Showcase

• US 20130229789A1
• Filed: 10/21/2011
• Published: 09/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sanden Corporation (Hisense Home Appliances Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sanden Corporation (Hisense Home Appliances Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yoshida, Syuuichi, Sakurazawa, Masayuki, Miura, Keisuke
• Application Number:
  US13/885,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20130229789A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/125
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 11/10 Arrangements of light sources
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/001 Devices for lighting, humidifying, heating, ventilation
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/0426 Details
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 4/20 with light sources held by or within elongate supports
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/305 for refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/405 for shop-windows or displays
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 27/00 Lighting arrangements in general F21

Abstract

A showcase includes a main body a front face of which is covered by a door (6) having a glass plate (5), so that the front face is opened and closed by the door (6), in which a rod-shaped illumination module (16) is disposed in each of grooves (14) of left and right supporting column frames (12) that define an opening on the front face of the main body that is opened and closed by the door (6). Each of the illumination modules (16) has LED lamps each constituted by an LED and a lens, and arranged at regular intervals and integrated together. Thus, commodities (7) arranged along the front end of each shelf (8) are illuminated with direct light from the illumination modules (16) and reflected light from the glass plate (5). By this configuration, it is possible to reduce variation of illuminance among commodities and shading and shadows between the commodities arranged along the front end of each shelf.

Claims

1. A showcase comprising a main body that has a display space provided with a shelf for displaying commodities, and a transparent plate that is disposed on the front face of the main body and defines the display space,

the showcase further comprising at least one LED that is disposed on the backside of the transparent plate and illuminates commodities displayed on the shelf with direct light and reflected light from the transparent plate.

2. The showcase according to claim 1, wherein the LEDs disposed so as to oppose each other across a space between the transparent plate that defines the front face of the main body and a row of arranged along the front end of the shelf, and the arranged along the front end of the shelf and the transparent plate are irradiated with light of the LEDs.

3. The showcase according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the LEDs is disposed on each of end portions opposed to each other on the front face of the main body.

4. The showcase according to claim 3, wherein the LEDs are disposed so that the optical axis center of each LED is set in a direction toward an opposed LED or in a direction slightly inclined toward the shelf side from the direction toward the opposed LED.

5. The showcase according to claim 3, further comprising a door that has the transparent plate and that covers the front face of the main body so that the front face can be opened or closed, wherein the plurality of the LEDs are disposed in each of left and right end portions on the front face of the main body, that is opened or closed by the door.

6. The showcase according to claim 5, further comprising left and right supporting column frames that define an opening of the front face of the main body and have respective grooves, wherein the LEDs are disposed in each of the grooves.

7. The showcase according to claim 6, further comprising a rod-shaped illumination module that includes a plurality of arranged and integrated LEDs, is disposed in each of the respective grooves of the left and right supporting column frames that define the opening of the front face of the main body.

8. The showcase according to claim 7, further comprising four supporting column frames that constitute the main body and that are the same molded components each having two grooves for fitting therein two plates for defining two faces of the main body in a manner that the two faces are not opened or closed, wherein the rod-shaped illumination modules are disposed in the grooves, that are not used for fitting the plates therein, of the left and right supporting column frames that define the opening of the front face of the main body.

9. The showcase according to claim 6, further comprising left and right frames constituting the door, wherein the left and right frames project toward the center side of the opening further than the tips of the LEDs so that the LEDs are disposed behind the left and right frames constituting the door when the door is closed.

10. The showcase according to claim 3, wherein the LEDs each has a lens for narrowing a light-distribution angle in a plane perpendicular to the arrangement direction.

11. The showcase according to claim 10, wherein the lens narrows the light-distribution angle in terms of the half maximum range of the light intensity to be about 50 degrees.