Showcase

Abstract

To provide a show case configured that a shelf of an uppermost stage is easily reached.SOLUTION: A show case includes: a connected body 20 (20L, 20R) that include a front arm 43 and a rear arm 44 separating from each other in a front and back direction for connecting an end part in a width direction of a shelf 11 of an uppermost stage to an end part of a width direction of a shelf 12 of a second stage in a manner that the shelf 11 of the uppermost stage is movable between an upper position of the shelf 12 of the second stage and a front position of the shelf 12 of the second stage and is provided for a left end and a right end of the shelf; and an arm connecting part 25 which extends from a prescribed part of a target arm 25A which is either of the front arm 43 or the rear arm 44 of the connected body 20 (20L) for the left end to a prescribed part of the target arm 25A of the connected body 20 (20R) for the right end and connects the right and left target arms 25A.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] One known example of this type of showcase is the one described in Patent Document 1. In this showcase, a plurality of shelves are configured to be movable in the front-rear direction through an opening in the front of the case body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-68975 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the showcase described in Patent Document 1, for example, when a store clerk or a customer places (displays) an item on the top shelf, which is the highest of the multiple shelves, or when a customer or a similar user removes an item from the top shelf, the top shelf is still poorly accessible if the store clerk or a customer simply moves (slides) the top shelf forward, and some ingenuity is required. Also, in order to improve accessibility, it is necessary to construct a structure that does not deteriorate operability for users.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a showcase that allows users of the showcase (such as store clerks and customers) to easily access the top shelf. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a showcase having a case body with a product chamber with an open front and a plurality of shelves disposed in the product chamber and spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction. The showcase includes a connector provided for each of the left and right ends of the shelves, and an arm connection part. The connector has a front arm and a rear arm spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction for connecting a widthwise end of the top shelf to a widthwise end of the second shelf such that a top shelf of the plurality of shelves can be moved between an upper position above the second shelf from the top of the plurality of shelves and a front position of the second shelf. The arm connection part extends from a predetermined portion of a target arm, which is either the front arm or the rear arm, of the left end connector to a predetermined portion of the target arm of the right end connector, and connects the left and right target arms to each other. Effect of the Invention

[0007] In the showcase according to one aspect of the present invention, a top shelf among the multiple product display shelves is movably connected between an upper position of the second shelf and a front position of the second shelf by a connector having the front arm and the rear arm for connecting a widthwise end of the top shelf to a widthwise end of the second shelf from the top of the multiple product display shelves. Therefore, for example, the top shelf is normally placed at an upper position of the second shelf, and when a user wants to access the top shelf, the user can pull out the top shelf connected to the second shelf by the connector and move it from the upper position of the second shelf to the front position of the second shelf. That is, when a user wants to access the top shelf, the top shelf can be moved from an upper position of the second shelf to a position one step lower and in front of the second shelf, so that the user can easily display products on the top shelf and easily remove products displayed on the top shelf. The left and right target arms are connected to each other by the arm connection part that extends from a predetermined part of the target arm in the connecting body for the left end of the shelf to a predetermined part of the target arm in the connecting body for the right end of the shelf, so that a pair of connecting bodies on the left and right sides form an integrated structure via the arm connection part. As a result, twisting that may occur in the pair of connecting bodies during operation by a user is effectively suppressed, the pair of connecting bodies operates stably, and the movement operation (lifting and lowering operation) of the top shelf in the showcase is stabilized. Therefore, the operability by the user is maintained good.

[0008] In this way, a showcase can be provided that allows users of the showcase (such as store clerks and customers) to easily access the top shelf. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a showcase according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an assembly of a main part of the showcase. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the assembly from a different angle. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of a swing unit of the assembly. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the swing unit as viewed from a different angle. [Figure 7] 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an upper end side portion of a connector of the swing unit. FIG. [Figure 8] 4 is an enlarged front view of a lower end portion of the connector as viewed from the front. FIG. [Figure 9] 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 6. [Figure 10] 11 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a movement trajectory of an arm connection part of the connector. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view for explaining a slide lock mechanism of the showcase. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the slide lock mechanism as viewed from a different angle. [Figure 13] FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the slide lock mechanism in a forward movement-blocked state. [Figure 14] 13 is a side view illustrating an operation of a slide mechanism of the connector. FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view for explaining an operation of the slide mechanism. [Figure 16] FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the slide lock mechanism in a rearward movement blocked state. [Figure 17] 6 is a side view for explaining an operation of the rotation mechanism. FIG. [Figure 18] 4 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the operation of the showcase. FIG. [Figure 19] FIG. 11 is another conceptual diagram for explaining the operation of the showcase. [Figure 20] 13A and 13B are diagrams for explaining modified examples of the showcase. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 is a perspective view of a showcase 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. This showcase 100 is a refrigerated showcase installed in, for example, a supermarket, a convenience store, etc. Note that it may also be a showcase for freezing or warming.

[0011] The showcase 100 has a case body 1 with a heat-insulating structure having a U-shaped cross section with an opening on the front side (customer side, display side, sales floor side), and an installation stand 2 attached to the bottom surface of the case body 1 and supporting the case body 1. In this embodiment, front and back, left and right, and top and bottom are defined as viewed from the front as seen toward the front of the showcase 100.

[0012] An internal panel 3 is attached to the inside of the case body 1 with a gap therebetween. The internal panel 3 and the left and right side walls 1a, 1a form a product chamber 4 that opens to the front. Each side wall 1a is made of a transparent plate such as a glass plate that allows the inside of the product chamber 4 to be seen through. As the transparent plate, it is preferable to use one with a multi-layer structure having a hollow layer in order to improve heat insulation. Note that an opaque heat-insulating panel may be used as each side wall 1a.

[0013] An air duct is formed mainly by the inner surface of the case body 1 and the outer surface of the internal panel 3. An evaporator, a blower for circulating cool air, and the like are housed in the air duct. The circulation of cool air by the blower for circulating cool air is performed through an outlet (hidden and not shown in FIG. 1) formed on the upper edge of the front opening of the product chamber 4 (top plate 3a of the internal panel 3) and an inlet 5 formed on the lower edge of the front opening of the product chamber 4 (bottom plate 3b of the internal panel 3). As shown by the dotted arrow in FIG. 1, an air curtain of cool air is formed at the front opening of the product chamber 4 by the flow of cool air from the outlet to the inlet 5, and part of the cool air of the air curtain is circulated in the product chamber 4 to cool the product chamber 4.

[0014] The installation base 2 is formed in a box shape, and may have a machine room formed therein for arranging a compressor, a condenser, a condenser blower, etc. The compressor and the condenser constitute a refrigeration circuit together with the above-mentioned evaporator.

[0015] In the product room 4, a plurality of shelves 10 are provided that are spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction. Each shelf 10 is a shelf for placing (displaying) products. Here, a total of 12 shelves 10 are arranged in two rows, six vertically and two horizontally. The shelves 10 other than the top shelf 11, which is located at the highest position among the plurality of shelves 10, and the second shelf 12 from the top, that is, the third shelf 13, the fourth shelf 14, the fifth shelf 15, and the sixth shelf 16 from the top among the plurality of shelves 10, are detachably attached to the rear panel 3c of the inner panel 3 that extends vertically.

[0016] The following mainly describes the structure of the assembly 80A including the swing unit 80 which is a main part of the showcase 100. Figures 2 to 4 are perspective views of the assembly 80A, where Figure 2 is a perspective view seen from the front, Figure 3 is a perspective view seen from the rear, and Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the assembly 80A.

[0017] The assembly 80A is made up of a top shelf 11, a second shelf 12, and a swing unit 80 for connecting the top shelf 11 and the second shelf 12. An assembly 80A is provided for each of the top shelf in the left row and the top shelf in the right row, and the assembly 80A for the top shelf in the left row and the assembly 80A for the top shelf in the right row have the same structure.

[0018] The assembly 80A has claws 6 for attachment to the rear plate 3c. The claws 6 protrude rearward from both the left and right sides of the lower rear portion of the assembly 80A. For example, the rear plate 3c is provided with a plurality of vertically extending supports 7 (see FIG. 1) spaced apart in the left-right direction, and the supports 7 are provided with a plurality of engagement holes (not shown) in the up-down direction into which the claws 6 are detachably engaged. In other words, the assembly 80A is attached to the rear plate 3c by engaging the claws 6 with the engagement holes of the supports 7 provided on the rear plate 3c.

[0019] The top shelf 11 has a shelf board 111 that is rectangular when viewed from above, a guard portion 112 that is erected on three sides other than the front end of the shelf board 111 to prevent products placed on the shelf board 111 from falling, and a front end portion 113 that extends in the width direction at the front end of the shelf board 111.

[0020] The second shelf 12 similarly has a shelf board 121 that is rectangular when viewed from above, a guard portion 122 that is erected on three sides other than the front end of the shelf board 121 to prevent products placed on the shelf board 121 from falling, and a front end portion 123 that extends in the width direction at the front end of the shelf board 121.

[0021] The swing unit 80 has a connector 20 that connects a widthwise (left-right) end of the top shelf 11 to a widthwise end of the second shelf 12. The connector 20 is a mechanism having a front arm 43 and a rear arm 44 that are spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction for connecting a widthwise end of the top shelf 11 to a widthwise end of the second shelf 12 so that the top shelf 11 can move between an upper position above the second shelf 12 (see the state in the left column in FIG. 1) and a front position of the second shelf 12 (see the state in the right column in FIG. 1).

[0022] The swing unit 80 has a connector 20 for connecting the left ends and the right ends of the shelves 10 (11, 12) in the width direction. That is, in the swing unit 80, the connectors 20 are provided for the left and right ends of the shelves 10, and the swing unit 80 (assembly 80A) has a pair of connectors 20, 20 on the left and right sides in the width direction of the shelves 10. Hereinafter, when the left and right connectors 20 are to be distinguished, the connector 20 for the left end is referred to as the left connector 20L, and the connector 20 for the right end is referred to as the right connector 20R. The structure of the left connector 20L and the structure of the right connector 20R are identical except that they are symmetrical.

[0023] The swing unit 80 has a left bracket 21 and a right bracket 22 for mounting to the rear plate 3c (the support 7). Each bracket (21, 22) extends in the front-rear direction along a predetermined portion (the inner surface of the second inner cover 421 described later) on the lower end side of the corresponding connecting body 20 (20L, 20R), and most of the front side is fixed to the connecting body 20 (20L, 20R). A claw portion 6 that engages with an engagement hole (not shown) of the support 7 is provided at the rear end of each bracket (21, 22). The lower end side portion of the swing unit 80 (the lower box body 42 described later) is supported by the rear plate 3c (the support 7) via each bracket (21, 22).

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

[0025] In this embodiment, each connecting body 20 in the swing unit 80 has a slide mechanism 30 that supports the uppermost shelf 11 so that it can slide in the front-rear direction, and a rotation mechanism 40 for rotating the uppermost shelf 11. The above-mentioned front arm 43 and rear arm 44 of the connecting body 20 are main components of the rotation mechanism 40, and will be described in detail later.

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

[0027] The slide mechanism 30 has, for example, an upper fixed rail 31, an upper movable rail 32, an upper intermediate rail 33 that connects the upper fixed rail 31 and the upper movable rail 32 so as to be slidable in the front-to-rear direction, and an upper shelf mounting plate 34.

[0028] The upper fixed rail 31 is fixed to the rotating mechanism 40 (specifically, the upper rail mounting plate 413). The upper movable rail 32 is slidably connected to the upper fixed rail 31 via the upper intermediate rail 33, and is fixed to the uppermost shelf 11 via the upper shelf mounting plate 34.

[0029] The upper shelf mounting plate 34 is a bracket for mounting the top shelf 11 to the connecting body 20. The upper shelf mounting plate 34 extends along the upper moving rail 32 and is fixed to the surface of the upper moving rail 32 opposite to the upper fixed rail 31. The top shelf 11 is mounted to the upper moving rail 32 via the upper shelf mounting plate 34.

[0030] Specifically, the upper shelf mounting plate 34 has a vertical piece 341 located between the upper box body 41 and the upper moving rail 32, and a horizontal piece 342 extending from the upper edge of the vertical piece 341 toward the center side in the width direction of the shelf 10, and has an L-shaped cross section as a whole and extends in the front-rear direction. The left end of the uppermost shelf 11 in the width direction is attached to the horizontal piece 342 of the upper shelf mounting plate 34 in the left connecting body 20L, and the right end of the uppermost shelf 11 in the width direction is attached to the horizontal piece 342 of the upper shelf mounting plate 34 in the right connecting body 20R. In this way, the uppermost shelf 11 is provided so as to bridge between the left and right upper shelf mounting plates 34, 34, and is movable in the front-rear direction relative to the member (upper rail mounting plate 413) on the rotating mechanism 40 side via the slide mechanism 30.

[0031] The top shelf 11 is attached to the left and right upper shelf mounting plates 34 (horizontal pieces 342) so that when it is pushed back as far as possible along the slide mechanism 30, its rear end portion protrudes farther rearward than the rear end of the upper box body 41 in a side view and its front end is located near the front end of the upper box body 41 in a side view, and when it is pulled out as far as possible forward along the slide mechanism 30, its rear end portion is located approximately in the center of the upper box body 41 in the fore-and-aft direction in a side view and its front end protrudes farther forward than the front end of the upper box body 41 in a side view.

[0032] The pivoting mechanism 40 has an axis portion (431, 441) extending in the width direction near the width direction end of the second shelf 12, and is a mechanism that connects the sliding mechanism 30 (in other words, the width direction end of the top shelf 11) to the width direction end of the second shelf 12 so that the sliding mechanism 30 (in other words, the top shelf 11) can pivot about the axis portion (431, 441) between an upper position of the second shelf 12 (see the state in the left column of Figure 1) and a front position of the second shelf 12 (see the state in the right column of Figure 1) while maintaining a parallel posture with respect to the second shelf 12.

[0033] In this embodiment, the rotation mechanism 40 has an upper box body 41 for supporting the slide mechanism 30, a lower box body 42 for supporting the end portion in the width direction of the second shelf 12, and the above-mentioned front arm 43 and rear arm 44. The shaft portions (431, 441) are provided inside the lower box body 42, and will be described in detail later.

[0034] The upper box body 41 is a box body connected to the lower box body 42 by the front arm 43 and the rear arm 44, and has a first inner cover 411 and a first outer cover 412. The first inner cover 411 is located closer to the center in the width direction of the shelf 10 than the first outer cover 412. The first inner cover 411 and the first outer cover 412 are combined with each other to form a hollow box body having a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape with the longitudinal direction of the shelf 10 as the longitudinal direction. The front portion of the lower surface of the upper box body 41 is opened to allow the front arm 43 to rotate, and the rear portion of the lower surface of the upper box body 41 and the lower portion of the rear surface of the upper box body 41 are opened to allow the rear arm 44 to rotate.

[0035] An upper rail mounting plate 413 is fixed to a side surface of the upper box body 41 on the center side in the width direction of the shelf 10 (i.e., the side surface on the first inner cover 411 side) of the shelf 10, and extends in the front-rear direction along the side surface. Here, the side surface of the upper box body 41 of the left connecting body 20L on the center side in the width direction of the shelf 10 is the right side surface of the upper box body 41, and the side surface of the upper box body 41 of the right connecting body 20R on the center side in the width direction of the shelf 10 is the left side surface of the upper box body 41. Hereinafter, the side surface of the upper box body 41 of each connecting body 20 on the center side in the width direction of the shelf 10 is referred to as the inner side surface of the upper box body 41 or the side surface on the first inner cover 411 side, and the side surface of the upper box body 41 opposite to the inner side surface is referred to as the outer side surface of the upper box body 41 or the side surface on the first outer cover 412 side. The same applies to the lower box body 42.

[0036] The upper rail mounting plate 413 is a bracket for mounting the slide mechanism 30 to the rotation mechanism 40, and is also a member that cooperates with the upper shelf mounting plate 34 to form a rail accommodating space.

[0037] Specifically, the upper rail mounting plate 413 has a vertical piece 413a facing the vertical piece 341 of the upper shelf mounting plate 34, a horizontal piece 413b facing the horizontal piece 342 of the upper shelf mounting plate 34 below the horizontal piece 342 and connected to the lower edge of the vertical piece 413a, and an upper connection piece 413c extending in the front-rear direction from a predetermined position on the front end side of the upper edge of the vertical piece 413a in the front-rear direction to the center in the width direction of the shelf 10. Each rail (31, 32, 33) of the slide mechanism 30 is arranged in a rail accommodation space surrounded by the upper rail mounting plate 413 and the upper shelf mounting plate 34. The upper fixed rail 31 is fixed to the vertical piece 413a of the upper rail mounting plate 413, so that the slide mechanism 30 is supported by the upper box body 41 of the connecting body 20.

[0038] In this embodiment, the swing unit 80 has an upper connecting plate 23 for connecting the upper box body 41 of the left connecting body 20L and the upper box body 41 of the right connecting body 20R to each other. The upper connecting plate 23 extends from the upper box body 41 of the left connecting body 20L to the upper box body 41 of the right connecting body 20R near the lower surface of the top shelf 11 and at a position on the front end side in the front-rear direction of the swing unit 80. Specifically, the left end of the upper connecting plate 23 is connected to the upper connecting piece 413c of the upper rail mounting plate 413 in the left connecting body 20L, and the right end of the upper connecting plate 23 is connected to the upper connecting piece 413c of the upper rail mounting plate 413 in the right connecting body 20R. As a result, the left and right upper boxes 41 are connected together via the upper connecting plate 23 without moving relative to each other.

[0039] The lower box body 42 is a box body connected to the upper box body 41 by the front arm 43 and the rear arm 44, and has a second inner cover 421 and a second outer cover 422. The second inner cover 421 is located closer to the center of the shelf 10 in the width direction than the second outer cover 422. The second inner cover 421 and the second outer cover 422 are combined with each other to form a hollow box body having a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape with the longitudinal direction of the shelf 10 as the longitudinal direction. The upper surface of the lower box body 42 is opened to allow the front arm 43 and the rear arm 44 to rotate, and the front surface of the lower box body 42 is opened with an arm slit 42a cut out to allow the front arm 43 and the rear arm 44 to rotate.

[0040] In this embodiment, the lower box body 42 has a lower slide portion 50 that supports the widthwise end portion of the second shelf 12 from below so that the second shelf 12 can move in the front-rear direction.

[0041] The lower slide portion 50 of the lower box body 42 faces an inner surface of the lower box body 42 (i.e., a side surface of the lower box body 42 on the center side in the width direction of the shelf 10). The lower slide portion 50 is attached to a lower rail mounting plate 423 of the lower box body 42, which will be described later.

[0042] The lower sliding portion 50 has a lower fixed rail 51, a lower movable rail 52, a lower intermediate rail 53 that connects the lower fixed rail 51 and the lower movable rail 52 so as to be freely slidable in the front-to-rear direction, a lower shelf mounting plate 54, and a stopper piece 55.

[0043] The lower fixed rail 51 is fixed to the second inner cover 421 (specifically, the lower rail mounting plate 423). The lower movable rail 52 is slidably connected to the lower fixed rail 51 via the lower intermediate rail 53, and is fixed to the second shelf 12 via the lower shelf mounting plate 54.

[0044] The lower shelf mounting plate 54 is a bracket for mounting the second shelf 12 to the connecting body 20 (lower box body 42). The lower shelf mounting plate 54 extends along the lower moving rail 52 and is fixed to the surface of the lower moving rail 52 opposite to the lower fixed rail 51. The second shelf 12 is attached to the lower moving rail 52 via the lower shelf mounting plate 54.

[0045] Specifically, the lower shelf mounting plate 54 has a vertical piece 541 located between the lower box body 42 and the lower movable rail 52, and a horizontal piece 542 extending from the upper edge of the vertical piece 541 toward the second outer cover 422, and has an L-shaped cross section as a whole and extends in the front-rear direction. The left end of the second shelf 12 in the width direction is attached to the horizontal piece 542 of the lower shelf mounting plate 54 in the left connecting body 20L, and the right end of the second shelf 12 in the width direction is attached to the horizontal piece 542 of the lower shelf mounting plate 54 in the right connecting body 20R. In other words, the second shelf 12 is provided so as to bridge between the left and right lower shelf mounting plates 54, 54.

[0046] The stopper piece 55 is a member attached to the front end of the lower slide part 50 so as to prevent movement of the lower movable rail 52 relative to the lower fixed rail 51. Here, when the top shelf 11 is in a position above the second shelf 12, the front end position of the lower box body 42 roughly coincides with the front end position of the second shelf 12 in a side view (see FIG. 10 described later). For example, during normal operation, in this position, the stopper piece 55 prevents the second shelf 12 from moving in the front-rear direction by the lower slide part 50.

[0047] The second shelf 12 is attached to the left and right lower shelf mounting plates 54 (horizontal pieces 542) so that, in a state in which its movement is prevented by the stopper pieces 55, its rear end portion protrudes farther rearward than the rear end of the lower box body 42 in a side view and its front end portion is located near the front end of the lower box body 42 in a side view. In addition, in relation to the top shelf 11 located above the second shelf 12, the rear end position of the second shelf 12 roughly coincides with the rear end position of the top shelf 11 in a side view, and the front end position of the second shelf 12 roughly coincides with the front end position of the top shelf 11 in a side view.

[0048] A lower rail mounting plate 423 is attached to an inner surface of the lower box 42 (that is, the side surface on the second inner cover 421 side) so as to extend in the front-rear direction on this inner surface.

[0049] The lower rail mounting plate 423 is a bracket for mounting the lower slide portion 50 to the lower box body 42, and is also a member that cooperates with the lower shelf mounting plate 54 to form a rail accommodating space.

[0050] Specifically, the lower rail mounting plate 423 has a vertical piece 423a facing the vertical piece 541 of the lower shelf mounting plate 54, a horizontal piece 423b located below each rail (51, 52, 53) and connected to the lower edge of the vertical piece 423a, and a lower connecting piece 423c extending from a predetermined position on the rear end side in the front-rear direction at the upper edge of the vertical piece 423a to the center in the width direction of the shelf 10, and extends in the front-rear direction. The lower fixed rail 51 is fixed to the vertical piece 423a of the lower rail mounting plate 423, so that the lower sliding part 50 and the second shelf 12 are supported by the lower box body 42 of the connecting body 20.

[0051] In this embodiment, the swing unit 80 has a lower connecting plate 24 for connecting the lower box body 42 of the left connecting body 20L and the lower box body 42 of the right connecting body 20R to each other. The lower connecting plate 24 extends from the lower box body 42 of the left connecting body 20L to the lower box body 42 of the right connecting body 20R near the lower surface of the second shelf 12 and at a position on the rear end side in the front-rear direction of the swing unit 80. Specifically, the left end of the lower connecting plate 24 is connected to the lower connecting piece 423c of the lower rail mounting plate 423 in the left connecting body 20L, and the right end of the lower connecting plate 24 is connected to the lower connecting piece 423c of the lower rail mounting plate 423 in the right connecting body 20R. As a result, the left and right lower boxes 42 are connected together via the lower connecting plate 24 without moving relative to each other.

[0052] As described above, the front arm 43 and the rear arm 44 are members for connecting the widthwise end of the top shelf 11 to the widthwise end of the second shelf 12 so that the top shelf 11 can move between an upper position above the second shelf 12 (see the state in the left column in FIG. 1) and a front position of the second shelf 12 (see the state in the right column in FIG. 1), and are spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, the front arm 43 and the rear arm 44 connect the upper box body 41 and the lower box body 42 to each other, thereby connecting the widthwise end of the top shelf 11 to the end of the second shelf 12. The front arm 43 and the rear arm 44 are configured to connect the upper box body 41 (the slide mechanism 30, in other words, the widthwise end of the top shelf 11) and the lower box body 42 (the widthwise end of the second shelf 12) to each other so that the slide mechanism 30 (in other words, the top shelf 11) supported by the upper box body 41 can rotate between an upper position of the second shelf 12 (see the state in the left column of Figure 1) and a front position of the second shelf 12 (see the state in the right column of Figure 1) with the axis portions (431, 441) as a fulcrum while maintaining a parallel posture relative to the second shelf 12 supported by the lower box body 42.

[0053] Specifically, when the top shelf 11 is located above the second shelf 12, the front arm 43 and the rear arm 44 are thin plate-like members that, in an upright state, extend from an area inside the lower box body 42 to an area inside the upper box body 41 through an opening in the top surface of the lower box body 42 and an opening in the bottom surface of the upper box body 41, respectively. The rear arm 44 is located rearward of the front arm 43 in an upright state.

[0054] Here, a front lower shaft portion 431 extending in the width direction of the shelf 10 and a rear lower shaft portion 441 extending in the width direction of the shelf 10 rearward of the front lower shaft portion 431 are provided in the lower box body 42. A front upper shaft portion 432 extending in the width direction of the shelf 10 and a rear upper shaft portion 442 extending in the width direction of the shelf 10 rearward of the front upper shaft portion 432 are provided in the upper box body 41. The front lower shaft portion 431 and the rear lower shaft portion 441 extend in the width direction (left and right direction) near the ends in the width direction of the second shelf 12, and the front upper shaft portion 432 and the rear upper shaft portion 442 extend in the width direction (left and right direction) near the ends in the width direction of the uppermost shelf 11. Moreover, the front lower shaft portion 431 is attached to a position higher than the rear lower shaft portion 441 in the lower box body 42, and the front upper shaft portion 432 is attached to a position higher than the rear upper shaft portion 442 in the upper box body 41. Moreover, the rear lower shaft portion 441 is located at a position corresponding to the center of the second shelf 12 in the front-rear direction in a side view.

[0055] The front arm 43 extends from a front lower shaft portion 431 to a front upper shaft portion 432. A portion of the front arm 43 on the second shelf side is rotatably supported by the front lower shaft portion 431, and a portion of the front arm 43 on the top shelf side is rotatably supported by the front upper shaft portion 432. With the portion of the front arm 43 on the second shelf side standing upright, the portion on the top shelf side is bent backward.

[0056] The rear arm 44 extends from the rear lower shaft portion 441 to the rear upper shaft portion 442. A portion of the rear arm 44 on the second shelf side is rotatably supported by the rear lower shaft portion 441, and a portion of the rear arm 44 on the top shelf side is rotatably supported by the rear upper shaft portion 442. With the portion of the rear arm 44 on the top shelf side standing upright, the portion on the second shelf side is bent forward.

[0057] Therefore, the portion of the front arm 43 on the top shelf side and the portion of the rear arm 44 on the top shelf side are rotatably connected to the upper box body 41. In other words, each connecting body 20 has an upper box body 41 to which the portion of the front arm 43 on the top shelf side and the portion of the rear arm 44 on the top shelf side are rotatably connected.

[0058] In this embodiment, the rear arm 44 has a rear arm main body portion 44a that is in an upright position when the top shelf 11 is in a position above the second shelf 12, and a protrusion portion 44b that protrudes rearward from the part of the rear arm main body portion 44a on the top shelf side in this upright position.

[0059] Specifically, the rear arm main body 44a is a main member for connecting the upper box body 41 and the lower box body 42 in the rear arm 44, and is disposed generally parallel to the front arm 43. One end of the rear arm main body 44a is rotatably supported by the rear lower shaft portion 441, and the other end is rotatably supported by the rear upper shaft portion 442.

[0060] The protruding portion 44b is made of a thin plate-like member formed into a generally trapezoidal shape in a side view, and its edge is bent toward the center in the width direction of the shelf 10 (11, 12). The protruding portion 44b protrudes rearward from the rear end surface of the other end side (rear upper shaft portion 442 side) of the rear arm main body 44a, and its base end is a portion between the connection position (fulcrum) of the rear arm main body 44a with the rear upper shaft portion 442 and the connection position (fulcrum) of the rear arm main body 44a with the rear lower shaft portion 441, and is connected to a portion near the rear upper shaft portion 442.

[0061] In this embodiment, the protruding portion 44b has a notch 44b1 capable of receiving a corner portion 41a above the connecting portion of the upper box body 41 with the rear arm 44 (that is, the position corresponding to the rear lower shaft portion 441).

[0062] In a state in which the upper box body 41 and the lower box body 42 are connected to each other by the upright front arm 43 and rear arm 44, the slide mechanism 30 supported by the upper box body 41 (in other words, the upper shelf mounting plate 34) is arranged parallel to the second shelf 12 (in other words, the lower shelf mounting plate 54) supported by the lower box body 42 via the lower rail mounting plate 423 and the lower slide portion 50. When the upright front arm 43 and rear arm 44 rotate forward about the corresponding shaft portions (431, 441) on the second shelf side (lower box body 42 side) as fulcrums, the upper box body 41 rotates from an upper position above the lower box body 42 toward a front position of the lower box body 42 about the shaft portions (431, 441) as fulcrums. During this rotation, the portion of the front arm 43 on the second shelf side and the portion of the rear arm 44 on the top shelf side are maintained parallel to each other, and the portion of the front arm 43 on the top shelf side and the portion of the rear arm 44 on the second shelf side are also maintained parallel to each other. During this rotation, the slide mechanism 30 maintains a parallel position relative to the second shelf 12. This maintains a stable product display state on the top shelf 11.

[0063] A rear stopper plate 45 is provided on the front portion of the rear arm 44 of the upper box body 41. The front end face of the rear arm 44 abuts against the rear stopper plate 45, preventing the rear arm 44 from rotating further rearward. A front stopper plate 46 is provided on the front portion of the rear arm 44 of the lower box body 42. The front end face of the rear arm 44 abuts against the front stopper plate 46, preventing the rear arm 44 from rotating further forward.

[0064] The upper position of the second shelf 12 for the top shelf 11 is set, for example, below and behind the top dead center of rotation by the rotation mechanism 40 (front arm 43 and rear arm 44). Specifically, the position of the top shelf 11 when the upper box body 41 is farthest above from the lower box body 42 corresponds to the top dead center. The rear stopper plate 45 is attached so that a gap is generated between the front end surface of the rear arm 44 in the upper box body 41 and the rear stopper plate 45 when the top shelf 11 is at the top dead center.

[0065] The front arm 43 and the rear arm 44 are rotated rearward beyond the angle corresponding to the top dead center, and the front end face of the rear arm 44 in the upper box body 41 abuts against the rear stopper plate 45, thereby preventing the front arm 43 and the rear arm 44 from rotating further rearward. The position of the top shelf 11 at this time is above the second shelf 12 for the top shelf 11. The top shelf 11 in this upper position is biased in the direction of rotation rearward by its own weight and the biasing forces of the first biasing portion 47 and the second biasing portion 48 described later. Therefore, unless an external force against the weight and the biasing force is applied to the top shelf 11, the top shelf 11 remains stationary at the position above the second shelf 12.

[0066] Furthermore, the front arm 43 and the rear arm 44 are rotated forward beyond the angle corresponding to the top dead center, and the front end face of the rear arm 44 in the lower box body 42 abuts against the front stopper plate 46, thereby preventing the front arm 43 and the rear arm 44 from rotating forward further. The position of the top shelf 11 at this time is the front position of the second shelf 12 for the top shelf 11.

[0067] In this embodiment, the front arm 43 and the rear arm 44 are each biased in a rearward rotation direction. Specifically, the lower box body 42 is provided with a first biasing portion 47 and a second biasing portion 48. The first biasing portion 47 biases the front arm 43 in a rearward rotation direction with the front lower shaft portion 431 as a fulcrum, and the second biasing portion 48 is a damper for absorbing shock during descent and biases the rear arm 44 in a rearward rotation direction with the rear lower shaft portion 441 as a fulcrum. The biasing force of each biasing portion (47, 48) is set to an extent that, for example, when the top shelf 11 is located forward of the top dead center, the rotation mechanism 40 does not move in the forward rotation direction only due to the weight of the top shelf 11 itself.

[0068] Here, the swing unit 80 further includes an arm connection part 25. The arm connection part 25 extends to a predetermined part of the target arm 25A in the left connecting body 20L and a predetermined part of the target arm 25A in the right connecting body 20R, and connects the left and right target arms 25A to each other. The target arm 25A is either the front arm 43 or the rear arm 44, and in this embodiment, it is the rear arm 44. In other words, the arm connection part 25 is a member that connects the rear arm 44, which is the target arm 25A of the left connecting body 20L, to the rear arm 44, which is the target arm 25A of the right connecting body 20R.

[0069] In this embodiment, the predetermined portion of the target arm 25A (that is, the connection portion of the target arm 25A by the arm connection portion 25) is a portion on the rear end side of the protruding portion 44b of the rear arm 44.

[0070] The arm connection part 25 has a longitudinal length longer than the width of the top shelf 11, and when the top shelf 11 is located above the second shelf 12, both ends of the arm connection part 25 protrude outward beyond the widthwise ends of the top shelf 11 in a plan view seen from above. The arm connection part 25 connects a side surface portion on the rear end side of the protruding part 44b of the rear arm 44 of the left connecting body 20L on the side surface on the center side in the width direction of the shelf 10 (i.e., the right side surface) and a side surface portion on the rear end side of the protruding part 44b of the rear arm 44 of the right connecting body 20R on the side surface on the center side in the width direction of the shelf 10 (i.e., the left side surface).

[0071] Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of Fig. 6. Fig. 10 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a movement locus M of the arm connection part 25.

[0072] As shown in Figure 9, the arm connection portion 25 here comprises a thin-plate-shaped first horizontal connection portion 25a that has a predetermined width in the front-to-rear direction and extends in the width direction of the shelf 10, a thin-plate-shaped vertical connection portion 25b that extends downward from the rear end of the first horizontal connection portion 25a, a thin-plate-shaped second horizontal connection portion 25c that extends rearward from the lower end of the vertical connection portion 25b and is parallel to the first horizontal connection portion 25a, and left and right fastening portions 25d that are fastened to the side portions of the protrusion 44b, and has a crank-shaped cross-section and extends in the width direction of the shelf 10 (11, 12).

[0073] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, the arm connection part 25 is arranged to take an arc-shaped movement trajectory M that avoids the product storage area V1, which is an area from the upper surface of the second shelf 12 (shelf board 121) to a predetermined height H set in front of the lower surface of the top shelf 11 (shelf board 111) located above the second shelf 12. Specifically, the product storage area V1 has an area substantially equal to that of the shelf board 121 of the second shelf 12 in a plan view seen from above. The product storage area V1 is greatly expanded rearward from the rear end of the pair of connecting bodies (20L, 20R) (specifically, the rear end of the lower box body 42) in a side view. When the rear arm 44 rotates about the rear lower shaft part 441 as a fulcrum, the arm connection part 25 moves along the arc-shaped movement trajectory M centered on the fulcrum. The radius R1 of the arc of this movement trajectory M is set to be slightly larger than the distance R2 between the upper front and rear corners of the product storage area V1 and the center of the rear lower shaft portion 441. As a result, the arc-shaped movement trajectory M of the arm connection part 25 is designed to avoid the product storage area V1.

[0074] In this embodiment, when the top shelf 11 is in a position above the second shelf 12, the arm connection part 25 is located below the rear end part of the top shelf 11, and is configured so that when the top shelf 11, which is in a position above the second shelf 12, is pulled forward a predetermined distance along the slide mechanism 30, the arm connection part 25 is allowed to move along a movement trajectory M that avoids the product storage area V1.

[0075] Specifically, the arm connection part 25 is disposed so that, when the top shelf 11 is located above the second shelf 12, most of the arm connection part 25 except for both ends is located immediately below the rear end of the top shelf 11 and near the bottom surface of the top shelf 11 (shelf board 111). More specifically, when the top shelf 11 is located above the second shelf 12, the top surface of the protruding part 44b of the rear arm 44 is generally parallel to the bottom surface of the top shelf 11, the first horizontal connection part 25a of the arm connection part 25 is located between the bottom surface of the top shelf 11 and the top end surface of the product storage area V1, and the vertical connection part 25b of the arm connection part 25 is close to the top end part of the rear end surface of the product storage area V1. In other words, when the top shelf 11 is located above the second shelf 12, the arm connection part 25 is disposed so as to surround the upper corner of the rear side of the product storage area V1 below the top shelf 11. Therefore, in this state, when the rear arm 44 starts to rotate about the rear lower shaft portion 441 as a fulcrum, the arm connection portion 25 immediately hits the underside of the top shelf 11 (shelf board 111), preventing further movement of the rear arm 44. On the other hand, when the top shelf 11, which is located above the second shelf 12, is pulled out a predetermined distance forward along the slide mechanism 30, the area above the arm connection portion 25 is opened, and as a result, forward movement of the arm connection portion 25 along the arc-shaped movement path M is permitted. Then, when the rear arm 44 is rotated forward and abuts against the front stopper plate 46, the upper surface of the protruding portion 44b of the rear arm 44 assumes a position that is approximately perpendicular to the underside of the top shelf 11, and in this position, the arm connection portion 25 is located in front of the front upper corner of the product storage area V1. Furthermore, in this position, the corner 41a of the upper box body 41 above the connecting portion with the rear arm 44 is received within the cutout portion 44b1 of the protruding portion 44b (see FIG. 17 described later).

[0076] As described above, in this embodiment, the arm connection part 25 is also used as a member for preventing the top shelf 11 (slide mechanism 30) located above the second shelf 12 from rotating forward (i.e., swinging down) around the shaft parts (431, 441) as a fulcrum. The forward rotation prevention state by the arm connection part 25 is released when the top shelf 11 is pulled forward a predetermined distance along the slide mechanism 30, and the slide mechanism 30 also functions as a mechanism for releasing the forward rotation prevention state.

[0077] In this embodiment, the swing unit 80 further includes a slide lock mechanism 60 .

[0078] 11 to 13 are diagrams for explaining the configuration of the slide lock mechanism 60, with Fig. 11 being a partial perspective view, Fig. 12 being a partial perspective view seen from another angle, and Fig. 13 being an enlarged perspective view. Figs. 11 to 13 show the slide lock mechanism 60 in a forward movement blocked state, which will be described later. In Figs. 11 and 13, the upper box body 41 has been removed. In Fig. 11, the first inner cover 411 of the upper box body 41 is indicated by a dotted line.

[0079] The slide lock mechanism 60 is a mechanism that can be switched between a forward movement prevention state (see Figs. 11 to 13) in which the top shelf 11 located above the second shelf 12 is prevented from moving forward, and a release state in which this forward movement prevention state is released (i.e., a state in which forward movement is permitted). In this embodiment, the slide lock mechanism 60 has a lever shaft portion 61 that extends in the width direction of the shelf 10 (top shelf 11), a lever portion 62, and a locking hole portion 63.

[0080] The lever shaft portion 61 extends in the width direction of the shelf 10 (the uppermost shelf 11 ) and is fixed to an upper shelf mounting plate 34 attached to the upper moving rail 32 .

[0081] The lever portion 62 is a thin plate-like member that is rotatable around the lever shaft portion 61 and moves integrally with the upper moving rail 32 of the slide mechanism 30. The lever portion 62 has a total length in the front-rear direction longer than that of the upper box body 41, and its center portion is rotatably supported by the lever shaft portion 61 between the upper shelf mounting plate 34 and the inner surface of the upper box body 41 (the side surface on the first inner cover 411 side).

[0082] The lever portion 62 has a claw portion 621 for preventing forward movement and an operating portion 622 for releasing the forward movement prevention state, which are located in front of the lever shaft portion 61. The claw portion 621 is formed on the front end portion of the lower edge of the lever portion 62 so as to protrude downward. The operating portion 622 forms the front end portion of the lever portion 62 and is formed so as to protrude forward. The operating portion 622 is located forward of the front surface of the upper box body 41. A slit 623 for restricting a rotation range is opened in the lever portion 62, and a restricting shaft 624 is inserted into the slit 623 for restricting a rotation range. The lever portion 62 is adapted to rotate within the range of a gap between the restricting shaft 624 and the slit 623 for restricting a rotation range.

[0083] The locking hole 63 is opened in a part of the rotation mechanism 40, and in the forward movement prevented state, the claw 621 of the lever 62 is locked in the locking hole 63. Specifically, the locking hole 63 is a hole opened in a part of the rotation mechanism 40 that is movable in the front-rear direction relative to the top shelf 11, and is formed in, for example, a front end portion of the horizontal piece 413b of the upper rail mounting plate 413.

[0084] Lever shaft portion 61 is located rearward of the center of gravity of lever portion 62. Therefore, lever portion 62 attempts to rotate by its own weight in a direction in which its front end approaches locking hole portion 63. As a result, claw portion 621 of lever portion 62 is caught and locked in locking hole portion 63, and this state (i.e., forward movement prevented state) is maintained by the own weight of lever portion 62, unless operating portion 622 is operated and pulled upward.

[0085] In the slide lock mechanism 60, when the operating portion 622 is operated by a user or the like and pulled upward, the claw portion 621 moves upward and is released from the locking hole portion 63. As a result, the slide lock mechanism 60 switches from the forward movement prevention state to the release state, and the forward movement of the top shelf 11 in the upper position is permitted.

[0086] 14 to 16 are diagrams for explaining the operation of the slide mechanism 30 and the slide lock mechanism 60, with Fig. 14 being a side view, Fig. 15 being a partial perspective view, and Fig. 16 being an enlarged perspective view. Figs. 14 to 16 show the slide lock mechanism 60 in a rearward movement prevented state, which will be described later. Figs. 14 to 16 also show a state in which the top shelf 11 is fully pulled out forward along the slide mechanism 30, and Fig. 14 shows a state in which the top shelf 11 is fully pulled out forward by solid lines, and Fig. 14 shows a state in which the top shelf 11 is fully pushed back rearward and positioned above the second shelf 12 by dashed lines.

[0087] When the slide lock mechanism 60 is in the released state (a state in which forward movement is permitted), the top shelf 11 is pulled forward by a user or the like, causing the top shelf 11 to move forward as shown in Figures 14 and 15.

[0088] In this embodiment, the lever portion 62 of the slide lock mechanism 60 extends rearward beyond the lever shaft portion 61. The slide lock mechanism 60 has a protrusion 64 for preventing the top shelf 11 from moving rearward.

[0089] The protrusion 64 is located forward of the rear end of the lever portion 62 when the top shelf 11 is pushed back to the maximum extent along the slide mechanism 30 (see the dashed line in FIG. 14), and is located rearward of the rear end of the lever portion 62 when the top shelf 11 is pulled out to the maximum extent forward along the slide mechanism 30 (see the solid line in FIG. 14, FIGS. 15, 16, and FIG. 17 described later). When the top shelf 11 is pushed back to the maximum extent forward, the protrusion 64 comes into contact with the rear end of the lever portion 62, and is capable of preventing further rearward movement of the top shelf 11. In other words, the slide lock mechanism 60 is configured to switch not only to a forward movement prevention state, but also to a rearward movement prevention state.

[0090] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 14, the protrusion 64 is provided on the upper box 41 so as to be located near the front end in the front-rear direction within an area V2 of the front-rear direction movement trajectory of the rear end of the lever part 62.

[0091] Then, in the process of pulling out the top shelf 11 from the rearmost position (see the dashed line in FIG. 14) to the frontmost position (see the solid line in FIG. 14), the upper edge of the rear end side of the lever portion 62 abuts against the protrusion portion 64. In this state, when the top shelf 11 is further pulled out forward, the lever portion 62 rotates in a direction to move its rear end downward and slides its rear end along the underside of the protrusion portion 64. Then, when the rear end of the lever portion 62 passes through the range of the protrusion portion 64, the lever portion 62 rotates by its own weight in a direction to move its rear end upward. In this state, the protrusion portion 64 is located behind the rear end of the lever portion 62. When the top shelf 11 is pulled out forward to the maximum along the slide mechanism 30, there is a small gap between the protrusion portion 64 and the rear end of the lever portion 62, so when pulled out forward to the maximum, a small rearward movement by this gap is permitted.

[0092] Next, an example of the operation of the showcase 100 and the user's operation will be described with reference to Figs. 6 to 19. Figs. 18 and 19 are conceptual diagrams for explaining the operation of the showcase 100 and the user's operation. Figs. 18 and 19 show an assembly 80A, which is a main part of the showcase 100, and other elements are omitted for clarity of the drawings. The states shown in Figs. 18(a) to 18(c) correspond to the states shown in Figs. 19(a) to 19(c), respectively.

[0093] In Fig. 18(a) and Fig. 19(a), the top shelf 11 is located above the second shelf 12, and the slide lock mechanism 60 is in a state where forward movement is prevented. At this time, even if a user unintentionally touches the top shelf 11 while accessing the second shelf 12 and taking out or arranging products P (not shown in Fig. 19) displayed on the second shelf 12, which are indicated by two-dot chain lines, the top shelf 11 is prevented from moving forward and rotating forward by the slide lock mechanism 60 and the arm connection part 25 (strictly speaking, slight movement and rotation are permitted). Therefore, the user can work more safely.

[0094] Next, when a user wishes to access the top shelf 11, the user first pulls up the operating part 622 of the slide lock mechanism 60. Then, with the operating part 622 pulled up, the user pulls out the top shelf 11 forward. Then, when the area above the arm connection part 25 is opened and the arm connection part 25 is permitted to move forward along the arc-shaped movement trajectory M, the swing unit 80 (connecting body 20) is structurally capable of rotating the top shelf 11 supported by the slide mechanism 30 toward the front position of the second shelf 12 with the shaft parts (431, 441) as the fulcrum.

[0095] However, in this embodiment, the swing unit 80 has the first biasing portion 47, and the upper position of the second shelf 12 with respect to the top shelf 11 is set below and rearward of the top dead center of rotation by the rotation mechanism 40 (the front arm 43 and the rear arm 44), so that the force required to rotate the top shelf 11 forward via the rotation mechanism 40 is greater than the force required to move the top shelf 11 forward along the slide mechanism 30. Therefore, when the top shelf 11 is in a position above the second shelf 12, if the user pulls the operating unit 622 upward and pulls the top shelf 11 forward, the top shelf 11 slides forward as it is while maintaining its height from the second shelf 12, without rotating forward via the rotation mechanism 40, and is pulled out to the maximum extent forward, as shown in Figs. 18(b) and 19(b). At this time, as shown in FIG. 17, the slide lock mechanism 60 is switched to a rearward movement blocked state.

[0096] 18(b) and 19(b), for example, the user pulls the top shelf 11 further forward or pushes the top shelf 11 down. As a result, the top shelf 11 rotates toward the front position of the second shelf 12 about the shafts (431, 441) shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 as a fulcrum while maintaining a parallel posture with respect to the second shelf 12 via the rotation mechanism 40, and moves down (swings down) to the front position of the second shelf 12 (see FIG. 18(c) and FIG. 19(c)). In this way, the top shelf 11 is configured to swing down after moving forward to the maximum extent, so that it is possible to reliably prevent the rear end of the top shelf 11 from colliding with the product P on the second shelf 12 when the top shelf 11 swings down. During the swing-down, the arm connection portion 25 connecting the left and right rear arms 44 to each other moves along an arc-shaped movement trajectory M that avoids the product storage area V1 (in other words, the product P).

[0097] In addition, when the top shelf 11 is swung down by the user to a position in front of the second shelf 12, if the user, for example, displays a product P on the top shelf 11, in this state, the force due to the weight of the top shelf 11 and the displayed product is roughly balanced with the biasing forces of each biasing portion (47, 48), and the top shelf 11 is maintained positioned in a position in front of the second shelf 12.

[0098] Furthermore, even when the top shelf 11 is swung down or when the top shelf 11 is located in front of the second shelf 12, the slide lock mechanism 60 is maintained in the rearward movement prevention state (see Figs. 16 and 19). Therefore, even if a user unintentionally pushes the top shelf 11 rearward while swinging down or pushes the top shelf 11 rearward when it is located in front of the second shelf 12, the rearward movement of the top shelf 11 is prevented. As a result, when the top shelf 11 is swung down or located in front of the second shelf 12, it is possible to reliably prevent the rear end of the top shelf 11 from colliding with the product P on the second shelf 12.

[0099] When returning the top shelf 11 to a position above the second shelf 12, the user pushes up the top shelf 11, causing the top shelf 11 to swing up via the rotation mechanism 40. Even during this swing-up, the top shelf 11 is prevented from moving backward. When the top shelf 11 swings up and the rear arm 44 abuts against the rear stopper plate 45 and rotates backward to the maximum extent (see Figures 18(b) and 19(b)), the user pulls up the operating part 622 of the slide lock mechanism 60 to release the backward movement prevention state by the slide lock mechanism 60. Then, with the operating part 622 pulled up, the user pushes the top shelf 11 back backward. As a result, the top shelf 11 returns to a position above the second shelf 12 (see Figs. 18(a) and 19(a)), and at this position, forward movement and forward rotation of the top shelf 11 are prevented by the slide lock mechanism 60 and the arm connection part 25. In this way, since the top shelf 11 is configured to move rearward after being rotated rearward (swinged up) to the maximum extent, even when the top shelf 11 swings up, it is possible to reliably prevent the rear end of the top shelf 11 from colliding with the product P on the second shelf 12. Of course, even when swinging up, the arm connection part 25 moves along the arc-shaped movement trajectory M that avoids the product storage area V1.

[0100] In the showcase 100 according to this embodiment, the top shelf 11 is movably connected between an upper position of the second shelf 12 and a front position of the second shelf 12 by a connector 20 having a front arm 43 and a rear arm 44 for connecting the widthwise end of the top shelf 11 to the widthwise end of the second shelf 12. Therefore, for example, under normal circumstances, the top shelf 11 is placed at an upper position of the second shelf 12, and when a user wants to access the top shelf 11, the user can pull out the top shelf 11 connected to the second shelf 12 by the connector 20 and move it from the upper position of the second shelf 12 to the front position of the second shelf 12. That is, when a user wants to access the top shelf 11, the top shelf 11 can be moved from an upper position of the second shelf 12 to a position one step lower and in front of the second shelf 12, so that at this position, the user can easily display products on the top shelf 11 and easily take out the products P displayed on the top shelf 11. Since the left and right target arms 25A are connected to each other by the arm connection part 25, the pair of connecting bodies (20L, 20R) on the left and right sides form an integrated structure via the arm connection part 25. As a result, twisting that may occur in the pair of connecting bodies (20L, 20R) during operation by the user is effectively suppressed, the pair of connecting bodies (20L, 20R) operates stably, and the movement operation (in other words, the lifting and lowering operation) accompanying the swinging up and swinging down of the top shelf 11 in the showcase 100 is stabilized. Therefore, the operability by the user is maintained good. In this manner, a showcase can be provided that allows users of the showcase 100 to easily access the top shelf 11.

[0101] In detail, the arm connection part 25 connects parts (in this embodiment, the rear arm 44) of the movable elements (i.e., the front arm 43 and the rear arm 44) in each connecting body 20 that are largely movable and easily receive high loads, so that the left and right parts of the movable elements are integrated to have good rigidity. As a result, in the showcase 100, the operation of the pair of connecting bodies (20L, 20R) can be effectively stabilized. And, since the connecting body 20 connects between the widthwise end of the top shelf 11 and the widthwise end of the second shelf 12, a sufficient product storage area V1 for placing products P can be secured between the top shelf 11 and the second shelf 12.

[0102] In this embodiment, the arm connection portion 25 is positioned to take a movement trajectory M that avoids the product storage area V1, thereby stabilizing the lifting and lowering operation of the top shelf 11 without reducing the effective area in the product storage area V1 (i.e., without sacrificing the effective internal volume of the product storage area V1).

[0103] In this embodiment, the rear arm 44 as the target arm 25A has a rear arm main body 44a that is in an upright position when the top shelf 11 is located above the second shelf 12, and a protrusion 44b that protrudes rearward from the top shelf side portion of the rear arm main body 44a in the upright position, and the arm connection part 25 connects the rear end portions of the protrusions 44b of the left and right rear arms 44 (the predetermined portion of the target arm 25A) together. As a result, even when the left and right rear arms 44 are connected by the arm connection part 25, the product storage area V1 can be effectively expanded rearward of the pair of connecting bodies (20L, 20R).

[0104] In this embodiment, when the top shelf 11 is in a position above the second shelf 12, the arm connection part 25 is located below the rear end side of the top shelf 11, and when the top shelf 11 in a position above the second shelf 12 is pulled out a predetermined distance forward along the slide mechanism 30, movement along the movement trajectory M of the arm connection part 25 is permitted. In other words, the top shelf 11 is configured to swing down after moving forward to the maximum extent, and the order of pulling out and swinging down the shelf 11 is controlled, so that it is possible to reliably prevent the rear end of the top shelf 11 from colliding with the product P on the second shelf 12 when the top shelf 11 swings down.

[0105] In this embodiment, the protrusion 44b has a cutout portion 44b1 that can accommodate a corner 41a above the connection portion with the rear arm 44 in the upper box body 41, so that the rear arm 44 is allowed to rotate until the protrusion 44b is in an upright position.

[0106] In this embodiment, the rear part of the lower side of the swing unit 80 (assembly 80A) is supported on the back plate 3c (support 7) of the product room 4 via the brackets (21, 22), but the showcase 100 may further have a support structure other than such a support structure. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 20, the showcase 100 may include an arm support part 8 that is attached to the back plate 3c and supports the arm connection part 25 from below in a state in which the top shelf 11 is located above the second shelf 12. The arm support part 8 has, for example, an abutment surface 8a with which the lower surface of the second horizontal connection part 25c of the arm connection part 25 abuts. The swing unit 80 (assembly 80A) is supported on the back plate 3c via the arm support part 8 by the second horizontal connection part 25c of the arm connection part 25 abutting on the abutment surface 8a of the arm support part 8. That is, the upper rear portion of the swing unit 80 (assembly 80A) is supported on the back plate 3c via the arm support portion 8. This stabilizes the swing unit 80, and in turn the entire assembly 80A.

[0107] Also, in this embodiment, the case where the lower box body 42 of each connecting body 20 has the lower slide portion 50 has been described as an example. However, the lower slide portion 50 does not have to be provided. In this case, the second shelf 12 is fixed to the lower box body 42 without moving in the front-rear direction, and the lower box body 42 may be configured to directly support the portion of the second shelf 12 on the front-rear direction front end face side at the end in the width direction.

[0108] Although the target arm 25A connected by the arm connection part 25 is the rear arm 44 in the above embodiment, it is not limited thereto and may be the front arm 43. In this case, although not shown, for example, a protrusion corresponding to the protrusion 44b may be provided so as to protrude forward from a portion of the front arm 43 on the top shelf side, and the front end portion of this protrusion may be connected by the arm connection part 25. Even in this case, the arm connection part 25 can be disposed so as to take a movement trajectory M that avoids the product storage area V1. Also, each connecting body 20 does not need to have the first biasing part 47 and the second biasing part 48.

[0109] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and further modifications and changes are possible based on the technical concept of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0110] 1...case body, 4...product room, 8...arm support, 10...shelf, 11...top shelf, 12...second shelf, 20...connector, 20L...left connector (connector for left end), 20R...right connector (connector for right end), 25...arm connection, 25A...target arm, 30...slide mechanism, 41...upper box body, 41a...corner, 43...front arm, 44...rear arm, 44a...rear arm body, 44b...projection, 44b1...notch, 100...showcase, M...movement trajectory, V1...product storage area

Claims

1. A showcase having a case body having a product chamber with an opening at the front and a plurality of shelves disposed in the product chamber and spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction, a connector having a front arm and a rear arm spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction for connecting the slide mechanism to the end of the width direction of the second shelf so that the slide mechanism can rotate between an upper position of the second shelf from the top of the multiple shelves and a front position of the second shelf, the connector being provided for each left end and right end of the shelf; an arm connection portion that extends from a predetermined portion of a target arm, which is one of the front arm and the rear arm, in the left end connector to a predetermined portion of the target arm in the right end connector, and connects the left and right target arms together; Including, Showcase.

2. The showcase of claim 1, wherein the arm connection portion is positioned to move in an arc-shaped manner to avoid a product storage area, which is an area extending from the top surface of the second shelf to a predetermined height set in front of the bottom surface of the top shelf located in the upper position.

3. the target arm is the rear arm, the rear arm has a rear arm main body portion that is in an upright position when the top shelf is in the upper position, and a protrusion portion that protrudes rearward from a portion of the rear arm main body portion in the upright position on the top shelf side in a vertical direction, The showcase according to claim 2 , wherein the predetermined portion of the target arm is a portion on a rear end side of the protruding portion of the rear arm.

4. when the top shelf is in the upper position, the arm connection portion is located below a lower surface of a rear end portion of the top shelf, and when the rear arm rotates forward, the arm connection portion hits the lower surface to prevent the rear arm from rotating further forward, The showcase according to claim 3, wherein when the top shelf in the upper position is pulled out a predetermined distance forward along the slide mechanism, the arm connection portion is permitted to move forward along the movement trajectory.

5. the connecting body has an upper box body to which the portion of the front arm on the uppermost shelf side and the portion of the rear arm on the uppermost shelf side are rotatably connected, The showcase according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the protruding portion has a notch capable of receiving a corner portion of the upper box body that is above a connecting portion with the rear arm.

6. A showcase as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising an arm support portion attached to a rear panel of the product room and supporting the arm connection portion from below when the top shelf is in the upper position.

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