EP0231676A1 - Refrigerated display case with a horizontally pivoting and vertically raisable glass panel - Google Patents

Abstract

Refrigerated display case with one or more horizontally pivoting and vertically raisable glass panels and with weight-compensating jacks which assist this or these glass panels in its or their opening and closing movement, comprising at least one glass panel (6) whose parts located between its joining points with pivoting hinges (30) and its attachment points with its weight-compensating jacks (7) lie directly over these jacks (7). <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to a refrigerated display case or refrigerated counter with horizontally pivoting and vertically lifting or folding ice.

A refrigerated display case or refrigerated counter intended for a presentation of articles or food products usually comprises on the client side one or more horizontally pivoting and vertically liftable windows facilitating the storage and removal of these articles or products and the maintenance of the furniture. This or these windows pivot around one or more horizontal axes which are integral with the uprights or spaced, fixed posts forming part of the frame of the display case. This or these ice creams are often more or less heavy.

To facilitate a lifting of these windows in their high position or open position and a lowering thereof in their low position or closed position, weight compensation cylinders of these windows are frequently used. To avoid untimely breakage of the windows, caused by these jacks when they are opened or closed, in known refrigerated showcases the windows are usually provided with one or more rigid supports fixed against their surface , or intermediate reinforcing parts on which are fixed hinges of these windows and articulated at the ends of these weight compensation jacks. These supports or intermediate reinforcing parts have the disadvantage of detracting from the aesthetics of these known display cases and of increasing their cost price.

The aim of the present invention is to avoid these drawbacks and makes it possible to produce a refrigerated display case or economic refrigerated counter with horizontally pivoting, vertically liftable glass without support or intermediate reinforcing parts intended for mounting its weight compensation cylinders and its hinges.

According to the invention, a refrigerated display case with one or more horizontally pivoting and vertically liftable windows and with weight compensation jacks which assist this or these windows in its opening and closing movement (s), is characterized in that it comprises at least one window, the parts of which between its points of connection with pivoting hinges and its points of attachment with its weight compensation jacks are directly under tension by these jacks.

• - la figure 1 représente une vue partielle, schématique en perspective d'une vitrine réfrigérée, réalisée selon l'invention et comportant plusieurs glaces pivotantes verticalement relevables ou rabattables montées côte à côte ;
• - la figure 2 représente à une autre échelle, une vue partielle d'une coupe transversale de la vitrine de la figure 1 ;
• - la figure 3 représente une vue d'une partie d'une coupe longitudinale de la vitrine, montrant un montant du bâti soutenant deux glaces adajcentes ;
• - la figure 4 représente à une autre échelle une vue en perspective éclatée d'une partie de la vitrine de la figure 1 ;
• - la figure 5 représente à une autre échelle, une vue d'une coupe longitudinale d'un embout d'un montrant du bâti de la vitrine de la figure 1 ;
• - la figure 6 représente à une autre échelle une vue d'une coupe longitudinale d'une charnière d'une glace pivotante de la vitrine de la figure 1 ;
• - la figure 7 représente à une autre échelle une vue d'un embout d'un des vérins de compensation de poids des glaces de la vitrine de la figure 1 ;
• - la figure 8 représente, à une autre échelle, une vue d'une vis d'un dispositif d'attache d'une articulation d'un des vérins de com­pensation de poids des glaces de la vitrine de la figure 1, et
• - la figure 9 représente une vue d'un axe d'articulation à simple sphère pour un vérin de compensation de poids de la vitrine de la figure 1.

To better understand the invention, an exemplary embodiment is illustrated below, illustrated by the attached drawings,

• - Figure 1 shows a partial, schematic perspective view of a refrigerated display case, produced according to the invention and comprising several vertically pivoting or tilting pivoting windows mounted side by side;
• - Figure 2 shows on another scale, a partial view of a cross section of the showcase of Figure 1;
• - Figure 3 shows a view of part of a longitudinal section of the showcase, showing an amount of the frame supporting two adjoining windows;
• - Figure 4 shows on another scale an exploded perspective view of a part of the display case of Figure 1;
• - Figure 5 shows on another scale, a view of a longitudinal section of a nozzle showing a frame of the window of Figure 1;
• - Figure 6 shows on another scale a view of a longitudinal section of a hinge of a pivoting glass of the showcase of Figure 1;
• - Figure 7 shows on another scale a view of a tip of one of the weight compensation cylinders of the windows of the showcase of Figure 1;
• FIG. 8 represents, on another scale, a view of a screw of a device for attaching an articulation of one of the jacks for compensating the weight of the windows of the showcase of FIG. 1, and
• - Figure 9 shows a view of a single sphere hinge pin for a weight compensation cylinder of the showcase of Figure 1.

The invention 1 is applicable to any refrigerated display case or refrigerated counter provided at least with a horizontally pivoting and vertically liftable curved or angular panoramic window, that is to say formed by a flat horizontal part extended by a flat oblique part.

A refrigerated display case 1 produced according to the invention, schematically and partially illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a fixed frame 2 provided on the service side or rear side with two or more uprights or posts spaced 3, 4 leaving access to the enclosure 5 of this display case, and on the client side or front side, of one or more panoramic windows 6 horizontally pivoting and vertically liftable protecting products or articles not shown exhibited in this enclosure 5.

Each of the windows 6 is supported in its pivoting, at its two rear lateral ends by two uprights or posts of the frame 2, one of these uprights can be an individual upright 3 and the other, a common upright 4 for two adjacent windows or both amounts can be common amounts 4 depending on whether this glass is in the display case 1 in the end position or between two other glass. Each of the windows 6 is assisted in its pivoting by two weight compensation jacks 7.

According to an important characteristic, the refrigerated display case 1 with one or more horizontally pivoting and vertically liftable windows 6 and, with weight compensation jacks 7 which assist this or these windows in its or their opening and closing movement comprises at least one glass whose parts located between its connection points with pivot hinges of this glass and its attachment points with its weight compensation cylinders, are directly under tension by these cylinders.

According to another characteristic, the refrigerated display case 1 comprises weight compensation jacks 7 which have one of their hinged mounted ends and bearing directly on the pivoting and liftable windows 6 of the showcase, in other words, this end of these jacks is not articulated on supports or intermediate pieces of reinforcement of these windows 6, usually found in known refrigerated display cases.

According to another characteristic, the refrigerated display case comprises a bar 9 forming a non-deformable set or fixed frame, with uprights or posts 3 and 4 of the frame 2 of the showcase and / or their end pieces 10 on which are pivot axes 8 windows 6 and hinge pins 11 of the rear ends of the weight compensation cylinders 7.

In the example illustrated, the individual 3 or common 4 uprights of the frame 2 of the display case 1 each comprise at their upper end a tip 10. The tip 10 is constituted by a substantially rectangular piece provided with two rear transverse parallel holes 12 and central 13 respectively intended for mounting a pivot pin 8 with a projecting double end (FIG. 3) or a pin with a single projecting end not shown, for windows 6 and an articulation pin 11 with a projecting double end (Figure 4) or single projecting end (Figure 9) for rear ends of the weight compensation cylinders 7, with a biased end 14 forming a clearance surface, parallel to the glass 6 (Figure 2), one end cut into a notch 15 for receiving a longitudinal edge of the bar 9, a recess 16 for lightening and receiving a head of a screw 17 for fixing the end piece 10 and the upright 3 or 4, to the frame 2, assembly and locking lugs in rotation 18, 19 (FIGS. 4 and 5) penetrating into the recesses 20, 21 of an upright 3 or 4 to avoid relative movement between the end piece 10 and the upright 3 or 4, and of a receiving hole 22 a self-tapping screw 23 for fixing the bar 9.

The strip 9 is constituted by a reflective sheath of lighting tubes 24 of the display case, having a cross section in C and extending over the length of the display case 1 in order to connect the uprights 3 and 4, of the frame or their end caps 10 to train with these last a non-deformable set or fixed frame. This reflective sheath comprises spaced supports 25 for holding the lighting tubes 24 and their operating components such as a choke 26, and closed by a diffuser 27.

The liftable windows 6 are provided in their rear corners with rear fixing holes 28 intended to receive a screw fixing device 29 for a hinge 30. The hinge 30 is constituted by a substantially prismatic piece provided with a rounded end and of an oblique release end and of two orthogonal holes 31, 32 intended to receive respectively a pivot axis 8, and a screw 33 of the fixing device 29.

A device 29 for fixing the hinge to a glass 6 comprises on the one hand two matched washers with a large force distribution surface, namely a flat washer 34 and a washer with a tubular central collar 35 made of a synthetic material such as polyamide 6 6, intended to coat the wall of the fixing hole 28 drilled in a glass 6 and the edges of the two ends of this hole and on the other hand a rigid flat washer with large surface 36 and a nut with large flat bearing surface 37 in a rigid material having good mechanical strength, sandwiching the matched force distribution washers 34-35 and receiving under tightening a fixing screw 33 mounted with an elastic washer 38 through the hole 32 of the hinge and a hole 28 ice 6.

According to another characteristic, the refrigerated display case 1 comprises weight compensation cylinders which are provided at their front and rear ends with rear ball joint systems 39 and front 40.

In the example illustrated, the weight compensation cylinders 7 are cylinders of the known gas spring type comprising a closed tubular jacket 41 which receives at one end a piston 42 whose tail is provided with a threaded end 43, and ends at the other end with a threaded rod 44 or a tapped hole receiving a threaded rod 44. On the threaded end 43 and the threaded rod 44 are mounted the rear ball joint systems 39 and front 40 respectively.

The rear 39 and front 40 ball joint systems comprise on the one hand a jack end 45 having the shape of a rectangular elbow (FIGS. 4 and 7) provided in one of its ends with an axial hole 48 for receiving either a threaded end 43 of a piston 42 of a jack 7, or a threaded end 44 of a jacket 41 of this jack 7, and at the other end, of a spherical axial cavity 49 open towards the outside , and on the other hand for a rear articulation system 39 a sphere 50 secured to a hinge pin 11, and for a front articulation system 40 a sphere 51 secured to a screw 52 of a device d attachment of a hinge of this jack 53 mounted in one of the front holes 54 drilled in the liftable windows 6.

The attachment device 53 of a front articulation system 40 of a jack 7 comprises, like a hinge fixing device 29, on the one hand two matched washers with a large force distribution surface, namely a flat washer 34 and a washer with a tubular central collar 35 made of a synthetic material such as polyamide 6-6, intended to coat the wall with a front fixing hole 54 drilled in a glass 6 and the edges of the two ends of this hole, and on the other hand, a nut with a large flat bearing surface 55 and a fixing screw 52 with a protruding head with a sphere 51 and a large flat edge 56, which sandwich and under clamping these matched force distribution washers 34, 35 in position on this ice 6.

In the example illustrated, the weight compensation jacks 7 have their piston tail 42 and their jacket 41 covered or masked by a concentric tubular casing 57 fixed by forced fitting onto an end of these jacks, for example their rear end 45.

In an assembly of a refrigerated display case 1, the end pieces 10 of the common uprights 4 for two adjacent windows 6 support (FIGS. 3 and 4) on their two lateral sides on the one hand two hinges 30 fixed respectively on these two windows 6 by means fasteners 29, and pivotally mounted on both protruding ends of the axes 8 force-fitted into the rear holes 12 of these end pieces 10 of the common uprights 4 and on the other hand two rear articulation systems with ball joints 39 of two weight compensation cylinders 7 of these two adjacent windows in which the two spherical cavities 49 of the end pieces of jacks 45 are mounted on the two spheres 50 ending the two projecting ends of the hinge pins 11 force fitted into the central holes 13 of these end pieces 10 of the common uprights 4, while the end pieces 10 individual uprights 3 located at the two ends of the refrigerated display case 1 only support on one of their lateral sides on the one hand a hinge 30 fixed respectively on an end glass 6 by means of a fixing device 29 and pivotally mounted on a projecting end of a pin with a single projecting end 8 not shown press-fitted into the rear hole 12 of these ends of the individual uprights 3, and on the other by t a rear ball joint articulation system 39 of a weight compensation cylinder 7 in which the spherical cavity 49 of a cylinder end piece 45 is mounted on a sphere 50 terminating a projecting end of an axis with a single projecting end articulation 11 (FIG. 9) force-fitted into the central hole 13 of these end pieces 10 of the individual uprights 3.

The front ends of the jacks 7 with their front ball joint articulation systems 40 are mounted directly on the windows 6 by means of the fixing devices 53.

When a window 6 of the display case 1 is lifted and pivots around the axes 8 of its hinges 10 from a closed position in solid lines (FIG. 2) to an open position in broken lines, the two weight compensation cylinders 7 mounted on the two lateral edges of this glass 6 (Figures 1 and 2) which assist it in this movement, push the glass 6 by pivoting around their rear ball joint systems 39 and front 40 and elongate in relaxing. When this glass 6 is lowered and brought back from its open position in broken lines (Figure 2) to its closed position in solid lines, the two weight compensation cylinders 7 which assist it in this movement, pivot around their rear articulation systems 39 and front 40 are shortened by compressing and opposing the weight of this glass 6 and slow the descent thereof. The weight compensation jacks 7 thus permanently stretch this glass in its parts located between its points of connection with hinges 30 and its points of attachment with these jacks 7 and create therein a relatively large torque which tends to cause the glass 6 to rupture. However, according to the invention, the matched washers with a large force distribution surface 34, 35 associated with the fixing screws with a large edge 52 or a large surface washer 36 and the nuts with large bearing surface 37, 55, in the fastening devices 29 and 53, make it possible to effectively avoid this risk of breakage of the glass 6 due to these weight compensation jacks 7. The fastening devices 29 and 53 thus allow advantageously to remove supports or intermediate pieces for reinforcing the glass 6 usually used in known refrigerated display cases, which are arranged between this glass 6 and the jacks 7 for mounting the latter, to prevent the glass from breaking 6.

In an opening or closing movement, the glass 6 which weighs with all its weight on the projecting ends of the axes 8 of its hinges 30 and the weight compensation cylinders which push on their articulation axes 11, apply to the uprights 3 and 4 and their end caps 10 a torque which tends to rotate them around their fixing screw 17 and exert a strong stress which usually causes the rear corners of the glass 6 to break at the fixing holes 28 of the hinges 30. However according to the invention, in a display case 1 a bar 9 which is fixed by screws 23 in end notches 15 of the end pieces 10 of the uprights 3 and 4 of the frame 2 of this showcase forms with these end pieces 10 and uprights 3, 4, a set or a non-deformable fixed frame which opposes any pivoting of the uprights 3 and 4 and their end pieces 10 around the fixing screws 17, and consequently makes it possible to avoid effectively a risk of rupture of the rear corners of this glass 6 of the display case in an opening or closing movement of the latter. The assembly and rotation locking pins 18, 19 of the end pieces 10 penetrating into the recesses 20, 21 of the uprights 3 and 4 help to avoid any relative movement between the end pieces 10 and these uprights 3, 4 consequently to avoid a risk breaking the rear corners of this glass 6.

To improve the solidity of the retention of the pivot axes 8 and of articulation 11 and the immobilization of these axes against their rotation in mounting holes 12 and 13 of the end pieces 10, these axes 8 and 11 are provided in their contact zones with the wall of these holes, grooves or roughness 60.

In the ends 10 of the uprights 3 and 4, the recesses 16 for lightening and receiving the head of the fixing screw 17 can be closed by covers (FIGS. 4 and 5) which improve the aesthetics of the display case 1.

In addition to avoid any untimely free translation of the hinges 30 on the projecting ends of the axes 8, circular grooves 65 are formed in projecting ends of these axes 8 to receive freely in relative movement fixed pins 66 for locking the translation of the hinges 30 (Figure 2), pins forcibly mounted in corresponding holes 67 (Figures 2 and 6) drilled in these hinges 30.

Claims (14)

1. Refrigerated display case with one or more horizontally pivoting and vertically liftable windows (6) and with weight compensation jacks (7) which assist this or these windows in their opening and closing movement (s), characterized in that it comprises at least one glass, the parts of which lie between its points of connection with pivoting hinges (30) and its points of attachment with its weight compensation jacks (7) are directly under tension by these jacks (7). 2. Showcase according to claim 1, characterized in that the weight compensation cylinders (7) have one of their ends hinged mounted and bearing directly on the pivoting and liftable windows (6) of the showcase. 3. Showcase according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that it comprises devices (29) for fixing hinges (30) on windows (6) of the showcase, which each comprise on the one hand, two matched washers with a large force distribution surface, namely a flat washer (34) and a washer with central tubular collar (35) intended to coat the wall with a fixing hole (28) drilled in one of these windows (6 ) and the edges of the two ends of this hole, and on the other hand a rigid flat washer with large surface (36) and a nut with large flat bearing surface (37) sandwiching these paired washers (34, 35) in position on this glass and receiving under tightening, a screw (33) mounted through a hole (32) of this hinge (30) and that of these paired washers. 4. Showcase according to one of claims 1 to 3, comprising pivot axes (8) of hinges (30) liftable windows (6) and articulation axes (11) of the weight compensation cylinders (7) mounted on uprights (3, 4) of the frame (2) of the display case or end caps (10) integral with these uprights, characterized in that it comprises a bar (9) forming with these uprights (3, 4) and / or their end caps (10) a non-deformable set or fixed frame. 5. Showcase according to one of claims 1 to 4, comprising pivot axes (8) of hinges (30) liftable windows (6) and articulation axes (11) of the weight compensation cylinders (7) mounted on uprights (3, 4) of the frame (2) of the display case or end caps (10) integral with these uprights, characterized in that it comprises end caps (10) which are provided with assembly lugs and for locking in rotation (18, 19) penetrating into the corresponding recesses (20, 21) of the uprights (3, 4). 6. Showcase according to one of claims 4 and 5, characterized in that the ends (10) of the uprights (3, 4) of the frame (2) of the showcase, each consist of a substantially rectangular part provided with two holes transverse parallel rear (12) and central (13) intended respectively for mounting the pivot axes (8) of the windows (6) and the articulation axes (11) of the jacks (7), with a biased end (14 ) forming a release surface, with a notched end (15) for receiving a longitudinal edge of the bar (9), a relief and receiving recess (16) for a head a fixing screw (17) of the end piece (10) and of the upright (3, 4) of the frame (2), of assembly pins and of rotation lock (18, 19) between these end pieces (10) and upright (3, 4), and a receiving hole (22) of a fixing screw (23) of the bar (9). 7. Showcase according to one of claims 4 and 6, characterized in that the bar (9) is constituted by a reflective sheath of lighting tubes (24) of the showcase, having a cross section in C and extending along the length of the display case in order to connect the uprights (3, 4) of the frame (2) and / or their end pieces (10) to form with these a set or fixed non-deformable frame. 8. Showcase according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the pivoting and liftable windows (6) comprise hinges (30) each constituted by a substantially prismatic piece provided with two orthogonal holes (31, 32) intended for receiving respectively a pivot axis (8) of hinge and a screw (33) of a fixing device (20) of hinge. 9. Showcase according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the weight compensation cylinders (7) are provided at their front and rear ends with ball joint devices (39, 40). 10. Showcase according to claim 9, characterized in that in the weight compensation cylinders (7), the ball joint systems (39, 40) each comprise a jack end (45) having the shape of a rectangular elbow provided in one of its ends with an axial hole (48) receiving a threaded end (43, 44) either of a piston (42) or of a jacket (41) of a jack (7), and at the other end, a spherical axial cavity (49) open towards the outside, and a sphere (50, 51) mounted articulated in this spherical cavity (49) and integral with either a hinge pin ( 11) of a jack (7) or of a device for attaching a hinge of this jack (53). 11. Showcase according to claim 10, characterized in that the attachment device (53) of an articulation system (40) of a jack (7) comprises on the one hand two matched washers with large distribution surface by force, namely a flat washer (34) and a tubular central collar washer (35) intended to coat the wall with a fixing hole (54) drilled in one of the windows (6) and the edges of the two ends of this hole, and on the other hand a nut with a large flat bearing surface (55) and a screw (53) with a protruding ball head (51) and a wide flat edge (56) sandwiching and tightening these paired washers (34, 35) in position on this glass (6). 12. Showcase according to one of claims 1, 2 and 9, provided with weight compensation jacks (7) constituted by jacks of the "gas spring" type, each comprising a jacket (41) and a piston (42), characterized in that each of these jacks comprises a concentric tubular casing (57) which is fixed to a nozzle (45) of this jack (7) and covers the jacket (41) and the tail of the piston (42) of the latter. 13. Showcase according to one of claims 7 and 10, characterized in that in the hinge fixing devices (29) and in the attachment devices of an articulation system of a jack (53), the matched washers with a large force distribution surface (34, 35) are made of a synthetic material such as a polyamide (6-6). 14. Showcase according to claim 6, characterized in that it comprises on the one hand in the ends of the axes (8) circular grooves (65) to receive freely in relative movement fixed pins (66) for locking in translation of hinges (30), and on the other hand in these hinges (30) corresponding holes (67) intended to receive these pins (66) put in place by a forced mounting.

Images