Control apparatus of showcase

• US 8,223,017 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2008
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Oketani, Tetsuya, Tanji, Masayuki, Takeuchi, Masanobu, Nishizaka, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung
• Application Number:
  US12/274,597
• Publication Number:
  US 20090135011A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,335 Days
• Field of Search: 340/541, 340/525, 340/545.3, 340/555, 340/815.4, 362/276
• US Class Current: 340/541
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/001 Devices for lighting, humidifying, heating, ventilation
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0442 activated by means of a sensor, e.g. motion or photodetectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/405 for shop-windows or displays
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/10 comprising a linear array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/12 using optical feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/18 using temperature feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

An object is to provide a control apparatus of a showcase in which appropriate illumination having a high presentation effect can be realized by an LED illumination apparatus having a high durability against turning ON/OFF and capable of securing a predetermined illumination intensity even under an environment at a low temperature. The control apparatus controls a plurality of showcases so that display chambers where commodities are displayed are illuminated with LED illumination apparatuses, and includes a person detecting sensor provided in a showcase disposed in such a position that the approaching of any person can first be detected among the plurality of arranged showcases, so that the approaching of the person is detected. When the person detecting sensor detects the approaching of the person, the illumination intensities of all the LED illumination apparatuses of the plurality of showcases are increased.

Claims

1. A control apparatus which controls a plurality of arranged showcases so that display chambers where commodities are displayed are illuminated with LED illumination apparatuses, comprising:

a person detecting sensor provided in one of the plurality of arranged showcases, disposed in such a position that the approaching of any person is first detected among the plurality of arranged showcases, so that the approaching of the person is detected,

a microcomputer having a set of instructions for controlling the plurality of arranged showcases,

wherein the microcomputer controls the plurality of arranged showcases in a manner that when the person detecting sensor detects the approaching of the person, the illumination intensities of all the LED illumination apparatuses of the plurality of arranged showcases are increased.

2. The control apparatus of the showcase according to claim 1, wherein the illumination intensities of the LED illumination apparatuses are increased successively from the showcase provided with the person detecting sensor to the showcase disposed in a position far from the showcase provided with the person detecting sensor.

4. The control apparatus of the showcase according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein

each showcase displays the commodities in the display chamber while cooling the commodities, and includes a temperature sensor which detects a temperature in the display chamber, and

in a case where the temperature sensor detects that the temperature in the display chamber increases to a preset high temperature value, the illumination intensity of the LED illumination apparatus of the showcase provided with the temperature sensor is decreased.

7. The control apparatus of the showcase according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising:

an illumination intensity sensor which detects the brightness of a surrounding area, wherein the maximum illumination intensity of the LED illumination apparatus is determined in accordance with the brightness of the surrounding area detected by the illumination intensity sensor, and the LED illumination apparatus is brightened to the determined maximum illumination intensity or the second illumination intensity regarded as the maximum illumination intensity.

3. A control apparatus which controls a plurality of arranged showcases so that display chambers where commodities are displayed are illuminated with LED illumination apparatuses, comprising:

person detecting sensor provided in each of the plurality of arranged showcases, respectively, so that the approaching on any person is detected by one of the sensors,

a microcomputer having a set of instructions for controlling the plurality of arranged showcases,

wherein the microcomputer controls the plurality of arranged showcases in a manner that when one of the person detecting sensors detects the approaching of the person, the illumination intensity of the LED illumination apparatus of the showcase adjacent to the showcase provided with the person detecting sensor which has detected the approaching of the person is increased to a first illumination intensity, and the illumination intensity of the LED illumination apparatus of the showcase provided with the person detecting sensor which has detected the approaching of the person is increased to a second illumination intensity brighter than the first illumination intensity.

5. A control apparatus which controls a plurality of arranged showcases so that display chambers where commodities are displayed are illuminated with LED illumination apparatuses, comprising:

a person detecting sensor provided in each of the plurality of arranged showcases, respectively, so that the approaching of any person is detected by one of the sensors,

a microcomputer having a set of instructions for controlling the plurality of arranged showcases,

wherein the microcomputer controls the plurality of arranged showcases in a manner that when one of the person detecting sensors detects the approaching of the person, the illumination intensities of all the LED illumination apparatuses of the plurality of arranged showcases are increased to a first illumination intensity, and the illumination intensity of the LED illumination apparatus of the showcase provided with the person detecting sensor which has detected the approaching of the person is increased to a second illumination intensity brighter than the first illumination intensity.

6. The control apparatus of the showcase according to claim 5, wherein the first illumination intensity is dark in the showcase installed in a position far from the showcase provided with the person detecting sensor which has detected the approaching of the person.

8. A control apparatus of a showcase which controls a plurality of showcases so that display chambers where commodities are displayed are illuminated with LED illumination apparatuses, comprising:

a person detecting sensor provided in a showcase disposed in such a position that the approaching of any person is first detected among the plurality of arranged showcases, so that the approaching of the person is detected, wherein

when the person detecting sensor detects the approaching of the person, the illumination intensities of all the LED illumination apparatuses of the plurality of showcases are increased,

the plurality of showcases are provided in at least two rows so as to face each other,

the person detecting sensor is provided in one of the showcases facing each other, and

the control of the LED illumination apparatus by the detection of the person detecting sensor is executed with respect to both the LED illumination apparatuses of the pair of showcases facing each other.

9. A control apparatus of a showcase which controls a plurality of showcases so that display chambers where commodities are displayed are illuminated with LED illumination apparatuses, comprising:

a person detecting sensor provided in a showcase disposed in such a position that the approaching of any person is first detected among the plurality of arranged showcases, so that the approaching of the person is detected, wherein

when the person detecting sensor detects the approaching of the person, the illumination intensities of all the LED illumination apparatuses of the plurality of showcases are increased,

the illumination intensities of the LED illumination apparatuses are increased successively from the showcase provided with the person detecting sensor to the showcase disposed in a position far from the showcase provided with the person detecting sensor,

the plurality of showcases are provided in at least two rows so as to face each other,

the person detecting sensor is provided in one of the showcases facing each other, and

the control of the LED illumination apparatus by the detection of the person detecting sensor is executed with respect to both the LED illumination apparatuses of the pair of showcases facing each other.

10. A control apparatus of a showcase which controls a plurality of showcases so that display chambers where commodities are displayed are illuminated with LED illumination apparatuses, comprising:

person detecting sensors provided in the plurality of arranged showcases, respectively, so that the approaching of any person is detected, wherein when one of the person detecting sensors detects the approaching of the person, the illumination intensities of all the LED illumination apparatuses of the plurality of showcases are increased to a first illumination intensity,

the illumination intensity of the LED illumination apparatus of the showcase provided with the person detecting sensor which has detected the approaching of the person is increased to a second illumination intensity brighter than the first illumination intensity,

the plurality of showcases are provided in at least two rows so as to face each other,

the person detecting sensor is provided in one of the showcases facing each other, and

the control of the LED illumination apparatus by the detection of the person detecting sensor is executed with respect to both the LED illumination apparatuses of the pair of showcases facing each other.

11. The control apparatus of the showcase according to claim 10, wherein

the first illumination intensity is dark in the showcase installed in a position far from the showcase provided with the person detecting sensor which has detected the approaching of the person.

12. A control apparatus of a showcase which controls a plurality of showcases so that display chambers where commodities are displayed are illuminated with LED illumination apparatuses, comprising:

person detecting sensors provided in the plurality of arranged showcases, respectively, so that the approaching on any person is detected, wherein

when one of the person detecting sensors detects the approaching of the person, the illumination intensity of the LED illumination apparatus of the showcase adjacent to the illumination intensity of the LED illumination apparatus of the showcase provided with the person detecting sensor which has detected the approaching of the person is increased to a second illumination intensity brighter than the first illumination intensity,

the plurality of showcases are provided in at least two rows so as to face each other,

the person detecting sensor is provided in one of the showcases facing each other, and

the control of the LED illumination apparatus by the detection of the person detecting sensor is executed with respect to both the LED illumination apparatuses of the pair of showcases facing each other.