Glass front merchandiser with invisible hinge and seals
First Claim
1. A food merchandiser having a cabinet with a controlled temperature product zone normally closed by at least one glass front panel having a hinging side margin, said glass front panel including an outer glass pane having one peripheral edge along the hinging side margin and a structural frame member secured in inwardly spaced relation to the one peripheral edge of the glass pane along the hinging side margin thereof, and hinge means directly connecting the structural frame member to the cabinet and being constructed and arranged for hinging opening movement of the glass front panel to access the product zone, and said one peripheral edge being constructed and arranged to extend over and hide the hinge means when said glass front panel is in its closed position with the merchandiser cabinet, and sealing means constructed and arranged for sealing engagement along the one peripheral edge of the glass pane hinging side margin in the closed position of the glass front panel.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A glass front merchandiser having a refrigerated cabinet with a product zone normally closed by a glass front panel having a hinging side margin, the glass front panel including an outer glass pane and a structural frame member secured adjacent to the peripheral edge thereof along its hinging side margin, a hinge directly connected to the structural frame member and being constructed and arranged for hinging movement of the glass front panel on the refrigerated cabinet to open up the product zone, the outer peripheral edge of the structural frame member overhanging the hinge in a closed sealing position of the glass front panel with the merchandiser cabinet, and other seals constructed and arranged along the side margins of the glass front panel.
43 Citations
50 Claims
- 1. A food merchandiser having a cabinet with a controlled temperature product zone normally closed by at least one glass front panel having a hinging side margin, said glass front panel including an outer glass pane having one peripheral edge along the hinging side margin and a structural frame member secured in inwardly spaced relation to the one peripheral edge of the glass pane along the hinging side margin thereof, and hinge means directly connecting the structural frame member to the cabinet and being constructed and arranged for hinging opening movement of the glass front panel to access the product zone, and said one peripheral edge being constructed and arranged to extend over and hide the hinge means when said glass front panel is in its closed position with the merchandiser cabinet, and sealing means constructed and arranged for sealing engagement along the one peripheral edge of the glass pane hinging side margin in the closed position of the glass front panel.
-
12. A glass panel assembly swingably mounted at one edge for opening and closing movement relative to the front of a merchandiser cabinet comprising:
-
a glass front panel having plural outer and inner glass panes disposed in side-by-side spaced relation and a structural frame sealably interposed between said glass panes to provide a sealed air space therebetween, said structural frame including a frame member disposed adjacent to the peripheral edges of said glass panes along said one edge of the assembly with a portion of said frame member extending outwardly beyond the peripheral edge of the inner glass pane, hinge means directly connected to the extended portion of the metal frame member and being constructed and arranged for supporting said structural frame and glass panes for swinging movement relative to the merchandiser cabinet, and the outer glass pane having its peripheral edge extending outwardly beyond said metal frame member and hiding said hinge means therebehind. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
-
- 23. A refrigerated merchandiser having a cabinet with a product zone normally closed by at least one glass front panel having a hinging side margin, said glass front panel including an outer glass pane with one peripheral edge defining the hinging side margin and a structural frame member secured in inwardly spaced relation to the one peripheral edge of the glass pane, and hinge means directly connecting the one structural frame member to the cabinet and being constructed and arranged for hinging opening movement from a normally closed position of the glass front panel to access the product zone, and the portion of said one peripheral edge extending beyond the structural frame member being constructed and arranged to overhang and hide the hinge means in the closed position of the glass front panel.
- 41. A refrigerator display case comprising a cabinet for containing refrigerated items, said cabinet having a front opening, a plurality of window panels disposed in side-by-side relation, means supporting said panels for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis between a lowered position closing said cabinet opening and a raised position for permitting access to the interior of said cabinet through said opening, said panels each having an outer glass pane and inner glass pane, said glass panes of each panel being disposed in side-by-side relation with a spacer interposed therebetween for maintaining said glass panes in parallel relation with an air space therebetween, said spacer of each panel including a pair of side spacer members disposed between said glass panes adjacent opposite peripheral sides of the glass panes and upper and lower spacer members disposed between the glass panes adjacent upper and lower peripheral ends thereof, said upper spacer member being in the form of a pivot bar disposed partially between said outer and inner glass panes, said pivot bar having at least one hinge mounting section disposed below said outer glass pane but extending beyond the upper peripheral edge of said inner glass pane so as to define an exposed mounting surface, and said panel supporting means including at least one hinge assembly for each panel, and said hinge assembly having a pivotally mounted hinge plate secured to said exposed mounting surface of said pivot bar hinge mounting section.
Specification