Display case with improved sanitation

• US 7,540,162 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2007
• Issued: 06/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mark T. Nordstrom
• Original Assignee: Mark T. Nordstrom
• Inventors: Nordstrom, Mark T
• Primary Examiner(s): Tapolcai; William E
• Application Number:
  US11/849,674
• Publication Number:
  US 20080053113A1
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 62255-256, 62/78, 622/64, 622/31, 362/92
• US Class Current: 62/78
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/0482 Details common to both closed and open types

Abstract

A method and system for an improved display case, comprising a display case having air flow paths for circulating air around one or more objects displayable in a display area in the display case, and one or more ultraviolet radiation elements suitably positioned within the air paths for sanitizing the circulating air to reduce the amount of airborne contaminants therein. The display case may comprise a produce display case, meats display case, vegetables display case, floral display case, dairy display case, a frozen foods display case, or a similar type case.

Claims

1. An improved display case, comprising:

a display case having air flow paths for circulating air around one or more objects displayable in a display area in the display case;

a lower trough area of the display case through which the circulating air flows, said lower trough area suitably oriented below substantially all of said display area to catch debris falling from said display area; and

one or more ultraviolet radiation elements positioned suitably within said lower trough area so as to sanitize the lower trough area of the display case and air flowing therethrough, without allowing ultraviolet radiation from the one or more ultraviolet radiation elements positioned within the lower trough area from directly contacting the one or more objects displayable in the display area.

2. The improved display case of claim 1, wherein the lower trough area comprises one or more waste drains for draining liquids from the display case.

3. The improved display case of claim 1, wherein at least one or more of the ultraviolet radiation elements is suitably positioned to sanitize surface areas in the lower trough area of the display case.

4. The improved display case of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more refrigeration coils within the air flow paths of the display case, wherein at least one of the ultraviolet radiation elements is positioned suitably to sanitize air received by the one or more refrigeration coils.

5. The improved display case of claim 1, wherein one or more of the ultraviolet radiation elements include reflective shielding for shielding the display area and areas outside the display case from direct exposure of ultraviolet light or for concentrating ultraviolet light radiated from the ultraviolet radiation elements.

6. The improved display case of claim 1, wherein one or more ultraviolet elements are suitably positioned within the display case proximate to a location at which air is released into the display area and whereby the air released into the display area is sanitized by the one or more ultraviolet radiation elements.

7. The improved display case of claim 1, wherein the one or more ultraviolet radiation elements comprise germicidal ultraviolet lamps suitably designed to deliver a dosage of ultraviolet energy sufficient to sanitize circulating air within the display case.

8. The improved display case of claim 1, wherein the one or more ultraviolet radiation elements include water resistant or water tight sealants for operation within the display case.

9. The improved display case of claim 1, wherein one or more automatic timers control the operation of the ultraviolet radiation elements.

10. The improved display case of claim 1, wherein the ultraviolet radiation elements are configurable for a variety of duty cycles.

11. The improved display case of claim 1, wherein the ultraviolet radiation elements are configured to operate whenever air is circulated within said display case.

12. The improved display case of claim 1, wherein one or more automatic timers control the operation of the ultraviolet radiation elements.

13. The improved display case of claim 12, wherein said timers provide a power savings mod of operation whereby the ultraviolet radiation elements may be operated to sanitize the display case for a selectable amount of time per day.

14. A method of sanitizing a display case used for displaying one or more objects displayable in a display area, the method comprising:

circulating air around one or more objects displayed in said display area of said display case through air flow paths in said display case,

flowing the circulating air through a lower trough area of the display case, said lower trough area suitably oriented below substantially all of said display area to catch debris falling from said display area, and

using one or more ultraviolet radiation elements positioned suitably within said lower trough area so as to sanitize the lower trough area of the display case and air flowing therethrough, without allowing ultraviolet radiation from the one or more ultraviolet radiation elements positioned within the lower trough area from directly contacting the one or more objects displayable in the display area.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising draining liquids from the display case using one or more waste drains positioned in the lower trough area of the display case.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising sanitizing surface areas in the lower trough area of the display case using one or more of the ultraviolet radiation elements suitably positioned to sanitize said surface areas.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

refrigerating air circulating within the air flow paths of the display case using one or more refrigeration coils, and

sanitizing air received by the one or more refrigeration coils using one or more of the ultraviolet radiation elements.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising shielding the display area and areas outside the display case from direct exposure of ultraviolet light or concentrating ultraviolet light radiated from the ultraviolet radiation elements using reflective shielding of the ultraviolet radiation elements.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising sanitizing the air released into the display area using one or more ultraviolet elements suitably positioned within the display case proximate to a location at which air is released into the display area.