JP2010075243A - Showcase - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a showcase which permits data concerning the showcase to be easily transmitted. <P>SOLUTION: The showcase 1 displaying products in a display compartment 11 comprises LED illuminators 40 each having LED devices 43 illuminating the interior of the display compartment 11 and a control device 24 controlling the LED illuminators 40. The control device 24 transmits data for light communication, data concerning the operating condition of the showcase 1 and data concerning products displayed in the display compartment 11 for example by turning on and off the LED devices 43 of the LED illuminators 40. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a showcase installed in a store such as a convenience store or a supermarket, and more particularly to a communication system such as data relating to operation control of the showcase and data relating to display products.

Traditionally, showcases installed in stores such as convenience stores and supermarkets are individually controlled by a control device composed of a temperature controller and a defrosting timer, or wired to a centralized management device installed in the store By doing so, these data are transmitted and received, and centralized management control is performed (for example, refer patent document 1).
JP-A-11-193985

  In conventional showcases, information on temperature settings, data on current internal temperature information, further data on defrost control, data on other alarms, etc. are displayed on the control panel of the control device provided in the showcase, etc. Or output from the central control apparatus connected to the control apparatus via a communication line. Therefore, the showcase serviceman grasps data related to these showcases by operating the control panel of the showcase or operating the input / output means connected to the control device on the central management side.

  In such a case, since it is necessary to operate the control panel at the place where the showcase is installed to grasp data relating to the showcase, there is a problem that complicated work is involved. On the other hand, in order to grasp these data in the control device on the central management side, the control device on the central management side and the control device on the showcase must be wired and connected by a communication line. In general, since the showcase and the control device on the central management side are installed at a location apart from each other, the wiring connection by the communication line has a problem not only in the installation work efficiency but also in the cost.

  In some cases, an output means such as a liquid crystal panel is provided at the front end portion of the shelf installed in the display room for outputting information on the products displayed on the shelf. In this case, it is necessary to wire-connect the liquid crystal panel and a control device disposed in the machine room of the showcase. Therefore, there is a problem that the wiring inside the showcase and the wiring of the communication line to the liquid crystal panel provided in the front of the display room become complicated.

  The present invention has been made to solve the conventional technical problems, and provides a showcase that can easily transmit data related to the showcase.

  A showcase of the present invention is a display product that is displayed in a display room, and includes an LED lighting device having an LED element that illuminates the display room, and a control device that controls the LED lighting device. The device is characterized by transmitting data for optical communication by turning on / off the LED element of the LED lighting device.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a showcase according to the above invention, wherein the showcase includes a plurality of LED illumination devices, and the control device transmits data using a specific LED illumination device among the plurality of LED illumination devices. And

  A showcase according to a third aspect of the present invention is the invention according to the first aspect, comprising a plurality of LED lighting devices, and the control device uses the LED lighting device to store data relating to products at positions illuminated by the LED lighting devices. And transmitting.

  A showcase according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in each of the above-described inventions, a reception device that receives and outputs data transmitted from the LED lighting device by optical communication is provided.

  According to the present invention, in a showcase in which merchandise is displayed in a display room, the LED lighting device having an LED element that illuminates the display room, and a control device that controls the LED lighting device, the control device includes: Since the data for optical communication is transmitted by turning on / off the LED element of the LED lighting device, optical communication is performed using visible light emitted from the highly directional LED element that illuminates the display room. It becomes possible.

  Therefore, as in the invention of claim 4, the receiving device that receives and outputs the data transmitted from the LED lighting device by optical communication can grasp various data relating to the internal temperature, alarm, and operation control of the showcase. It becomes possible.

  Thereby, it is not necessary to connect the receiving device and the control device provided in the showcase by wiring. Accordingly, it is possible to eliminate inconveniences such as troublesome work due to wiring and deterioration in aesthetics.

  According to the invention of claim 2, in the above invention, a plurality of LED illumination devices are provided, and the control device transmits data by using a specific LED illumination device among the plurality of LED illumination devices, thereby obtaining data. It is possible to suppress interference that occurs during transmission and reception.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the control device includes a plurality of LED lighting devices, and the control device uses the LED lighting device to store data relating to a product at a position illuminated by the LED lighting device. By transmitting, for example, it is possible to transmit data of different products for each shelf.

  According to the invention of claim 4, for example, a display terminal attached to a portable terminal or a showcase of a serviceman by including a receiving device that receives and outputs data transmitted from the LED lighting device by optical communication. Alternatively, a receiving device such as a terminal attached to a cart used in a store or the like where the showcase is installed may receive data relating to the operating state of the showcase, data relating to display merchandise, data relating to merchandise sales, etc. In general, the convenience can be improved.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an open showcase 1 to which the present invention is applied, and FIG. 2 is a longitudinal side view of the open showcase 1 of FIG. The open showcase 1 is a vertical open showcase that is installed in a store such as a supermarket, for example, and is attached to the side surface of the heat insulating wall 2 at the installation site, and a heat insulating wall 2 having a substantially U-shaped cross section that opens to the front. Insulating side plates 5 and 5.

  A partition plate 4 and another partition plate (not shown) are attached to the inside of the heat insulating wall 2 of the open showcase 1 with a space between them, and two layers (not shown) are provided between the partition plate 4 and the heat insulating wall 2. The duct is formed. A bottom plate 9 is attached in front of the lower end of the back partition plate 10 constituting the inner partition plate 4 with a gap for the duct between the bottom wall 2A of the heat insulating wall 2 and these partition plates 4 and The inside of the bottom plate 9 is a display chamber 11.

  In the display chamber 11, the height and the mounting angle can be changed, and a pair of brackets 31 attached to a column (not shown) on the back of the display chamber 11 and a shelf plate 32 constituting the shelf 30 together with these brackets 31. It is constructed over several stages. A price rail 34 formed of hard synthetic resin is attached to the front edge of the shelf board 32, and the price rail 34 also serves as a decorative body for the shelf board 32. Further, a predetermined interval is formed between the front wall of the shelf board 32 and the price rail 34, and a guard 35 for preventing the products on the shelf board 32 from falling is provided at the interval. It is attached.

  An inner layer discharge port 16 and an outer layer discharge port 17 to which honeycomb materials 13 and 14 are respectively attached are arranged in parallel at the upper edge of the front opening 12 of the heat insulating wall 2. The inner layer discharge port 16 and the outer layer discharge port 17 are The inner layer duct and the outer layer duct communicate with each other. Further, an inner layer suction port 18 and an outer layer suction port 19 are arranged in parallel at the lower edge of the opening 12.

  On the other hand, a plurality of blowers (not shown) corresponding to the inner layer duct and the outer layer duct are installed on the bottom wall 2A of the heat insulating wall 2 at the lower rear portion of the bottom plate 9.

  A cooler 39 of the cooling device is vertically installed in the inner layer duct behind the back partition plate 10, and when the blower corresponding to the inner layer duct is operated, the cold air exchanged with the cooler 39 rises in the inner layer duct. And discharged from the inner layer discharge port 16 toward the inner layer suction port 18. And the cold air sucked from the inner layer suction port 18 is accelerated again by the blower.

  On the other hand, when the blower corresponding to the outer layer duct is operated, the air in the outer layer duct is raised in the outer layer duct and discharged from the outer layer discharge port 17 toward the outer layer suction port 19. Then, the air sucked from the outer layer suction port 19 is accelerated again by the blower. Thereby, a front and rear double air curtain is formed in the opening 12, and a part of the inner cool air curtain is circulated in the display chamber 11 to cool the display chamber 11.

  On the other hand, a handrail 20 provided over the entire width of the lower edge of the opening 12 of the showcase 1 is attached to the upper surface of the lower front wall 2C of the heat insulating wall 2. A front lower panel 21 is attached to the front surface of the front wall 2C so as to be continuous with the handrail 20, and a bumper 22 is attached below the front lower panel 21 so as to be substantially flush with the front lower panel 21. It is done.

  Next, the configuration of the front portion of the top wall 2B of the heat insulating wall 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a mounting state of each LED lighting device 40.

  A canopy 33 projecting forward is attached to the front end (upper front end) of the ceiling wall 2B of the heat insulating wall 2, and the canopy 33 extends inside the front opening 12 of the display chamber 11 inside. A reflector 45 is attached. A temperature display 38 is provided on the front surface of the canopy 33 as shown in FIG.

  The reflection plate 45 is made of a metal plate to which a decorative coating is applied, and an angle at which the front surface opening 12 of the display chamber 11 is viewed from the upper front in the longitudinal direction, that is, a rear oblique direction. A plurality of LED lighting devices 40 are arranged side by side facing the lower display chamber 11 direction.

  The LED lighting device 40 is constituted by a substrate 42 on which a plurality of LED elements 43 are arranged, and the substrate 42 is fixed to a heat conductive conductive mounting plate 44. The substrate 42 is configured to extend in the longitudinal direction, and a plurality of LED elements 43 are attached to the substrate 42 at predetermined intervals. In this embodiment, the LED element 43 is a chip-type white LED element.

  In the present embodiment, the LED lighting device 40 is configured to have a length of about 1 scale. Since the open showcase in the present embodiment has a front opening (frontage) dimension of about 4 to 12 inches, the reflector 45 provided inside the canopy 33 has the LED illumination device according to the front opening dimension. 40 to 12 (plural) are arranged in parallel across the left and right.

  Further, the mounting plate 44 of each LED lighting device 40 is formed with a screw hole for fixing to the reflection plate 45 with screws. A plurality of exhaust holes (not shown) are formed in the reflecting plate 45 to which each LED lighting device 40 is attached in the longitudinal direction. The LED lighting device 40 and the exhaust hole are covered with a shade 46 that is attached so as to surround from the lower side.

  With this configuration, when each LED lighting device 40 is turned on, the display chamber is effectively displayed from the upper front located outside the display chamber 11 by the irradiation light of each LED element 43 after being diffused in each shade 46. 11 can be illuminated entirely.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the lower surface of the front end of each shelf 32 of the shelf 30 installed in a plurality of stages in the display chamber 11 as described above is used to illuminate products displayed below the shelf 32. LED shelf lighting device 48 is provided. A plurality of under-shelf LED lighting devices 48 provided on the shelf plate 32 are arranged in parallel across the left and right sides of the shelf plate 32 in the same manner as the LED lighting device 40 provided on the reflection plate 45. The under-shelf LED lighting device 48 has substantially the same configuration as that of the LED lighting device 40, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted.

  Next, the control device 24 of the showcase in the present embodiment will be described with reference to an electric block diagram of the control device 24 of FIG. The control device 24 is constituted by a general-purpose microcomputer having a timer 51 as a time limit means and a memory 52 as a storage means, and an internal temperature sensor for detecting the temperature in the display chamber 11 is provided on the input side. 25, a control panel 26, an external input means 29, and the like are connected. Therefore, data input via the external input means 29, for example, data related to products displayed on the shelves 30 of the display room 11, is stored in the built-in memory 52. The control panel 26 has various lighting switches 27 for controlling at least the LED lighting devices 40 and the under-shelf LED lighting devices 48, and various input means for performing setting input regarding various operating conditions of the showcase 1. 28 etc. are provided.

  And the cooling device R comprised from the cooler 39 as mentioned above and the compressor, air blower, etc. which comprise what is called a refrigerating cycle is connected to the output side of the control apparatus 24, and each LED illumination device 40 and each each A shelf underside LED lighting device 48 is connected via LED control units 50 and 58, respectively. Each of the LED control units 50 and 58 includes an LED power source that supplies power to each LED element 43 and a dimming control unit that performs dimming of each LED element 43.

  On the other hand, FIG. 5 is a diagram showing communication control in this embodiment. In FIG. 5, reference numeral 55 denotes a receiver configured to be portable. The receiving device 55 includes a receiving unit 56 that receives data for optical communication, and a liquid crystal display unit 57 that outputs and displays the received data in the present embodiment.

  With the above configuration, communication control of the open showcase 1 in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. First, the lighting switch 27 of the control panel 26 is operated, and the control device 24 turns on the LED lighting devices 40 and 48 by the LED control units 50 and 58.

  At this time, each LED element 43 of each LED illumination device 40 has a function as visible light communication means. That is, the control device 24 performs ON / OFF control by the LED control unit 50 that controls energization to each LED element 43 of each LED lighting device 40 attached inside the canopy 33. By turning ON / OFF the LED element 43 as the visible light communication means, the LED element 43 is turned on / off, and as data for optical communication, in this embodiment, data relating to the operating state of the showcase 1, for example, inside the warehouse Various data relating to operation control, such as the internal temperature detected by the temperature sensor 25 and data relating to alarms of various devices provided in the showcase 1, are transmitted. Note that the internal temperature detected by the internal temperature sensor 25 may be stored in the memory 52 of the control device 24 as time passes and transmitted as internal temperature change data for a predetermined time.

  The transmission range of data for optical communication is limited to the irradiation range of each LED element 43 of the LED illumination device 40.

  On the other hand, a service person, a store clerk, or the like of the showcase 1 places the receiving device 55 in the display room 11 that is the irradiation range of each LED element 43 of the LED lighting device 40. Thereby, the receiving device 55 receives the data for optical communication via the irradiation light emitted from each LED element 43 of the LED lighting device 40 by the receiving unit 56, in this embodiment, the operation of the showcase 1 as described above. Receive status data. Then, the received data regarding the operating state of the showcase 1 is displayed (output) on the liquid crystal display unit 57 of the receiving device 55.

  Thereby, it becomes possible to perform optical communication of data related to the operating state of the showcase 1 using visible light emitted from the highly directional LED element 43 that illuminates the inside of the display room 11. In addition, by receiving various data transmitted from the LED lighting device 40 by optical communication by the receiving device 55 and displaying it on the liquid crystal display unit 57, the internal temperature of the showcase 1 (change state of the internal temperature) can be easily obtained. ) And various data related to operation control such as alarms can be grasped.

  Thereby, it is not necessary to connect the receiving device 55 and the control device 24 provided in the showcase 1 by wiring. Accordingly, it is possible to eliminate inconveniences such as troublesome work due to wiring and deterioration in aesthetics.

  In the present embodiment, the receiving device 55 that is carried and used by a service person or the like may be constituted by a portable terminal, for example.

  Further, in this case, the display room 11 is provided with a reflecting plate for causing the light including data on the operation state of the showcase 1 irradiated from each LED element 43 of the LED lighting device 40 to be reflected outside the showcase 1, Means (receiving device) for receiving the light reflected by the reflecting plate may be provided at any location in the store. Thereby, it is possible to receive data relating to the operating state of the showcase 1 at a location outside the showcase 1 and at any location in the store. Therefore, by connecting the receiving device to the centralized management device of the store through a communication line or the like, the centralized management device can also manage data relating to the operating state of the showcase.

  Moreover, in the said Example, the data regarding the operating state of the said showcase 1 is transmitted by controlling lighting / extinction of each LED element 43 of the LED lighting apparatus 40 provided inside the canopy 33. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when a plurality of showcases 1 according to the embodiment are arranged side by side, a specific LED illumination device 40 among the LED illumination devices 40 having a length of about one scale as described above arranged in parallel. Only in the embodiment of FIG. 6 (only the third LED illumination device 40 from the right when viewed from the front) may be used as the illumination device for transmitting data.

  Thereby, even if it is a case where two or more showcases 1 are provided adjacently, only a specific LED lighting device 40 can transmit data, and can limit a communication range. For this reason, it is possible to suppress interference that occurs at the time of data transmission / reception when the irradiation lights from the LED illumination devices 40 that perform data transmission intersect each other. Therefore, reliable data transmission is possible and inconvenience due to interference can be eliminated.

  Further, each LED element 43 of the plurality of shelf LED lighting devices 48 provided in each shelf 30 also has a function as a visible light communication means like the LED element 43 of the LED lighting device 40. Here, with reference to FIG. 7, the communication control by the shelf LED lighting device 48 will be described.

  The control device 24 performs ON / OFF control by an LED control unit 58 that controls energization to each LED element 43 of each shelf LED illumination device 48 attached to the lower surface of the front end of each shelf 30. At this time, the control device 24 associates the display areas on the respective shelves with the shelf LED lighting devices 48 provided corresponding to the information on the display areas, by the external input means 29 as described above, from each shelf. Information about products displayed in the 30 display areas is input and held in the memory 52.

  Therefore, the control device 24 turns on / off the LED element 43 as the visible light communication means of each shelf LED lighting device 48 to turn it on / off and display it in the display area located in the illumination range. Information (data) about the product is transmitted as data for optical communication.

  Thereby, the light irradiated from each LED element 43 of each shelf LED illuminating device 48 contains the data about the goods displayed in the display area on the shelf located in the said irradiation range.

  On the other hand, the receiving device 55 as described above is attached to the front end portion of the shelf 30 that is the irradiation range. Therefore, the irradiation light from the shelf LED illumination device 48 (LED element 43) provided in the upper shelf 30 that illuminates the products displayed in the display area on the shelf is the front end of the shelf that is the display area. By irradiating the receiving device 55 attached to the receiving device 55, the receiving device 55 receives the data for optical communication via the irradiation light emitted from each LED element 43 of the LED lighting device 48 by the receiving unit 56, this embodiment. Then, the data regarding the goods displayed in the display area on the shelf is received. Then, the received data relating to the merchandise displayed in the display area on the shelf is displayed (output) on the liquid crystal display unit 57 of the receiving device 55.

  Thereby, using the visible light irradiated from the LED element 43 with high directivity that illuminates the inside of the display room 11, data relating to the product at the position illuminated by each shelf LED illumination device 48 is stored in the shelf LED illumination device. By using 48 to transmit, it becomes possible to transmit different product data for each shelf 30.

  For this reason, it is possible to receive data relating to display merchandise, data relating to merchandise sales, and the like by the receiving device 55 provided at the front end of each shelf 30 of the showcase 1 without performing any special wiring connection. Therefore, the convenience can be improved.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the receiving device 55 is attached to the front end portion of each shelf 30, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the front surface that is inside the canopy 33 and forms the outer layer discharge port 17, etc. It may be provided in a POP posting section, etc., or in a cart used by a customer moving inside the store. Moreover, you may include the data regarding display goods, the data regarding goods sales (for example, special sale), etc. in irradiation light from each LED element 43 of the LED lighting apparatus 40 provided inside the canopy 33.

  Thereby, when the receiving device 55 provided in the cart approaches the showcase 1 as the customer moves, the LED lighting device lighting device 40 or the shelf LED lighting device 48 in which the receiving device 55 is used as visible light communication means. When the LED element 43 falls within the irradiation range, it is possible to receive data related to each displayed product, data related to product sales, and the like and display them on the liquid crystal display unit 57.

  Thus, since it becomes possible to transmit data by irradiation light from each LED lighting device 40, 48 provided in the showcase 1 without providing a communication line, the movable receiving device 55 allows the data to be transmitted. Data can be received. Accordingly, it is possible to eliminate inconveniences such as troublesome work due to wiring and deterioration in aesthetics.

  In the present embodiment, the receiving device 55 is provided with the liquid crystal display unit 57 as output means, but is not limited thereto, and in addition to this, by providing an audio output unit or the like, Not only text and video but also sound can be output.

It is a perspective view of an open showcase to which the present invention is applied. It is a vertical side view of the open showcase of FIG. It is a figure which shows the attachment state of each LED lighting apparatus. It is an electrical block diagram of a control apparatus. It is a figure which shows the optical communication control by a LED lighting apparatus. It is a figure which shows the optical communication control by the LED lighting apparatus as another Example. It is a figure which shows the optical communication control by a shelf LED lighting apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Open showcase 2 Heat insulation wall 2A Bottom wall 4 Partition plate 5 Side plate 9 Bottom plate 11 Display room 24 Control apparatus 27 Illumination switch 28 Various input means 29 External input means 30 Shelf 31 Bracket 32 Shelf board 33 Canopy 39 Cooler 40 LED illumination apparatus 42 Substrate 43 LED element 44 Mounting plate 45 Reflector plate 48 Under shelf LED illumination device 50, 58 LED control unit 51 Timer 52 Memory 55 Receiver device 56 Receiver unit (receiver)
57 Liquid crystal display (output means)

Claims (4)

In a showcase where products are displayed in the display room,
An LED lighting device having an LED element for illuminating the display room;
A control device for controlling the LED lighting device,
The showcase characterized in that the control device transmits data for optical communication by turning on / off the LED element of the LED lighting device.   The showcase according to claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of the LED lighting devices, wherein the control device transmits data using a specific LED lighting device among the plurality of LED lighting devices.   2. The show according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of the LED lighting devices, wherein the control device transmits data related to a product at a position illuminated by the LED lighting devices using the LED lighting devices. Case.   The showcase according to claim 1, further comprising a receiving device that receives and outputs data transmitted from the LED lighting device through optical communication.

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