Refrigerator display cabinet with thermally insulated pivotable window pane
First Claim
1. A refrigerator display case comprising a cabinet for containing refrigerated items for display, said cabinet having a front opening, a window panel, clamp and hinge means engageable with an upper marginal end of said window panel for supporting said window panel for pivotal movement relative to said cabinet about a horizontal axis adjacent said upper marginal end between a lowered position closing said cabinet opening and a raised position for permitting access to the interior of said cabinet through said front opening, fluid controlled cylinder means for facilitating and controlling movement of said panel between said lowered and raised positions, said window panel comprising a pair of glass panels disposed in side-by-side relation, a spacer interposed between said panes for maintaining said panes in parallel relation with an air space therebetween, said spacer including a pair of side spacer members disposed between said glass panes adjacent opposite peripheral sides of said window panel and upper and lower spacer members disposed between said glass panes adjacent upper and lower peripheral ends of said window panel respectively, said upper spacer member being in the form of a solid metal bar having a rectangular cross section, said spacer bar extending the entire width of the upper marginal end of said window panel, said solid spacer bar being located between said glass panes at the location engaged by said clamp and hinge means, said clamp and hinge means including a pair of relatively pivotal clamping plates, and means for adjustably pivoting at least one of said clamping plates relative to the other for establishing the desired clamping pressure on said window panel with said upper spacer bar disposed directly between said clamping plates.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A refrigerator display cabinet having a front opening and a thermally insulated multiple-glass pane window panel mounted for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis adjacent the upper marginal end of the window panel. The window panel has an internal solid spacer bar adjacent the upper marginal end thereof which permits secure clamping of the window panel by hinge supports without crushing or other damage to the window panel. The hinge supports have a relatively streamlined configuration, which, together with the substantially frameless window panel, provide an esthetic modernistic appearance.
66 Citations
30 Claims
- 1. A refrigerator display case comprising a cabinet for containing refrigerated items for display, said cabinet having a front opening, a window panel, clamp and hinge means engageable with an upper marginal end of said window panel for supporting said window panel for pivotal movement relative to said cabinet about a horizontal axis adjacent said upper marginal end between a lowered position closing said cabinet opening and a raised position for permitting access to the interior of said cabinet through said front opening, fluid controlled cylinder means for facilitating and controlling movement of said panel between said lowered and raised positions, said window panel comprising a pair of glass panels disposed in side-by-side relation, a spacer interposed between said panes for maintaining said panes in parallel relation with an air space therebetween, said spacer including a pair of side spacer members disposed between said glass panes adjacent opposite peripheral sides of said window panel and upper and lower spacer members disposed between said glass panes adjacent upper and lower peripheral ends of said window panel respectively, said upper spacer member being in the form of a solid metal bar having a rectangular cross section, said spacer bar extending the entire width of the upper marginal end of said window panel, said solid spacer bar being located between said glass panes at the location engaged by said clamp and hinge means, said clamp and hinge means including a pair of relatively pivotal clamping plates, and means for adjustably pivoting at least one of said clamping plates relative to the other for establishing the desired clamping pressure on said window panel with said upper spacer bar disposed directly between said clamping plates.
- 24. A refrigerator display case comprising a cabinet for containing refrigerator items for display, said cabinet having a horizontal top wall and a front opening, a window panel, clamp and hinge means engageable with an upper marginal end of said window panel for supporting said window panel for pivotal movement relative to said top cabinet wall about a horizontal axis adjacent said upper marginal end between a lowered position closing said cabinet opening and a raised position for permitting access to the interior of said cabinet through said front opening, said window panel comprising a pair of glass panes disposed in side-by-side relation and a spacer interposed between said panes for maintaining said panes in parallel relation with an air space therebetween, said clamp and hinge means including bracket means mounted on an underside of said cabinet wall and a pivot hinge plate pivotally supported by said bracket means, clamping means on a forwardly extending end of said hinge plate for engaging and supporting said window panel, fluid controlled cylinder means coupled to said hinge plate for facilitating and controlling pivotal movement of said hinge plate and window panel between said lowered and raised positions, said hinge plate having a substantially flat underside extending the length thereof disposed substantially horizontally when said window panel is in said lowered position and at a substantial angle to the horizontal when said window panel is in said raised position for obstructing viewing of said bracket means and cylinder means through said cabinet opening from a front side of said cabinet, said bracket means having a base horizontally mounted on the underside of said top wall and a pair of depending legs on opposite sides of said base, and said hinge plate flat underside being disposed at a level between said base and the lower peripheries of said bracket legs when said window panel is in said lowered position.
Specification