IP Library Granted Patent US 6,971,247
Granted Patent B2
US 6,971,247 · App. 10/784,168 · Granted Dec 6, 2005

Showcase

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 6,971,247
App. No.
10/784,168
Granted
Dec 6, 2005
Kind
B2
Abstract

A showcase includes air outlets provided at an upper rear end of a goods-storing room, and shelf ducts individually provided at lower faces of goods shelves. Cold air discharged from the air outlets is caused to descend along a rear plate of the goods-storing room, and then flows through the shelf ducts from rear ends towards front ends of the goods shelves while being partly discharged downward, whereby the cold air can be discharged downward from the shelf ducts to lower goods shelves, making it possible to efficiently cool goods placed on the goods shelves, even if no air curtain is formed in front of a showcase body. Accordingly, the visibility of upper goods shelves can be improved by using an upper face of the showcase formed by a transparent top plate.

Claims (54)

1. A showcase comprising:

a showcase body having a limit opening;

a goods-storing room formed in said showcase body;

a plurality of goods shelves arranged in said goods-storing room so as to be vertically spaced from one another;

a ventilation passage formed along a rear face of said goods-storing room; and

a cooler and a blower that are disposed in said ventilation passage,

wherein an air outlet for discharging air, cooled by said cooler after being sucked through an air inlet provided at a lower front end of said goods-storing room into said ventilation passage, to said goods-storing room is provided at an upper rear end of said goods-storing room, so as to cause at least part of air discharged therefrom to descend along the rear face of said goods-storing room between the rear face of said goods-storing room and rear ends of said goods shelves, and

air passages are individually provided at lower faces of most of said goods shelves, so as to permit the air descending along the rear face of said goods-storing room to flow therethrough from the rear ends towards front ends of these goods shelves and permit part of the air flowing therethrough to be discharged downward.

2. The showcase according to claim 1 , wherein said air passages are formed so as to discharge the air not only downward but also forward.

3. The showcase according to claim 1 , wherein each of said goods shelves is comprised of upper and lower shelf plates spaced at a distance from each other and defining the air passage therebetween, with to lower shelf plate formed with a plurality of ventilation holes trough which the air in the air passage is discharged.

4. The showcase according to claim 2 , wherein each of the goods shelves is comprised of upper and lower shelf plates spaced at a distance from each other and defining the air passage therebetween, with the lower shelf plate formed with a plurality of ventilation holes through which the air in the air passage is discharged.

5. The showcase according to claim 2 , wherein each of said goods shelves is provided at its rear end with an air guide member for causing the air descending along the rear face of said goods-storing room to flow into the air passage of the good shelf.

6. The showcase according to claim 5 , wherein each of said goods shelves is provided with a plurality of air guide members spaced from one another in a width direction of the goods shelf, with the air guide members for an upper one of said goods shelves being smaller in number than those for a lower one of said goods shelves.

7. The showcase according to claim 3 , wherein each of said goods shelves is provided at its rear end with an air guide member for causing the air descending along the rear face of said goods-storing room to flow into the air passage of the good shelf.

8. The showcase according to claim 7 , wherein each of said goods shelves is provided with a plurality of air guide members spaced from one another in a width direction of the goods shelf, with the air guide members for a upper one of said goods shelves being smaller in number than those for a lower one of said goods shelves.

9. The showcase according to claim 2 , wherein each of said goods shelves is provided at its rear end with an air guide member for guiding the air descending along the rear face of said goods-storing room into between the rear end of the goods shelf and the rear face of said goods-storing room.

10. The showcase according to claims 3 , wherein each of said goods shelves is provided at its rear end with an air guide member for guiding the air descending along the rear face of said goods-storing room into between the rear end of the goods shelf and the rear face of said goods-storing room.

11. The showcase according to claims 4 , wherein each of said goods shelves is provided at its rear end with an air guide member for guiding the air descending along the rear face of said goods-storing room into between the rear end of the goods shelf and the rear face of said goods-storing room.

12. The showcase according to claim 1 , wherein each of said goods shelves is provided at its rear side with air guide plates that cover a gap between the rear end of the goods shelf and the rear face of said goods-storing room from both widthwise sides of the goods shelf.

13. The showcase according to claim 2 , wherein each of said goods shelves is provided at its rear side with air guide plates that cover a gap between the rear end of the goods shelf and the rear face of said goods-storing room from both widthwise sides of the goods shelf.

14. The showcase according to claim 3 , wherein each of said goods shelves is provided at its rear side with air guide plates that cover a gap between the rear end of the goods shelf and the rear face of said goods-storing room from both widthwise sides of the goods shelf.

15. The showcase according to claim 4 , wherein each of said goods shelves is provided a its rear side with air guide plates that cover a gap between the rear end of the goods shelf and the rear face of said goods-storing room from both widthwise sides of the goods shelf.

16. The showcase according to claim 1 , wherein upper one or ones of said goods shelves are provided at its and/or their front ends with a discharge restriction member of a predetermined height capable of restricting air on the goods shelf or shelves from being discharged forwardly.

17. The showcase according to claim 2 , wherein upper one or ones of said goods shelves are provided at its and/or their front ends with a discharge restriction member of a predetermined height capable of restricting air on the goods shelf or shelves from being discharged forwardly.

18. The showcase according to claim 3 , wherein upper one or ones of said goods shelves are provided at its and/or their front ends with a discharge restriction member of a predetermined height capable of restricting air on the goods shelf or shelves from being discharged forwardly.

19. The showcase according to claim 4 , wherein upper one or ones of said goods shelves are provided at its and/or their front ends with a discharge restriction member of a predetermined height capable of restricting air on the goods shelf or shelves from being discharged forwardly.

20. A showcase comprising:

a showcase body having a front opening;

a goods-storing room formed in said showcase body;

a plurality of goods shelves arranged in said goods-storing room so as to be vertically spaced from one another;

a ventilation passage formed along a rear face of said goods-storing room; and

a cooler and a blower tat are disposed in said ventilation passage,

wherein an air outlet for discharging air, cooled by said cooler after being sucked through an air inlet provided at a lower front end of said goods-storing room into said ventilation passage, to said goods-storing room is provided at an upper rear end of said goods-storing room, so as to cause at least part of air discharged therefrom to descend along the rear face of said goods-storing room between the rear face of said goods-storing room and rear ends of said goods shelves, and

air passages are individually provided at lower faces of most of said goods shelves, so as to permit the air descending along the rear face of said goods-storing room to flow therethrough from the rear ends towards front ends of these goods shelves and permit part of the air flowing therethrough to be discharged downward,

wherein each of said goods shelves is provided at its rear end with an air guide member for causing the air descending along the rear face of said goods-storing room to flow into the air passage of the good shelf, and each of said goods shelves is provided with a plurality of air guide members spaced from one another in a width direction of the goods shelf, with the air guide members for an upper one of said goods shelves being smaller in number than those for a lower one of said goods shelves.

21. A showcase comprising:

a showcase body having a front opening;

a goods-storing room formed in said showcase body;

a plurality of goods shelves arranged in said goods-storing room so as to be vertically spaced from one another;

a ventilation passage formed along a rear face of said goods-storing room; and

a cooler and a blower that are disposed in said ventilation passage,

wherein an air outlet for discharging air, cooled by said cooler after being sucked through an air inlet provided at a lower front end of said goods-storing room into said ventilation passage, to said goods-storing room is provided at an upper rear end of said goods-storing room, so as to cause at least part of air discharged therefrom to descend along the rear face of said goods-storing room between the rear face of said goods-storing room and rear ends of said goods shelves, and

air passages are individually provided at lower faces of most of said goods shelves, so as to permit the air descending along the rear face of said goods-storing room to flow therethrough from the rear ends towards front ends of these goods shelves and permit part of the air flowing therethrough to be discharged downward, and said air passages are formed so as to discharge the air not only downward but also forward,

wherein each of the goods shelves is comprised of upper and lower shelf plates spaced at a distance from each other and defining the air passage therebetween, with the lower shelf plate formed with a plurality of ventilation holes through which the air in the air passage is discharged,

and wherein each of said goods shelves is provided at its rear end with an air guide member for causing the air descending along the rear face of said goods-storing room to flow into the air passage of the good shelf, and each of said goods shelves is provided with a plurality of air guide members spaced from one another in a width direction of the goods shelf, with the air guide members for an upper one of said goods shelves being smaller in number than those for a lower one of said goods shelves.

22. A showcase comprising:

a showcase body having a front opening;

a goods-storing room formed in said showcase body;

a plurality of goods shelves arranged in said goods-storing room so as to be vertically spaced from one another;

a ventilation passage formed along a rear face of said goods-storing room; and

a cooler and a blower that are disposed in said ventilation passage,

wherein an air outlet for discharging air, cooled by said cooler after being sucked through an air inlet provided at a lower front end of said goods-storing room into said ventilation passage, to said goods-storing room is provided at an upper rear end of said goods-storing room, so as to cause at least part of air discharged therefrom to descend along the rear face of said goods-storing room between the rear face of said goods-storing room and rear ends of said goods shelves, and

air passages are individually provided at lower faces of most of said goods shelves, so as to permit the air descending along the rear face of said goods-storing room to flow therethrough from the rear ends towards front ends of these goods shelves and permit part of the air flowing therethrough to be discharged downward,

wherein each of said goods shelves is provided at its rear end with an air guide member for guiding the air descending along the rear face of said goods-storing room into between the rear end of the goods shelf and the rear face of said goods-storing room.

Assignments (5)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS IN PATENT NOS. 6129293, 7574813, 8238525, 8083454, D545888, D467946, D573242, D487173, AND REMOVE 8750534 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 047208 FRAME 0635. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CHANGE OF NAME. Recorded Apr 27, 2020
From: SANDEN CORPORATION
To: SANDEN HOLDINGS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 053545/0524 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 24, 2019
From: SANDEN HOLDINGS CORPORATION
To: SANDEN RETAIL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 050473/0388 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE PROPERTY NUMBERS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 038489 FRAME: 0677. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Oct 9, 2018
From: SANDEN CORPORATION
To: SANDEN HOLDINGS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 047208/0635 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Apr 21, 2016
From: SANDEN CORPORATION
To: SANDEN HOLDINGS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 038489/0677 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 24, 2004
From: YAMAZAKI, SHOUICHI; KANBAYASHI, NOBUO; ZUSHIDA, HAYATO
To: SANDEN CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 015024/0765 →