GB2267536A

GB2267536A - A merchandising unit

Info

Publication number: GB2267536A
Application number: GB9304109A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Power
Original assignee: ORRELL Ltd
Current assignee: ORRELL Ltd
Priority date: 1992-06-02
Filing date: 1993-03-01
Publication date: 1993-12-08
Anticipated expiration: 2013-03-01
Also published as: BE1005494A6; GB2267536B; GB9304109D0

Abstract

A merchandising unit 1 for frozen food comprises a refrigerator compartment 2 with a top access opening 11 closed by a lid 15. The lid 15 comprises a single pane 16 of glass housed in a frame 17. The frame is provided with rear corner connectors 23 having an extension 25 which is attached to an extension leg 30 of a hinge mounting bracket 31. Coil springs (50, Fig. 7) control the movement of the lid 15 between open and closed positions. <IMAGE>

Description

"A Xerchandisinp Unit" The invention relates to a merchandising unit for frozen food.

Various merchandising units for frozen food are known.

Such units generally comprise a refrigerator compartment having a top access opening through which the user gains access to the food displayed in the refrigerator compartment. There are a number of problems with such conventional merchandising units. The most serious problem is that because of the configuration of the access opening a customer has limited visibility to the food displayed in the compartment. In addition, while it is known to have various types of closures for the access openings such closures generally adversely effect the visibility of the products displayed in the compartment and are generally kept open during trading hours in which the merchandising unit is in operation leading to high power consumption.

This invention is directed towards providing an improved merchandising unit for frozen food which will overcome at least some of these problems.

According to the invention there is provided a merchandising unit for frozen food comprising a refrigerator compartment having a base and a side wall means terminating in a top access opening, a lid for the access opening, the lid comprising a single curved pane of transparent material and a frame surrounding the pane, the frame being hingedly mounted to the compartment and spring means being provided to control the movement of the lid between the open and closed positions.

In one embodiment of the invention, the spray is mounted in a spring housing and the frame is mounted to a hinge mounting bracket which is hingedly mounted to the spring housing.

In a preferred arrangement, the hinge mounting bracket comprises a base member and a pair of side webs extending from the base member, the side webs being hingedly mounted to the spring housing.

Preferable the frame includes corner connectors extending between adjacent longitudinal and transverse frame members, a rear pair of corner connectors including mounting means for mounting to the respective hinge mounting bracket. In one embodiment of the invention the base member is fixed to a rearward extension of a rear corner connector of the frame of the lid.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention the hinge mounting bracket includes an extension leg which is fixed to a corresponding leg of the respective corner connector of the frame.

The merchandising unit most preferably also includes guide means between the hinge mounting bracket and the spring housing to guide the movement of the lid between opened and closed positions. Preferably the guide means comprises guide slots on one of the side webs of the bracket or spring housing and a corresponding guide pin on the other of the hinge bracket side webs or spring housing side walls. Typically the guide slots are provided in the side walls of the spring housing and the guide pin is carried by the side webs of the hinge bracket. Most preferably one end of the spring is connected to the movable guide pin and another end of the spring is attached to a mounting in the spring housing.

In a preferred arrangement the spring comprises a coil spring mounted in the spring housing.

Preferably the spring housing includes an outer cover comprising a top cover part and a side cover part enclosing the spring.

In one embodiment of the invention the lid is of convex shape in side view and extends from a raised rear ledge at a rear of the merchandising unit to a lower front ledge at the front of the merchandising unit. Preferably the pane is of glass material.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description thereof given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view from the front of a merchandising unit according to the invention with a lid closed; Fig. 2 is a perspective view from the rear of the merchandising unit of Fig. 1; Figs. 3 and 4 are end views of the merchandising unit; Fig. 5 is a plan view of the merchandising unit; Fig. 6 is a side view of the merchandising unit with the lid in an open position; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a hinge detail of the merchandising unit with the lid in a closed position; Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the hinge detail of Fig. 7 with the lid in the open position; Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the hinge detail with a hinge cover in position; and Fig. 10 is an exploded view of the hinge detail of Figs. 7 to 9.

Ref erring to the drawings there is illustrated a merchandising unit for frozen food according to the invention and indicated generally by the reference numeral 1.

The merchandising unit 1 comprises a refrigerator compartment 2 having a base 3 and side wall means comprising a rear wall 4, a front wall 5 and a pair of end walls 6, 7. The walls 4, 5, 6, 7 terminate in a rim 10 defining a top access opening 11 through which a customer gains access to frozen food stored in the refrigerator compartment 2. It will be noted that the rim 10 is of curved shape in side view extending from a raised portion 20 defined by the upper ledge of the rear wall 4 to a lower portion 21 defined by the ledge of the front wall 5.

The access opening 11 is closed by a lid 15 comprising a single pane 16 of transparent material, in this case glass material, housed in a frame 17 extending around the pane 16 of glass. In this case the pane 16 is of generally convex shape.

The frame 17 comprises front and rear longitudinal frame members 18 and transverse side frame members 19 extending between the front and rear frame members 18, 19. It will be noted that the side frame members 19 are of curvilinear shape to accommodate the curved translucent pane 16.

Corner connectors 23 (shown by interrupted lines in Fig.

5) are provided at each corner of the frame. Each corner connector 23 is of generally L shape having two legs 23a, 23b for connection to adjacent frame members 18, 19. In the case of the corner connectors 23 between the rear longitudinal frame member 18 and the adjacent side frame member 19 the connectors 23 each include a rearwardly extending extension 25 (see particularly Fig. 10).

One of the legs 23a of each rear corner connector 23 is attached to a respective extension leg 36 of a hinge mounting bracket 31. The bracket 31 includes a flat base portion 32 and a pair of side webs 33 extending from the base portion 32. The extension 25 of the respective corner connector 23 is attached to the base portion 32.

Tfre side webs 33 are mounted in a spring hinge housing assembly 35 comprising an outer housing having a rear cover part 36 and a top cover part 37 (see Fig. 9) and an inner housing of channel construction comprising a pair of side walls 38 extending from a base 39. The base 39 is fixed to the rear wall 4 of the merchandising unit 1.

A main hinge pin 40 extends between the side walls 38 of each inner housing and the side webs 33 of each hinge mounting bracket 31.

Spring means for controlling the opening and closing of the lid 15 comprises two coil springs 50, one mounted in each of the housings 35. Referring particularly to Fig.

7a, a rod 60 extends through the core of the spring 50 and is slidably mounted at one end in a hole in a mounting plate 61 extending between the side walls 38. The upper end of the rod 60 is provided with a mounting cup 62 which engages a movable pin 54. The pin 54 extends between curved slots 55 in the side walls 38 of the housing 35 providing guide means for guiding the movement of the lid.

A lower end of the spring is fixed relative to the mounting plate 61 and the spring is mounted at an upper end to the rod 60. The opening and closing of the lid 15 is controlled by the spring 50 which constrains the movement of the lid 15 as the mounting pins 54 travel in the curved slots 55.

The invention provides a merchandising unit of relatively simple construction with a lid which is easily operated.

By virtue of the nature and shape of the lid and the access opening to the refrigerator compartment a substantial increase in the visibility of the frozen foods displayed in the merchandising compartment is achieved over what has been possible heretofore. The frame assembly is of particularly robust construction and facilitates mounting to a spring loaded hinge arrangement which allows easy opening and closing of the lid, in use.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described which may be varied in construction and detail.

Claims

1. A merchandising unit for frozen food comprising a refrigerator compartment having a base and a side wall means terminating in a top access opening, a lid for the access opening, the lid comprising a single curved pane of transparent material and a frame surrounding the pane, the frame being hingedly mounted to the compartment and spring means being provided to control the movement of the lid between the open and closed positions.

2. A merchandising unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the spring is mounted in a spring housing and the frame is mounted to a hinge mounting bracket which is hingedly mounted to the spring housing.

3. A merchandising unit as claimed in claim 2 wherein the hinge mounting bracket comprises a base member and a pair of side webs extending from the base member, the side webs being hingedly mounted to the spring housing.

4. A merchandising unit as claimed in claim 2 or 3 wherein the frame includes corner connectors extending between adjacent longitudinal and transverse frame members, a rear pair of corner connectors including mounting means for mounting to the respective hinge mounting bracket.

5. A merchandising unit as claimed in claim 4 wherein the base member is fixed to a rearward extension of a rear corner connector of the frame of the lid.

6. A merchandising unit as claimed in any of claims 3 to 5 wherein the hinge mounting bracket includes an extension leg which is fixed to a corresponding leg of the respective corner connector of the frame.

7. A merchandising unit as claimed in any of claims 3 to 6 wherein guide means are provided between the hinge mounting bracket and the spring housing to guide the movement of the lid between opened and closed positions.

8. A merchandising unit as claimed in claim 7 wherein the guide means comprises guide slots on one of the side webs of the bracket or spring housing and a corresponding guide pin on the other of the hinge bracket side webs or spring housing side walls.

9. A merchandising unit as claimed in claim 8 wherein the guide slots are provided in the side walls of the spring housing and the guide pin is carried by the side webs of the hinge bracket.

10. A merchandising unit as claimed in claim 8 or 9 wherein one end of the spring is connected to the movable guide pin and another end of the spring is attached to a mounting in the spring housing.

11. A merchandising unit as claimed in any of claims 8 to 10 wherein the spring comprises a coil spring mounted in the spring housing.

12. A merchandising unit as claimed in any of claims 2 to 11 wherein the spring housing includes an outer cover comprising a top cover part and a side cover part enclosing the spring.

13. A merchandising unit as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the lid is of convex shape in side view and extends from a raised rear ledge at a rear of the merchandising unit to a lower front ledge at the front of the merchandising unit.

14. A merchandising unit as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the pane is of glass material.

15. A merchandising unit substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.