Showcase

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9962015-B2
Application number	US-201514924064-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2015
Priority date	Feb 23, 2015
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

A showcase includes: a case main body; and article mounting shelves that mount articles as objects to be stored. The showcase causes the articles to be visually recognized through a customer serving face. Each of the article mounting shelves includes: a pair of brackets supported by a pair of shelf columns; and a shelf board. Each of the brackets includes locking pieces that are provided with respective notches at lower ends of predetermined areas. The showcase is supported by each of the shelf columns by causing the locking pieces to be inserted into corresponding inner face locking holes formed on an inner face of each of the shelf columns and causing lower edges of the inner face locking holes to relatively enter the notches, to cause the locking pieces to be locked to the inner face locking holes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A showcase comprising:
a case main body including:
a front face disposed on a front side of the case main body and constituting a customer serving face; and
a rear face disposed on a rear side of the case main body and having an opening that is opened and closed by a door;

one or more article mounting shelves that are arranged in one or more stages in an up-and-down direction in a storage area provided in the case main body and on which articles to be stored are placed; and
left and right shelf columns disposed at the rear side of the case main body and extending in the up-and-down direction to support the one or more article mounting shelves, the left and right shelf columns including respective inner faces which face each other,
wherein the showcase is configured to display the articles placed on the article mounting shelves through the customer serving face,
each of the article mounting shelves includes:
left and right brackets supported by the left and right shelf columns, respectively; and
a shelf board being disposed between the left and right brackets, including an upper face which constitutes an article mounting face on which the articles are placed and being configured to slidably move rearward when the shelf board is operated to be drawn rearward,

each of the left and right brackets includes a rear end part on the rear side of the each of the left and right brackets and respective bent parts at the rear end part, the bent parts constituting respective locking pieces, the bent parts of the left and right brackets being bent in directions opposite to the directions where the right and left brackets are disposed, respectively, and the bent parts include respective notches at lower ends of predetermined areas of the bent parts,
the left and right brackets are supported by the left and right shelf columns, respectively, in a state where the locking pieces are inserted into corresponding inner face locking holes which are provided on the inner face of the left and right shelf columns and the notches are in contact with respective lower edges of the inner face locking holes, so as to lock the locking pieces to the inner faces of the left and right shelf columns,
the left and right brackets include respective engaging pieces, each of the engaging pieces extending rearward in a longitudinal direction being a same direction as a longitudinal direction of the left and right brackets,
the engaging pieces have respective faces which face and are in contact with the inner faces of the left and right shelf columns, respectively, so that entire surfaces of the faces of the engaging pieces of the left and right brackets are in contact with the inner faces of the left and right shelf columns, respectively, in a state where the locking pieces are inserted into the respective inner face locking holes,
the left and right brackets further include respective another bent parts, which constitute contact pieces each being formed by cutting and raising a rectangular part surrounded by the corresponding left or right bracket and located in front of the locking piece of the corresponding left or right bracket, the another bent parts of the left and right brackets being bent in the directions opposite to the directions where the right and left brackets are disposed, respectively, and each of the another bent parts includes a locking protrusion protruding rearward on at least one of an upper end or a lower end of the another bent parts,
the left and right brackets are supported by the left and right shelf columns, respectively, in a state where the locking protrusions are inserted into front face locking holes provided on front faces of the left and right shelf columns and rear faces of the contact pieces are in contact with the front faces of the left and right shelf columns, and
the left and right brackets are supported by the left and right shelf columns in a state where the contact pieces of the left and right brackets are in surface contact with the front faces of the left and right shelf columns, respectively.

2. The showcase according to claim 1 , wherein the contact pieces are elongated parts extending in the up-and-down direction as a longitudinal direction of the contact pieces.

3. The showcase according to claim 1 , wherein the contact pieces of the left and right brackets are in surface contact with the front faces of the left and right shelf columns, the locking pieces of the left and right brackets are inserted into the corresponding inner face locking holes on the inner faces of the left and right shelf columns, and the engaging pieces of the left and right brackets are in surface contact with the inner faces of the left and right shelf columns so that the left and right brackets are supported on the respective left and right columns.

4. The showcase according to claim 3 , wherein each of the left and right brackets further comprises:
a limiting unit disposed at a front end part of the corresponding left or right bracket, the limiting unit protruding from an outer face toward the case main body to prevent the corresponding left or right bracket from approaching the case main body when the shelf board is operated to be drawn rearward, and
a bracket roller disposed on an inner face opposite to the outer face of the corresponding left or right bracket to allow the shelf board to slidably move rearward, and
when the shelf board is operated to be drawn rearward, the shelf board slidably moves rearward through the bracket rollers, and the limiting units prevent the left and right brackets from approaching the case main body while the shelf board is moving rearward.

5. The showcase according to claim 4 , wherein each of the article mounting shelves further comprises:
left and right receiving members slidably connected to the respective left and right brackets to support the shelf board, and each of the left and right receiving members having a receiving unit roller to slidably move rearward with the shelf board, and
left and right rails slidably connecting the left and right receiving members to the respective left and right brackets, and each of the left and right rails has a first side and a second side opposite to the first side, and
the receiving unit rollers are fitted in the corresponding first sides of the left and right rails, and the bracket rollers are fitted in the corresponding second sides of the left and right rails so that the left and right rails slidably move rearward in respect to the left and right brackets, and the left and right receiving members slidably move rearward in respect to the left and right rails.

6. The showcase according to claim 5 , wherein each of the left and right receiving members further comprises a receiving upper face for supporting the shelf board, the receiving upper face including
a receiving hole elongated in a moving direction of the left and right receiving members, and
a reception stopper arranged on the receiving upper face to limit a rearward movement of the shelf board in respect to the left or right receiving member; and
the shelf board includes left and right engaging members on a lower face of the shelf board to detachably attach to the left and right receiving members respectively, each of the left and right engaging members including
an elongated protrusion protruding downwardly to enter the receiving hole, and
a hook arranged at an end portion of the elongated protrusion to engage an edge of the receiving hole so that the shelf board is engaged to the left and right receiving members with the hooks of the left and right engaging members and the reception stoppers of the left and right receiving members.

7. The showcase according to claim 1 , wherein the inner face locking hole of the

Assignees

• Fuji Electric Co Ltd

Inventors

• Goto Mikio
• Take Noriyuki

Classifications

• A47B57/42

  the shelf supports being cantilever brackets · CPC title

• A47B57/402

  Hooks attached to a member embracing at least two sides of an upright, e.g. an angle bracket · CPC title

• A47F3/0408

  with forced air circulation · CPC title

• A47F3/005

  with glass panels · CPC title

• A47F3/06 Primary

  with movable or removable shelves {or receptacles (A47F3/0486 takes precedence; display racks with movable parts A47F5/0081)} · CPC title