Abstract:
A refrigerated display case has a body ( 72 ), at least one door ( 28; 32 ) coupled to the body, and an internal refrigerated compartment ( 24 ). The case includes a lighted sign apparatus ( 32 ) mounted to the body. The apparatus includes a bulb ( 64 ), a housing ( 60 ), and an at least partially transparent and/or translucent sign ( 62 ) carried by the housing. A number of extractable snap fasteners ( 120 ) extend through associated holes ( 150 ) in the housing and engage the sign to retain the sign in an installed condition.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    Benefit is claimed of U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/744,048, filed Mar. 31, 2006, and entitled “Refrigerated Case”, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein as if set forth at length. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention relates to refrigerated cases. More particularly, the invention relates to lighted signs for such cases. 
         [0003]    In several configurations of refrigerated case (including freezers), a backlit sign is positioned along a header above the case doors. The sign includes an at least partially transparent or translucent panel held in front of one or more lightbulbs. Such panels must often be removed (e.g., to replace the panels or replace the bulbs). Various panel retention mechanisms are known. In one group, the panel is held within a metallic frame. A lip of the frame engages a perimeter portion of the panel front surface/face. A lower edge of the panel may be supported by a bottom portion of the frame. To retain the panel against rearward movement, a plurality of screws extend through the frame. Tip portions of the screws in the interior of the frame engage a perimeter portion of the panel rear surface/face. 
         [0004]    To remove the panel for panel or bulb replacement, some or all of the screws are at least partially unscrewed to retract their tip portions and permit disengagement of the tip portions from the panel rear face. The panel may then be rotated and/or translated in a series of movements to permit its removal (optionally including a slight bending/flexing of the panel). Panel replacement/reinstallation may be by a reverse of this process. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    Such use of screws may have one or more of several disadvantages. Unscrewing and rescrewing may be cumbersome and time-consuming. The potential exists for stripping of the screwhead and/or the frame hole. 
         [0006]    Accordingly, one aspect of the invention involves a refrigerated display case having a body, at least one door coupled to the body, and an internal refrigerated compartment. The case includes a lighted sign apparatus mounted to the body. The apparatus includes a bulb, a housing, and an at least partially transparent and/or translucent sign carried by the housing. A number of extractable snap fasteners extend through associated holes in the housing and engage the sign to retain the sign in an installed condition. 
         [0007]    In various implementations, the snap fasteners may include a first group along the bottom of the housing and a second group along a top of the housing. The snap fasteners may consist essentially of nylon. The snap fasteners may comprise a head and a transversely-apertured shaft depending from the head. The housing may comprise first and second pieces. The first piece may essentially form a top and first side of the housing and the second piece may essentially form a bottom and second side of the housing. The sign may be replaceable by extracting at least one of the fasteners, removing the sign, replacing the sign with a replacement sign, and replacing the extracted fastener(s). A similar process may be used for bulb replacement. 
         [0008]    The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a view of a refrigerated case. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a sectional view of a header-mounted sign of the case of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a view of a housing of the sign of  FIG. 2  with a sign panel exploded forward. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a top view of the housing of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a front view of the housing of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a side view of the housing of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is a top view of a first member of the housing of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  is a front view of the member of  FIG. 7 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  is a bottom view of a second member of the housing of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 10  is a rear view of the member of  FIG. 9 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 11  is a front view of a fastener of the housing of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 12  is a side view of the fastener of  FIG. 11 . 
       
    
    
       [0021]    Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0022]      FIG. 1  shows a refrigerated case  20  having a housing  22  surrounding an interior compartment  24 . In the exemplary case  22 , a recirculating airflow is directed from/to the compartment  24  by a refrigeration equipment cassette  26  (e.g., containing the compressor, heat exchangers, expansion device, fans, and the like). The exemplary case  20  has a pair of doors  28  and  30 . Above upper edges of the doors, the exemplary case includes a lighted sign  32 . 
         [0023]    Each exemplary door includes a frame  40  holding one or more glass or other transparent panes  42 . Each exemplary door is supported by a pair of upper and lower hinges  44  and  46  and has an opposite handle  48 . The door may be held in a closed condition by means of a magnetic seal, biasing spring, or gravity cam device (not shown). An exemplary sign  32  extends essentially full case width and spans the doors. The exemplary sign  32  includes a frame or housing  60  holding a sign panel  62  in front of a lightbulb  64 . Via an appropriate combination of opaque, transparent, and translucent areas of different color, opacity, texture, and the like, the panel  62  provides a lighted graphitic having design and/or written elements. 
         [0024]    The exemplary bulb  64  is an elongate transversely-extending florescent bulb.  FIG. 2  shows the bulb  64  on a fixture  66  mounted to a front surface  68  of a header area  70  of a main housing body  72 .  FIG. 2  further shows the panel  62  as having front and rear faces  80  and  82  and upper and lower edges  84  and  86 . The housing may be formed from one or more sheetmetal (e.g., stainless or coated steel) pieces, cut and bent to shape. An exemplary housing may be formed from one or more sheetmetal pieces (e.g., cut and bent stainless or coated steel) to enclose an interior space  88 . 
         [0025]    The exemplary housing forms an upper wall  90  and a lower wall  92 . A lip  94  extends downward (depends) from a forward edge of the upper wall  90 . A similar lip  96  extends upward from a forward edge of the lower wall. A rear end portion of the upper wall  90  overlaps a forward portion of an upper surface  100  of the main housing body  72 . To mount the housing  60  to the main housing body  72 , screws (e.g., sheetmetal screws)  102  may extend through holes in the overlapping portions. Exemplary screws are self-threading, passing with clearance through apertures in the upper wall  90  and threaded into the apertures in the main housing body  72 . Similarly, a rear lip  110  may depend from a rear edge of the lower wall  92 . The lip  110  may similarly be secured to the main housing body  72  along the front surface  68 . 
         [0026]    The rear faces of the lips  94  and  96  engage adjacent perimeter portions of the front face  80  of the panel  62 . Perimeter portions of the rear face  82  may be retained by upper and lower arrays of snap fasteners  120  extending through the upper and lower walls, respectively. Exemplary snap fasteners are “arrow clips” available from Micro Plastics, Inc, Flippin, Ark. Gaps may be provided in one or both of the overlapping portion of the top wall or the rear lip  110  to accommodate, for example, adjacent hinges, latches, and the like. 
         [0027]      FIGS. 4 and 5  show the housing  60  as including respective left and right sidewalls  122  and  124  (left being viewed from the point of view of the case rather than a person facing the case). 
         [0028]      FIGS. 7-10  show an exemplary housing formed of two metal pieces, a first piece  130  ( FIGS. 7 and 8 ) forms the upper wall  90  and lip  94  as well as the left sidewall  122  and associated front lip. Similarly, the second piece  140  ( FIGS. 9 and 10 ) forms the lower wall  92  and its associated lips as well as the right sidewall  124  and an associated front lip. The two pieces may be secured to each other (e.g., by screwing, riveting, tack welding, or the like). The upper wall  94  and lower wall  92  include pluralities of holes/apertures  150  for receiving the fasteners  120 . 
         [0029]      FIGS. 11 and 12  show the snap fasteners having a head  200  and a shaft  202  depending from the head and extending to a tip  204 . The exemplary shaft has a transverse central aperture  206  which may provide a resilient bias for shaft branches along either side of the aperture. The exemplary branch outer surfaces  210  have a first relaxed separation at a central location, tapering both distally and proximally therefrom to provide for snap fit insertion and removable extraction through a complementary hole  150  in the housing. The exemplary complementary hole  150  is elongate to correspond to the elongate cross-section of the fastener. The exemplary fasteners are non-barbed to provide non-destructive removability (e.g., by placing a fork-like tool between the head and the housing and prying). The non-destructability allows for re-insertion. Alternative embodiments may involve fasteners which are destroyed or damaged and may be replaced with replacement fasteners. Exemplary fasteners are of a polymeric or plastic material such as nylon. For easy tool access, the holes may be oriented longitudinally (i.e., with their longer dimension front-to-back). 
         [0030]    One or more embodiments of the present invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the principles may be applied in the retrofit of an existing case or the reengineering of an existing case configuration. In an exemplary retrofit or reengineering situation, existing screw holes may be enlarged to form the snap fastener holes or may be replaced or supplemented. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.