Dispensing compartment, in particular for refrigerating units

• US 4,269,326 A
• Filed: 04/10/1979
• Issued: 05/26/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Klaus Delbrouck
• Original Assignee: Klaus Delbrouck
• Inventors: Delbrouck, Klaus
• Primary Examiner(s): Knowles, Allen N.
• Application Number:
  US06/028,802
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 221/279, 221/232, 221/227, 221/228, 221/229, 221/150-152, 221/280, 312/36, 312/71
• US Class Current: 221/227
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/126 the pushing device being urged by spring means

Abstract

A dispensing compartment which is in particular provided for refrigeration units has a substantially horizontal stand surface for a plurality of identical or similarly formed articles and is provided with guide walls or strips at the sides projecting beyond the level of the stand surface as well as with a front abutment wall or strip confining the stand surface at the removal side. In order to achieve a quick and convenient removal and a direct access to the products to be removed, a rear abutment is provided which is shiftable in direction of the removal side and away therefrom and upon which a force acts directed toward the removal side. By this structure, the articles to be removed are always accessible at the removal side, and the articles located therebehind are continuously urged forwardly in the course of further removal by means of the force-activated rear abutment.

Claims

1. In a dispensing compartment for a table-high refrigerating unit accessible only from the removal side, said compartment including a substantial horizontal stand surface extending across the entire width of the compartment and provided for receiving a plurality of identical or similar formed articles, and having lateral guide walls projecting beyond the level of the stand surface as well as a front abutment wall confining the stand surface at the removal side, the improvement wherein

at least one shiftable rear abutment is provided, extending across the entire width of the stand surface and being shiftable in directions toward and away from the removal side, means for exerting a force on said shiftable rear abutment acting in the direction of the removal side comprising at least one spring engaged at one end thereof with one of the lateral guide walls and at its other end with a loose roll or reversing means, and a tension rope passed about said roll or reversing means in the manner of a tackle, said rope being secured at one end thereof to the respective guide wall with the other end of said rope being passed about a stationary roll or reversing means secured to the guide wall and connected to said shiftable rear abutment;

wherein the spring is a tension spring which is secured at the end of the guide wall remote from the removal side, while the stationary roll or reversing means and the attachment point of the tension rope are located at the end of the guide wall at the removal side;

wherein said loose roll or reversing means has a bearing block to which is secured a resetting cord, wherein the resetting cord is passed about a spool secured in the vicinity of the removal side and wherein the spool is rotatable via a drivable drive wheel coupled therewith and having a larger diameter than the spool.

2. In a dispensing compartment for a table-high refrigerating unit accessible only from the removal side, said compartment including a substantial horizontal stand surface extending across the entire width of the compartment and provided for receiving a plurality of identical or similar formed articles, and having lateral guide walls projecting beyond the level of the stand surface as well as a front abutment wall confining the stand surface at the removal side, the improvement wherein

at least one shiftable rear abutment is provided, extending across the entire width of the stand surface and being shiftable in directions toward and away from the removal side, means for exerting a force on said shiftable rear abutment acting in the direction of the removal side comprising at least one spring engaged at one end thereof with one of the lateral guide walls and at its other end with a loose roll or reversing means, and a tension rope passed about said roll or reversing means in the manner of a tackle, said rope being secured at one end thereof to the respective guide wall with the other end of said rope being passed about a stationary roll or reversing means secured to the guide wall and connected to said shiftable rear abutment;

wherein the spring is a tension spring which is secured at the end of the guide wall remote from the removal side, while the stationary roll or reversing means and the attachment point of the tension rope are located at the end of the guide wall at the removal side;

wherein at the rear abutment a second tension rope engages in direction opposite to the first tension rope and wherein the second tension rope passes via a rear stationary roll or reversing means and a second loose roll or reversing means provided at the bearing block to an attachment point located at the rear compartment end.

3. In a dispensing compartment for a table-high refrigerating unit having an outer pivotable door for each compartment and accessible only from the removal side, said compartment including a substantial horizontal stand surface extending across the entire width of the compartment and provided for receiving a plurality of identical or similar formed articles, and having lateral guide walls projecting beyond the level of the stand surface as well as a front abutment wall confining the stand surface at the removal side, the improvement wherein

at least one shiftable rear abutment is provided, extending across the entire width of the stand surface and being shiftable in directions toward and away from the removal side, means for exerting a force on said shiftable rear abutment acting in the direction of the removal side comprising at least one spring engaged at one end thereof with one of the lateral guide walls and at its other end with a loose roll or reversing means, and a tension rope passed about said roll or reversing means in the manner of a tackle, said rope being secured at one end thereof to the respective guide wall with the other end of said rope being passed about a stationary roll or reversing means secured to the guide wall and connected to said shiftable rear abutment;

said door being pivotable open and closed about an axis disposed in the plane of said horizontal stand surface or slightly underneath said plane and at least being arrestable in an open position, wherein the front abutment wall is secured movable to the dispensing compartment and when the outer door is opened follows the pivot movement thereof, and when the outer door is closed returns into its starting position.

4. A dispensing compartment as set forth in claim 3, wherein the shiftable rear abutment is mounted at the lateral guide walls.

5. A dispensing compartment as set forth in claim 3, wherein two of said springs are arranged, one at each opposite side of the compartment.

6. A dispensing compartment as set forth in claim 3, wherein the spring is a tension spring which is secured at the end of the guide wall remote from the removal side, while the stationary roll or reversing means and the attachment point of the tension rope are located at the end of the guide wall at the removal side.

7. A dispensing compartment as set forth in claim 6, wherein said loose roll or reversing means has a bearing block, and a pivotable lever is arranged which, with said shiftable rear abutment completely pushed rearwardly, is arrestable for keeping stationary the bearing block.

8. A dispensing compartment as set forth in claim 3, wherein the front abutment wall has an L-shaped cross section of which the long limb defines the front confinement of the compartment and the short limb extends underneath the plane of the stand surface underneath the front row of the articles positioned in the compartment, and wherein the abutment wall is mounted pivotable about a horizontal axis disposed in the plane of the lower L-limb or slightly underneath said plane.

9. A dispensing compartment as set forth in claim 3, wherein as a front abutment a yoke mounted horizontally shiftable vertical to the pivot axis of the outer door is provided, the front end position of said yoke comprising means to tilt articles standing in the foremost row in the compartment forwardly by an according angle.

10. A dispensing compartment as set forth in claim 3, wherein the front abutment wall is pivotable forwardly into a predetermined inclined position about a lower horizontal axis generally disposed in the plane of the stand surface of the compartment.