Showcase

• US 8,057,061 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2009
• Issued: 11/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Shibusawa, Sakumi, Oketani, Tetsuya, Amari, Yoichi, Otsuki, Atsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): MAY, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US12/370,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20090207592A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 362/294, 362125-126, 362/311.02, 362355-356, 362/217.02, 362/218, 362/311.03, 362/246, 362/221, 362/249.02, 362/247, 362/245, 362/241
• US Class Current: 362/125
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/001 Devices for lighting, humidifying, heating, ventilation
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 4/20 with light sources held by or within elongate supports
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 4/28 rigid, e.g. LED bars
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 1/00 Shades for light sources , i.e. lampshades for table, floor, wall or ceiling lamps
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0025 Combination of two or more reflectors for a single light source array of reflectors for a cluster of light sources F21V7/0083
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/005 with an elongated shape to cooperate with linear light sources
• 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]

Abstract

An object is to provide a showcase capable of improving the appearance of an illumination apparatus itself and improving the illumination effect produced by the illumination apparatus. In the showcase in which the inside of a display chamber disposed in a main body is illuminated by an illumination apparatus, the illumination apparatus includes an LED illumination member having an LED element, and a holding member attached to the main body to hold the LED illumination member, and the holding member includes a lead wire receiving portion for receiving a lead wire of the LED illumination member.

Claims

1. A showcase, having at least one vertical pillar, in which the inside of a display chamber disposed in a main body is illuminated by an illumination apparatus,

wherein the illumination apparatus includes at least two LED illumination members each having an LED element, and a holding member with a front surface attached to the main body, at the least one vertical pillar and extending there-along, hold holding the LED illumination members, and the holding member having a partition wall and having two holding portions being symmetrical in relation to the partition wall that extends along an axis in the center of the holding member in a direction perpendicular from the front surface towards the display chamber, includes each holding portion including a pair of reflector engagement portions, each having a reflector disposed thereon, one disposed on each side of the irradiation path of light from the LED element and are disposed away from each other as a distance from the LED element increases, and a lead wire receiving portion contained within each holding portion member to receive and a lead wire for supplying power to the LED illumination member received in the lead wire receiving portion.

2. The showcase according to claim 1, wherein the LED illumination member includes a plurality of LED elements arranged in a row, a shade is attached to the holding member at a position in an irradiating direction of light from the LED elements, and the shade has a wave-like sectional shape extending in the longitudinal direction of the row of the LED elements.

3. The showcase according to claim 2, wherein the LED illumination member includes a substrate provided with the plurality of LED elements on the surface thereof, the holding member is made of a metal, and the holding member is provided with radiation ribs which abut on positions corresponding to the backsides of the LED elements on the back surface of the substrate.

4. The showcase according to claim 2, wherein the sectional shape of a portion of the shade positioned at the end of the illumination apparatus is a wave-like shape which more noticeably refracts the light from the LED elements in the longitudinal direction of the row of the LED elements as compared with the sectional shape of the another portion of the shade.

5. The showcase according to claim 4, wherein the LED illumination member includes a substrate provided with the plurality of LED elements on the surface thereof, the holding member is made of a metal, and the holding member is provided with radiation ribs which abut on positions corresponding to the backsides of the LED elements on the back surface of the substrate.

6. The showcase according to claim 1, wherein the LED illumination member includes a substrate provided with the plurality of LED elements on the surface thereof, the holding member is made of a metal, and the holding member is provided with radiation ribs which abut on positions corresponding to the backsides of the LED elements on the back surface of the substrate.