Refrigerated display case door with transparent LCD panel

• US 8,683,745 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2011
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anthony Incorporated (Dover Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Anthony Incorporated (Dover Corporation)
• Inventors: Artwohl, Paul J., Sandnes, Mark, Roche, John Michael, Nicholson, Jeffery W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilbert, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): FERENCE, JAMES M
• Application Number:
  US13/286,053
• Publication Number:
  US 20120285089A1
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 522/041, 522/045, 527/861.1, 527/861.3, 49/70, 495/01, 495/04, 312/116, 312/138.1, 312/405, 312/401, 345/104, 345/173, 349/90, 349/106, 362/92, 362/125, 362/97.2, 362/97.4
• US Class Current: 49/70
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 11/06 Means for bringing about special optical effects
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/0434 Glass or transparent panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 23/0058 on electrical household appliances, e.g. on a dishwasher, a washing machine or a refrigerator
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/35 being liquid crystals G09F9/302 takes precedence; liquid crystal materials C09K19/00; liquid crystal panels comprising a number of electrodes in a single cell per se G02F1/13
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T

Abstract

A door assembly that includes a single glass unit having at least first, second and third panels, a front surface, a rear surface, and an outside edge. At least one of the first, second or third panels is a transparent LCD panel on which media can be displayed. The single glass unit also includes a frame that at least partially surrounds the outside edge of the single glass unit, and electronic components in electrical communication with the LCD panel.

Claims

1. A display case door assembly for a temperature-controlled storage device, the display case door assembly comprising:

an insulated single glass unit that includes at least first, second, and third panels, wherein the second panel is positioned between the first and third panels, the second panel comprising a transparent LCD panel on which media can be displayed and through which products within the temperature-controlled storage device are visible, wherein the single glass unit has a front surface, a rear surface, and an outside edge, and wherein the single glass unit comprises a thermally insulating medium between the first and third panels,

a frame that at least partially surrounds the outside edge of the single glass unit, and

electronic components in electrical communication with the LCD panel, the electronic components comprising a media player configured to control the media displayed on the LCD panel,

wherein the single glass unit, the frame, and the electronic components are configured to move, as a unit, between a closed position in which the single glass unit provides thermal insulation for the temperature-controlled storage device while displaying media on the transparent LCD panel and an open position in which the products within the temperature-controlled storage device are accessible.

2. The door assembly of claim 1 wherein the first panel is spaced from the second panel by a first spacer and the third panel is spaced from the second panel by a second spacer,

wherein the first spacer is adhered to both the first panel and the second panel and spans a distance between the first panel and the second panel, and wherein the second spacer is adhered to both the second panel and the third panel and spans a distance between the second panel and the third panel.

3. The door assembly of claim 1 wherein the first, second and third panels each have an outside edge and a length and a width, wherein the length and the width of the second panel is smaller than the length and the width of the first and third panels, thereby defining a margin between the outer edge of the second panel and the outer edges of the first and third panels, and wherein the first panel is spaced from the third panel by a third spacer that is positioned within the margin.

4. The door assembly of claim 3 wherein the first, second and third spacers are made of an elastomeric material.

5. The door assembly of claim 3 wherein the thermally insulating medium includes insulation disposed within the margin and between the first and third panels.

6. The door assembly of claim 5 wherein the thermally insulating medium includes an opening therein for housing at least a portion of the electronic components.

7. The door assembly of claim 3 wherein the electronic components are disposed within the margin between the first and third panels.

8. The door assembly of claim 1 wherein the second panel is hermetically sealed between the first and third panels.

9. The door assembly of claim 8 wherein the thermally insulating medium comprises an insulating gas disposed between the hermetically sealed first and third panels.

10. The door assembly of claim 1 wherein the first panel includes an outer opaque section and an inner transparent section through which the second panel is visible.

11. The door assembly of claim 1 wherein the electronic components are disposed within the frame.

12. The door assembly of claim 11 wherein the frame includes a rail secured adjacent at least a portion of the outside edge of the single glass unit, wherein the electronic components are positioned in the rail, and wherein the rail includes a removable cover for accessing the electronic components.

13. The door assembly of claim 1 further including a case, wherein the frame is hingedly connected to the case by an electrical hinge pin, wherein the electrical hinge pin supplies electricity and data to the electronic components.

14. The door assembly of claim 1 wherein the media player is configured to display at least one of product information, pricing information, nutritional information, advertising information, and store layout information on the transparent LCD panel.

15. The door assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one of the panels includes switchable film thereon that is generally clear, wherein when a voltage is applied across a portion of the film, the film becomes opaque,

wherein the electronic components are configured to transition the switchable film between a transparent state to improve a visibility of products within the temperature-controlled storage device and an opaque state to improve a visibility of the media displayed on the LCD panel.

16. The display case door assembly of claim 15, wherein the electronic components are configured to coordinate the media displayed on the LCD panel with a state of the switchable film, wherein coordinating the media comprises displaying media on the LCD panel when the film is in the opaque state and not displaying media on the LCD panel when the film is in the transparent state.

17. The door assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first or third panels includes an electro-conductive coating thereon, wherein the coating is configured to generate heat when a voltage is applied across the coating, thus helping prevent condensation thereon.

18. The door assembly of claim 1 further comprising a motion sensor in electrical communication with the media player, wherein the media player is configured to display media on the transparent LCD panel in response to an input from the motion sensor.

19. The door assembly of claim 18 wherein the motion sensor includes a camera mounted in the frame.

20. The door assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first panel and the third panel comprises a touch-sensitive panel in electrical communication with the media player, wherein the media player is configured to control the media displayed on the transparent LCD panel in response to a user input received via the touch-sensitive panel.

21. The door assembly of claim 1 wherein the electronic components are powered by a power supply that outputs a voltage of no greater than 60 V DC.