Patent Publication Number: US-7896450-B2

Title: Showcase

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a showcase that show goods, such as commodities, and, more particularly, to a showcase suitable for displaying hot commodities while heat-insulating the commodities. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     There is a showcase which is placed on a counter in a convenience store or the like, for example, to show hot commodities such as grilled chicken, fried chicken, etc. 
     As this kind of showcase, a showcase disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-158804 has its front side formed by a transparent wall of glass or the like which covers a showroom. To clean the inner side of the transparent wall, a rotatable front door covering a normal-temperature area is provided under the transparent wall. This showcase does not allow a customer to directly put his or her hand into the showroom, so that the safety of the customer and sanitary of commodities are considered to be secured. 
     In the disclosed showcase, while the front door rotates to be open, the transparent wall itself is fixed. To clean the inner side of the transparent wall, therefore, a worker have to move trays in the showroom to avoid interference, then put his or her hand inside through the front door and reach the hand upward. In such an uneasy state, cleaning work is troublesome. In particular, if the showcase is very tall or wide, there may be some areas left insufficiently cleaned. Further, there is a hot portion in the showroom so that the worker should take precautions against burning. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a showcase which permits safe and easy cleaning of a transparent portion on the customer side while keeping customers&#39; safety and sanitary of commodities. 
     To achieve the object, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a showcase having a front wall defining a showroom for a commodity in cooperation with other walls on a customer side and including a transparent portion. The showcase also has a support device that supports the transparent portion in such a way that the transparent portion is allowed to be translated to a direction away from the showroom. 
     To clean the inner side of the transparent portion in the showcase of the present invention, as the transparent portion is translated away from the showroom, a worker can place his or her hand inside the clearance between the transparent portion and the showroom from above, below, the right side and the left side freely. 
     Therefore, every part of the inner side of the transparent portion can be easily and well cleaned. Because the worker need not place his or her hand into the showroom, the worker is unlikely to contact a hot portion and can carry out the cleaning work safely. 
     It is preferable that the front wall and other walls should be supported by a main frame, and the support device should be provided between the transparent portion and the main frame. 
     Because the showcase of a preferred mode has the front wall and other walls supported by a main frame, and the support device provided between the transparent portion and the main frame, the showcase has a high productivity and is inexpensive. 
     It is preferable that a mechanical room should be defined under the showroom and accommodate at least a part of a heating system for heating the commodity, and the support device should include a guide rail horizontally disposed in the mechanical room, and a slide bar that is integrally secured to the transparent portion and slidably engages with the guide rail. 
     Because the showcase of a preferred mode has a guide rail disposed in the mechanical room, the space is effectively used to prevent upsizing of the showcase due to the provision of the support device. Since the sliding of the slide bar with respect to the guide rail causes translation of the transparent portion, the transparent portion can be easily translated even with a single hand. Further, the location of the mechanical room under the showroom enhances the degree of freedom in designing the showcase. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitative of the present invention. 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic perspective view of a showcase according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the showcase in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic exploded perspective view of the showcase in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a diagram schematically showing the rear side of a front wall adapted to the showcase in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a diagram schematically showing the vicinity of an engagement unit for the front wall in  FIG. 4 ; and 
         FIG. 6  is a side view showing the front wall pulled out from the showcase in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a showcase according to one embodiment of the present invention. The showcase is used in a store, such as a convenience store or a superstore, and is placed on a counter in the store. Commodities such as grilled chicken or fried chicken, are displayed inside the showcase. 
       FIG. 2  schematically shows the internal structure of the showcase in which a showroom  2  and a mechanical room  4  are defined. The showroom  2  is located above the mechanical room  4 , with shelves  6  of, for example, two rows by three columns mounted in the showroom  2 . Bats  8  are disposed on the respective shelves  6  and the commodities are to be placed on the bats  8 . 
     Heaters  9  of an electric resistance type, for example, are attached to the bottoms of the respective shelves  6 . Each heater  9  is electrically connected to a power source box  10 . The power source box  10  is disposed in the center of the mechanical room  4 , so that when power is supplied to the heaters  9  from the power source box  10 , the shelves  6  and the bats  8  are heated to thereby heat commodities. That is, the heaters  9  and the power source box  10  constitute a heating system for heating commodities. 
     The casing structure of the showcase will be described below. 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic exploded perspective view of the showcase which has a main frame  12 . The main frame  12  includes a plurality of columns extending in the height direction, and beams connecting the columns. The main frame  12  is not shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     The main frame  12  supports a front wall  14 , located on the customer side, a rear wall  16 , located on the clerk side, right and left side walls  18 , a top wall  20  and a bottom wall  22 . The walls  14 ,  16 ,  18 ,  20 ,  22  partitions a single space in cooperation with one another. The space is defined into the upper showroom  2  and the lower mechanical room  4  by a partition (see  FIG. 2 ). 
     The top wall  20  and the bottom wall  22  are made of, for example, stainless steel, and are fixed to the main frame  12  by screws, for example. The power source box  10  is disposed nearly in the center portion of the bottom wall  22 . The side walls  18  are, for example, glass plates, and are fixed to the main frame  12  by screws, for example. 
     The rear wall  16  includes a band-like rear plate  24  of stainless steel and two glass doors  26 . The rear plate  24  is fixed to the lower side of the main frame  12  by, for example, screws, thus partitioning the mechanical room  4 . The glass doors  26  are slidably disposed in an opening portion between the top wall  20  and the rear plate  24 , thus partitioning the showroom  2 . 
     A lower portion of the front wall  14  placed on the customer side is constituted by a flat box-shaped wall body  27  of stainless steel, which partitions the mechanical room  4 . A rectangular sash  28  is obliquely secured to the upper end of the wall body  27 , with a glass plate  30  (transparent portion) being fitted into the sash  28 . The sash  28  and the glass plate  30  (which together may also be called “glass window”) constitute an upper portion of the front wall  14  and define the showroom  2 . 
     The front wall  14  is not directly fixed to the main frame  12 , and a support device is provided between the front wall  14  and the main frame  12 . The front wall  14  is supported by the main frame  12  through the support device in such a way that the front wall  14  can move away from the main frame  12 . In other words, the front wall  14  is supported and allowed to be translated in a direction away from the showroom  2  by the support device. 
     Specifically, two guide rails  32  are disposed in the mechanical room  4 , and are fixed to the main frame  12 . That is, the guide rails  32  are placed apart from each other in the widthwise direction of the showcase with the power source box  10  in between, and extend horizontally in the forward and backward direction of the showcase. 
     A slide bar  34  having the shape of, for example, a hollow square pipe is slidably engaged with each guide rail  32 . Each slide bar  34  also extends in the forward and backward direction. The slide bar  34  is fixed along a bracket  36  which has an L-shaped cross section and whose tip is fixed to the back of the wall body  27 . That is, the glass window is fixed to the slide bars  34  via the wall body  27  and the brackets  36 . The glass window is supported by the main frame  12  via the guide rails  32  and the slide bars  34 , and is allowed to be translated in a direction away from the main frame  12  or forward and backward direction. 
     To hold the front wall  14  closely attached to the main frame  12  (close position), as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , an elastically deformable first engagement member  38  is attached to the center portion of the back of the wall body  27 . The first engagement member  38  is formed by bending a band-like plate member, and protrudes rearward. A projection  38   a  convexly bent upward is formed on the first engagement member  38 , locating at a projecting end side thereof. 
     An engagement plate  40  is fixed to one of the beams of the main frame  12 , facing the first engagement member  38 . The engagement plate  40  has a hole  40   a  in which the projecting end of the first engagement member  38  can be received. With the front wall  14  positioned closest to the main frame  12  or at the close position, the projection  38   a  of the first engagement member  38  engages with the edge of the hole  40   a . A lever  42  for disengaging the engaged state is attached to the first engagement member  38 , so that when the lever  42  is pulled, the first engagement member  38  is elastically deformed, thus allowing the projection  38   a  to be pulled out of the hole  40   a.    
     As a second engagement member, a magnetic body  44  of iron or the like is attached to the inner end of the bracket  36 , and a magnet  46  attractable to the magnetic body  44  is fixed to the bottom wall  22 . 
     To show the state of engagement with the slide bar  34 , the guide rail  32  is indicated by a two-dot chain line in  FIG. 4 . 
     A rubber packing  48  is fixed to the back of the sash  28  of the glass window in such a way as to surround the glass plate  30 . As the packing  48  abuts on the main frame  12 , the airtightness of the showroom  2  is secured. 
     The following will explain how to use the showcase. 
     To show hot commodities such as grilled chicken or fried chicken, a clerk slides one of the glass doors  26  constituting the rear wall  16  right or left to open the showcase, and places the bats  8  having commodities mounted thereon on the shelves  6  or places commodities in the bats  8  already placed on the shelves  6 . Alternatively, commodities may be placed directly on the shelves  6 . The commodities displayed on the shelves  6  are heated by the heaters  9  to be kept hot as the power is supplied to the heaters  9  from the power source box  10 . 
     A customer can view the displayed commodities through the glass window of the front wall  14 , and can indicate a desired commodity to the clerk and can ask the clerk to take it out, and receive it. 
     Depending on a commodity, oil or the like adheres on the inner side of the glass window. To clean the inner side of the transparent portion, the worker stands directly in front or obliquely in front of the showcase and pulls the lever  42  with his or her hand from below the front wall  14 . Accordingly, the first engagement member  38  elastically deforms and comes out of the hole  40   a  of the engagement plate  40 , and the magnetic body  44  or the second engagement member is separated from the magnet  46 , disengaging the engagement by the first engagement member  38  and the second engagement member and causing the front wall  14  to move away from the main frame  12  or the showroom  2 . That is, the lever  42  is a release lever to release the restriction of the movement of the glass window. 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , after an adequate clearance is secured between the front wall  14  and the main frame  12 , a worker should put a hand in the clearance to clean the inner side of the glass window. 
     In cleaning the inner side of the glass window or the transparent portion in the showcase of the embodiment, as mentioned above, as the glass window is translated forward away from the main frame  12 , the worker can easily put his or her hand in the clearance between the glass window and the showroom  2  from above, below, right side or left side. 
     Therefore, every part of the inner side of the glass window of the showcase is easily cleaned. Because the worker need not put his or her hand in the showroom  2 , the worker is unlikely to contact a hot portion and can perform the cleaning work safely. 
     In addition, as the slide bars  34  are slid along the guide rails  32 , the glass window makes a translational movement, so that the glass window can be easily translated even with one hand. 
     The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified in various forms. 
     While the front wall  14 , the rear wall  16 , the side walls  18 , the top wall  20  and the bottom wall  22  are supported by the main frame  12  in the showcase of the embodiment, the showcase may take a frameless structure. That is, the rear wall  16 , the side walls  18 , the top wall  20  and the bottom wall  22  may be directly connected to one another. In this case, the guide rails  32  may be fixed to the side walls  18  or the bottom wall  22 . 
     A box formed by sheet metal processing may be used only for the mechanical room  4 , and a main frame for the showroom  2  may be assembled on the box. The use of a frame structure at least for the showroom  2  can increase the productivity of the showcase and suppress the cost. 
     Although the showcase of the embodiment has the slide bars  34  integrally fixed to the wall body  27  via the brackets  36 , the slide bars  34  have only to be integrally fixed to the glass plate  30 . 
     Although the guide rails  32  and the slide bars  34  are disposed in the mechanical room  4  below the showroom  2  and the slide bars  34  are coupled to the wall body  27  of the front wall  14 , the guide rails  32  and the slide bars  34  may be disposed above the showroom  2  and the slide bars  34  may be coupled to the upper side of the front wall  14 . 
     Note that arrangement of the guide rails  32  and the slide bars  34  in the mechanical room  4  is preferable because the arrangement does not enlarge the showcase. Further, because the mechanical room  4  is located under the showroom  2 , the degree of freedom in designing the showcase is high. 
     The numbers of the guide rails  32  and the slide bars  34  are not particularly limited. When the front wall  14  is small, the numbers of the guide rails  32  and the slide bars  34  can be one each. Normally, it is preferable that the numbers of the guide rails  32  and the slide bars  34  be two or more. 
     If the numbers of the guide rails  32  and the slide bars  34  are two, it is preferable that the slide bars  34  are apart from each other in the width direction of the transparent portion. In other words, it is preferable that the slide bars  34  are located at both ends of the transparent portion, respectively. This is because the worker can easily clean the whole of the transparent portion without interference with the slide bars  34  when the worker stands in front of the showcase and puts his or her hand in the clearance from below through the slide bars  34 . 
     The direction of the translational movement of the front wall  14  or the lengthwise direction of the guide rails  32  and the slide bars  34  may be inclined slightly with respect to the horizontal direction. 
     The engagement unit for holding the front wall  14  abutting on the main frame  12  is not particularly limited. Although, as the second engagement member, the magnetic body  44  is attached to the bracket  36  and the magnet  46  is attached to the bottom wall  22 , the second engagement member, for example, the magnetic body  44  and the magnet  46  may be attached to the bottom wall  22  and the bracket  36 , respectively. The magnetic body  44  may be formed integral with the bracket  36 , or magnets which are attracted to each other may be disposed on the bracket  36  and the bottom wall  22 , respectively. 
     Although with the front wall  14  at the close position, the glass window and the main frame  12  are sealed by the rubber packing  48  in the showcase, a magnetic packing if used can restrict movement of the front wall  14  as the packing is attracted to the main frame  12 . It is however preferred that to prevent the front wall  14  from being opened unintentionally, the movement of the front wall  14  should be restricted by two or more engagement members. 
     Although commodities are heated by the electric resistant heaters  9  in the embodiment, commodity heating means is not particularly limited and a lamp type heater may be used. 
     Finally, while the showcase of the present invention is suitable for showing commodities while heating them, the showcase can of course be adapted to a refrigerating showcase or a freezing showcase. 
     With the invention thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.