the lower half of the upper hinge base (46) and to the upper half of the lower hinge base (46), respectively.

6. A door device for a showcase according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the hinge base (46) is formed to be wider in the front-to-back direction than the frame body (45).

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