Abstract:
The invention relates to a freezer cabinet in which foods are stored frozen for sale in a shop, with a freezer space surrounded by solid walls at the front, at the rear, at the sides and at the bottom, which freezer space, at its upper end, is accessible via a housing opening from a user-side front edge, which opening, in the closed state, is covered by a cover unit with a cover part, adjoining the use-side edge and movable in a forwards/backwards direction, and a stationary rear cover part located away from the user-side edge. An advantageous embodiment is one in which, in order to open it, the front cover part is arranged in front of the rear cover part in the closed state or the central cover part can be pushed at least partially over the rear cover part.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    The present application is a U.S. national phase entry of pending International Patent Application No. PCT/EP2015/055954, international filing date Mar. 20, 2015, which claims priority to German Patent Application No. DE 20 2014 101 651.1, filed Apr. 8, 2014, the contents of which are incorporated by reference in their entireties. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The device relates to a freezer cabinet for cold storage and showcasing of food in a sales room, with a cooling chamber that is surrounded by stationary housing walls at the front, rear, sides, and bottom and is accessible from a front edge oriented toward the user via a housing opening at the top, which in the closed state, is covered by a cover unit with a lid part, which adjoins the user-side edge and can be moved in a forward/backward direction, and a stationary rear lid part positioned away from the user-side edge. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Freezer cabinets are well known in the art. An example of a freezer cabinet of the prior art is disclosed in EP 1 332 698 B3. Another freezer cabinet is disclosed in DE 10 2009 031 278 A1. The freezer in this patent includes a chest opening with two access sides opposite from each other and a cover with sliding lids that can be moved in the transverse direction, and a middle lid that can be moved in the transverse direction, wherein the sliding lids at the sides each have a catch that automatically moves the middle lid along with them as they are opened. 
         [0004]    EP 2 347 680 A1 discloses another freezer cabinet with a cover and a plurality of lids that can be slid over one another in the transverse direction. They are likewise coupled to each other through a catch system. All of the disclosed prior art patents have specific disadvantages to which the present device improves upon. 
         [0005]    One object of the present invention is to distinguish over the shortcomings seen in the prior art by providing a freezer cabinet which has a user-friendly cover. The freezer of the present invention includes a cooling chamber accessible from two long sides and covered at the top by a cover that has lids that can be slid along the two long sides perpendicular to the long sides and in the middle region between the long sides, and having a stationary cover plate. The cover can be convexly curved. Guide rails at the sides have three tracks and the stationary cover plate is positioned in a separate track that is preferably the uppermost of the three tracks. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    In accordance with the present device, a freezer cabinet for cold storage and showcasing of foods in a sales room comprising a cooling chamber surrounded by stationary housing walls including a front wall, a rear wall, sidewalls, and a bottom wall, the chamber being accessible from a front edge oriented toward the user via a housing opening at a top, which in the closed state, the top is covered by a cover unit with a lid part, the lid part adjoins a user-side edge and can be moved in a forward/backward direction, the chamber also including a front lid part, middle lid part and stationary rear lid part positioned away from the user-side edge, to open the chamber the front and middle lid parts are arranged in front of the rear lid part in the closed state and can be pushed at least partially over the rear lid part. 
         [0007]    It is preferred that the rear lid part that adjoins the rear edge of the housing opening is inserted in a non-sliding fashion into a rear frame section and two side frame sections in a way that allows it to be removed toward the top. The front lid part is curved so that in the cross-section extending from front to back, it is convex toward the top. Preferably, the front lid part includes front and rear regions and has corresponding front and rear guide pins that protrude laterally beyond edges on both sides of the chamber and engage in upper guide rails that are provided on both sides. 
         [0008]    It is also preferred that the upper guide rails have an upper retaining bar that has at least one respective gap that the guide pins and can be inserted into and guided out of a corresponding sliding position of the front lid part. 
         [0009]    It is highly preferred that only the front lid part is curved so that the front lid part is convex toward the top whereas the middle and rear lid parts are flat. Preferably, the front lid part includes an upward protruding handle at its front edge and the front and middle lid parts are supported in sliding fashion in the lateral guide rails in the lateral frame sections so that during the opening motion, the middle lid part slides over the rear lid part and the front lid part slides over the middle lid part. 
         [0010]    In preferred embodiments, the front and middle lid parts are coupled to each other by a catch device, the catch device being configured so that when the front lid part is slid, the middle lid part is also slid forward or back in the same, corresponding direction. The catch device is configured so that during the opening motion, the front lid part is first slid over the middle lid part and as the opening motion continues, the front lid part is then slid together with middle lid part over the rear lid part. 
         [0011]    It is preferred that the catch device is configured so that when closing from the fully-open state, the front lid part is first slid forward out of the area above the middle lid part and then the middle lid part is next slid together with the front lid part into the closed position. 
         [0012]    Preferably, the catch device has a front catch element protruding downward in the front region of the front lid part and a rear catch element protruding downward in the rear region of the front lid part; in a complete opening motion, the front catch element comes into abutting contact with a stop in the front edge region of the middle lid part in order to slide the middle lid part toward the rear; and when closing the front lid part from the fully open state, the front lid part is slid forward by itself at first and then with its rear catch element the front lid part comes into abutting contact with a second stop in the front edge region of the middle lid part in order to drive the latter toward the front into the closed position. 
         [0013]    In the present device, in order to open the front lid part and/or middle lid part arranged in front of the rear lid part in the closed state, it/they can be slid at least partway over the rear lid part. These measures provide for a reliable function with good operating properties in a preferred design. An embodiment that is advantageous for the design and operation is comprised in that the rear lid part that adjoins the rear edge of the housing opening is inserted in a non-sliding fashion into a rear frame section and two side frame sections in a way that allows it to be removed toward the top. 
         [0014]    With a relatively large cooling chamber or storage chamber, the accessibility is improved in that at least the front lid part is curved so that in the cross-section extending from front to back, it is convex toward the top. This embodiment achieves significant functional advantages in combination with the features of the preceding claims, where the low front edge of the housing opening also offers a good view of the products laid out in the cooling chamber through the transparent cover unit. 
         [0015]    If the front lid part, in its front and rear regions, is provided with front and rear guide pins that protrude laterally beyond the edges on both sides and that engage in upper guide rails that are provided for them on both sides, then this allows a particularly simple sliding motion, allowing a wide latitude in the selection of the curvature of the front lid part and permitting it to be adapted to different functional and/or operational requirements. The guide tracks in the guide rails in this case do not have to be adapted to the curvature of the front lid part and the curved lid part does not, for example, have to be made of a flexible material, thus offering improved design possibilities. In the closed state, the convex curvature of the front lid part essentially corresponds to the curvature of the front region of the lateral guide rails in order to also achieve a reliable seal by the cover unit at the sides of the cooling chamber. 
         [0016]    Other usage advantages are achieved by the fact that the upper guide rails have an upper retaining bar that has at least one respective gap that the guide pins can be inserted into and guided out of in a corresponding sliding position of the front lid part. 
         [0017]    An embodiment that is functionally and operationally advantageous is comprised in that a front, middle, and rear lid part are provided and only the front lid part is curved so that it is convex toward the top whereas the middle and rear lid parts are embodied as flat. This contributes to a good sliding ability, particularly also of the front lid part since it lies with its rear region over the flat middle lid part already at the beginning of the sliding motion and only slight sliding forces are required. 
         [0018]    For the function and operation, an advantageous contribution is also made by the fact that the front lid part is provided with an upward protruding handle at its front edge and the front and middle lid parts are supported in sliding fashion in the lateral guide rails in the lateral frame sections so that during the opening motion, the middle lid part is slid over the rear lid part and the front lid part is slid over the middle lid part. 
         [0019]    Another user-friendly embodiment is comprised in that the front and middle lid parts are coupled to each other by a catch device, which is embodied so that when the front lid part is slid, the middle lid part is also slid forward or back in the corresponding direction. This achieves an advantageous function in that the catch device is embodied so that during the opening motion, first the front lid part is slid over the middle lid part and as the opening motion continues, the front lid part is slid together with middle lid part over the rear lid part. 
         [0020]    It is also advantageous for the operation that the catch device is embodied so that when closing from the fully open state, first the front lid part is slid forward out of the region above the middle lid part and then the middle lid part is slid together with the front lid part into the closed position. Other advantages for the design and function lie in the fact that the catch device has a front catch element protruding downward in the front region of the front lid part and a rear catch element protruding downward in the rear region of the front lid; in a complete opening motion, the front catch element comes into abutting contact with a stop in the front edge region of the middle lid part in order to slide the middle lid part toward the rear; and when closing the front lid part from the fully open state, it is slid forward by itself at first and then with its rear catch element, comes into abutting contact with another stop in the front edge region of the middle lid part in order to drive the latter toward the front into the closed position. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0021]    The drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment including the above-noted characteristics and features of the device. The device will be readily understood from the descriptions and drawings. In the drawings: 
           [0022]      FIG. 1A  is a side view of the upper region of a freezer cabinet with a cover unit and a guide unit in the closed position; 
           [0023]      FIG. 1B  shows the cover unit according to  FIG. 1A  in the open position; and 
           [0024]      FIG. 1C  shows three details A, B, and C indicated in  FIG. 1A . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0025]    Referring to  FIGS. 1A-1C , a freezer cabinet  1  in accordance with the present invention is generally designated by the reference numeral  1 .  FIG. 1A  shows the upper region of a freezer cabinet  1  (otherwise not shown in detail) with a cover unit  2 . Freezer cabinets  1  of this kind are particularly used for the refrigerated storage and sale of foods in sales rooms. The freezer cabinet which as a rule is essentially block-shaped, has housing walls at the front, rear, sides, and bottom that form a housing body and enclose a cooling chamber with a housing opening at the top, which is covered by a cover unit  2  and can be opened in order to fill the cooling chamber with food and make it possible for a customer to take food out. The cover unit  2  is embodied so that it is entirely or largely transparent in order to present the products or foods and has a plurality of rear lid parts that can be slid in a guide unit  30  and that can be moved at least partway into an open position and from there, back into the closed position. 
         [0026]    In the exemplary embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B , cover unit  2  has three lid parts, namely a front lid part  10 , which in the closed state, is situated in the front region of the housing opening oriented toward a user, a middle lid part  20  adjoining the latter toward the rear, and a rear lid part  40  situated in the rear region of the housing opening. At least the front and middle lid parts  10 ,  20  are inserted into a lid guide  3 , which is provided at the lateral edges of the housing opening. In the illustration of cover unit  2  shown, the rear lid part  40  is inserted in a non-sliding fashion into a rear frame section and two side frame sections in a way that allows it to be removed toward the top, making it possible if need be to enable free access to the rear region of the cooling chamber as well, e.g. for stocking or cleaning purposes. 
         [0027]    To open the unit, front lid part  10  can be slid over middle lid part  20  and, if further opening is desired, can be slid together with middle lid part  20  over rear lid part  40 . To this end, the lid guide  3  has a guide unit  30  with upper guide rails  31  and middle guide rails  32  on both sides of the housing opening, with front lid part  10  supported in sliding fashion in upper guide rails  31  and middle lid part  20  supported in sliding fashion in middle guide rails  32 . The side, rear frame sections in which the rear lid part  40  is accommodated can be embodied as lower guide rails  33  of the guide unit  30 . 
         [0028]    Advantageously, front lid part  10  is provided with laterally protruding front guide pins  11  in its two front side regions and with laterally protruding rear guide pins  12  in its two rear side regions, which pins are formed, for example, onto the side, front, or rear frame-like enclosures of front lid part  10  or can be mounted to them separately. Enlarged depictions of front and rear guide pins  11 ,  12  are shown in details A and B of  FIG. 1C . They can be provided with roller-like elements to facilitate movement of front lid part  10 . 
         [0029]    As is clear from  FIG. 1B , this design of front lid part  10  with front and rear side guide pins  11 ,  12  allows front lid part  10  to be embodied with any curvature that is convex toward the top since it protrudes above middle lid part  20  when slid over it. It is also not necessary for front lid part  10  to be embodied of an elastic or flexible material, thus enabling a wide variety of design variants in terms of material selection and shape. For example, front lid part  10  can have a relatively tight curvature radius so that on the one hand, a front upper edge can be lower with a relatively high rear edge and side edges and as a result, the products laid out in the cooling chamber are easily visible and accessible from the front, through the transparent front lid part  10 . In this case, the convex curvature toward the top places practically no restriction on the size of the cooling chamber due to the low front edge of the housing opening. 
         [0030]    In the exemplary embodiment shown, while front lid part  10  is curved so that in the cross-section extending from front to back, it is convex toward the top, middle lid part  20  and rear lid part  40  are embodied as flat and preferably lie horizontally (relative to the force of gravity), benefitting the design and functionality of the freezer cabinet. In the closed position, the upwardly convex curvature of front lid part  10  and the curvature of the side guide rails coincide so that cover unit  30  also rests in a sealed fashion at the side against the edge of the housing opening. In addition, the curvature of the guide rails and the convex curvature are matched to each other so that viewed from the side, front lid part  10  does not lie below the curvature path of the guide rails over the entire sliding path, thus always assuring an unhindered sliding action. 
         [0031]    Front lid part  10  is provided in its front region (preferably in the front fourth) with a handle  13  on its top side, which enables a simple operation when sliding back into the open position and sliding forward into the closed position. So that middle lid part  20  does not have to be separately grasped by the user during the opening and closing, but instead can be driven by front lid part  10  to move along with it, a catch device is provided. This catch device is preferably embodied so that during the opening motion, first front lid part  10  is slid over middle lid part  20  and then, as the opening motion continues, front lid part  10  drives middle lid part  20  to move along with it, causing middle lid part  20  to be slid together with front lid part  10  over rear lid part  40 . 
         [0032]    During the closing motion, first front lid part  10  is moved forward out of the region of middle lid part  20  and then, as front lid part  10  is slid further forward, middle lid part  20  is slid out from the region of rear lid part  10  until the closed position is reached. 
         [0033]    For example, the catch device has a front catch element  14  that protrudes downward from the underside of the front region of front lid part  10  and a rear catch element  15  that protrudes downward from the underside of the rear region of front lid part  10 , while at its front edge, middle lid part  20  has a protrusion, e.g., a raised front frame section  21 , protruding up beyond its surface, whose rear side is engaged from behind by rear catch element  15  of front lid part  10 . If front lid part  10  is slid backward for the opening action, it is first moved alone over middle lid part  20  until its front catch element  14  comes into abutting contact with the front edge, for example the front frame section  21 , of middle lid part  20  and then as it is slid further back, middle lid part  20  is slid along with it until the rear end position is reached, in which middle lid part  20  and front lid part  10  are positioned at least largely over rear lid part  40 . During the closing motion, first front lid part  10  is slid toward the front until its rear catch element  15  comes into abutting contact with the protrusion or upward-protruding front frame section  21  of middle lid part  20  and then, as it is slid further forward, drives middle rear lid part  20  to move along with it until the closed position is reached. In the closed position, the rear region of front lid part  10  overlaps the front region of middle lid part  20  slightly and correspondingly, the rear region of middle lid part  20  overlaps the front region of rear lid part  40  so that the housing opening is securely closed. A front frame section  21  of rear lid part  40  can be mounted at the front edge of rear lid part  40 , for example, for sealing purposes. 
         [0034]    As also shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B , in the region of two upper guide rails  31 , an upper, lateral, inward-oriented retaining bar of guide unit  30 , which serves to secure front lid part  10  in the region of guide pins  11 ,  12 , is provided with a gap  34  so that in a corresponding sliding position for removal toward the top, guide pins  11 ,  12  can be guided up out of upper guide rail  31  or inserted down into it, allowing front lid part  10  to be removed from or inserted into guide unit  10  via gap  34 . 
         [0035]    The freezer cabinet can be divided into a plurality of compartments or cooling chambers by partition walls inserted from front to back (in the transverse direction), it being possible for each compartment to be covered by a cover unit  2  according to the above-described design. In this case, relevant guide units  30  advantageously have guide tracks provided at the upper edge of the partition walls, with an upper, middle, and lower guide rail  31 ,  32 ,  33 , as described above. 
         [0036]    A wide variety of materials are available for the various parts discussed and illustrated herein. While the principles of this invention have been described in connection with specific embodiments, it should be understood clearly that these descriptions are made only by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.