Showcase

• US 20040177634A1
• Filed: 01/08/2004
• Published: 09/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sanden Retail Systems Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sanden Corporation (Hisense Home Appliances Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Shouichi, Zushida, Hayato, Kanbayashi, Nobuo
• Granted Patent: US 6,886,359 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/248
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 2003/046 with shelves having air ducts
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/0443 with forced air circulation
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 21/04 Preventing the formation of frost or condensate
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/003 for cooling refrigerating machinery
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2323/0021 using air guides
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2323/00264 through the front bottom part
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2323/00272 from the back top

Abstract

A showcase includes a showcase body having an upper face whose front end side is provided with a first waste heat air guide plate for guiding condensation prevention air upward that flows forward along an upper face of a top plate. The waste heat air is prevented from flowing into a goods-storing room through a front opening of the showcase body from the front end side of the top plate, thus positively preventing a reduction in cooling efficiency in the goods-storing room, whereby effective cooling in the goods-storing room can be achieved, without the need of providing an air curtain at the front face of the showcase body.

Claims

1. A showcase comprising:

a showcase body having a front opening;

a goods-storing room provided in the showcase body; and

cooling means for cooling the goods-storing room,

wherein an upper face of said showcase body is designed to be transparent so that said goods-storing room can be seen from outward,

air for condensation prevention is discharged forward from a rear end side of said showcase body along the upper face of said showcase body, and

an air guide member for guiding the air for condensation prevention upward is provided at a front end side of the upper face of said showcase body.

2. The showcase according to claim 1, wherein the air guide member is formed by a transparent member.

3. The showcase according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

a rear face side air passage in which the air for condensation prevention flows from below to upward along a rear face of the showcase body; and

an upper face side air passage provided on a rear end side of the upper face of the showcase body, from which air in the rear face side air passage is discharge forward,

wherein the rear face side air passage is provided to deviate toward one widthwise end of the showcase body, and

the upper face side air passage is provided with air guide members for guiding the discharged air so as to be dispersed throughout from the one widthwise end of the showcase body to another widthwise end thereof.

4. The showcase according to claim 3, wherein the air guide members provided in the upper face side air passage are spaced from one another in a width direction of the showcase body and disposed at predetermined inclination angles, respectively, with respect to a direction in which the discharged air is discharged.

5. The showcase according to claim 4, wherein the inclination angle of the air guide member disposed closer to one widthwise end of the showcase body is larger than that of the air guide member disposed closer to another widthwise end of the showcase body.