IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,548,415
Granted Patent B2
US 10,548,415 · App. 15/354,324 · Granted Feb 4, 2020

Showcase and control device

Inventor: Jun Hirano (Osaka, JP)
Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
A47F3/0447
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,548,415
App. No.
15/354,324
Granted
Feb 4, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A showcase includes a casing having a front opening through which a product is picked up, a product storage located in the casing, a cold air outlet in a front upper portion of the product storage, and a cold air inlet in a front lower portion of the product storage. Cold air is forced to flow out of the cold air outlet in a downward direction and sucked into the cold air inlet. The showcase further includes an inlet port in the front lower portion of the casing at a position below the cold air inlet, a duct, a discharge port in a side wall of the casing, and an airflow generator that forces air in the duct to flow from the inlet port toward the discharge port. The air is sucked through the inlet port and the air in the duct is discharged through the discharge port.

Claims (39)

1. A showcase comprising:

a casing having a front opening through which a product is picked up;

a product storage located in the casing and including a shelf on which the product is displayed;

a cold air outlet in a front upper portion of the product storage, cold air being forced to flow out of the cold air outlet in a downward direction;

a cold air inlet in a front lower portion of the product storage, the cold air being sucked into the cold air inlet;

an inlet port in the front lower portion of the casing at a position below the cold air inlet, the cold air being sucked through the inlet port;

a duct through which the cold air sucked through the inlet port flows;

a discharge port in a side wall of the casing including a fin with an inclined portion; and

an airflow generator that forces the cold air in the duct to flow from the inlet port toward the discharge port,

wherein the side wall defines one of a left-side and right-side of the casing when viewed from a front of the casing,

wherein the airflow generator controlled by a controller and the inclined portion of the fin allow the cold air flow to the side wall thereby reducing or preventing the condensation on the side wall of the casing, and

wherein, based on a humidity of an external air and a temperature difference between the external air and the cold air inside the casing, the controller decreases an amount of work of the airflow generator to allow that the cold air flowing through the duct is less cooled and the amount of cold air flowing downward is small to prevent the condensation.

2. The showcase according to claim 1 , wherein the discharge port is located in a lower portion of the side wall of the casing.

3. The showcase according to claim 1 , wherein the discharge port includes the inclined portion allowing the air flowing along the fin to flow in an upward direction.

4. The showcase according to claim 1 , wherein a filter is provided in at least one of the inlet port and the discharge port.

5. The showcase according to claim 1 , wherein the controller increases an amount of work of the airflow generator when a humidity environment in the showcase is in a second state, the humidity environment in the showcase being higher in the second state than in a first state.

6. The showcase according to claim 1 , wherein the controller decreases an amount of work of the airflow generator when the showcase is in a defrosting operation.

7. The showcase according to claim 1 , wherein the controller decreases an amount of work of the airflow generator at night compared to that during daytime.

8. The showcase according to claim 1 , wherein the controller increases an amount of work of the airflow generator at night compared to that during daytime.

9. The showcase according to claim 1 , wherein the discharge port is located in a lower portion of the side wall of the casing at a position below the cold air inlet.

10. A control device for a showcase, comprising:

a transmitter that transmits a control signal to the showcase to control an airflow generator of the showcase; and

a controller that controls the transmitter, wherein

the showcase includes:

a casing having a front opening through which a product is picked up;

a product storage located in the casing and including a shelf on which the product is displayed;

a cold air outlet in a front upper portion of the product storage, cold air being forced to flow out of the cold air outlet in a downward direction;

a cold air inlet in a front lower portion of the product storage, the cold air being sucked into the cold air inlet;

an inlet port in the front lower portion of the casing at a position below the cold air inlet, the cold air being sucked through the inlet port;

a duct through which the cold air sucked through the inlet port flows;

a discharge port in a side wall of the casing including a fin with an inclined portion; and

the airflow generator that forces the cold air in the duct to flow from the inlet port toward the discharge port,

wherein the side wall defines one of a left-side and right-side of the casing when viewed from a front of the casing,

wherein the airflow generator controlled by a controller and the inclined portion of the fin allow the cold air flow to the side wall thereby reducing or preventing the condensation on the side wall of the casing, and

wherein, based on a humidity of an external air and a temperature difference between the external air and the cold air inside the casing, the controller decreases an amount of work of the airflow generator to allow that the cold air flowing through the duct is less cooled and the amount of cold air flowing downward is small to prevent the condensation.

11. The control device according to claim 10 , wherein the controller causes the transmitter to transmit a control signal for increasing an amount of work of the airflow generator when a humidity environment in the showcase is in a second state, the humidity environment in the showcase being higher in the second state than in a first state.

12. The control device according to claim 10 , wherein the controller causes the transmitter to transmit a control signal for decreasing an amount of work of the airflow generator when the showcase is in a defrosting operation.

13. The control device according to claim 10 , wherein the controller causes the transmitter to transmit a control signal for decreasing an amount of work of the airflow generator at night compared to that during daytime.

14. The control device according to claim 10 , wherein the controller causes the transmitter to transmit a control signal for increasing an amount of work of the airflow generator at night compared to that during daytime.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 8, 2017
From: HIRANO, JUN
To: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 041510/0800 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2016-019681 · Feb 4, 2016 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170224132A1 · Aug 10, 2017
Cited By (1)
US 12,514,384