Abstract:
An improved open lid display refrigerator for use in storing and displaying refrigerated items for retail sale. The exterior of the improved display refrigerator is characterized by a multiplicity of panel portions operative to interchangeably receive and display advertisements, and in particular advertisements for products that can be aligned with a corresponding brand of products stored within the refrigerator. The open lid display further includes a novel lid that is condensation resistant and is further secured by a hinge that minimizes the risk of injury to the arm or hand of a consumer. Still further, the improved display refrigerator includes an easily-accessible refrigeration unit that further may optionally include low maintenance hardware that is exceptionally easy to clean.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Not Applicable 
       STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not Applicable 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    The present invention is directed to an improved open lid display refrigerator and more particularly, an open lid display refrigerator for use in storing and displaying refrigerated items for retail purchase that is substantially more effective in displaying advertising materials, displaying and organizing refrigerated products for purchase, is substantially easier to service, enhances the ability for consumers to view the contents stored within the refrigerator, and minimizes the risk of damage or injury to consumers accessing such open lid display refrigerator compared to prior art devices. 
         [0004]    Open lid display refrigerators are well-known in the art. Such refrigerators are situated in retail stores, typically by the checkout counter, and are designed to attract consumer attention and easily allow the contents of the refrigerator to be accessed for purchase. Open lid refrigerators are particularly useful in storing items such as canned or bottled beverages and refrigerated desserts, such as ice cream, and displaying the same at counter level, in order to entice consumers to make impulse purchases. 
         [0005]    To achieve that end, the open lid display refrigerator must ideally be able to allow consumers to clearly view refrigerated items for purchase and further, allow the consumer to easily access the refrigerated contents so as to make selecting and buying a product as easy as possible. Typically, such refrigerators include glass lids or sliding glass doors that can retract while allowing access to the refrigerator. Alternatively, such refrigerators may be provided with lids that can be lifted up by the consumer and the contents of the refrigerator thereafter accessed. 
         [0006]    Such conventional designs, however, suffer from several drawbacks. First of all, by virtue of the glass construction that the lids and sliding doors are fabricated from make such doors and lids heavy to lift and move. Additionally, sliding glass doors must necessarily be biased to a closed position to conserve refrigeration and thus must be pulled in a retracted state to open up the refrigerator while the contents are being accessed. Glass lids, on the other hand, can be exceptionally heavy to lift and have the tendency to drop on the consumer, most notably the head, arm or hand thereof, as refrigerated items are removed from the refrigerator for purchase. As a consequence, not only can a consumer be injured by such sliding glass doors and lids, the refrigerator, too, may be damaged and hence require repairs. 
         [0007]    The disadvantages of utilizing glass for sliding doors and lids for display refrigerators is further problematic insofar as the same have a tendency to fog or collect condensation. As is well known, condensation can readily build up upon glass surfaces, especially when the interior of the refrigerator is repeatedly accessed to allow warm air to enter into the refrigerator. Such condensation obscures the visibility of the items inside the refrigerator for retail purchase, and thus defeats the primary objective of the display refrigerator. Still further, such condensation can make the products displayed therein to appear unsightly, and thus possibly dissuading consumers from making a purchase. 
         [0008]    There are further disadvantages with the design of conventional open lid display refrigerators, particularly in regard to the ability of the refrigerators to receive and neatly organize the refrigerated products contained therein. In this respect, most conventional display refrigerators are not provided with any means of organizing products and consumers typically must rummage through a variety of products in order to see if a desired product is even available. There is much less provided display refrigerators that enable advertisements or product information to be immediately and interchangeably integrated about the exterior thereof that not only provides information regarding the products contained within the refrigerator, but also can be provided in a way that immediately informs the consumers which products are available and how such products are organized within the refrigerator. 
         [0009]    Lacking even further is any type of open lid display refrigerator that includes a refrigeration system that is of low maintenance and easy to access. Due to the configuration of most open lid display refrigerators to be situated at counter-level, the refrigeration system incorporated therein must be situated behind or in the rear of the refrigerator, which thus requires the refrigerator to be pulled from its location in order for the refrigeration system to be accessed. This is not only labor intensive, but having to remove the display refrigerator can be disruptive of retail operations. This disadvantage is further compounded by virtue of the conventional design of most refrigeration systems that use condenser coils, the latter incorporating the use of fins or other protuberances that are utilized to dissipate heat, typically via the application of a fan situated in close proximity coils in order to dissipate heat emanating from the coils via convection. As is well-known, to the extent such condenser coils are not kept clean, the same can quickly buildup dirt and debris that cannot only interfere with the functioning of the refrigeration system but further can create an unsightly appearance to consumers. 
         [0010]    There is therefore a substantial need in the art for an improved open lid display refrigerator that overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages. There is especially a need in the art for an improved open lid display refrigerator that cannot only be eye catching to consumers and facilitate the ability of refrigerated products for retail purchase to be neatly and easily organized and easily viewed by consumers, but further can be done so via a refrigeration and open lid system that is of substantially lower maintenance, more consumer friendly, can enhance the ability of refrigerated retail products to be more clearly and easily seen and accessed, and can further substantially reduce potential damage and injury associated with opening and closing the lid integrated with such open lid display refrigerators. There is a further need for such a display refrigerator that can effectively be utilized to display advertisements and product information in a simple and readily interchangeable fashion. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0011]    The present invention specifically addresses and alleviates the above-identified deficiencies in the art. In this regard, the present invention is directed to an improved open lid display refrigerator for use in displaying and storing refrigerated items for retail purchase. The refrigerator includes a housing defining a top open periphery within which refrigerated items may be stored, organized and displayed. The exterior of the refrigerator is provided with a plurality of panel sections that are operative to receive advertisements and other retail display materials. In a preferred embodiment, the refrigerator will be provided with a forward facing panel that is operative to display product advertisements that are aligned with like products stored within the refrigerator. Along these lines, it is contemplated that the improved open lid display refrigerator will include two or more partitions, preferably formed as baskets positionable within the refrigerator that will be sized to correspond with advertisements positioned upon the front-facing panel of the refrigerator. 
         [0012]    The improved refrigerator will further preferably include a base-mounted refrigeration system that can be easily accessed from the front, forward-facing portion thereof. In this regard, it is contemplated that most or all serviceable components of the improved open lid display refrigerator of the present invention may be easily and readily accessed without requiring the display refrigerator to be moved from its position in the retail setting. In addition, it is contemplated that the refrigeration system integrated as part of the improved display refrigerator of the present invention may be either of a conventional design or may preferably take the form of those as disclosed in Applicants&#39; co-pending patent application entitled IMPROVED DISPLAY REFRIGERATOR, Ser. No. 12/356,470, filed Jan. 20, 2009, the teachings of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference. Such improved refrigeration system includes, among other things, easily accessible condenser coils that further include a fin-free design. Advantageously, the elimination of fins or other heat dissipating structures as typically incorporated into condenser coils are omitted which thus substantially reduce dust and debris buildup and likewise eliminate or may substantially reduce the need to integrate a condenser fan or other similar devices for dissipating heat. 
         [0013]    Affixed to the top open periphery of the refrigerator is a novel transparent lid that is operative to provide a transparent covering about the top open periphery of the refrigerator to enable retail consumers to view the contents of the refrigerator. Unlike other types of lids simply designed to conserve refrigeration, however, the lid as integrated within the open lid display refrigerator of the present invention is fabricated to substantially reduce fog or condensation buildup that can interfere with consumer&#39;s ability to view the contents within the refrigerator and further, can cause the contents within the refrigerator to appear unsightly. To achieve that end, the lid is fabricated in a novel manner whereby the lid is fabricated from a sheet of clear polymer material having a uniform thickness but formed such that the lid has a surface contour that changes gradually in a compound curve. Although optional, such compound curve and contour shape enables the lid facing the interior side of the refrigerator to be charged with high pressure nitrogen gas, which as a consequence improves the insulation and eliminates condensation. 
         [0014]    The improved open lid display refrigerator further includes a novel hinge mechanism that affixes the lid to the refrigerator. Such hinge is characterized by a lid mounted portion and refrigerator mounted portion that are interconnectable such that a cylindrical rod extending from the lid portion is received into an oversized cylindrical socket formed on the refrigerator portion. Alternatively, the cylindrical rod may be formed on the refrigerator mounted portion with the corresponding socket being formed on the lid mounted portion. By providing a socket that includes a greater diameter than the cylindrical rod received therein, the lid will thus be allowed to lift or extend upwardly a distance to the extent an obstruction, such as the arm or hand of the consumer, extends within the refrigerator while the lid is being closed. Unlike conventional lid attachment mechanisms, the improved open lid display refrigerator of the present invention substantially eliminates the potential for the lid to pinch or crush upon an appendage of a consumer or other obstruction to the extent the same extends into the refrigerator display while the lid is being closed. Not only does the design of the present invention substantially reduce risk of injury, it further reduces potential damage that could occur to the lid and refrigerator to the extent the lid is inadvertently closed upon an obstruction that causes the lid, refrigerator and/or hinge interconnecting the two to break. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    These and other features and advantages of the various embodiments disclosed herein will be better understood with respect to the following description and drawings, in which like numbers refer to like parts throughout, and in which: 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an improved open lid display refrigerator constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is a partial exploded upper view of the improved open lid display refrigerator of  FIG. 1  further depicting product display baskets positionable thereinside. 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is a partial perspective view of the lid and interior of the improved open lid display refrigerator illustrating an improved hinge for interconnecting the lid with the refrigerator. 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]    The detailed description set forth below is intended as a description of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, and is not intended to represent the only form in which the present invention may be constructed or utilized. The description sets forth the functions and sequences of steps for constructing and operating the invention. It is to be understood, however, that the same or equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by different embodiments and that they are also intended to be encompassed within the scope of the invention. 
         [0021]    Referring now to the Figures, and initially to  FIG. 1 , there is perspectively illustrated an improved open lid display refrigerator  10  constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The open lid display refrigerator  10  includes a refrigerator portion  12  defined by front  14 , sides  16 ,  18  and rear  20  sidewalls that define an interior into which refrigerated items for retail sale are displayed and made accessible for purchase. To allow access to the open lid display refrigerator  10  of the present invention there is further provided a lid member  24  that extends about the opening defined by front  14 , sides  16 ,  18  and rear portion  20 . The lid  24  is preferably affixed to the upper periphery of refrigerator  12  via hinge members  26 ,  28  discussed in detail further below, that enable the lid portion to be lifted by the consumer via handle  30  to obtain access to the refrigerated items within the refrigerator  12 , as well as maintain the closed state as shown concealing the interior compartment and preserving the refrigeration therein. 
         [0022]    To enhance the visual attractiveness of the open lid display refrigerator  10  of the present invention, as well as to serve as a means for advertising and promotion, the refrigerator portion  12  is preferably configured such that the front and sides  14 ,  16 ,  18  are operative to receive signage and other types of graphics such as advertisement  34  mounted upon side  16  and product signage  36  disposed upon front  14 . With respect to front signage  36 , it is contemplated that the signage may include brands that are partitioned in a manner that corresponds to how the refrigerated products stored within the refrigerator  12  are sorted and organized. In this regard, brand ad  1  depicted as  38  is partitioned via graphics  40  that denote a discrete area corresponding to the interior of the refrigerator  12  wherein such product may be stored and located. In this regard, and unlike prior art display refrigerators, the open lid display refrigerator  10  of the present invention is adapted to receive not only advertisements, but is further designed to have an interior storage system that corresponds to signage that may be placed on the outside of the refrigerator  12 , and more particularly the front  14  thereof that enables the consumers to readily identify what products are available for purchase and where the same may be located in the open lid display refrigerator  10  of the present invention. Along these lines, it is contemplated that any spare exterior surface area available as defined by the refrigerator  12 , including the top  20  thereof, may be provided with signage or other advertisements, such as  32 , that thus enables the display refrigerators  10  to be useful as advertising and marketing tools. 
         [0023]    To further enhance the utility of the open lid display refrigerators  10  of the present invention, it is contemplated that the refrigeration system (not shown) may be positioned underneath the refrigerator  12  and concealed within base portion  42  thereof. In this regard, it is contemplated that the refrigeration system incorporated within the display refrigerators  10  of the present invention may be accessible through base portion  42 , which thus enables serviceable parts of the display refrigerator  10  to be readily accessed from the front of the display refrigerator  10  and thus does not require the display refrigerator  10  to be moved or otherwise repositioned when it becomes necessary to service the internal refrigeration system of the refrigerator  12 . 
         [0024]    Although not shown, it is contemplated that such refrigeration systems as housed within base  42  may be any of a variety of systems well-known in the art. It is further contemplated that such refrigeration systems may take the form as disclosed in Applicants&#39; co-pending Patent Application entitled IMPROVED DISPLAY REFRIGERATOR, Ser. No. 12/356,470, filed Jan. 20, 2009, the teachings of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference. Along these lines, it is contemplated that such refrigeration system will include a fin-free condenser coil design which limits the amount of dust and debris that can build up on the condenser coils and further, can eliminate or minimize the usage of a fan in connection with the condenser coil as is typically utilized to help cool the refrigerant in the condenser coils, as well as the compressor used in connection with the refrigeration system. To achieve that end, it is contemplated that the compressor coil will be configured to extend in an expanded, open configuration that provides enough air space about the condenser coil such that heat is allowed to radiate therefrom that can be easily dissipated in open air, as opposed to having to rely upon fins or other protuberances fabricated from a heat conductive material that are operative to dissipate the heat from the refrigerant in the condenser coils as is conventional practice. In this regard, such condenser coil is formed to have a spiral or helical configuration that winds about a vertical axis. A plurality of vertical support rods or wires is also provided to give the compressor coil a cage-like configuration. Preferably, the condenser coil and support structures are all fabricated from aluminum to provide maximum heat transfer and dissipation. The open cage configuration further provides sufficient air space to pass through the condenser coils more so than prior art condenser coil configurations. According to such configuration, the heat dissipation may be so effective that the use of a fan as is typically utilized to facilitate the dissipation of heat from the condenser coil may be eliminated. 
         [0025]    Housing the refrigeration system in base  42  further enables other components of the refrigeration system, such as the compressor, fan (if utilized) and drain pan to be easily and readily accessed and does not require that the open lid display refrigerator  10  be pulled out or otherwise moved out of position to the extent any of those components need to be accessed. 
         [0026]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 , there is shown the exterior components of the improved display refrigerator of the present invention, and how the same are operative to receive advertising materials on the exterior thereof, as well as provide easy access and enhance storage and organization within the interior thereof. As discussed above, the exterior portions of the refrigerator section  12  will be operative to receive and display printed advertising materials and the like. In this regard, front  14  will be operative to receive display signage  36  whereas sides  16 ,  18  will be able to receive signage or advertising materials  34 ,  46  respectively. Additional signage  32  may be received upon any surface area available on the top portion of the refrigerator as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0027]    With respect to the interior  48  of the open lid display refrigerator of the present invention, the same is preferably configured to have an open, easily accessible interior within which bins or wire baskets  44  or other similar types of items useful in organizing and displaying refrigerated merchandise may be received. As shown, wire baskets  44  may be aligned and positioned within the interior  48  and operative to receive and hold a specific type of refrigerated item for retail purchase. Although not mandatory, the refrigerator section  12  will incorporate evaporator fans  50  into the back or rear of the refrigerator that, per conventional design, will blow air across evaporator coils (not shown) that is distributed about the interior of the refrigerator section  12 . Wire baskets  44  facilitate the circulation of such refrigerated air. Along these lines, the interior  48  is preferably configured to hold two or more, and preferably three as shown, open wire baskets  44  within each of which may be stored and displayed a separate consumer item. Moreover, and as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , signage  36  may be provided that aligns with respective ones of the baskets  44  to thus enable consumers to readily identify not only what product is available for purchase, but where such item is located. As is well-known in the art, conventional open lid display refrigerators do not provide signage that corresponds to how refrigerated items are stored and displayed within the refrigerator. Rather, most open lid display refrigerators currently available have a multiplicity of products scattered there throughout and requires consumers to sort through various food and beverage items to find the desired product. Such practice is not only wasteful insofar as the refrigeration is wasted as the consumer rummages through the goods, but further, the client rummaging through the merchandise can leave such merchandise unsavory and undesirable for purchase. By neatly organizing the contents to be stored and displayed within the open lid display refrigerator  10  of the present invention such problem is eliminated, particularly in view of the signage that immediately directs the consumer&#39;s attention to the specific product stored and refrigerated within the display refrigerator. 
         [0028]    Referring still to  FIG. 2 , there is shown the lid  24  to be utilized in connection with the improved open lid display refrigerator  10  of the present invention. As illustrated, the same will be formed from a transparent material, and preferably glass or other suitable transparent polymer material. Among the preferred materials include acrylic plastic and polycarbonate that are formed, via injection molding, as planar sheets having a uniform thickness. The lid  24  is further provided with a handle  30  and is further provided with an insulated peripheral edge  46  to conserve the refrigeration when the lid is closed. 
         [0029]    Advantageously, the lid  24  is formed in a manner that resists condensation, which in turn eliminates the tendency of the transparent lid  24  to obscure the contents to be displayed within the refrigeration section  12 . To achieve that end, the lid  24  is fabricated in a unique manner such that the cross-sectional thickness of the lid  24  is provided with a unique curvature operative not only to resist condensation but to further draw the condensation away from the centermost portion of the lid  24  so as to substantially minimize, if not eliminate, the potential for condensation to obscure the contents stored within the display refrigerator. More specifically, the lid  24  will preferably be formed such that the surface contour thereof changes gradually in a compound curve. Such compound curve and contour shape are operative to enable the interior of lid  24  oriented towards refrigerator  12  to be charged with high pressure nitrogen gas, which in turn improves insulation and eliminates condensation. For example, lids  24  formed from acrylic plastics and formed to have the compound curve and contour shape and thereafter charged with high pressure nitrogen has been shown to resist, if not eliminate, condensation under conditions of 90 degrees Fahrenheit at 65 percent relative humidity. As should be appreciated, however, the lid  24  need not necessarily be charged with high pressure nitrogen gas, nor necessarily formed to possess the aforementioned compound curve and contour shape, and that fabricating the lid  24  from a simple sheet of durable transparent material alone may be sufficient to accomplish any of the objectives of the present invention. 
         [0030]    The lid  24  is affixed to the refrigerator  12  via hinges  26 ,  28 , each of which including subcomponents  26   a,    26   b  and  28   a,    28   b,  as shown. In this regard, hinges  26 ,  28  are operative to not only secure the lid  24  to the refrigerator portion  12 , but also enable the lid  24  to be utilized in a manner that substantially minimizes any possibility of injury to a consumer and/or damage to the open lid display refrigerator as the same is utilized to access refrigerated contents. As shown, each hinge  26 ,  28  is provided with a first refrigerator hinge portion  26   a,    28   a  that is secured to the refrigerator and a lid hinge portion  26   b,    28   b  that is affixed to the lid  24 . Such arrangement, as shown in  FIG. 3 , illustrates that the hinge portions  28   a,    28   b  are interconnected to one another via a rod/socket configuration, discussed more fully below with respect to  FIG. 4 . Both hinge portions  28   a,    28   b  (as well as  26   a,    26   b  not shown) are secured via fastener mechanisms  52 , which may take any of a variety of fastener mechanisms well-known to those skilled in the art, including bolts, screws and the like. 
         [0031]    The hinge mechanism further advantageously allows the lid  24 , and more particularly the insulated periphery portion  46  thereof, to form a tight seal about the opening of refrigerator section  12 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , and transition to the open state as illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
         [0032]    The hinge mechanism is preferably provided with an interconnection between hinge portions, such as  28   a  and  28   b,  that enables the hinge to provide some “give” or “lift” to the extent the lid portion  24  is inadvertently closed on an object or an appendage of a consumer reaching within the interior  48  of the refrigerator  12 . To provide such give or lift, and as shown in  FIG. 4 , the hinge portions  28   a,    28   b  will be interconnected such that the cylindrical rod, shown as  54  in  FIG. 4 , extending from hinge portion  28   b  will be received within an oversized cylindrical socket or chamber, shown as  56  in  FIG. 4 , as formed within hinge portion  28   a.  With respect to the latter, it is contemplated that for manufacturing purposes, hinge portion  28   a  may be fabricated as two components  28   a,    28   a ′ that cooperate to define the cylindrical socket  56  and further cooperate to receive and interconnect to refrigerator  12  via bolts  52  as shown, the latter having threaded portions  52 ′ that are designed to interconnect with apertures formed within refrigerator  12 . The cylindrical socket  56  is provided with a larger diameter than the cylindrical cross section defined by cylindrical rod  54  received therein such that a distance, indicated by the letter “A” is provided that enables the cylindrical rod  54  to advance upwardly to the extent an object or other obstruction interferes with the ability of the lid  24  to assume the closed configuration shown in  FIG. 1 . As will be readily appreciated, given the fact that lid  24  will be continuously opened and closed by consumers, which may include children, it is contemplated that lid  24  may drop or fall upon the arms and hands of individuals reaching within the interior compartment  48  of the refrigerator  12 . It is believed that given the light weight nature of the lid  24 , coupled with the novel hinge arrangement as shown in connection with  FIG. 4 , will enable the lid to readily provide give or be able to lift to at least some degree, reflected by distance “A”, so as to minimize the impact or ability of the lid to bear down upon an obstruction. By providing such a novel hinge arrangement between the lid  24  and refrigerator  12 , it is believed that damage to the lid/refrigerator and/or injury to a consumer is substantially reduced. 
         [0033]    Additional modifications and improvements of the present invention may also be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Thus, the particular combination of parts and steps described and illustrated herein is intended to represent only certain embodiments of the present invention, and is not intended to serve as limitations of alternative devices and methods within the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, it will be readily understood that the cylindrical rod  54  and cylindrical socket  56  within which it is received may be formed on either of the hinge components  28   a,    28   b,  as illustrated in  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 . Likewise, it is contemplated that a multiplicity of storage and organization mechanisms can be readily incorporated into the interior  48  of the refrigerator  12 , and need not necessarily be limited to the three wire baskets  44  arranged within the interior  48  as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . Various other alternatives may be utilized with regard to the type and placement of the refrigeration systems and various components thereof that is integrated with the improved open lid display refrigerator disclosed herein.